-Disclaimer: Multiple Choice:
The Harry Potter universe is the creation of what famous author who isn't me?
A. Wishiwason Shrooms
B. JK Rowling
C. Onevery Hornybich
D. Iym Kindafulla-Shitte
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- A/N: You know the C2 Rule. Learn it, live it, be it. Or get it!
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-Warning: This chapter contains some not very nice stuff.
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-Beautiful Consequences
-Chapter 11
-Luna's Secret Part II-
-Malfoy Manor
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"Cheery sort of place this, isn't it?" Ronald Weasley pulled a disgusted face as he gaped at the sculptures, each a representation of a great snake devouring some kind of prey, that flanked each side of the long drive that lead to Malfoy manor. Though they had been here before, it was like they were seeing Malfoy manor for the first time. The last time they had come this way it had been very dark and, considering they had been being led to what should have been their sure deaths, taking in the artwork hadn't exactly been high on their priorities at the moment.
Harry Potter, Ron's life long best friend and Auror, parter grimaced in response.
"Brilliant." Harry remarked "Nearly as charming as the people who live here." Harry shot a particularly nasty glare at one of an enormous snake devouring a stag. "If I didn't know better, I'd think this was built with me mind."
"Couldn't be" Ron glared at the statue of a snake devouring a weasel. "These look to be older than you."
"They should just put one of those signs up, you know like we saw in New York when we were there for that symposium on international wizarding crime a couple years back" Harry shook his head as they passed a huge sculpture of an enormous snake devouring some sort of huge bird. "'I heart evil'"
Ron snickered as they approached the veranda of the gloomy manor. "That would be subtle"
Harry shrugged "And this is? Besides, since when have the Malfoy's cared about subtly?"
"Got me there." Ron snickered a little as the reached the door. He gestured to the smaller statue that flanked the doorway... a single snake devouring a lion, a badger, and an eagle. "Get a load of this would you?"
"Very subtle about their feelings about Gryffindor and the other houses the Malfoy's." Harry lifted his hand and pressed the door chime. "It's a wonder they don't have a statue of Lucius Malfoy kissing Voldemorts feet."
Instead of the soft melodic chime of most door bells, this instead was sound of someone screaming and Harry was reminded of the portrait of Sirius Black's mother that still sat on the wall of his house at 12 Grimmauld place. Despite the fact that he and Ginny had employed an extremely expensive curse breaker to rid the house of every dark magical charm, the portrait still remained. Thankfully the curse breaker had been able to cover it with a false wall and a charm that kept it sealed and silent.
Harry had attempted once to sell the house but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to part with it. Sirius had grown up with in its walls after all and having lost his godfather, Harry was thankful for the small links in his life that he was able to keep with his godfather. The house had been completely refurbished and now was home to Phoenix House, a center dedicated to assisting witches and wizards recover from emotional trauma, mostly that caused by Voldemort and both wars.
Harry thought, with a great amount of satisfaction, that Sirius would have been pleased.
"What the bloody hell kind of greeting is that?" Ron looked beyond disgusted as he pulled his hands from his ears.
"I don't think it is meant as a greeting as much as it is a warning to get out while you still can." Harry snickered
"Certainly helps to explain why Draco Malfoy was such a ruddy little bastard doesn't it?"
"You mean besides genetics and parenting?"
Ron laughed as the door was pulled open by a small house elf.
Harry smiled at the appearance of the female elf in a snowy white dress, comparing the dress to the filthy pillowcase that Dobby had first appeared to him in. Hermione had managed to push enough elfish reform into effect that required house elves to be suitably attired at all times. Sadly, she had been unable to fight the clause that her senior staff had insisted on that drew definitive lines between providing suitable attire and the giving of clothes that freed elves.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley." the elf smiled widely "Mistress is waiting your arrival in the garden."
"What is your name?" Ron smiled, pleasantly surprised by the welcoming demeanor of the elf as she lead them through the enormous foyer of Malfoy manor.
"I am Hinkee Sir. Hinkee is most honored to meet Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter who destroyed the dark lord."
