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NOTE: I am forever backtag friendly and absolutely open to doing things from past events that won't really have an effect on things at any given time. For example, if you'd like to do something with Peter aged down or when he was his spider dream guide, etc.
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Though those nerves are still present, and as he moves inside and stands beside her, he hesitates β unsure if he should reach for her. And then she's doing it, letting him know that it's okay to, and Peter slips his arms around the girl. It's slow at first, cautious. Then it isn't, and he gives her a gentle squeeze, but firm. With it, a slow exhale of his nerves, releasing them a bit. He tries not to think about the fact that somewhere inside of him, something else exists between them, something that very likely is.... aware right now, too.
But he can still hold her, hug her. It's still all right to do that. And she still feels the same pressed to him, hugging him. Things have changed, but some things haven't. ]
Oh, so that's why you wanted me to come over. [ Peter teases, smiling as they part from the embrace. There's still... much to talk about regarding where things stand now that the demon is a more pressing presence, and what exactly its connection with her is going to entail, but for now, they can just enjoy each other's company for awhile. It's been so long since they were able to do that. And as he pulls back, he's looking her over a bit, checking for signs of fatigue or illness or... anything. He's been so worried for her. ]
Well, you definitely called the right person for the job. My nickname at my old school was Muscle Man. [ He's 100% being sarcastic right now; he's flimsy and he knows it, and his smile spreads a little. ]
I'm happy to help.
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It was an additional benefit. [ She's still smiling, gently amused as she gestures behind them. ] It's just in the kitchen.
[ Why Sodder had left it there remains unknown, but she had found her basket there when she'd first arrived in this place. She leads the way, an excited spring in her step. She's already had a brief look inside, but hasn't taken anything out yet. The trunk itself isn't particularly huge, but it's definitely a little weighty when Luna grabs the handle at one side with both hands and tries to lift it a little as she waits for Peter to grab the other handle. ]
Well then, 'Muscle Man', this should be quite easy for you. [ Oh, she knows he's being sarcastic, her head tilts and then dips little. This is nice. It's an easy kind of banter. ] There's magic on it to carry a great deal more than it looks like it can. It doesn't make it too heavy with the amount of items thanks to the spell, but it's still a little heavy to drag around.
[ But it's not too difficult of a job to carry up the narrow stairs when there's two of them. Luna directs them to put it down in the middle of her bedroom floor before she kneels down in front of it and flicks the latch. ]
I've only had a little peek, butβ [ Something silvery catches her eye as she opens the trunk, tucked into the lid of the trunk that had come loose as they'd moved it. A delicate little bracelet. Luna's face lights up at the sight of it as she pulls it free and holds it up. ] I thought it'd be much more fun to wait for you.
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For now, he follows Luna into the kitchen, noting that little spring in her step, lifting his brows in amusement and fondness of it. She does seem especially excited, and it makes his heart thrum happily to see. Grasping the other side of the trunk and lifting, he makes a point to give a very loud groan β more teasing, poking fun at himself β but it's actually not that difficult, really. ]
That wasn't so bad. We could start a moving company together. [ Peter smiles as they set it down in her bedroom, casting a look around the familiar space β he... hasn't been here in awhile. But he's looking back to Luna as she opens the trunk, drifting closer and kneeling down beside her to watch. He's... touched that she wanted to wait for him. It draws him into silence for a moment, broken only after he's gazing down at the shiny little object she extracts. Peter lifts his hand, fingers gently reaching for the bracelet so he can look at it more closely. ]
Oh, it'sβ it's so you. The rabbits. [ Moon and stars and rabbits. His smile grows a little at that and there's a bit of a blush, recalling that... kiiiind of embarrassing memory of the pair of them back at the park festival.... The one that involved the euphoric face-painting. But the bunny ears she'd sported had been almost unfairly adorable.... and soft...
Peter gently hands the bracelet back to her, placing his hands on his knees as he waits to see what else is in there. ] I'm glad you asked me over. This is really fun.
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[ Although it's said in a way that isn't unkind. Odd pair of movers? No, nothing wrong with that. There's even a soft chuckle of amusement.
Luna... hasn't forgotten that either, and when Peter blushes, her lips purse a little. Yes, the rabbit ears. It'd been strange with the new, temporary appendages, but yes... they had been very soft. And... then the face-painting. That had been... an experience. Luna clears her throat and smiles. It hadn't been so terrible, really. A little awkward, but... enjoyable. ]
Rabbits have strong ties to the moon. There's stories about it. [ She smiles a little. ] I suspect that's why my patronus is a Hare.
[ Patronus, not patriots. Remember, Peter?
