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Chapter 14 - Mission Failed

........Luna.....

Harry found the silvery blond haired girl sitting on the sofa that he and his bestfriends had occupied a while ago. He saw her serenely sitting there with eyes half-closed as if lost in deep thought and unconsciously stroking the leaves of the plant they retrieved from the Quibbler's office. Just watching her made him smile. He slowly approached her, all the while wondering how it would feel if her soft hand was stroking his hand instead. They held hands before, usually in times of distress, but he could remember being pacified by her touch. It was amazing.

As if sensing his presence, Luna suddenly turned her gaze on him and gave him a slight smile. It immediately warmed his heart and he noticed that her usual blank stares and ethereal appearance were replaced with warmth and fragility. She timidly invited him to sit beside her, unsure of his reaction, but was pleased when he also gave him a smile and proceeded to do so. Not knowing what to say, he contented himself with watching the young woman caressing the magical plant.

"Harry, you didn't have to do that for me..." said Luna, finally breaking the silence.

"What?" asked Harry in confusion.

"You didn't have to defend me. I'm quite used to insults, you know. Not just from her but from everybody else. That thing with Cho....she was your girlfriend....and I feel terrible for making things bad between the two of you." said Luna as she lowered her gaze to the ground, neglecting the plant she was holding on her lap.

"No, I didn't have to but I want to. Cho was my girlfriend, not anymore. You're one of the most wonderful person I had been fortunate enough to meet and I could not stand hearing someone belittling you. You're very special and no one does that to any of the people I care about, not even her." said Harry, lifting her chin up to meet his gaze.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she reluctantly asked but other rather awkward questions nagging her mind were left unsaid.

"I don't know...maybe because you were the only one I could talk to about Sirius' death without feeling guilt and pressure...maybe because you were the only one brave enough to communicate with me when I was almost suicidal in my aunt's house....I am not sure....maybe it's simply because I now realized that there were so much more to you than meets the eye. You're kind, smart, brave and you make me happy." Luna blushed at his words and averted her gaze again.

"I didn't know you were very expressive, Harry." she said in a hushed whisper as if she was finding it hard to say the words.

"Maybe you just bring out the best in me..." said Harry simply, taking hold of her free hand and lifted it to his lips.

Luna stared at him in amazement and almost drowned in the whirlwind of emotion flickering on his handsome face. She started to get up and leave the place but she found her knees too weak to go anywhere. She stared helplessly at the young man caressing her hand. She tried to get away from the nerve-wracking sensations but her knees wobbled from the sudden movement causing her to fall on his lap. Harry immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer while whispering to her ear, "Don't be afraid. I like you....I really do...and I haven't felt this way to anyone before...not even Cho...so please...don't escape from me."

At his words, Luna reluctantly wrapped her arms around him and nervously kissed him on the cheek..."I like you too, Harry."

Harry slowly bent his head, embracing her tightly to ----

"There you are! Oooopss, so sooorrrry!" said Ron, quickly hiding himself behind the shelf. Harry could swear he heard some muffled laughter from behind making him wonder how long have they been watching them.

"What do you want?" snapped Harry annoyed at the interruption but did not release his hold on Luna.

"Nothing! Just friends, huh?" Several DA members removed the disillusionment charm on themselves and teased the two relentlessly, led by Ron and the twins of course, before running to the dinner table.

"By the way, sorry for the ummm....interruption. Moody just asked us to tell you that we need to eat dinner now." shouted Ron from afar.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!RONALD WEASLEY! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU SOMEDAY!" groaned Harry. There was no doubt now that they heard and saw everything. He looked at the red-faced Luna, her head slightly buried on his chest in embarrassment and he realized that he did not care. So what if they saw them like this?

"Hush, it's okay. At least now they know. They actually saved us the trouble of informing them, don't you think?" stated Harry, releasing his grip on her.

