Theo sat in the hush of dawn, where the air still held the softness of sleep and the world had not yet decided what kind of day it would be. The light that seeped through the curtains was thin and silver, quiet in its arrival. It pooled on the wooden floor in pale streaks, brushed the walls, and settled over Luna's sleeping form like something sacred.
He watched her the way a drowning man might watch the shore. She was curled beneath the blanket, one arm tucked under her head, the other resting gently across the curve of her belly. The peaceful rise and fall of her breathing was the only sound in the room, steady and sure, a rhythm that should have brought him comfort.
But comfort felt impossibly far away.
Theo sat at the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched, elbows on his knees, fingers tangled together so tightly his knuckles had gone pale. He didn't move. He didn't blink. His eyes were fixed on her, but his thoughts were a thousand miles away, spiraling back into the night that had come before.
He hadn't slept. Not really. The moment the door had closed behind him, the silence had crept in like fog, settling over his skin and slipping into the spaces between his bones. It wasn't guilt exactly. It was something else. Something colder. A knowing. The kind of sharp, splintered knowing that nothing would ever be the same.
He had done it. He had crossed a line that could not be uncrossed.
She didn't know.
Luna, who had always seen him more clearly than anyone else ever had, who knew the dark corners of his soul and kissed them anyway, had no idea what he had done. She hadn't asked where he had gone last night. Hadn't questioned the way he had undressed with too much care or the way he had kissed her a little too reverently before pulling her into bed and pretending to sleep.
He had held her all night, his arms wrapped around her body like a shield, as if by keeping her close he could outrun what he had done.
But the truth was not a thing that stayed buried. It lived. It breathed. It pushed against the walls he had built around it and whispered in his ear while the rest of the world slept.
He turned slightly to face her, his gaze sweeping over the soft slope of her shoulder, the curve of her jaw, the strands of moonlight hair tangled on the pillow. She looked untouched by the storm inside him, untouched by the world, really. As if her very existence defied the cruelty of it all.
And yet, it was for her that he had done it. For her, and for the tiny heartbeat she carried within her.
He exhaled, low and shaking, the sound almost a prayer. The kind made by men who had run out of ways to keep their hands clean.
He wanted to believe he was still good. That love could make him whole. That what he had done in the dark could stay there.
She stirred beneath the covers, her body shifting with the slow, unconscious grace of someone not quite ready to leave sleep behind. A soft sigh escaped her lips, the kind that made the room feel warmer just by existing. Theo's chest tightened. He wasn't ready for this. Not the weight of what was coming. Not the guilt. Not the way her eyes would change once the words reached her.
But time was running thin, and silence could only hold the truth for so long.
"Good morning, my love," he said quietly, his voice a fragile thing in the stillness, barely more than a breath.
Luna blinked awake, her eyes flickering open and adjusting to the soft morning light. She stretched, slow and easy, her smile blooming before her gaze even met his. "Good morning, my sun," she murmured, still dreamy with sleep.
But when she finally looked at him—really looked—the smile faded. Her brow knit with concern as she pushed herself upright, sheets pooling around her waist. "Theo?" she said, her voice shifting. "What is it? What's happened?"
Theo's jaw tightened, his entire body tense as if bracing for impact. His eyes drifted to the window, where the soft blush of dawn was just beginning to color the sky. The light, usually a comfort, felt hollow this morning. Pale. Cold. He looked back at her. Luna, half-awake, her hair a tangle of gold against the pillow, was watching him now with quiet curiosity. He took a breath, steadying himself. But the words came like stone—sharp, irreversible.
"Ron Weasley is dead."
The room went still. Her breath caught, barely audible, and her eyes widened with disbelief. Shock spread across her face, her expression collapsing in on itself as she tried to make sense of what she had just heard. "What?" Her voice was a whisper, so fragile it nearly disappeared into the morning hush. She reached for him, instinctively, her fingers wrapping around his arm with more force than she probably meant. "Oh… Merlin."
