Michael couldn't help but chuckle as Luna immediately regretted not putting on warmer clothes, the chilly English air tearing into her and Michael. Snow covered the ground and fell fast onto their heads, and Luna's teeth chattered as she shivered. They had lost a few hours in their trip, and it was now evening, which meant that it was nearly dark.
"It's really – very – cold," she said, trying to still her teeth. "I wasn't thin – thinking about it when we left."
"Here, bundle up," Michael said, ice forming a kind of cap on his head. He drew his wand and waved it. Two pairs of thick, wooly pants appeared out of thin air, followed by a pair of sweaters, one black and one pink.
Luna caught the clothes and hurriedly pulled them on over the long sleeve t-shirt and tight jeans she had on, Michael doing the same.
"That's a wonderful bit of magic," Luna said, smiling and reaching into the pocket of the jeans she was already wearing. She pulled out the same pair of gloves she had worn on the trip to St. Lucia, "thank you.
"Well, here we are," Luna said, her voice full of apprehension. "This is my house, I hope Daddy will be home."
"The lights are on," Michael muttered, looking up at the cylindrical building. Light was shining out the windows, though only on the first floor. "You should probably be the one to knock…."
"I'm looking forward to it," she said. She led them on their trudge through the snow up to her home, staring nervously up at it. Michael wasn't sure how he felt about the situation – it was certainly an odd one. Luna was optimistic as ever, but Michael didn't know how to feel. Unlike Luna, he had spent the last seven years thinking of her and her father, he had liked Xeno very much, and Luna's father had always liked him. But now what would he think? He had never interacted with him as a grown man, much less one who intended to oppose his wishes and marry his daughter. Mostly Michael felt awkward and for once decided to let Luna do most of the talking.
They reached the door, passing several signs along the way, and Luna took a deep breath. She quickly looked sideways at Michael, swallowed, and rapped her fist on the door.
A full minute passed, and Michael wondered if Xenophillius wasn't home. Then another thought occurred to him: Perhaps he knew precisely who it was, and was allowing them to shudder and freeze on his doorstep out of spite.
Luna seemed to be considering the same dreadful thought.
"Come on," she said sadly, "let's go back to your parents' house. Dad doesn't want to see us."
"You sure?" Michael asked.
She didn't answer, she only gripped his numb hand in hers and turned her back on the door, on her father. They got a few steps away from the door before they heard it creak open, and a tired voice,
"Luna? Luna is that you?"
Xenophillius had poked his head out the door and was looking around for his daughter. He squinted at Michael and Luna's outlines, trying to discern who it was.
Luna stopped slowly, glancing over at Michael, who nodded and jerked his head in her father's direction.
"Yes Dad, I'm back."
"And with you…is that…?" He sounded both aggravated and gloomy.
"It's Michael."
"I suppose you should come inside." His voice was colder than the frozen air whipping their hair and clothes around.
He retreated back into the house, and after a moment's hesitation, Luna and Michael followed him. Michael shut the door securely behind him, gesturing for Luna to lead the way into the strange curved room they had stepped into. Michael glanced around the room and recognized Luna and Xeno's way of life immediately. Through its association with Luna, the house already charmed him a little.
"Let's go upstairs," Xeno murmured, tramping loudly up an iron staircase in the dead center of the room.
They pursued him up the stairs, into a maze like room, filled with junk stacked on top of other junk. A large printing press sat in the corner, though it was not running. Xeno lit the lamps around the room and cleared the rubbish off of three chairs, motioning for them to take either of the seats he did not drop into.
Looking closely him, it was clear that Xenophillius hadn't shaved in a few days. His hair was dirty and tangled, his clothes stained and filthy. He looked miserable and depressed, except for the bit of fury that he directed at Michael.
"So, Michael you have disobeyed my wishes and altered Luna's memories, even though I expressly forbade it. I'd say you have made the worst possible impression on me after all this time."
"He didn't alter them," Luna answered for him, calm despite the anger her father projected. "He restored them. He told me the truth and helped me see it for myself, you can understand that, that's what you do – help people see the truth."
