Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

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A/N Sincere apologies for not getting this up sooner. Ever get something stuck in your head and had it block everything else out? Well, I had four something's. LOL But, they are out now and I am ready to move on.

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The Year After

Chapter Twenty-One

Stubbornness

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Ginny and Hermione looked around them in disbelief. It was nearly unthinkable, difficult at best to imagine that George Weasley was responsible for creating something so lovely. If you wanted to get revenge on someone for dropping a dung bomb, George was your go to guy. If you wanted someone to help you sneak into a forbidden room, there was no one better and if you needed someone to tell a corny joke…George would be the first name on your list.

However, when it came to romantic, gushy gestures, like...oh say…creating a garden of ice flowers in the middle of winter…not so much. At least, not the George of old. Then again, the George of old no longer existed, and he hadn't for a long time.

"I can't believe this." Hermione's grin was huge, if somewhat bemused. "I never would have expected this of George."

"Why not?" Luna protested.

"It is a bit shocking." Ginny brushed her finger over a yellow sunflower; she couldn't take it all in…it was such a huge departure from the brother she had known the seventeen years of her life.

"I don't understand why you keep saying that." Luna sounded as if she was on the verge of being angry, she couldn't understand why they were underestimating George so much. Didn't they know how wonderful he was, how sweet and kind? "This is just the sort of thing he is always doing for me."

"Really?" Hermione turned away from the patch of white daisy's she had been admiring. "George frequently makes you ice gardens?"

Okay…so this was a bit…grander than usual.

"Well, maybe not on this scale exactly." Luna blushed

"I hope not." Hermione giggled "You'll end up being horribly spoiled and be terrible to be around."

"Speaking of spoiled, have you managed to pry out of him where he is taking you for your birthday on Saturday?"

"No." Luna made a face and kicked a hard chunk of green snow so that it flew into the trees. "That brother of yours is so damned stubborn."

"You're kidding me!" Hermione feigned shock. "Seriously, Luna, you're just picking up on this now?"

"I wouldn't mock it," Ginny smiled warmly and took Luna's hand in hers "that stubbornness is why you're standing in this beautiful garden instead of hiding in the house."

Luna smiled and toed the snow at her feet. It was strange how less scary the snow had become to her in the week since venturing out the first time. The night George brought her to the ice garden she had walked back with her eyes open, afraid again as the white flakes drifted down around them. But George held her tightly in his arms, softly encouraging her on…promising that everything was going to be okay.

The next morning, they had walked outside together to show Molly the garden and she had been a little less afraid, and even less so that evening when they had gone with Percy and Arthur. Luna was quite fond of showing off her garden, so fond that she had insisted that the tent be set up on the end of it so guests would have to pass through it to get inside for the wedding.

Quite often George would catch Luna staring out the window towards the orchard, even though she could only see a flower or two through the trees. Three days after the night he had taken her out, Luna realized that she wasn't watching the garden at all, but was watching the snow fall instead…and for once she wasn't afraid.

She began to take tentative steps after that. She spent and entire afternoon standing by the door, sticking her toe outside, then her foot, then both feet, until she had actually stepped out to stand under the overhang with the door open behind her.

The next morning she had taken a short walk around the yard and when George arrived home after closing the shop, he found her standing in the falling snow, trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue. He'd had to bite his lip to keep the tears at bay while he watched her silently…not wanting to ruin the moment. So looked so child like and innocent, far from the woman who woke in the night, shaking from her nightmares.

"Maybe not on this scale." Luna shrugged "But he's always doing things for me."

"Like blowing up the shop?" Ginny teased.

"He didn't mean to." Luna laughed and looked at the shop where George, Harry and Ron stood with Arthur surveying the mess left behind by George's last attempt at a romantic proposal. He was enlisting all of them to work so it would be done before the wedding in two weeks.

"He certainly has changed." Hermione sighed and tucked her hands in her pockets. "Not that he didn't blow things up before, but…this…" She looked around at the ice flowers a final time before they headed back down the path to the yard. "…this is staggering."

