A/N These last few chapters and a few in the future are short and I'm sorry for that. Some things need to be said alone though. I know I am evil, being as Dragonsbane is always reminding me that I killed Luna and ruined Neville's life. During this chapter I listened to When I Look To The Sky by Train and so…well…alas.
Dementorchic- thanks for reviewing. I promise action soon.
Kitten530- work is grand. But boring. I spend the day thinking of the story and where I'm going with it, thus my boss thinks I'm odd. Which I am. But… bleh.
Lolua- I went back and read the parts you talked about. I see when you mean but when I read the book I just didn't take it to mean that. I figured that it was because Harry was capable of loving and not just his love for Sirius. Funny you should mention the parallel between Lily and Ginny, I didn't do that on purpose. Lily had to be the last to speak though, because she was the only one who could give him a straight answer. Everyone else had to be cryptic. I don't know if Harry was hallucinating or if the things he saw were really there. The people were the ghosts from his eyes. His daughter could see them, but no one else could. He had to let go of them to make them go away and that is what he was doing when they spoke to him. Or what he will do soon. There will be a few surprises yet. Just remember Draco has a head start on Hermione. But not on Harry and the other two. And it's extremely difficult to get out of the forest. Thanks for reviewing. I love the huge reviews they make me smile.
Thanks all for reading. Review more.
(Harry)
At first I focused on remaining upright. My feet stumbled lazily about on their own, refusing to obey me. Several times Ginny nearly toppled over after me, but we always caught our balance in the end. She wasn't as strong as Neville and I didn't want to hurt her so I tried to keep most of my weight off of her. The first mile was the worst, but I soon grew accustomed to our uneven pace and began to consider recent events.
Exhausted as I was, I continued to try and understand Draco's motives. He had done an amazing job of fooling us. Every word he said seemed true and perhaps, to a degree, it was. After all, there had been no pretense of caring for any individual other than himself. I realized my mistake in never asking for his motives, I had merely taken Hermione's word for everything and allowed her to bring the evil straight into the heart of our operation, and our family.
My thoughts paused as Ginny stopped walking. Up ahead Neville had halted as well, his eyes looking over the path in front of him curiously.
"I think we go that way." He said looking back at Ginny and I.
She nodded and shifted her weight anxiously, as if the pause were causing her muscles to cramp. There was something more as well. His eyes lingered on her a moment to long, and she seemed far to eager not to meet his gaze. A lump rose in my throat as we continued walking.
"So," I tried to sound casual, "How long have you been sleeping with Neville?"
Whatever reaction I was expecting, it was not for her to continue on as though I had not spoken. Part of me had hoped she would act shocked and tell me she hadn't, or that she would just start crying and beg me not to be angry, or even that she would yell and tell me it was my fault. Instead she looked at me for a long moment and then altered her arm's position around me.
"Well I guess that explains things." I muttered and clenched my jaw.
"Can we talk about this later." She asked quietly.
"I think this is the perfect time to talk about it. Taking a leisurely stroll through the forest with my wife and her lover, yes now is just about right."
I found I no longer wanted to be touching her, and tried to stand on my own. Her tongue ran quickly over her lips and she looked at me, catching more of my weight on her shoulder as I stumbled again.
"He isn't my lover." She spat the last word disgustedly.
"Oh, do you have a special name for him then? Some term of endearment? Please, tell me, I must know what to call him now."
"Stop this."
"What? What should I stop? Am I doing something that bothers you?"
She swallowed hard and looked at me.
"Once. Only once."
I was speechless for a time, unable to ask my next question, fearing the answer. Finally I took a deep breath and asked "Why?"
She narrowed her eyes in thought and seemed to be considering the man walking a good distance in front of us. My mind raced and I waited for her response. Anger boiled up in my chest, followed by the urge to cry. After a quick debate I chose anger.
"Never mind. I don't want to know why." I said and didn't meet her gaze.
After another bout of silence I again spoke, "Is it over?"
"Between Neville and I, or between us?"
"Either."
Again she caught me as I fell, her free hand reaching out to grab a tree trunk for stability. Once we were both back on out feet I noticed her hand was bleeding. Any other time, she would have stopped to clean and bandage it, now she simply wiped the blood off on her tunic.
"The first was over before it began." She whispered.
"And the second?"
"I suppose that's up to you."
I nodded, "Lets talk about this later."
(Neville)
The path was difficult to follow, sometimes it split or faded into nothing only to reappear a few steps later. My eyes strained to find it's edges and to keep from walking to fast for the others. Ginny was not as strong as I was, so I had been reluctant for her to carry her injured husband. As usual though, she managed. Once the trail disappeared entirely, leaving nothing but coarse underbrush in my way. Frantically I scanned the ground until I saw an opening.
