Day Seven Take Two - Victory

Word Count - 20180

Yeah, I made it past my brick wall. I am feeling pretty good about things, all told. I am 5k away from being halfway to 50k, pretty nice place to be sitting on November 7th. I thought I would post another excerpt, a little bit that I am kind of proud of, cause it feels like one of the truly strong passages in my story thus far.  But, you need a little set up.

Xenophilius was driven mad in Azkaban, he now thinks he is living 22 years in the past. Luna is only a tiny baby and when Luna visits him at the home, he thinks she is her mother Carina. Aunt Cass is her mothers sister Cassiopeia, they are now publishing the Quibbler together. The scene takes place a couple hours after Luna's one night stand with George where she woke to find that he was engaged to Alicia Spinnett. Just for future reference, I have gone full denial on this, Fred is still alive, he is married to Angelina, and Luna was just dumped by Rolf Scamander.  And so we go - Luna has gone to visit her father ...


The Fractured Fairy Tale
From Chapter Three 




“Carina…” Xenophilius smiled up at her, his hand outstretched. Luna shook herself and forced a smile, she would pretend that everything was okay, it was easier on him. It would not be hard to hide her upset, he noticed little. 


“Hello Daddy.” She crossed and took his hand, then knelt down on the floor by his chair. “How are you feeling today?”


“Very tired, very tired.” He sighed with a wave of his hand. “That precious angel of ours keeps us up so very late, does she not?”


“Yes,” Luna looked away, trying to force the idea of late nights away. “I imagine I did.”


“It is worth it,” He smiled and tightened his hand on hers “When she grows she will be strong and brave, she is the best of us Carina.”


“What if she isn’t?” Luna looked at him pleadingly, as if begging for forgiveness- even though she could not tell him what she had done. Needing to know that it would be okay if she wasn’t perfect . “What if she grows up and does bad things? What if she does things that hurt others?”


“Of course she won’t.” Xenophilius looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “Our Luna has the heart of an angel, she has your heart Carina. A heart that is pure and true.” 


Luna lay her cheek on his knee and turned her face away to hide her tears. As it always did, his hand found it's way into her hair, brushing gently over the blonde tresses that had been so like her mothers.  It was like torture, hearing him speak of  her with such reverence, comparing her to her mother who really was pure of heart. Carina was the one who was truly worthy of his praise, not her, she might have been once, but not anymore. Her actions the night before had proven that.  


“She’s not who you think she is.” She whispered, so softly that she knew he would not hear. “I wish she was, but she is not.”


She thought of Alicia again, of the pain she must be suffering even now. Was she crying; were she and George fighting, calling one another horrible names? Was he low enough to blame her; he had been low enough to cheat on her, surely he could sink low enough to put the blame on someone else.


“Carina, oh my darling…” Xenophilius lifted her chin so she had to look into his pale silver eyes, eyes so like hers. The only thing she had inherited from her father. “Why are you so sad?”


Luna looked at him and her lip trembled  " I want you to be proud of me.”


He laughed, a deep, rich laugh that reminded Luna of childhood games in the garden. When he would chase her and her mother around and the first he would catch would be kissed all over the face until they had laughed themselves out of breath. Then, the two would turn and chase down the last, until all three rolled on the grass, their arms twined together. 


“I am proud of you darling, I could not be more proud. Look at all you have given me? I know our little Luna is proud of you as well.” He patted her cheek, then gave it a little pinch “And when she grows, she will make us both proud , you watch and see.”


She looked away and nodded, then lay her cheek on his knee again, wondering what he would think if he was in his right mind. Could he still see his beloved Carina in a woman who slept with a man who belonged to another? A man who loved someone else and only had sex with her because he was drunk; who had used him to spit in Rolf Scamander’s eye? She could try to fool herself all she wanted, but she knew her father. Aunt Cass had always been flighty, she had had many lovers and had refused to settle down with any of them. Though her father had never said a word against her, Luna knew he disapproved. There was nothing more important than family to Xenophilius Lovegood, and knowing that his daughter was responsible for bringing a family apart would have made him anything but proud. He might even have been ashamed of her. 


And Luna could not blame him. She was ashamed as well.