TITLE: Our Family Secret
FANDOM: HP/BtVS
AUTHOR: Dizzy Flower
PART: 5/?
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Luna has to research an ancestor for History of Magic. When she stumbles across one Drusilla Rose Kent, she has to know what happens to her. Answer to Gidgetgirl's Loopy Challenge.
DISCLAIMER: BtVS and Angel belongs to Joss Whedon. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. This story is an answer to a challenge by Gidgetgirl, so the plot belongs to her.

A/N: Okay, a few people have asked about the timeline. Well, it's set in season four, but that Connor/Cordelia thing never happened. Ick. Anyway, Cordelia came back from her higher dimension, basically the same as she left. Confusing? Hopefully not, but I couldn't think of any other period in which my Luna/Connor pairing would work.

Our Family Secret

Chapter 5-

An Explanation Would Be Nice

Stephen and Luna were seated on bright pink chairs, with their menus resting on bright green tables. Everything in Irene's Ice Creamery was bright and colourful. Luna quite liked it, and wondered if she could decorate her dorm room with the same colour scheme when she got back to school. Somehow she doubted her roommates would be pleased.

"What does your wand do exactly?" Stephen asked as they were waiting for their ice creams.

"It's something that I can use to direct my magic," Luna said. She reached into the bags sitting beside her and pulled out a long, skinny box. "See?" She lifted the lid and showed Stephen her wand, nestled in pale blue tissue paper. Stephen bent forward for a closer look. "It doesn't look like very much," he said doubtfully.

Luna hesitated for a moment before taking out her wand. "It's actually illegal for an underage wizard to do magic, but I'm in America and I have a new wand, so the Ministry won't know." She held her wand out in front of her, and Stephen leapt backwards. Luna didn't appear to see. "Watch," she instructed him, before saying, "Avis!" There was a loud bang and three small birds erupted out of the end of her wand. They twittered before settling on Stephen's shoulders.

"What did you think of that?" She said excitedly, beaming at him.

Stephen gave a weak smile at her, but she noticed he didn't look too pleased. Luna wasn't sure whether this was because of the magic or because the birds were seated on him. She decided on the latter and shooed the birds off his shoulders.

The ice creams arrived at that moment, and so they stopped talking about magic for a while. Luna soon started the conversation up again though. "Why don't you like magic?"

Stephen shrugged. She thought he wasn't going to answer until he said, "My father taught me it was wrong. And it is," he said as an afterthought. Luna rather thought that it sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"Not all magic is bad," Luna argued. "There are spells that can save people's lives, or improve them. Yes, some people use magic for evil- but some people use weapons for evil. It just depends on the user."

Stephen didn't reply to that. Luna watched him play with spoon in his ice cream for a few minutes before deciding to break the silence again. "Anyway, you can't call me a demon just because I can do things most humans can't do. I bet most humans don't have the strength or reflexes you have."

"I'm not a demon!" Stephen said vehemently. A few people turned to look at them.

"I didn't say you were," said Luna as if nothing unusual had happened. "But you can't call me one either."

"Fine," said Stephen, a bit sulkily.

While she was on a winning streak Luna decided to ask a few more questions. "Why did you let me go? And apologise?"

Stephen's eyes dropped down to his spoon and he shrugged again. "Yesterday...you seemed nice. A bit strange, maybe, but nice. My...father said that demons came in many forms. I didn't think you were one but I had to check."

"What made you realise I wasn't one?" Luna asked curiously.

Stephen laughed. It was a strange laugh- it sounded as if he didn't use it much. "No demon could be as clueless as you."

He must have sensed Luna's embarrassment, because he continued, "It's not that you're clueless per se; just about fighting and...confrontations."

"Oh." That cheered Luna up a bit. She gave a smile. Suddenly something occurred to her. "How did you learn so much about demons? And about fighting?"

"My father."

Luna assumed it was an answer to both questions. "Where's your father now?"

"Dead."

"I'm sorry!" Luna bit her lip. She really shouldn't be asking all these questions- it was rude. She was really curious though, and the question slipped out before she could stop it. "How? Oh, I'm sorry, you don't have to-"

"Doesn't matter," Stephen interrupted. "A vampire killed him." He looked broodingly at his ice cream again.

"A vampire?" repeated Luna. "We learn about those at school. In fact-" she suddenly stopped. If a vampire had killed Stephen's father then it was probably best not to mention Drusilla.

"It was Angelus." Stephen's face had a funny look on it. Luna had seen the look on Quidditch players a thousand times before- Stephen was going to avenge his father even if he died doing it.

Wait...

"Did you say Angelus?" Luna asked, eyes wide. "But I thought he had a soul."

"He's still a vampire, soul or no." The look on Stephen's face made Luna swallow the debate that had instantly sprung up on the tip of her tongue.

"He said he didn't do it, but I know he did."

