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setepenre-set · 7 years ago

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Can u recommand some good books pls?

I DEFINITELY CAN!

(I’ve divided them up into categories, and included a short summary of each, so that you can choose more easily, and put the list under a cut, since it’s fairly long.)

Comedic Fantasy With Emotional Center

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (part of the Discworld series; everything in the Discworld series is excellent. main characters of this one are a god stuck in the form of a tortoise and his last believer.)

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (Discworld. Death has to take over the duties of discworld’s version of Santa Claus in an attempt to keep the world from ending.)

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (Discworld. Death gets fired and decides to live as a human—as near to human as he can, at any rate. eventually he has to battle the New Death to save the discworld.)

Guards, Guards! by Terry Pratchett (Discworld. Sam Vimes, leader of the disgraced and dying Ankh-Morpork City Watch, regains his self-respect and his interest in life as he works to solve a mystery of who is summoning a dragon and killing off citizens of his city.)

The Bromeliad by Terry Pratchett (small ‘nomes’ live secretly in this world, hiding from humans. the perpetually out-of-his-depth and put-upon nome Masklin finds himself in charge, tasked with leading them to safety and finding their way home.)

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (an angel and a demon tasked with seeing that apocalypse happens as scheduled decide to try to avert it instead. completely and utterly fantastic.)

Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams (murder mystery involving Norse Gods, record contracts, and the Ultimate Bubble Bath.)

The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber (novella told like a fairy tale, full of wordplay and beauty and fun. this one just absolutely shines.)

The Gates by John Connolly (young boy, his dog, and an extremely minor demon try to stop the end of the world.)

The Infernals by John Connolly (sequel to The Gates, featuring the same characters.)

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (a young lady is cursed to be old, decides to become cleaning lady for a wizard rumored to be dangerous but actually just vain, overdramatic, and irresponsible. so very fun and romantic.)

Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien (a local peasant finds himself unwillingly roped into facing a marauding dragon.)

Comedy

All of the P.G. Wodehouse books, particularly the Jeeves and Wooster series (wonderfully fun and lighthearted comedy set vaguely between the edwardian era and the 1920’s. Rich, cheerful, and kindhearted Bertie Wooster has a habit of accidentally getting engaged to girls he has no desire whatsoever to marry; his clever valet Jeeves gets him out of trouble every time.)

With One Lousy Free Packet of Seed by Lynne Truss (hilarious and surprisingly touching at the end. lots and lots shenanigans. really fun.)

Romantic Comedy

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (romantic comedy, fake relationship, regency era.)

When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rhinehouse (romantic comedy with a stolen jewels mystery plot. cast of characters stuck in a house together.)

Romance

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (historical romance with intrigue and comedy. The main character crossdresses and, to me, reads as genderqueer. The love interest is basically a villain who accidentally becomes the hero. I LOVE IT.)

Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan (regency romance novella. hero is bisexual. subplot about bicycles being scandalous. this is the one that I have Roxanne give Megamind in Code: Safeword.)

The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan (regency romance, the last in the Brothers Sinister series, all of which are good. main character reads as autistic. her love interest is younger than she is; they’ve secretly presented her groundbreaking scientific work as his, so that people will take it seriously.)

When a Scott Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare (regency romance; main character has social anxiety and made up a fiancee years ago to get out of her impending social season. but now a man with the same name has shown up claiming to be this fiancee, and intending to marry her.)

Mystery

Behold, Here’s Poison by Georgette Heyer (1920’s murder mystery with comedy and romance. The characters are wonderful.)

Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie (murder mystery featuring elderly heroine Miss Marple, who seems fluffy and harmless but is really a sneaky, nosy, and terribly sharp woman. I love her.)

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (murder mystery featuring detective Hercule Poirot. intricate and enjoyable.)

Death Comes As the End by Agatha Christie (murder mystery set in ancient egypt. both the mystery and the historical features are extremely well executed.)

Difficult to Categorize

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann (A group of sheep decide to solve the mystery of who killed their shepherd. Funny and moving. The point of view is amazingly well done.)

Watership Down by Richard Adams (A group of rabbits set out on a journey to establish a new home. The worldbuilding and characterization are fantastic.)

Kiln People by David Brin (science fiction mystery. amazing worldbuilding. One of the main characters is a robot who, due to a slight malfunction, has developed a personality and will of his own.)

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (A love story set during the zombie apocalypse, between a young woman named Julie and a zombie known as R, who isn’t quite as dead as zombies are supposed to be. Horrifying and romantic and uplifting.)

Dreams of Sex and Stage Diving by Martin Millar (Main character Elfish is basically the living embodiment of ‘fuck you’. She’s a guitarist on a mission to claim the name Queen Mab for her—just at present nonexistent—band from her ex-boyfriend Mo.)

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (a young woman in the medieval era gets lost in the forest and nearly dies. When she meets Death, though, she convinces him to postpone her demise—she claims that love is stronger than death, and he tells her that if she can prove it by finding her true love within one day, he will spare her life. Full of joy and sorrow and love.)

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (A group of children go on a fantastic trip through time with a mysterious man called Moundshroud in an attempt to save the life of one of their friends. Fun and dark and beautiful.)

The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson (An epidemic wipes out all of the adults in the world. Ten year old Lisa Nelson bands together a group of survivors and shapes them into a new society, with her at its head. Satisfying.)

Fantasy

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (Gorgeous worldbuilding, kidnapping, romance, magic, and adventure.)

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (The last of the Unicorns goes on a quest to find out what happened to the rest of her species. Fun and frightening and hauntingly beautiful.)

Transformation by Carol Berg (The Emperor’s New Groove for grown-ups. Formerly a magician and currently a slave, Seyonne finds new meaning in his life when he and careless, proud Prince Aleksander work together to defeat the demonic forces that threaten the kingdom. Slavery and freedom, loyalty and friendship. Intricate worldbuilding.)

War For the Oaks by Emma Bull (Urban fantasy. Eddie has just broken up with her boyfriend, and, in the process, broken up the band they both played in. She has enough problems of her own, without getting dragged into a war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts of the Fae.)

Young Adult Fantasy

So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane (Young adult fantasy adventure. Preteen protagonists Kit and Nita journey into a terrifying shadow world to fight a dark entity. One of my favorite depictions of magic of all time.)

Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson (The Great Evil Wizard Arriman has decided to take a bride! The members of the local witches’ coven are invited to a contest—whichever witch performs the most dark and wicked act of black magic will be Arriman’s bride. The young witch Belladonna is absolutely smitten with Arriman, and desperately wants to win the contest. The only problem is that Belladonna is a white witch.)

Megamind: the Novel by Lauren Alexander (A little darker and a bit more grown-up than the movie; still incredibly fun. It features additional scenes from Megamind and Roxanne’s developing romantic relationship.)

Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde (Teenage Kerry is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and ends up being taken captive by a group of people who are holding another person captive as well—a young man they insist is a vampire. Kerry thinks they’re crazy, and helps the boy escape…but it turns out they were actually right. And now she’s being held captive by a vampire on the run.)

Young Adult

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going (Depressed teenage protagonist Troy almost commits suicide, but is stopped by a homeless teenager named Curt, who is also a local punk rock legend. Curt convinces Troy to form a punk band with him, featuring Curt on guitar and Troy on drums…even though Troy can’t actually play the drums. funny and angry and deeply moving.)

The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas by Paul Zindel (Thriller. The misfit teenage protagonists are convinced that their neighbor murdered his wife, even though no one believes them. They set out to prove it.)

Older Children

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Bernard (Recently orphaned, the disagreeable young Mary arrives at her uncle’s house—a house full of secrets and mysteries.)

A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Bernard (Young, precocious, and strange Sara Crewe is sent to boarding school. When her father dies unexpectedly, leaving Sara a penniless orphan, the Headmistress forces Sara to work as a servant. Strength in adversity, the power of imagination, and an eventual happy ending.)

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Neatly Snyder (A group of children secretly play at being ancient Egyptians in a deserted lot. This one really captures the dangerous, wild, and intense feeling of childhood.)

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (adventure with young girl as heroine. genuinely creepy and exciting and so clever. my great-grandmother loved this one, too.)

The Witches by Roald Dahl (Young boy and his grandmother happen upon a convention of terrifying, evil witches.)

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischmann (Spoiled Prince Brat and his whipping boy Jemmy run away together, much to Jemmy’s annoyance. Adventure and friendship.)

Trapped In Death Cave by Bill Wallace (An adventure story with a secret map, a hidden cave, and an evil plot.)

#books #book recs #Anonymous

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sweetmemories2606 · 7 years ago

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Gruvia Week Day 7

Here's day 7: "You're mine". Or, in this case, "I'm Yours".

It had been 2 months since Gray and Juvia got together on that wonderful Christmas Night. After their friends found out that the two of them were dating through the Sorcerer Weekly edition, things were crazy for a while. They had to deal with people constantly staring at them and teasing, which Gray truly hated. He hated being the center of attention, but it couldn't be helped when you were in the cover of the most popular magazine for wizards.

Thankfully, only a week after the article about his and Juvia's relationship came out, Master Makarov announced that the S-Class Trial would he holding place. So he was able to escape from the world for a while as they went to Tenrou Island to have the trial.

Juvia had been disappointed that he chose Loke as his partner, going as far as trying to get out of the trial since she didn't want to fight against him, but Lisanna convinced her to do it. Gray was glad that she had found good friends apart from him; sometimes he worried when she spent too much time with only him. But she also had Lucy, Erza and Levy; so it was fine.

While they were having the trial, a dark guild showed up out of no where; looking for Zeref. More craziness ensured as Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart engaged in an exhausting battle, with the former being the victor, of course.

Along that battle, Gray found himself transported to a painful past as he met Ur's daughter, Ultear. The woman tried to manipulate him into killing himself to save everyone from Grimoire Heart's master, Hades, but he didn't believe her. He knew a liar when he saw one and it was proved when he found her a few minutes later.

To say he was angry was an understatement; Gray didn't take it lightly when people hurt his friends, but for Juvia to be almost killed by Ultear had him truly losing his mind. He was quick to save her and was relieved to know that, aside from a few injures, she was overall okay.

The couple took some time to promise each other to be careful and stay safe before they initiated their plan to stop Grimoire Heart together. While Juvia ran after Meredy, who escaped with Zeref, he stayed to fight against Ultear.

In the end he learned that she was nothing more than a broken soul who was used by the darkness, just like Erza's friend Jellal and Juvia herself back when she used to be a member of Phantom Lord. Later Ultear told him that she believed her mother had abandoned her, and that was enough to push Gray to forgive her. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, to have them abandon you even tough Ur didn't actually leave her daughter.

Once the battle against Grimoire Heart was over, Fairy Tail reunited on their makeshift camp to heal wounds and discuss their next course of action. Gray and Juvia filled each other on everything that had happened since they had been separated and he was surprised to learn about Meredy's sensory link and how she tried to kill them both.

That day, all those feelings of doubt and fear came back and he wondered if it had been the right choice to date Juvia. But he kew better by then, so he quickly reassured himself that they were both fine and nothing bad would happen to them. Because the fears wouldn't go away so easily, he made Juvia promise him to be careful and not leave him.

Their reunion was short lived as Acnologia suddenly showed up on the island. Fairy Tal gave it their all in the fight against the black dragon, but it was no use. It was a miracle that they managed to survive, but still, seven years passed. More precisely, they lost seven years.

When they finally left Tenrou Island, they were greeted by a whole new world. Their friends had grown older, gotten married and some even had children. It was hard to get used to it, but they had time.

About 2 weeks after their return, they learned of the Grand Magic Games. Natsu and Erza were quick to decide that they should participate, so that's why Gray found himself on Aukani Resort with his best friends and girlfriend as they trained for the event.

Everything was going okay; he had a great time training with Juvia and spending time with his friends. Until an unexpected encounter threatened to tear their relationship apart.

Juvia was happy; she truly was. Her dreams of dating Gray had come true, so she didn't have any reasons to complain. The two of them had become inseparable ever since that wonderful Christmas night and, after what happened on Tenrou Island, she felt like she could trust him completely with her heart. He had given her his, after all; and the fact Meredy managed to link them proved that really did he love her.

The problem was, she still wasn't sure. She didn't even know what it was, but something didn't feel absolutely right. She guessed it must be because every relationship she ever had, with the exception of Gajeel, had ended disastrously. So it was hard to believe this one would work out, even though it had gone so well over the past few weeks.

No one would suspect that behind her cheerful and positive outlook on life, there was great fear. After all, ever since joining Fairy Tail, she'd tried her best to move on from the gloomy Phantom Lord Juvia, but it wasn't that easy. The same fears and doubts that haunted her back then still came sometimes.

She worried that Gray was going to leave her someday, just like they all had. Her parents, the few friends she managed to make at the orphanage, Bora. They all promised to be with her, yet they all left someday. No wonder Juvia had trust issues.

No one saw that, though, cause she kept it to herself. She didn't let anyone else see how broken and afraid she truly was. She told herself over and over again that she could trust Fairy Tail, they were her friends, no, family. And she did, with her heart. But still, the doubt remained.

Did they really love her for who she was? Did they ever truly forgive her for what she did as a Phantom Lord member? Or were they just leading her along, letting her believe everything was fine only so that they could betray her like all the others?

She was scared. Of being alone, of returning to the gloomy person who was constantly haunted by the rain. Scared of losing the only friends she managed to make, of losing him, the love of her life. She was terrified that he'd give up on her someday, walk away and never return.

