A/N: Here's chapter two, sorry it took so long to post. A big thanks to
Jamie, my Beta, and thanks for the reviews - keep 'em coming!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything about it; only the plot
and the words.
~~~~
Neville landed with great force. He was dizzy and was temporarily stunned. As he recovered from his shock, he quickly looked down. He was still clutching Luna. She had landed on top of him, and despite the heavy drop, was still unconscious.
Gingerly, Neville scooted Luna to one side and looked around. They were in a house, that he was quite sure of, but where, or how, he had no idea whatsoever.
They appeared to have landed in some sort of dusty sitting room. A large chair was facing an empty fireplace, a small desk lay at the other end of the small room, and a large green area rug lay underneath Neville and Luna.
But how did they get there? He had heard Hermione say that it was impossible to teleport off of Hogwarts grounds. Wasn't it?
Standing up, Neville brushed himself off. Biting his lip lightly, he decided to wander into the hall and look around. Luna didn't appear to be hurt, and he figured he would use this time to try and figure out where the devil he was.
The hallway outside the sitting room was dark and glum. Neville walked cautiously down the narrow passageway. He peered into the first doorway he approached.
A bedroom.
Neville sighed and hugged himself as a cold draft blew over him. This house must be old, Neville thought silently, walking into the center of the room. No wonder, it's snowing.
A thick blanket of snow lay on the ground outside. Neville was surprised to see he was standing in a room on what must have been the second floor.
He shivered.
Suddenly, he got an idea. He cast his eyes upon the large bed. He could lay Luna in it until she came to...
Neville rushed quickly back into the sitting room. Luna was still out cold, and Neville scooted down and picked her up in his arms.
A hot red blush crept over Neville's face despite the coldness of the room. Luna was warm, and he was holding her... in his arms...
Neville shivered again.
He never thought he would be holding a girl in his arms... let alone Luna Lovegood... Neville gave himself a mental shake and walked out of the dusty room. There was something about the house - it made him uneasy...
He entered the bedroom and gently laid Luna down on top of the dusty white bedspread. Neville sat down next to her and carefully touched her cheek. She was pale and cool against his touch. He wondered what to do and cursed his stupidity.
Racking his brain, Neville tried to recall the reviving spell Hermione had taught him...dammit. Think!
That was it.
"Olidicia Kintaria!"
He hoped, no, he prayed this would work.
"Come on Luna," Neville whispered. "Wake up."
Luna did not stir.
Neville stood up angrily and utter a swear word loudly. Why did he have to be such a failure at everything?! Now Luna could be seriously hurt and he couldn't do anything! He didn't ever know where the hell they were!
Neville sighed and turned to face the cold stone fireplace. Now what was he going to do?
He heard a rustling noise behind him.
Neville froze. No. It couldn't be, Neville thought. Oh please...
"W-what happened?"
Neville turned. Luna was blinking her eyes widely. She sat up quickly as Neville rushed over to her. She looked at Neville then back down at herself, wrapped in his robes and lying in a strange bed.
"What happened?" Luna said again, panic flooding her voice. "Where am I?" Neville felt his blush return. "I don't know where we are," he replied honestly. "Some old house."
Luna starred at him in silent shock. Her pale blue eyes were wide and confused as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the empty fireplace and slowly drifted back to lay on Neville's standing form.
"Tell me," she said quietly. "Go on. Explain."
Neville began to tell her how he'd gotten lost on the way to his common room, how he found her lying in the hallway, about the empty classroom and the supposed teleport out of Hogwarts.
Luna blinked again. "That explains it," she said, her voice shaking.
"What?" Neville said urgently. "What?"
Luna rolled her eyes. "Why I'm in you robes."
Neville fell silent.
Luna threw the dusty bedspread off of her and set her feet on the floor. She stood up, but no sooner was she standing then she fell back down onto the bed roughly.
"What's wrong?" Neville said nervously. He walked over and kneeled down beside the bed.
Luna closed her eyes and let out a low moan of pain. She pointed to her left foot.
Carefully Neville touched it. Luna screamed and he withdrew his hand. "Sorry," he murmured softly. "Why were you in the hall? Did you hurt yourself?"
