𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔧𝔢𝔠𝔱
─── ★ ───
Mila; (Meel-ah), originating from the name Milagros, meaning 'miracle'
THE VERY FEW BANGS THAT SHE HAD bounced on her face as she trudged along to class, sticking to the sides of the halls to avoid bumping into people. Her hands were stuck onto the straps of her satchel, you could hear the faint noise of ink bottles clinking against each other, crumpled up pieces of parchment moving around. Her feet shuffled against the ground, trying to shove past the many students trying to get to their classes.
Luna; Spanish for 'moon'
She got held up by what she could assume was either stupid boys laughing, a student getting picked on, or some poor person pulled into a humiliating situation.
Mila Luna was not one for socializing, apart from her friend group. She liked to keep to herself, spend her days in the far corner of the library studying or immersing herself with a new book she dug out from the depths of the shelves. She liked to think of herself as an extra in a film, a background, an unnamed character, just for show, to fill up space. That's what she liked, she was very happy with not getting attention. It kept things quiet.
She let out a puff of air, sticking her head a bit to see what was holding everything up, she couldn't see much though. The crowd picked up traction again. It was the first day of the second semester, winter break had just ended and most students seemed lazy and drowsy jumping back into the routine. Mila was more than elated to get back to Hogwarts, she wasn't that close with anyone that she could talk to over break. She much preferred to have too many things to worry about instead of feeling nothing and numb.
She entered her astronomy class, her favorite class might she add. She quickly walked to her usual seat, the second table to the back. The loud screeching of other stools perfectly drowned out the sound of her extremely loud one as she pulled it out. She sat down, setting her bag on the floor beside her. Although it was her favorite class, Mila couldn't help but doze off most of the time, she was tired from the absence of sleep from the night before. Multiple times she could feel her eyes shut, then she'd force them to snap open again, trying to focus.
"Because it is the start of the new term," Professor Sinistra started, "I've decided there will be no tests for the beginning of this new semester," the class erupted into quiet cheers, "Instead, I'm assigning a month-long project," she waved her wand towards the chalkboard, letters very slowly appearing on it, "It will be a group project between pairs of three. Two groups might have four as we don't have enough students," she walked towards her chart of different phases of the moon. "I want you all to find a way to execute the showings of the moon phases, whether this be a report, skit, presentation, or what not, I just want it done in a group of teamwork and collaboration!" Sinistra motioned back towards the chalkboard, "Here are the lists of groups and members, please gather yourselves."
Mila's head was nestled in her arms on the table, her leg underneath the table was shaking up and down. She hated group projects, well who didn't?
She would mostly have to do all the work, every time. Luckily, her astronomy class only consisted of them and the Hufflepuff's. Mostly all Hufflepuff's were not insufferable, she couldn't say so for her own house though. Mila's head sparked up as she read her name on the board:
Group four;
Sirius Black
Mila Luna
Remus Lupin
Great just what she needed, paired up with relatively popular, annoying, pricks. She stood up from her seat with her satchel, making her way to Professor Sinistra's desk.
"Excuse me, Professor?" Mila said, while clearing her throat.
"Ah Mila, what can I do for you?"
Mila's hands tightened around the strap of her bag. "Could I switch groups? I'm not sure how well I'd do with my group!" she asked.
The Professor set down her quill and gave Mila a sympathetic smile, "I'm sorry, but the groups chosen, are the groups that are set in stone, Ms.Luna, this is a project to bring students together, as well as to see if you know your subject! I think this will be a nice challenge for you," Her teacher smiled sweetly. Mila pursed her lips, then turned on her heels towards the old rickety table with extra project information and instructions.
She waited by the table for a moment, trying to waste as much time as she could. She quickly skimmed over the piece of paper before reluctantly walking towards the loudest desk in the room. She pulled up a stool, from another desk, up to their table on the opposite side of them. The two of the boys were joking about something, not noticing her for a few seconds, at least that's what Mila thought. Remus had noticed the strange girl that sat down on the other side of them, her face was slightly hidden from her bangs, her robes and tie matched his, the red and gold hanging off of her neck.