"I think we go that way." I called.
Ginny was panting a bit and looked away when I caught her eye for a moment. Without another word I turned and began walking again. I heard the familiar sound of Harry's voice, but could not understand what he was saying. Despite my curiosity I did not hang back to hear what he was saying to her, instead I quickened my pace.
My mind drifted a little. I worried for my daughters again. If something happened to them I knew I'd never make it through another day. I wondered if Ivy was having trouble sleeping in a different bed or if Lotus was enjoying the abundant plant life. While they were very much alike, each child was their own unique person. Ivy was much like her mother, airy, silly and always mysterious. Also like Luna she took her time with things. Even when she was being mischievous, there was always a certain amount of patience involved. Lotus, on the other hand, was more like me. She was not stupid, but it took her several tries to get something right, and her memory was always a bit off. Still she had a gentle way. A certain grace in the face of her clumsiness that let her care for her garden and help me about the shop.
I sighed and paused again as I felt Ginny's gaze on my back. There was no need to turn and look. Shaking off the feeling, I checked my feet to be sure I hadn't wandered off the way.
There was no doubting that Luna would have been proud of her children. If she were still alive, this mess never would have happened. We'd all be safe in our house. The girls playing in the front room while Luna sang quietly in our bedroom as she changed clothes and got ready to sleep, I'd be trying to herd the twins up stairs in the direction of their room. My throat felt tight as I thought of her, no matter how much time passed, that was a wound that would never heal. I prayed that the girls would be unharmed when we reached out destination. I couldn't stand to let Luna down like that.
The sound of cracking twigs and heavy footsteps told me they had stumbled again. Soon I'd have to carry him again and Ginny would lead. He needed a soft bed to lay in, perhaps for a week, but those things were far away. My shoulders ached at the thought of hefting him about again, though I said nothing. I felt I owed him that, and much more.
The voices behind me ceased and I let a few more minutes pass before I offered to carry him again.
"I'll take him for awhile." I said walking back to where they continued to struggle on.
Ginny nodded silently and cast an odd look at her husband, he stared straight ahead into the trees.
"Doing alright there, Harry?" I asked wrapping my arm under his and balancing his weight.
"Fine."
"Whatever she used on your throat seemed to be working, the swelling has gone down. How's your gut feeling? Pretty lucky he didn't hit anything vital." I tried to make conversation.
"No. He left that to you."
My mouth dried up and I found I couldn't talk. His green eyes turned to me accusingly, and I met them with great reluctance.
"Did you think I wouldn't know?"
His fingers dug harshly into my shoulder and I flinched a little.
"She's my wife, Neville."
"I …"
"And you are my brother."
"Harry …"
"Why?" He asked still watching me.
I looked away and tried to focus on something else, anything else, but he piercing stare of his eyes. A thousand answers raced through my head, she was hurting, she needed me, I wanted her, I loved her, we were lonely …
"I don't know." I replied quietly.
"You don't know? Surely you must have had some reasoning. Some motive for fucking my wife."
My jaw tightened and I turned to look back at him, "You think that's all it was? I thought you knew me better than that. You honestly think I would use her for some casual … fuck."
I knew that my words were not going to ease the situation, and I hated the last more than anything as it rolled off my tongue.
"I think that's what hurts the most. I do know you better than that."
I looked away again, his painful expression was to much for me to bear.
"Neville Longbottom has no accidental sexual encounters. He's far to noble for that. He has to feel something for the person first, he has to love them. How long have you been in love with Ginny?"
"I'm not anymore." I answered honestly.
"But you were."
"I don't remember how long. But I'm not anymore." I repeated.
"What would Luna say? She loved you."
I let go and Harry fell to the ground hard. For a second he lay on his side gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of him. I made no move to help him up or reach for the glasses that had fallen from his eyes onto the ground nearby.
"What do you know about love? The most wonderful woman in the would loved you and you didn't even take the time to see."
Shakily he placed his spectacles on his nose again and looked up at me with an expression I couldn't read.
"Are you alright?" Ginny called from further ahead.
"Fine."
"Okay then." She replied sounding doubtful.
Wincing in pain Harry reached for my hand and I pulled him to his feet. Quickly we composed ourselves and continued walking.
"I'm sorry." I told him looking away.
"No, I think I'm alright." He answered picking a leaf off his shirt.
"Not about that. About the other."
"Do you regret it?" There was a hint of venom in his voice.
"No."
"Then why bother to say you were sorry?"