"Which is the exact opposite of what I wanted for you." Xeno was not looking at Luna, but had locked eyes with Michael, who had still not spoken. "STRIKE got your mother killed, Luna. I won't let you follow her. You're all I have left."
"I'm not with STRIKE, Dad," Luna said imploringly, "That was the condition Michael gave me for telling me the truth. He wouldn't tell me unless I promised not to get involved with STRIKE. I'd be very happy to turn out like Mum, I really would, but I'm not Mum. I can continue what she wanted though. If I do…it's like she never left."
"If you're not with them, then who?" Xeno asked, now staring at his daughter.
"Me," Michael finally spoke.
"With you?" Xeno repeated loudly, his eyes flaring up just like Luna's did sometimes. "What does that mean?"
"It means I love him," Luna said plainly. "And he loves me back. He nearly died to protect me, on St. Lucia."
"But whose fault is it that you were there?" Xeno answered, pointing a finger at Michael, who had no answer.
"It's not about fault. He didn't want me, or anyone else to go! But we're his friends, we went anyway. I couldn't stand not going, do you know how worried I'd have been?" Apparently by accident, Xenophillius nodded at this, for a second later he resumed his angry glare.
"Dad, I'm in danger anyway, we all are. Michael taught me to know how to face that danger, and how to win! After the Ministry and with Mum being who she was, I'm one of the Death Eaters' biggest targets, they're bound to come after me eventually. But if we're together," she gripped Michael's hand firmly, "there's not a person in the world that could hurt me."
"Your mother believed the same thing, Luna," Xenophillius said, finally quieting down. "She didn't plan to die either. She was the most powerful witch I had ever seen…but they still got her. They still killed Elysina…."
"If you give up, if you try to force me to give up, then she really is gone," Luna said sadly. "Mum died to protect me, I know she did, I remember it all. If she hadn't been so strong, I would have died too. What if I have children one day, and I have to protect them? I'd want to be just as strong as Mum was. Mum ensured I got to live a long, happy life. Michael only wants to do the same."
"Do you love my Luna?" Xeno asked suddenly. Michael looked up, startled, and was searching for how this could be a trap.
"More than life itself," he eventually said. "If you don't believe me, I hope this will convince you." He drew his wand and touched it to his own forehead.
"Legilimenis Projectarus."
All Michael's thoughts were immediately displayed plainly and openly to Xenophillius. Everything about his friends, his family, his mission, and his love, Luna. It was if a projector had been turned on inside Xeno's mind, leaving Michael with no secrets from the man.
Xenophillius blinked quickly, stunned at what he had seen: Love, genuine love. There was lust and desire mixed in, but the first and also the last thing on Michael's mind was his daughter, her smile, her laugh, her everything. He…loved her.
"You feel the same way about Michael, Luna?" he asked after a long pause, while Michael massaged his temple, eyes closed, now with a splitting headache.
"I do."
Xeno looked searchingly into his daughter's pale, but no longer innocent face. A young woman looked back at him, her hand still entangled with her lover's.
"Then I cannot in good conscience, be angry with you." Michael's head shot up, eyes wide open, staring at Xeno. Each word seemed to be carefully chosen, but sincere.
"I'm sorry I refused to face the truth all those years Luna, but even more so I am sorry that I wouldn't allow you to try and face it yourself. Michael," he faced him, a small smile beginning to form on his thin face, "when Luna said that you two were coming here, my original plan was to throw you out of the house into the blizzard, and hope Luna would forget about you. I owe you an apology as well. I…I have I already lost one girl to the Death Eaters, I'm so afraid I'll lose Luna too."
"I give you my word," Michael said, once again looking into his eyes, "That as long as I live, you will never have to fear for your daughter's safety." It was a little over-the-top and Gryffindor for Michael, but he knew what was necessary to soothe the man's worries, for he often battled similar demons.
Xeno sighed, looking amused now. "You really haven't changed one bit, have you Michael? Honestly, you remind me of Elysina. Strong willed, powerful, and willing to do anything to protect Luna."
He was grinning widely, and Michael couldn't help but grin himself. Luna however, simply looked mystified.
"So, you're okay with us getting married?" she asked her father, who had stood up and was searching for something among the garbage.
