The Battles Done And We've Kind Of Won, So We Sound Our Victory Cheer

Hogwarts

It had been a long weary night and Luna was exhausted. She could barely keep her eyes open as morning gave way to the noon hour. Voldemort was dead and amidst the celebration, the announcements were being sent out by any owls who had survived the battle.

Harry had disappeared earlier thanks to a distraction Luna had provided to him. She had been lucky enough to survive the fight; others had not been so fortunate. She was helping to tend the wounded when Neville grabbed her wrist, pulling her away for a moment.

He stared at her for a long moment and then tutted, reaching a hand up to grasp her chin. He turned her head to the side, examining the gash across her forehead and said, "Luna you need to have that treated."

Luna looked up at Neville, a half smile drifting across her face as she said, "You too." His gash was nearly identical to hers and mirrored on the exact opposite side of his head. The crown of his head was bright red from where the sorting hat had lit on fire. He had suffered first degree burns, at worst a blister here and there from second degree burns. He chuckled tiredly, both of them knowing that they were more worried about others than they had time to think about themselves.

Glancing over Neville's broad shoulder, Luna's smile suddenly widened. She leaned forward, lifting to circle her arms around Neville's neck and hugged him. Gently she whispered in his ear, "There's someone here for you I believe."

Releasing Neville, she turned him around by his shoulder to face Hannah Abbott. The blonde Hufflepuff was dirty, sweaty and just as exhausted looking as the two of them. Her face lit up when she saw Neville and his was equally bright. He stumbled forward over the rubble making it to her side in no time.

Luna felt a burst of happiness for her friend. She watched as the two embraced before turning away discreetly to give them time to each other. She limped forward, wanting to help others, but her eyes did not want to stay open a second longer. She made it to one of the benches that had somehow survived in a corridor crowded with rubble. No longer able to lift her head, she lay down upon the bench and fell fast asleep.

-HP-

"Luna," A gentle voice crept into her consciousness waking her up. "Luna munchkin wake up."

Luna opened her eyes. At first she thought she was still dreaming, because she had seen the face she was looking at in her dreams so much these past months, that she couldn't dare to believe he was there in person. She had wished him to be there so many times, it seemed too much to think her hopes had finally come true.

"Daddy?" The words slipped past her lips and he nodded his blonde head. He was crouched amongst the rubble and was holding one of her hands. His face was paler than ever, his dark brown eyes were regarding her face except for the eye that crooked inward that always disturbed others upon seeing it. His cheeks were hollowed out, his hair was tangled and matty.

He was the most beautiful thing Luna had ever seen.

A sob of relief escaped her lips and she flung heself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Tears of joy escaped her eyes, his too, as they clung to each other. "Oh my Luna," he whispered into her dirty tangled curls. "I was so worried."

She murmurred into his shoulder, "Me too Daddy." She squeezed him hard and he returned the bear hug before gently releasing her and setting her back onto the bench. Tears still slid from her eyes as she looked him over, noticing the thin set to his once broad shoulders.

"I prayed every day that I would see you again." Luna found herself smiling through her tears at her father's admission. "I asked your Mum to keep you safe."

"We're both safe," Luna wiped her eyes on her sleeve, leaving a dirty streak behind on her cheek. She was covered in rubble dust from head to toe. "That's what matters." She took her father's larger hands in hers and squeezed them.

-HP-

The father-daughter reunion was joyful until her father came to notice the gash on her forehead. Scolding her for not having it seen to right away ensued and with a bit of bullying that Luna didn't mind, he brought her to the hospice wing at Hogwarts to be taken care of.

While her wound was being tended to, Luna asked her father to go find news of the injured and lost, to see who had been found, who had survived the battle and who had succumbed to their wounds while she was asleep.

There were medi-witches from St. Mungos taking care of the most serious injuries, the ones who could be moved to hospital without grave risk to the injured. The ones with injuries that could be treated at St. Mungos had already been apparated there. Those with minor injuries like Luna, were being tended to by Madame Pomfrey and a few students who had shown an inclination in the healing arts.

Luna found herself being treated by Madame Pomfrey herself who was tutting at her much as Neville did earlier. "Did Neville come in to be looked at?" she thought to ask while Pomfrey was cleaning her wound carefully.

"Yes," The Madame nodded her head and said, "He's been taken to St. Mungo's to treat his burns. Hannah Abbot accompanied him there with his grandmother I believe."

Luna nodded her head. She hissed as her wound was treated with a cleaning potion that would make sure any infection was eradicated. It was followed by a dittany salve that would speed up the tissue healing. Once she had gauze spellotaped just above her eye to cover the wound, Madame Pomfrey stood back and said, "Any other wounds dear?"