"You've met Angelus?" Luna asked, awed.

A smirk flicked across Stephen's lips before he said, "I sunk him to the bottom of the ocean.'

Luna stared in horror at Stephen. "You what?" she whispered.

Stephen looked back up at her at the tone of her voice. "You're just as shocked as the others. I don't see why you don't understand- he's a vampire. He deserved worse."

"I-I-" Luna gave a gulp. She knew she had to tread carefully here. She didn't need to upset Stephen more than she already had. "Did you hear his side of the story?"

"He said he didn't do it." Stephen repeated, "but I know the truth."

"Look, Stephen," Luna began. She hesitated at the expression on Stephen's face and looked down at her ice cream so she couldn't see him. Cautiously she continued, "My mother's dead. I knew what you're going through. But...maybe you went a bit too far to take revenge on your father's possible killer." She stressed the word possible, and chanced a look up at Stephen's face.

He looked angry. "I know it was him." Stephen hissed.

"Did he have a motive?"

Stephen nodded, but he didn't elaborate. This time Luna held in her curiosity and didn't ask.

"Is he...is he still down there?"

Luna half-dreaded the answer, and she was relieved when Stephen savagely shook his head. "No. His friends got him out." Stephen sounded bitter.

"If he was innocent, what would you do?" Luna asked curiously.

"He's not!" Stephen said, scowling at her. Luna felt like she was speaking to a brick wall.

"I'm speaking hypothetically," Luna explained, trying to be patient. "What would you do if you sank an innocent man to the bottom of the ocean?"

Stephen didn't look overly regretful. "Even if he didn't kill my father, he killed plenty of others."

"Not as Angel, but," Luna reminded him.

Stephen shrugged. "They share the same body."

"But not the same mind." Luna said earnestly. "What would you do then?"

Stephen was silent. Luna could practically see the clogs in his head ticking over. "I know it was him," he whispered, repeating his mantra under his breath. He was trying to convince himself, Luna realised.

She ate a spoonful of the ice cream and waited for Stephen to come up with an idea. She had almost finished her ice cream when he said, "I have no idea."

"Would he forgive you, do you think?"

The ends of Stephen's mouth twitched upwards in an ironical smile. "He already has."

Stephen walked her home. Luna wasn't sure that it was a good idea, given that Stephen seemed to be prone to psychotic episodes. She had thought for a moment that maybe that night he'd come back and murder her in her bed, just like the killer on the crime show she'd watched on the television the night before. Her voice of reason (the one she'd nicknamed Hermione) told her to stop being silly, though, and for once Luna decided to listen to it. So, she let Stephen walk her home and arranged for them to meet outside Madam Mayfair's the next day.

Luna would be lying if she said that the main reason she wanted to spend more time with Stephen was because she liked him. No, she wanted to spend more time with him because she wanted to know about Angel. Angel would lead her to Drusilla, she knew, and she desperately wanted to find her aunt (several times removed). That Stephen was quite good-looking was only an extra, though the fact that he appeared to be a little unbalanced evened that out.

She didn't tell Wesley about Stephen. He seemed like the worrying type, and so he'd probably want to meet Stephen first. That was not a good idea, considering Stephen was a little too free with his fists and would probably start talking about demons at the slightest hint of anything unusual. Luna didn't want Wesley's sweet Muggle illusions to be shattered, so she told Wesley that evening that she would be going on a sight seeing tour the next day.

"Wonderful!" Wesley enthused.

"I'm very much looking forward to it," Luna said dreamily, stabbing a piece of steak with her fork viciously. She saw Wesley blink as she daintily lifted the fork to her mouth. Ginny always joked how her eating habits were strange, but Luna always liked to check that what she was eating was quite dead before she placed it in her mouth. There were quite a few animals that could survive being roasted, after all, and it never hurt to check.

"So...where are you going?"

Luna stiffened. Where was she going? "Umm..." she searched around frantically for a place to go. Then she remembered the brochure about LA Hermione had pushed into her hand before the plane had left. A picture jumped out at her. "To the...er..." What did they call it again? "Letters. Yes, to the letters!"

Wesley stared at her for a moment before comprehension dawned. "Oh, the Hollywood sign!" He gave a little chuckle and Luna smiled in relief. He didn't seem as if he thought anything was wrong.

"Then where?"

Luna's smile wobbled a bit. "I'm not exactly sure," she said, and gave a beaming smile. It was a very good imitation of the airheads at school, and Luna hoped that Wesley would just think her a typical teenage girl and not give another thought to her vagueness.

Wesley gave another nod and looked back down to his steak. Luna thanked Merlin that Muggles could be so dense sometimes. No wonder they were always imagining reasons for things that were perfectly ordinary, like shrinking keys.