"Because what we did hurts you, that was never our intention."
When he spoke I heard a hint of sadness, "When this is over I don't want you around."
I nodded grimly.
Dementorchic- thanks for reviewing. I promise action soon.
Kitten530- work is grand. But boring. I spend the day thinking of the story and where I'm going with it, thus my boss thinks I'm odd. Which I am. But… bleh.
Lolua- I went back and read the parts you talked about. I see when you mean but when I read the book I just didn't take it to mean that. I figured that it was because Harry was capable of loving and not just his love for Sirius. Funny you should mention the parallel between Lily and Ginny, I didn't do that on purpose. Lily had to be the last to speak though, because she was the only one who could give him a straight answer. Everyone else had to be cryptic. I don't know if Harry was hallucinating or if the things he saw were really there. The people were the ghosts from his eyes. His daughter could see them, but no one else could. He had to let go of them to make them go away and that is what he was doing when they spoke to him. Or what he will do soon. There will be a few surprises yet. Just remember Draco has a head start on Hermione. But not on Harry and the other two. And it's extremely difficult to get out of the forest. Thanks for reviewing. I love the huge reviews they make me smile.
Thanks all for reading. Review more.
(Harry)
At first I focused on remaining upright. My feet stumbled lazily about on their own, refusing to obey me. Several times Ginny nearly toppled over after me, but we always caught our balance in the end. She wasn't as strong as Neville and I didn't want to hurt her so I tried to keep most of my weight off of her. The first mile was the worst, but I soon grew accustomed to our uneven pace and began to consider recent events.
Exhausted as I was, I continued to try and understand Draco's motives. He had done an amazing job of fooling us. Every word he said seemed true and perhaps, to a degree, it was. After all, there had been no pretense of caring for any individual other than himself. I realized my mistake in never asking for his motives, I had merely taken Hermione's word for everything and allowed her to bring the evil straight into the heart of our operation, and our family.
My thoughts paused as Ginny stopped walking. Up ahead Neville had halted as well, his eyes looking over the path in front of him curiously.
"I think we go that way." He said looking back at Ginny and I.
She nodded and shifted her weight anxiously, as if the pause were causing her muscles to cramp. There was something more as well. His eyes lingered on her a moment to long, and she seemed far to eager not to meet his gaze. A lump rose in my throat as we continued walking.
"So," I tried to sound casual, "How long have you been sleeping with Neville?"
Whatever reaction I was expecting, it was not for her to continue on as though I had not spoken. Part of me had hoped she would act shocked and tell me she hadn't, or that she would just start crying and beg me not to be angry, or even that she would yell and tell me it was my fault. Instead she looked at me for a long moment and then altered her arm's position around me.
"Well I guess that explains things." I muttered and clenched my jaw.
"Can we talk about this later." She asked quietly.
"I think this is the perfect time to talk about it. Taking a leisurely stroll through the forest with my wife and her lover, yes now is just about right."
I found I no longer wanted to be touching her, and tried to stand on my own. Her tongue ran quickly over her lips and she looked at me, catching more of my weight on her shoulder as I stumbled again.
"He isn't my lover." She spat the last word disgustedly.
"Oh, do you have a special name for him then? Some term of endearment? Please, tell me, I must know what to call him now."
"Stop this."
"What? What should I stop? Am I doing something that bothers you?"
She swallowed hard and looked at me.
"Once. Only once."
I was speechless for a time, unable to ask my next question, fearing the answer. Finally I took a deep breath and asked "Why?"
She narrowed her eyes in thought and seemed to be considering the man walking a good distance in front of us. My mind raced and I waited for her response. Anger boiled up in my chest, followed by the urge to cry. After a quick debate I chose anger.
"Never mind. I don't want to know why." I said and didn't meet her gaze.
After another bout of silence I again spoke, "Is it over?"
"Between Neville and I, or between us?"
"Either."
Again she caught me as I fell, her free hand reaching out to grab a tree trunk for stability. Once we were both back on out feet I noticed her hand was bleeding. Any other time, she would have stopped to clean and bandage it, now she simply wiped the blood off on her tunic.
"The first was over before it began." She whispered.
"And the second?"
"I suppose that's up to you."
I nodded, "Lets talk about this later."
(Neville)
The path was difficult to follow, sometimes it split or faded into nothing only to reappear a few steps later. My eyes strained to find it's edges and to keep from walking to fast for the others. Ginny was not as strong as I was, so I had been reluctant for her to carry her injured husband. As usual though, she managed. Once the trail disappeared entirely, leaving nothing but coarse underbrush in my way. Frantically I scanned the ground until I saw an opening.