"I don't think so," Luna shook her head. She crossed her arms in front of her, wincing again as a familiar pins-and-needles sensitivity occurred when she folded her arms across her chest. It had become commonplace the past few weeks.

"Then I suggest you go to one of the tents they've set up outside. I hear there are hot showers, food and beds out there." She took another step back to regard Luna carefully saying, "You look like you could use some more rest dear."

Luna nodded her head. She thanked Madame Pomfrey and left the hospital wing. A shower did sound very nice and she was surprised to find that she was starving, her stomach growling loudly. She hadn't eaten since the night before the battle, having received Neville's message on the D.A. galleons just after supper had been taken at the Shell Cottage. She took off in search of the promised food and showers.

-HP-

In the weeks that followed the battle, Luna usually quiet life was thrown into a whirlwind of activity. She and her father had returned to their land in Ottery St. Catchpole. The ruins of The Rookhouse would have to be repaired. They had gone to the Ministry of Magic to apply for housing assistance and had been placed on a long list of names with others who needed the same help. Voldemort's destruction existed everywhere.

Xenophilius and Luna had worked to rescue their personal possessions from the remains of the house. Most of it had been blown apart by the erumpet horn, rummaged through by thieves, snatchers and Death Eaters, or ruined by the weather in the months after her father's arrest. Luna had rescued the picture of herself and her mother from when she was little. The edges were wrinkled from being water logged through rainy weather but the frame had been situated under a large chunk of wall and had not blown away in the wind.

She managed to rescue one of her clothing dressers that hadn't been smashed apart in the explosion. The dresser yielded some necessary clothing items such as underthings, pajamas, sweaters, jeans and socks. She was happy to see her clothing. She had been living in borrowed clothing for several months now. It would nice to be back in some of her own.

The printing press for her father's magazine was no more. The machine had been torn apart the night of the explosion and rain had further destroyed any chance of putting it back again. Xenophilius had been able to rescue a few of his robes, letters written between himself and her mother, and photographs.

That first week she had stayed with her father at night in a nearby inn in Ottery St. Catchpole that had been run by Muggles. They were there a few days until he had made an announcement she had not expected.

"I'm going to help with the rebuild," Xenophilius told her. "When we were at the Ministry they were asking for witches and wizards to volunteer to help with every rebuild and since it will be a few months until we receive assistance, I feel it is my responsibility and duty to help."

Luna had looked at her father in surprise. She suspected by the glimmer of guilt she had seen in his dark eyes, that he was trying to compensate for what happened a few months ago at Christmas time when he had tried to give Ron, Harry and Hermoine to the Death Eaters.

Reaching her hand out to cover his large one she had squeezed it saying, "I think that's a wonderful idea Daddy." She smiled.

She had offered to go with him, but he had declined stating she needed to stay for the summer and get ready to go back to Hogwarts for her remaining years. Luna couldn't continue to stay in the muggle inn on her own so she had owled a brief note to Ginny with a return reply from Mrs. Weasley and that is how Luna found herself to be staying at the Burrow. For the remainder of the summer until September first, she'd be their guest.

Ginny was thrilled to have Luna at the Burrow and the blonde felt the same way. She had grown especially close to Ginny and Ron through their final school years and other than the unfortunate incident last Christmas as it had been termed, the family readily accepted Luna into the chaos at the Burrow.

Luna was roommates with Ginny since Hermoine had left just two days prior after Fred's funeral to track down her parents in Australia and bring them back. Harry and Ron were together in Ron's room and George Weasley had been staying at home in his old room he had shared with Fred. He hadn't full recovered from Fred's death and the funeral.

-HP-

One morning, less than a week after Luna had come to the burrow, she woke up before dawn feeling too hot and her stomach was heaving. She got up, going to the loo and retched. Afterwards she flushed it away, going over to the sink and splashing cold water on her cheeks and swishing her mouth clean. She felt better but her face was red, still flushed with heat and she hoped that she was not getting sick. She went back to Ginny's room and crawled back into the bed.

Two hours later Luna woke up to the familiar smell of Mrs. Weasley making breakfast. Judging by the smell it was summer sausages, a favorite of Ginny's. She took stock of her body noting she felt immensely better, the fever gone and no queasiness. Sitting up in bed she noted Ginny was still sleeping and so got quietly out of bed to go get a shower.

After her shower she returned to get dressed. She selected a pretty violet blue short sleeved blouse and her most favorite pair of jeans. She was attempting to button her jeans when Ginny woke up. It was a bit hard not to wake up, considering Luna was grunting with the effort.