"Hinkee, were you here when Voldemort was here?" Harry asked
"Hinkee was sir." the light smile that had been on her face since opening the door vanished
"Can you tell us anything about what might have happened to Luna Lovegood while she was here?" Ron questioned
"Many terrible things happened after the dark lord came. Hinkee does not speak of them."
Hinkee looked afraid and Harry wondered if she was under order not to speak of them. She reached an open door way that led back outside and gestured them through to where Narcissa Malfoy and her husband Lucius side by side at a table next to a huge underground pool.
"My mistress waits here for Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter."
"Thank you Hinkee" Ron said and looked down at the elf, but she had already disappeared. He looked up at Harry "I wasn't expecting both, were you?"
"The more the merrier I always say" Harry felt deep loathing in his gut. He wasn't overly fond of Narcissa Malfoy, but he was still alive thanks to her lie to Voldemort. He would always be thankful and was sure to show her a proper amount of respect and courtesy if they crossed paths. He felt no such leaning towards Lucius Malfoy and thus, felt nothing leading him beyond the barest bit of decorum. Fortunately, he had only seen them a time or two in the past ten years.
"Harry Potter" Lucius noticed them hovering in the doorway and rose to address them. "How... nice...to see you, after all this time."
"Mr. Malfoy" Harry gave Lucius a curt nod and ignored his outstretched hand. He'd be damned if he would shake the same hand that had trembled with pleasure as Voldemort stood newly reborn in a Little Hangleton graveyard and spoke of plans to kill him.
Typically, Lucius completely ignored Ron Weasley. Unlike her husband, Mrs. Malfoy cared a bit more a good breeding and social graces.
"Mr. Weasley" She reached out her hand and Ron accepted it, only because he shared the knowledge that this hand was responsible in part for the fact that his best mate was still alive. "it is nice to see you again."
"Mrs. Malfoy." Ron reluctantly accepted the offered hand.
"Mr. Potter." She shook with Harry then turned her attention to her husband. "Lucius was just leaving to return to his office."
"Yes, of course." Lucius sneered "I delayed however so I could help my wife welcome her guests"
Narcissa shot him a look then looked back at Ron. "I understand congratulations are in order, Mr. Weasley."
"Yes, thank you." Ron said, waiting for the typical Malfoy comment. Lucius could always be counted on.
"Well, well, another added to the Weasley family tree. How...nice. Will this be the last or have the Weasley's still not learned the finer points of population control?"
Before Ron or Harry could open their mouths Narcissa stepped in.
"Lucius really must leave for his office now." she gave Lucius a look that made clear she would make him miserable if he dared to disagree.
"As you wish." He sneered again and bent to kiss Narcissa's cheek "But be assured, that should you harass my wife, auror or not..."
"Go Lucius, now." Narcissa rubbed her temples in frustration.
Lucius swept from the table in an over exaggerated swirl of his black cloak, passing Hinkee on the way who was just arriving with a tea tray.
"Please, join me." Narcissa graciously indicated two chairs at the table and directed Hinkee to serve. Ron and Harry accepted the chairs and hesitated over acceptance of the tea. Narcissa smiled at them.
"Worry not Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. I haven't taken to poisoning famous Aurors in my spare time."
Harry nearly smiled, then shifted uncomfortably as he directed the conversation to the business at hand. "Mrs. Malfoy, we've come because we need to ask you some questions about things that occurred during the war."
Narcissa nodded and frowned "I figured as much."
"Specifically, we need to know about the time period while Voldemort used your manor as headquarters."
She frowned sadly "I don't like to think of that horrible time, much less speak of it."
"Horrible?" Ron raised his eyebrows "I had assumed that would have been a time for fond memory for one of your lot. Having your worshiped leader running things from under your very own roof."
"Yes" Narcissa looked at him sadly "I imagine that is what you would assume Mr. Weasley. Few people know the truth about that time. Lucius and I, honestly, we prefer to not discuss it, even amongst ourselves...and Draco..." her voice tightened and rose slightly " Draco refuses to speak of it to anyone."
"I don't understand." Harry asked, his face clouded in confusion.
"How could you possibly know? You would have to of been in the middle of it." Narcissa took a long drink from her tea cup "What few outside those who were in the dark lords inner circle know is that Lucius, Draco and I...we were little more than prisoners ourselves by that time."
