Holey Moonlight – Chapter 1
WARNINGS: Mention of abuse/rape. Nothing graphic. Will add other warnings as they come up. There will be adult language and situations, but no graphic descriptions!
She lay curled up on the bed in the muggle hotel room she'd used to run to in her escape. The black eye still-fresh looking, even though it was already two days old. And - other injuries, some new, some from the past. And the scar...
She ran her hand over her face, forcing herself not to think about it. She instead focused on her rescue party.
She knew they'd be there soon. She knew hecouldn't find her. She'd laced his food with enough sedative to knock out a hippogriff for 24 hours.
She lifted her head a bit as she heard two sets of footsteps on the walkway outside the room. She'd given the night manager a picture so he would know who to give the extra key to.
She jumped a bit as the key slipped home through the tumblers and turned. Then the knob turned and sudden bright light from an overhead streetlight flooded the room, silhouetting two shapes in the doorway.
Then Harry Potter and Ron Weasley stepped through and squinted into the room for a moment before Ron closed the door and tuned on a light.
"Holy shit!" This, from Harry as he stared at the sight on the bed.
She winced internally. When she'd been able to make her escape, she'd been wearing his favorite sundress at his insistence. It showed that there were more injuries than just the bruise on her face, and her hair was unkempt, and she looked tired. She didn't care though; it couldn't be helped.
She looked bad enough that the manager had offered to call a policeman (whatever that was). She assured him that help was on the way.
When she showed him the picture of Harry and Ron, the manager quieted down, nodded and handed her the key.
She shifted a bit, trying to sit up, but her midsection hurt. Badly. She had at least one broken rib and she gasped in pain.
"Luna!" Both wizards cried out as they rushed to her side.
"We'll take you to Hogwarts-"
"NO!" She tried to sit up; she could feel that panicky feeling rising in her chest. "Please, I don't – I can't go to Hogwarts, and I don't want to go to St. Mungos. Isn't there anywhere else?" Her eyes pleaded with them to understand her need without her having to tell them – yet.
Ron nodded almost at once. "We could take you to the Burrow – my family's home," he explained. "My mum knows a fair bit of healing."
She nodded and got slowly to her feet, with much wincing.
"Perfect."
LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG
Harry decided to side-along Apparate Luna, while Ron went ahead to alert his mother.
By the time Harry had half-carried Luna in, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Ron, and, surprisingly, George.
When he saw Harry and Luna enter, George rushed over to help.
Or maybe not so surprisingly, Harry chuckled to in his head.
"Oh, Luna, you poor dear," Mrs. Weasley fretted, even as she gathered potions, creams and ointments. "Lay her down on the sofa boys, then get out of the living room." She stated very sternly. "Ginny can help –"
"NO!" Luna tried to sit up again, but Mrs. Weasley held her down gently. "Please, Mrs. Weasley, I'd like it to be just us. Sorry, Ginny."
Ginny shook her head, trying to smile at her friend in reassurance around her worry.
"Aright dear, just lay back," Mrs. Weasley shooed everyone out to the kitchen, then turned back to Luna.
LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG
Harry, Ginny, Ron and George all sat at the kitchen table, cooling tea at their elbows, talking quietly about what they saw.
"What I want to know is what the bloody hell happened?" George exclaimed suddenly, surprising everyone.
Ran laid a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "We don't know, yet, George," he said around a lump in is throat. Luna was one of his dearest friends – sweet, open, giving, loyal, almost as intelligent at Hermione – why anyone would see fit to do this to her was beyond his comprehension.
George growled. "When I find out who did this, I will make them pay out their bloody arses!"
Harry and Ginny shared a look as they sat there, holding hands. They knew that Luna had been able to befriend and comfort George after his twins death like no one – not even his parents – could.
The look they shared wondered if he realized he was in love with Luna yet. Probably not.
Ron was thinking along those same lines as he tried to comfort his brother.
"George, buddy, I know how you're feeling," Ron rasped out through gritted teeth. "But you have to let this be handled through the law," he held up a hand and shook his head when it looked as if George would protest. "No. If you go and get revenge, you're no better than whoever did this."
Ginny looked up from the table, her skin very pale under her freckles, partially voicing the question that was floating through all their minds. "You don't think…?"
George shot up out of his chair, paced the floor for a moment, and then punched the wall.
"I just got done patching up one child tonight. I didn't need another!" Mrs. Weasley bustled in with her bag, walked up to George, and touched her wand to his hand, mending the broken bone. She gave him a steady look, one that quelled him immediately. He sat quietly at the table with his face in his hands.
Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry. "She's asking for Hermione," was all she said. It was all she needed to say. They all knew why Hermione was being asked to talk to a female victim.
"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" This, surprisingly enough, came from Ginny. Thankfully Harry was quick enough to grab her and keep her from going anywhere. She struggled for a moment, then buried her face in Harry's shoulder and started sobbing. He gave Ron a significant look. Ron nodded and turned to the fireplace.
Mrs. Weasley watched her children, they were all hers, whether by blood or not, going through one of the hardest trials anyone ever had to face. Betrayal. By a friend. Again.
She laid a hand on George's shoulder and spoke quietly. "She was asking for you. She wants to see you before Hermione arrives."
He was up and out of his seat so fast, he almost knocked it over. He went rushing into the living room.
Mrs. Weasley just shook her head and smiled. "I wonder when they'll realize they're in love?"
Harry and Ginny laughed lightly at that, Ginny wiping her eyes as she lifted her head from Harry's shoulder, explaining they had a similar thought not so long ago.
They were still chatting about it when Ron turned away from the floo.
"'Mione will be here in half an hour."
LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG
George walked quietly into the living room, not wanting to disturb Luna if she was resting.
She was lying on the sofa, still, with her eyes closed, breathing evenly. The bruise around her eye and down her cheek already fading from the potion and cream his mother used.
He stood there for a moment, just looking at her and thinking how beautiful she was.
He turned to go back in the kitchen, thinking she was asleep, when he heard her shift on the couch.
"Georgie."
He closed his eyes. Only two people in his life ever called him 'Georgie' – the first, his twin, who he'd always thought was the second half of him. The second, the woman who had helped heal his soul and stolen his heart; who was the second half of him, he realized now. He turned around slowly and looked at her.
She lay there, looking up at him, with her bright blue eyes, staring at him like he was the last cup of water on Earth and she was dying of thirst.
She continued to look at him, steadily, raising her arms to him.
He was at her side instantly, carefully taking her in his arms and holding her as she clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder. He held her; making gentle shushing sounds and stroking her hair, letting her cry out her anger and hurt.
After a few moments of crying, she sniffed and raised her head from his shoulder, still clinging desperately to him.
"Georgie, it's been awful. He –he –"
George placed a finger to her lips and shook her head.
"You don't have to tell me right now. You'll be talking about it enough once Hermione is here," pulling her to him again.
She laid her head back on his shoulder, wondering how she'd been able to fight these feelings for so long.
Oh, yes, she'd been in love with George Weasley since her fifth year at Hogwarts. She knew that he and Fred were identical, but even in that, there was something different about George. That was different from anyone else in his family – even Fred.
She'd ended up dating Neville Longbottom after school because everyone seemed to expect it. And even though she and George had become great friends, she'd stayed.
She pulled back from the hug, staring intently into his dark blue eyes.
Then she leaned forward and kissed him.
Her eyes closed, putting a bit more pressure into the kiss, and suddenly, he was crushing her to him, kissing her back as much as she was kissing him.
Then a throat cleared in the doorway and they broke apart, blushing. Looking over at the same time at the person standing in the room with them.
Hermione Weasley smiled slightly, relieved to see one of them had made a move at last.
"George, can you excuse us, please?"
He looked at Luna, then, silently asking for the okay to leave. She nodded once, laying a hand on his cheek.
He nodded to himself, kissed her on the forehead and headed back to the rest of his family.
Hermione turned to Luna with a serious expression, sitting in a chair close to her.
"I know this is going to be tough. We'll take as long was you need," she flicked her wand at a quill and parchment she'd pulled out of her bag and squeezed her friends hand once and sat back. "Please, start when you're ready."
Luna took a deep, steadying breath and began talking.
LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG
George was floating. She'd kissed him! He felt like dancing or singing.
Harry, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley noticed the dreamy expression as soon as he walked into the room.
"Alright there, George?" Ginny asked, a bit amused. "How's Luna?"
He nodded absently, and then said. "Fine. She kissed me."
It took a moment to realize what he'd said and turned a brilliant shade of red.
Mrs. Weasley smiled at him. "That's nice, dear. Come have a cup of tea."
George heaved a sigh and sat down, accepting the cup of tea from his mother, contemplating exactly what that kiss could mean for he and Luna.
The other three occupants shared an amused look and went back to their tea and conversation.
LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG
Hermione sat; stunned at everything that Luna had just told her. How could Neville – good, sweet, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly Neville – turn into such a monster?
She got up and went to the Floo, calling out for someone's office at the Ministry. She stuck her head into the green flames for a few moments.
When she pulled her head out, she stood and turned to Luna.
"Kingsley and Proudfoot are on their way to collect him. Do you have somewhere to stay for a few nights?"
Luna sighed. "I hadn't really thought about it. I've still got that muggle hotel I can go to. I paid for the week…"
Hermione shook her head. "No, you need to be with people – not by yourself," she hesitated, and then added. "I'm sure Molly and Arthur would let you stay here. The only one staying with them right now is George."
That did it. The light sparkled in Luna's eyes. "Well, I wouldn't want to impose…"
Again, Hermione shook her head. "You wouldn't be. I'll talk to Molly right now," she headed toward the kitchen, but stopped short. She turned back to her friend. "Did you want to … talk to them? Maybe… explain?"
Luna rubbed hands over her face. She needed to. They deserved to know. She nodded.
"Would you ask them to come in here, please?"
LGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLG
Hermione slowly opened the connecting door, knowing what was about to be revealed was going to hurt everyone – maybe not as much as it hurt Luna, but still…
Ron, Harry, Ginny, Molly and Arthur looked up as she walked in. George sat there staring into his cup.
All Hermione could do was stare at them all for a minute.
"Luna would like you all to come in the living room, please," she looked at Molly. "She's also going to need a place to stay for a few nights. Would it be okay if –"
Molly stood up and started heading for the living room. "Of course! Let's go everyone."
They all got up, a chorus of wood scraping on wood to follow the Weasley matriarch out to Luna. George was the last to go in.
When he got in there, he was happy to see that no one had sat next to Luna. She looked at him and patted the seat next to her.
Needless to say, he didn't need a second invitation.
As George sat next to her, he took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Luna smiled at him, squeezing his hand and taking a deep breath.
"I'm sure you all are wondering what has been going on," she started, but Molly interrupted.
"You don't have to tell us, dear," Mrs. Weasley interjected.
Luna nodded. "I know. I want to, though – you need to hear what Neville has done."
Everyone in the room flinched. None of them had ever imagined that they would be in a room listening about the evils of Neville Longbottom.
George wrapped his other arm around Luna, while still holding her hand. She looked at him gratefully.
"Well, as you all know, Neville and I have been together for several years – since not long after the Final Battle, as a matter of fact," she sighed. "This has only been going on for about 2 years."
Harry and Ron started swearing under their breath, while Hermione and Ginny actually had their wands out, gripping them tightly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley patiently waited for Luna to continue.
Luna told them of how it had stated small – they had gotten into an argument one night and Neville slapped her. After apologizing for days and promising it would never happen again, she decided to stay.
The next time had been months later – and quite a bit worse.
"He beat me unconscious," she told them stonily. She then went onto describe how she'd left the next day and had spent 2 weeks at her fathers house before Neville finally convinced her to come back.
"After that it was pretty regular," Luna stated as tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. "He'd beat me until I lost consciousness and then lock me in a little cupboard – barely big enough to lie down in so I couldn't get away."
Then I had gotten really bad. She described how Neville would tie her to the bed and do whatever he wanted – no matter how much she screamed and carried on. Finally, he'd gotten tired of it and would just Petrify her while he used her body.
"Tonight he finally left me out so I could clean and cook – which is when I finally had the opportunity to drug him to get away. I owled Harry and Ron and left for the muggle hotel."
When she was done the entire room was in a shock. Neville Longbottom did these things – was capable of doing those things?
Luna looked down at the floor and sighed. "There's one more thing –" she stood up and turned so the whole room could see her back and she lifted her shirt. What was there made them all gasp.
Carved length-wise down her back was "LOONY" very badly scarred and angry-looking.
She pulled her shirt back down, a defeated expression on her face. "He did it so he would be the only one to want me again."
George wrapped her in his arms and pulled her into his lap. "Love, he was wrong. I still want you. I love you, Luna."
As the rest of the family looked on, Luna seemed to crumble under George's words, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing.
Ginny got up and went to her, kneeling in front of her and George. "We'll get him, Luna. We'll make sure he can never hurt you again."
Just then the fire flared and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped through.
"We've got him and have questioned him under Veritaserum, so of course he's admitted everything. He'll be going to Azkaban for a very long time."
The only sound that could be heard after this was Luna's sobs.