The Thing About Grace
Chapter Five
Luna was shivering almost violently as the icy wind wound around her, snakelike, it stung her skin and whipped her straggly hair around her face and shoulders. At times they would hit large waves and the boat would rise up and slam back down on to the sea with such force, Luna felt sure she would fall out at any moment. This would not happen of course, Goyle was holding on to her so tightly she supposed she would be bruised later. She didn't know how they knew where they were going, all she could see in front and around them was darkness.
It seemed like hours before she could see a small speck of light way off in the distance. She couldn't help but feel some relief that she might get to be somewhere actually warm in a little while, regardless of where it was or who it was with.
The boat ride there have Luna some time to think and wonder. Her absence would most likely be noticed fairly quickly, at least by Dumbledore. He knew of what was going on, but did he know anything of where she was being taken? Her rescue would be delayed by that for certain. Luna frowned in thought, what was she to do? It seemed as though she were doomed to go as these men's captive and be a prisoner for who knew how long.
The boat gave a sudden lurch and Luna gasped as she clung to the side of the vessel. The icy gale was becoming almost unbearable and she clenched her teeth as she gripped to the boat harder.
The two men paid her basically no mind other than Goyle's hand around her arm. After a while Luna was able to make out a dark form growing larger in the distance, the shape of a magnificent fortress. When she was able to hear the waves splashing on the rocks she also heard Crabbe shout at Goyle over the loud engine.
"Pass her to me, you go up front and get ready to dock!"
Goyle thrust her towards Crabbe, clambered to the bow of the ship and grabbed a length of damp rope. As they neared the docks he knotted it to the bow and leaned over the starboard side to catch an anchoring on the dock.
Crabbe turned off the boat engine with another tap of his wand and sent up a flash of green then red then blue. Luna assumed this was a code to someone who was guarding the castle and a moment later and orange flash came from the castle as they waited by the shore. Goyle tied the boat to the dock and hoisted himself onto the wooden planks. Crabbe pushed her towards Goyle who pulled her up out of the boat. Then Crabbe tossed her bag up beside them and pushed himself up on the dock.
"I'll just hang on to this for a while." He grunted and pocketed her wand.
He snatched up her bag, Goyle took a firm hold on her arm once again and led her to a small doorway fashioned into the rocky cliff face. It creaked open and revealed a dank moldy smell that almost made Luna gag.
She was still shivering, her skin covered in goosebumps and freezing to the touch. Sea water dripped from strands of her hair and trickled down her back. Further and further into the cliff side she was led, the corridors and stairwells seemed to never end. Twice Luna slipped on the slick rock, she was a little thankful that Goyle's grip was so firm or she would have surely fallen and gained some nasty sores. They were headed down a long row of dank cells. Goyle dragged her along to the end of the hall and wrenched open the bar to a cell near the door leading out of the dungeons, Luna supposed.
He thrust her roughly in to the small space, slammed the door shut and muttered
"Finite." As he pointed his wand at her.
Crabbe and Goyle both gave her nasty smiles before they turned and made to exit through the door in the hall. "
"Sweet dreams, poppet." Grunted Crabbe and they both chuckled.
Luna listened to their footsteps as they grew more and more quiet. She listened until she couldn't hear them anymore. Then there was nothing.
She hadn't realized how dark it was. The cell had a miniscule window, the pale moon casting a sliver of light into the hall. She felt her way to corner of the little room, crouched onto the floor and made there was nothing under her before she sat with her knees tucked up to her chest.
"At least I don't have to go to the loo." Luna thought.
The silence pressed in around her, a cloud passed over the moon and doused the room into darkness. Luna could almost feel it bathing her skin, it was so cold. She hugged her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. Sighing, she tried to relax enough to get some rest and block out the dark thoughts intruding in her head. In the quiet it was as though they were being whispered right in he ears.
"What if no one comes for you? Maybe you'll be left here to die. They've probably forgotten about you. Give up, there's no hope for you now."
Luna groaned and wrapped her arms around her head as well.
"Please find me soon," she whispered. "I'll never lose hope." With that she drifted into an exhausted, restless sleep.
A/N: I know, I know, I said it would only be a couple days. My husband became quite ill so I had to take care of him for a full week. I didn't have time to write until just yesterday. But here you go, I'll work on some more soon, I update whenever I can. Thanks for all the support. I'm switching the character thingy from Luna/Voldemort to just Luna. I think more people will find it and read it that way. R&R! Thanks!
Ninde Annare: I'm sorry about the chapters being so short, it's just that I don't like people I know knowing that I'm writing, otherwise they'll want to read my stories and I'm terribly shy about them so I have to be able to type and upload a chapter at a time in each sitting. I don't get much time to do this, so that's why they're rather short. Sorry about that! There will be many though, that's a good thing, isn't it? LOL! Thanks for your kind comments to me, they really fuel my writings.
Padfoot: (Blushes like mad) Woah, I don't think I'm so deserving of such praise! I've been told to write and try to publish something, but I usually hit a block in creating my own characters… I'm sure I too will shudder at these soon… LOL! I try my best. I'm very sorry to hear about your illness. I wish you all the best and hope for a full recovery. Thanks again for all your encouragements to me. Really? Canada ships the tea out now, eh? Man… so much for having something all our own.. LOL! Now Canada's about as generic as you can get! We don't even have the Maple Leafs any more… stupid lock out…. Cheers!
