This was written for Cheeky Slytherin Lass's Song Title Inspiration Challenge. I hope you enjoy it.

Comfort and Crazy – Chapter One

It was the start of the Christmas holidays, and a light dusting of snow covered the ground around the Lovegood house. Luna sat in an aging armchair with her legs hanging over the end. She was threading some wooden beads which her father had got her onto some string, and occasionally sipping a mug of steaming cocoa. Her tangled, blonde hair hung down over the other arm nearly touching the floor and swung whilst she hummed. When she heard the door latch click, she scooped up the beads, placed them inside her empty mug, and made her way into the kitchen.

"Good afternoon my lovely Luna," said Xenophilius, beaming at his daughter.

"Hello Daddy. Did you manage to get the Billy-Wig Wings?"

"I did sweet heart," replied Xenophilius. "Now did finish all of you school work?"

"I did most of it- but," said Luna, hesitating "-I don't think I shall do the Dark Arts homework. It wouldn't be very nice to practice cursing a person- or an animal for that matter-so I'll tell them I didn't do it."

Xenophilius strode around the kitchen table and hugged Luna to him. He placed his bearded chin on her head and stoked her hair whilst whispering, "You always do the right thing my love. I'm so sorry you have to live through a war. This isn't how it should be. Stay strong, trust Harry Potter and all of this will be over soon. I am sure of it… It will be over soon."

"I do trust Harry, daddy," said Luna, pulling away and looking up into her father's golden eyes. "I'd trust Harry with my life."

Past the various cuts and deep bruises on Luna's face, Xenophilius saw the sincerity his daughter's eyes. He pulled Luna again into a hug and then stared out through the window over the top of her head. Atop the usually quiet rolling hills a small dark figure caught his eye. From a distance the figure could have been mistaken as a large black bird against the snow, but gradually the outline of a ragged cloak came into Xenophilius' view. The individual stopped for a moment, watching the house. Xenophilius' wound his arms from around Luna and cautiously stepped towards the window to have a better view of the person. He didn't recognise him. And from his appearance this person was definitely not an Auror.

"Daddy what's wrong? Who's at the window?"

Luna stared at her father.

"I don't know. I don't know who he is," spluttered Xenophilius. Luna walked towards the window. "No Luna! Stay there, where you are. Do not move."

Luna was used to her father's jittery behaviour. It had started just after the Death Eaters had taken over the Ministry of Magic. This however, was the most nervous she had seen him in a long time. Xenophilius looked to the white hills once more: The person had gone. He breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"It's okay. We're okay. It must have been just a hiker. That's it! Just a lost muggle," he reassured himself. "It is all going to be fine."

The wind began to pick up outside and it rattled the wooden shutters. Xenophilius trudged through a curtain into the living area shaking. Whether it was in fear or because of the cold, Luna did not know. The war had driven him to near insanity. Luna picked up the copper kettle and began to fill it up at the sink. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something black billow past the window. As soon as she had turned off the tap the front door slammed open. Luna froze. She heard something hit the floor in the next room which made her blood run cold.

Luna Lovegood was not one to panic in difficult situations, nor had she been placed in any situations where she felt the need to panic. She thought it was unnecessary when she fought the Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic during her fourth year. She didn't panic when the Carrows gave her detention and tried to force her to torture innocent first years; she just refused and accepted the consequences. Her mother had taught her to keep calm, think things through and get on with what needed to be doing, but now Luna found herself filled with uncontrollable anxiety.

"Well, 'ello there gorgeous."

Luna turned; she whipped her wand from her pocket. A man caped in black stared at her threateningly. Behind him were two others, dressed similarly in black cloaks. Snatchers. They all aimed their wands at her. One of the men from behind began to speak.

"Come quietly and we won't hurt your father."

Chills instantly crept up Luna's arms and spine. "The thing that hit the floor was Daddy," she thought.

"Put your wand down love, and no-one gets hurt."

Luna's eyes darted at each of the snatchers. She would never be able to fight them off. Not without help at the least. She finally lowered her wand, and the men advanced towards her.

