A/N: Here's chapter two guys. Continue reviewing - I really appreciate it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything about it; only the plot and the words
~~~~
Luna shuttered violently from inside Neville's tight embrace. Neville could have matched her shutter for shutter. He also figured he could sit there with her, silent and terrified for hours.
He couldn't do that, however. He had to move, quickly.
Neville threw the bedspread off of the bed and stood up. Luna starred at him with wide, horror-struck eyes as he crept slowly toward the door.
He turned quickly to Luna. "Don't move," he said quietly but firmly. "Don't move, whatever you do... or hear."
Neville saw Luna tremble and pull his sixth year robes closer about her as if they would provide an embrace like the one Neville had given her.
"Don't go down there," Luna said, making a move to get up. She gritted her teeth in pain as her foot touched the floor. "Don't leave this room."
Neville fought to keep the panic out of his voice. "I told you to stay there. This could be a life or death situation."
Luna continued to keep her eyes locked on him. "If you move one more step toward that door, I- I swear I'll hex you."
She pulled out her wand from her own robes and pointed a shaky hand at him. "Get back here you idiot. Do you want to be killed?"
Neville walked over to the bed. He sat down quickly and stroked Luna's hair. "Do you trust me Luna?" he asked seriously.
She whimpered. "Yes," she replied, taking a deep breath.
"Than let me make sure this house is clear. Or else both of us will die." Neville said these words with such seriousness that Luna lowered her arm.
"I'll protect you," Neville said in a rough whisper. "Whatever happens, I swear I'll protect you."
Luna gulped loudly as Neville crept back to the door. He took a deep breath before entering the hall. He'd always been a coward. He'd never been brave like Harry or Ron. He'd been the scaried one. There wasn't time to be scared now. If he let fear rule him he would die, and so would Luna. He wasn't going to let that happen.
With each step he took he felt as if his heart was making one even harder beat inside his chest. The whole house was dark and cold. Neville gulped once himself.
The treed down the stairs as quietly as he could. He was sure that if he made one wrong move he would die - he didn't want to think about that.
Yet he had to. He had to think about it, or he really would die. And so would Luna.
He couldn't let that happen. For no cost could he let that happen. Voldmort ruined his parents lives. He wasn't going to let evil kill him.
Most of the rooms were clear. He finally stepped gently into the kitchen. No one was there. The house appeared to be empty. There were not death eaters, no one. Not even a lone mouse searching desperately for food.
The only sound was his own quick breathing.
He could have shouted in relief! Yet he didn't, there were still issues he had to face. How would they get back to Hogwarts? How would they eat?
Neville opened every cabinet in the black stoned kitchen. The old cabinets stood empty except for a few cobwebs.
Then he saw it, in the last cabinet.
Neville rushed quickly as snatched out what appeared to be a pot of floo powder. It wasn't, however, green like most, but black.
He touched some and quickly withdrew his hand. It burned his skin.
Setting the pot down, Neville made his way out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. Luna was sitting in the middle of the bed, clutching Neville's robes as if for dear life.
Her eyes landed on him as her re-entered the room and Neville saw her let her breath out. It was as if she hadn't breathed one single breath the whole time he was away.
"Clear," was the one word Neville uttered.
Luna took a shallow breath and let it out again. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again.
They both remained silent.
Neville walked over to the fireplace. He got on his knees and look into it.
He wondered -
The fireplace soot to life suddenly. Neville fell backwards in surprise. Luna gave a high pitched shriek. Neville was sure this was it. They were as good as dead now, and all because he touched that cauldron.
A soft voice echoed through the bedroom. Neville could have cried and laughed all at the same time. Dumbldore's old, gray face was starring at them in sober silence through the fire.
Neville kneeled down again. If Dumbldore had been in the room, Neville would have kissed him in relief and happiness!
"Sir!" Neville cried happily. "You're getting us out of here!"
It took Neville a few moments to see that Dumbldore was still not smiling. The sixth year student's happiness faded slowly.
"Neville," Dumbldore said at last. "Luna." he nodded at the girl on the bed.
Both students remained silent as Dumbldore too a deep breath.
"You are in the Riddle house," he said at last.
Neville felt like screaming. "Yes," he said urgently. "We know. How did we get here?"
Dumbldore sighed as if he were very tired. "Portkey," he said as if this were obvious. "You used Professor Snape's portkey."
Neville raised his eyebrows. "Snape?" he said confused. "What did he need a portkey for? Aren't you getting us out of here?"
"Professor Snape is a secret spy for our side. That is all I can tell you. And no, we cannot risk bringing you back to Hogwarts. Not yet at any rate."
Not yet? What did that mean?
Neville was beginning to get nervous. He covered his nervousness and fear with annoyance. "Why not sir?"
"Voldemort could be alerted of your whereabouts," Dumbldore said, ignoring Neville's flinch. "We need you to stay put until we've worked this out. Food will be transported to you. I will say this once, as I'm sure you don't need me to repeat things for you. Do not, under any circumstance leave this house."
Neville tried to take this all in. He licked his lips. "Does You-Know-Who know we're here?" he asked.