After what happened on Tenrou Island, she had actually expected him to do so. She had hated herself for putting him in danger, for risking his life. Once the sensory link was undone and he was finally safe, Juvia had wondered if perhaps she should let him go.

He had almost died, because of her. He was clearly not safe around her and the last thing she wanted was to lose him. So she thought, maybe it'd be best if he was far away from her. Maybe it'd be best if she left Fairy Tail, if she left him behind so that he'd be safe.

Thankfully, Gray had showed up not long after and he had been heartbroken at the thought of losing her. He had made her promise never to leave him, and her heart was filled with happiness. He wanted her by his side, he loved her.

And Juvia knew then; love was far stronger than anything that tried to come between them. It was stronger than Meredy's sensory link, stronger than the sword that almost killed her and stronger than her fears. So she allowed herself to be with him, to be happy by his side.

Despite all the craziness that happened next, with Acnologia and then the seven years they missed, she was okay. Until now.

Juvia stood in the middle of the hotel's bar, where he had agreed to meet her so that they could share a drink and have some private time. Even though it was great being surrounded by their friends, sometimes the couple just wanted to be alone. So they took this opportunity since the girls were at the springs while the boys were at the beach.

It was supposed to be their night, but there Gray was, sitting at the bar and talking to some unknown woman. Juvia couldn't see her face, only her long dark hair, but judging by the fact she was with HER boyfriend, having a drink and making him laugh, the water mage hated her already.

So she just stood there, clad in the long red dress that Lucy had chosen for her, a pair of heels she normally wouldn't be caught dead in and her long blue hair cascading in waves over her bare shoulders.

She'd taken her time getting ready with the girls' help; they seemed to believe this would be a special night for the couple and she'd blushed at their implications that their first time would occur then. If only they knew when that had actually happened, they'd never let her live it down.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Gray's loud laughter and her heart constricted in fear. He looked so happy to see this woman, whoever she was. Why couldn't she bring that reaction out of him? She was his girlfriend for Mavis' sake! And yet he never laughed like that when they were together.

Juvia sighed; perhaps it'd be best if she left. Even though they'd agreed to meet there, he was clearly having fun with the strange woman, so she shouldn't interfere. After taking one last longing look at them, she turned around and walked away, missing the moment Gray spotted her and his eyes widened.

"Shit!" Ultear stared at him in confusion. They'd been talking about Ur, reminiscing about good times shared with her mother.

"Is something wrong, Gray?" She raised a brow, confused by his reaction.

"Juvia's here." He replied, placing his drink on the counter.

"Oh." She started feeling guilty; having no idea that his girlfriend would be there. He had agreed to meet her there after she sent him the letter, so it was unclear why Juvia would be there. Most importantly, why he'd worry that she was there.

"I completely forgot to tell her that I'd be meeting you." Gray explained, standing up.

"So you think she's upset with you?" Ultear understood; the poor water mage probably thought that he'd ditched her.

"She couldn't see you face from there." He said; ignoring her as his face paled. "Shit! She probably thinks that I'm cheating on her or something!" He started panicking, mumbling to himself until Ultear placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go after her!" He nodded wordlessly before darting in the direction Juvia had gone to. Ultear watched him go with a knowing smile, happy that he had someone who loved him. He deserved that.

"Juvia!" She had just exited the restaurant and stepped into the beach when she heard it. The voice was unmistakable and her heart started beating faster, but she kept going, not wanting to face him yet.

"Damn, she's really mad at me." Gray muttered; seeing as she only increased her pace.

"Why does he keep coming after me? Doesn't he see that I don't want to talk to him now?" Juvia whispered after she turned around, only to see he was still tailing after her.

"Juvia, stop running. Please!" He screamed, but she kept going. The last thing she wanted now was to hear whatever he had to say. She was so scared; every doubt and fear she ever had overwhelming her.

So lost in her thoughts as she was, she failed to see the huge tree in the middle of the path they were following.

"Ouch." Juvia stepped away from the tree, a hand pressing against her aching forehead. Gray let out a relieved sigh now that she had finally stopped running.

"Are you okay?" She didn't turn around, so he approached her slowly.

"What do you want?" He was surprised by the harshness of her tone, but then reminded himself that she had every right to lash out. She thought he was cheating, after all.

"I just wanted to talk." He softly touched her shoulder, not surprised when she pulled away.

"I don't want to talk to you." In the back of her mind, Juvia wondered if perhaps she was overreacting. But then she remembered that Bora had cheated on her countless times and she'd always ignored it.

"I'm sorry, okay? I completely forgot to tell you that she was coming." She turned around this time, only because she was confused by his choice of words.

"So you were going to tell me?" She didn't know whether that made it better or worse, but guessed if she'd known that he'd meet someone else, she wouldn't react like this.

"Of course. Ultear just sent that message so suddenly that I…" She interrupted him, eyes wide.

"Wait, Ultear?" Juvia knew exactly who that was; she'd met with the time mage a few times after their return from Tenrou Island.

"Yeah. I'm not cheating on you, Juvia." He approached her once again, relieved that she didn't move away. "I'd never do that." She was relieved to learn it was his somewhat sister that he'd been meeting, but still, the doubt remained.

"Bora also said that." The words left her lips before she could stop them. She knew Gray didn't like discussing her ex-boyfriend.

"I'm not Bora." He firmly said.

"I'm sorry. I just… I have doubts." He raised a brow, confused.

"You do?" She'd always appeared so sure when it came to their relationship.

"Sometimes, I fear that you're going to leave me." She admitted at last, sighing heavily.

"That's not going to happen." He told her, determined. "I promised you, didn't I?"

"Yes, but so did my parents and Bora. They all broke their promises." For the first time since they had met, Juvia allowed him to see her fears. She removed her mask of confidence and certainty, laying out her broken heart in front of him.

Gray sighed, understanding her. He'd the same fears and doubts over the course of their relationship, but he'd allowed his feeling for her to overshadow that. It had never crossed his mind that she might've also needed to convince herself that love was stronger than her fears.

"Why didn't you tell me about this, Juvia? " Tears were brimming in the corner of her eyes, but she held them back.

"I'm sorry. I guess I've been so used to keeping these negative emotions to myself that I never thought of sharing it." He shook his head.

"You don't have to do that. We're a team, you and I, so you can trust me." She sniffed before nodding.

"Okay." Seeing as some unsureness remained, Gray closed the distance between them before wrapping his arms around her.

"You don't have to worry about me leaving you or finding someone else, okay?" He brought her closer while dark eyes stared determinately into blue ones.

"I'm yours. No matter what anyone says, remember that." A small smile came upon her face.

"You're mine?" It sounded strange, but she liked it.

"Yep. And you're mine." And Gray Fullbuster never let anyone take away what was his.

"Yes, I am. I love you." She told him while her arms encircled his neck.