He swallowed, throat dry. His chest burned with a fury he hadn't fully realized he was still carrying.
"And that bitch too," he muttered, voice hard and low. His teeth clenched, every syllable laced with venom. It wasn't just anger. It was something darker. Something that had been festering for years.
Luna flinched at his tone. Her expression, still dazed, shifted. The pain in her eyes deepened. She stared at him, searching his face for something—an explanation, a reason, maybe even the man she knew.
"Theodore," she said softly, her hand moving to his. She spoke his name like it mattered, like it could pull him back from whatever edge he was standing on. "Please don't talk like that."
Her touch, barely more than a brush against his skin, made his shoulders sag under the weight he had been trying to carry alone. The anger drained out of him slowly, replaced by something colder. He felt empty, as if the rage had been the only thing holding him up. He looked at her, eyes tired and glassy, and nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. "I shouldn't have said that."
He reached for her then, needing the grounding force of her closeness. His arms wrapped around her as if she were the only thing keeping him from unraveling. "Come here," he whispered, voice barely holding together. "Please. Just come here."
She didn't hesitate. She moved into him with quiet grace, letting him hold her, letting his world settle around hers. Her head rested on his chest, where his heart pounded a little too fast, a little too loud. For a long while, they said nothing. There was nothing to say. Just the hum of silence, thick with grief and questions neither of them knew how to ask.
He pressed a kiss into her hair, slow and desperate. He tried to hold her tighter, as if that might somehow keep everything else from falling apart. But there was a distance now. A thin, almost imperceptible thread of space between them. He could feel it. She could too.
And neither of them knew how to name it.
As she lay against him, her body trembled in small, uneven waves. The silence between them stretched, thick with disbelief. She didn't cry at first. It wasn't like that. The grief moved slower, creeping in through her bones and filling her lungs with something cold and sharp. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, all she could do was clutch at his shirt like it might anchor her to the world.
When the tears came, they came without sound. They slid down her cheeks in slow, quiet streams, as if her body hadn't quite caught up with the weight of what had happened. Theo felt each one as if it had landed on his own skin. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her in close, like maybe if he held her tightly enough, he could keep her from breaking apart.
"I've got you," he whispered, the words catching in his throat. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
But even as he said it, even as he meant every word, something inside him recoiled. The guilt was already eating him alive. He had no right to hold her like this. Not after everything. Not when his silence was part of what had brought them here.
Luna didn't know. She didn't know the blood on his hands, the decisions he had made in secret. She didn't know how far he had gone. And maybe she never would. He had built walls to protect her from all of it, from the darkest corners of himself. But the truth was no longer something he could keep buried without cost. It was there, sitting beside them like a ghost, watching as she cried into his chest.
Her sobs were soft, but they shook him to his core. He ran his hand slowly through her hair, whispering words meant to soothe her, though they tasted like ash in his mouth. Everything he said felt wrong. Hollow. Like lies dressed up in comfort.
How could he promise to protect her when he was the one who had set the storm in motion? How could he be her safe place when the very ground beneath them was trembling because of him?
They sat in silence as the sky brightened, the morning crawling into the room through half-drawn curtains. The house was still, unaware. Outside, life carried on with the indifference only morning light can bring. But inside, something had shifted.
He pressed his lips to her hair again, slower this time, as if he could somehow stitch the world back together with nothing but touch. He stayed there for a moment, letting the warmth of her sink into him, anchoring him to something good. "I love you," he said, so quietly it almost disappeared into her skin. The words felt like the last bit of solid ground beneath his feet, the one thing that still rang true in the middle of everything he had ruined. "I love you so much."
Luna pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. Her face was streaked with tears, but her gaze held steady. There was grief in it, yes, but also something gentler. Something that hadn't given up on him yet. "I love you too," she whispered. Her voice was soft and uncertain, but there was no hesitation in it. "We'll get through this, won't we?"
He nodded, slowly, carefully, like he was afraid the motion might crack the illusion they were still safe. "Yes," he said, the word tasting like smoke in his mouth. "We will. I promise."
