Sanity ~ A Luna Lovegood Fanfiction

A Stranger

I awoke abruptly as if from a nightmare, but my sleep had been peaceful and uninterrupted.

I was in a small, cramped room, the only furniture a birch-wood chair, a bare chest of drawers with a mirror rested on top and the narrow bed that I was, in fact, lying in. The chair was the type of chair you'd find as a set along with a kitchen table. And it wasn't empty.

The man, or young man rather, had jet-black hair, which fell like a waterfall over his forehead. His eyes were dark, and he wore a heavy cloak around his shoulders. His fingers were laced together, resting on his lap.

"Thank Merlin, I've been waiting for you to wake up," he said, looking me directly in the eyes. Past his menacing eyes he had a mischievously kind grin plastered on his face. He looked down then, an unsure smile on his face. "Sorry that sounded a bit creepy didn't it?" he added.

He had an accent that I had never come across and a lighthearted way of speaking. "Who are you?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh! Sorry I forgot, uh, I'm Rolf. Scamander." He said, smiling warmly as he was getting up from his chair. He reached across the edge of the bed and extended his hand. I took his hand, dubious, which, to my surprise, he shook gently, like a Victorian era gentleman.

"Scamander?" I asked softly, "Like-"

"Yes," he looked down for a moment before returning his eyes to rest on me, "The grandson of the Newt Scamander, great wizarding naturalist."

"That's a curious coincidence, " I said quietly, almost to myself.

"And why might that be?" he asked, an air of arrogance about him.

"Because I am a great fan of your grandfather, and the natural world in general. As is my father."

"Well, that is quite a curious coincidence, Miss...?"

"Lovegood," I said quickly, "Luna Lovegood."

Rolf tilted his head slightly then said, "...fascinating name, Lovegood."

"Thank you... Scamander." He smiled at this, crevices forming in his cheeks.

"Lovegood, Lovegood, Lovegood, Luna Lovegood..." he mumbled, obviously deep in thought. I laughed a bit, unsure of what he was doing, had I just made friends with a mad person? Who am I kidding? I am mad.

"The Quibbler!" he exclaimed, staring expectantly at me.

I felt my face loosen, my smile fading before composing myself, "Yeah, my Dad is the publisher of The Quibbler, are you a reader of his?"

"And avid one," he said directly, like it was obvious.

I gazed at him, the black hair, the dark eyes, the pale skin, astounded. Until I saw the toothy grin he was wearing and I started laughing. He laughed, too.

When we settled down, it gave me the time to realise my head was throbbing. "Why are you here?" I asked.

Rolf ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it, as he chuckled, "Sorry, I should have opened with that." He swallowed thoughtfully, "You collapsed last night. The bartender didn't want to just throw you out like every other drunken wizard and I have a room rented so I helped him take you up here."

"Oh," I said, digesting this, "This is your room?"

"Yeah, sorry. I should've cleaned it up a bit better," he joked.

"No, it's lovely. Thank you for being so kind."

He smiled in response.

I gathered the duvet in my hand and pulled it off me, swinging my legs over the edge. I was in my grubby clothes but my feet were bare. I saw my glittering sneakers placed beside my wand on the hardwood floorboards.

I stood up, desperately trying to ignore the pounding of my head and the swaying of the room. I crept across the room and slipped my feet into my shoes as the world swirled dizzyingly around me. I turned to face Rolf who had got up from his chair and was watching me with a thoughtful expression.

"I should go," I said, flattening down my sweater with a sweep of my hands. I realised with a pang of sorrow that I didn't really have anywhere to go.

"Are you sure you don't wan't me to walk you home?" Rolf suggested, meeting my gaze.

I raised and lowered one shoulder uncomfortably. "I don't actually have one at the moment," I admitted.

"Well, Merlin, you could've said," he said, shocked. His concerned stare made me feel like I could trust him. And I oh so desperately wanted to get everything ofd my chest.

So that's how I ended up telling a stranger, who I knew nothing about other than a famous ancestor, almost everything. I had to go back to the start in order for him to understand how much my father's betrayal of Harry Potter hurt and how, subsequently, my childhood home was shattered to pieces.

"Maybe I would've been more careful tucking you into bed last night if I had realised you were a hero," Rolf said, referring to my mention of the month leading up the battle and the part I had played in assisting Harry.

"No, no," I murmured.

Rolf gave me a measured, empathetic look before mumbling something along the lines of, "I'm sorry."

Tears threatened to burst from my eyes and I felt my face burning with anxiety.

"Everything you've been through..." He gazed around the room thoughtfully in order to avoid meeting my eye. "Would a Chocolate Frog help?" Rolf said sheepishly after a moment's silence, yanking a crumpled Chocolate Frog box out of his coat pocket and offering it to me.

It made me feel so warm. I brushed the threatening tears from my eyes as I looked upon this stranger with disbelief.

"Yes," I whispered, blushing, as a smile crept onto my face.

And suddenly I found that I was throwing myself at him, hugging him fiercely. And he had his arms wrapped around my shoulders and I felt overwhelming happy and sad at the same time.