"I love you too." Gray smiled brightly before leaning in. It wasn't the first time he said those words, but every time it brought him a mix or fear and happiness. For so long he had believed that he'd never say it again, but Juvia showed him it was okay to let go.

They leaned in for a passionate kiss as his hands roamed over her body until reaching her legs, which he lifted and wrapped around his waist before walking towards the tree and pressing her against it. She let out a small groan as her head hit it once again, but it was quickly forgotten as his lips moved down to her neck. He began kissing down until her exposed cleavage while her fingers tightened on his hair.

"Get a room, you two." The shout made the couple pull apart and their eyes widened upon spotting the rest of their friends standing there.

Gray removed his head from her chest before carefully putting her back on the ground. Turning around to face his friends, he kept an arm casually wrapped around her shoulder while both blushed.

"Maybe we will." He replied, smirking once Lucy and Erza's eyes widened.

"We'll be going now." Juvia said before dragging him by the hand as they quickly escaped everyone's teasing looks.

A few hours later, as she watched him sleep while tracing circles on his naked chest, she was finally sure. Gray really did love her. He had more than proved that, so she had no reason to doubt anymore.

What did you think?

Now that the week's over, I'll take my time reading all the amazing works people have made for Gruvia Week.

Can't wait to see what you guys have come up with.

#gruvia week 2018 #day 7: you're mine #fanfiction

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headcanonsandmore · 7 years ago

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‘Under the fairy lights’ A Lunarry fanfiction

(This is the sixth part of my ‘A Certain Romance’ series of Lunarry fanfictions- part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5. Hope you like it!)

Harry Potter had a problem.

The problem was love, and it concerned Luna Lovegood.

He had recently discovered that Luna had a crush on him. He had been thrilled about it, having been attracted to her for a long time. However, he found himself conflicted over what to do.

On the one hand, he wanted to pursue things with Luna. On the other hand, however, he was terrified that he would get something wrong. He liked having Luna as a friend, but what if he messed things up whilst trying to pursue her romantically? He didn’t think he could take it if he did something to scare her or (even worse) make her hate him.

However, this wasn’t his only problem, as he was once again the best friend of two people who seemed to hate each-other with a burning passion.

Ron and Hermione had fallen out. That was not a new thing, but this time was different. Unlike the previous times they had stopped speaking, this was over matters of the heart.

Ron had recently begun dating Lavender Brown (although, the way Harry saw it, all the two of them seemed to do was snog). Hermione had then attacked Ron with a flock of ravenous birds. The two had not spoken since.

Harry was not especially impressed with either of them. After his two friends had agreed to go to Slughorn’s party together, he had thought that they had finally made some progress with their obvious attraction to each-other. However, they were both now treating the other with a disdain they usually reserved for people who bullied Neville Longbottom.

As far as Harry was concerned, it was now blindingly obvious that Ron and Hermione were in love with each-other, and yet his two friends seemed further apart than ever before. Harry was forced to split his time between the two of them. Hermione refused to talk in the common-room whilst Ron was intertwined around Lavender Brown, so Harry had spent an especially miserable early evening in the library with his bushy-haired friend, punctuated only by Hermione angrily blotting her parchment every time she mentioned Ron’s name.

The two of them had returned to the Gryffindor common-room, and Harry had hoped to try and close the distance between his two friends. However, Hermione had spotted Lavender Brown wrapped around Ron like an electric eel, and had left for her dormitory before Harry could say any words of comfort.

He hoped that maybe their attitudes would improve the next day during lessons, but this had proved to be false. The Transfiguration lesson had progressed with Ron and Hermione being unpleasant to each-other throughout the whole lesson, culminating with Hermione leaving the class in tears and abandoning half her belongings at her desk.

Ron squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, and his face became laden with guilt. However, under the watchful eye of Lavender, he could hardly run after Hermione to apologise. Harry’s eyes met Ron’s, and the redhead omitted a silent plea.

Mentally cursing the childishness of his two friends, Harry let out a heavy sigh, collected Hermione’s things and set off to find her.

Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten far, and Harry discovered her leaving a girls bathroom on the floor below. What surprised him was the person who was patting Hermione softly on the back.

‘Oh, hello, Harry,’ said Luna Lovegood, turning her large grey eyes towards him. ‘Did you know one of your eyebrows is bright yellow?’

Harry felt heat flush his face. He wished he had fixed that before he’s left the class.

‘Hi, Luna,’ he said, trying not to feel too embarrassed. ‘Hermione, you left your stuff…’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Hermione, her voice sounding choked as she hurriedly took her books and turned to place them in her bag. Harry thought he saw her wipe her eyes on her pencil-case. ‘Thank you, Harry. Well, I’d better get going…’

And with that, she hurried away before Harry could offer any words of comfort, although he had no idea as to what he could have said.

‘She’s a bit upset,’ said Luna, as they watched Hermione round the corner. ‘I thought at first it was Moaning Myrtle in there, but it turned out to be Hermione. She said something about Ron Weasley.’

‘Yeah, they’ve had a row,’ said Harry, trying not to stare at Luna, who was absentmindedly curling her long blonde hair with her finger. Harry’s stomach gave a lurch.

‘He says some very funny things sometimes, doesn’t he?’ Luna said, as they began to wander down the corridor together. Harry couldn’t help but notice that Luna’s grey eyes seemed to reflect the sunlight peeking through the nearby windows. ‘But he can be a bit unkind. I noticed that last year.’

‘I s’pose,’ Harry mumbled. Luna had a unique way with slightly uncomfortable truths, which always made him feel a little awkward. ‘I just wish they’d make things up.’

‘I’m guessing they’re not going to Professor Slughorn’s party together, then.’

‘How do you—?’

‘Oh, I heard Hermione crying about it when I found her in the bathroom.’

‘Oh,’ Harry said, letting out a sad sigh. ‘Yeah. That’s not looking likely at the minute.’

‘Hmmm,’ Luna hummed thoughtfully. ‘Speaking of which, are you going to Professor Slughorn’s party?’

Harry whipped his head round to Luna, his eyes widening. Luna was smiling at him, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

‘Er,’ Harry felt like his heart was somehow tripped and ended up at the back of his throat. Was Luna suggesting what he thought she was suggesting?

‘I mean,’ said Luna, biting her lip slightly. ‘If you were already planning on going alone, that’s fine. I just thought maybe you’d—’

‘Y-yeah,’ exclaimed Harry, blinking quickly. ‘I’d like that. To go with you, I mean.’

Luna’s mouth stretched into a wide smile, and her large eyes sparkled.

‘Thank you, Harry,’ she grinned. ‘I’d like that very much, too.’

Harry smiled back, his heart beating quickly against his chest.

‘I’ll meet you in the entrance hall at eight o’clock, then.’

Luna nodded, dimples forming in her cheeks as her smile widened.

They reached a fork in the corridor.

‘Well, goodbye, Harry,’ Luna said, as she began to walk away to her next class. ‘I’ll see you this evening.’