Taking the bracelet back, she takes a moment to put it on. Why not? And then she peers into the trunk wondering what to pull out next. Ah. She reaches in a pulls out a pile of almost half a dozen books or so. They're nearly all textbooks for school, spellbooks. She looks very pleased. ][ There's a small hum of amusement. Peter's... probably not interested in textbooks, in all honesty. But there's one book in particular he might be. She pulls a rather worn and slightly dog-eared book from the pile and offers it to him to look at: Tales of Beedle the Bard. ]
I think you'd find this more interesting. It's a story book, tales wizarding children are read at bedtime. You know, stories with lessons in them. That sort of thing. I imagine Muggle children have their own. [ There's a short pause, her expression turns a little wistful. She misses home, misses both her parents, misses the simplicity of being read stories at night. It's been well over a year since she last saw her father. ] Dad always liked reading the Tale of the Three Brothers to me, especially after mum died.
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They do? I never knew that. [ His brows lift at that; he'd never known anything about rabbits having ties to the moon. But it definitely makes sense why her patronus (not patriots) is a hare, and seems especially suiting for her now. (He.... kind of has to wonder if his patronus would be a.... spider, since his dream guide is a spider here. And what that says.... about him...) ]
It's funny, people always think of wolves when it comes to the moon. Rabbits being associated with it is really cool.
[ He's looking down at the textbooks she pulls out next, and.... there is some curiosity about what kinds of textbooks wizarding students would have, but admittedly he probably won't be.... trying to read them. Just from the titles they look pretty complicated, okay. (Of course, somewhere in him, Paimon's curiosity radar has most likely just perked up even more. The Witch's schoolbooks.) But the one she hands over to Peter has him tilting his head slightly in thought, thumb nudging it open to look at a page. ]
Oh, a storybook. Yeah, we definitely have these, too. Folktales. [ He gently browses some of the pages, being careful with the worn-looking item, before he's looking back over at her, quiet for a moment after what she says β then he smiles a little, softly. ]
Would you read it to me sometime? [ The subject is a bit sad, that nostalgia to her items, but his heart flips a little, unexpectedly. (Calm down in there, Paimon.) ]
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[ Stories often explain a lot about what's true in the world. With this, how the moon looks the way it does. Or like with her book she'd given him. Even the stories here are based on real things in life. The Tale of the Three Brothers is one that's real, despite it being used as a bedtime story for children. Her father truly believes in the Deathly Hallows, and so does she. ]
There's a lot of stories about wolves, of course. But all the howling at the moon's more of a coincidence. [ There's a thoughtful pause. ] Although werewolves are especially tied to the moon, for good reason.
[ Luna pauses at his question, her eyebrows raising slightly. Her voice is a little hushed when she next speaks, and she smiles a little. There's sadness in it, but she appreciates it. It's part of her, and he's interested in it and she's... touched by it. ]
I think that'd be nice, yes. [ Luna gently reaches for his hand, giving it a gentle, thankful squeeze before she turns back to her trunk. Perhaps something... a little more cheerful, only it's hard to choose considering there's so much that's bittersweet with the contents of it. She hums thoughtfully before her hand brushes against the fabric of her cloak. Her uniform. Oh, that'd be quite fun. ]
Did I ever tell you we have to wear a uniform at Hogwarts? I always found it odd how I don't have to wear one here. [ She reaches into the trunk and starts pulling out a set of uniform. A pointed and brimless plain black hat falls out and Luna chuckles in realisation. She holds it out to him to try on. ] Here. Muggles were actually quite right in thinking we wear hats, but this one's only for special occasions.
Do you want to see? [ The uniform, she means. Yes, she's offering to put it on to show him. ]
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Werewolves? Iiiiiii guess I shouldn't be surprised you guys have those where you're from, but...... [ He's giving a laugh, albeit a slightly nervous one. Werewolves. Holy shit! How has Luna survived all this time!
But despite those scarier things, he really is enjoying learning more about her world, looking at her things. He... means it, that he'd like to hear the story sometime. The little moment between them is slight and soft and makes his heart do flippy things again, ones that have nothing to do with curious demons rearing their heads and everything to do with how warm and comfortable Luna's hand feels in his own. Really, nothing has changed at the core of them. ]
You have a witch's hat... [ There's almost something boyishly delighted at that, even in Peter's quiet way. His preconceptions of witchkind have largely been proven false, so he wasn't expecting that little tidbit to actually be true. It's weirdly exciting to see it in person? An actual pointed witch's hat, guys. It may not have the wide brim like witches of the movies and for Halloween novelty, but still? He grins, putting it on his head as she hands it to him and tugging it down a little so that it'll stay on. Sometimes he can be silly. ]
Yeah, I want to see! This is so cool. [ Peter's especially excited to see her uniform?? ]
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[ Maybe they could... look for it together, sometime. That... would be quite nice. ]
My Defence Against The Dark Art teacher in my second year was one, actually. [ It should be something met with horror, even for people in her world. A werewolf teaching children. Most people tend to shun them. But Luna's cheerfully conversational, as if she'd said her teacher had brown hair. ] He's a very nice man, and was a rather good teacher. It was a shame when he resigned.