"Yes, I suppose I am," he said, locating what he was looking for. He straightened up, holding a leather book in his hands. He blew the dust off it and held it out to Luna.
"What is this?" she asked, opening the cover.
"A photo album," Xeno said, watching Luna flip through the pages. Michael stood up and was examining it from over her shoulder. "Your mother made this for you. It was supposed to be your eleventh birthday present."
Luna gasped and looked up at her father, then Michael, her eyes filled with tears. The pages were filled with pictures, some black and white, some color, all moving, of Michael and Luna as children. Brushing away the dampness in his eyes, Michael couldn't help but laugh at the photo of his six year old self dangling by his legs from a set of monkey bars, while Luna watched in awe.
"I suppose this will have to be your wedding present Luna," Xeno said sadly, "I'm afraid the Quibbler's not selling like it used to…"
Luna glanced at Michael and took a breath. It was rather strange for Michael to watch Luna be so talkative and assertive, yet he was the one out of his element and for all intents and purposes meeting her father for the first time. He discovered it was somewhat relaxing to let his fiancé handle fighting and debating while he examined drapes and the weather outside, but here he felt the need to intervene.
"We'll ask him later," he told Luna quietly. Then he turned to Xenophillius, mustering all his seriousness, afraid Xeno would think he was making fun of him. Michael had been saving his big gun for the proper moment and decided this was the perfect time to deploy it. "About your paper… I think I have an idea. Would an interview with an eyewitness to a Crumple Horned Snorkack sell a few more issues?"
"Of course," he said quickly, "But who has seen one…?"
"I have," Michael replied, raising an eyebrow.
If there was still any doubt in Xenophillius' mind that Michael was not meant for Luna, it seemed to be erased completely then.
The next few hours were spent in laughter and reminiscing, all anger and betrayal forgotten. Xenophillius uncovered a couch that had been hidden in a corner and levitated it over the mounds of useless items, insisting Michael and Luna sit together. Michael found talking to Luna's father just as pleasant as he had as a child, if a little more mentally taxing, for he had to constantly pull information from the back of his head to follow a conversation Luna and Xeno would have regarding an obscure animal or phenomena, like the Ancient Bovine or the Vanishing Island of Windermere.
He was so unexpectedly delighted that he didn't even comment when they decided to go up to bed and Michael and his daughter both entered Luna's bedroom to sleep that night.
The three days they spent at Xeno's house were much less eventful than the trio they had spent at Michael's parents' ranch. They squandered most of their time simply talking happily to each other, but after a while Michael became a little restless at being cooped up so long, and suggested they visit Harry and Ron, as the Burrow was not far.
The Weasleys were surprised, but pleased to see them, all three of them, standing together, not fighting or yelling. There seemed to be enough shouting in the house already, namely between Harry and Ginny.
"So your Dad's alright with this now?" Ron asked Luna as they, Harry, and Michael headed up the stairs, onto the landing above, and down the hall to Ron's room, leaving Xeno to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, while Ginny glowered at them all.
"Yes, he's actually very excited, I think he's happy," she said, stepping over the threshold of the door Ron held open, followed by Michael and Harry.
"I'll be back in a minute," Ron mumbled once everyone had entered. "Bathroom…."
"So, Harry," Michael said professionally, taking a seat next to Luna on Ron's bed, facing Harry, "been screwing around with Ron's sister?"
"Umm." Luna was looking at him, head tilted a little, looking curious. "Umm, yeah, I guess I have."
"And now she's mad at you…why?" Michael asked.
"I don't know… She just started yelling when Ron and I said she couldn't be in the Wolf Pack…"
"That is a good way to make a girl mad," Luna pointed out, glancing quickly at Michael. He rubbed the back of his neck and pretended to ignore her, focusing on Harry.
"Wolf Pack….that sounds a lot less cool as we get older…well, I know a good way to win a girl back," he said with his usual confidence. "Invite her to a wedding."
"She can come?" Harry asked swiftly, "I thought it was supposed to be quiet, just us and your families."
"Yeah, why not?" Michael shrugged, "She's Ron's sister and your girlfriend. Or something resembling a girlfriend, at least. What's one more person anyway?"
