Disclaimer: I do not own anything from this story. Property JK Rowling. I also do not own the picture on the cover, property Warner Bros. Also, I do not own the poem, property Thomas Hardy.

O the opal and the sapphire of that wandering western sea,
And the woman riding high above with bright hair flapping free -
The woman whom I loved so, and who loyally loved me.
The palle mews plained below us, and the waves seemed far away
In a nether sky, engrossed in saying their ceaseless babbling say,
As we laughed light-heartedly aloft on that clear-sunned March day.
A little cloud then cloaked us, and there flew an irised rain,
And the Atlantic dyed its levels with a dull misfeatured stain,
And then the sun burst out again, and purples prinked the main.
- Still in all its chasmal beauty bulks old Beeny to the sky,
And shall she and I not go there once again now March is nigh,
And th sweet things she said in that March say anew there by and by?
What if still in chasmal beauty looms that wild weird western shore,
The woman now is - elsewhere - whom the ambling pony bore,
And nor knows nor cares for Beeny, and will laugh there nevermore.

Beeny Cliff, by Thomas Hardy

pedantic (adj.) - overly concerned with small details

Escape

Ever changing colours twinkled through the glass and in beautiful shapes on the tabletop and it's strange objects, a rainbow sparkling in the air as the sunlight shone through the fragmented window.

The ingredients were foreign to Luna, at least. She was more entertained by the windchimes, and colourful shadows, than her mother, but the spellwork also captivated her.

Dorothea Lovegood continued in her meticulous handiwork, going through pedantic methods in hopes that she could teach her daughter. She liked to think Luna admired her work, however strange.

"Dear, could you pass Mummy that?" she pointed to the jar labeled Viscera - Species Unknown. Dorothea took the jar from her harshly, eager to work and not noticing the rather hurt look on Luna's face.

She pointed her wand at the potion in the cauldron, watching it swirl and morph. "You're so clever, Mum," Luna told her, eying the potion, and Dorothea's heart soared. But the experiment, she reminded her self quickly.

"As are you, my dear," she tapped a finger on her nose, "smart, and clever. Unique."

"Really?" Luna asked involuntarily, the doubt in her voice made her mum look up. "The... the other children, they don't think I'm unique," Luna admitted, avoiding her mother's gaze.

"Who cares what they think, hmm?" Dorothea demanded immediately. Luna looked up, pale eyes shining. "You listen to me, Luna Lovegood: there is nothing wrong with you, do you understand me? You, darling, are perfect, in every possible way." But then, she felt her eyes grow dark again.

Dorothea caught the irony: as she was teaching her daughter the wonder in the world, her mind was slipping into madness. Surrounded by beauty, she saw shades of grey.

"I love you, Mum," Luna told her, stronger and prouder than she had been moments ago.

"I love you too," Dorothea told her daughter quickly, going back to her work, though she did not know what she was making.

"Mummy, what is it you are making?"

"Shh, Luna, I need to concentrate," her mother replied, again missing her daughter's sad expression.

Dorothea could feel herself slowly slipping, retreating into her own mind as her thoughts translated into mechanical mannerisms, ones that were haphazard and unfocused. The beautiful colours around her melted into one, turning dark and hazy, as if a fog had settled in her mind. The air was untouchable, and the only thought keeping her grounded was Luna. Her perfect daughter.

Luna would save her. This was not Dorothea, however insane: she was a brilliant worker of spells, not an experimental potioneer.

"Luna," she gasped, moving to grasp her daughter's arms and as she did so, it was as if the beauty in the world.

"Mummy! Are you all right?"

"Yes, dear," Dorothea kissed her daughter's forehead. "I have you." Luna hugged her mum tightly, not daring to let to.

Suddenly, Luna heard a crack, and looked over her mother's shoulder to the cauldron. "Mummy, the potion!" she cried, and Dorothea turned horrified when she saw the state of the potion. She wrapped her arms firmly around Luna and covered every part of her, keeping her safe as the cauldron exploded.

Dorothea felt the liquid burn through her skin, and she knew she wouldn't last.

"Father! Something's happened! Hold on, Mum, Father's coming," Luna told her, and Dorothea wiped her tears away, whispering

"I love you," before the potion poisoned her insides, and everything turned black.

"Mummy!" Luna yelled, bending to hug her mother's as she sobbed, while Father grasped her hand. "Don't leave me! I love you."

The beautiful colours spanned across Dorothea's dead body. Luna looked away only when she heard an animal cry from the window, turned to see a dark, skeletal horse take to the sky.

A/N: Wow, that was a challenge. I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading. After that, this is absolutely part of my canon verse. Written for:

Quelf comp: 624 words (got it right exactly!), the character must own a pet thestral, genre: drama, cause of death: poison, turning ; Fanfiction terms comp: OOC: write about someone acting strange; Winter Games challenge: luge singles: mother/daughter relationship; Poems into Stories comp: Beeny Cliff; Test Limits comp: round 2: write something dark, with tangible emotion and dark imagery (bonus word prompt: viscera); SAT/ACT vocab challenge: pedantic; Nature of Magic challenge: write about magic experimentation; Thinks you can Think comp: gertrude mcfuzz: write about Luna; Title Acrostics Comp: Chp. 3: E: action prompt- entertaining;

Please leave me a review if you enjoyed!

Lara,