Demorior Mori Mortuus Amaris

To die for love

By Silver Sparklze

CHAPTER 10

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

Thanks to all my reviewers. Sorry this has taken so long, I've been very busy and uninspired.

"Ginny," Harry began; leading her to look up from the book she was reading. She smiled at Harry warmly, causing his whole body to heat up, almost as if he'd just drunk a case of butterbeer.

"Yes, Harry?" Ginny asked, marking her place.

"What happened to Luna? The Luna I knew two years ago…" Harry trailed off, unsure how to communicate his thoughts.

"Was different?" Harry nodded. "Well, Harry, I'm afraid there's a rather simple explanation for that." Ginny sighed, looking sad.

"What?" Harry queried, not liking the look on Ginny's face.

"She grew up."

"Oh. Is that all?" Harry felt some small measure of relief. He'd been sure it was something more serious from Ginny's melancholy expression. He flinched when Ginny turned on him, eyes flashing.

"Yes, that is all. And contrary to what you might think, Harry, Luna's 'growing up', as I described it is not a good thing. She watched her next-door neighbours being tortured for withholding information that the Death Eaters needed. She watched the two year old that she was baby-sitting in the park be killed for simply being related to said neighbours. She underwent the Cruciatus and Imperius curses when she refused to get out of the way of the child. Seems the Death Eaters had orders only to kill the kid, no one else. So, no, her 'growing up' is not a good thing, it is a terrible, terrible thing that should never have happened!" Ginny was crying by this time, and Harry carefully, and rather awkwardly, placed his arms around her, rocking her backwards and forwards.

"Shh…" Harry said, "Don't cry. Luna's fine. She's a very strong girl. You can see it in the way she acts. Even if she does think there are Purple–Horned Ferinusaums living in the Forbidden Forest." Ginny giggled, a sound which sounded more like a hiccup, and, without any unease, burrowed her way further into Harry's arms.

"Yeah," She said, her voice slightly muffled as it travelled through Harry's robes, "She does, doesn't she."

"Luna?" Luna turned around and saw Miss Chandler. She smiled politely.

"Yes, Miss Chandler?" She asked.

"Please, outside of class, call me Adeline." Miss Chandler requested.

"Ok."

"Great. Uh…is there something wrong? It's just…you weren't really paying attention in class today…"

"I'm fine." Luna said, almost automatically. She'd said it so many times, to so many different people, that the words had lost all meaning. Adeline raised an eyebrow.

"Uh huh." She said, "Now tell me the truth." Luna didn't know what happened, but something suddenly snapped, and she began to rant and rave.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" She yelled, "ANDY WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD!!! HE SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED!!!" She burst into tears, and Adeline gently took her arm and led her into an interesting room. She was pretty sure she'd seen it before, but it looked different now, there were couches everywhere, and a desk with what looked like a muggle tape player on it.

Adeline and Luna headed for one of the couches, and Luna slowly finished crying, and began to blush. "Sorry," She said.

"Why? You've got nothing to be ashamed of. That sounds like it's been festering away at you for quite a while. Why don't you tell me the whole story?"

"I can't." Luna whispered.

"Yes you can. Look," Adeline forced Luna to look at her, grabbing her chin and holding it up. "I wanted to be a counsellor, and even took a course in psychology, as well as doing my Arts Degree. You can tell me anything, and I swear, on pain of death, that it won't go past this room."

"Promise?" Luna asked softly.

"Promise." Adeline affirmed. "So why don't you spill? You'll feel better for it." And so, crying the whole while, Luna told Adeline all about babysitting for the McKenzie's, and how the Death Eaters had arrived while she was in the backyard, and so she'd had to watch by the window as they killed her life-long neighbours, and her mother's former friends. By the time the Aurors (who she'd summoned) had gotten there, it had been too late, and only baby Andy, who'd been asleep upstairs, had been left alive. Luna had taken him out to the park, and they'd been attacked there, two Death Eaters restraining Luna, and then disapparating after Andy was dead, leaving Luna to take care of the mess.

Adeline listened to what Luna was saying, stunned. How could anyone be so cruel?! She reached out and gave Luna a one-armed hug. Luna had begun to cry again, and Adeline let her, staying with her even though they were both missing out on their afternoon classes. Mentally, Adeline shrugged. Let the kids run wild. This was far more important as far as she was concerned. Finally, Luna stopped, hiccuping the whole time.

"S-sorry." Luna said again. Hiccup

"Look," Adeline rubbed Luna's arm soothingly. "As I said before, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. It's been poisoning you for a long time, am I right?" Luna nodded. Hiccup "Well, then there's nothing for you to be sorry about." Luna nodded; looking surprised, which Adeline wouldn't have thought was possible, since she always looked surprised. "And may I ask something?"

"Sure." Hiccup

"Do you always wear a necklace made out of bottle-caps?" Luna giggled, and Adeline smiled. "I think you'd better get to class. What have you got?"

"Potions." Luna grimaced, "Professor hiccup Snape is gonna hiccup freak."

"Oh don't you worry," Adeline's smile turned into a fully-fledged grin, tinged with mischief, "I'll come and speak to him personally."