‘Yeah,’ Harry prayed that he wasn’t grinning like an idiot. ‘See you.’

As he watched her skipping away down the corridor, a sudden thought came to Harry.

‘Oh, Luna?’ he called after her.

She turned, and looked at him inquiringly.

‘When you say “going together”, do you mean as friends or….what?’

Luna smiled at him again. Harry felt his stomach squirm again.

‘Shall we just see what happens, Harry?’

Before he could reply, she turned around, still smiling, and continued skipping along the corridor, her long blond hair dancing behind her.

At eight o’clock, Harry found himself walking towards the entrance hall. The intervening hours seemed to have passed in something of a daze. He could vaguely remember telling Ron that he was going to the party with Luna, and Ron giving him a suspiciously knowing look. However, Harry was unable to question about this further, as Lavender Brown had flung her arms around Ron’s neck shortly afterwards.

He had spent the time after dinner trying desperately to flatten his hair in the dormitory mirror, but this had proved to be fruitless. Eventually, he had given up, hurriedly put on his dress robes, and polished his glasses.

As Harry proceeded down the staircase towards the entrance hall, he noticed that there was a large crowd of people (mainly girls) who seemed very interested in who he was going with.

‘Hello, Harry!’

Luna was standing a short distance away, and was waving at him cheerfully.

She was wearing a set of spangled silver robes that were attracting a lot of stares from the assembled onlookers. She wasn’t wearing her butterbeer-cork necklace, but her familiar radish earrings were in place. Her cheeks dimpled as she smiled at him, and her skin appeared to sparkle in the candlelight.

‘Er- hi,’ Harry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. ‘You…look nice.’

‘Thank you, Harry!’ Luna smiled widely. Harry must have been imagining things, but he thought that a slight blush on her cheeks. ‘You look nice too!’

‘Thanks,’ Harry tugged at the sleeves of his robes, feeling very self-conscious. ‘Shall we get going, then?’

‘Oh, yes,’ Luna replied, happily. ‘Where is the party?’

‘Slughorns office.’

As they walked up the marble staircase, many of the onlookers stared at them suspiciously. This made Harry’s stomach bubble with angry- what was wrong with Luna going with him?

‘Did you here there’s supposed to be a vampire coming?’ he said, biting back the insults he wanted to hurl at the eavesdropping people around them.

‘Rufus Scrimgeour?’ asked Luna, as they began to walk along the corridor and away from all the staring.

Harry tried not to stare too much at Luna as she went into great detail about how the minister for magic was secretly a vampire, and how her father (the author of the wizarding magazine known as ‘The Quibbler’) had been barred from publishing the story. Luna’s lips seemed fuller than normal, and Harry felt his stomach give a shudder.

Harry shook his head and diverted his attention to Luna’s eyes. As usual, her enormous grey orb-like pupils seemed to reflect moonlight, despite them being indoors. This detail did nothing to calm his nerves.

‘Are you okay, Harry? You look a little flushed.’

Luna had turned to him, looking concerned.

‘Oh, yes. I’m fine,’ Harry said, his heart beating slightly quicker. ‘Just a bit nervous about the party.’

‘Perfectly understandable, Harry,’ Luna said, smiling. ‘We’ll make sure to investigate the mistletoe.’

Harry’s stomach seemed to deflate.

‘Wha-?’ he spluttered, the heat rising in his face. ‘What do you-?’

‘Nargles,’ Luna replied, simply. ‘Don’t you remember? We said we’d investigate.’

Harry’s mouth went dry. Luna was, of course, referring to their conversation a year previously in the room of requirement.

‘O-oh yeah,’ he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Kind-of hard of forget, that.’

Luna nodded. Was Harry imagining things, or were her cheeks slightly flushed?

They were now approaching Slughorn’s office, and the sounds of merry party-goers, as well as music, was growing louder with each step.

The office seemed to have been magically enlarged, and the ceiling and walls had been draped with scarlet, gold and green hangings, so that the light emanating from a lamp containing actual fairies reflected off the walls in a patchwork effect.

Harry grabbed two glasses of pumpkin juice from a nearby table, and handed one to Luna.

‘Cheers,’ he said, tapping their glasses together.

Luna giggled as she raised her own glass to her lips. Harry couldn’t help but notice how good her lips looked when wet.

He was just about to suggest getting some food, when he noticed a long mane of bushy hair push past what looked like two members of the Weird Sisters.

Grabbing Luna gently by the arm, Harry pushed through the crowd.

‘Hermione!’

‘Oh, hello, Harry,’ said Hermione, as they reached her. ‘Hi Luna.’

‘What on earth happened to you?’ exclaimed Harry, letting go of Luna’s arm somewhat hesitantly. Hermione’s hair was a tangled mess, and her make-up seemed to have been smudged.

‘Oh, I’ve just left Cormac,’ Hermione explained. When Harry gave her a blank look, she elaborated. ‘Under the mistletoe.’

‘Urgh!’ Harry crossed his arms, frowning at his bushy-haired friend. ‘Why’d you even ask him anyway?’

‘Well, I thought he’d annoy Ron the most,’ Hermione continued, waving her wand to make her hair untangle itself. It was now held in a delicate bun. ‘Unfortunately, he seemed a little…too keen on the idea.’

‘You okay?’ Harry enquired, now feeling concerned. ‘He didn’t….’

‘Oh, thank goodness, no!’ Hermione grabbed a glass of butterbeer from a nearby waiter, and began to sip it. ‘I managed to smack him round the face before he got too…friendly.’

‘Good idea,’ Harry nodded, his eyes darting around the surrounding area to check that McLaggen wasn’t in the vicinity. ‘Listen, Hermione, about Ron—’

‘I’d rather not talk about Ron right now, Harry,’ Hermione interrupted, her voice quavering over the redheads’ name. ‘He didn’t want to come with me to this, so I’d rather just forget about it.’

‘It didn’t sound like that when you asked him in Herbology.’

Hermione’s cheeks turned a delicate red.

‘Well, anyway,’ Harry continued, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘I just hope you two can make things up.’

Hermione’s eyes dropped down to her glass, her hair obscuring her face.

‘I don’t think that will happen anytime soon, Harry,’ she said sadly, her voice oddly strained.

‘Er, listen,’ Harry said, giving her a brotherly pat on the shoulder. ‘If you want to just hang around with us for the rest of the party, we wouldn’t mind.’ Harry said, indicating himself and Luna.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,’ replied Hermione, giving Harry a slightly knowing look. ‘You two just have a good time- oh, no, here he comes!’

And with that, Hermione disappeared as quickly as if she had disapparated. From a few metres away, he saw McLaggen peer through the groups of people, before walking over to the food table.

‘I would normally suggest that he was influenced by the Nargles,’ said Luna, peering round at Harry. ‘But they don’t make people…act like that.’