She poured more tea into her cup and fidgeted with adding lemon before she went on.
"Between Lucius's arrest and Draco's failure to kill Dumbledore we were disgraced, were were outcasts among the death eaters and even less within the dark lords inner circle. Lucius and I weren't even allowed wands after Lucius was broken out of Azkaban, and Draco was forced to do ...such horrible things with his. Things that went against his gentle nature."
"Gentle nature?" Ron nearly gagged on the tea that he had finally decided was safe to drink "Draco Malfoy a gentle nature?"
Narcissa only smiled "I know compared to you and Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley it seems as if a joke. But Draco ... so much of his toughness was a carefully placed facade put in place to fool and impress his father. Doesn't every boy wish for nothing less than to be just like their father? Didn't you Mr. Weasley?"
Ron nodded though he was still loathe to believe it .
"Draco was their leader, but he was nothing like his friends Crabbe and Goyle. Draco enjoyed the talk and prestige...but the actions themselves...Crabbe and Goyle enjoyed the things they were allowed to do under the dark lords order, but those very same things made Draco ill. The dark lord was furious over it, he was determined he would break Draco, to turn him into a mindless, heartless killer. Lucius and I had no choice but to sit by and allow it to happen."
"Surely" Disgust rose in Harry's throat and his mouth was filled with the precursor to bile. What kind of cowards didn't do all in their power to protect their child? The fact they had sat idly by and allowed these things to happen... hadn't his own parents both died to protect him? "Surely... you could have done something?"
"And what would you have had us do Mr. Potter? Wandless, surrounded by cold blooded killers. My own sister would have killed me had Voldemort told her too! Dead, we had no chance to protect him, alive at least there was a chance no matter how slight." She sniffled and dabbed at the tears on her cheeks
"In case you've forgotten Mr. Potter, when the opportunity to help my son finally did come, I took it without a seconds hesitation."
"And Harry is alive because of it" Ron glared hard across the table at Narcissa Malfoy "is that what you left off?"
"There are no hero plaques gracing the walls of Hogwarts with the name Malfoy on them, I wasn't sitting at the table of Heroes at the big banquet last week. We weren't even allowed entrance to the VIP section at the remembrance ball."
"It wouldn't surprise me in the least if you expected those things." Ron said angrily
"I've never claimed what I did that night was done to save the life of the great Harry Potter, Mr. Weasley."
Ron opened his mouth to retort but Harry spoke before he had a chance to get a word out.
"Whatever the reason it was done, I was saved. We could argue this until another ten years passes but this has nothing to do with the current matter at hand."
Narcissa shifted her angry glare from Ron to Harry and it switched to curiosity. "Which is exactly what Mr. Potter."
"We need to know about something that occurred while Luna Lovegood was held prisoner here."
"And what is that?"
"Mr. Ollivander told us that you separated her from the other prisoners at night once Dean Thomas and the goblin joined them."
"Yes" She nodded slightly "I did do that."
"May we ask why? Who ordered it?"
"I did. I should think the reason would be obvious."
Harry and Ron looked at her blankly.
"I felt it improper for Miss Lovegood, being an attractive young woman, and a pure blood, to be held at night with young boy and a goblin. Particularly since the boy was a mud..." She was stopped by dirty looks from Harry and Ron. "since the boy was a muggle born."
"Improper? How?"
"You have children Mr. Potter, I am sure you can figure out what I mean by improper."
For the first time Harry felt white hot anger shoot through him.
"Dean would never have bothered her in that way! Dean is a Gryffindor, not a...a..." Harry let his words trail off and Narcissa Malfoy raised her eyebrow.
"A Slytherin Mr. Potter?"
"All the same" Ron for the first time in memory was being the calm one. "Something happened to Luna during one of those nights."
"I know nothing of it. I escorted her into one of the smaller inner guest rooms and she was locked in."
"No guard was posted?" Ron asked
"There was no need. The room had a window but it was a false window with a charm over it to make it look like it overlooked the garden fountain. The door was fixed with a caterwauling charm. She had no way of escape."
"You must have noticed her upset the day in question?"