They walked hand in hand to the dining table, ignoring the snickers and some blatant teasings from their friends. But aside from that, dinner was uneventful. If anything,,. it only served to remind the four team leaders about their mission that night. The others had no idea about it but they sensed the apprehension on their leaders' faces. Their suspicion grew more when Professor Moody signaled the four to go to the training room with him.

Harry muttered a distracted 'wait for me' to Luna and stood up to follow Moody. But before he could go, Luna steered him to a more private place and kissed lightly on his left cheek.

"What's that for?"

"That's to say thank you for making me feel special." Then she kissed him again on his right cheek. "This is for good luck on whatever you're going to do tonight. Don't deny it." She then slowly put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his. "This is to make sure that you'd come back safely."

Harry smiled at this and drew her close again. This time their lips met with unrestrained passion with his left hand gently caressing her back, making them both weak with longing. He pulled away reluctantly as he remembered the mission.

"What was that for?" asked Luna breathlessly.

"That's to make sure that you'd wait for me." replied Harry with a grin.

"Silly. Of course, I'd wait for you."

After forcing the disgusting potion into their mouths, the four team leaders proceeded to apparate outside Grimmauld Place and enter in the usual way. It might appear highly suspicious if Harry just apparate all of them inside. The captives were not that powerful yet.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" shouted Draco in welcome when they saw his visitors. He motioned all of them to sit down. "Does father want anything?"

The four just shook their heads dumbly.

"Well, it doesn't matter. At least I have some decent company now. I'm so bored here." drawled Draco. Ron, in the face of Crabbe, clenched his fist to suppress his growing rage.

"What about your slave? Isn't she entertaining enough?" asked Hermione who took the appearance of Pansy. She was surprised when she noticed a concerned look pass his face so fast that she almost thought she imagined it.

"I got tired of her and besides, I can't spend all my energy ravishing her. It's just a waste of time. So what brings you here?" replied Draco lazily but the previous welcoming tone was gone. It was as if he did not want them there anymore.

"Nothing. Bored to tears too. Hexing people are not so fun anymore. Can we have a go at your slave? I'm sure we'd find her enjoyable." said Goyle, Harry in polyjuice, attempting to discern how cruel Draco was to Ginny. He was taken aback when Draco hastily stood up and pointed his wand at him.

"Don't you dare, Goyle. No one touches my property. She's mine!" Draco also pointed his wand at the other two boys. "That goes for you, too."

"Err...umm...no need to get upset, Draco. We're just asking, you know." said Lee who took Nott's appearance but he, too, was wondering about Draco's reaction.

"So, where's she? Your father asked us to check on her. You wouldn't want us to tell him something he doesn't want to hear, do you?" asked Hermione shrewdly. She knew they only have one hour before the effect of the polyjuice potion wears off and they couldn't waste anymore time talking to him.

"In the left bedroom upstairs. Don't bother her. She's sleeping now." replied Draco with a hint of panic in his voice. Hermione raised one eyebrow but decided not to comment on it. Harry chose that moment to summon some butterbeers and gave one to each one of them, careful to put a few drops of sleeping potion before he handed one to Draco.

"Doesn't matter. Come on! Let's drink to victory!" announced Harry and they all took large swigs on the beverage.

Within seconds, Draco collapsed on the sofa, unconscious. The three boys acted as look-outs while Hermione hastily went upstairs to retrieve what they thought was a thoroughly destroyed Ginny. They decided to let her go alone for they did not want to find Ginny in a very compromising situation. Several minutes had passed but still no Hermione and Ginny. They carefully checked the watch and was shocked to see that they did not have much time left.

"Hermione! Come back now! We're running out of time!" shouted Ron. He was answered by an ear-splitting scream, unmistakably Hermione's.

Harry and Ron hastily ran upstairs to help her, leaving Lee to stand guard, but was utterly shaken by the sight that greeted them. They found Ginny with her wand pointed at Hermione who was twisting on the ground in extreme pain. They wondered how come Ginny had a wand with her but they were more disturbed about the fact that she hit Hermione with an unforgivable curse.