"People change." Luna shrugged. "I certainly have…I mean, besides the bad things like the nightmares and being so afraid all the time. I've grown up a lot and I see things differently now than I used to."

"Everyone has." Ginny took a deep breath and let it out, watching the puff of white air that escaped her lips. "Things at school are so different now with the new policies in place. Eight Slytherins have been expelled since you left, and, well…two Ravenclaws."

"I suppose it sounds mean to say so, but I'm glad they were." Luna stomped snow off her shoes on the stoop, then pulled the door open to go inside.

"It's not mean at all." Ginny's voice was vehement; it still pissed her off when she thought of how Bethanne Mayze had laughed at Luna that day in the potions lab. She would have been more than happy to slap her for it again now if she happened across her on the street. "What they did to you was a horrible thing."

"You know, Narcissa Malfoy is trying to get the ministry to get involved with what's going on at Hogwarts." Hermione hung her cloak up on a peg, and then pulled her hat off. "She doesn't just want to see people expelled, she wants them charged with harassment as well."

"Really?" Luna pulled the makings for hot cocoa out of the cupboard, and then began to pour things together into a pan. "That's a bit drastic, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but maybe not. Look at what happened to you. She was angry that Draco was hurt because of it…not that she was angry with you of course, she understood that wasn't your fault, as well she should." Ginny gave Luna a reassuring look. "But she WAS angry that Draco was harassed and beat up, and she was insistent that Blaize Zabini and those other two be charged with assault and Kingsley agreed."

"That's good, I suppose." Luna fussed with the pan. It was hard for her, feeling a positive feeling towards the Malfoys. "How is Draco now?"

"He's better, now that those three are gone." Hermione smiled a little. "He's changed so much you wouldn't believe it."

"He and Eloise are so cute together." Ginny grinned. "He's like a little puppy following her around"

"Who would have ever thought Draco Malfoy would hook up with Eloise Midgen?" Luna shook her head. A lot had changed at Hogwarts…it sounded like a totally different place now.

"Who would have thought anyone would ever hook up with Eloise Midgen?" Hermione laughed, not unkindly. "Did you notice Luna; how much she had changed this year?"

"No," Luna's hand shook as she poured the hot cocoa into cups. "I wasn't noticing much I'm afraid."

Ginny and Hermione exchanged a look; it was too easy to forget when they looked at her now. The dark purple circles under her eyes; how they had been so deep they were almost black. She had been so pale and thin she looked like a ghost…people had started whispering that she looked like a vampire.

"I'm sorry" Hermione reached for Luna's hand when she set a mug in front of her. "You're so much better now, I'd almost forgotten."

"It's okay." Luna squeezed Hermione's hand and smiled. "It's good that you've forgotten. "It means that I have gotten so much better that you can forget."

"I wish that you were well enough to come back." Ginny jumped up to hug her. "I miss you so much!"

"I miss you too." Luna hugged Ginny back tightly and laughed. "But I'm getting married in two weeks, I don't think George would like that much, besides, married student's aren't allowed."

"Well no, not living on the grounds." Hermione shrugged. "But I bet professor McGonagall would let you attend classes during the day, she said as much."

"That was before she knew I was getting married." Luna slid into a chair and lifted her cup of hot cocoa. "I heard all about the fight she and George had, and it wasn't pretty."

"Because you weren't married. I bet she would feel differently about things now." Ginny was sure she was right, McGonagall seemed quite keen on the idea of Luna returning and often asked them if they thought she might be able to soon. Truth was, Ginny had picked up a fair amount of guilt from the first year headmaster, and she didn't blame her in the least. She had dropped the ball where Luna Lovegood was concerned, they should have stepped in long before it had gotten to the point that it had.

"Besides Luna, even if she does object to the idea, they owe you one." Hermione unknowing agreed with Ginny's thoughts. They did owe Luna Lovegood…they owed her a lot. "I don't think professor McGonagall would have it in her to deny you anything."

