lonely

[LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY]

Early January 2028

Training was harrowing, especially in the gales of the Harpies' coastal pitch. Luna returned home wilder and wilder each passing day. She'd considered shearing off her hair to save the matted mess it would often become, but had chickened out at the last second. She resolved instead to plait it back more firmly. As if that would help.

It was a particularly grim morning that Luna woke up to, and she had a note that practice was cancelled due to a major storm. She hadn't known Quidditch to be put off for anything, but apparently the amount of lightning seen off the coast had alarmed the Harpies' captain, and she called it off for the day. Their job instead was to hit their local gym and work on strength. Luna sighed - she didn't want to venture outdoors in this. Instead, she burrowed down further in her duvet and let herself have a lie in for the first time in a long time.

Some hours later, Luna roused herself and was prepping a cup of tea when it happened. Her vision went blurry, then dark, before she was seeing out of the eyes of someone else.

Luna was sat high in the stands, watching Quidditch practice. Her eyes followed one blur of blue in particular, but from this vantage point, Luna couldn't tell who it was. The ground was covered in a light dusting of snow, and pine trees rose in the distance, securing the location. Wherever she was, it was cold - she was shivering slightly, despite her scarf and a hat that was warming her ears.

A break was called and the person who Luna was rushed to the front of the stands. Her eyes were still trained on the single player. "Simon!" she called, and the player turned. Luna felt a split second of recognition flash through her as the clear blue eyes of her boyfriend met hers. But she knew she wasn't there. So why was Simon looking at this person like that? Like shock and relief all at the same time? He smiled, waving tentatively.

Luna was thrown from the vision, and spilt some of the water she'd been boiling over her hand. Cursing, she grabbed her wand and mended her skin, albeit not that well. She was too rattled by the vision. Surely, it was just an old friend of Simon's who had shown up to his practice. Someone from home whom he'd reconnected with when he'd moved back. As much as Luna told herself this, it didn't stop the curdling in her stomach.

Resolving to put it out of her mind, Luna changed and hit the gym, hoping that would give her some clarity. There was no reason to be mistrustful. Simon was good, and faithful. They loved each other. They had been through so much together, highs and lows. She couldn't imagine her life without him. No matter what she told herself though, Luna struggled to focus through her exercises, and returned home shortly after departing. Some more tea and one of those shite soaps Evy was always on about would help. Maybe she would text Evy and see what she was up to...

Hardly five minutes after Luna had settled herself onto the sofa, another vision swept over her.

She was laughing, a sound like a pealing bell, and he was laughing too. They were stumbling slightly, clearly having had a few drinks over the past few hours. Simon approached a door, and fumbled with the key. Luna slipped her hand into his, giving it a squeeze. Simon managed to open the door, and was saying something, but Luna wasn't listening. She was glancing around the front room, as it was decorated to a typical Simon standard. She stepped up to a mirror and twitched a long, silken blonde hair back into place before smiling at herself in the mirror.

Nausea swept over Luna as she withdrew from the vision, wishing she'd seen everything and nothing at all. Because she recognised the face that looked back at her in that mirror.

It was Claudia.