[ The students haven't had much luck with teachers for that particular subject, but it's cursed after all. But Professor Lupin really was quite a good teacher. ]
There's far fancier ones. You should see the ones some of my professors wear. [ They ride brooms, too. That's another thing that Muggles got right. Alas, there's no broom in her school trunk. She and her father have them at home, though. There's a little hum of a giggle as he puts the hat on, quietly delighted at the silliness of it. It's endearing, really. He suits it. He's an honorary wizard.
She nods, smiling and then pauses, glancing down at her uniform and then around her room before looking back to Peter. Her cheeks are a little pink as she hesitates for another moment. Oh. Um. Yes. Putting the uniform on. So... ]
.... Can you... turn around? And close your eyes.
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[ Though as soon as he gets said telescope, he'll absolutely be telling Luna about it. Unfortunately, the town will soon start getting... completely dark out at night, without a single star visible in the sky. And then when October hits...... their only real view will be those eyes in the skies. Not to mention being outside in general won't be... advisable. It might actually take awhile before they can get use of it, but it could be something nice to do in the future. ]
Oh. I'm... sorry to hear he resigned. [ If Luna says he was a good man, Peter believes it. Werewolf or not. ] It sucks when good teachers end up leaving. None of mine have been werewolves, but. I know the feeling. It makes coming to class feel really weird.
[ He's still enjoying being dumb and wearing her hat when she asks him to turn around, and it takes him just a couple seconds to work out why, his eyes catching the fresh pink of her cheeks β oh. Oh, right. ]
Oh, yeahβ let me just. Turn around here. [ Peter turns his back to her, facing the wall and after a moment of debating, slips his hands over his eyes for good measure, feeling his lashes tickle his palms. He's feeling a little nervous again, breath fluttering a bit, his own cheeks feeling warmed once more. But it's not an unpleasant sensation, the nerves. He's still excited too, and there's a little smile tugging at his mouth. ]
Okay, they're closed.
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Damn this town, getting in the way of perfectly good stargazing dates. There's always November, hopefully. When the skies may return to normal, and there's a good quality of darkness for it. ]
I believe it was because it was found out he was a werewolf, and wellβ people are quite awful about that sort of thing. [ Prejudice against werewolves is a very real thing back home. ] But yes, it's quite unfortunate. It does feel weird.
[ Her lips purse when he slowly realises what she means, the barest hint of a smile as he moves himself. Ah, yes. That's what she meant, Peter.
There's a exhale, a soundless ghost of a laugh β quietly amused as his palms move over his eyes, and gently giddy from it. She gets to her feet, changing into her uniform as quickly as she can, casting shy glances at the back of his head every now and then. It's not that she doesn't trust him, wary he'll turn around β far from it. But he's... right there, isn't he? Peter's right there. And her cheeks are still burning with it.
Finally, she slips on her school shoes and shrugs on her cloak β taking a moment to carefully smooth the fabric down, adjusting the little accents of dark blue on the trim. For a long moment, she just frowns a little. It... feels strange to be wearing this again. She wasn't even sure if it would still fit her, considering the span of time. It certainly doesn't fit the same, though.
With a soft inhale, her brow smooths out once more. ]
Alright, you can look now.
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It's almost easy to forget about that whole... thing, though, in the moment. He can't ever forget about it completely, but for just a few moments β as he sits there with his hands pressed lightly over his eyes, listening to the little sounds of Luna moving around, Peter can kind of forget about Paimon and the fact Luna's strange new relationship(?) with him is some absolutely horrifying unknown. For a moment, his heart skips beats from a pleasant nervousness instead of a frightened one.
Then she's telling him he can look, and he does β slowly lowering his hands, slowly turning around, still sitting on the floor and neck tilted back to look up at her. Her hat's kind of hanging half off of his head now, and Peter reaches up to slip it off, carefully, setting it down. He takes in the clothing, his eyes drifting downwards and then back up, and with that motion his ears are.... reddening at the tips. ]
You look so cool, [ he says, with a shy little grin, but an earnest one. He does think she looks cool β all put-together and witch-chic in the uniform. Slowly, Peter draws one knee up towards his chest and props an elbow on it, fingers fiddling with his ear, because it.... burns. Stop that. ]
Some uh, Muggles wear school uniforms kind of like that, but definitely not with a cloak. [ His shy smile turns a little dopey, relaxing a bit. ] I really like it.
