Chapter 18 - Home

The next day George accompanied Luna back to St Mungo's. After a barrage of tests the healers informed them that she seemed to be fully recovered and she received clearance to resume normal activities, although they suggested as a precautionary measure she have someone travel with her the first couple of times she flew or apparated.

As they left the waiting room, George gave her a big hug. "That's great news! So, which do you want to try first? Flying or apparating?"

Luna thought for a moment. "Apparating, I think."

"Want me to side apparate you somewhere to begin with? Get you back in the swing of things?"

"I think that would be a good idea. Splinching would be miserable way to celebrate getting my wings back."

"Agreed," he said as they reached one of the designated apparition points in the hospital. He pulled her close and asked, "So - where to? The Burrow? Hogsmeade? Diagon Alley?"

"The cottage."

He was clearly not expecting that to be her first choice. "Are you sure, Luna?"

She gave a determined nod. "I need to see it. I have to start figuring out if I can rebuild or if I need to be exploring other options."

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"I-it's pretty bad, Luna. I hate the thought of upsetting you so soon after receiving good news."

"I appreciate that, George, but it's been weighing on my mind ever since the accident. I need to do this and I think it ought to be sooner rather than later."

"Okay. If you insist. Hold tight."

They experienced the familiar twisting, turning, falling sensation before landing beside what was left of Luna's home.

His heart ached as she silently surveyed the utter devastation in front of them. What hadn't come down in the original collapse was now crumbling due to erosion and lack of support.

All that remained of the house were some of the larger foundation stones, which jutted from the ground like an uneven row of broken teeth. The spot where Luna had been standing when the structure fell was now a pile of debris with only a bit of the hearth left to denote where the fireplace had been.

She wandered through the storm ravaged garden, pausing to pay her respects to the tattered remnants of her father's beloved mistletoe before proceeding to the house itself. George stayed close as she picked her way through the rubble, steadying her when she would lose her footing on a loose bit of rock. He couldn't think of anything comforting to say so he didn't speak at all, simply allowing her the time to begin processing how much she'd lost.

Luna managed to maintain her composure until she bent down to pick up a fragment of crumbling plaster. From the colors and pattern painted on it George assumed it had been part of one of the murals she created during her sleepless nights. She examined it closely then fell to her knees and started to weep.

For the first time in such a situation he didn't hesitate or wonder what he ought to do. He knelt beside her, gathered her into his arms, stroked her hair and held her.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed. "It's silly. I knew it was going to be bad. Everyone told me. I understood it was gone and yet..."

"Yet you still had hope."

She leaned her head against his chest and nodded. "Pretty stupid, I guess."

George tightened his grip on her. "No. Not stupid. Not stupid at all. Sometimes hope is all we have."

She remained like that for a long time before taking a deep breath and rising to her feet. "Right. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a few moments by myself, please."

He reached for her hand. "You sure?"

"Yes. Before I can consider the future, I need to say goodbye to what used to be. I think I need to be alone for that."

"If you say so." George gave her fingers a squeeze as he stepped away. "I'll wander around and see if I can find anything the others might have missed, okay?"

He left her to do what she needed and began slowly walking the edge of the property, scanning closely for any trace of her past that might serve as a comfort for her. There wasn't much but he was able to spot a butterbeer cork necklace tangled among the branches of a downed Gurdyroot bush. It took a bit of effort but he managed to free it without causing too much damage.

When he returned, he found her sitting beside the shattered remains of the old sundial. The image brought to mind something Ron had said. George pulled out his wand and considered it carefully.

He hadn't been able to cast a patronus since the day his twin died and had resigned himself to never being able to do so again. He closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the steps. He planted his feet, relaxed his shoulders and readied his wand.

Now came the hard part. Finding a happy memory.

At first nothing came to mind. He decided to try the memory of winning the Quidditch Championship. Nothing. He tried he and Fred's triumphant exit from Hogwarts. This produced a brief spark but nothing more.

He shifted his stance and tried again, this time recalling the Grand Opening of the shop. This allowed him to conjure a weak silver wisp that lingered for a moment before dissolving in the early evening air.

He set his jaw in determination. He put aside memories of his brother for a moment and tried to come up with something else. In a burst of inspiration an idea came to him. He adjusted his grip on the wand and used all his energy to concentrate on the image of Luna just after they'd returned from the Dragon Sanctuary.

He focused on the sparkle in her eyes, the joy in her smile, the sight of her wrapped in his jumper, the smell of the outdoors that lingered about her when she hugged him, the feeling of her arms around his neck and her lips against his cheek. He allowed himself to sink into that memory then made the necessary motions and whispered, "Expecto Patronum."

There was brief pause then a flash of white light burst from his wand. It swirled frantically for a moment before taking the shape of a lithe, silver fox. It dashed around his feet before scampering towards Luna.

George watched the creature prance around her, managing to do a back flip then shaking its tail and bowing playfully before melting away. Although he hadn't been able to maintain the spell as long as he would've liked he took some pleasure in seeing that it had at least brought a smile to Luna's face.

He walked over and took a seat on the ground next to her.

"Your patronus changed form."

"You remember what my patronus was?"

"Of course. Kind of hard to forget two hyenas careening around the room as we were learning the spell," Luna said with a warm smile. "When did that happen?"

"The change?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. That was the first time I've been able to cast one since Fred died. Wasn't able to sustain it very long, I'm afraid."

Luna took his hand in hers. "It was very brave of you to even make the attempt after that long. It was beautiful. Thank you. It helped. Truly."

With his free hand George pulled the necklace from his pocket. "I looked all over but this was all I was able to come up with."

Her face lit up. "You found it!"

She dipped her head and he slipped it around her neck, taking a moment to adjust her hair in the process.

"There," he said. "Right where it belongs."

"Thank you, George!" She kissed his cheek and leaned against him, running her fingers lovingly along each cork. "Mum used to collect these. After she died I made them into this necklace. It made me feel like she was near me whenever I wore it."

He rested his chin on the top of her head and they sat for a long time before he asked, "So, have you made any decisions yet?"

"No. I know what I want to do but I feel I should give it more thought before I move forward."

"Sounds like a solid plan."

They sat until the sun had almost disappeared behind the trees.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I think so."

George helped her to her feet. As she looked over the place once more he took her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Come on. Let's go."

"Where to?"

"Home," he said, pulling her close. "We're going home."