He wished he believed it.
As she tucked herself back into the curve of his body, her breath finding rhythm against his chest, Theo closed his eyes. The weight of her trust pressed into him like a second heartbeat. And still, behind all the quiet, behind her soft breathing and the promise he had no right to make, the truth crouched in the corner of the room like a living thing. Watching. Waiting.
He knew it couldn't stay hidden forever.
But for now, he held her tighter and tried to pretend that love was enough to keep everything from falling apart.
~~~~~~
Luna sat frozen on the edge of the bed, her heart pounding in her chest as the weight of the news pressed down on her, suffocating her. The quiet stillness of the room contrasted violently with the storm inside her. Ron and Lavender were dead.
She could barely wrap her mind around the enormity of it, how two lives could be extinguished so suddenly, so brutally. Ron, with his fierce loyalty and stubborn bravery, and Lavender, vibrant and full of life, always laughing, always seeking joy. Gone. The thought was incomprehensible.
Theo had delivered the news with a voice so measured, so cold, she had barely recognized him. But she had seen the tension in his eyes, the weight of his words settling like lead in the pit of her stomach.
The silence between them stretched painfully until Theo had finally leaned over, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Rest, love. You don't have to deal with it now."
But she couldn't rest. She couldn't sit with this alone. The grief threatened to swallow her whole, and all she could think was: Pansy. She needed to tell her.
The fireplace roared to life as her frantic voice echoed from the flames, her usually dreamy demeanor shattered by panic and grief.
"Pansy! RON'S DEAD! OH GODS, PANSY, HE AND LAVENDER ARE DEAD!"
"Oh Merlin…" Pansy muttered under her breath, barely able to form the words. Her heart pounded in her chest as dread settled deep in her bones.
Luna's voice wavered, as though she was on the verge of tears. The usual serene, ethereal quality that always surrounded her had crumbled, replaced by a rawness that Pansy had rarely heard from her.
"It's—it's unfathomable… I can't—I don't know how this could happen, Pansy! They were both… both killed!" The disbelief in Luna's voice was heartbreaking.
Pansy's mind swirled, barely able to process what she was hearing. Lavender and Ron… dead? Lavender, who always wore a smile, even if it was at someone else's expense. Ron, the stubborn, loud-mouthed fool, who was impossible to ignore, even if he'd been a bitter part of their lives for so long. Gone? Just like that?
"It's truly…" Pansy began, but the words stuck in her throat. There was nothing she could say that would make sense of this. Nothing at all.
The call was short. Luna was too frantic, too broken to talk much more, and Pansy barely had the wherewithal to offer comfort.
~~~~~~
Lysander sat cross-legged on the floor, his enchanted blocks drifting in slow, lazy circles above his head before dropping to the rug with soft little thuds. Normally, he would have laughed at that. He would've clapped, reached out with those small, sticky fingers to try again, delighted by the magic in his own little hands. But today, he didn't. His mouth stayed closed. His brows were furrowed, not in frustration, but in thought. As if even at three years old, he could feel the way something had shifted.
He kept glancing at her. Over and over. Watching his mother like the blocks weren't really what mattered. Like he was waiting for something in her to snap back into place.
Luna hadn't spoken in a while. She was sitting near the window, half-wrapped in her shawl, her hand resting over the slight swell of her stomach. Her eyes weren't watching the garden. They weren't watching anything. She just sat there, still and quiet, as if the whole world had stopped moving and forgotten to take her with it.
Lysander didn't know the words for grief or silence or dread, but he felt them anyway. They clung to the air like mist, invisible and cold. And he didn't like it.
He got up and padded toward her on unsteady feet, his tiny fingers catching the edge of her robe. He tugged once, then again, with a bit more force. "Mama," he said, his voice soft but sure, as if he was trying to pull her back to him. As if saying her name might fix whatever had gone wrong.