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Even in America? I didn't know that, I thought all schools here everyone just wears their usual clothes. It's been quite strange not having a uniform.
[ There's a brief pause as she watches him fiddle with his ear for a moment, and she frowns a little. ]
Is something wrong with your ear?
[ Sorry she's just... absolutely calling you out like this. She means it genuinely, alright? Do you need some lotion or something, it's looking a little red...
She pats down the front of her robes, smiling a little again. She does really like her uniform, okay. Despite some things that have happened, Hogwarts is really important to her. ]
Oh! And it has pockets, too! [ Cool and functional! ] Including one for my wand!
[ She will even demonstrate, picking hers up from her bedside and putting it safely in a pocket on the inside of her robes. Yes, it's very handy. Her hands then go for the outside pockets but she freezes when her fingers touch something round and cool tucked away inside of it.
Slowly, she pulls it out to examine it: a single, large gold coin. Luna's expression tempers at the sight of it. It's her DA coin. For a long time she simply stares at it, a date gleaming back at her. She had this on her, back home. But it hadn't been on her when she'd arrived here.
Luna's head tilts to the side. ]
I wondered where this was.
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Yeah, mostly like private schools require uniforms? The rich kids' schools. [ There's an almost wry little smile at that; Peter very easily could have ended up in a school like that. While not wealthy, his family had money, lived comfortably. But it's one decision he does thank his parents for; he would have no doubt hated having to go to a private school. ]
You could wear it here sometimes to school, if you wanted to. It might make you feel... closer to home. [ Being back in her usual school clothes. The question, however, has him freezing β oh god. Peter quickly cups the offending ear before he can think how... strange that must look, covering it up. ]
Oh no, it's okay. Just. I've been touching it too much. [ What a.... good explanation. He tries to look nonchalant, and probably does not at all! He's glad Luna gets occupied with something in her pocket, and the distraction gives him something to focus on, too, something that isn't how cute and cool Luna looks in her uniform. His ears are finally cooling off a little....
Peter slowly gets to his feet, groaning slightly like an old man as his bones protest a bit, and then drifts closer to lean in and see what she's looking at. It's a coin, but it's clearly something with significance to her. ]
What's that? Lucky coin?
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She knows there'll probably be a few people who might think she looks a little ridiculous wearing a kind of weird, wizarding uniform to school. But then again, has Luna really been one to care about what people thought of her?
Her eyebrows raise a little at his answer: I've been touching it too much. But she doesn't actually say something in reply, nodding a little. It's a believable answer, but are you sure you don't need some ointment? ]
Well. Kind of. It's a galleon, it's a form of currency we use. [ Although the fact that the wizarding world uses different money to Muggles isn't particularly itself something that should be surprising.
There's a brief pause as she considers her words. She's... careful about speaking too much about her recent history in her homeworld. Peter knows fine well about the dark creatures and magic that exists there, but he has no idea about what's actually going on. She's... still never told him. One day, she will bring herself to do it. Talking about it with Diarmuid last month certainly helped.
But for now she can give... a little context. Offer pieces here and there. ]
Back in my fourth year, we got this really awful teacher. She wouldn't actually teach us proper magic, insisted that there's no such thing as dark magic. So we wouldn't need to learn anything defensive. [ It's vague, but also enough information β Peter knows there's dark magic, after all. ] So we made our own little club, a secret one. So we could learn magic properly for when we'd need it.
It's how I learned a lot of the spells I know now. Like the Patronus charm. [ There's a small smile at that. ] I liked going. It was like having friends.
[ Rest assured: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville are now very much her friends. ]
But we needed a way to let people know when the meetings would be. Hermione came up with this very clever idea with the galleons. It has a charm on them. If she edited the master coin, all the others that the members had would change.
[ She turns the coin over to show him a series of numbers, a serial number of sorts. She explains how the number actually corresponds to whoever made the coin on a real galleon. But with the charm, they could be changed to dates and times and no one would know the difference should the coin fall into the wrong hands.
Luna's smile grows thin-lipped. The serial number currently reads: 220001051998. ]
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(And the fact she doesn't question his ear problems further is very much appreciated..... He's totally fine! Honest! Just dealing with some #TeenageStruggles over here.)