"No, I...well, I didn't tell the dark lord what I was doing and I had no choice but to sit in his briefings every morning."
"Who moved her back with the others then?"
"Draco usually, or someone he trusted to do it. But..." She hesitated, a look of horror beginning to spread across her face.
"Dear lord" She whispered into her hand, her hand over her face. "That's what it was all about."
"What what was all about?"
"Shortly before you were brought to the manor and you escaped with Miss Lovegood, I came down the hallway to hear Draco rowing quite violently with someone. But, I never found out who, by the time I turned the corner and came into the hallway properly, whoever it was had gone."
"Did you ask Draco about it?" Ron asked sitting forward in his seat, his hands clenched tightly together as if he was restraining himself from throttling Mrs. Malfoy.
"Of course I did, but he refused to tell me anything, other than Miss Lovegood was not to be moved from the others at night again."
"And?"
Narcissa smiled, nothing more than a small twitch of her thin lips really.
"And when I protested, Draco said 'For fucks sake Mother, the mudblood is a Gryffindor, the girl is perfectly safe."
This time Harry and Ron couldn't stop the grins that came to their faces. If the situation wasn't so serious, they would have both dearly loved paying a visit on Draco Malfoy to rub his words in his face.
"And he had never told you..."
"As I said Mr. Weasley" Narcissa looked sad and more than ready for her guests to leave. "Draco refuses to speak of that time. If you think you can prompt him, then he would be the one to ask these questions."
Even Ron couldn't help but feel a bit of pity at the look of misery on Narcissa Malfoy's face.
-
George Weasley smirked at his sister in law in obvious glee.
"Sounds a bit like something Vicktor Krum would have chosen, don't you think?"
"It does not!" The only thing stopping Hermione Granger Weasley from hexing George for his comment was the fact that he was holding her twelve hour old son Hugo. "And don't you dare say anything remotely like that to Ron when you see him!"
"I wouldn't dream of it." George poked his finger into his new nephews hand and his finger was taken in a firm grasp by the tiny fist. "it's been awhile since Arty was born, I nearly forgot how tiny they were at the very first."
"Uncle George George!" James Potter burst through the door and instantly tried to climb in George's lap. A second later he was followed by his harried looking, extremely pregnant mother who dragged Albus and Rosie behind her backwards in a twin stroller. "Can I see your holey mess?"
"James can't you see he already has his hands full?" Ginny Potter looked at her son exasperatedly " Now sit down and be quiet. This is a hospital, now a play ground."
"I got room for one more." George gave Ginny a look as he helped James pull himself into Georges lap. "I swear your starting to sound more and more like Mum when she's in a cranky mood."
"I'm tired, leave me alone." Ginny settled into a chair with a deep sigh of appreciation.
"So, go to sleep then crabby."
"I'd like to see you sleep with a bowling ball stuck in your pelvis" Ginny narrowed her eyes at him "So, piss off your holeyness."
James gasped and covered his ears "MUMMY! Gramma said not to talk like a toilet!"
"You tell her James." George nodded
"Can I have my son before the hexes start flying?" Hermione jumped in.
"No" Ginny went to George and tried to swipe the baby from him "George, It's auntie Ginny's turn to hold the baby..."
"You'll have your own soon enough." George protested
"How bout if his mum gets to hold him?" Hermione offered
"So will you."
"Not for another three and a half months."
George felt crushed as memory swept over him "I hope anyway."
He handed Ginny the baby as his arms suddenly felt too weak.
"Oh George." Hermione said "I'm sure everything will be just fine."
"Has something changed?" Ginny looked from one to the other in alarm.
"The glows still dark purple, and that fucking ..."
James gasped and put his hands over his ears
"Sorry buddy" George stroked James hair "Glenwood won't tell me anything."
"She won't?" Ginny looked concerned "Why not?"
"She isn't doing it on purpose I don't think, people keep having babies. She's been extremely busy since healer Smeldwyn had leave town because of some family emergency."
Ginny looked up "He did? So nice of them to let his patients know... I'm due in like five minutes! And Glenwood is covering all his deliveries?"
Hermione nodded "So I don't think it's like she is deliberately trying to hide anything from you George."
