He sorely regretted taking this route, but he knew of no other way. No other way to reach Ottery St. Catchpole's village. No other way than the Knight Bus. It was a brief contemplation on whether asking Eagala to threaten the driver and conductor of the damn thing to drive slower would be seen as unlawful or perhaps malicious intent for a fleeting thought, no more.

However, it had been immensely amusing when the conductor nearly soiled himself after Eagala decided to make her displeasure known by hissing at him from close proximity.

The blasted thing sped away as fast as it came here.

Still, there was one bonus to him arriving here. Already, he could feel the ambient magic of the village blanketing him, tingling his senses. He had read about places like this, scattered around many locales in Britain, places where no muggle could go, where they could not encroach, where magic flowed more freely, signifying that it had been inhabited before by witches and wizards, and possibly other creatures of magic as well.

Wasting no time, his wand slipped from its holster, the warmth emanating from it spreading through his whole body from the barest of touches, and he tapped his trunk twice, shrinking it down to a manageable size before placing it in his pocket.

In his trek through the village he had come across a fairly large number of witches and wizards, of all ages. For a reason he couldn't comprehend, he was even trailed by a small group of them, most likely it was a game of sorts played, what with their looks indicating an age the same as his or even younger.

When one of them decided to come a little closer, closer to invading his personal space, Eagala decided a good fright was in order and emerged from beneath his clothes, draping herself across his shoulders, much of her body still clinging around his chest.

The squeak of panic that erupted from the young witch set the others running, and Hadrian couldn't help but share a laugh with Eagala, thanking her for the intervention, he'd have preferred not to use magic on small children like those to simply shoo them away.

She conveyed her enjoyment of the little one's fear and retreated back beneath his clothes.

It didn't take him much before he reached his destination; a house with so many odd angles, with more height than width, with numerous windows and but one door that coated the front of it.

It stood a small distance away from the main part of the village, yet not so far away that taking a journey back to it would tire one out. Surprising himself, there was a small amount of anxiety reverberating through his being.

Though Luna's father may have been slightly out there with his mind, he was still her parent, and there was rarely an adult, aside from Yvanna and possibly Professor Snape, who approved of him. One exhale later, he knocked on the door.

Minutes passed, seeming like hours and ages to him, before the door finally opened. The man that towered above him could be easily recognized as Luna's father, though the soft brown robes he wore seemed a bit worn and there was an overdressed issue when it came to the trinkets that hanged off his neck.

Unlike her, however, his hair was not that of true silver, but rather the white of those prematurely aged. Lanky was another word which could be used to describe him. Now that he saw the man, he could easily see traces of him in Luna's face, the way they both shared the same pale pink lips, the eyes, his perhaps a more vibrant blue than hers, even the faint eyebrows. His complexion on the other hand was quite normal, so that must have come from the other parent, her late mother.

Now was not the time for detailed observation though, so Hadrian inclined his head once towards the man and introduced himself.

"Good day, sir. I'm Hadrian Potter," he spoke in his most polite tone.

"We're not buying anything!" confusion and panic showed on the man's face, before the door slammed shut.

Another few minutes passed, before they opened again, spectacles sitting on the man's nose now, staring at Hadrian as if not quite sure if he was real.

"Oh so sorry, lad, I didn't see you there before!" the man hastily spoke the words, anxiety simply radiating from his presence, "Got a bit of a problem with traveling salesmen, buggers won't take "no" for an answer. Come in, come in, Luna's out in the village, buying some groceries."

Practically shooed inside, Hadrian subdued a tug on his lips that threatened to turn into a smile at the man's odd behavior. Once he was fully inside, in the first hallway, it didn't seem like the insides of the house matched its outside appearance.

Before he could observe some more, he was then led into what he presumed to be the living room of the house, proving that the inside completely differed in dimensions and space from the outside.

A fleeting thought of 'I love magic' passed through his head at the sight.

Promptly, he was deposited in one of the armchairs that sat near a table, which was crowded with numerous papers.

"Sorry, lad, forgot to introduce meself. Xenophilius Lovegood," he said, stretching an arm towards Hadrian, who was puzzled for a moment by the gesture, before he extended his own and shook hands with the older man.

"Pleased to meet you, sir."

They sat in an awkward silence for a minute or two, before it was broken by Xenophilius with a statement-question, "My little moonbeam tells me you met at Hogwarts. Same House, eh?"

Hadrian smiled at the affectionate nickname the man had for Luna, before he answered the question, "Yes, sir. We met during the Yule holidays, in the library. And sadly no, she's in Ravenclaw, as you are, no doubt, well aware, while I'm in Slytherin," he finished, his tone of words clearly indicating which was the unfortunate House placement of the two, and waited for the inevitable scrutiny once the word 'Slytherin' left his mouth. It didn't happen, surprisingly enough, for whatever reason. Before their conversation could go any further, the sound of the front door being opened reached the living room, with a familiar voice announcing its arrival.

"Daddy, I'm home."

"In here, dear," her father called out to her, "We have a guest."

The words apparently set off Luna as she came into the living room rather quickly, her eyes scouring across it before they came to rest on Hadrian's presence. There was a wide smile on her face, a smile that told many things without voicing the actual words. He rose up and went to greet her properly.

"Hello, little moonbeam," he couldn't resist teasing the younger witch.

"You came," was her whispered reply, before she flung herself against him and held him in a rather tight embrace.

"Easy there, Luna, think of Eagala," he managed to voice before running out of air and she backed away, looking away shyly, "I told you I would come, I promised."

And so began the summer that would change them both.

For better or for worse, it remained to be seen.