Luna

I feel helpless. And it's one of the worst feelings I've ever experienced. I know that Ginny's hurting, but I don't know how to fix it, how to comfort her. It reminds me of my mother's death, the way that Father couldn't function for several month afterwards. How I was trapped in my own helplessness, my inability to make it better, the feeling shudders through me like an icy wave.

But somehow, it's worse with Ginny, and I think, that this time, it's because I really, really love her. I love my father, but not this way. Not in this needy way, where it hurts me worse than my own wounds, seeing her in pain like that.

I see Cielie sitting near the fire, keeping herself away from the family that sits at the other end of the table. I would go to her, just to feel less alone, but she seems like she's in figuring out her own troubles. The way her shoulders shudder softly with silent tears that she's clearly trying to hide, keep me away. I know that feeling, I know that grief, and I know that people need their own time to sort through it. So, I stay away. Powerless to help my friend and my, I'm not sure what Ginny is to me right now, something more than a best friend, but beyond that, I'm not sure.

What brings me out of my thoughts is Kreacher's raspy, complaining voice. However, he barely makes into the room before Sirius kicks him out again. The room returns to its almost silence. The only noises are the soft heaves of Cielie's tears and the crackling of the fire. No one makes a comment on either. Eventually though, it has to be broken. We cannot sit here, everyone of us enshrouded in our clouds of pain and fear, no, the silence must be broken. I figure that now is as good a time as any, but my voice still jars me as it fills the quiet room.

"He'll be alright. I know he will."

I'm not the only one shocked by the breaking of the silence. Ginny stops her pacing, something I've noticed she does when she's nervous, and looks up, her green eyes fixing on mine. In that moment I don't want her to look away, the feelings that have been tucked away for so long are suddenly there. Boiling with a fierceness at the top of everything that is me, it's overwhelming. Then she turns her electrifying gaze back to the flames and the incredible sensation fades. It leaves me feeling empty and exposed.

XxX

Laying awake in the bedroom that Ginny, Cielie and I are sharing, I think about the events of this year. I think about how Ginny and I met Cielie, how everything has been so much more chaotic because Voldemort is back. I smile to myself as I think about the D.A. and about the choir performances. Even with the hag that is Umbridge, Hogwarts is the safe haven that it's always been for me. I think about how lucky we are, that we are safe and together. Because others cannot say the same, because Voldemort is coming out of the shadows and he's bringing the full might of his armies with him.

With these thoughts on my mind I fall into an uneasy sleep. I awaken several times in the night and finally morning comes.

XxX

There's that awful smell that both muggle and wizard hospitals have. The smell that everyone knows, but no one can quite place. Some people think it smells like cleanliness, others find it to be the smell of despair, and myself, I find it to be a combination of the two. While the thought of the hospital brings a lurch of fear and pain, it also brings a comforting blankness. Everything is wiped clean here. Everything is in its 'appropriate place'. Something so different from the chaos of my home.

But today, I feel like I'm out of place. As I look at Cielie, I see that she shares my uncomfortableness. The Weasley's are in the ward just down the hall. Harry stands alone right by the door while Cielie and I are further down. We sit upon a bench that faces out towards a set of windows that look out on a street bustling with muggles. I always found it funny, how we knew that they existed, how we watched them, and helped them, but they never know about us. At least, they don't know that we actually exist, they know all sorts of stories that they've brushed off as myths and fairytales. I often wonder what they would do, if they found out about us.

"Do you really believe everything they said, about Sirius Black I mean?" Cielie's question catches me off guard and brings me out of my own head.

"What do you mean?" I'm not sure why Cielie is asking me this, but from the expression on her face it's bothering her.

"I mean, that he's a good guy, that he didn't kill all those people, that he isn't a death eater," her face shows more of that discomfort.

"Cielie, do you really think that Dumbledore would let a death eater and mass murderer into the headquarters of the very organization bent on defeating Voldemort." She looks uncomfortable, but then shakes her head.

"No, I guess you're right."

"And besides," I add, "Grimauld Place is his house." The shock on her face makes me feel a tiny bit bad, Ginny and I could have filled her in earlier about the broader details of the Order. At the very least we should have told her when we arrived a Grimauld Place yesterday afternoon.

She's quiet for a while, and we are only broken out of the silence when the door to the ward opens and Charlie and Ginny exit, Charlie saying something to Harry as he does, and Harry enters. Ginny comes towards us, Charlie trailing after.

"There's a tea and gift shop up on the fifth floor. You guys want to come?" Charlie asks us. Cielie nods, but Ginny shakes her head.

"I'll stay with Ginny, you can go up to the tea shop with Cielie," I reply, one of my hands slipping into Ginny to offer her a small bit of comfort. Charlie gives us both a nod and walks off with Cielie. Then I turn my eyes on Ginny.

"Are you ok?" I ask her.

She turns to me and opens her mouth to start speaking but all that comes out is a soft sob. I don't think that I've ever seen her like this. My tough Ginny, my sweet, tough Ginny is crying. I wrap my arms around her, and she hugs me back, her tears running wet down her cheeks. And in that moment, all I can think is that I love her, I really, really love her.

Thanks for reading! :)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was fun for me to write from Luna's p.o.v and to start exploring the relationship between Luna and Ginny. Even though they're just a side ship in this fanficion, they're one of my favorite ships for Harry Potter and I might write some drabbles about just them.

-TigerMoon