"Of course not." Ginny handed Hugo to Hermione and then sat next to George and hugged him.
"Mummy! Your big fat tummy is squashing me!" James squeaked
"I'm not fat" Ginny corrected "It's your sister making mummy look fat."
"In the face?" George asked
"Piss off." Ginny giggled
"I'm telling Gramma!"
"Telling Gramma what sweetheart?" Molly said as she swept through the doorway with Fleur and the baby on her heels.
"Mummy said piss off twice to Uncle George George and uncle George George said fucking too."
"Did they really?" Molly swung around with her hands fisted on her hips to narrow her eyes at her children. "Shame on them. So did you James. Did you forget what Gramma said?"
"I mustn't repeat the rubbish I hear from Daddy and uncle Ron Ron and Uncle George George! Uncle George George said thats a load of pooey and..." George quickly put his hand over James mouth.
"Tattle tale" George said as he got to his feet and held James by the ankles so he was upside down. "See if I ever let you see my holey mess again."
"Uncle George George!" James giggled as George gave him a raspberry on the stomach where his shirt had lifted. "I want to see your holey mess!"
"I gotta go see Auntie Luna now. Go to your mum." George made to drop him in Ginny's lap but James screeched out instead.
"No! Wanna stay with Uncle George George!"
"How come?"
"Cause I love Uncle George George this much" James spread his arms out as wide as he could and George felt his heart melt.
"I'll come see you again later buddy ok?"
"Can I see your holey mess then?"
"Maybe later." George laughed and made to drop him next to Ginny again
"No! Want Gramma!"
George handed James over to Molly and then bent down to kiss his cheek, then he kissed Molly's cheek, then his sister and sister in laws and left.
"He looks 'orrible." Fleur said as soon as she was sure he was far from the door. "As if he hasn't slept in days."
"I don't think he has much" Ginny put in "Mum said he's been having nightmares."
"I suppose it is to be expected" Hermione allowed Fleur to take the baby. "I would be too if it were me."
"It hasn't been that long" Molly brushed her fingers through James hair "Only four days. They took her off the machines last night you know, she's breathing all on her own now."
"I want to go see Auntie Luna Luna too" James said sadly
"You can't right now sweetie" Ginny smiled softly "When she wakes up you can."
"She must be getting better then, is this right?" Fleur asked
"The cardio healer said that her heart seems to have completely recovered from the stress put on it from her use of magic." Molly nodded as James wiggled out of her lap and sat down by where Albus and Rosie slept in the stroller. "She is definitely improving."
"But why isn't she waking up mum?" Ginny was close to tears "I don't understand."
"Oh Ginny, don't worry, sometimes these things just take their time about it."
"I'm worried more about George to be honest." Hermione had tears in her eyes "How much more of this is he going to be able to take?"
"It ezz so unfair, he finally began to be happy again after first losing Fred. And now zees." Fleur sighed sadly and her sigh was just loud enough to mask the sound of the door quietly opening and closing behind them.
-
"Tell me what's wrong with this picture" Ron said as he took in the modest house and yard that was home to Draco Malfoy.
"Not a snake in sight..." Harry began "No iron gates, not a single lion being devoured. This house doesn't scream evil wizard within very well does it?"
"Daddy and mummy must be so disappointed in their gentle little Dracie." Ron smirked as they stepped onto a low veranda and crossed to the door.
"Spoke too soon Won-Won." Harry pointed at the door and Ron grinned as he lifted the snake shaped knocker. "Guess Dracie isn't a complete disappointment."
"You think, Potty?" Ron smirked.
Harry's retort was cut off as the door was opened by a small blonde pregnant woman.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley" The other Mrs. Malfoy held open the door to admit them and she smiled softly. "Draco is waiting for you in his study."
She guided them down a short hallway and the laughs of father and son reached them long before they reached the sources of the sound.
"Daddy...no, don't do it again!"
Harry and Ron nearly fell over in shock. Was that really Draco Malfoy, imitating the famous American muggle cartoon character Donald Duck?
"I shall tickle you" Draco said, his duck imitation voice was full of laughter. "Daddy duck with get you Scorpius!"
"No Daddy! No!" The little boys giggles grew louder as he ran out into the hallway "Mummy! Daddy ducks gonna get me! Save me!"
