Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
.
Lunar Eclipse
.
Chapter one: Grievance
.
Death and sorrow was always a part of Luna Lovegood's life. Ever since her mother died she was never the same. She remembered when she was truly happy and it had only happened three times in her life.
First was the memory of her family. She treasures that memory like all the gold in Gringotts, even more. The second moment was when Harry Potter gave her a kiss in her fifth year. Although her heart was for him and her best friend, Ginny, she still had that small schoolgirl crush on the boy who lived.
And the third. The third was special. Even though he was a muggle, he made her the happiest woman in the world.
Was. A tear trickled down her cheek as she looked above the grave of her beloved.
Here Lies Nathan Helios
Friend and Lover
Muggle born, Heaven sent
Luna felt her hot tears as it traveled down her cheek. She did not move to wipe for it gave her comfort from unending sadness.
"Luna?" a voice called from behind her. Luna neither acknowledged not turned towards her "guest" but she knew he was there. Her guest knew that she knew that he was there.
"I am through with the Order, Harry Potter. I thought I made that clear." Her voice was filled with ice and the boy-who-lived winced in fear and guilt.
"You... have," Harry sighed as he took a step closer. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Did your hand cause the death of the one I hold dear? The one person who makes me shiver when he's near? You are not at fault, Harry Potter."
"Then why do I feel so guilty?" he asked to himself.
"Because Voldemort used me to get to you," Luna said coldly and devoid of any emotion. Her voice was like a spear stabbing his heart through and through. No pain was like this. She was his friend and he didn't want to see her hurt.
But like everything, nothing happens like he wanted it to.
Harry hesitated to speak fearing that the wrong words will come out. And during these kinds of situations, he usually does.
"We'll get him," he said softly. "I promise." Then Luna did something unexpected.
She laughed mirthlessly. Harry was shocked. He merely stared at her as her laughter slowly receded.
"Promises made to me has a habit to remain unfulfilled," Luna turned and looked him squarely in his eyes and what he saw chilled him to the bone.
Her eyes that were filled with joyous life were now empty and bare.
Soulless.
Harry averted his gaze. He couldn't stand to see such pain in her eyes. He had seen to much pain in the past years afflicted to his friends that made him frustrated that he could not end it all.
"Do you not wish to see justice be done?" Harry asked almost tentatively. Luna turned back to the grave and touched her left ring finger. She took comfort in the fact that she felt a diamond ring with two sapphire dolphins encircling the diamond.
It was HIS final gift to her. One that cost him his life.
"There will never be justice, Harry, for we all have been robbed of innocence that the truth is forever lost within lies and deceit. No Harry. I do not wish to see justice be done."
"Vengeance then," he breathed. He was afraid that Luna shall take the path towards damnation by killing from bloodlust.
"I fear I will never be sated, Harry Potter. My soul will not be fulfilled by the deaths of every Death Eater in the world." She looked at Harry with such coldness that he knew not off. It was like staring into the depths of the abyss. "Only when I should join him would my soul be at peace.
"Now, please leave me alone. Just for now. I will come to you when I am ready," her toneless tone left no argument as he walked back towards the muggle car that he owned.
The occupant of that car opened her window and looked expectantly at him, but seeing Harry's face, her hopes were shattered.
"She wouldn't come?" the occupant asked. Harry looked back and studied her feature from far away. He couldn't help but feel responsible for this predicament. But that was he was feeling all the time: Responsible.
"Give her time, Ginny. She needs to be alone."
"She's been standing there for the past two days, Harry. I'm worried."
"So am I, so am I," Harry sighed and entered the car. With a final look, Harry and Ginny Potter drove away.
**
"Are the preliminaries finished?" twenty-one year old Hermione Granger- Weasley asked as she swiveled her chair as she faced her husband, Ron, with a pile of parchments and a annoyed frown.
"This is bloody terrific," Ron sighed as he sat forcefully on the bench. "We still have to do the paperwork of the deaths of those damned Death Eaters! Can't we just toss them into a bottomless pit or feed them to the dragons?"