"And Ginny's always been nice to me," Luna interjected quietly. "Even when no one else was, she was always nice…"
"So she's coming then," Michael said, his voice as firm as his grip on Luna's hand, "We'll be offended if she doesn't."
"We definitely don't want that," Harry said quickly, "I'll go ask her then… I think I can hear her screaming my name, actually…" He sighed, squared his shoulders, and marched out the door with the demeanor of a soldier going to war. Ron passed him on his way back in.
"Where's Harry going?" he asked, filling in Harry's space on his bed.
"To ask your sister out," Michael replied.
"He- what?" Ron said, looking baffled and confused. "He's asking out Ginny?"
"Yes, he likes her a rather lot," Luna said, "I think she like him too, most of the time at least…"
They stopped talking and listened hard. The shouting below them had ceased, though Michael had been in enough battles to know silence could be more dangerous than thunderous noise. Then a high pitched shriek pierced their ears, making them wince.
"Where exactly is he…?" Ron began worriedly.
"To the wedding," Michael stated. "So now it'll be the seven of us, your sister, my parents, and Luna's dad. Too bad we can't let Kevin or a few other STRIKE friends come… But, whatever. You guys will do, I suppose…" He was joking, but knew Luna did feel a little bad. Michael didn't though. Over the past half year he had made better friends in Harry, Ron, and Hermione than he had with anyone in STRIKE, though he retained a selection of good friends there as well.
Ginny rushed into the room, Harry trailing behind her. Harry was smiling, looking enjoyably surprised. He winked at Michael and gave him a thumbs up with the hand Ginny wasn't holding. Ginny was beaming at Michael and Luna and she dropped Harry's hand to hug Luna.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you guys!" she squealed, "I wish you could have told me, but I understand! And now I get to go anyway! Thanks so much!" She dragged a befuddled Harry out of the room, kicking the door closed behind them.
Michael gave Ron a smirk, but Ron didn't notice, as his face was buried in his hands. Luna was humming the wedding march. Michael fell backwards onto the bed and while Luna hummed and Ron debated, Michael marveled at the fact that by this time tomorrow he and Luna would be husband and wife. He worried, but not about the wedding. Michael was confident the wedding would go over well, it was funded by Sarah and given certain designs by Luna, so he knew the ceremony would be great, and he and Jeff had worked together in secret one night while he and Luna slept at his parents' to put together a post-wedding surprise he thought Luna would like.
No, it wasn't the thought of marriage that unnerved him – it was STRIKE. For whatever reason, Michael had become convinced that his wedding and STRIKE were intertwined. There was no reason anyone within the organization should find out about his marriage, but he couldn't shake the feeling that once Luna Lovegood became Luna Jacobs, there would be some sort of reckoning. But at the moment…he didn't really care. Tomorrow, he and Luna would finally join together in everything they had ever wanted.
Only one night remained for the couple, and they spent much of it at Xenophillius' after returning from the Burrow. The wedding was to be at ten o clock in the morning the next day near Michael's parents. The early-in-the-day ceremony was necessary due to the time shift Luna, her father, and basically everyone but Michael would be experiencing coming to America. Michael planned to go back home for the night before the wedding and sleep for as long as he could, but found himself delayed by Luna and by his own desires. Before he knew it, it was midnight and he was falling asleep beside Luna by the barely flowing river that snaked its way around the Lovegoods' home.
Michael yawned. "Remind me why we're sitting out here in the cold?"
"Because it's so peaceful," Luna said happily. Despite this claim, she scooted a bit closer to Michael. "It's a shame it didn't get any colder this year, sometimes the river freezes and you can walk on it." She nodded down at the river on either side of them.
Michael yawned again and lay back onto Bottom Bridge, pulling Luna down beside him. It was certainly chilly out and the young couple was each bundled up as they lay out together under the moonlight, just barely in viewing distance of Luna's house. Xenophillius had gone to bed about an hour ago and Luna had suggested they spend some time together down by the river. Michael had halfheartedly reminded her it was very late, but inevitably agreed to the nighttime trip with has fiancé.