The small boy jumped into his mothers arms. He was an absolute the mirror image of his father.
"She can't save..." Draco ran out into the hallway and was cut off mid Daddy duck by the snickers of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
It was perhaps the embarrassment that caused Draco Malfoy to reach into the past for a bit of nastiness.
"Potty, Weasleby." He attempted to fix a sneer on his face but failed miserably. The horror of Voldemort and the years since had changed him far too much. "Come, come in."
Harry's eyes were drawn instantly to set of display shelves holding broom. The first was a old and very out of date comet, the last, a Nimbus two thousand- one.
"Wow, does she still fly?" Harry couldn't resist asking. A part of him would forever miss his first broom, the broom that had been lost to the infamous whomping willow of Hogwarts, a Nimbus two thousand.
Draco grinned "Like a dream. Of course, I don't fly much these days. You?"
"Some, not near as much as I would like certainly. A little Quidditch with the family now and then."
"It's too bad, loathe as I am to admit it, you were fantastic. Probably could have played professionally if you hadn't decided to waste your life being an auror."
Harry looked sharply from the display of brooms at Malfoy, but it had not been meant as a slight. Harry was surprised to see a semi-friendly smile on his face and realized it was a joke...nearly teasing.
"Which reminds me" Malfoy got up from his chair "I have something that I think belongs to you."
"To me?"
Malfoy stopped in front of a closed drawer on the shelf. "My uncle gave Rudolphus gave me this. Seemed to think I would enjoy having it as a trophy of some sort." He unlocked the drawer and pulled out something that Harry had thought he would never see again.
"This is..." The handle was broken and the twigs at the end were a horrible mess, but Harry would know that smell anywhere. "A firebolt..."
"Your firebolt if I am not mistaken...the one you lost the night you departed your Aunt and Uncles house in Little Whinging." Draco handed the broom to Harry. "I would have given it to you sooner, but I wasn't sure how to approach you with it to be honest."
Harry was speechless as he took the broom in his hands, Ron however, suffered no such malady. "Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"
Draco laughed loudly, a hint of the old jeer still remained but it had been tempered with time. "I think the dark lord killed him." He waved them into chairs.
"Your family seems very nice." Ron forced himself to make polite conversation while Harry recovered from his shock.
A wide smile spread across Draco's face, obviously parenthood agreed with him. "Thank you. I understand you have a daughter about the same age" He looked at Harry "And you two sons."
Harry smiled "And one due any day now. Ron's just had another, yesterday in fact."
"I had heard, a son." Draco stood and went to a cabinet, pulled out glasses and a bottle of fine mead. "Well, shall we have a drink in celebration?"
Ron looked suddenly afraid and looked wearily at the bottle of mead in Malfoy's hand. "Not trying to kill me again are you?"
A look of horrible shame crossed Draco Malfoy's face. "You weren't my intended target." he said quietly "I didn't even want to..."
"We know." Harry said quickly
"This is very awkward." Ron looked embarrassed by his over reaction "We weren't expecting you to be...erm..."
"Un-barbaric?" Malfoy's lips twisted as he stashed the mead and reached further into the cabinet. "If you tell my father of this, I'll deny it." he pulled a bottle of fine muggle brandy from the back of the cabinet. "It's a bit of a secret pleasure for me."
He pulled the cork and poured a small bit in each glass. "Believe it or not, I learned of the pleasures of Muggle brandy from Professor Snape. He was a quite a fan of it himself."
He raised his glass "To your new offspring."
Harry and Ron drank hesitantly, but found the brandy to their liking.
"I see you have another on the way as well." Ron pointed out
"Yes, another boy. He should arrive around the end of July." Draco smiled
Harry and Ron were abruptly brought back to the reason for their visit.
"We need to ask you some questions." Ron began
"About Luna Lovegood...I know." He smiled sadly "Patrice, Mothers owl, she is very fast."
Harry and Ron nodded. " We need to know..."
Draco sighed sadly "I know what you need to know, and I'm sorry to have to tell you that I can't be of much help. I don't know for sure what happened in that room that night. I only know who I caught coming out of it and what I saw when I went into the room after confronting him about being where he didn't belong."