"Ron! Be serious!" she huffed as she took one of the parchments and began reading. "You can't possibly think that those pits are bottomless and you'll give the dragons indigestion!" Hermione and Ron managed a laugh, however weak it may be.
But their hearts weren't in it. It was too painful to see someone close to them suffer.
"Have you met him, Ron?" Hermione asked in a soft voice as she went through the files.
"Him? Actually no," Ron smirked as he read the examiner's report. "She really did like him, didn't she?"
"Yes," she sighed at the memory of the two of them together. "They were quite a pair."
"How so?" Ron asked.
"Until that dreadful day, he continued to scoff off magic as one of her... delusions."
"Then how did they get along?"
"That I don't know," she sighed. "But they were in love."
"She must have been devastated," Ron said as he browsed through the files. "I would."
"I know," Hermione frowned as she read one of the files. "Hey Ron, are these figures correct?"
"What figures?" he asked.
"The body parts in the scene of the crime?" Hermione looked at him in confusion. "What's it say happened?"
"The scenario is sketchy at best but... Hermione, this is unbelievable!"
"What is?" she went towards his side and looked at the file.
"There were twenty bodies in there, not including Nathan's. But according to this, Nathan was the only one there intact," Ron cringed as he read more. "Blood and guts are everywhere. This is insane."
"What is?" Hermione asked as she saw her husband pale.
"There were ten dementors and ten Death Eaters as far as heads are concerned. But how could Luna have done this?"
"Luna didn't do that," Hermione's hand shook as she looked at the autopsy files. "It says here that half of the Death Eaters had bullets taken out of their bodies. Luna didn't do this."
"How are you sure?" he asked.
"For one thing, Luna was with me when we saw the... murder scene."
"And the other?"
"Can you imagine Luna doing something like this without resorting to magic?" Hermione looked at him intently as she tried to get her message across. Sometimes, Rom could be so thickheaded it irritated her.
"I don't think so," Ron finally said after a few moments. "But who? Could another of their ranks betrayed them and killed them all?"
"For what?" she sighed exasperatedly. "Reward? I don't think so. And could you imagine these Death Eaters dirtying their hands? No Ron, this was done by a wild animal."
"But why was Nathan spared from this grotesque savagery?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head and took out another file. When she saw its contents, she felt her knees give. Being the closest thing of a chair, she sat on Ron's lap. Although he welcomed it, he was confused to what made his wife swoon. "What is it?"
Instead of answering, she gave him the file she was reading.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Nathan's Autopsy repot," she cringed as she saw its contents. Not at the pictures but at what the report had said. Ron took a moment to scan the contents of the report but when he realized what was written, he gasped and looked at her bewildered.
"This can't be right," he said softly as he reread the report.
"It is," she said just as soft.
"We need to tell Dumbledore," Ron suggested.
"Discreetly," she suggested but he agreed.
***
Ginny Weasley-Potter watched her friend stood by his grave. It had been four days and she still stayed by the grave. How Luna could have such stamina is a wonder to her but Ginny knew that she was beginning to falter.
Taking a deep breath, Ginny walked quietly towards her friend with a basket filled with food. If the mountain won't come to Mohammed...
"Good Morning, Luna," Ginny said softly and tentatively, she was not sure how her friend would react.
"Time has no meaning anymore," she said softly but with out the ice when she spoke to Harry the day before. She could not be mad at Ginny. She of all person knew the pain she was experiencing. She knew quite well.
"Maybe," Ginny sighed. "Then why do I feel so old?" Luna almost snickered but covered it with a cough.
"Stop that," she admonished quietly. "I do not want to laugh."
"But you will," Ginny vowed as she smiled. "Even if I should resort to drastic measures." Instinctively, Luna took one step to her side to avoid her. And then, she sighed.
"You made me move," Luna turned her head to look at her friend.
"And I'll make you eat," Ginny said as she took a bowl of hot soup from her basket and fanned the steam towards Luna. Luna quickly looked away, trying hard not to be tempted but the smell still got to her. Her stomach growled as it remembered that it was a long time since she ate.
