Chapter 21
Everything Falls Apart

Abi and I looked at each other. Could this be good or bad? Did McGonagall see my abysmal Transfiguration results and was about to punish me mercilessly? Or was It Abi that was in trouble, for potions maybe?

"Shit" Abi breathed when I looked away. "What did we do?"

"I don't know" I whispered back. "There's only one way to find out." We made a wordless agreement and both started towards the door.

I hoped that the corridors were still deserted like they were when I went to see Neville this morning, but of course they weren't. It was late in the afternoon and most students seemed to have either slept off their hangovers or decided to start on their homework and were grudgingly making their way towards the library.

"You know I'm glad we didn't go to the party last night" Abi said, watching a group of boys stagger towards the library. "Otherwise we would've had to go see McGonagall all hung-over" I laughed softly. I realised that neither of us looked even close to reasonable. Our eyes were red rimmed and puffy from crying and we looked like we'd just woken up, we could've had a hangover for all McGonagall knew.

"What's the password?" Abi asked as we reached the gargoyle in front of McGonagall's office and I suddenly realised that Eliza must've forgotten to give us the password.

"Transfiguration?" I guessed but the gargoyle didn't move. "Hogsmeade?" I guessed again but it stayed stock still.

"Hogwarts?" Abi guessed but to no avail.

"Fizzing Whisbee? Gryffindor? Quibbler?" I said at random and to my surprise, when I yelled Quibbler, the gargoyle sprang to life and leapt aside. "Quibbler, really, I was only joking"

We stepped past the Gargoyle and up the winding staircase that lead to McGonagall's office. I raised my fist and knocked twice.

"Come in" said a voice from within and the door swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall sitting at her desk with a grave look on her face.

"Ah, Abigail, Luna, take a seat" she gestured to the chairs stationed in front of her desk. Abi and I walked nervously across the room and sat on the edge of the chairs. The look on McGonagall's said it all. Either someone had died or we were in big trouble.

"As you probably know, Aline and Phoebe Oakley's brother has died." She began to say and I heard Abi's sharp intake of breath from my left. "And they have invited you to the funeral" she continued, pausing only to glance at Abi as she bit her lip. So we weren't in trouble. She just wanted to talk to us about going to Luke's funeral.

"So, can we go then?" I asked softly. McGonagall didn't speak, she seemed to be processing my request.

"You may go" she said and a grin spread across my face. I turned to Abi to see her Cheshire cat grin looking back at me. "But...there will have to be some conditions"

"Anything Professor" Abi said and I nodded earnestly.

"Luna" she said, turning to me and I jumped at being addressed so harshly. "Professor Abbott has reported back to me that you are doing abysmally in Transfiguration"

I groaned internally. So I was in a little strife about my grades.

"The condition for you going to the funeral is for your Transfiguration grades to come up from A to E alright?"

I nodded quickly as she rounded on Abi.

"Same with you Abigail, make sure your potions grade comes up from P to A" Abi nodded too, but I could see in her eyes that she was swearing with all manner of swear words. She hated potions.

"Alright, I shall confer with your teachers about your being off campus on Wednesday" Professor McGonagall said finally. "Off you go"

We stood up and walked out of the office with big grins on our faces. We waited until we were half way down the corridor until I pulled a spare bit of parchment and a quill out of my bag and scribbled a letter to the twins.

Dear Aline and Phoebe

McGonagall says we can come! We're really sorry about your brother. We'll see you on Wednesday!

Love Luna and Abi

By Tuesday I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to see Neville, to apologise for what I'd done on Sunday, for what I'd said.

"Hey, where are you going?" Abi asked as she packed some clothes into an overnight bag, we were to Apparate from Hogsmeade later that night to Aline and Phoebe's house on the coast. I was rather excited as I had never been swimming at the beach before and Aline and Phoebe owned a beach house.

"To make things right" I said, before stepping out of the door.

"Wait" Abi said, and I turned to see her pulling on her scarf. Winter had decided to come early this year and the corridors of Hogwarts were quite chilly, especially later in the day. "You don't think I'd let you go alone this time? You might bight his head off this time."

I laughed as Abi linked her arm through mine. I was so grateful for such a great friend. We passed few people in the corridors. Most students had decided to turn in early because of the bitter cold, and because of the amount of work that still had to be done (in the older students' cases) It was an eerie feeling as we rounded the corners of the castle. It was just like it had been in the aftermath of the battle, the day I'd first met Neville. Tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered that day back in May. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Neville had shouted "Luna, Hey, Luna, I Love you!" Over the shouts of people and bangs of spells. I wasn't sure If I had heard him right until he came and found me, staring at the remains of the Ravenclaw common room and we both declared our love for one another.

As we neared Neville's office, I was even more glad to have Abi alongside me in this. What if she was right? What if I did go off my rocker at him again. Our relationship was already on the rocks. I didn't even want to think about losing him. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Well, apart from finding my new friends in fourth year.

Panic started to consume me as we started down the corridor towards his office. What was wrong with me? I never panicked, I was always the calm, rational one who calmed others down. What had love done to me?

My panic must've shown on my face as Abi gripped my arm a bit tighter and said. "You'll be fine, just tell him you're sorry for what you said"

I smiled tentatively at her as we reached the door. I took a deep breath, and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked again. No answer. I was just starting to get a strong sense of déjà vu when I heard some scuffling from inside the office.

"Shh" Abi said "do you hear that?"

