13 beaches | luna

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

i'd be lyin' if i kept hidin'

the fact that i can't deal

January 27, 2029
LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY

Evy pushed her damp hair out of her gray eyes. Her youthful expression still showed the stress of the various things hanging over her head. Her family a source of strength and contention. Nate had finally started texting her that week, but Evy wasn’t ready to respond. She stopped home for a shower and to change, her body a little sore from another late night. Thank Merlin, it was the weekend. However, she had important plans to attend to and was never late on occasions such as this. That day would be no exception.

Magically drying her hair, she grabbed her coat and saw her father was up and about while her mother was asleep on the couch. Her father gently smiled at his youngest, and Evy gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek before leaving. His gentler nature had always kept things relatively calm, much as her late older brother Dakoda had. It was ironic considering who his father really was versus who he’d taken after.

Stepping outside, the cold air awakened all her senses. She apparated and appeared near her destination. Evy had visited once before, briefly. And over the months, she’d done her best to maintain contact with her longtime best friend. But she supposed things had been difficult since they both left Hogwarts. Luna for professional quidditch and Evy for Beauxbatons, and finding their way back was not an easy journey. But Evy made time today. Truthfully, she missed Luna desperately. Relying on someone else was a difficult thing to admit, but here she was. Evy wanted to make sure Luna was also alright and healing, though living so far away from the world still worried Evy a bit.

The backdrop was beautiful in a dark and poetic sense. Evy could understand its pull. Watching the waves and feeling the air biting at her skin, she almost felt compelled to pull out her notepad and write. Perhaps the sound of crashing waves in their chaotic pattern resonated with the chaos in one’s mind—providing peace. Even if only for a moment. Turning back around, Evy knocked hard at the door.

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[LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY]

Not unsurprisingly, time acted strangely after Luna's run in with Simon. The feeling of drifting along, completely untethered, hadn't subsided, but there was an odd weight in the pit of her stomach. As if something she had been dutifully ignoring had bubbled to the surface, demanding to be seen. Perhaps it was just that - Luna had been telling herself for months that she was healing, that she had to take time and space for herself. But the oppressive weight of her own loneliness was threatening to drive her mad. Luna realised she'd never really been alone before in her life - not entirely. In her youth, she'd been reliant on her sisters. Through school, she'd added Evy into the mix, and made a few more friends on the Quidditch team. And then, of course, there had been Simon. Luna never felt more lonely than being without him.

Luna had consciously snipped the ties of cameraderie with almost everyone in her life. Her mind therapist had suggested a fresh start - and she'd tried. Merlin, she had tried. But somehow, the magical world was just too small. There were too many cracks for people to creep back in. To re-enter her newly sheltered life. And though her self-imposed solitude was meant to help Luna heal, in hindsight, she wondered if it did more harm than good. So when Evy managed to track her down and make contact, asking to see her, Luna acquiesced.

The January evening was dismal, with rain lashing down from a dark, heavy sky. There was a loud crack on the door as Evy knocked, letting herself be heard over the rain and wind. One of Luna's housemates answered the door. She took one look at Evy, and not recognising her, called up for Luna to collect her friend. Luna had entered the houseshare knowing she'd be the odd one out - a comforting and conscious choice. The others had been friends for years, and ran in the same circles. Luna had lost track of time, staring blankly at a spider that crawled slowly along the top of her window sill. With a jolt, Luna rose from her seat and drifted down to greet Evy. Emma, her housemate, retreated back into the kitchen where the others were sat. Luna regarded Evy. "Hi," she started, rather lamely.

evelyn rhea oliveira

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

i'd be lyin' if i kept hidin'

the fact that i can't deal

January 27, 2029
LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY

Evy didn’t recognize the person who answered the door, but before she could even open her mouth to introduce herself, the girl turned and called loudly for Luna. The door was left open, so Evy entered and naturally looked around. Luna had to be here—they’d made plans. Surely, her housemate would have informed her if Luna had been unavailable. But, a few moments later, she heard her best friend’s voice. ”Hey.” Evy half-smiled softly. The two girls were not the same girls from a few years ago. And so much had occurred since then. But what Evy would have given to have their bond exist as strongly as before.

”I’ve missed you. How are you?” Evy approached Luna, whose demeanor felt almost unsettled. One thing that did bother Evy was how much Luna had gone through, and she hadn’t told Evy much of it until much later in a way that hurt as much as when Luna decided to leave school for Quidditch while Evy was stuck by herself in France for her last year. And then the strange boundary formed when Luna began seeing Simon. Nobody liked being alone—despite what they might claim. At times, Evy felt as if she had so few people to count on anymore. But Luna was her best friend. She wouldn’t give that up.

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[LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY]

At the mind healer's request, Luna had tried to sever ties with her old life to start fresh. But after her run in with Simon, Luna began to question if that was the right thing for her to do. She'd always been so singularly focused on her dreams - become the youngest Quidditch star in recent years. Now, she'd had to put that dream on ice, but the crushing weight of loneliness was beginning to overwhelm her. Luna's prickly nature did not bode well with new friends. She was polite enough to her house mates, but she could not share the real her. She couldn't regale them with tales of Hogwarts or spectacular Quidditch saves. She couldn't talk about the time when she'd seen two men duelling before one fanned the flames in her school. No... she just had to be normal, muggle Luna. And where was the interest in that?

Luna was shaken from her reverie by one of her housemates summoning her to the front door. Luna hadn't forgotten that Evy was coming over - though she was still in awe of her determination. She trotted down the stairs and spotted Evy for the first time in months - this was the first planned visit with someone from her world in months. It was unsettling, and terrifying, but Simon's words rang in her head. The suffering that strengthened you... the sadness that has softened you... the wisdom you’ll obtain when you come out on the other side. It was all she could to to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There was strength in growth.

"I've missed you too," Luna replied softly, and meant it in earnest. "Come, let me show you my room," said Luna, leading Evy deeper into the creaky old house. They retreated up the stairs and silence, and only when they were safely ensconced behind Luna's closed door did she relax slightly. She turned to Evy, her gaze roving hungrily over her. It had been so long since she had wanted to see someone from her old life. "The mind healers told me I needed a fresh start..." she began, meeting Evy's somewhat accusatory stare. "That I would be better off with a clean break. But I wonder if they really understand what it means to be lonely,"

evelyn rhea oliveira