"What did you see?" Harry asked softly, not liking at all the direction this all seemed to be going in.
"I've never spoken to anyone of this. I know now I must, but still to this day what I saw when I opened that door makes me want to scream and vomit and cry my eyes out."
"Please tell us what you saw" Ron said, dreading confirmation of his own suspicions. "We need to know so we can help her."
"And if I tell you what I suspect happened, that the worst thing that can happen to any woman was done to Miss Lovegood...can you take it?"
"Does what any of us can take really matter compared to what happened to Luna?" Harry asked sadly, he already knew what had happened, it was written all over Malfoy's face.
"What I saw...was the confirmation of the worst thing you have already imagined. She was stripped naked , stupefied and magically silenced. I thought for a moment that she had drown in her own tears."
"She was raped." Ron whispered "And you will tell us who it was that you caught coming out of her room that morning?"
"Then what will you do?" Draco looked miserable. "Will you hunt him down and arrest him, or maybe even kill him?"
"We wish to see justice done Malfoy, nothing more, nothing less." Ron ground out.
"Bullshit" Harry yelled "I'm going to fucking tear him apart starting with his..."
"Harry..." Ron cast a glance at the open doorway
Harry forced his anger down "I'll find him and if what you suspect is true...you're goddamn right I'll kill him."
"You won't need to" Malfoy sighed and looked at Ron and Harry.
"The room of requirement has already done the work for you."
Harry's eyes shot up from the desk but it was Ron who spoke.
"Crabbe?"
Malfoy nodded and looked out the window, a trail of tears glistened on his cheeks
"Crabbe."
-
George sat with his head in his hands, his eyes fixed on the pale face of his wife. George had stopped counting the days since the remembrance ball, since Luna had used the stupefy spell that caused her heart to fail. Still, she lay there, silent, lost in place where George couldn't reach her.
George drew his face across his arm, wiping away the most recent layer of tears. Sometime the day before he had lost the ability to restrict his tears to the bathroom, he was no longer able to banish his fear from her bedside. He was scared and he didn't care who knew it. His only source of comfort was the constant movement of their Angel, reassuring him that she was alright, that he would still have her, even if he lost Luna. At least for now.
"Uncle George George" A small voice said from beside him and a tiny hand rested on his shoulder.
"Please don't cry."
George lifted his head to find James looking up at him, his eyes sad and solemn.
"Hey Buddy" George reached down and scooped his nephew up from the floor to sit in his lap "Does your Mum know where you are?"
James shook his head "I snucked out cause I wanted to be with you and see Auntie Luna Luna. But Mum said no."
"Come on, I better take you back." George started to get up
"But I heard daddy and mum say that Auntie Luna Luna liked to hear us talk to her. I think maybe the reason she hasn't woked up yet is cause she hasn't heard mine yet, and maybe she is sad cause she thinks I forgot to come and see her."
George didn't know what to say, he just hugged James as tight as he could and hid his tears behind the little boys back.
"I think she will be very happy you came James."
"I thought maybe I should bring Al and Rosie too, but they are mostly just annoying, so I left them and came alone."
George laughed "I'm glad you came James, but I need to take you back now so your Mum and Gramma and Auntie 'Mione and Auntie Fleur don't worry, okay?"
James nodded sadly as George stood from the chair and turned to the door.
"Wait! Wait uncle George George, I need to give Auntie Luna Luna a kiss." He lowered his voice to a whisper "Girls like that kind of stuff."
He wriggled out of Georges arms and went back to stand in the chair. He crawled onto Luna's bed and gave her a loud smacking kiss on the lips. Then, he went back to George and took his hand to allow him to lead him back to his mummy.
Neither saw when Luna's eyelids began to move.
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-Chapter 12 Preview
At long last...Luna wakes up to find that she is looking at the possibility of arrest for
assaulting Skullings, the security guard.
Harry and Ron are right there to fight on her behalf, but the key to her freedom is opening
the door on the terrible secret from her past.
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-So, I am getting ready to go on vacation next week (August 3) but fear not, I'll only be gone a couple days and I think I can get an update up before that. But you guys need to do your part and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!
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