I nodded slowly, pressed a finger to my lips and pushed the door open quietly, surprised that it wasn't locked. What I saw made me want to curl up in my Nargles infested sock draw and sleep for the rest of my life. My jaw hit the ground as I saw Neville, the same Neville that had claimed he loved me so many times, kissing, no Snogging, Professor Abbott. They hadn't even noticed us yet. I felt my face grow hot as I saw his hand slip up her top.

"Oh my dead muggle god" Abi said from beside me and Neville and Professor Abbott jumped apart "My eyes are scarred forever" she ran over to Neville's water jug on his desk and attempted to wash out her eyes. I would've laughed if it hadn't been for the fact that my boyfriend was with another woman.

"L-Luna" he said, straightening his robes and starting towards me with a concerned look on his face.

"Why" Was the only word I could manage as Professor Abbott, no Professor Whore as she would now be known, smirked at me nastily, "Why would you do this to me?" Hot tears sprang to my eyes as he struggled for words.

"It wasn't what It looked like" he stammered, wringing his hands together guiltily.

"It wasn't what it looked like?" I said coldly, keeping my voice level, though I could hear myself choking up. "I don't believe you. I came to apologise to you tonight, and I find you hooking up with that whore!"

I yelled the last word and bolted from the office, blood pounding in my ears as I ran. I only faintly heard Abi's cries for me to stop and her footsteps pounding on the marble floor as she sprinted after me. Tears blurred my vision as déjà vu overtook me for the second time that night. About five different emotions were flying around in my head at once, making me feel dizzy and confused. Anger, Hurt, Betrayal, Hate, Sadness, it all became too much and I collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

It seemed an age later (though it was only about a minute) that Abi found me, a complete train wreck on the ground on the fifth floor corridor, crying my eyes out.

"Luna" she said, placing a hand softly on my shoulder "A wise friend once said to me when I was in this exact situation I'm not going to say it'll be alright, I'm not going to tell you that it was just a fling, I'm not going to even voice anything, because all it'll do is make you feel worse. So I'm not going to say anything, I'm just going to be here for you if you need to talk, alright"

I nodded as she sat down beside me and put both her arms around me in a tight embrace. I wanted to kiss the friend that had said those words to Abi, because it was true. I didn't need anyone to talk to, It was company, the knowledge that someone was there to talk to, not the knowledge that someone wanted you to talk about it. Abi's friend was right, all it did was make you feel worse.

We sat there until the sun went down and the torches were lit in their brackets. My sobs had subsided long ago and we had been sitting there, just sitting, for about an hour and a half.

"Hey, we'd better go" Abi whispered "We have to meet McGonagall at the front doors at eight so she can escort us into Hogsmeade." I nodded and allowed Abi to pull me to my feet. What were the twins going to say when I told them?

"Thank you Abi" I said, speaking for the first time in hours.

"For what?" Abi asked, genuinely confused as to what I was thanking her for.

"For being there, for being my shoulder to cry on, for not making up false things to try and make me feel better" I shrugged. I couldn't be more grateful for everything she had done for me. Sure, Ginny was all those things to me too, but she had other friends too. Abi only had me and the twins.

"Here" Abi said, blushing as she threw me my overnight bag. I caught it and we made our way down to the entrance hall to meet McGonagall.

"Luna, whatever is the matter?" Professor McGonagall asked as soon as I god close enough for her to see me clearly.

"Nothing Professor" I said, waving it away.

"Dear girl, please call me Minerva, we have been through far too much to be calling each other by our last names" she said. I smiled slightly before repeating my answer.

"It's nothing Minerva"

She didn't look convinced

"Luna, I may not be your best friend, or your head of house, but I am your headmistress and I want you to know you can trust me."

"Thank you Minerva, but really, It's nothing, just boy troubles" I would've slapped myself in the head if I hadn't been holding my rucksack. Why did I say that last bit? Professor McGon- I mean Minerva (It just doesn't feel right calling her that) drew herself up to her full height as we walked out of the doors and across the grounds.

"Boy troubles, I've had more than enough experience of boy troubles in my lifetime" Minerva said

"awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward" Abi muttered from beside me. I laughed softly so as Minerva wouldn't hear.

Once we were beyond the gates, Professor McGonagall (I can't call her Minerva, it's too weird) re-capped over our rules.

"Luna, remember, I expect an E in Transfiguration on your next assessment, Abigail, an A on your next Potions one, are we clear?"

"Yes Professor" we chorused back.

"Alright then, have a good time and I shall see you, Miss Rowe, Miss Oakley and Miss Oakley tomorrow afternoon." And with that, she walked back up to the castle.

"Shall we go then?" Abi asked, placing her hand on my shoulder. I soon felt the uncomfortable feeling of being pushed through a tube too small for me to fit through. A thought struck me, the last time I had felt like this, was when I was with Neville. My feet came into contact with the ground and I vomited up everything that was in my stomach.

AN: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME *shields face* I'M SORRY FOR BREAKING THEM UP, IT WAS IN THE PLANNING. I'M INNOCENT BLAME THE PLANNING! Hehe. Okay apologies for incoherency, as it is *squints at time* 1:02am as I write this. I promised you this chapter would be packed, but I'm quite disappointed in it. Oh and just to clear up about grades, remember in the wizarding world the grades go O,E,A,P,D,T so if any of you thought that she was asking Luna to go lower...okay I'm just gonna shut up now.

Remember to vote on my poll (very top of my profile) and Check out my profile for pictures of Aline, Phoebe and Abi!

Chapter questions

-Did anyone else relate to Abi's advice to Luna?
-Who officially hates Professor Abbott Now?
-Who's excited for the Christmas marathon, which will be the next three chapters

Reviews make Abi make Professor Abbott Pay for what she did.

~The Original Horcrux~