"You're right," Michael admitted to Luna. "It is pretty nice out here…especially with you." She smiled without looking at him, instead staring up at the full moon. "You came out here a lot as a kid, right?"
"Yes, I did…Dad would take me down here when I was very little, and when I got older, I would come here when I couldn't sleep at night."
"Why couldn't you sleep?" Michael asked her. "Too many dreams of handsome young men invading your mind?"
"No," Luna replied thoughtfully, "my dreams are usually about birds. Birds and snakes. But a few nights ago I actually had a dream about a Quidditch match."
"Oh really?" Michael asked, rolling over onto his side to look at her.
"It wasn't like a normal game though…there was a lot of each of us, ten of us on each team, playing against each other," Luna told him.
"Twenty of us playing a match?" Michael repeated. "Well that's odd…must've been a crazy game."
"It was total chaos," Luna replied, finally looking over at him. "Very hard to make sense of things, but for some reason, none of us had scored a goal. But then one of you got the Quaffle and finally put it through the hoop…but the one of me playing Keeper didn't try to block it. She got the ball when it came back into play, but instead of throwing it to anyone, she took off across the pitch –"
"Isn't that illegal?" Michael asked.
"Yes, but so is playing with ten copies of the same person on each team. Or I assume it is at least. But yes, the Keeper Luna took the ball all the way downfield and scored on your Keeper just like you had on her. Twenty of us and two goals…I wonder what it means?"
"Probably that Owen Stetnas is standing right behind you."
Michael's entire body chilled and he jumped to his feet, his hand racing to his pocket for his wand. Luna was up just as quickly, looking even paler than usual. They each raised their wand and aimed it straight at the man standing at the end of the bridge, who in turn pointed his wand at them. They drew a bit closer to each other.
"Isn't this cozy?" Owen asked, looking around at the area. "Nice place for a date? I mean, I wouldn't take a girl here, since anyone looking to attack us could just torch the bridge and we'd be done for…don't worry," he added with a laugh as Michael tensed noticeably, "if I wanted to send you both to a watery grave, I'd have already done it."
"You didn't come here to kill us?" Michael demanded. He stared at his former partner, afraid of him for the first time in his life. The Owen Stetnas he had known was dark and strange, but this new Owen was more menacing than even Voldemort in his own way. Though they had only fought once, Michael was absolutely certain Owen would complicate his life until one of them died.
"Of course I did," Owen said, shaking his head. "I'm going to fucking murder you, Michael. And Luna…well, maybe not you. You're very pretty, you know that? Damn, isn't it great having a job where you get paid to do things you'd happily do for free?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Michael shouted at him. Luna jumped at the volume of his voice; they had been speaking in near whispers till now.
"Well, I'm missing a hand, for one thing," Owen frowned. He raised his arm and shook back his sleeve. He had gained some kind of prosthetic hand, but Michael couldn't tell much about it, as he wore a glove over it just like he had in Harry's vision. "I'm also nearsighted."
"I think he meant what kind of madman you must be to want to kill us," Luna put in. Michael hated hearing the coolness in her voice, it was so unlike her. But at the rate they were going with this war, he worried he might have to get used to it.
"Now calm down there Luna," Owen said. "I already said I only want to kill you if I have to. Or if I get sick of you or decide you're not that attractive."
"You think you can take me for yourself?" she asked him, her eyes wide.
Owen laughed out loud at her. Even in the dark, Michael saw him roll his eyes. The last minute had pushed Michael near the point of attacking, and he was already deciding between curses.
"I'm going to tear you apart," Michael snarled at Owen. He was shaking with anger, and it only got worse the more he thought about what Owen was implying. "You won't put a hand on Luna."
Owen smirked. "Whatever…I do what I want."
"Avada Kedavra!" Michael yelled, his wandtip flashing green. Luna shot off a red spell at the exact same moment, though wordlessly. Owen flipped Luna's curse up and into the distance with his wand, and met Michael's Killing Curse with a quick one of his own. He chuckled at the end of the exchange.
"You two don't really think you can match up with me, do you…? Give it fifty years and maybe we'll see. Oh wait, no you we won't, 'cause you'll be dead…I forget stuff…I'm crazy and all, you know?"