Luna was quiet while she considered their suggestion. The idea of returning to Hogwarts, even during the day, scared the hell out of her. Even with the new policies in place, there was sure to be finger pointing and whispers…not to mention hostility from her former housemates…Luna had heard about the penalties that had been imposed on Ravenclaw house for what had happened to her and a small part of her couldn't begrudge them their anger. Not all of them were to blame.

But the truth was, facing her fear of snow had given her a bit of bravado. She was anxious to move on, to try to tackle them all, one by one…so that when the time came to face the big one, her biggest fear of all…she would have the knowledge that she had conquered the others to give her hope.

She had learned from her mistakes the previous fall, she had friends, good friends that she could lean on. Instead of running and hiding like she had before, she could turn to them. Besides, unlike before, she would have George to come home to, he would be with her when the nightmares came. She wouldn't have to depend on a teddy bear…she would have the real thing.

Thing was though…she didn't know how 'the real thing' would feel about this idea. George was still furious about what had happened in October, and even more so at the people who had failed to protect her. He wouldn't be particularly crazy about the idea of her being near Draco Malfoy either. George was all for encouraging her to face her fears, but when it came right down to it, he wasn't happy about her doing it without him by her side…and this was something she would have to do alone.

The more she thought about it, Luna was fairly sure that 'the real thing' wasn't going to like this idea at all.

"I'll think about it." Luna smiled nervously.

"Promise?" Ginny asked

"I promise." But as Luna said the words, she decided that she had already made her mind up after all.

As much as the idea scared her; whether George liked it or not; she was going back to Hogwarts.

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Percy stared at the ridiculous blouse that Becca held up for his approval. He still couldn't believe that he has resorted to such tactics.

He was shopping with the enemy.

Socializing outside the office, spending time together that wasn't a direct necessity, subjecting himself to this absolute hell...and all for...

'Only for Luna.' He kept repeating the words over and over in his mind. There was only one person he would do this for. Not his sister, not one of his brothers, not even his mother or father. The only person for whom he would subject himself to the extreme torture of spending an entire evening with Rebecca Scrimgeour… was Luna Lovegood on the occasion of her seventeenth birthday.

He had been searching for days for the perfect gift, haunting shops all over Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, even venturing into London for the perfect gift, and the only thing he had found was the one thing that he truly missed about Penelope Clearwater. She was extremely easy to shop for.

Luna on the other hand was the most difficult thing he could imagine, and not only did he need a birthday gift for her, but he needed one for Christmas and a wedding gift as well. Thought he had briefly considered fire insurance…both George and Luna seemed extremely prone to blowing things up, considering he rubble of their fathers shop…it just didn't seem appropriate. Besides, he was fairly sure Luna would hex him if he did. She had already gotten quite shirty with him when he informed her that he wouldn't be moving back into the flat with them in Diagon Alley but had already found a flat above Flourish and Blotts. George on the other hand, had looked relieved.

"Becca, could we please dispense with the clown wear?" He rolled his eyes. "I told you, bright and eccentric, not tacky and crazy."

Becca rolled her eyes and slid the hanger back in the rack.

"I thought you said you had good taste?" Percy grumbled as he thumbed through a rack of jackets. It felt a bit pointless, he had no intention of buying clothes for Luna…coming in here had been Becca's idea…of course.

"I do." she gave him a dirty look. "I'm just…hungry. It's going on eight o'clock you know."

Percy looked at his watch and let loose a sigh. He hadn't realized it was getting so late. "Sorry, I promised you food, didn't I?"

"Yes, and good food too, none of that cart garbage like you forced on me when you promised me lunch on Tuesday."

"I like cart garbage." Percy rolled his eyes and nodded towards the door. It was true; he loved the junk food that the muggles sold out of their carts. Greasy fatty hot dogs, hot dogs covered in cornmeal on a stick and popcorn covered in butter flavored grease.

"You're weird." Becca shot Percy a look and headed towards her favorite muggle restaurant. Fine food had been the one thing she and Rufus had agreed on and she had been the bane of their existence in this respect for every roommate she had ever had. Becca hated junk food.