First she had tried to button them as normal, but the button just wouldn't meet the little sliphole it needed to go through. Luna had looked down in consternation. She had sucked her tummy in, but that had proved to make her a bit nauseous so she had immediately let her breath out. Now she was laying on her bed, trying to make her tummy flat as possible to get the button snapped.

She was going to have to stop eating so much if she couldn't even get her clothes to fit. Luna finally got the top button snapped and stood up. The pressure of the waistband tight across her stomach was extremely uncomfortable in this position. She ended up unsnapping the button and pulling her shirt down across her torso trying to cover the fact that she was about to go down the stairs to breakfast this way.

Ginny had stretched and yawned saying, "Good morning Luna." Having noted her predicament with the jeans Ginny said, "That's what my Uncle does when he comes over for dinner." She got out of the bed.

Luna giggled and lifted her shirt to pinch her stomach which was protruding slightly forward. Taking the bit of skin between her fingers she wiggled it saying, "Fleur and your mother are too good at cooking. I'm going to have to get new robes for next term if I keep eating this good."

The girls had a good laugh at that and Ginny left to get a shower herself before Harry and Ron hogged the bathroom to themselves.

Luna headed downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. "Good morning Mrs. Weasley," she greeted softly.

Mrs. Weasley was standing at the window while behind her the dishes were washing themselves and the breakfast was cooking itself. She turned away from the window wiping her cheeks, her brown eyes rimmed red and her face puffy from crying. It was not unusual to catch her like this lately.

"Good morning Luna," she greeted before going over to check the sausages frying on the stove. The spatula hovering above dipped down to flip two of the links. Luna wandered over to the cupboard to get down plates for setting the table.

She set each plate carefully before going back and digging in the drawers for forks and knives. She was becoming familiar with the Burrow having helped Ginny set the table each morning previously. While she was laying a fork at each place she said, "He's alright you know Mrs. Weasley." She didn't look at the woman, focusing on her task but finished by saying, "In fact he's up in heaven pulling practical jokes on everyone, including my Mum." Her lips smiled as she related, "Mum always did hate practical jokes. She's probably pinched his ear for it." Luna's hand lifted to her own ear as she said, "I got mine pinched quite a bit as a child."

Mrs. Weasley looked at her and Luna suddenly worried that she had said something wrong. However, Mrs. Weasley suddenly laughed. "I used to do that to my boys," she told Luna. "Fred and George both got their ears pinched quite a bit."

Luna's dreamy smile widened as her melodic voice said, "Well then I suppose he'll feel right at home when my Mum pinches him."

It was silly talk, discussing which jokes Fred would pull and pinchings ears in heaven, but when Mrs. Weasley began putting sausages on a serving plater, her eyes had a little bit of life brought back into them.

Ginny came down the stairs just as Luna set the last glass on the table. Mrs. Weasley was slicing bread into individual slices. Harry and Ron were behind her still in their pajamas and sat down in the middle of the table. Mr. Weasley had already had his breakfast earlier and had apparated to work.

They all sat at the table and served themselves. "Not hungry today Luna?" Mrs. Weasley asked noticing that she had taken only one spoonful of eggs and a piece of toast.

"Yes," Luna was not known to lie about anything. "Starving," she admitted. That was the only thing she said which left Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasley to stare at her waiting for an explanation that was not forthcoming and Ginny was snorting around her mouthful of eggs in amusement.

"Have some sausage then," Mrs. Weasley stabbed a piece with a fork and made to put it on Luna's plate. Luna covered her plate with her hands saying, "No! Thank you," her voice softened a bit. Ginny choked on her eggs from laughing so much and Mrs. Weasley cast her only daughter a look saying, "Chew your food before swallowing Ginevra."

Ginny reached for her drink, picking it up and taking a swallow gaining her breath back. She was giggling as she said, "Sorry Mum. Luna's got jeans issues." Luna threw a look of accusation at her best friend for telling on her. Harry asked, "What issues?" which threw Ginny into a fit of giggles.

"Never you mind," Mrs. Weasley seemed to understand, being a woman and all, but Luna was embarrasingly honest, even about herself as she said, "My jeans didn't want to button properly this morning."

Harry and Ron stared at Luna who stabbed a bit of egg and swallowed it. She stared hungrily at the sausage platter but avoided actually picking out one.

"You know my Uncle Alfie just unsnaps his pants whenever they're too tight after eating," Ron commented which caused Ginny to choke on her toast as she laughed again. Mrs. Weasley snapped to him, "He's family Ron, not that you should be imitating that bad behavior. Young ladies do NOT unsnap their buttons at the dinner table."