"We have done nothing! What do you want?" shouted Luna, standing her ground. "What do you want with me?"

"Keep calm Lovegood! Think things through! Could I get out of the window?"

"You aint gettin' out of that window love," said the caped man, watching her eyes flicker to the glass. The men were even closer, they began to tower Luna. With one quick flick of his wand Luna was bound by ropes. She fell to the floor and began to struggle to get free.

"Let me go! Let me go! What do you want?"

"Shut up!" The caped man kicked Luna in the stomach. She winced as the force impacted with her abdomen.

"Damn you! Get 'er up," he barked at his accomplices.

The men pulled Luna up with the ropes that bound her together and dragged her through the room and out into the living room. As they dipped under the curtain Luna screamed at the sight of a heap on the floor.

"DADDY! What did you do to him?" She thrashed her shoulders around in desperation, tears poured down her cheeks. "DADDY! Let me go! Let me GO! AGGGHH!"

Ignoring the girl's cries, the man grabbed onto a lock of Luna's hair, pulled her head back and held her face in front of his. She grimaced slightly at his foul breath.

"Listen 'ere. If you don't 'old your tongue, girl," he spat. "We'll make both yer lives a living 'ell. Understood?"

Luna's lip quivered slightly and she nodded. Her head flew forward as he let go of her hair.

"Take 'er away."

Instantaneously, Luna began to feel her body being sucked into a vortex. Her body tingled all over and her head began to ache. Her ribs seemed to be crushing her lungs, driving the air out of them...


As quickly as it had begun, Luna landed with a thud. Her feet, numbed by the force of the apparition, stumbled as she hit the ground. She fell onto a large gravelled path, still tied up in rope. Her face stung in the chilled air as the stones stabbed into her cheek leaving harsh gashes. Straining her neck, Luna tried to look around and observe their whereabouts but only had the view of a pair of boots and some shrubs.

"Uncomfortable?" A snide remark came from overhead. Luna lifted her head to see who had spoken to her. She didn't have the strength to hold it up for long though and eventually lay back down on the gravel- receiving laughs from her kidnappers.

It had been a couple of minutes later when Luna heard more sets of footsteps coming down the path. The kidnappers' shouting gradually turned into quite mumbles as another person joined them. One of the men spoke up loudly.

"It's about bloody time. Who d' ya think we was gonna be? Intruders?"

"Are you as stupid as you look?" questioned an approaching woman's voice. "Do you think it is wise to just let random people through the wards? Through the house gates? I think it is quite prudent, under the circumstances, to check who has apperated into the grounds before we decide to let them in. What if it was some aurors? What would we have done then -Hmmm...? Let them stroll on into the house?"

"Okay, Okay. Fine! Jus' let us in. I think the Lovegood girl is beginin' to get uncomfortable and would like some warmth," said the cloaked man sarcastically. "Wouldn't ya, sweet heart?"

Luna curled up tighter, letting the ropes constrict her even more. She sucked cold air in between her gritted teeth as she brought her bound legs up to her chest. The gravel continued to slice the gashes on her face even deeper, and she screwed her eyes up in pain.

"Oh. It's Lovegood is it?" said the woman, instantly intrigued. Luna's breathing hastened as the familiar voice came closer, her eyes remained closed. "I might have known it would be one of you; a friend of Potter's"

"Wait a second. You know 'er?"

"Of course. We met in the Ministry... Department of Mysteries, I believe. Aren't I right? Oi, answer me! Aren't I right?"

Luna kept her eyes squeezed shut.

"OI!" Pointed wood pressed into Luna's throat. "Look at me."

Luna slowly opened her eyes, and looked up through her eyelashes. Smiling down at her was the pale face of Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix pursed her lips into a devilish smirk, her eyes twinkled with satisfaction.

"Good," she whispered.

Bellatrix stood up and waved her wand over the gates, relieving the enchantments for the men to enter the safety of the Malfoy Manor estate. She turned to the kidnappers and said in disbelief, "What are you waiting for. Take her in."


If you aren't baking a cake or rushing back to your knitting, please leave a comment:) Chapter 2 will be up shortly!