Luna blinked, startled out of the trance she hadn't realized she'd fallen into. She looked down, and for the first time in what felt like hours, her eyes focused. On him. On her son. On the only thing still holding her upright. His gaze met hers, wide and blue and impossibly steady.
She forced a smile, though it trembled at the corners, and bent to scoop him up. He fit so naturally against her hip, his warm little body curling into hers like a piece she didn't know she'd been missing. "I'm here, my love," she murmured, her voice softer than usual, wrapped in a kind of ache that made her throat tighten.
Lysander stared at her face with a solemn focus only a toddler could carry. His small palms pressed against her cheeks, his brows scrunched with concern. "Mama… sad?"
Luna swallowed hard. She had done her best to stay steady, to keep the sadness tucked behind smiles and gentle routines. But of course he felt it. Children always did. Especially him. He had a quiet intuition that often startled her.
"Yes, my love," she whispered, brushing back a wayward curl from his forehead. "Mummy is a little sad today."
His mouth puckered into a small pout. "Boo-boo?"
She let out a breath of laughter that almost caught in a sob, shaking her head. "No, darling. Not that kind. It's a different kind of hurt."
His tiny fingers tapped her chest, right over her heart, his touch featherlight but filled with something earnest. "Here?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
Something splintered in her then. Luna closed her eyes, her lips pressing to the crown of his hair as she held him closer. "Yes, sweetheart. Right there."
Lysander blinked, the way he always did when he was turning something over in his mind, trying to sort the pieces. He tilted his head slightly. "Like… Nelly?"
The breath hitched in her lungs. Of course he remembered. Nelly, the house-elf who had helped raise him since the day he was born, had passed months ago. They'd explained it to him as gently as they could, told him she had gone to the magical sky. And somehow, his little heart had made peace with that.
"Yes," Luna said quietly, her arms curling protectively around him. "Like Nelly."
He was quiet for a moment. Then his face set with a kind of solemn decision, his voice soft but certain. "Good sky."
She smiled despite the ache in her chest. "Yes, darling. A very good sky."
For a few moments, he stayed nestled against her, his small fingers toying with the edge of her sleeve. Then, as only a child could, he lifted his head and asked with complete sincerity, "Play?"
Luna let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding. In his world, things still had simple answers. Sadness could be eased with love, and the weight of grief could be lightened with laughter and magic blocks and the comfort of a mother's arms.
She kissed his forehead, nodding. "Yes. Let's play."
He squirmed out of her arms and toddled back to his blocks, immediately engrossed, his laughter bubbling up the moment one tumbled onto his lap.
"Happy now?" he asked, peering up at her with wide eyes and a grin so bright it almost broke her heart.
Luna reached out and smoothed his hair, her fingers lingering for a moment. "Yes, my love," she said softly. "Because you're here."
~~~~~~
Theo had become a constant presence in her life, an unwavering orb of support and love that surrounded her during her darkest moments. His warmth and light wrapped around her like a protective cocoon, shielding her from the biting winds of grief that threatened to pull her under. Even in the midst of her sorrow, he found ways to lift her spirits, to remind her that joy still existed in the world, even if it felt distant.
One crisp evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky was painted with hues of deep orange and violet, Theo decided it was time for a change of scenery. A magical date, he thought, would be just the remedy Luna needed. He had seen her smile fade in recent weeks, replaced by a quiet despair that sat like a stone behind her ribs. Determined to coax that radiant light back into her eyes, he planned everything with careful hands and a hopeful heart.
He didn't tell her where they were going. He only helped her with her coat, kissed her knuckles like something sacred, and took her hand in his. They Apparated to a secluded meadow deep in the countryside, far from the noise of the world. Twilight had softened the edges of everything, and the stars were beginning to blink awake above them.
A gentle breeze stirred the tall grass around them. In the center of the clearing, Theo had laid out a blanket and conjured a feast of all her favorites. Candlelight floated just above the ground, their soft flames glowing gold against the encroaching blue of evening. Wildflowers bloomed around the edges of the clearing, their petals stirred by magic, turning slightly in Luna's direction as she approached.