He looked at her from the side, pretending to pay attention to Sirius. She pulled bottles of ink out of her satchel which was lying on her lap, she inspected them, then chose the one with the least amount of ink, to make sure not to put new ones to waste. She pulled out pieces of parchment, digging around her bag for a lost quill which she found alas. Remus had never seen this girl before, sure there were many people in the Gryffindor house, but he'd surely at least seen every face. Yet for some reason, she was a completely new person.
Sirius seemed to finally notice that someone had found their way to their desk. Sirius leaned over the table, slyly grinning at Mila as she kept her head down reading the instructions list. "And who might you be fair lady?" He questioned, Mila only gave him a quick glance in response. "Not a talker I see," he continued, "I am the one and only Sirius Black-"
"I know who you are," Mila cut him off to refrain from continuing his egotistical introduction.
"So you've heard of me?" Sirius smirked.
"Yes. Unfortunately"
Remus stifled back a laugh at the short answers from the girl. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius sat back in his seat.
"It means, we have a project we have to do, so if we could please get started on ideas!"
The long-haired boy crossed his arms against his chest, "You never answered my question, now what's your name Ms. Mysterious?"
She sighed, setting her paper on the table, staring at Sirius, already tired of the long days ahead, "My name is Mila. Luna. Now if we could please-"
"Luna, that doesn't sound like a regular English name, what's it mean?"
"It's not. It means moon, now like I said-" Mila's jaw clenched in frustration, annoyed from getting cut off over and over again.
Sirius had elbowed Remus in the arm, Remus winced into the abrupt slight of pain, "Oi' Moony, Mysterious here stole your name!" Although Mila was annoyed from being cut off by stupid comments from the boy she quirked her eyebrow at the odd, out-of-place nickname.
"Pads, how 'bout we just start with the project," Remus finally spoke up, scrunching his nose.
"Project?" Sirius looked dumbfounded. Mila was definitely annoyed now, he couldn't even pay attention enough to know they had a project.
Remus had to explain to Sirius, "We have to find a way to creatively track the phases of the moon."
"Wait so how long do we have?" Remus bended over, getting his own supplies from his bag, leaving Mila to answer the question.
"We have this week to plan, the month of February, then the first week of March to correct and add whatever, now any ideas?"
"We could draw out the phases, Remus here is great at drawing thingies and stuff!" Sirius grinned. Once Sirius had registered what he'd just remarked too Mila saw as the two boys caught each others glaces.
Remus had just placed his quill on the wood surface before Sirius grasped his shoulder, hearing what he had just said, widening his eyes, "Sirius, first of all that sounded completely wrong, second I don't really draw, I'm not even that good-"
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Nonsense you draw like all the time- well except for when your face is shoved in some book."
"Actually, Black," Mila said, "That isn't such a bad idea, it could rack us up a few points, and if Lupin is as good as you say he is, I think we can pull it off quickly!" Sirius grinned, at least someone was fond of his ideas, then he smirked to Remus, letting him know he got his way. She dipped her quill into the ink, then pressed it on the parchment, writing the title of the project with the word 'draft' next to it, then listing the idea Sirius just gave.
After she finished she packaged everything back into her satchel, pulling out her book. "Why are you packing up so early?" Remus asked.
"Well the class is almost over, so..." Remus slightly nodded. Truth was Mila wanted to leave right when class was to be dismissed, and she wanted to finish her new book she found in the muggle section of the library, she only had a few chapters left, just yearning to be read.
Professor Sinistra finally let the class go as the hour rang for the periods of classes to end. Mila slung her satchel around her body, rushing out of the room, nose still nestled in the pages of her book as she headed off to Ancient Runes.
Mila felt like she could collapse at once, she dragged her feet across the floor to the great hall for lunch. She walked to the end of the Gryffindor table, only to find one of her friends, Ida. Ida Reese, or what Mila like to tease her with, 'Iddy', was the only friend she was close with. The only friend she really told about her past. The only one she could confide in, her best friend.