"So if you hate me this much, why didn't you just kill me before I knew you were here?" Michael demanded.
"What fun would that be?" Owen asked back. "Then you die thinking you're better than me, and I never get to rub it in your face you can't handle me."
Michael said nothing for a moment. Then he turned to Luna, keeping his wand trained on Owen. "Go home Luna," he said quietly. He shivered a bit, from a combination of the battle and the cold air, though thanks to the adrenaline pumping through him, he barely noticed the chill.
"You're kidding, aren't you?" Luna said, staring at him. "Your jokes are usually funny, but I don't see anything funny about leaving you alone with him."
"I can out-duel him, don't worry about it," Michael said in a rush. He gave her a confident smile he immediately knew she wouldn't believe.
"First thing you're going to do is a low aimed Stunner!" Owen put in loudly, drawing their attention back to him. He was grinning at them again. "Then you're going to use that ground splitting curse you like so much when I dodge the Stunner."
Michael rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, looking between Owen and Luna. "Is that really what your plan was?" she asked him. Michael only replied with a head jerk she knew meant yes. "He can't read your mind, can he?"
"No, he's just really predictable all the time!" Owen answered, still grinning. "Now Luna, I've never really fought her…I have no idea what she's liable to do! You really have a much better chance of killing me with her here Michael. Now's not the time to try to impress her!"
"He's right," Luna breathed. She looked down, trying not to let Owen hear exactly what she was saying. "He doesn't have any idea what I'll do. Go, now."
"What?" Michael asked sharply.
"Let's go now!" Luna repeated loudly, spinning to face Owen and blasting a blue wave of magic at him. His smile vanished and he did as well, the crack of Apparition splitting their ears.
With no time to do anything else, Michael grabbed Luna's arm and pulled her into a turn as well. They disappeared without fire, reappearing only a few feet from where they had stood. Michael knew Luna didn't understand why he had had to do it. "Why – oh!"
The exact spot they had stood on moments before was engulfed in a red light. The bridge's handrail disintegrated into dust. "Just shoot!" Michael yelled. Luna didn't seem to have any objection, as she hurried out "Lyvlnn!" sending a series of orange magic bursts down the length of the bridge. Michael recognized it as a dangerous spell, but he wanted to be sure of a kill himself. "Avada Kedavra!" His green jet flew off in the opposite direction of Luna's.
"Keep hold on me, we're going again!" Michael hissed to Luna the second the spell left his wand. Before she could say a word, Luna was being crushed by blackness again, only to have frozen air burn her lungs again a second later. And once again, the piece of bridge they had just occupied was wiped out by a blast of red. Planks from the wooden bridge fell into the water a few feet below it.
"Did you see where the spell came from?" Michael asked Luna desperately. His head swiveled, looking desperately in the darkness for Owen Stetnas.
"No, I was too off balance from the Apparition," she panted.
"Next time we Disapparate, watch where his spell comes from," Michael whispered. "We can't see him, but he can't see us. He'll shoot at wherever this next spell comes from. I'll be too busy with the magic to watch for him, but if you can see where he attacks from, hit him there. He'll Apparate as soon as he shoots too though, so you have to be fast. Ready?"
Luna took three slow seconds to process all that Michael had just told her, then nodded. "We'll be fine," she assured him.
"Of course we will. Bombardo!" he yelled, flailing his wand in a random direction. He then spun on the spot, thankful that Luna was thin and light enough for him to turn her somewhat easily. Going from the darkness of Apparition to the darkness of the night, Michael was as good as blind, though he halfway registered a white light exploding the ground where he had just been. "Did you see?"
"No," Luna said, shaking her head. "There's not enough time for me to see after we reappear…he's too quick." Michael took a deep breath. Luna was an excellent duelist, but she had no experience in a fight like this, trying blindly to curse an enemy who couldn't see anymore than she could.
"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Owen's voice broke through the night.
Luna's wide eyes flashed at Michael. He saw some fear in her face, but no more than any other person would show, including himself. But he also saw the determination he knew would get them through this fight. Michael knew it was time for him to step up and make a move, a drastic one.