Her breath caught, and she looked at him with something like wonder.
As they stepped outside, Theo reached for her hand, their fingers threading together with the kind of ease that only came from years of knowing and choosing each other. The touch sent a warmth blooming through her, a flicker of something gentle and grounding, like the first breath of spring after a long winter.
Above them, the sky unfurled in shades of indigo and rose, scattered with stars that shimmered like secrets waiting to be told. The night air was cool against their skin, scented with blooming jasmine and something older, something wilder. Luna breathed it in slowly, letting the moment soften her shoulders, letting herself be led.
"Trust me," Theo murmured, his voice low and coaxing, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Tonight, you're going to fall in love with the world again."
She glanced at him, curious despite herself. "And where exactly are we going?"
He only smiled, a quiet promise tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Close your eyes. Let me show you."
She hesitated for half a second before giving in, her lashes fluttering shut. With her hand in his, she let him guide her, her steps careful but unafraid. The ground beneath them was soft with moss and moonlit grass, and somewhere ahead, she heard the gentle splash of water and the hush of wind moving through leaves.
When he stopped, the silence grew expectant. "Open," he whispered.
Luna opened her eyes.
What she saw stole the breath straight from her chest. They were standing at the edge of a secluded glade, hidden deep within the forest. A lake spread out before them, smooth as glass, catching the moonlight in ripples of silver and gold. Fireflies drifted lazily through the air, painting soft trails of light above the surface. On the far bank, willows leaned protectively over the water, their branches trailing into the lake like fingers brushing a mirror.
She stared, wide-eyed and silent, the beauty of it all pressing gently against the ache in her chest.
"Oh, Theo," she whispered, her voice full of wonder. "It's… it's perfect."
"I hoped you'd think so," he said, his tone softer now, more vulnerable. "This place reminded me of you. Quiet. Beautiful. A little untouchable."
She turned to him, her heart twisting in that familiar way it always did when he looked at her like she was made of something sacred. "You remembered all this for me?"
He nodded once, not quite trusting himself to speak. Then, slowly, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering. "You haven't smiled in a while," he said, voice quiet. "I just wanted to give you a night where you could."
Her eyes stung with the threat of tears, but they didn't fall. Instead, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, a kiss full of gratitude and quiet desperation. He kissed her back with the patience of someone who would never stop choosing her, no matter how many dark days came and went.
When they pulled apart, she rested her forehead against his. "Thank you."
He smiled, brushing his thumb along her cheek. "You don't have to thank me, love. Just be here with me."
And so they sat at the lake's edge, side by side, their hands intertwined as the moon climbed higher and the stars blinked down like old friends. The world outside that glade still waited for them, full of grief and questions and unfinished truths, but for now, none of that mattered. All that existed was the stillness of the water, the hush of the wind, and the quiet, fierce love between them.
Theo emerged from behind a nearby tree with a small wicker basket cradled in his hands, his grin boyish and proud. It was packed with an assortment of her favorite treats—delicate pastries that shimmered faintly with enchantments, slices of fruit glowing softly like they had been kissed by moonlight, and tiny bottles of spiced cider that fizzed gently at the top.
"I thought we could have a little picnic," he said as he spread a thick wool blanket across the grass, smoothing out each corner with the care of someone who wanted every detail to be just right. He looked up at her and gestured with a quiet hope in his eyes, one that made her heart ache.
She let out a soft laugh, the kind that started in her chest and spilled out before she could stop it, light and real in a way she hadn't felt in weeks. "You really went all out," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. There was warmth blooming in her chest now, the kind that felt unfamiliar but welcome, like a forgotten song finding its way back to her lips.
"Only the best for you," Theo replied. His voice was low, his eyes steady and filled with something deeper than simple affection. "I know things have been hard. I just wanted to remind you that there's still beauty left. That we can still make something new, even in the middle of all the mess."