Luna paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. Perfectly ordinary things had just given her a brilliant idea. Something that was perfectly ordinary to her, like her book about invisibility that was actually invisible, would be incredibly strange to Muggles. If she could just pretend that she was a Muggle who'd inadvertently found this mystical object, then perhaps she could trick Angel Investigations into looking into her case. It would give her an opportunity to spy on Angel without having to go into dark alleys, and she'd have direct contact with him.

"Are you alright, Luna?" Wesley was staring at her again, and Luna realised she was still holding her fork in mid-air.

"I'm perfectly wonderful."

&&&&&

There was only one problem with her plan, Luna realised later as she lay in bed. She had a funny feeling that Stephen would easily be able to find out that she'd gone to Angel, and as he hated him she doubted he'd be pleased with her.

Obviously Luna would have to tell him. But he already knew she was a witch, and so he'd probably wonder why she needed help understanding something that was normal to her. In which case, Luna decided, she would have to make up another story for Stephen to believe.

She felt bad already, and she was still planning the lie she would say to Stephen. But Luna knew he hated vampires with a passion, and she'd only met him a few times. It didn't seem very unlikely that he would let her try and find Drusilla.

Did it?

They were walking. They weren't holding hands or anything soppy like that. Anyway, the more time she spent with him the more Luna was sure Stephen didn't know how to soppy even if his life depended on it.

Luna and Stephen had been walking for a while, but Luna had neither taken notice of the scenery nor worked out how to talk to Stephen about her plan. It was almost lunchtime when she broached the subject. "How do you feel about family, Stephen?" Luna's heartbeat began to beat faster as Stephen opened his mouth to answer. What he said would determine how her plan went.

He gave her a funny look before he answered, as if he knew she was nervous. Luna pasted a brave smile on her face and waited for him to speak.

"I think that family is...important," he said slowly, spotting a bench by the pavement. He walked over to it, still speaking. Luna hurried to catch up. "But family is more than just blood."

He thought family was important. That was a good sign, but Luna was still unsure about what plan to go for. Plan A was simple: she'd tell Stephen the truth about Drusilla and why she was here in LA. Plan B was a little different.

"What would you do if one of your family was turned?" Luna asked curiously, sitting down on the bench next to Stephen.

His face closed up, but he shrugged offhandedly. "Staking them would be the kindest thing. They aren't your relatives any more- just shells." He smiled grimly.

Luna gulped. Okay. Plan A was definitely out then.

"Why did you ask?"

Luna took a deep breath and began her 'explanation'. "When you told me about what happened to your father, I felt really awful for you. But at the same time I didn't think that Angel did it. I would really, really like to be able to find out the truth, and I think I've worked out a way that just might do that."

"No."

Whatever reaction Luna had been expecting, it hadn't been that. "N-No?" She repeated, her face falling. "But..."

"I said no." Stephen's voice was dangerously calm, and Luna was filled with a sudden sense of apprehension.

"Just hear me out first," Luna ventured timidly, the image of Stephen killing the demonic crab flashing through her mind. "Angel can investigate a case of mine, only the case isn't real, and then I can see if he killed your dad or not-"

"I said no!" Stephen snarled, and Luna stopped talking immediately. "I do not want you interfering with my life or coming near my fa- I mean, Angel. I haven't meddled in your witch stuff- so do the same for me and stay out of my life."

"We've only known each other a few days," protested Luna weakly. "How do I know what you think of my being a witch?"

Stephen didn't answer but he stood up and Luna knew the conversation was over. "This morning was very enjoyable," Stephen told her rather formally, and Luna could tell that beneath his smooth exterior he was angry with her. "Perhaps I will see you again."

"Yeah," Luna muttered softly, watching Stephen walk quickly away. "Perhaps." In another lifetime, perhaps. He seemed to be so angry with her that she doubted they'd ever see each other again. She didn't get it- what exactly had she said wrong? A few rehearsed lines about his father and wanting to find out the truth, that was all. They were nothing to fly into a rage about.

Luna gave a deep sigh and slumped down on the bench. Looked like she'd have to follow Plan C, a mixture of her other plans. Plan C was riddled with holes and now that she and Stephen were on the outs it was going to be very hard not to be exposed as a fraud. Still, on the upside she wouldn't be deceiving Stephen any more. Sure they'd only known each other a few days but Luna hated to lie to anybody, even if it was practically a stranger.

As she began to walk back to Wesley's apartment Luna reflected on what Hermione would say on all of this. Hermione would probably blast her for being so open with a Muggle like Stephen, and then point out all the things that could go wrong with her plan. As to Stephen himself, Luna could just imagine Hermione telling her that she should never have made friends with the wacko anyway and she was better off without him.

Luna knew what it felt like to be called a wacko. She'd been called wacko, loony, weird, and creepy more times than she could count, but she knew inside that she wasn't any of them. If she wasn't strange, then maybe Stephen wasn't either.

&&&&&

TBC...