"You're not playing fair, Virginia," Luna glared at her friend as she took the soup. But Ginny smiled triumphantly as she saw Luna's eyes.
She could see her soul.
"I'll do anything to see you happy," Ginny said as she took a blanket from her basket and lay in on the ground. "This would seem weird."
"What is?" Luna asked as he took a few spoonfuls of soup before she sat on the blanket.
"Us picnicking in the middle of a cemetery," Ginny cringed making Luna laugh softly.
"We've eaten in worse place than this."
"Well it still creeps me out," Ginny admitted as she took out a loaf of bread from the basket and laid it on the blanket.
"It's peaceful here," Luna said softly. "Believe it or not, I met Nate in a cemetery."
"You did?" Ginny asked incredulously. She didn't know this information. But how did they meet? Thankfully, she continued.
"We met in a catacomb in France," Luna, for the first time in the last few days truly smiled with all her heart. "He was what you call a Relic Hunter. You know, those people who finds relics for various people? Well he was looking for..." Luna suddenly blushed as she became suddenly interested in her soup.
"What was he looking for?" Ginny became suddenly interested. It took a lot to make Luna blush. And just a thought of him made her flush.
"I don't know exactly but it had... weird side effects."
"What kind of side effects?" Ginny asked but that merely made Luna redder.
"I refuse to discuss the manner of which we met," Luna said softly in her usual dreamy voice. Ginny smiled at her accomplishment. Her friend was returning to normal. Well.... almost.
"Was it love at first sight?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know exactly," Luna admitted. "But after his assignment, we bumped into each other again." Now her story was beginning to get interesting.
"Where?" Ginny asked expectantly.
"King's Cross Station," Luna smiled brightly as she remembered the day. "I was back from my trip from Hogwarts and I bumped into him as I exited the pillar. He had this cute look on his face when he was astonished. He couldn't figure out how I got there, much less bump into him. After saying our apologies, he asked me if I could join him for tea."
"He did?" Ginny was clearly astonished. "What did you do?"
"I kindly declined. I had an important meeting to attend and I was already late."
"What did HE do?" Ginny asked.
"He just bowed and kissed my hand," Luna blushed. "And said he wouldn't accept no the next time we meet. I thought I was safe for what were the chances of me meeting him again? But still I was disappointed with the knowledge that it was our last chance encounter. I was wrong."
"Where did you meet again?" Ginny was now smiling. It felt good that Luna was smiling again.
"Diagon Alley," Luna said as she glared at Ginny. Ginny's heart stopped partially because of the glare but because that a muggle had entered Diagon Alley. But how come she didn't hear about this. "I should hate you for doing this to me, Ginny Weasley."
"Doing what?" she pleaded innocence but Luna knew she was far from it.
"Making me smile," she said almost coldly but it didn't sting. Her heart had thawed even for a little bit.
"Natty didn't want you to be sad, Luna," Ginny returned her glare. "And he would rise from his grave if I didn't even try to make you smile. To tell you the truth, your fiancé is the scariest man I know."
"Your tense is wrong," Luna said but frowned in confusion. "Did you say, Scariest?"
"You didn't see his eyes when we talked," Ginny shivered in memory. "Death's Glare would have been a smile."
"I never saw him like that," Luna said in thought.
"He didn't want you to," Ginny sighed. "Besides, I accidentally saw it. I didn't think he meant to show it."
"What ticked him off?" Luna was curious.
"Malfoy," that one word was all the answer she needed. That man can make a saint mad.
"What did he do?" Ginny saw Luna's eyes beginning to darken. It was like all life had left her eyes.
"He called you by your school nickname," Ginny said cautiously. She didn't want to open old wounds. "He's like a child taunting even though you were not there." Ginny suddenly giggled making her friend look at her in confusion. "But Natty had the final word." Luna's eyes shone at the knowledge that her fiancé defended her. It was more than she could ask.