"Look who's talking." Percy veered off to follow her. "For someone who doesn't want to follow the 'family line' you sure don't seem to mind eating like him."

"Never said I didn't like how Rufus ate." Becca shrugged and pulled the door open, she wasn't about to let Percy do the gentlemanly thing. "Just didn't like anything else he did."

"Good to know he wasn't a total loss in your eyes." Percy smirked and stepped up to the hostess. "Table for two please?"

"Were pretty full tonight sir," The pretty brunette, twenty-something smiled, showing dazzling white-obviously bleached teeth "We have some open near the bar, unless you would rather wait for something smaller and more private."

"By the bar is more than fine." Becca pushed in

"More than." Percy, not to be outdone, agreed.

"Right this way." She picked up two menu's, and then motioned towards the busiest part of the restaurant.

"Here you are." The hostess stopped at a table dead center of the room. "Christopher will be your server tonight; he'll be right with you."

"Thank you, Meghan." Percy said, noting her name badge. He nodded and sat, not bothering to pull Becca's chair out for her. She would probably slug him of he tried.

"Wow, "Becca grinned "You really are a leg man."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you do it on purpose, or has it just become so much a habit that you don't even realize you are doing it?" Becca laughed and opened her menu. "Good thing this isn't a date, I'd be knocking you on your arse right about now."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Percy picked up his menu and popped it open.

"Whatever Weasley."

"Hello, I'm Christopher, I'll be your server this evening." Becca looked up to find a young gorgeous man in his late twenty's. He was tall, with dark brown hair and eyes and a body that could make a woman drool. Becca, for example, took one look and knocked over her water glass.

"Let me get that for you." He smiled down at her, his teeth even whiter than the hostess Meghan's. He stepped over to the bar and reached for a towel, the mopped off the table. Percy watched on with amusement…it was the first time he had ever seen Becca Scrimgeour flustered, it was a bit like walking by the shop after George blew it up…you just couldn't help eavesdropping on his father yelling at him…it was just that fun to watch.

Becca caught him smirking and flashed him a look that promised torture if he didn't stop. He managed to subdue himself…but only slightly. They gave their orders to Christopher and he walked past them to the kitchen, with, to Percy's perverse enjoyment, Becca's eyes glued on his ass the whole time he walked away.

"You know Becca; I'm starting to understand now why you were so sure I was checking out your arse. Classic case of Monkey do…Monkey accuse."

"Hardly, I was right…just aiming a bit high."

"Admit it; you look just as much as I do."

Becca shifted uncomfortably, she hated having to admit to anything…much less having to admit that Percy was right.

"Oh alright," She grudgingly gave up the battle, but only because she knew Percy wasn't going to let this one go. She was caught dead center, better to own up to it and get away with it. "I look."

"You know, if this was a date, I'd have left you to pay the bill yourself by now." A new thought came to him and Percy's eyes lit with a look so mischievous it could only be referred to as a glint of pure Fred and George. "Now admit you look at my arse."

Becca's eyes went huge. NEVER!

"I've never looked at your arse Percy Weasley!"

"Ever?"

"Ever!"

"I don't believe you." Percy sing-songed, thoroughly enjoying himself. He was soooo getting her back for the whole hangover torture thing.

"I don't care what you believe." She sat back and crossed her arms stubbornly. She may have looked at Percy's arse …once or twice…or, maybe more than twice…but she sure as hell wasn't about to admit to it. "Could we just change the subject?"

"But why? I'm enjoying this one?"

"Because if you don't I'm going to call Meghan over here and tell her you were checking out her tits." Becca grinned

"But I wasn't looking at her …" He lowered his voice "Tits"

"I know that, and you know that…but she doesn't" Becca's lips turned up in a truly evil smirk "And, unlike you…I noticed her wedding ring. Married woman get much more upset about that sort of thing than single ones."

Percy grumbled and laid his cheek in his palm. "You're a pain in the arse, you know that?"

"So you've told me."

"Fine, new subject."

Becca laughed and sat back while their soup was served, a slight blush on her cheeks while Christopher leaned over her to set her bowl on the table. When they were alone again, she leaned in and looked at Percy again.