They settled onto the blanket, the grass beneath them still warm from the sun. The soft rustle of the trees overhead and the slow ripple of the lake nearby created a hush around them, something sacred and still. Theo opened the basket and began handing her one treat after another, each one carefully chosen. She bit into a honeyed pastry that sparkled across her tongue, and for the first time in days, she smiled without effort.
The sadness didn't vanish. It lingered at the edges, quiet and watchful. But it loosened its grip, just enough to let something else in. Joy. Memory. The comfort of sitting beside someone who loved her enough to chase the shadows away.
They shared stories in soft voices, laughed at old memories, and watched the moonlight dance across the surface of the lake like silver ink spilled from the sky. Luna leaned her head against his shoulder, breathing in the quiet scent of pine and Theo's cologne, a mixture that grounded her in a way nothing else could.
"Thank you for this," she murmured. Her fingers played absently with the edge of the blanket. "I didn't realize how much I needed it."
Theo turned just enough to look at her, his gaze steady. There was a weight behind his words when he spoke again, the kind that made her sit up and listen with her whole heart. "You deserve to be happy, my love. And I'll do everything I can to make sure you remember that, no matter what."
They stayed there for a while, the world narrowing down to the sound of the wind and the feel of each other's presence. Theo reached for her hand again, his fingers curling around hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. And as they sat in silence, wrapped in night and warmth and the tentative beginning of something healing, Luna felt the quiet promise of hope begin to stir.
Theo produced a small basket from behind a nearby tree, and Luna's eyes lit up at the sight of it. Nestled inside were delicate magical pastries that shimmered faintly, their edges kissed with stardust, and slices of enchanted fruit that gleamed like polished gems. He carried it with both hands as though it were a gift for the gods themselves. "I thought we could have a little picnic," he said, his voice casual, but the care in his movements gave him away. He spread a soft blanket across the grass, smoothing it out with a tenderness that didn't go unnoticed, then gestured for her to sit.
Luna couldn't help the laugh that slipped out. It started low in her throat and bubbled up into the air, honest and bright. It had been too long since she had laughed like that, and the sound startled her as much as it delighted him. She sat beside him, her skirt fanning around her as she watched him fuss over every detail—the way he angled the basket, how he arranged the pastries in the center, even the way he plucked a floating napkin from the air and tucked it beside her plate. "You really went all out," she said, a soft awe threading through her voice. Her heart swelled with something achingly warm.
"Only the best for you," Theo said, meeting her gaze with a look that was both serious and impossibly gentle. "I know things have been hard. And I just wanted to remind you that there's still beauty here. Even now. Even in this. We can create new memories, even amidst the sadness."
They sat together, their legs tangled on the blanket as he began to hand her the treats one by one. Each bite was a burst of wonder on her tongue, a reminder that magic could still be sweet. Luna let herself savor it all—the pastry that tasted like candied violets, the peach slice that shimmered faintly with sunlight, the laughter that came easier with every passing moment.
The moonlight played on the lake before them, and fireflies circled lazily through the air like tiny stars that had drifted too close to earth. She leaned her head on Theo's shoulder, breathing in the scent of cedar and something faintly smoky, something that was only ever him. The heaviness in her chest loosened, just slightly.
"Thank you for this," she murmured, her voice quiet but full. "I didn't know I needed it so much until now."
Theo turned, just enough to look down at her. His eyes were shadowed and soft, lit by the reflection of the moon above. "You deserve to be happy," he said, each word spoken as if it carried a vow. "And I'll do everything I can to make sure you remember that. Always."
She didn't answer at first. She just let her fingers find his beneath the blanket, curling them gently around his. Their hands fit easily, like they'd always belonged together. Around them, the night unfolded slowly. The water lapped softly at the shore, and somewhere far off, a night bird sang to the stars.
They didn't need to speak. The silence said enough. Every breath they took was shared, every heartbeat an echo of the other's. Wrapped in moonlight and magic, they stayed that way until the stars began to fade into dawn.