"What did he say?" she asked. Ginny frowned in concentration as she tried to remember what Nathan said to Malfoy.
"Cease your insolent ravings," he said in a calm voice but I could see it in his eyes that he didn't like Malfoy one bit. 'What are you? Her boyfriend?" Ginny mimicked Draco in voice and appearance making Luna giggle softly.
"As a matter of fact, I am.' Luna, if you could just see him then, you wouldn't want to be his enemy. He was a hurricane waiting to happen. Calm one moment and the next... well, let's just say I was glad that I didn't find out.
"Then Malfoy said, 'And what are you going to do?' At that point Luna, I thought I was going to faint. Natty, stood up and glared at Malfoy. I could see that Malfoy had his wand but it didn't deterred Natty. Then he spoke of the scariest thing.
"If you wish to contest me you will find yourself in a dark cell with no doors or windows. You will not count the days or months or years but millennia in a place where no one could hear, speak to or see you. Eternal Darkness will be your companion and Madness will be your language. That tone you sing will echo through your soul for eternity."
Luna blinked when Ginny was through. She couldn't believe that her Nate could be capable of such things.
"What happened next?" Luna's voice was just short of a whisper.
"Well..." Ginny was having a hard time keeping a straight face.
"What?" Luna couldn't take the suspense.
"Malfoy created a puddle in the middle of a hot dry day," Ginny simply said.
Then Luna did something she had forgotten in the last few days of sorrow... she laughed to her heart's content.
"Come on, Let's go home," Ginny stood as she offered a hand to her friend. "Your friends are worried."
Luna looked sadly at the tomb and sighed.
"I will not leave him," she said adamantly making Ginny sigh in frustration.
"Knowing Natty, he would return to you when you need him the most," Ginny said as she looked at the grave. "Then wait for him to a place familiar to both of you. Wait for him at the place he calls home." Luna smiled and looked at the sky as if to ask for guidance from powers greater than hers.
"Ginny?"
"What is it?"
"Is there any more food in that basket of yours?"
Both women laughed.
.
Lunar Eclipse
.
Chapter one: Grievance
.
Death and sorrow was always a part of Luna Lovegood's life. Ever since her mother died she was never the same. She remembered when she was truly happy and it had only happened three times in her life.
First was the memory of her family. She treasures that memory like all the gold in Gringotts, even more. The second moment was when Harry Potter gave her a kiss in her fifth year. Although her heart was for him and her best friend, Ginny, she still had that small schoolgirl crush on the boy who lived.
And the third. The third was special. Even though he was a muggle, he made her the happiest woman in the world.
Was. A tear trickled down her cheek as she looked above the grave of her beloved.
Here Lies Nathan Helios
Friend and Lover
Muggle born, Heaven sent
Luna felt her hot tears as it traveled down her cheek. She did not move to wipe for it gave her comfort from unending sadness.
"Luna?" a voice called from behind her. Luna neither acknowledged not turned towards her "guest" but she knew he was there. Her guest knew that she knew that he was there.
"I am through with the Order, Harry Potter. I thought I made that clear." Her voice was filled with ice and the boy-who-lived winced in fear and guilt.
"You... have," Harry sighed as he took a step closer. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Did your hand cause the death of the one I hold dear? The one person who makes me shiver when he's near? You are not at fault, Harry Potter."
"Then why do I feel so guilty?" he asked to himself.
"Because Voldemort used me to get to you," Luna said coldly and devoid of any emotion. Her voice was like a spear stabbing his heart through and through. No pain was like this. She was his friend and he didn't want to see her hurt.
But like everything, nothing happens like he wanted it to.
Harry hesitated to speak fearing that the wrong words will come out. And during these kinds of situations, he usually does.
"We'll get him," he said softly. "I promise." Then Luna did something unexpected.
She laughed mirthlessly. Harry was shocked. He merely stared at her as her laughter slowly receded.
"Promises made to me has a habit to remain unfulfilled," Luna turned and looked him squarely in his eyes and what he saw chilled him to the bone.