Ginny was hooting with laughter at this point and under the table, Luna tugged her shirt hem down further, her cheeks turning red.

-HP-

They had spent the day clearing gnomes out of the garden. Luna had been sad to see them go. While the others cast spells to repel them, she had tried many times to coax the little pests her way, holding out her finger so they could bite her and ensure a lucky summer.

Alas, no gnomes had been tempted her way so she was destined to make her own luck it seemed. After clearing the gardens, Mrs. Weasley had given them instructions to stay outside while she cooked dinner. Bill and Fleur were coming that evening from Shell Cottage for dinner. Percy was also popping in. George would be forced out of his room by his good ear, if Molly Weasley had anything to say about it.

Luna was sitting in the backyard of the Burrow with Ginny. She was using a borrowed wand to practice simple spells. She had come of age last January and no longer had to restrain from using magic in the summer.

The wand she had was not her own. Her own beautiful wand of White Elm and Unicorn Hair, 10 and 1/4", had been confiscated last December. She did not know if it still remained in Malfoy Manor and she was not inclined to go back to find out. She missed her wand terribly. The new substitute of Maple and Dragonheartstring did not accept her magic as easily as her previous beloved wand.

Ginny was also practicing magic and additionally she had passed her apparation exams and obtained her license to apparate. She was easily able to move from the house and back, the resounding crack of apparation marking each time she did so. Luna had never taken the exams so she wasn't able to practice with Ginny.

The last apparation had caused Molly Weasley to yell at her daughter, "I told you to stay out of the house young lady! You're as bad as Fred and George!" from the window of the kitchen. Ginny and Luna giggled together over her exasperated tone.

They practiced spells all afternoon, Ginny teaching Luna a few spells she had missed her last term at Hogwarts. They talked about the upcoming year and what they were looking forward to most about returning for the school year. They retold their memories of the previous year at Hogwarts to each other, laughing over some stories, becoming teary eyed at others. Both of them admitted apprehension at what the future of Hogwarts would brinng.

Harry and Ron had disappeared during the afternoon with a Ministry official who had arrived to take both of them away. When they came around dinner time, the two of them were bursting with news.

"Guess what Mum!" Ron had cried upon entering the burrow. She had scolded, "Take your shoes off Ron!" as he repeated, "Mum, guess what!"

Since Mrs. Weasley wasn't doing it, Luna spoke up, "They've finally discovered that the new minister Kinglsey Shacklebolt was once a well known muggle singer named Jimi Hendrix?" Four pairs of eyes landed on her incredulously as Luna said in a very light tone, "I thought everyone knew that."

Ginny had bit back a grin as Ron said, "Er-no." Harry was unusually silent, Luna noted, possibly giving Ron his chance to tell his mom the news. The youngest Weasley son finally burst out saying, "Shacklebolt asked Harry and I to begin our training as Aurors!"

Ginny and Luna both smiled at the news saying, "Congratulations!" Ginny threw her arms around Harry, whispering into his ear. Mrs. Weasley however did not look terribly pleased at the news, clutching her chest and asking, "Are you sure?"

Harry nodded. "We start training on Monday along with Neville, Seamus and Dean." He sounded pleased. Luna knew he had wished to be an Auror more than anything. She was glad for him.

Mrs. Weasley still did not look happy with this news. Her frown lines around her mouth increased as she said, "I don't think you two should accept the job. My dinner rolls are burning." Having said this, though no telltale of smoke came from the oven, she turned and walked into the kitchen leaving the four teenagers behind in the entryway.

Harry, Ron, Luna and Ginny exchanged looks as she left. An unhappy matriarch meant dinner was not going to be a nice affair.

-HP-

Mr. Weasley and Percy had taken the brunt of Mrs. Weasley's upset when they came in for dinner. Luna and Ginny had been upstairs changing. Luna was dismayed to find that skipping lunch and her tiny breakfast had done nothing to help the slight swell in her stomach. She would have opted for skipping dinner too but her stomach was disagreeing with that idea quite noisily and it was making her irritable. She had even snapped at Ginny quite by accident over a trivial comment about going clothes shopping. Ginny had just meant Luna needed more clothes than the meager amount she currently had. Luna had thought Ginny was commenting about her clothes not fitting right.

Their misunderstandign had been cleared up, but down below they stayed away while Mrs. Weasley lit into Arthur and Percy, certain that they were somehow responsible for Harry and Ron being offered the position of Aurors in training.

