NOTE: THIS CHAPTER WILL ACT AS A CATALYST FOR HARRY AND HERMIONE'S ADVENTURES. BUCKLE IN, THIS ONE IS QUITE DIFFERENT (AND SERIOUS).
She clutched her turquoise cardigan tight and wrapped herself in a cashmere shawl as she headed outside to look under the mistletoe and see if it had been again infested by those Nargles. Simply by sight though, you could never tell if she had been under the mistletoe for decades or just started seconds ago.
Ah, those pesky little thieves, always stealing her precious stuff away!
She could do away with them, at least for this Christmas, she hoped. Her young girls stayed indoors with the curtains shut, just as their Nana had always instructed. Oh, only if she could allow them outside than have her poor darlings locked up in that large house, she thought to herself, making her forlorn instantly.
It truly pained her but alas, it simply wasn't possible for her to do it. Perhaps it was best that they stayed hidden. The twilight sky now had a mauvish tint to it, as the old lady started to head back in to spend Christmas Eve with her girls. The presents ought to cheer 'em up, she desperately tried to convince herself.
And lo, there was a sudden loud crack of wind giving way to the appearance of several dark figures dressed in some fine looking robes. As the central figure got closer, she could make out the face of a handsome young man with chiseled cheekbones and chestnut brown hair blowing in the wind as did his leather trench coat.
Auror. Oh, Merlin!
"Ma'am, I must apologize for this sudden appearance, especially this late," he said with a smile that seemed to work like clockwork.
"You must be Miss Lovegood, no?" he enquired, his smile unwavering.
"Yes," Luna said unflinchingly. "How may I help you, Mr-"
"-Hawkworth," he interjected. "I was hoping if I could step inside so we can have a quick discussion, afterall it's Christmas Eve, you wouldn't want to miss being with your family now, would you?" that smile never seemed to fade.
"Um, yes yes...of course, uh, Mr-", "-Hawkworth" he reminded her yet somehow he still managed to sound polite.
Luna walked at a sloth's pace toward the house, some part of her believing she could stall him. Maybe he'll buy the whole old lady act and run out of patience and disapparate out of there with the other Aurors?
"Here, allow me to help you," he gently grabbed her swollen hands and swiftly led her into her house. Not a moment later than he had stepped into the house, his gaze was firmly fixated upon the three young girls.
"Miss Lovegood, your granddaughters are exquisite...uh, apologies, it's great-granddaughters, right?" to which all Luna could muster was an almost inaudible yes, her eyes on the floor.
"Nana!" the three girls said in unison, their voice shaking.
Luna recollected herself and asked in a more or less straight tone, "Would you like a hot beverage, Mr. Hawkworth?"
"Ah yes, forgive my manners but I'd heard Penelopé here brews a wonderful hot cocoa, doesn't she? Ah yes, the Ministry listens to everything these days," he said smiling and facing toward the oldest of the three, who gulped before she could muster but a nod.
"Why, thank you, miss. Oh, and if you girls could allow me a moment with your Nana," he said smiling which seemed sinister in everything but looks.
Hawkworth sat comfortably and resumed, "Miss Lovegood, we just wanted to know of the presence of some Muggles in the area nearby, you wouldn't by any chance, happen to have run into them now, would you? Heard a family by the name of Wilson was seen around these parts," Hawkworth leaned closer.
"I'm sure you're aware of the fact that Minister Campsbury has put the Auror department in charge of rounding up the Muggles left in Britain after us Wizards emerged victorious in the War those foolish Muggles themselves started? Surely a witch of your pute would understand how grave of a threat those lesser folks present us with, especially after so many casualties on our side. Yes?"
Luna simply reached for her wand but before she could, she heard a male voice in her mind politely asking her not to.
He was a legilimens.
Penelopé entered the room and was still shaking as she placed the hot-chocolate on the table. She stood by her Nana, placing her hands on her shoulder, though her legs trembled. Hawkworth once again smiled and reminded her he wasn't done talking to her Nana and extended the same smile to the other two girls who were now peering through the open door.
"Your great-granddaughters are of age now, aren't they?! Penelopé and Daphne at 19 and 17, in that order and uh Millie is 16 though, no? Ought to be preparing for her N.E.W.T.s now," he chuckled.
"Though it's curious, none of them have been enrolled at Hogwarts. It's a wee bit curious, don't you think, miss Lovegood?"
Luna froze.
The smile from his face vanished in an instant and his face turned deathly serious. "You're sheltering Muggles, aren't you, my lady? Those girls have been with you for years, quite a commendable feat. But now that we've won the War, the Muggles will suffer a fate that's been truly long due now, Ministry hears all these days. Ah, what a waste though!"
Just before he could curse her, Luna jumped and reached for her wand. Despite her age, she successfully cast a stunner and hit him square in his chest before rushing to the girls to apparate out of there but Hawkworth was too quick.
He disarmed the old woman, and called for his colleagues who didn't make a peep until that point, rounded the girls and disapparated all in a matter of seconds.
Luna now lay on the floor panting, trying to hold on to the desk for support. A pain shot through her chest and her face filled with tears as she barely managed to stay standing while the house she had spent so long decorating for the girls lay utterly in ruins, their presents ravaged, her precious girls stolen away...only if it weren't for those Nargles.