"Ginny! STOP! That's Hermione. We came to rescue you." shouted Ron, thinking that his sister thought they were enemies.

"I know." answered Ginny calmly without turning to face them.

"You knew? B-but why?" Ron was clearly flabbergasted at her response.

Harry was now wondering if she was under the Imperius curse. Ginny slowly turned around to point her wand at them. Harry looked directly into her eyes, watching for tell-tale signs of magical control. There was none. He only saw absolute hatred on her once radiant eyes. She was acting on her own free will.

"You let me down...CRUCIO!" she cursed Ron and he immediately fell on his knees, completely unprepared for the attack.

"No, Ginny, you're wrong. Sorry if we didn't come earlier. But now we're here. Please come back with us." pleaded Harry, unwilling to curse the person he always treated as his younger sister.

Ginny hesitated for a moment, thinking of what he said, but decided to ignore his plea. Her dark expression returned. "I won't. I belong here.....CRUCIO!" she bellowed at him, instantly lifting the curse on Ron who was still too weak to move.

"PROTEGO!" shouted Harry. Inspite of everything, he still did not want to harm her in any way.

Sensing that she could not defeat Harry on a duel, Ginny quickly ran downstairs but seeing Draco's unconscious state fuelled her rage. "You hurt him!" she exclaimed as she ran back to where Harry was.

"LEGILIMENS!" screamed Harry in frustration. He desperately wanted to know what happened to make her act this way. Behind him, Ron and Hermione were slowly regaining their strength and watched in amazement as Ginny clutched her head in an attempt to block Harry's effort to break into her mind. But Harry was stronger. Soon images of Draco and Ginny flashed into his mind. Ginny being taken away from Hogwarts...Ginny terrified at being left alone in a dark and smelly dungeon ...Draco choosing her to be his personal slave...Draco and Ginny locked in a tight embrace....Ginny lying on his lap....Ginny eagerly preparing dinner for the two of them...

Harry broke the contact in shock and stared at Ginny in disbelief. None of those images portrayed Draco forcing her to do anything. She was very much willing...As he watched the young girl weakly struggle on her feet, he quickly beckoned Ron and Hermione to follow him downstairs. Without a word, he grabbed their hands and motioned Lee to hold him too. Before they could even ask him anything, the four were immediately lifted from the ground and were spun around in a spiral motion. When their feet touched the ground, they were already at the training room.

They saw eager faces waiting for them...especially the twins who really took an effort to create welcome banners for Ginny. Even the professors were in high spirits. It was Neville who noticed them first. "Hey, what happened?"

Everyone turned to the four at once. Ron and Hermione were still weakly clutching their sides, pain clearly etched on their faces. Lee seemed perplexed but Harry wore a blank expression that they could not fathom.

"What happened?" asked Professor McGonagall looking worried.

"We had a little problem with Ginny, professor." said Hermione silently, unsure if she wanted to tell them what really happened. She could not believe it herself. She watched silently as Luna unconcernedly walked towards Harry and massaged his forehead. The simple action gradually eased his tension and she saw Harry visibly relax. "Ask him." said Hermione to Professor McGonagall, pointing one shaky at Harry.

"Harry, where's Ginny?" ventured one worried Fred who couldn't take the silence anymore.

Harry closed his eyes, taking his time before he carefully answered, "She did not want to come."

"B-but why?" asked George, nearly falling on his chair as he did so.

Harry wished he did not know the answer to that because the truth was painful and unacceptable in the current circumstances but he was left with no choice. He sighed deeply as he replied, "She's in love with him." Seeing their disbelieving faces, he continued. "She used the cruciatus curse on Ron and Hermione..." Several gasps were heard. "I used Legilimency to find out and...and...I saw everything. Draco did not force her. She's willing."

Professor Moody started to say something but Harry cut him off.

"We failed. I'm sorry." Harry said as he looked at each of Ginny's brothers. He was grateful to see that they don't blame him at all but the disappointment on their faces was starting to weigh him down. He felt Luna's hand on his shoulders, discreetly leading him away from the group.