Certain words drifted up the stairs past the closed doors, no matter how they tried to block them.

"..if Shacklebolt thinks he's going to take another one of my sons..MY SONS!"

"Molly dear, they're grown adult boys..."

"..irresponsible and not to mention entirely too early for them to make a decision like that!"

"Mum, they're going to be training. It's not like they'll actually be out in the field hunting Death Eaters."

Their words went back and forth until a knock came upon the door. It was Bill and Fleur who managed to stop the arguing. Their arrival meant that it was safe for Ginny, Luna, Ron and Harry to leave the upstairs since Mrs. Weasley was distracted from ranting by the arrival of her second oldest and his wife.

Dinner was a constrained affair. Bill and Fleur knew something was up because Mrs. Weasley kept frowning between her husband, her two sons and Harry. The only persons who did not get her frowns were themselves, Luna Lovegood as guests, George and Ginny.

Luna stuffed her gullet with everything on her plate even helping herself to seconds in some cases. It went a long way to restoring her constitution and she found herself agreeing with Ginny that she needed more clothes than what she currently had in her possession.

When they were lingering over the last of the roast beef and potatoes, Bill stood up taking Fleur's hand in his, gaining everyone's attention at the table. "We've got some news," he said with a twinkle to his eye. Fleur was smiling and Mrs. Weasley took one look at the two of them and burst into tears, guessing correctly even as Bill said, "We're pregnant!"

Amidst the congratulations, Luna was pleased to hear George tease Bill asking him how Fleur managed to knock him up. It was a good sign that he was regaining his humor back. Luna went over to Fleur to hug the french woman, having liked her immensely from their shared time at the cottage together.

"She's due at the first of January," Bill was telling his mother who was sobbing happily into her napkin. "I'm going to be a grandmum finally!" She engulfed both Bill and Fleur into bearhugs which were returned wholeheartedly.

The news had changed Mrs. Weasley's whole demeanor and their dessert of strawberry rhubarb pie was decidedly lighter than the mood spent during dinner. Luna had made it up in her mind she was going to not eat a bite of the pie, but the smell was too enticing to her nose and she found herself scarfing down a large piece before the night was done.

-HP-

Another week passed, the end of May bringing about the higher heat of summer. The gardens had been completely cleared of gnomes and shoots were growing up where Mrs. Weasley had planted her summer vegetables back in March before they had left the burrow, hiding from Death Eaters. The matriarch had been happy to see her garden surviving even though it had lacked care through the month of April while they had been away.

Luna was helping Mrs. Weasley prune back weeds that early morning, a better time to do weeding than in the heat of the day when she found herself getting exhausted recently. Ginny was still sleeping, Harry and Ron had begun their training so they had side-along apparated with Mr. Weasley to the Ministry.

Luna grabbed a Thale Cress pulling it out by the roots and chucking it into the pile she had created. She was thinking about her own garden at The Rookhouse. She missed the dirigible plums, their fruit floating upward in the sky, along with her roses and wisteria. She had suggested to Mrs. Weasley that she might visit her land to bring her back a plum to start a bush of her own here.

They'd been weeding together for several minutes when Mrs. Weasley sat back on her heels and said, "Luna dear, I need to speak with you." Her voice was entoned with a serious weight behind it. She tugged her gardening gloves off her hands, slapping them down to rest on her thigh.

Luna stopped from tugging another Thale Cress. She leaned backwards, having already been seated on her bum, legs crossed each other in front of her. "Yes Mrs. Weasley?" From the older woman's tone, she felt a moment of fear that perhaps she was no longer welcome in their home. She tried to think if she had done something that would have caused Mrs. Weasley to speak the way she had.

"About this morning," Mrs. Weasley began. Luna felt her heart jump in her chest. She had woken up before dawn again, feverishly hot and sick to her stomach. It had happened several times in the past week and seemed to be getting more frequent. This morning Mrs. Weasley had caught her coming out the bathroom and had inquired about her health having overheard the puking sounds. Luna had assured her that she was fine, but it appeared her reassurances had not been accepted.

"I'm not sick," Luna said to Mrs. Weasley. "Honest. I feel really good right now." She smiled at the older woman in a reassuring manner.

"Yes I know you told me dear," Mrs. Weasley's eyes were watching Luna like a hawk and for once she felt a bit uncomfortable, just as her own eyes could make others uncomfortable. "The thing is Luna, the walls are not very thick in the burrow and this is not the first morning I've heard you in there."