Luna let out several long pants before forcing her eyes open. "I don't know. I was walking and talking to the Fluwangles when I heard a low hissing noise behind me. Something sharp hit me in the back. I fell and blacked out. I must have twisted my foot."
Neville grimaced. He tried to think of a good healing spell...
Luna eased back into the bed and sighed. "I wonder where we are," she said as an afterthought.
"I know," Neville muttered. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at Luna's foot. "Healia Eximei!"
Luna's eyes shot open. She screeched loudly and looked at Neville.
"What?" Neville said quickly. "Does it hurt?"
Luna sat up again. "Nope. It feels much better. Thank you."
Still slightly bewildered, Neville leaned over and helped Luna try and stand up.
She pushed his arm away. "I can do it myself," she snapped. Neville backed up a few inches. Luna walked a few inches into the floor. Her knees shook and she started to fall. Neville gripped her by the waist and hulled her to her feet.
Luna blushed this time.
Neville couldn't help but smile weakly despite it all. Someone had to look on the bright side - it might as well be him.
"Luna," Neville said seriously, helping the blonde fifth year get back on the bed. "We need to contact Dumbledore."
Luna lay back and stared at the side table. "Yes," she said in a far away voice. "We must-" She stopped dead. Luna turned and starred, horror struck at Neville. She let out a faint whimper. Dragging herself to the end of the bed, she clutched at Neville's arm and yanked him closer to her.
Neville sat down on the bed next to her quickly and looked at the girl in concern. Luna's hand shook as she held his arm in a deathly tight grip.
"N-Neville," Luna whispered in a frightened voice. "N-Neville..."
Neville leaned closer to her. "What is it?" he demanded softly. "What?"
Luna's voice shook more furiously than her hand. "Look at the side table." It took Neville a minute to understand what she was talking about. Then he saw it. Engraved into the side of the table, a long serpent curving around the words.
Neville pulled Luna closer to him as his whole body shook to match hers.
"The property of Tom Riddle," he read, linking his arms around the frightened girl. He tried desperately to fight down his own fear.
They were in the Riddle House.
~~~~
Neville landed with great force. He was dizzy and was temporarily stunned. As he recovered from his shock, he quickly looked down. He was still clutching Luna. She had landed on top of him, and despite the heavy drop, was still unconscious.
Gingerly, Neville scooted Luna to one side and looked around. They were in a house, that he was quite sure of, but where, or how, he had no idea whatsoever.
They appeared to have landed in some sort of dusty sitting room. A large chair was facing an empty fireplace, a small desk lay at the other end of the small room, and a large green area rug lay underneath Neville and Luna.
But how did they get there? He had heard Hermione say that it was impossible to teleport off of Hogwarts grounds. Wasn't it?
Standing up, Neville brushed himself off. Biting his lip lightly, he decided to wander into the hall and look around. Luna didn't appear to be hurt, and he figured he would use this time to try and figure out where the devil he was.
The hallway outside the sitting room was dark and glum. Neville walked cautiously down the narrow passageway. He peered into the first doorway he approached.
A bedroom.
Neville sighed and hugged himself as a cold draft blew over him. This house must be old, Neville thought silently, walking into the center of the room. No wonder, it's snowing.
A thick blanket of snow lay on the ground outside. Neville was surprised to see he was standing in a room on what must have been the second floor.
He shivered.
Suddenly, he got an idea. He cast his eyes upon the large bed. He could lay Luna in it until she came to...
Neville rushed quickly back into the sitting room. Luna was still out cold, and Neville scooted down and picked her up in his arms.
A hot red blush crept over Neville's face despite the coldness of the room. Luna was warm, and he was holding her... in his arms...
Neville shivered again.
He never thought he would be holding a girl in his arms... let alone Luna Lovegood... Neville gave himself a mental shake and walked out of the dusty room. There was something about the house - it made him uneasy...
He entered the bedroom and gently laid Luna down on top of the dusty white bedspread. Neville sat down next to her and carefully touched her cheek. She was pale and cool against his touch. He wondered what to do and cursed his stupidity.