"Tell me about Luna."

"What about her?"

"She's obviously important to you, you wouldn't be driving us both crazy trying to find the perfect gifts for her if she wasn't."

That much was true.

"She is important to me, but why do you want to know about her?"

Becca wasn't sure herself, she was certainly curious about her. Percy spoke about her with a certain kind of reverence, like a man would speak about his wife, or his mother or sister…yet Luna was none of these things.

"I guess, maybe if I know more about her, it will make it easier to shop for her?" Becca shrugged. "I don't really know. I'm curious I guess."

Percy was quiet for a moment, so quiet that Becca began to wonder if she had offended him with her curiosity. She had learned early on that there were certain things that he didn't like to talk about. Her father was one, and Cornelius Fudge. She had asked about the brother in the picture, and Percy had her that he died during the battle and not another thing…but a look had come into his eyes. A look so sad and painful that Becca had felt an urge to put her arms around him and rock him softly…the way her mother had when she was a child.

Now, a small smile came to his face as he thought about Luna Lovegood. A blissful smile, the kind that lit his eyes in a way that few things did.

"Luna is…extremely special to me, to everyone that has the good fortune to truly know her. She is sweet, and kind…an enigma in the most wonderful and amazing sense."

"She sounds special." Becca smiled, surprised by the change that overcame Percy when he spoke of the girl. It was the look of a man who truly loved someone, a love that was pure, and true without the slightest doubt or complication.

"I don't think that the words exist to define Luna Lovegood." Percy nodded, a beatific smile on his face.

"Your feelings are so strong for her." Becca pushed her forgotten soup aside. "Like you love her."

"Of course I love her." Percy looked at Becca as if she were the most obtuse person in existence.

"Then why aren't you the one marrying her?"

"Trust me…if she were three years older and not madly in love with my brother." Percy laughed and shook his head at the confused expression on Becca's face. "You have been sheltered haven't you?"

"What do you mean by that?" Becca wasn't sure if she should be angry, yet Percy didn't seem as if he was being antagonistic.

"It seems as if everything is all or nothing to you Becca. Like the only kind of love you believe in is the love between a man and a woman. Haven't you ever had a friend …someone who was so dear that you could say that you loved them, not your parents…or a man you were romantically involved with…but just a friend?"

"I've never had any of those things." She admitted. Becca knew she would regret it tomorrow, telling him all of this, but Percy had pushed her off guard. His display of feelings for Luna Lovegood was remarkable, to think that a man could love a woman so much…yet in a way that was so pure, that he didn't want or desire anything but friendship. "Rufus was always so overprotective…I barely had friends, much less male friends. I've never loved anyone…mum, Rufus…and in the end, I don't know that I even loved him."

"I'm sorry." Percy reached across the table and put his hand on hers. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay." Becca took a deep breath and shook her head. "You're lucky…having that with Luna, and I'd bet she'd she say she's lucky having you too."

"Thank you, for saying that. She's the reason I took the job you know…the one who convinced me."

"I've always wondered what made you take it, after all Fudge and Rufus put you through."

Percy let her hand go and sat back while Christopher took away their soup bowls and set their plates in front of them. "This past summer…Luna was there for all of us, our whole family. Dealing with my brother's death has been…" Percy took a deep breath sat back…it was still so hard to think about Fred. "…terrible to say the least. Luna has a way …a unique way of seeing things, of doing things that makes things better. It's hard to explain I guess…you'd have to meet her.

"Luna went through things too, terrible things, things that aren't my place to tell you about obviously. I realized that there are other people out there like her, people who need help but don't have a family like mine to help them."

"And you decided you wanted to be the one to help them."

"No," He smiled "I decided I needed to be the one to help them."

"Would you look at that," Becca smiled, her eyes so soft they reminded Percy of the compassionate look she had worn when they talked about his break up with Penelope. "We have something in common after all."

"Imagine that." Percy grinned "Now just think of how much better we could get along if you would just admit that you've checked out my arse."

