Malice Part 4

[black_hat]

Luna was very happy when she had a chance to curl up by the fireplace with her new book. She had always loved a good book and was even more intriqued by a bad book.

 

Hello, Thomas. How are you this evening? Is it evening in the book or is it part of the time-space continuum paradox?

 

I thought I told you to call me Tom.

 

I like Thomas better.

 

I...really must insist.

 

Tom sounds rather like Tom Thumb. But I suppose that makes sense because you’d have to be nearly as small as Tom Thumb to fit into a book.

 

I have to say you’ve made me hate my name a little more. I didn’t think that was possible.

 

Then I’ll call you Thomas.

 

No, Tom is what you are going to call me. Do you understand?

 

I may call you other things for being so rude. Daddy did tell me that was wrong, but I really can’t help it sometimes.

 

So do you have any actual questions for me, Luna dear?

 

Why do you hate your name?

 

Because it’s average, filled to the brim with a stagnant mundanity. Next.

 

But you’re the first Tom I’ve ever met.

 

Exactly.

 

Hmm, all right then. Where do you harken from?

 

From the past. It may stagger your small conceptions…for one so young… but I’m from the year 1945.

 

Only that far back…

 

Only?

 

Well, I was expecting you to be from the future.

 

Oh,  I might still be around…and then some.

 

I suspect you’re trying to be intimidating but I’m rather distracted by it .

 

Why ever do you say that?

 

It’s the pauses, really. I think it’s a poor show.

 

Well, excuse me if my spaces offend you. Perhaps you offend my spaces.

 

I like you. You make me laugh.

 

I hope you can continue to laugh…

 

Your sentence structure is a nasty habit. It makes me sad. Are you a politician or a logician?

 

Dear girl, I’m sixteen.

 

And I’m eleven! But nevermind that. Um, let’s see…so how did you go about putting yourself in a book? Did they not accept your own biography so you resorted to being self-published?

 

It’s a tragic story, actually. It causes me a great deal of pain to dwell on it…but for your satisfaction, I will recount it. The merest detail will not be cast aside.

 

J

 

There…are no words for the stupidity…. I’m not something to be doodled on, you little…

 

=-=

 

If you don’t stop, I won’t tell you my story.

 

I’m sorry. You see, it was a social experiment.

 

And that is what led me to this fate. An experiment. A test of time. You see, I had made great strides in the magical field by this time, and-

 

You’re just sixteen though.

 

And that’s what made it all the more impressive. Due to my success, I had many enemies. This book is indeed my own creation but my rival, driven mad by his jealousy, sabatogued my work.

 

What was your magical field?

 

Dear-you even have to ask! It’s clearly the study of immortality.

 

A rather odd field, isn’t it? Wouldn’t saving yourself be a part of your study? And yet, you’re saying that you did not want to be preserved.

 

Not like this. Don’t you understand? My father never knew what happened to me.

 

I’ll write him a letter for you.

 

You’d have some difficulty since he’s dead. Although we weren’t very close.

 

Oh. Well, wouldn’t he preserved by your great strides in the field in immortality?

 

I was still working on it at the time of my-

 

Then why do you call it a stride?

 

BE-because I am here, writing to an unimaginative girl years later at my exact age. That’s why!

 

You know, I think being lost in a book is unimaginative.

 

Oh?

 

Yes, it’s from the old phrases ‘lose yourself in a book’. They didn’t mean literally. Of all places to save yourself…

 

It’s…this book means a great deal to me, Luna. I suppose I can understand. Ginny did tell me you were a little socially awkward.

 

So you are supposed to leave your diary out where your enemy can sabatogue it. I didn’t really know that. People did take my stuff here and there, and everywhere, so I started to hide my things.

 

Yes, you’re just a little insensitive, aren’t you? Just because my old rival used to be my nearest and dearest friend, and had ready access to my room…

 

Oh. I’m sorry. You had a friend?

 

As a matter of fact, yes. Do you have any?

 

No. Well, I used to have one. My mother told me to think of her as a friend .

 

…I see.

 

Well, it’s not as if friends are of any true consequence.

 

They aren’t?

 

Of course not. Friend is just a word that means someone that needs or wants something from you. You’re not missing anything.

 

Of no consequence? But Ginny’s your friend. Is she of no consequence?

 

I didn’t mean that. Not in a…it’s complicated.

 

Oh, I have time. I like staying up late.

 

Ginny needs me right now, and that’s why she considers me a friend. I need her as well.

 

So we are friends.

 

That sounds terrible, you know.

 

I can’t help how it sounds. It’s the truth.

 

Ginny doesn’t think of you like that. I think she rather likes you.

 

And I don’t care.

 

And you’re not very nice.

 

Then we have nothing more to say to each other.

 

Actually,I’m not going to return you at all.

 

Oh, you will. Ginny will hate you if you don’t.

 

 I’m not really worried about her disliking me. She dislikes me already.

 

Listen…if you do not return me, you will regret it.

 

One last question: what did you do when you got lost in your thoughts?

 

What do you think, I wrote in my diary, like I had always done before.

 

Then you got trapped.

 

I did? I haven’t noticed.

 

So what’s to stop Ginny from getting trapped?

 

The fact that I’m already in the diary may be a reason, just a thought there.

 

Well, that makes no sense. If you were working on something, it would occur to you to want to get out. Why do you need Ginny? You certainly don’t want a friend.

 

I see you’re obsessed with conspirarcies. I just want someone that I can pass the time with…all things considered, that is not too much to ask.

 

Pass the time with me then.

 

One slight problem. I don’t like you.

 

You don’t like Ginny either. I’m wondering if you like anyone.

 

No, I dislike you much more than I dislike her. Take my word for it.

 

I believe you. It’s just I always think that books like me. They don’t hate me. I’ve never had a book that hated me before. This is a really novel experience.

 

I don’t think I can endure it. Just one hour has been an eternity.

 

Then time will pass all the better!

 

…Then so be it. You’ll get exactly what you want, Luna. In fact, I prefer it this way. 

 

So-

 

Luna closed the book with a snap and a smile.

 

The best thing about books was that one could always close them when they were finished. But she did wonder if he was right when he said the red-headed girl would hate her.

 

Dumbledore had explained what had gone wrong after all, and Luna was filled with a fresh fear at her mistake. She hadn’t meant to hurt Ginny’s feelings, really. Now she only cared how Tom would hurt Ginny’s feelings, and if that meant earning Ginny’s hatred, Luna knew it was worth the risk.

 

Somehow it was always the little things that mattered to Luna and the little things she could see always turned out to be bigger for her than others. There were bullies here and there, misunderstandings, and old pains. Even this book held old pains…

 

But maybe he would start to like her doodles, and perhaps next time Ginny would be her friend.

 

So Luna smiled because she knew things would get better. 

ETA: This hasn't been beta-read so if anything's incorrect, feel free to give me a shout. :-)