Her eyes that were filled with joyous life were now empty and bare.
Soulless.
Harry averted his gaze. He couldn't stand to see such pain in her eyes. He had seen to much pain in the past years afflicted to his friends that made him frustrated that he could not end it all.
"Do you not wish to see justice be done?" Harry asked almost tentatively. Luna turned back to the grave and touched her left ring finger. She took comfort in the fact that she felt a diamond ring with two sapphire dolphins encircling the diamond.
It was HIS final gift to her. One that cost him his life.
"There will never be justice, Harry, for we all have been robbed of innocence that the truth is forever lost within lies and deceit. No Harry. I do not wish to see justice be done."
"Vengeance then," he breathed. He was afraid that Luna shall take the path towards damnation by killing from bloodlust.
"I fear I will never be sated, Harry Potter. My soul will not be fulfilled by the deaths of every Death Eater in the world." She looked at Harry with such coldness that he knew not off. It was like staring into the depths of the abyss. "Only when I should join him would my soul be at peace.
"Now, please leave me alone. Just for now. I will come to you when I am ready," her toneless tone left no argument as he walked back towards the muggle car that he owned.
The occupant of that car opened her window and looked expectantly at him, but seeing Harry's face, her hopes were shattered.
"She wouldn't come?" the occupant asked. Harry looked back and studied her feature from far away. He couldn't help but feel responsible for this predicament. But that was he was feeling all the time: Responsible.
"Give her time, Ginny. She needs to be alone."
"She's been standing there for the past two days, Harry. I'm worried."
"So am I, so am I," Harry sighed and entered the car. With a final look, Harry and Ginny Potter drove away.
**
"Are the preliminaries finished?" twenty-one year old Hermione Granger- Weasley asked as she swiveled her chair as she faced her husband, Ron, with a pile of parchments and a annoyed frown.
"This is bloody terrific," Ron sighed as he sat forcefully on the bench. "We still have to do the paperwork of the deaths of those damned Death Eaters! Can't we just toss them into a bottomless pit or feed them to the dragons?"
"Ron! Be serious!" she huffed as she took one of the parchments and began reading. "You can't possibly think that those pits are bottomless and you'll give the dragons indigestion!" Hermione and Ron managed a laugh, however weak it may be.
But their hearts weren't in it. It was too painful to see someone close to them suffer.
"Have you met him, Ron?" Hermione asked in a soft voice as she went through the files.
"Him? Actually no," Ron smirked as he read the examiner's report. "She really did like him, didn't she?"
"Yes," she sighed at the memory of the two of them together. "They were quite a pair."
"How so?" Ron asked.
"Until that dreadful day, he continued to scoff off magic as one of her... delusions."
"Then how did they get along?"
"That I don't know," she sighed. "But they were in love."
"She must have been devastated," Ron said as he browsed through the files. "I would."
"I know," Hermione frowned as she read one of the files. "Hey Ron, are these figures correct?"
"What figures?" he asked.
"The body parts in the scene of the crime?" Hermione looked at him in confusion. "What's it say happened?"
"The scenario is sketchy at best but... Hermione, this is unbelievable!"
"What is?" she went towards his side and looked at the file.
"There were twenty bodies in there, not including Nathan's. But according to this, Nathan was the only one there intact," Ron cringed as he read more. "Blood and guts are everywhere. This is insane."
"What is?" Hermione asked as she saw her husband pale.
"There were ten dementors and ten Death Eaters as far as heads are concerned. But how could Luna have done this?"
"Luna didn't do that," Hermione's hand shook as she looked at the autopsy files. "It says here that half of the Death Eaters had bullets taken out of their bodies. Luna didn't do this."
"How are you sure?" he asked.
"For one thing, Luna was with me when we saw the... murder scene."
"And the other?"
"Can you imagine Luna doing something like this without resorting to magic?" Hermione looked at him intently as she tried to get her message across. Sometimes, Rom could be so thickheaded it irritated her.
"I don't think so," Ron finally said after a few moments. "But who? Could another of their ranks betrayed them and killed them all?"