Harry gave a little smile. Luna was a very sweet girl.

‘I suppose,’ he said. However, his attention was diverted as the door of the office opened, and Argus Filch entered, pulling an irritated Draco Malfoy behind him.

‘Er, Luna,’ Harry asked, putting his empty glass down on a nearby table. ‘I’m gonna pop off for a second. Be back in a bit.’

‘Okay,’ Luna replied, turning to speak to Professor Trelawney, who was standing nearby and smelling strongly of brandy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off himself, and re-entered the party; his head swirling with what he had just overheard from Malfoy and Snape.

Unbreakable vow? What mission did Malfoy have? And why was Snape trying to help him?

Luna was stood right where he had left her. In his effort to re-join her, however, he momentarily forgot who she was in conversation with.

‘Harry Potter!’ exclaimed Professor Trelawney.

‘Oh, hello,’ Harry said, unenthusiastically. Trelawney had a habit of predicting his death, which he found very annoying.

‘My dear, why have you not elected to continue Divination this year?’ the enormous-spectacled teacher enquired. ‘Surely, to you, the subject is of the upmost importance?’

‘Sybil, we all think our subject is the most important!’ Professor Horace Slughorn appeared, his enormous stomach preceding him into the conversation. ‘Harry, m’boy! So glad you could make it, and…er, your companion, of course!’

‘This is Luna Lovegood, Professor,’ Harry forced down the bile that came to his throat everytime Slughorn happened to forget a student’s name. It had happened with Ron before, and he was getting very sick of it. ‘She’s in Ravenclaw.’

‘How do you do, Professor?’ said Luna politely, evidently not taking Slughorn’s accidental rudeness to heart.

‘Very well, Miss Lovegood.’ Slughorn grinned genially. ‘I must say, I’m glad that you’ve managed to coerce Harry into coming along- if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was avoiding my little parties!’

Harry tried to join in the laughter, and avoided looking Luna in the eye. He had, in fact, been avoiding Slughorn’s parties as a way of cheering Ron up about being ignored by the Nepotistic potions master.

As Slughorn moved to talk to a thin, balding wizard who Harry gathered was a leading light in the department of magical accidents and catastrophes, Luna turned to Harry and whispered into his ear.

‘Harry, I didn’t force you along to this, did I?’

She sounded a little worried.

Harry shook his head.

‘No. Well, I wasn’t originally planning on coming,’ he said, trying not to stare at how a loose strand of her dirty-blonde hair was dangling over her right ear. ‘But I thought it wouldn’t be so bad if you were here too.’

Luna blinked, and her mouth stretched into a small smile.

Merlin, she’s cute…

From behind them, music began to play. Turning, Harry realised that they had inadvertently walked over to the edge of the dance-floor, where many people were swaying in time to the music.

A sudden thought occurred to Harry.

He offered his hand to Luna.

‘Shall we?’

Luna grinned, and took his hand.

Stepping onto the dance-floor, Harry put his other hand on Luna’s waist, and the two of them began to weave gently through the groups of people.

‘It’s been a while since we danced.’ Luna said, her grey eyes glinting in the fairy-lights.

‘The Yule Ball, wasn’t it?’ Harry smiled. ‘I’ve improved since then.’

Luna giggled. Harry couldn’t help but be reminded of birdsong.

‘So I can see.’

The music slowed, and Luna rested her head on Harry’s shoulder as they swayed. Luna’s skin felt soft and cool against his robes, and her long dirty-blonde hair seemed to catch the light of the fairy-light above. Goosebumps appeared all along Harry’s arms.

What I wouldn’t give to have this moment forever, Harry thought wistfully.

Harry didn’t know how long they danced for, but the band eventually began to wind down, and the party-goers began to disperse. Luna took her head off Harry’s shoulder, sighing softly.

‘Shall I walk you back to your dorms, then?’ Harry asked, as they made their way off the dance-floor and out through the office door. He didn’t know where Ravenclaw Tower was, but he had the Marauders Map on him, so he could always find his way back if need-be.

‘If that’s okay,’ Luna said. Her face was still slightly flushed from dancing, and her neck had a light coating of sweat. Harry couldn’t help but find his eyes being drawn to her.

They set off down the corridor at a leisurely pace. They weren’t in any particular hurry, despite the late hour.

‘Hey, isn’t that Harry Potter?’ Harry could hear other party-goers whispering to each-other. ‘What’s he doing with that weird Lovegood girl?’

Almost subconsciously, Harry closed the distance between Luna and himself, so that their shoulders were almost touching as they walked away from the onlookers.

They walked in silence for a long time. The two of them had started climbing a winding spiral staircase when Luna broke the quiet.

‘I imagine people would have expected you to go with someone cooler than me,’ the Ravenclaw said, once again displaying her knack for uncomfortable truths.

Harry felt his stomach bubble slightly.

‘You are cool, Luna,’ he said, looking her straight in the eye. ‘I don’t care what other people expect; I think you’re amazing.’

A slight pinkness appeared on Luna’s cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to her shoes.

‘Sorry- was that weird?’ Harry asked worriedly, as they proceeded up the spiral staircase.

‘N-no,’ Luna said, biting her lip. ‘It’s just—thank you, Harry.’

‘No problem.’

They had reached the top of the staircase. There was a door attached to the wall in front of them. It had no knocker or key-hole, but a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.

Luna turned to Harry, and smiled at him, dimples appearing again in her cheeks.

‘I’m glad you came along, Luna,’ he said, feeling a little nervous.

‘Me too.’

Luna turned to the door knocker behind them. The eagle opened its beak, and a soft, musical voice called out.

‘Does an object know itself?’

Harry’s mouth fell open in confusion. Did the Ravenclaws not have a password?

‘Hmm- what do you think, Harry?’ Luna asked, turning her head to face him.

‘Er—’

‘Oh, good idea, Harry!’ Luna said, smiling happily. She turned and addressed the door-knocker. ‘I suppose the answer is nothing ever really knows itself.’

‘Good argument,’ the eagle replied. The door opened, and a small beam of candlelight sneaked into the passageway from the common-room within.

‘Thank you, Harry,’ Luna smiled at him.

‘But I didn’t do anything.’

Luna chuckled slightly under his breath, and Harry once again was reminded of birdsong.

‘You did. Remember- “to err is to human”’

The grey-eyed Ravenclaw stroked a lock of her dirty-blonde hair absentmindedly, and Harry felt his heart go into the back of his throat.

‘T-to be honest, Luna,’ he stammered, running a hand through his messy hair. ‘I’m starting to wish I hadn’t asked you now.’

Luna’s face fell, and her eyes widened in a hurt expression.

Harry let out a mental gasp of anguish. He hadn’t meant it like that…

‘I-I mean,’ Harry exclaimed, cursing his own awkwardness. ‘Asking you just as friends.’

Luna’s eyes widened even further, but her face seemed to light up, brighter than Harry had ever seen it before.