"Not yet," the old man said tiredly. "Which is why it is of the utmost importance that you not be seen," here he pushed up his glasses. "Death Eaters could sense you and arrive at any minute; day or night."
Dumbldore looked hurriedly to a point on his side of the fire. "This is all I can say, you must trust me. I must leave before anyone tracks this conversation to the Riddle house. Please," he paused. "Be carefully. Both of you."
There was a pop and his face vanished.
Neville let himself slide down to the floor. He felt like pounding the wall with all his might. What the hell was going on?! Didn't Dumbldore feel he should at least explain a little more than he did?
How long were they going to have to stay here? How long would they have to sit silently in fear, afraid for their lives?
At last Luna cleared her throat gently. Neville had forgotten that she was there in the last few minutes. He looked slowly over to her.
In the back of his mind Neville remembered something. It was quite trivial really but he wondered why he had never asked this.
"Luna," he said, craning his neck to stare at her. "How did you know Riddle was You-Know-Who?"
"Voldemort?" Luna answered with a shrug. Neville flinched painfully. Luna ignored him. "I know all about him. He killed my Mother."
A weightless, awkward silence passed between the two. Finally Neville got up enough guts to voice what he was thinking.
"I thought Harry said your Mother died doing magic."
Luna laughed dryly. It was the first time Neville had ever seen her look so disgusted. Usually she was far away and happy; oblivious to the world at large. He wondered why he never took the time to get to know her - or why nobody else did for that matter.
"I told that to Harry," Luna said, and Neville saw the faintest of sneers cross her pale face briefly. "No one else bothered to ask me."
Neville felt his blush return. He was feeling guilty for never asking her, yet at the same time he understood her better than he had ever understood another person. No one bothered to get to know him either.
Neville came over to sit next to her. He wanted to touch her hand. To tell her how he understood. To tell her about his own parents. About him.
For the first time since they had fallen into this hellish nightmare, Neville looked Luna Lovegood completely in the eyes.
"Death eaters killed my parents," he blurted out suddenly. "Or they as good as killed them."
Luna didn't say anything. She starred back at Neville. He felt her hand on his sweater sleeve. Her eyes drifted open and closed.
Neville wasn't ready when she yanked him down with her. He was lying flat on his back in the bed next to Luna.
He didn't say anything. Neither did she.
Words weren't necessary at that point. Only the comfort of each other's embrace, and the startling knowledge that fear and death could engulf both of them at anytime while they were asleep.
People always heard of Voldemort touching the life of the famous Harry Potter.
No one ever heard of him touching the lives of outcasts.
TBC
~~~ A/N: Please review. Suggestions are welcome.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything about it; only the plot and the words
~~~~
Luna shuttered violently from inside Neville's tight embrace. Neville could have matched her shutter for shutter. He also figured he could sit there with her, silent and terrified for hours.
He couldn't do that, however. He had to move, quickly.
Neville threw the bedspread off of the bed and stood up. Luna starred at him with wide, horror-struck eyes as he crept slowly toward the door.
He turned quickly to Luna. "Don't move," he said quietly but firmly. "Don't move, whatever you do... or hear."
Neville saw Luna tremble and pull his sixth year robes closer about her as if they would provide an embrace like the one Neville had given her.
"Don't go down there," Luna said, making a move to get up. She gritted her teeth in pain as her foot touched the floor. "Don't leave this room."
Neville fought to keep the panic out of his voice. "I told you to stay there. This could be a life or death situation."
Luna continued to keep her eyes locked on him. "If you move one more step toward that door, I- I swear I'll hex you."
She pulled out her wand from her own robes and pointed a shaky hand at him. "Get back here you idiot. Do you want to be killed?"
Neville walked over to the bed. He sat down quickly and stroked Luna's hair. "Do you trust me Luna?" he asked seriously.
She whimpered. "Yes," she replied, taking a deep breath.
"Than let me make sure this house is clear. Or else both of us will die." Neville said these words with such seriousness that Luna lowered her arm.
"I'll protect you," Neville said in a rough whisper. "Whatever happens, I swear I'll protect you."
Luna gulped loudly as Neville crept back to the door. He took a deep breath before entering the hall. He'd always been a coward. He'd never been brave like Harry or Ron. He'd been the scaried one. There wasn't time to be scared now. If he let fear rule him he would die, and so would Luna. He wasn't going to let that happen.
With each step he took he felt as if his heart was making one even harder beat inside his chest. The whole house was dark and cold. Neville gulped once himself.
The treed down the stairs as quietly as he could. He was sure that if he made one wrong move he would die - he didn't want to think about that.
Yet he had to. He had to think about it, or he really would die. And so would Luna.
He couldn't let that happen. For no cost could he let that happen. Voldmort ruined his parents lives. He wasn't going to let evil kill him.
Most of the rooms were clear. He finally stepped gently into the kitchen. No one was there. The house appeared to be empty. There were not death eaters, no one. Not even a lone mouse searching desperately for food.
The only sound was his own quick breathing.
He could have shouted in relief! Yet he didn't, there were still issues he had to face. How would they get back to Hogwarts? How would they eat?