"Hey M'!" Ida greeted. Mila took her seat beside her, putting some salad on her plate, and covering it with ranch.
"Hey Iddy!" Mila hummed.
"Today's a bust, anything fun happen to you?" Ida questioned.
Mila put a piece of spinach in her mouth, everyday seemed to be a boring day for Ida, "Not really, sorry to disappoint!"
Ida tilted her head, putting on a pleading look, "Really? There has to be at least, something!"
Mila smiled contemptively "I've finished my book if that's something that can fascinate you."
Iddy put her finger out tapping it on the open page laid in front of Mila, "What's this then?"
"J'some notes im writing in the margins," she shrugged.
Ida furrowed her eyebrows, her view resting on the Hogwarts Library stamp across the tops of the pages. "Isn't that like, not allowed? You know- to write in the books?"
M' had a muggle pen out and wrote a little sentence on the thin page. "Well loads do it, I already recognize two peoples handwriting, they write notes all the time as well!"
"Litte weird if you ask me M', but c'mon, finishing some muggle book cannot be the highlight of your day so far!" Mila felt pressed from the disbelief on her friends face.
She pondered, trying to come up with something relatively interesting. "I have a month and a half long group project in astronomy?"
Ida sighed, "That's better than the book,"
"Wait I didn't finish! Guess who I'm stuck with for the next six weeks?"
"Who?"
She motioned her head towards the near center of the table, where four boys were joking around, flooding the area with noise. "Sirius Black and Remus Lupin," Mila stated.
Iddy held back a giggle, "Well, that could be fun! You'll get mounds of attention from that."
"Stop!" Mila scowled. "It was quite annoying, Black kept asking the most stupid of questions!"
"Well I think instead of his body giving him a brain, I think it put more time into that hair of his."
The two girls snickered as they looked over the group of boys, Sirius' hair just barely resting upon his shoulders. Mila had to admit, "Although I kind of hate them, Black has some seriously great hair, Iddy you should go ask him what conditioner he uses," she teased.
"I don't think his conditioner will help my hair, or yours!"
Remus; Latin orgins revealing determination of great admiriabilty
Remus continued to read his book as Peter and Sirius were throwing their food at each other, and James were staring over at Lily Evans, again. "I don't think you staring at her like some git is going to get her to go on a date with you, Prongs," Remus said, not looking away from his book. James's head turned to Remus, taken out of his day dreaming.
"She'll say yes, I know it, one day! You wait, and if she does, you owe me a galleon!" James practically pleaded.
Remus quirked his eyebrow, "A whole galleon? Just if she says yes to go on a date with you? You even have doubts in it yourself, mate," James scowled, going back to eating his food, Remus to his book, he read the little scribbled, but neat, notes left on the sides, he recognized this writing in every few books he was able to get around too.
Lupin; Meaning - 'Pertaining to Wolf'
His fate was sealed, engraved even into his last name. The scars that aligned his face, the bite carved into the back of his neck, that carried the burden since he was four. The way people pitied him so much, they were willing to become illegal animagi to assist him on the treacherous nights of the full moon.
Even if it seemed like such a small problem, the weight was on his shoulders forever, to numb it, he would read, pull pranks, take midnight strolls, draw, but, it wasn't like he could do it all, all day, he wish he could, but the problem still lingered above him, swaying back and forth. He would do as many things as he could to take his mind off of the 'monster' he was. Take up extra credit school work, harder classes, prefect duties. Anything to rid the creature from his mind.
He kept wondering how he would complete the last day of tracking the moon for the new project he assigned, Sirius had committed him to it against his will, knowing that Sirius didn't think about the once a month night. Remus had been staring at the same word in his book for a few seconds before snapping out of his thoughts, beginning to talk to Padfoot who was next to him, "Sirius, you're going to have to actually do work for this project!"
Sirius turned to him, face full of bread, "I will- fon't worry!" he finished chewing and then swallowed.
"I'm serious!"
"No I am!" Remus rolled his eyes, he walked himself into the joke again.