She reached out, and took Harry’s hand in hers. Harry felt his stomach give a funny lurch.

Her skin felt warm and soft, and gave off a soft smell of vanilla.

Harry’s eyes met Luna’s, which she steadily held. Harry wasn’t entirely sure why he found himself unable to look away, but Luna’s eyes seemed to reflect the light from the nearby candles, so that the grey sparkled in the moonlight drifting in from the window to their left.

He felt like he could look into those eyes forever, ever-changing in their grey swirls and textures.

‘I had a really nice time, Harry.’ Luna whispered, her voice just reaching Harry’s ears. ‘Thanks for inviting me.’

Harry swallowed nervously.

‘I’d happily do it all over again,’ he breathed. ‘Sorry we couldn’t investigate the mistletoe. I’d- I’d still like to do that sometime. If you want to.’

Luna smiled, and moved closer to Harry. He could almost count her eyelashes, which contrasted wonderfully with her pale skin.

‘I’d like that too, Harry.’

Luna gave his hand one last gentle squeeze, and then turned to walk into Ravenclaw Tower. Harry thought he saw her turn back to look at him as the door swung closed; her cheeks were pink, and her eyes sparkled.

Harry began to walk down the spiral staircase, his heart bounding heavily against his chest. His knees felt wobbly, and heat flushed his face.

Looking down at his hand, Harry felt a small smile stretch his lips. He could still smell the soft scent of vanilla etched across his palm.

Well, we didn’t get a chance to investigate the mistletoe, he thought as he reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, but I wouldn’t have changed tonight for the world…

Hope you enjoyed reading this. It’s a little longer than the previous chapters, but I hope it’s good nonetheless. I’ll be uploading it to my Fanfiction.net account in the next few days, and I’ll reblog this post with a link to it then.

#lunarry #lunarry fanfiction #huna fanfiction #lunarry fanfic #huna fanfic #luna and harry #luna x harry #harry and luna #harry x luna #lunarry fluff #fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic #harry potter fanf

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sulfurousdreamscapes · 7 years ago

Text

“You’re shorter than I expected. A lot shorter,” the girl with the smoking gun said. She had a nasty case of the freckles, but otherwise she was a pretty little thing. Well, I say ‘little’, but you understand she was still two feet taller than me. At least her gun was pointed at the grass now, that was a relief.

When you don’t have the luxury of a normal human height, you tend to grow a second brain dedicated to wit. That second brain was presently out for a piss, given that I stood there helpless and spellbound. It gave the girl plenty of time to circle and inspect me, like I was a diamond. A diamond. Keep telling yourself that, Raymond.

“You don’t look magical,” the girl said from behind me. “But I suppose you keep your magical nature hidden, yes?”

“Well, if I was magical, I wouldn’t let anyone know, so you’re right on that count,” I said.

“Oh, you can speak? Well, even children can speak, so I shouldn’t be surprised, but… hrm.”

I turned around to look at the field behind me, with the wooden fence in the distance. I had to crawl under there to get here, to the farmhouse where this girl had greeted me so amicably. I still wasn’t sure if she’d fired a warning shot or if she had missed. Whatever the case, the shot had no doubt rung for a distance. A lot of parties were on my tail, but presently, the Knights presented the most immediate threat.

“Can we speak inside, m'lady?” I peeked in. No one had come running out of the house on hearing the gunshot, so I understood that no one else was home. The young are clever, but the short can be cleverer.

“Oh, is it tea time already?” she asked with a straight face. The pause after she spoke made me think she expected a round of laughter.

“Well, I’m going to be turned into meatloaf sooner or later if we stay out here,” I said.

“I’d very much like to taste dwarf meatloaf,” she said with a grin. “Who’s doing the cooking?”

“The Knights,” I said. I’d finally caught my breath, but I was convinced I was going to drop at any moment now. “They heard the same rumours you did. Not a word of it is true, mind you.”

“So you’re not magical, you say?” the girl frowned and looked behind me, which made me look behind too, although with a lot more fear.

“I assure you I’m not magical or anything of the sort. Never met a witch or wizard in my life, never tasted a mystery potion, never danced with a fairy. I’m just an ordinary dwarf who’s been driven out of the city by someone with a grudge against me.”

“What do the rumours say?” she asked.

“Look, can we really just get indoors, please? I’ll answer all your questions, but I implore you, I need to—”

She grabbed me and threw me indoors, then shut the door behind me. She looked through the viewing slit, closed it, and then turned to face me.

“Looks like we’re in for some stormy weather,” she grinned again.

“You’ve got to have a place to hide me, right?” I asked the girl.

“Don’t know why I should. There’s probably a bounty on your head I can collect,” the girl checked through the slit again. “Oh they’re riding fast. They always ride fast when they’re angry. Which is… all the time, really.”

I could hear the galloping already, so I rushed to the nearby window. Standing on tiptoes, I saw the knights dressed in armour make their way towards the farmhouse. This was a fine time to run, I decided, so I turned around and made a break for it… right into her arms.

“Caught you, little bugger,” she laughed and lifted me clean off my feet. “Heavy boy, aren’t you?”

I was yelling at her to let me down at once when a thudding knock sounded on the door. The girl lugged me to the door and was about to open it when a Knight kicked it open and broke one of the hinges.

“What are you doing?” the doorkicker-in-chief said, and grabbed the girls arm, dragging her out of the house. “Found her hugging the dwarf in there, sir,” he reported to the leader of the Knights.

By the time the Knights stormed into the house, I was in the kitchen, where vegetables left unattended for too long were busy burning in a pan on a stove. I’d closed the door behind me and slid the deadbolt before making my way to the back door. The door creaked open and I rushed out to get away from the smell of the burning vegetables, only to run into a man dressed in metal.

“Got you, little bastard,” he caught me by the wrist. The metal parts dug into my skin as he dragged me over to the front of the farmhouse, where the girl was still trying to break free of the Knights’ leader’s grasp.

“I told you, I was catching him for you, he was trying to escape,” the girl protested. Then she stopped and sniffed. “Oh Lord, burnt veggies won’t do at all.”

“Silence!” the leader commanded. “The Queen needs the dwarf. Now that you have made contact with him, you are under suspicion of collaboration and conspiracy. You will be tried alongside him. Save your words for then.”

The girl stared at me with death in her eyes. Death for me, death for her. She protested some more, but the Knights’ leader ordered both of us to be tied up and put on horses.

For a moment, our horses lined up just so that we could exchange words. “Serves you right,” I said to her.

“Serves me right? Serves you right,” she sneered.

The Knights got on their horses and off we began to gallop, back towards the city I’d escaped from. A city full of liars, traitors, frauds, cheats, whores, thieves, killers and murderers. A week ago, I’d attended the Queen’s parade. Now, I was probably going to meet her myself.