"For what?" she sighed exasperatedly. "Reward? I don't think so. And could you imagine these Death Eaters dirtying their hands? No Ron, this was done by a wild animal."
"But why was Nathan spared from this grotesque savagery?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head and took out another file. When she saw its contents, she felt her knees give. Being the closest thing of a chair, she sat on Ron's lap. Although he welcomed it, he was confused to what made his wife swoon. "What is it?"
Instead of answering, she gave him the file she was reading.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Nathan's Autopsy repot," she cringed as she saw its contents. Not at the pictures but at what the report had said. Ron took a moment to scan the contents of the report but when he realized what was written, he gasped and looked at her bewildered.
"This can't be right," he said softly as he reread the report.
"It is," she said just as soft.
"We need to tell Dumbledore," Ron suggested.
"Discreetly," she suggested but he agreed.
***
Ginny Weasley-Potter watched her friend stood by his grave. It had been four days and she still stayed by the grave. How Luna could have such stamina is a wonder to her but Ginny knew that she was beginning to falter.
Taking a deep breath, Ginny walked quietly towards her friend with a basket filled with food. If the mountain won't come to Mohammed...
"Good Morning, Luna," Ginny said softly and tentatively, she was not sure how her friend would react.
"Time has no meaning anymore," she said softly but with out the ice when she spoke to Harry the day before. She could not be mad at Ginny. She of all person knew the pain she was experiencing. She knew quite well.
"Maybe," Ginny sighed. "Then why do I feel so old?" Luna almost snickered but covered it with a cough.
"Stop that," she admonished quietly. "I do not want to laugh."
"But you will," Ginny vowed as she smiled. "Even if I should resort to drastic measures." Instinctively, Luna took one step to her side to avoid her. And then, she sighed.
"You made me move," Luna turned her head to look at her friend.
"And I'll make you eat," Ginny said as she took a bowl of hot soup from her basket and fanned the steam towards Luna. Luna quickly looked away, trying hard not to be tempted but the smell still got to her. Her stomach growled as it remembered that it was a long time since she ate.
"You're not playing fair, Virginia," Luna glared at her friend as she took the soup. But Ginny smiled triumphantly as she saw Luna's eyes.
She could see her soul.
"I'll do anything to see you happy," Ginny said as she took a blanket from her basket and lay in on the ground. "This would seem weird."
"What is?" Luna asked as he took a few spoonfuls of soup before she sat on the blanket.
"Us picnicking in the middle of a cemetery," Ginny cringed making Luna laugh softly.
"We've eaten in worse place than this."
"Well it still creeps me out," Ginny admitted as she took out a loaf of bread from the basket and laid it on the blanket.
"It's peaceful here," Luna said softly. "Believe it or not, I met Nate in a cemetery."
"You did?" Ginny asked incredulously. She didn't know this information. But how did they meet? Thankfully, she continued.
"We met in a catacomb in France," Luna, for the first time in the last few days truly smiled with all her heart. "He was what you call a Relic Hunter. You know, those people who finds relics for various people? Well he was looking for..." Luna suddenly blushed as she became suddenly interested in her soup.
"What was he looking for?" Ginny became suddenly interested. It took a lot to make Luna blush. And just a thought of him made her flush.
"I don't know exactly but it had... weird side effects."
"What kind of side effects?" Ginny asked but that merely made Luna redder.
"I refuse to discuss the manner of which we met," Luna said softly in her usual dreamy voice. Ginny smiled at her accomplishment. Her friend was returning to normal. Well.... almost.
"Was it love at first sight?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know exactly," Luna admitted. "But after his assignment, we bumped into each other again." Now her story was beginning to get interesting.
"Where?" Ginny asked expectantly.
"King's Cross Station," Luna smiled brightly as she remembered the day. "I was back from my trip from Hogwarts and I bumped into him as I exited the pillar. He had this cute look on his face when he was astonished. He couldn't figure out how I got there, much less bump into him. After saying our apologies, he asked me if I could join him for tea."
