𝔢𝔲𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔞 ☽ 𝔩𝔲𝔫𝔞 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔤𝔬𝔬𝔡

v.

May 12//Fifth Year

Luna and I were taking a walk by the lake, with Star trailing behind us. She had no shoes on, which I didn't question, because I was used to it at this point.

Luna saw that I was having a bad day, so she suggested we take a walk to cheer me up. What she doesn't know is that one year ago today my grandmother died. I've told Luna about her before, and she knows how close we were, but I've never told anyone about that day. I think it was the worst day of my life.

"You don't have to tell me what's bother you," Luna says softly, taking my hand. "But if you want to tell me, I want to listen."

I take a deep breath and a tear falls from my eye. "This is the day my grandma died. It just has me thinking of her and that day."

"I'm sorry Venus." She squeezes my hand, giving me the courage to continue.

"She was really sick. We were taking care of her and I would always bring her meals to her and help her walk around. One day, when I brought her food in, she was really quiet, which was odd, because usually she's telling me stories and asking me about my friends and my dreams. I sat next to her on her bed and she took my hand. She told me that she loved me and Leo more than anything in the world. That we were her stars. She could barely talk, but she asked me to call Leo. He must have hear the fear and uncertainty in my voice, because he came quickly. She told us not to be sad, because she was going to see grandpa again. She told us to always love each other and protect each other. She took both of our hands and... closed her eyes. I started screaming and crying as Leo called our parents to help, but she was gone."

Luna stays quiet for a moment before stopping and pulling me into a hug. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," she whispers.

I let the tears fall as she holds me, stroking my hair as I cry into her neck. After a while I calm down and pull away from her. "Thank you."

"I saw my mum die when I was nine." Luna says quietly. She tells me how it happened, how her mother liked to experiment with spells and potions because she had an imagination like Luna's. But one day, her spell backfired on her. And Luna saw it happen.

"That's horrible," I whisper as another tear falls. This time it's for Luna, not for me.

"Can I show you something? I wasn't sure before because I thought you might think I'm going mad, but now I know you won't."

"I already know you're mad, Luna," I laugh. "I love your crazy beautiful mind."

Luna leads me to the woods, but she won't tell me where she's leading me. When she stops, I look around, but I don't see what we're looking for it. But then I see it. A strange, winged creature steps out from behind some trees and slowly walks toward Luna.

I've never seen anything like it. The only way to describe it would be, well, a dead horse. My first instinct is to be afraid, but I quickly realize it isn't something to be afraid of. The horse-like creature is sniffing Luna's hand. She reaches into her bag and pulls out an apple, which she gives the creature.

"They're called thestrals" Luna explains. "They can only be seen by a person who's seen death."

Behind the thestral, I see other ones coming to investigate their visitors. One approached me and I hold up my hand like Luna did. It sniffs my hand and I slowly reach up and feel it's neck, which is an odd feeling, but it makes the thestral happy.

"Most people are afraid of them," Luna says.

"I think they're beautiful," I breathe. "In a terrifying way, like a snake."

☾

I find Leo exactly where Fred and George said he'd be, in the astronomy tower, leaning against the railing and staring out at the sky. I lean in the railing next to him. He doesn't look at me or say anything. I know he's thinking about it too. Fred and George said he was quiet all day, and they tried to cheer him up.

"Remember that thing grandma and grandpa used to tell us? That their love was eternal, and that they would live on as stars?" I ask quietly.

"They told us a lot of crazy-old-person mumbo jumbo. They told us the moon was a giant head in the sky that watched us, and that freaked you out so much you were scared of the moon until you were eight," he smiles a little.

"Maybe it was mumbo jumbo," I reply. "But it's nice to think they're up there together, watching over us."

"See those two bright stars?" Leo points to a spot in the sky and I see them. "I've been talking to them. I know it's crazy, but I miss them so much."

"It's not crazy," I respond. "I miss them too."

Leo wraps his arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder. We stay like that for a while, watching our grandparents shining down on us from the sky.