"Guess we'll just have to keep arguing then," Becca looked down and picked up her fork, Percy suspected it might have been to hide a blush. "…cause there is no way in hell I'm about to admit that."

"But you don't deny it." Percy grinned and picked up his fork to start eating his horrifically cold dinner.

"That's progress."

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Luna sat on the sofa, her crossed leg furiously swinging up and down while George paced back and forth. He hadn't said a word, not one single word. Not that it really mattered; she had already made up her mind. He turned to her finally; his mouth open to speak, then he closed it again and turned back to pacing.

The entire family was gone, off Christmas shopping. Luna had finagled for them to have the house alone for a few hours just for this purpose…but between his insistence on finishing putting up the shelves on the completed side of the shop, and her hesitance to broach the subject; they were running out of time.

George stopped pacing again; stopping right in front of her with his mouth open.

"You're right Luna, I hate the idea."

Surprise, surprise.

"George, I need to do this."

"Why?" He crossed his arms over his chest…a sign Luna had come to recognize as complete stubbornness. This thing was likely going to get ugly before it was finished. "You're doing just fine with home study."

"Because I'm bored here all day, because I am getting behind with my practical studies…" George turned away and began to pace again. Luna stood and went to stand in his path. If he was going to be stubborn, the least he could do was face her while he did it. "Because I need to do this."

"And what about them?"

"Who?"

"Who?" George raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "The people who are responsible for what happened last October."

"They're gone now George…they can't hurt me anymore."

"Not all of them."

"George…" Luna reached her hands up and cupped his face in her hands. "You can't protect me from everyone."

He looked deep into her silver eyes, hating how much that was true. He knew why she was doing things, Luna was determined to conquer her fears, each and every single one of them…until she got to the biggest one, the one she was determined to conquer for him. He ran his hands up her arms to her back, and then pulled her closer.

"Maybe not, but I can protect you from them."

"George, why did you want me to face the snow?"

"You know why."

"Just tell me."

George rolled his eyes and let her go. "I wanted you face your fears so you wouldn't have to spend the rest of your life trapped inside every winter."

"Can't you see George," Luna looked at him pleadingly "This is the same thing. I can't spend the rest of my life in hiding…I need to face these people someday…"

"You don't have to do it there." George shook his head "Not where everything happened, not where you..."

"Don't you see George? That's where everything happened…" Luna grabbed his hands in hers, begging him with her eyes to try to understand. "…that's exactly why I have to do it there!"

"You've already decided." George pulled away "You're going to do this whether I want you to or not."

"Yes." Luna stared back stubbornly.

"And you don't care that it could set you back."

"It's not going to…"

"Of course it will!" He yelled. "You can stand there and say it won't because you don't remember!"

"George…" She reached for him, but he backed up away from her. The kitchen door opened and the family poured in, their faces red from the cold.

"Ask them Luna," He pointed towards the kitchen. "Ask Ginny what it was like watching you waste away. Ask them what it was like that day in the potions lab watching you hunched down rocking back and forth in the corner. Ask them Luna…ask Ginny what it was like to be stupefied by her best friend."

"George!" Ginny looked at George with huge, shocked eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's going on here?" Molly stepped between the two of them.

"She wants to go back there." George looked at Luna with disbelief. "To Hogwarts."

Hermione and Ginny looked at one another guiltily…something George caught.

"Yeah, I knew it." He spat. "You put this ridiculous idea in her head."

"It's not ridiculous!" Luna yelled. "And if you believed in me half as much as you claim to, you wouldn't think it was either!"

Luna pushed past him, ignoring Ginny and Hermione as they reached out for her. She went to the bedroom, tore George's pillows off the bed, and threw them into the hallway.

Then she closed and locked the door.

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Chapter Twenty-Two Preview

A night apart means

a long night for George and Luna.

Luna's seventeenth birthday

arrives along with birthday surprises, and a surprising birthday guest.

Luna returns to Hogwarts

to take her end of term

exams; will she be able to return to Hogwarts, or will there be more than George

standing in her way?

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