"Fine, I will try, but sometimes I just have way more important things to do, Moony, besides you have that girl to help you anyways!"
Remus sighed, "Her names Mila, treat her with respect, set an example for James please, then maybe he'll learn how to actually treat a girl!" James turned his head asking "What?" after hearing his name, but they ignored him and Remus continued talking,
"I say we meet up in the library tomorrow, say about five p.m. to give us enough time to do other work, and plan out things, understand?"
"got ya- now can I finish eating my rolls?"
"Fine."
Lunch had ended, students made their ways to their last 3 classes to end the day. Remus had waited for the Great Hall to clear out, in hopes of finding his another project partner to notify her of the Wednesday study plans. He looked down the tables until his eyes fell upon a girl getting up from the benches carefully as she was still holding onto a book jotting something down.
He walked over to her, "Hey!" he said, Mila froze, almost jumping back as she looked up to meet Remus's gaze.
"Oh hello- You startled me," She tensed.
He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back, hopefully making it look more presentable, "I'm sorry, didn't mean to," Mila quirked her eyebrow wondering what the brunette was doing, "I just wanted to let you know me and Padfo- Sirius, decided to meet up tomorrow in the library tomorrow, five p.m. to study for the project," He smiled at her, but she just nodded her head in response.
"Ok, I'll be there, I just need to get to potions, bye Lupin," He watched her walk off to Professor Slughorn's classroom as he went off to his.
Mila woke up tiredly, not ready for the usual Monday and Wednesdays of an extra class, hers being Ancient Runes, which she hated, but was needed for her future aspirations.
She was able to escape an encounter with the Marauders in astronomy, as there was no time to be left to get groups together. Ancient Runes, was depised by Mila, it went painfully slow that day. Professor Babbling did what her name ensued, babbled on about useless things, her squeaky voice playing rough on Mila's ears. The class was finally dismissed, much to her delight.
Mila was starving and dying of hunger, she almost ran to the Great Hall for lunch. She adjusted her Gryffindor tie that sat on her neck, her satchel swinging beside her body. As she entered the Great Hall she scanned the tables, she found that her other 3 friends that made up her friend group, finally decided to sit with her and Ida. She smiled and started walking towards them. Much to her demise on her way she could hear someone calling out to her from down along the table. "Oi! Ms. Mysterious, get over here!" it was none other than Sirius Black. She sped up her pace, completely ignoring him, hoping she could rush past him so she could eat.
Unfortunately her gripped the sleeve of her robe, pulling her back, she could already feel a few of girls eyes staring at her. She hung her head down, keeping her face hidden with some of her hair. She turned to him, "What?"
"I just needed to tell you something about todays study thing for astronomy!"
She let out a puff up air, "Go on, make it quick, I don't want to be seen around you all!" Instead of getting to the point he went off topic.
"Why don't you want to be seen with us?" He questioned.
"Cause I can feel everyone looking at me already," She muttered back.
"I thought you were a Gryffindor? Things aren't supposed to bother us," he tsked smirking.
Mila scoffed, "Way to be stereotypical Black, not everyone wants people drooling all over them all day! Or shooting daggers at you with their eyes for just speaking to you!"
Sirius was taken aback, "I have you know, I do not have every girl drooling all over me, there's you for starts-"
"That's because you're not all that!" She sang. Peter across from the table, who was listening in on the conversation, stifled a small giggle.
"Are you calling me a terrible person?"
"Yes!" she leaned over, in-between Sirius and Remus, grabbing a warm biscuit from the center of the table that they had hoarded. Remus was surprised at the sudden body right next to him reaching for a snack.
"I'll have you know I'm not stupid! I'm way smarter than Prongs! If anything I'm right next to Remus when it comes to my intelligence!" He declared, Mila ignored him again, biting into the baked dough, coming to delight with the warmth in her mouth, letting out a 'Mm!' and reached for another one, storing it in her pocket.
"You've talked longer than you've should, I'll be going now." she strode off to her friends, taking another bite out of the biscuit, not caring about the eyes on her, the dough was too good to be eaten behind her hair.