Peter listens, his own brows lifting a bit as she explains that the coin is a type of currency. It really shouldn't be surprising, but somehow he never thought about the fact that witches and wizards might use different money.... so he's just kind of staring at the thing in obvious interest, though Luna's words draw the boy's eyes from the coin and back to hers.
The thought of Luna having to learn defensive spells against dark magic is... unpleasant. Perhaps it quietly shows in Peter's face, something there that's a mix of fearful and worried, mouth easing into a soft frown. One that's further tugging as she mentions it was "like having friends." Oh. Peter swallows softly, staying quiet as he listens, but he's drawn even nearer, arm gently brushing against hers, as though a silent comfort.
Tilting his head down slightly to see the coin as she holds it up, his eyes grazing over the lengthy number. He sees the way her face looks, the question voiced softly. ]
Does this number.... mean something in particular? Or has it... changed since the last time you saw it?
[ To something with a meaning she wouldn't recognise, maybe. He has no idea if the thing works here, in this strange dreamscape β if the coin could still change. Is it still a link to her world, or a dead end now? It's a weird thought either way, he realises. He understands that receiving things from home can be.... bittersweet. He only recently even takes out his guitar, touches his keyboard. Charlie's notebook.... still stays under his bed. ]
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She absolutely sees that look in his face, and she knows he's worried. He's still a little uncomfortable with magic in general, let alone dark magic. But honestly? It's just... part of what her world is. People have been learning defensive magic in response to it for thousands of years. But she does appreciate the gentle brushing of his arm against hers and she silently reaches to softly brush her fingers against his forearm in reply.
To her credit, she manages to keep a straight face at his questions. Nothing except the thin-lipped smile she manages to keep. Does it have a meaning? Her stomach sinks a little β only a very significant one. ]
No, it hasn't changed. [ She shakes her head. ] It's the last date I received on it. Neville changed it, he got the master coin from Hermione. I got this date about a day or so beforehand. Only I never made it there.
[ Meaning she ended up in Deerington instead. ]
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By now, he knows Luna's expressions very well, and the smile she wears definitely has a sort of strain behind it. Peter can see that. The gentle assumption is mostly that being faced with something so significant from her home is... hard, and again, it's completely understandable. Not to mention the fact that these coins served as a form of communication between herself and her peers, and having one in her hand now is probably....... especially hard. A literal reminder of her homeworld and the people she inevitably misses. The connection that's now most likely no longer existent. ]
I'm sorry. [ He says, quietly. ] It must be weird, seeing this now. Thinking about.... a meeting you never made it to. [ Peter has no idea just how severe Luna's situation back home truly was, but it's clear that those meetings of hers were important.
There's a beat as he thinks about something, and then he reaches out, gently, to take her other hand and give it a soft squeeze. It's another little gesture of affection, of communication. A way to reach out even if there's still so much in him that's afraid of what this deal with Paimon is going to mean for her. He's still here with her in the special shy, careful physical way they have with each other. He isn't flinching away from being touched, won't let himself fall back into that. ]
Do you wanna talk about them? Neville and Hermione and.... all of them? You could tell me about them, if you want.
wr... ap?
There's another weak smile at his sympathy and she shrugs a little. It's very bittersweet. There's little she can do about it, as long as she's here. And she does know that things... time is a little weird here when it comes to Deerington and home. ]
Apparently, I'll be right on my way again if I leave this place. If what people say about time standing still when we leave home is true. [ She is... not going to argue with him. It'll be staying as 'a meeting' in all honesty. ] But yes, it's quite weird.
[ But Peter offers her much more than a simple hand-hold. Her weak smile shifts to something more genuine and thankful β comforted by it. But there's also what he says next: when he asks if she wants to tell him about her friends. Her lips part slightly and she realises what it is: it's a delightful distraction. As difficult as it is to be without them, knowing just what's around the corner if and when she ever returns home β it's a distraction. She would rather talk about her friends than think about the imminent future of home.
Luna nods a little, turning the coin over in her hand before placing it back in her robe pocket. Not forgotten, but no longer the focus. ]
I'd love to. [ Someone who's so very important to her should absolutely know about the other people who are important to her. Although where to beginβ? ] I... have a photo, actually.
[ She turns, heading towards her beside and opening the top drawer. Inside amongst other belongings of Luna's, there's three photographs: polaroids that Sodder had gifted her from last year. One of Luna when she was younger with her mother; another of a swarthy-faced young man she doesn't recognise; and finally, one of Dumbledore's Army, all stood in the Room of Requirement. She picks up the last photo, closing the drawer again before sitting on the bed, patting next to her for him to sit with her.
Yes, this is a good place to begin. ]