It gets boring, looking at the ground as the hooves kick the pebbles and dirt away. Thankfully, I had a lot on my mind. Mostly, thoughts about the various ways I could be tortured in the Castle’s dungeon. Terrifying thoughts tend to multiply when anxiety clouds the mind, but in my case, I felt a comfortable balance between then and reflecting on my own attempts to escape.

Sound left my ears for a moment, followed by a sharp ringing sound that grew louder. My head was pounding. This was a different view of the ground, I thought. The pebbles and dirt were still there, but… I was on the ground now, and the horses were taking off while the Knights struggled to get up in their bulky suits of armour. The first sound to enter my ears was the shrieking of the girl, whose face was burning red as she emptied her lungs.

Someone with very rough hands grabbed the rope I was tied down with and began pulling me away. I tried to turn around to see who it was, but it was hard to move. The girl was staring at me, I noticed. Her screaming had stopped as she looked on, baffled. Then, a man with a bandana and a torn hat swooped in and grabbed her in one motion, holding a hand over her mouth.

“Bandits!” one of the Knights called out, and almost immediately as he did, shots were fired. Blood spurted into the air and metal armour collapsed to the ground. One of the bandits fell, too.

“They want the dwarf!” the leader of the Knights yelled over the commotion. Swords were drawn, and more shots were fired. The last of the bullets killed another Knight, but by this time, the bandits were already on horseback.

“Take the girl too,” the bandit who dragged me away yelled at his comrade. Meanwhile, I was once more staring at pebbles and dirt from the back of a horse. What I wanted to know was where the bandits got their hands on an explosive. We don’t find that sort of stuff around these parts, even if firearms are becoming commonplace.

A grunt, cry and scream later, a heavy weight crushed my back. I tried to shake it off, and after some effort, succeeded. The bandit who’d taken me was lying on the ground, a deep stab wound in his rib. Once more, someone grabbed me.

“No one’s taking this little shit away,” the leader of the Knights said (he meant me), and used his sword to dispatch two more bandits. The other Knights were lying on the ground, bleeding.

The bandit with the girl circled the area once, preparing to take off, but the leader of the Knights threw a knife at him, which landed square in his neck. The bandit’s horse neighed as his body slumped forward and then slipped off the horse.

The Knight took the girl off the horse as well and took a minute to catch his breath and survey the massacre.

The castle looks different from the inside. It’s kept a lot cleaner than the city streets, for one, and the guards wear a different kind of uniform. They still carry these long pikes that are largely ceremonial now. The Knight was making me and the girl follow him as we were dragged along by rope.

“You ever been here before?” the girl asked me.

“No, why would I have been here before,” I spat out.

“I don’t know, you live in the city and all,” she shrugged.

“Shut up back there,” the Knight demanded. We were approaching the throne room now, and he took his helmet off. His head was a block of meat with very closely cropped hair on top. A scar ran horizontally across his face, which had a dark complexion made darker by the sun.

“Behave yourselves in the presence of Her Majesty,” he snarled at us as the doors opened.

The Queen was sitting in her throne, but her eyes were closed. Her body rose and fell as she took deep breaths under the guidance of an instructor kneeling in front of her.

“Your Majesty,” the Knight roared, “I have found the magical dwarf. He gave us a lot of trouble, but—”

The Queen raised a hand, palm facing the Knight. He shut up immediately. Moments of silence passed as the Queen continued breathing deeply and the instructor kept timing her. The Knight’s armour clinked. The girl and I looked at each other, then at the Queen. She breathed in. She breathed out.

Even after she slowly opened her eyes, she looked at us for what felt like an eternity. Then she opened her mouth to speak, and the instructor swiftly walked up to her and slit her throat. Her eyes bulged as she bled from her wound.

The Knight let go of the rope holding us and charged at the man with his sword. The guards rushed at him with pikes. He stood where we was, and looked at me with a smile. The guards’ pikes stopped two feet away from him. Try as they might, they couldn’t pierce the invisible barrier that had formed around him.

The Knight shoved the guards away and raised his sword for a cleave. He brought his sword down only for it to bounce off of thin air and send him tumbling back.

“You brought him here in good time, Sir Knight,” the instructor said. “And now I won’t have to pay the bandits either.”

I clenched my fist. The barrier was coming from me. I couldn’t control it, or help it, but I was certain that it was being generated from within me.

“Just a poor little dwarf,” he shook his head. “You’ve no idea what I did to you, do you?”

His face began to transform, once again, due to a power that emerged from within me. He gained his true appearance as he stood there, surrounded by pikes.

He was the man who spread the rumours.

The man was Oren. If ever there was a master snake guiding all the other snakes in the city, it was him. He was also as a ghost, barely seen by anyone, which is why all kinds of mysterious legends surrounded the man. It seems the legend about him having some measure of magical ability was true.

Oren stepped down from the platform the throne sat on, and the guards continued trying to approach him, failing each time. He wouldn't stop looking at me, his long white sleeves hiding his geriatric hands.

"Just a spoke in the wheel, that's all," he smiled, and passed me by.

"Seize the damn dwarf," the Knight commanded, and the guards rushed to me. Their pikes waved in the air, and their eyes were equal parts confused and angry. The Knight was himself coming for me with his sword held in two hands.

There wasn't much time left. I envisioned a barrier around myself, and kept thinking about how real it was, how it would protect me from those pikes, from the sword, from everything.

Behind me, the doors to the throne room opened, and in strode the General, helmet in his hand, followed by his own personal guard, which was a small army of its own.

"I have been informed of Her Majesty's martyrdom. As of this moment, this kingdom is under military command," he announced to all those present.

Oren slipped into the General's guards and disappeared out of the throne room.

"Sir Knight, you will stand down," the General commanded as he advanced to the throne. The Queen was quite dead by now, her corpse was pale, and the streaming of the blood had stopped.

"You're a traitor and a thief," the Knight growled and refused to let go of his sword. He marched right for the General, which prompted the latter's guard to rush to subdue the tired Knight. The Queen's guard joined the fight on the Knight's side.

That was the last thing I saw before I slipped into a side door and after shuffling at a moderate pace, began running as fast as I could. The castle was in chaos.

It wasn't long before I was finally out, where the General's men were busy rounding up anyone suspected of being loyal to the Queen. My size was a blessing in places of cover, but a curse everywhere that was open. That's about when I found the girl again.

"Fancy running into you again," she said, but her face was tired, beaten down.

"Get back to your farm, girly, the whole place is going to go shit," I said.

"What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?" I asked back.

"Where are you going to go? The city's not going to be safe, you know."

I took a breath. "I need to find a man. A man who's given me a great deal of trouble."

"Ah," he leaned back and considered my plan thoughtfully. "Good luck," she said.

It was too late for that, of course.

Story idea by Ana.

#writing #writeblr #words #fiction #story #short fiction #short stories #prose #spilled prose #stories #original fiction #original story #original prose #daily writing

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