"Stay here," Michael muttered. "I'm going to Apparate away and fire off a few spells. I'll stay in my spot long enough for you to find him out there. Take him out the second you see him, okay?"
"Are you sure?" Luna asked, obviously and understandably worried. She looked all around and Michael knew she was hoping to catch a glimpse of Owen before Michael had to risk being cursed by him.
Michael half smiled, half sighed at her. "Am I ever? No, but I know what I have to do…just don't miss." Luna nodded seriously.
Michael took a deep breath and vanished, reappearing on the other side of the river. "Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy!" he shouted, aiming in all directions but Luna's. The second the spells left his wand, a yellow one was streaking through the night at him. Fighting back every instinct to dematerialize again, he held his ground and put up a quick Shield Charm, which absorbed the worst of the spell. Two more curses immediately followed it.
As he concentrated on surviving Owen's next attack, he saw a single jet of blue, thankfully not aimed anywhere near him. Luna had gotten a rough idea of where Owen was; now Michael just hoped she hit him before he figured out what the couple was doing.
"Ah…ugh!" It took a great deal of Michael's power to deflect the two spells Owen had sent for him – the second pooled up on the tip of his wand as he tried to fling it away and for a moment Michael feared it might destroy his wand.
And then Michael saw it. The Killing Curse was flying right at his face and he knew he had no time to conjure any kind of defense. He had to Disapparate but had no chance to pick another spot, he simply spun and vanished.
The next thing he knew, his entire body was on fire. He was burning alive, yet he was so cold…and he couldn't breathe. He flailed wildly – what kind of curse had Owen hit him with? Was this the result of the Killing Curse? Was this how the Avada Kedavra took a life? Darkness was overtaking him now, not the same darkness that he had used as cover in his battle with Owen, but a different kind of darkness, one that could only be perceived by a person about to become one with it.
"Michael!"
Through the darkness, a sound. A voice. A voice, calling for him. Another chill swept over him, harsh and fierce. Something heavy hit him from behind. And then….nothing.
******************************************************************************
Michael opened his eyes. He didn't know it, but it was the first time he had done so in hours. He quickly shut them again, as the light was very bright. He moved to rub his eyes, but found his arms pinned by his side. A ball of panic spread from his chest to the rest of his body…then he realized his arms were wrapped tightly in warm blankets. He was in bed, in a familiar room…the Lovegoods' house.
"It's okay Michael, it's okay. You're all right, you're here with me."
Luna was standing over him. She looked worried, but smiled upon seeing him acknowledge her. Michael struggled to untangle his arms from the blankets and worked to push himself up into a sitting position. He shook his head, which throbbed horribly.
"Luna…what…what happened?" he asked blankly. "The last thing I remember, Owen used the Killing Curse and I had to Apparate out of the way…I didn't have any time to decide where to go though, I just had to get out of the way. What happened?" he repeated. "Did you get him? Did he get me?" he added, looking himself up and down. As he did so, he was hit by a realization – he was naked under the blankets.
"He's gone," Luna told him. She sat down on the bed next to him. "You Apparated into the river. I got him with my spell and it probably knocked him out, I could tell it connected, but I was more worried about you than him. I levitated you out of the water and onto the bank and used my wand to warm you as much as I could on the spot, it was so windy…I took you back to the house and left you with Dad while I went to see about Owen. He had already left…and a part of me is glad he was gone when I came back."
Michael groaned, but nodded understanding. "I know Loon, I don't blame you for not wanting to fight him alone again. I probably wouldn't have let you go out there had I been conscious."
"I know," Luna said simply. "But if you had been conscious, I wouldn't have anyway. We would've been able to see to him together."
"You really saved my life again," Michael told her. "I can't believe we almost got him…." It infuriated him that Owen had escaped because Luna had had to tend to him, but his head was too light to really feel the fury he knew should be there.
"It's all right," Luna replied, placing a hand on his chest. "No one got hurt…except you, but we both know how little concern you have for your own health." Michael couldn't help but chuckle.
The brief spurt of laughter sucked all air out of his lungs and left him even more lightheaded than before. He coughed. "Guess I should be a little more careful…I'll be a married man soon, after all."