Luna felt a familiar lurch in her stomach, like she was going to retch again right there. She stayed quiet a moment and the feeling went away. It was just anxiety about this conversation. Mrs. Weasley sounded like she was trying to make a point, but Luna wasn't certain what that point was. "I don't think it's the flu," Luna said, "I've had the flu before and I was in bed for nearly two weeks before I could even get out of it." She supposed Mrs. Weasley was worried that she had some catching sickness.

Mrs. Weasley looked taken aback by her words as if she had not expected Luna to come to that conclusion. She opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again and then asked, "Luna, you lived alone with your father since you were nine correct?" Luna nodded. "Er.." Mrs. Weasley looked entirely uncomfortable as she asked, "Has he ever talked to you about.." and at this she looked really uncomfortable to be speaking to Luna, "well the relations between men and women?"

Luna's pale brows drew together as she tried to decipher Mrs. Weasley's meaning. Finally she said rather bluntly, "Are you talking about sex Mrs. Weasley?" At the woman's red faced nod she said, "Oh Daddy and I had that talk years ago." She waved a hand and reached for a weed pulling it up, "It was really quite funny. He kept talking about birds, bees, pollens and pistols." She glanced at Mrs. Weasley and a humorous smile crossed her lips as she said, "Finally after confusing me with too much information about the mating habits of insects and how flowers reproduce he gave me a book to read. It was most informative unlike Daddy."

Mrs. Weasley briefly smiled at the shared memory. Her smile quickly disappeared as she returned to the subject at hand saying, "Then if you've read a book upon it, you know why I wanted to speak with you."

Luna stopped pulling weeds again, her eyes drifting to Mrs. Weasley in confusion. Mrs. Weasley was looking back at her and then drifted down to her stomach. Luna wasn't stupid by any means. Her mind clicked the puzzle pieces in place, her cheeks bursting with red color as she made the connection that Molly Weasley had assumed.

She took a moment to compose herself, not wishing to offend Mrs. Weasley with yelling. Besides Luna didn't yell. She took a breath, calming down her nerves which had suddenly jumped a thousand levels as her brain was screaming at her to remember the words in the book regarding women and reproduction. Nearly every single symptom Luna had the past few weeks had coincided with something she had read.

But it was impossible. It was more impossible than Alice falling down the rabbit hole into wonderland. "I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley," Luna told the older woman, speaking her thoughts out loud. "What you're suggesting is highly impossible." She drew her knees inward to herself saying, "I've never done the thing you're supposed to do when a man and woman create a baby together." Her cheeks were burning with a blush as she admitted this. She was not embarrassed to talk of it, but she would never have told this woman such a personal detail of her life if not for the fact she was accusing her of something ridiculous.

Mrs. Weasley was equally red-faced but the relief on her face was immediate. She knew Luna to be an exceptionally truthful girl and so she busied herself with putting her garden gloves back on saying, "That's a mercy anyways." She let out blew out a breath and then said, "Still, I'm going to make you an appointment at St. Mungos. We need to find out what's ailing you dear."

Luna started to protest, but she herself was curious about her maladies that were coming and going. She nodded her head at Mrs. Weasley and said, "I will go."

-HP-

Her life was being turned upside down, apparated through a tube and pushed into a tiny locked cage of a prison with no chance of escape. It sucked the very breath from her lungs, stealing any chance of oxygen she needed to breathe.

Luna stared at the person, a young medi-witch, who had innocently made the announcement as if it was nothing of importance, competely unaware that she had just punched a hole through Luna's gut with her words.

"I'm sorry can you repeat that?" Luna stared at her stupidly, her mind blank.

Mrs. Weasley looked equally shocked, but less so than Luna. Perhaps she had expected it, even with Luna denying the very fact in the gardens. It would be the first time a young lady had told an untruth to avoid an ugly situation. Unfortunately there was no getting around the truth when the hospital had confirmed it.

"You're pregnant," the medi-witch confirmed holding Luna's chart. She seemed unware that Luna had gone into a state of mild shock as she said, "If you had just told us the truth in your medical history we could have found this out sooner instead of running all those others tests. Your bloodwork shows it though."

Luna's brain was processing the information, even in its frozen state. She heard one thing that had her whispering hysterically, "I did tell you the truth," although the medi-witch who was still talking didn't hear it. Mrs. Weasley heard her say it, her brown eyes melting in sympathy.

"Nearly 8 weeks based on the information we gained," the Medi-witch was continuing obliviously. Luna wanted her to stop speaking, to freeze time and vanish. "We'll prescribe you some vitamin potions. We're going to take you for-"

"STOP!" Luna finally got her breath back, holding a hand up and shaking her head. Her voice was filled with a desperate note as she claimed, "You must have mixed me up with someone else. I can't be pregnant!" Her legs instinctively crossed themselves as she said, "I've never...ever.." she made a gesture with her hand.