As they sat nestled together at the edge of the lake, the blanket soft beneath them and the air hushed with the kind of stillness only magic could conjure, Luna found herself watching the lanterns float across the water. Each one shimmered with a gentle glow, their golden light reflected in the ripples of the lake, as if the stars had decided to drift a little closer just for her. The night was quiet, but not empty. It was full of breath, of heartbeats, of the soft sounds of the world remembering how to be gentle again.
Theo sat beside her, his arm draped lightly around her shoulders, his presence steady and grounding. The warmth of him seeped into her skin, into her bones, into that aching place inside her that had felt hollow for so long. She leaned into him, letting her head rest against his shoulder, and for a moment, she let herself believe that healing didn't have to be something loud or sudden. Maybe it was this instead. Maybe it was slow and soft, found in laughter shared between bites of enchanted pastries and the silence that came not from distance but from peace.
Her gaze lingered on the lanterns, bobbing and drifting, glowing like tiny suns. And something shifted inside her. The grief was still there, yes, a quiet echo in her chest, but it no longer swallowed her whole. It had stopped screaming. It had started listening. She had started breathing again.
She didn't need to say it aloud. Theo knew. He could feel it in the way she curled her fingers around his, the way her breathing had steadied. He kissed her temple without a word, and she closed her eyes, holding that moment like something precious.
In that quiet clearing, wrapped in moonlight and fireflies and the fading memory of tears, Luna realized something that made her chest ache in the gentlest way. Sorrow would always be part of her story. But it would not be the end of it.
Love had written itself back in.
They sat together, two hearts learning how to beat in rhythm again. And with every soft glance, every shared breath, every promise spoken not in grand declarations but in quiet presence, she knew they were beginning something new. Something whole. Something that could grow.
As long as she had this. As long as she had him. That would be enough.
That would be everything.
~~~~~~
The rain had been falling all afternoon, tapping against the windows in soft, sleepy rhythms. Outside, the sky had turned the color of old pewter, thick with clouds that hung low over the fields. Inside the manor, everything felt hushed and cozy. The fire crackled gently in the hearth, casting little flickers of light across the walls. And then, just when Luna and Lysander thought it would be an ordinary rainy day, Theo appeared in the doorway with a mischievous glint in his eyes and his wand already in hand.
"I hope you're both ready," he said, sweeping into the room like a man on a mission, "because today, we are flying to the stars."
Luna arched a curious brow from her spot on the sofa, her tea forgotten in her hands. Lysander, curled beside her with a plush dragon tucked under one arm, blinked up at Theo with wide eyes.
"To the stars?" he echoed, barely above a whisper, as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to believe it yet.
Theo didn't answer with words. Instead, he gave his wand a slow, deliberate wave—and the room began to change.
The big rug rolled itself up and floated to the corner with a polite little swish. Blankets lifted from the back of the couch and twirled like sails in the wind, hovering midair before drifting down into the shape of a great, cozy tent. Dozen of pillows flew in from every room, stacking themselves in gentle puffs to make soft hills and secret nooks. Fairy lights winked on one by one, casting a warm golden glow as they dangled from the ceiling in playful zigzags.
Lysander sat bolt upright, his dragon tumbling to the floor. "Mama!" he gasped, tugging on her sleeve. "Mama look! It's a castle!"
Theo scooped him up with a mock-serious expression, holding him high in the air like a prince being crowned. "Not a castle," he said gravely. "It's a sky ship. For explorers. For pirates. For stargazers. For brave little boys and their beautiful mamas."
Lysander giggled, his fingers gripping Theo's shoulders. "I'm brave!"
"The bravest," Theo agreed, planting a kiss to the top of his head before setting him down gently. "And now, Captain Ly, we must prepare for launch. Do you have your jelly bean supply? Your emergency snuggle monster? Your mama's hand?"
Lysander nodded solemnly. "I got 'em."
"Then we're ready."
Luna laughed, setting her tea aside and crawling beneath the blanket-sails with her boys. The inside of the fort glowed with light and magic, the sound of the storm muffled outside. Theo had even charmed the air to smell faintly of cinnamon and sugar, and there were little floating plates of snacks drifting by like friendly clouds.