Luna smiled again. "That's right, you will."
Michael smiled back at her, but one thing was left on his mind. "Hey Loon…why am I naked?" He asked it plainly – being around Luna often made him speak this way.
"Your clothes were drenched in that freezing water, I had to get you out of them."
"Oh thank God," Michael sighed, laying back into his pillows. "So it was you, not your dad."
"Yes, it was me," Luna shrugged. "I've seen you naked plenty of times, Dad hasn't. I didn't think you'd mind."
"Not at all," Michael smirked. "I just prefer to be awake when we're naked together."
"Oh don't worry, I wasn't naked," Luna assured him. "I don't think Dad would have been very happy. I haven't run around the house naked since I was a toddler."
"Yeah, I don't think your dad would like it much more if I took your place, either," Michael muttered. "I should probably get some clothes on…warm ones."
"Do you think he'll come back?" Luna asked him as she searched through Michael's bag for suitable clothes. "Owen? Or he'll bring Lord Voldemort?" She pulled out a pair of underpants, pajama bottoms, and a shirt and turned to face him, looking worried.
"He won't be able to," Michael told her, taking the clothes from her and glad of the chance to reassure her. He rolled the heavy blankets off himself and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on his clothes. Luna watched him with interest – both in his words and his body. "Give me a couple minutes to pull myself together and I'll set up wards against him. You can help," he added to her, tugging his arm through a tight sleeve. "I want double protection here."
"Will it be enough to keep them out?" Luna questioned. She spoke clearly, but her eyes were directly on Michael's crotch. Luna had never been shy about this kind of thing, but Michael didn't mind, as it gave him room to operate the same way. He appreciated that she remained focus on the task at hand as well.
"Now that he's been here once, it will be," Michael answered. He held out his hand for his wand, and Luna immediately brought it from within the jacket she wore, good as new. "Defensive wards work better the more specific you can be with them," he explained. Luna nodded with interest. "That's why all Wizards don't just put up 'keep out bad guys' wards and expect to be safe from Lord Voldemort. If you can be specific about who you're trying to keep out, what they want, and if the person has left their presence on the property before, the wards are much more powerful. We know precisely who's after us and unfortunately we know what he wants, and with him firing off an army's worth of spells here, we should be able to protect your dad and this house from Owen and Voldemort too. Jeff taught me all that," he added as she looked at him curiously. "You might've figured it out by now, but he's sort of a prod"
"I'm ready," Luna said confidently, drawing out her own wand. Michael nodded.
"Let's get to work then." He walked her through the complicated protections and defenses he had learned in STRIKE and from his teacher at Salem Academy and soon he was certain no Dark Wizard would penetrate the home anytime soon. Satisfied with their work, Michael sat down on the bed, Luna joining him. They both stared up at the ceiling for a minute before Michael spoke.
"Do you think he knew? Do you think he knew he was attacking us the night before our wedding? Or is our luck just that terrible?" Michael meant for it to sound as a joke, but couldn't help the bitterness that came with the truth. Luna shook her head and smiled at him.
"I don't think so," she replied serenely. "I think all things considered, our luck is very good." As his fiancé moved in to give him a fleeting but deep kiss, Michael couldn't disagree.
"I probably just made a great impression on your dad, huh?" Michael asked with a bit of embarrassment and annoyance. "I spend a day telling him I'll protect you and won't let anyone hurt you, and a psychopath tries to drown us both in a river a few steps from his front lawn."
"No, I think the impression is all right," Luna said dreamily. "I didn't get hurt and in the end, I protected you. I think Dad might worry less now."
A little stung, Michael told her, "I don't think you understand dads, Loon. He'll worry about you forever, even after we turn Voldemort to dust."
"I like that name," Luna said happily.
"And I like to feel like a man every now and again," Michael said, this time able to fully communicate lack of seriousness. "Can't I pull you out of a freezing river for once?"
"I hope you don't have to," Luna said quietly, "but if you really want to feel like a man, you only have to wait until tomorrow night."
Just then, Michael felt like he could fight fifty Owen Stetnases.