The medi-witch gave her a glance of disbelief saying, "Immaculate conception is impossible dear, no matter what Christian muggles may say otherwise." Clearly this medi-witch was a non-believer in that religion.

Luna shook her head, still in denial. Mrs. Weasley was putting the information together, her heart starting to hurt for her daughters young best friend. "How many weeks?" she asked, hoping she had heard it wrong.

"Eight weeks," the medi-witch said. Mrs. Weasley looked at Luna and asked, "Can you leave myself and Miss Lovegood alone please?" The medi-witch finally got a clue, nodding her head and leaving. "I'll be outside if you need me." She closed the door when she left.

Luna placed a hand on her stomach. They were wrong, terribly wrong. She wasn't pregnant. It was impossible. "There you see?" she seized upon what the mediwitch said and then shook her fist at the door, "I was in hell two months ago, locked in a cellar!"

"Luna," Mrs. Weasley's voice cut across her consciousness, her tone full of pity and kind charity that Luna looked up swiftly at her, wondering at the tone.

"No one could blame you dear," stated in a quiet voice. "For denying anything happened." She reached over to take Luna's hand in her own. "Whatever happened at Malfoy Manor, it is not your fault if there were consequences."

Luna stared at Mrs. Weasley as if she were mad. She knew what the woman was suggesting and she cried, "No!" She jerked her hand out of Mrs. Weasley's. "The Malfoys were cruel, Bellatrix tortured me, and I was not well treated," she was quick to say, "But I would remember if soemone had.." her voice faltered suddenly losing its fierceness as if she finished weakly, "done that." She couldn't even bring herself to say the word. It hung in the air between the two women.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley asked in such a manner, that Luna was indeed questioning herself regarding her memories.

After a moment she nodded her head. "I'm certain,' she said. "Bellatrix was the one who tortured me the most." Her own voice was quiet, contemplative as she recalled those three months spent in the Malfoy basement. "She threatened at times to do worse to me, but she never carried them through. I never left the cell-," Luna's voice paused in the middle of speaking as she thought of one time that Bellatrix had dragged her out of there,

Mrs. Weasley watched as Luna's cheeks suddenly sprung up into a fierce red color. "What is it?" she asked.

Luna's color disappeared as she said, "The day before Harry and Ron rescued me, Bellatrix did drag me out of the cellar to use the Cruciatus curse on me." Her cheeks pinkened. "After she was done torturing me, I suppose you could say I had a delusional moment." She didn't like to admit that. Her classmates had called her Looney although she knew she was quite sane. Telling Mrs. Weasley about this particular moment was rather embarrassing. "I think maybe the torture had gotten to me because I could swear Harry was there telling me I'd be alright and that he would save me and.." Luna's voice trailed off as she blushed saying, "kissing me."

What was she doing? She may as well have written, I have a crush on Harry Potter, right on Ginny's head, for having told her best friend's mother that. She was quick to say, "But that was all I imagined..kissing." She was positive her face was on fire and followed it by saying, "Maybe it was a premonition because the next day Harry and Ron did come and rescue us." And then she was firm in saying, "But Harry didn't kiss me then," looking at Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley was regarding her with a strange look upon her face. "Can you say that again?" she asked Luna.

Blushing, Luna repeated it and ended by asking, "Will you please not tell Ginny this? I really don't want her to misunderstand."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, "Of course not." She didn't seem concerned over Ginny's emotions instead saying, "Luna, you sounded funny when you told me that."

"I what?" Luna asked.

"Your voice..it went funny," Mrs. Weasley told her, "rather wooden I'd say like you're reading a book when you speak." She took Luna's hand in hers asking, "Was there a chance you'd been put under the Imperius curse?" As soon as she asked it, she waved her free hand saying, "Never you mind, you'd not remember if you had been."

Luna felt her heart tighten in her chest immediately. From behind her eyeballs she could see it, a flash of grey eyes blinded by the milky white murk of the Imperius curse. As quick as it slid through her mind, it was gone and Luna was left with a cold burning of terror in her chest. She couldn't explain where it came from but it had her jerking her hand from Mrs. Weasley's once more, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms the tops of her legs.

The question hung in her mind...Had she been set under the Imperius curse?

-HP-

There was no hiding it from the Weasley family. Ginny had known something was up when her mother and Luna had returned to the Burrow. Luna had gone upstairs to rest, still reeling from the news she had received. She heard the quiet tones of Ginny and Mrs. Weasley talking down the stairs. Later, after she had fallen asleep, she was woke up by the shouting from below. A glance outside showed it was later in the evening.