Lysander snuggled between them, his cheeks pink with excitement, his voice already beginning to slur with sleepiness. "Are we really flying?" he asked, eyes fixed on the twinkling lights above them that mimicked a night sky full of stars.
Luna tucked his hair behind his ear. "Of course we are," she whispered. "Anywhere you want to go."
Theo reached over and took her hand, his fingers warm and steady in hers. "We can go to the moon," he said. "We can fly over dragon mountains. We can visit the land where socks disappear."
"The sock land!" Lysander cried, sitting up and then flopping down again with a sleepy sigh. "I bet Nelly's there. I bet she's got all my lost socks."
Luna smiled through the ache in her chest. "Then that's where we'll go."
Luna, her hand pressed lightly to her lips, trying to stifle the laughter threatening to spill out of her. The scene in front of her was almost too much to bear.
Theo, tall and usually so composed, was now on all fours, crawling beneath a canopy of shimmering quilts that hovered just above the floor, their edges glowing softly with the enchanted light of floating fairy orbs. Draped across his back was Lysander, clinging on with all the seriousness of a miniature knight atop a dragon. The little boy's legs were barely long enough to straddle Theo's sides, and yet he rode with the conviction of someone embarking on a great and noble quest.
"Faster, daddy!" Lysander cried, his small voice full of delight and command.
Theo let out a theatrical growl, winding his way through the tented space with slow, exaggerated movements. "Hold tight, brave sir," he said in a rumbling voice. "The skies are treacherous today. We must fly through the clouds to the Cocoa Mountains before the chocolate storm begins."
Luna couldn't help it then. The laugh escaped her in a breathless rush, bright and incredulous, as she stepped closer. Her eyes shimmered with the kind of warmth that only love and exhaustion could create, that fragile, glowing feeling when you realize this—this silly, tender moment was the kind of happiness you hadn't dared hope for in the middle of darker days.
Inside the fort, the world became smaller and softer. Layers of pillows nested around them like clouds, the enchanted canopy casting a soft golden light over the three of them. Luna, with a flick of her wand, conjured a silver tray where three mugs of warm cocoa stirred themselves with cinnamon sticks, sending sweet, spicy steam into the air.
Lysander nestled between them with flushed cheeks and wide, sleepy eyes, clutching his favorite stuffed puffskein in one arm and a chocolate-drizzled biscuit in the other. Theo had a book propped on his lap and he was reading it aloud in the most absurd voices he could manage. Each character had a distinct accent, ranging from posh and ridiculous to dramatically gravelly, and Luna was pretty sure he was improvising half the lines just to keep Lysander giggling.
And oh, how he giggled. That deep, hiccupy laugh of a little boy who feels perfectly safe. His tiny body shook with it, his head thrown back against Theo's arm, his cocoa sloshing a little in his mug.
At one point, with cheeks still red from laughing, Lysander curled into the small space between them and looked up with wide, solemn eyes. "This is the best day ever," he declared in a voice that brokered no argument, as if he had just solved the world's greatest mystery and wanted them to know.
Theo looked over at Luna, and for a heartbeat, neither of them could say anything. She just smiled, the kind that carried too many emotions to name, and brushed a lock of hair from Lysander's forehead.
Later, as the thunder softened to a gentle hush outside and rain pattered steadily against the windows, Luna rested her head against Theo's shoulder. The fort glowed softly around them, the kind of warm, golden light that made you believe nothing outside it could touch you. Lysander had finally drifted off, one tiny hand still resting on Luna's arm and his puffskein tucked under his chin.
She watched him for a long moment, her fingers trailing across his soft curls, and something settled inside her. A kind of peace she hadn't felt in weeks. No alarms, no grief biting at the edges, just the quiet miracle of now.
Without needing to look, she reached for Theo's hand and laced their fingers together. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her temple, slow and grounding, and they stayed like that. Still. Safe. Whole.