She went towards the end of the benches, closest to the Professors tables. She sat next to Ida, on the other side of them were 3 girls, The one in the middle was very pretty, her cookie blonde hair was silky, her face was slim, she was the definition of what pretty was. Her name was Serenity Coleman. Mila had been friends with her from a young age, their families were close, not so much them anymore. They were just to different, yet they were still friends. She had just drifted off to find new people, who were much cooler then Mila, Mila was decidely her uncool friend.
Serenity was too cool for a nickname as well. From when Mila met her to the end of 3rd year, Serenity had always went as Seri, but by fourth year, that was too much of a kid-ish name. Serenity was better at everything, exceeded in areas that M' lacked. Serenity had latched on to new friends, who were obligated to be Mila's friend, and the two sat on either side of Serenity right now.
On Serenity's right was a girl with dark brown hair, her face always had a mean look on it, this was Ruby Ross. Often had the girl catergorized herself as too cool for school, she often convinced the other two of their trio to skip classes, go off flirting with guys, or playing around in their dorms. She took things with a more careless attitude, she didn't pry for anything, which Mila appreciated. Mila, Ruby, Serenity, and Iddy all shared a dorm together, which is how they found out about Ida in the first place.
The girl on the other side of Serenity was Maisie Baker, everyone called her Mai, she had the same dark brown eyes and hair as Ruby, but had more rounded features. You instantly felt a safe aura from her, she was always kind and cheery. She was very kind to Mila, always checking up on everyone.
"Since when did you, talk to them?" Serenity perked up.
"I was just talking to him about an astronomy project I have to do with two of them. No need to get jealous they're quite insufferable," Mila defended, scared of playing another game of charades.
Serenity scoffed, drooping her head down to Mila with a look of disbelief, "Are you kidding? You know how lucky you are? How many people would kill to be grouped with them! Sirius is such a catch!" Mila only looked back to her with a very much concerned face as she continued, "M', could you maybe, introduce me to Black? Since you know him now, could get me a chance this time."
"Serenity, you know how many girls he's tried to be with? If he did say yes for a date, pretty sure he would forget you by next week!"
"I'd say you have a crush on black, M', and that's why you won't introduce Serenity to him!" Ruby said, obviously joking.
Mila looked slightly shocked, "Excuse me?" she said.
"Fine then you have a thing for... Potter!" Ruby grinned.
"Well even if she did, she had a 0% chance, he's all over Lily Evans!" Mai pointed her finger to James, "I mean just look at him pining all over her!" All of the girls heads turned to James, then following his gaze to a redheaded girl giggling with her friends, not noticed the brown eyes looking at her with much, much, desire.
"Poor James" Serenity did a small frown, "She doesn't see anything in him, I hear she has to reject him at least like once a week!" The girls went on to talk about another topic, but Mila kept looking at Lily, wishing she was her.
Lily was popular, pretty, had a guy chasing after her for years, she was smart, all her teachers loved her, she was outgoing, many friends, kind, and sweet. Mila had only talked to her a few times, and every encounter, Lily was so nice to her, effortlessly doing everything right. Mila aspired to be like her. To have her beautiful pale skin, instead of her darker one, to have to straight hair, instead of her frizzy hair. Mila always put her standards too high.
She went back to her friend's conversation, trying to pick up on what they were talking about. She sat there, pretending to laugh with them, she was lost in her own thoughts, as she slowly ate, and nodded at the every few asked questions.
"So M', are you going to tell us about your new crushes on Potter and Black!" Ruby teased, Mila rolled her eyes in response, finishing to swallow down the bite of her sandwich.
"You guys are unbelievable!"
A/N April, 2022
That conclude chapter 1 of 'My Moon'! YAYYYYY! This book have been a month in the works to finally come out! Thanks for reading!! Remember to vote if you actually thing you'll still be reading this, give me feedback in the comments, follow me for updates etc!
Hopefully I can see this in your guys' library lists!!
A/N December, 2022
I always was in the middle about this chapter, never really liked it, but we all need to start somewhere.
4.2K words