The shouts were coming from Harry and Ron who were making severe threats upon the person of one Draco Malfoy. Luna didn't want to drag herself out of the bed and face them, but she couldn't let them exist under the impression that Draco had been the one to infict this upon her. She had no idea who had done it. It may have not been Draco at all.

Creeping down the steps she heard each and every word.

"You boys need to calm down now." That was Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry, Ron you're going to wake Luna up." Ginny's voice was concerned for Luna and she a modicum of appreciation for that.

"We go over there right now. You lock his legs and I'll break his arms," Ron was threatening.

"You're both Aurors in training. Do you think it wise to make threats against a wizard?" Mr. Weasley was trying once to be the voice of reason.

"I'm not breaking his arms, I'll break off his-"

"HARRY!" Mrs. Weasley's voice left little doubt she was shocked by Harry's threat. Luna had no doubt which appendage of Draco's, Harry was threatening to break off.

"He deserves the worst that can fall before him!" Ginny defended Harry's threat, "What he did to Luna-"

The girl in question entered the room, effectively cutting off conversation. Luna was not unused to the silence of a room when she entered, knowing she had been being talked about. It hurt worse this time because these were her friends and in some ways, her family.

Mr. Weasley had a look on his face as if he were going to be ill. Harry and Ron wore twin thunder expressions on their face although they were attempting to hide them. Mrs. Weasley still had that pitying expression of her face that Luna found herself disliking immensely. She didn't want pity.

Ginny walked over to her, taking her hand and drawing her forward. "Are you okay?" she inquired as politely as if she were asking about the weather.

Luna's dark grey eyes looked into Ginny's brown ones. There was no pity in her gaze, just a worried concern that showed how much she cared for her best friend. Luna nodded her head gently, reaching up to brush a stray lock of blonde from her face.

There was a chorus of concerned noises around her and Luna looked at each face carefully before stating her next words carefully. "I'm really alright. I'm not a china doll who will break." Those words coming from the small, petite, blond, fair skinned girl who did remind people on occasion of such an object, caused smiles to appear on their faces.

Luna looked at Harry, who still had a notion of anger simmering in his green eyes. She knew what he was thinking even without him saying it. He blamed himself for her predicament. She knew he regarded her as a little sister he had never had, wanting to protect her as much as he would any of his best friends. She felt a distinct rush of affection for him. She would always admire him.

It was him she addressed as she said, "I don't even know how this happened." She looked between Harry and Ron as she said, "So assuming it was Draco is only going to be making asses out of the both of you and justify the names he's called both of you in the past." It was rare to hear her use a curse word and Ginny squeezed her hand as she said this to them. Ron looked shocked that she had cursed. Harry looked vaguely amused for a moment. Luna's wit had always amused him.

Mr. Weasley no longer looked as ill as he had upon seeing Luna. His eyes reflected the pity his wife shared. "Of course we don't assume it's him," he told them. "We'll have to report this to the ministry in the morning so an investigation can be done and-"

"No," Luna immediately said. Harry and Ron both began to object but Luna made her voice louder than theirs as she said, "I don't want to know." She wasn't completely certain that was true, but at this moment in time, she feared the truth. She'd had one nasty shock already today. She wasn't certain she could handle any further shocks this coming week.

"But Luna whoever did this has to pay for what they've done," Ron said even as Harry rejoined with, "They've got to pay. The Malfoys have to pay for this."

"Of course they do," Mrs. Weasley agreed and Arthur nodded his head.

Luna shook her head. "No," she repeated firmly. Her legs were starting to shake and she was getting that burning cold sensation in her chest again as the thought of knowing what happened seemed to frighten her again. Harry had always said she was a brave woman, but she felt like a complete coward at the moment. Damned if she wasn't being one. Lifting her head to look at Harry, her eyes were begging him to understand she needed time. She needed to hide from this momentarily. "Not yet," she whispered, "Please."

His face turned into a scary mask of anger. He didn't say a word to her as there was a sudden crack of apparition, the Boy Who Lived disappearing to who knows where. He and Ron had gotten their license finally the day they joined Auror training so now he did not have to side-along with Mr. Weasley to the ministry.

Ron stared at the spot Harry had disappeared from before leaving and stomping out towards the backyard. Luna's legs gave out from under her and it was Ginny who held on to her and helped her onto the sofa of the Burrow's living room.

"Please do not let him do anything stupid," The redhead was only too familiar with Harry's hotheadedness.