A/N : House : Slytherin

Category : Short

Prompt : Theo/Luna

Word Count : 975

.oOo.

As Theodore Nott sat at the breakfast table, a steaming mug of coffee in front of him, a silvery-white owl came soaring in, dropping a cream colored envelope in front of him.

After checking it for curses or poisons and finding none, he opened it, curious to say the least. A pastel pink card that smelt of chocolate and strawberries fell out.

HERMIONE & DRACO

Request the honor of your presence at their marriage on Saturday, the 5th of April at 6 o'clock in the afternoon.

{St Peter's Cathedral - 127 Chalese Road}

RSVP before March 17th

Theo stared at the gold letters inscribed on the paper for a few moments in shocked silence. He couldn't say he was that surprised, but still… Draco Malfoy was getting married, and to none other than Hermione Granger.

He shook his head. "You lucky bastard."

.oOo.

He knew he shouldn't have come. It may have been his best friend's wedding, but having to suffer through dinner was certainly not worth it. He had to excuse himself halfway through it, making his way to the bar to grab a bottle of Firewhiskey, and then to the gardens, where he planned on getting thoroughly drunk.

How was it that everyone was suddenly in a relationship? Draco was bloody married and Blaise had somehow managed to snag the Weaslette. Potter had obviously been devastated, but after moping around for weeks, Pansy Parkinson had walked up to him in the Great Hall, yelled at him to get a hold of himself, and then he had snogged her senseless. Theo really wished he could unsee that.

Even Ron Weasley, stupid git that he was, had a fiancée, Lavender Brown, and - if the rumors were to be believed - a child on the way. And yet, Theodore, heir to the Great House of Nott, was very much single. Even his last one-night stand dated back months.

Sighing, he lifted the bottle of Odgen's Finest to his lips. "To loneliness," he muttered.

.oOo.

A few hours and a good half-bottle of Firewhiskey later, Theo wasn't yet drunk, though the alcohol had taken the edge off. After a few months of drinking, he had developed a sort of immunity. Hermione had tried to take him to AA, some Muggle association she seemed sure would help him, but he had point-blank refused. He may not believe the blood purity rubbish anymore, but old habits die hard, especially in cases of childhood indoctrination.

He leaned back on the lawn, staring up at the stars, and then he suddenly noticed he wasn't alone. A witch was dancing alone on the lawn a only few meters from him. Squinting in the semi-darkness, he noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes. Her long pale blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight, and it seemed to have some sort of plant - ivy, perhaps - woven into it. Her sleeveless silver dress hung just past her knees, revealing her calves as she frolicked on the grass.

Theo hadn't thought he'd made a sound, but she opened her shockingly blue eyes and gazed at him for a few moments in a most unsettling manner before dancing her way towards him.

As she approached, Theo couldn't help but notice how her dress reflected all the colors of the rainbow as she swayed. It reminded him of those muggle "CDs" that Hermione had shown him, and how they'd glinted in the light.

The witch stopped a few steps away from him, peering down at him with large, luminous eyes. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Theo sat up and cleared his throat.

" I-uh-the moonlight suits you," he said, cursing himself as soon as he said it. The moonlight suits you? What kind of compliment is that?

Yet the witch before him nodded, her lips pursed and her eyes far away, as if she were contemplating something. Finally, she said, "It is my name. Luna. Is your name Defessus?"

Theo shook his head, wondering what on earth she meant.

Luna sighed. "What a shame. You look quite tired, you know."

"Well, I am."

Suddenly, Luna reached into her dress pocket, pulling out a necklace that looked like it was made out of Butterbeer corks and put it around Theo's neck. "That'll be the Nargles. Here you go."

Upon closer inspection, Theo concluded that it was, indeed, made out of Butterbeer corks. How odd. The corks smelled faintly of Butterbeer, and some were beginning to disintegrate; confused as to why she would give this necklace to him, he pulled it off and asked, "What is this?"

Luna frowned. "It's to keep the Nargles away, obviously."

"Oh." Theo paused. He didn't remember learning about Nargles in Care of Magical Creatures, but then again, he could barely remember first-year potions. And it wasn't as if he'd learned anything in Care of Magical Creatures anyways. Pulling the necklace back on, he said, "Uh-Thank you."

"You're welcome." She sat down on the grass beside him, staring at him and shaking her head. Finally, she ran a hesitant finger along his jaw. "Maybe it wasn't the Nargles," she said. "You still look tired."

"Maybe," Theo replied, uncertain as to why a witch this beautiful was wasting her evening by sitting on the grass beside him, instead of spending time with her friends.

Luna smiled, her rosy lips parting ever so slightly to reveal perfect teeth. Then, she kissed him. And before he even had time to react, she pulled away.

"Uh- Not to appear rude - but - uh- what was that for?"

Luna frowned again, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "To keep away the loneliness, Theodore Nott. And you are quite rude, you know. You didn't even kiss me back."

Slowly, a smirk appeared on Theo's face. "I apologise, then. You must let me make it up to you."

Luna smiled. "Oh, I will."