"Diazepam?" Reading the label out loud, he looks at me and his brows come together in question. I turn my head towards him, a tear finally making its way down my cheek. God! The expression on his face says it all.
Not only am I an embarrassment to my family, but I am also now a mental case to him. I just want to crawl into a hole and die. Igroan and turn my face away from him.
"No worries, little red. I'm not going to ask and I'm not going to tell. We will just stay out here for a bit, okay? "
I just nod; I can't speak over the lump in my throat. We stayed side by side in the shade of the house for quite a while. I listen to the birds and hear the trickle of the fountain splashing into the water. It soon becomes soothing.
"If you knew I had a Hippogriff or a Thestral hidden in the back of the garden? Which would you choose?
Sebastian's deep voice breaks the silence. "Thestral," I answered immediately. I don’t even think about it.
"Why?" He asks with humour, lacing his voice.
"Because they are invisible, I could fly away right now and no one would know."
"What's your favourite movie or book?" His tone is very serious.
"Year Three, why?" I don’t know what any of this has to do with anything, but this is the best moment of my night by far.
He lets out a low hum and lowers his chin to his chest, looking at his feet while kicking the top of his shoe with the heel of his other foot.
"So you're Luna." He mumbles quietly.
"What?" I scrunch my face up as I look at him. How does he figure me out as a Luna of all the characters? He pierces me with those crystal blue eyes.
"Yeah, your Luna!" He points his finger at me and smiles. "The soft-hearted one who loves all animals. The misunderstood girl who is not afraid to be herself, which makes everyone leery of her because she’s not scared to be authentic. She's just, Luna."
How did he do that? How did he know I love her the most, that I identify with her the most? I want to cry right now, not because I’m scared anymore, but because I think that’s the nicest thinganyone in my entire life has ever said to me. All I can do is stand there blinking away unshed tears.
"Do you want to know my theory about how they managed to find ALL the Horcruxes?" He leans in close, waiting for my answer.
OK, now he has me hooked. He’s like my male twin or something. Studying his profile I sigh in defeat, why couldn’t I marry him? I’d be happy, I know it. So far, he’s kind and sweet. A Potter fan to boot. Just my luck. I find a guy who likes the same stuff I do, and he’s off limits.
"How?" I barely managed to say.
"Without Luna, the whole plan would have failed." He says it with such confidence that it brings a little smile to my face.
"How do you figure that? They had Hermione, the sword, and Harry's ability to sense them?"
“Plus... Luna was the one who put together the story about the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, and she was also the one who made Harry go talk to the grey lady,” He wiggles his brows as he leans back against the wall again, gazing up at the sky, and I do the same.
Well, shit. I never thought of it like that.
“So you’re Luna. Own it, little red, because the world doesn’t need any more Hermione’s or Cho’s. We have enough of them. Be Luna and shake shit up by just being yourself.”
I can’t answer him. I’m too choked up, but in a matter of one conversation, he’s made me feel more normal than anyone I’ve ever met, even more than Anna.
∞∞∞
Chapter 7 ~ Alexander
The anger rising in my chest climbs higher as I watch my baby brother lead Isabella away like I am some kind of monster that she needs rescuing from.
My fists are clenched in my pockets so tight that I can feel my nails digging into the skin almost to the point of drawing blood.
Isabella glances over her shoulder at me, with a look of terror written on her face. Why I care so much about what just took place I don't know, but no one walks away from me until I say, let alone with another man, even if it is my brother.
I can feel my eyes narrowing as I watch them out on the patio. Sebastian is leaning against the bannister, laughing, and Isabella paces back and forth, waving her hand in the air.