Neville opened every cabinet in the black stoned kitchen. The old cabinets stood empty except for a few cobwebs.
Then he saw it, in the last cabinet.
Neville rushed quickly as snatched out what appeared to be a pot of floo powder. It wasn't, however, green like most, but black.
He touched some and quickly withdrew his hand. It burned his skin.
Setting the pot down, Neville made his way out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. Luna was sitting in the middle of the bed, clutching Neville's robes as if for dear life.
Her eyes landed on him as her re-entered the room and Neville saw her let her breath out. It was as if she hadn't breathed one single breath the whole time he was away.
"Clear," was the one word Neville uttered.
Luna took a shallow breath and let it out again. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again.
They both remained silent.
Neville walked over to the fireplace. He got on his knees and look into it.
He wondered -
The fireplace soot to life suddenly. Neville fell backwards in surprise. Luna gave a high pitched shriek. Neville was sure this was it. They were as good as dead now, and all because he touched that cauldron.
A soft voice echoed through the bedroom. Neville could have cried and laughed all at the same time. Dumbldore's old, gray face was starring at them in sober silence through the fire.
Neville kneeled down again. If Dumbldore had been in the room, Neville would have kissed him in relief and happiness!
"Sir!" Neville cried happily. "You're getting us out of here!"
It took Neville a few moments to see that Dumbldore was still not smiling. The sixth year student's happiness faded slowly.
"Neville," Dumbldore said at last. "Luna." he nodded at the girl on the bed.
Both students remained silent as Dumbldore too a deep breath.
"You are in the Riddle house," he said at last.
Neville felt like screaming. "Yes," he said urgently. "We know. How did we get here?"
Dumbldore sighed as if he were very tired. "Portkey," he said as if this were obvious. "You used Professor Snape's portkey."
Neville raised his eyebrows. "Snape?" he said confused. "What did he need a portkey for? Aren't you getting us out of here?"
"Professor Snape is a secret spy for our side. That is all I can tell you. And no, we cannot risk bringing you back to Hogwarts. Not yet at any rate."
Not yet? What did that mean?
Neville was beginning to get nervous. He covered his nervousness and fear with annoyance. "Why not sir?"
"Voldemort could be alerted of your whereabouts," Dumbldore said, ignoring Neville's flinch. "We need you to stay put until we've worked this out. Food will be transported to you. I will say this once, as I'm sure you don't need me to repeat things for you. Do not, under any circumstance leave this house."
Neville tried to take this all in. He licked his lips. "Does You-Know-Who know we're here?" he asked.
"Not yet," the old man said tiredly. "Which is why it is of the utmost importance that you not be seen," here he pushed up his glasses. "Death Eaters could sense you and arrive at any minute; day or night."
Dumbldore looked hurriedly to a point on his side of the fire. "This is all I can say, you must trust me. I must leave before anyone tracks this conversation to the Riddle house. Please," he paused. "Be carefully. Both of you."
There was a pop and his face vanished.
Neville let himself slide down to the floor. He felt like pounding the wall with all his might. What the hell was going on?! Didn't Dumbldore feel he should at least explain a little more than he did?
How long were they going to have to stay here? How long would they have to sit silently in fear, afraid for their lives?
At last Luna cleared her throat gently. Neville had forgotten that she was there in the last few minutes. He looked slowly over to her.
In the back of his mind Neville remembered something. It was quite trivial really but he wondered why he had never asked this.
"Luna," he said, craning his neck to stare at her. "How did you know Riddle was You-Know-Who?"
"Voldemort?" Luna answered with a shrug. Neville flinched painfully. Luna ignored him. "I know all about him. He killed my Mother."
A weightless, awkward silence passed between the two. Finally Neville got up enough guts to voice what he was thinking.
"I thought Harry said your Mother died doing magic."
Luna laughed dryly. It was the first time Neville had ever seen her look so disgusted. Usually she was far away and happy; oblivious to the world at large. He wondered why he never took the time to get to know her - or why nobody else did for that matter.
"I told that to Harry," Luna said, and Neville saw the faintest of sneers cross her pale face briefly. "No one else bothered to ask me."
Neville felt his blush return. He was feeling guilty for never asking her, yet at the same time he understood her better than he had ever understood another person. No one bothered to get to know him either.
Neville came over to sit next to her. He wanted to touch her hand. To tell her how he understood. To tell her about his own parents. About him.
For the first time since they had fallen into this hellish nightmare, Neville looked Luna Lovegood completely in the eyes.
"Death eaters killed my parents," he blurted out suddenly. "Or they as good as killed them."
Luna didn't say anything. She starred back at Neville. He felt her hand on his sweater sleeve. Her eyes drifted open and closed.
Neville wasn't ready when she yanked him down with her. He was lying flat on his back in the bed next to Luna.
He didn't say anything. Neither did she.
Words weren't necessary at that point. Only the comfort of each other's embrace, and the startling knowledge that fear and death could engulf both of them at anytime while they were asleep.
People always heard of Voldemort touching the life of the famous Harry Potter.
No one ever heard of him touching the lives of outcasts.
TBC
~~~ A/N: Please review. Suggestions are welcome.