"He did?" Ginny was clearly astonished. "What did you do?"
"I kindly declined. I had an important meeting to attend and I was already late."
"What did HE do?" Ginny asked.
"He just bowed and kissed my hand," Luna blushed. "And said he wouldn't accept no the next time we meet. I thought I was safe for what were the chances of me meeting him again? But still I was disappointed with the knowledge that it was our last chance encounter. I was wrong."
"Where did you meet again?" Ginny was now smiling. It felt good that Luna was smiling again.
"Diagon Alley," Luna said as she glared at Ginny. Ginny's heart stopped partially because of the glare but because that a muggle had entered Diagon Alley. But how come she didn't hear about this. "I should hate you for doing this to me, Ginny Weasley."
"Doing what?" she pleaded innocence but Luna knew she was far from it.
"Making me smile," she said almost coldly but it didn't sting. Her heart had thawed even for a little bit.
"Natty didn't want you to be sad, Luna," Ginny returned her glare. "And he would rise from his grave if I didn't even try to make you smile. To tell you the truth, your fiancé is the scariest man I know."
"Your tense is wrong," Luna said but frowned in confusion. "Did you say, Scariest?"
"You didn't see his eyes when we talked," Ginny shivered in memory. "Death's Glare would have been a smile."
"I never saw him like that," Luna said in thought.
"He didn't want you to," Ginny sighed. "Besides, I accidentally saw it. I didn't think he meant to show it."
"What ticked him off?" Luna was curious.
"Malfoy," that one word was all the answer she needed. That man can make a saint mad.
"What did he do?" Ginny saw Luna's eyes beginning to darken. It was like all life had left her eyes.
"He called you by your school nickname," Ginny said cautiously. She didn't want to open old wounds. "He's like a child taunting even though you were not there." Ginny suddenly giggled making her friend look at her in confusion. "But Natty had the final word." Luna's eyes shone at the knowledge that her fiancé defended her. It was more than she could ask.
"What did he say?" she asked. Ginny frowned in concentration as she tried to remember what Nathan said to Malfoy.
"Cease your insolent ravings," he said in a calm voice but I could see it in his eyes that he didn't like Malfoy one bit. 'What are you? Her boyfriend?" Ginny mimicked Draco in voice and appearance making Luna giggle softly.
"As a matter of fact, I am.' Luna, if you could just see him then, you wouldn't want to be his enemy. He was a hurricane waiting to happen. Calm one moment and the next... well, let's just say I was glad that I didn't find out.
"Then Malfoy said, 'And what are you going to do?' At that point Luna, I thought I was going to faint. Natty, stood up and glared at Malfoy. I could see that Malfoy had his wand but it didn't deterred Natty. Then he spoke of the scariest thing.
"If you wish to contest me you will find yourself in a dark cell with no doors or windows. You will not count the days or months or years but millennia in a place where no one could hear, speak to or see you. Eternal Darkness will be your companion and Madness will be your language. That tone you sing will echo through your soul for eternity."
Luna blinked when Ginny was through. She couldn't believe that her Nate could be capable of such things.
"What happened next?" Luna's voice was just short of a whisper.
"Well..." Ginny was having a hard time keeping a straight face.
"What?" Luna couldn't take the suspense.
"Malfoy created a puddle in the middle of a hot dry day," Ginny simply said.
Then Luna did something she had forgotten in the last few days of sorrow... she laughed to her heart's content.
"Come on, Let's go home," Ginny stood as she offered a hand to her friend. "Your friends are worried."
Luna looked sadly at the tomb and sighed.
"I will not leave him," she said adamantly making Ginny sigh in frustration.
"Knowing Natty, he would return to you when you need him the most," Ginny said as she looked at the grave. "Then wait for him to a place familiar to both of you. Wait for him at the place he calls home." Luna smiled and looked at the sky as if to ask for guidance from powers greater than hers.
"Ginny?"
"What is it?"
"Is there any more food in that basket of yours?"
Both women laughed.