"I think we go that way." I called.
Ginny was panting a bit and looked away when I caught her eye for a moment. Without another word I turned and began walking again. I heard the familiar sound of Harry's voice, but could not understand what he was saying. Despite my curiosity I did not hang back to hear what he was saying to her, instead I quickened my pace.
My mind drifted a little. I worried for my daughters again. If something happened to them I knew I'd never make it through another day. I wondered if Ivy was having trouble sleeping in a different bed or if Lotus was enjoying the abundant plant life. While they were very much alike, each child was their own unique person. Ivy was much like her mother, airy, silly and always mysterious. Also like Luna she took her time with things. Even when she was being mischievous, there was always a certain amount of patience involved. Lotus, on the other hand, was more like me. She was not stupid, but it took her several tries to get something right, and her memory was always a bit off. Still she had a gentle way. A certain grace in the face of her clumsiness that let her care for her garden and help me about the shop.
I sighed and paused again as I felt Ginny's gaze on my back. There was no need to turn and look. Shaking off the feeling, I checked my feet to be sure I hadn't wandered off the way.
There was no doubting that Luna would have been proud of her children. If she were still alive, this mess never would have happened. We'd all be safe in our house. The girls playing in the front room while Luna sang quietly in our bedroom as she changed clothes and got ready to sleep, I'd be trying to herd the twins up stairs in the direction of their room. My throat felt tight as I thought of her, no matter how much time passed, that was a wound that would never heal. I prayed that the girls would be unharmed when we reached out destination. I couldn't stand to let Luna down like that.
The sound of cracking twigs and heavy footsteps told me they had stumbled again. Soon I'd have to carry him again and Ginny would lead. He needed a soft bed to lay in, perhaps for a week, but those things were far away. My shoulders ached at the thought of hefting him about again, though I said nothing. I felt I owed him that, and much more.
The voices behind me ceased and I let a few more minutes pass before I offered to carry him again.
"I'll take him for awhile." I said walking back to where they continued to struggle on.
Ginny nodded silently and cast an odd look at her husband, he stared straight ahead into the trees.
"Doing alright there, Harry?" I asked wrapping my arm under his and balancing his weight.
"Fine."
"Whatever she used on your throat seemed to be working, the swelling has gone down. How's your gut feeling? Pretty lucky he didn't hit anything vital." I tried to make conversation.
"No. He left that to you."
My mouth dried up and I found I couldn't talk. His green eyes turned to me accusingly, and I met them with great reluctance.
"Did you think I wouldn't know?"
His fingers dug harshly into my shoulder and I flinched a little.
"She's my wife, Neville."
"I …"
"And you are my brother."
"Harry …"
"Why?" He asked still watching me.
I looked away and tried to focus on something else, anything else, but he piercing stare of his eyes. A thousand answers raced through my head, she was hurting, she needed me, I wanted her, I loved her, we were lonely …
"I don't know." I replied quietly.
"You don't know? Surely you must have had some reasoning. Some motive for fucking my wife."
My jaw tightened and I turned to look back at him, "You think that's all it was? I thought you knew me better than that. You honestly think I would use her for some casual … fuck."
I knew that my words were not going to ease the situation, and I hated the last more than anything as it rolled off my tongue.
"I think that's what hurts the most. I do know you better than that."
I looked away again, his painful expression was to much for me to bear.
"Neville Longbottom has no accidental sexual encounters. He's far to noble for that. He has to feel something for the person first, he has to love them. How long have you been in love with Ginny?"
"I'm not anymore." I answered honestly.
"But you were."
"I don't remember how long. But I'm not anymore." I repeated.
"What would Luna say? She loved you."
I let go and Harry fell to the ground hard. For a second he lay on his side gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of him. I made no move to help him up or reach for the glasses that had fallen from his eyes onto the ground nearby.
"What do you know about love? The most wonderful woman in the would loved you and you didn't even take the time to see."
Shakily he placed his spectacles on his nose again and looked up at me with an expression I couldn't read.
"Are you alright?" Ginny called from further ahead.
"Fine."
"Okay then." She replied sounding doubtful.
Wincing in pain Harry reached for my hand and I pulled him to his feet. Quickly we composed ourselves and continued walking.
"I'm sorry." I told him looking away.
"No, I think I'm alright." He answered picking a leaf off his shirt.
"Not about that. About the other."
"Do you regret it?" There was a hint of venom in his voice.
"No."
"Then why bother to say you were sorry?"
"Because what we did hurts you, that was never our intention."
When he spoke I heard a hint of sadness, "When this is over I don't want you around."
I nodded grimly.