Racking his brain, Neville tried to recall the reviving spell Hermione had taught him...dammit. Think!
That was it.
"Olidicia Kintaria!"
He hoped, no, he prayed this would work.
"Come on Luna," Neville whispered. "Wake up."
Luna did not stir.
Neville stood up angrily and utter a swear word loudly. Why did he have to be such a failure at everything?! Now Luna could be seriously hurt and he couldn't do anything! He didn't ever know where the hell they were!
Neville sighed and turned to face the cold stone fireplace. Now what was he going to do?
He heard a rustling noise behind him.
Neville froze. No. It couldn't be, Neville thought. Oh please...
"W-what happened?"
Neville turned. Luna was blinking her eyes widely. She sat up quickly as Neville rushed over to her. She looked at Neville then back down at herself, wrapped in his robes and lying in a strange bed.
"What happened?" Luna said again, panic flooding her voice. "Where am I?" Neville felt his blush return. "I don't know where we are," he replied honestly. "Some old house."
Luna starred at him in silent shock. Her pale blue eyes were wide and confused as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the empty fireplace and slowly drifted back to lay on Neville's standing form.
"Tell me," she said quietly. "Go on. Explain."
Neville began to tell her how he'd gotten lost on the way to his common room, how he found her lying in the hallway, about the empty classroom and the supposed teleport out of Hogwarts.
Luna blinked again. "That explains it," she said, her voice shaking.
"What?" Neville said urgently. "What?"
Luna rolled her eyes. "Why I'm in you robes."
Neville fell silent.
Luna threw the dusty bedspread off of her and set her feet on the floor. She stood up, but no sooner was she standing then she fell back down onto the bed roughly.
"What's wrong?" Neville said nervously. He walked over and kneeled down beside the bed.
Luna closed her eyes and let out a low moan of pain. She pointed to her left foot.
Carefully Neville touched it. Luna screamed and he withdrew his hand. "Sorry," he murmured softly. "Why were you in the hall? Did you hurt yourself?"
Luna let out several long pants before forcing her eyes open. "I don't know. I was walking and talking to the Fluwangles when I heard a low hissing noise behind me. Something sharp hit me in the back. I fell and blacked out. I must have twisted my foot."
Neville grimaced. He tried to think of a good healing spell...
Luna eased back into the bed and sighed. "I wonder where we are," she said as an afterthought.
"I know," Neville muttered. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at Luna's foot. "Healia Eximei!"
Luna's eyes shot open. She screeched loudly and looked at Neville.
"What?" Neville said quickly. "Does it hurt?"
Luna sat up again. "Nope. It feels much better. Thank you."
Still slightly bewildered, Neville leaned over and helped Luna try and stand up.
She pushed his arm away. "I can do it myself," she snapped. Neville backed up a few inches. Luna walked a few inches into the floor. Her knees shook and she started to fall. Neville gripped her by the waist and hulled her to her feet.
Luna blushed this time.
Neville couldn't help but smile weakly despite it all. Someone had to look on the bright side - it might as well be him.
"Luna," Neville said seriously, helping the blonde fifth year get back on the bed. "We need to contact Dumbledore."
Luna lay back and stared at the side table. "Yes," she said in a far away voice. "We must-" She stopped dead. Luna turned and starred, horror struck at Neville. She let out a faint whimper. Dragging herself to the end of the bed, she clutched at Neville's arm and yanked him closer to her.
Neville sat down on the bed next to her quickly and looked at the girl in concern. Luna's hand shook as she held his arm in a deathly tight grip.
"N-Neville," Luna whispered in a frightened voice. "N-Neville..."
Neville leaned closer to her. "What is it?" he demanded softly. "What?"
Luna's voice shook more furiously than her hand. "Look at the side table." It took Neville a minute to understand what she was talking about. Then he saw it. Engraved into the side of the table, a long serpent curving around the words.
Neville pulled Luna closer to him as his whole body shook to match hers.
"The property of Tom Riddle," he read, linking his arms around the frightened girl. He tried desperately to fight down his own fear.
They were in the Riddle House.