A/N- This is of course merely a collaboration of Ms. Rowlings/ Ms. Meyer's worlds with my own take on PostWarAU. Only the unrecognizable characters are mine, all other credit goes to the wonderful ladies who've created such lovely universes. Many thanks to them.
New Beginnings
Chapter 21
"I should go in and get some homework, I expect I'll have a load." He said, getting out of the car slowly. It had started to rain again.
"Would you like me to help you?" She asked. He shook his head slightly and closed the door behind him.
Not five minutes later Hermione's DA coin was burning white hot. She jumped, grabbing Teddy and ran toward the main entrance of the school, wand in hand. As soon as she entered the building, she heard a scream and forced herself to slip her wand back up her sleeve. Now was no time to break the International Statute of Security... People were running around, but Hermione saw a gathering at the other end of the hallway. She ran, Teddy bouncing against her hip.
"H-Hermione." Luna gasped, right hand covering her left shoulder, her left hand still clutching her DA coin. Hermione looked around to see that a loose circle of people was surrounding them. In the centre of the circle was Neville, towering over a few boys who sat, huddled against some lockers.
"Neville calm down." Hermione said, putting her hand loosely on his shoulder. "They aren't worth it."
"It was them Hermione." He whispered. Hermione looked back to the boys in front of them, in her mind's eyes seeing Luna's torn wrists and remembering her own torture at the hand of Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Move out of the way." She said in a quiet voice.
"What's going on here?" Someone called, it was a very masculine voice. Immediately people began to move away from the scene. Hermione looked over her shoulder slightly to see a teacher stalking toward them. "Move along everyone, go on home. Not you six! You all will accompany me to the principal's office." They followed after the man solemnly, Hermione's mind racing.
...
We watched curiously as they all accompanied Mr. Anderson down the hall and into the principal's office. Wordlessly my family and I hung back. A few minutes later everyone filed out except Hermione. Mr. Anderson stood with the students, keeping them civil. Luna noticed us at the other end of the hall and smiled to me slightly, her friend seemed to be fiddling with something on a chain around his neck. Only a few minutes later Harry appeared and strode down the hall, passed us with a single curt nod, and joined the group.
"I'm with them." He said blandly to the teacher. "Luna appears to be hurt. Neville will accompany her to receive appropriate medical treatment and I will stay in their stead." Harry's voice held a certain convincing power that gave Mr. Anderson a slightly dazed look. My siblings and I exchanged confused looks at it. He nodded dumbly and Harry motioned for Neville and Luna to leave. Neville looked as if he were about to protest, but Harry gave him a particularly pointed look and he relented. Neville helped Luna, taking her bag and gathering some books up from on the floor beside her. They walked toward us slowly, Luna still holding her shoulder gingerly, a distant look in her eyes. As soon as they neared, Neville turned his angry eyes to us suspiciously.
"... Thank you, for helping the day before yesterday." We knew what he meant. He motioned Luna toward a nearby bathroom. She nodded dazedly and followed him in. I knocked lightly after a few seconds on the bathroom door before opening it. Neville had Luna sitting on the counter and was setting her things down.
"Hello Jasper." The girl murmured with a small smile, she swung her legs back and forth to the beat of some silent rhythm.
"Hello Luna." I replied evenly. "Are you alright?" precluding to her shoulder. She nodded distractedly and began to hum something I'd never heard of, legs still swinging.
"Luna, please stop." Neville said gently, putting his hand on one of her moving knees. She did as she was told, still humming. "Thank you. Can I feel your shoulder?" She didn't reply, just hummed. He took that to mean yes, and carefully prodded her, upon contact she hummed louder. "I'm sorry." He murmured almost in a whisper, continuing. A moment later he brought out a small knife from his pocket and sliced through the fabric of her long sleeved shirt along the seam, from the neck line to the elbow. I was hyperaware that with one slip of the knife the boy held I could be in a very dangerous situation. He opened the flaps to reveal her very red, very bruised shoulder.
"Do you feel any sharp pain?" Neville asked. She shook her head almost unnoticeably. "Do you think you pulled any muscles?" Again she shook her head. "Alright, we might as well wait for Harry and Hermione in the car."