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The Captive Path
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Hope is your survival
A captive path I lead…
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Most of the work that had to be done in England was clean up. When that was done with, many Death Eaters were reassigned to new posts at new camps, most now in the further corners of the world. Theodore was told of his next task, which would be to help in the reconfiguring of the muggle cities of Boston and New York, and then he went home.
After flooing back to Salem, Rabastan and Theodore parted ways near their homes, the former eager to see his family and Theodore seemingly un-phased. His demeanor was calm and composed as he entered the large house, where lights were again lit and fires were burning. Making his way down the main hall and around a corner, where he could see into the sitting room, he caught sight of her. Luna was sitting calmly by the fireplace, her wand out and directing the sewing in her lap, as she read one of her old tattered copies of Wuthering Heights. He'd given her a first edition as a wedding gift of course, but she kept it clean on its shelf. Theodore turned, sending his bags up to their room with a wave of his wand, before entering the room where she sat.
Luna saw him and stood, setting aside her book and her sewing and smoothing her long, pale skirts before she looked up at him. Theodore was not accustomed to seeing what he saw in her eyes then, though it certainly did not displease him. It was something she was doing her best to hold at bay, staring at him with wide eyes as he let his own eyes wander over her figure, wrapped in that filmy pale blue dress. It had been an awfully long two weeks…
"Welcome home," She murmured softly, rubbing her arm self-consciously as his eyes lingered on her. He stepped forward, resting his hands on her hips and kissing her lightly,
"I have thought of you often," Theodore replied softly, regarding her gaze again. Luna bit her lip, clearly wanting to say something back, but not finding her reply. Instead, she took his hand in both of hers, and led him out of the room.
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"Our Lord was pleased with your work?" Luna asked quietly, as they ascended the staircase. Theodore nodded silently, glancing out the windows into the darkness as they passed them,
"My father asked after you," He said idly, and Luna felt slightly colder, shivering a bit,
"Did he?"
"He was rather pleased to know he is to have a grandchild," Theodore murmured with a wry smirk, "I assured him that he was not going to have a namesake…"
"Grandchildren," Luna corrected softly, as the reached the second floor of the house, leaving the stairs. Theodore stopped, and in front of him Luna turned, biting back a smile, "Orla's Medi-witch performed a knowing charm on me. There are two heartbeats."
"Twins do run in my family," Theodore finally replied, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "My sisters will be pleased…"
"Are you pleased?" Luna tilted her head, looking at their linked hands as they stood in the hall. Theodore met her eyes steadily, lifting one of her hands to his lips as he did,
"Of course I am," He murmured, still wondering what was behind her gaze, because it was ready to pour out. She tugged on his hands, pulling him into their bedroom. Stepping around him, Luna shut the door, as Theodore looked around, taking in the windows, "I see you changed the drapes…"
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The door clicked behind him. Theodore turned, in time to feel her warm, slim form collide with his. She was wrapping her arms around him, standing on her toes and attacking his lips, his face, her hands running over his back in a swift, rather desperate motion. Theodore could not help but respond in turn, kissing her back fervently, passionately, a mirror to how he'd bidden her farewell. It managed to slow her down, if only marginally.
She reached up between them, not breaking their kiss as she fumbled with his robes, and then the shirt he was wearing beneath. Theodore had to admit, she'd never taken such initiative before and it was…highly interesting. He buried both of his hands in her hair, kissing her firmly and stilling her for one moment, pulling back slightly,
"Luna," He breathed, catching her eyes again and finally seeing that everything that had been behind them upon his return was spilling forth. Her lips slightly swollen and parted, her copious amounts of hair flying about, she sucked in a breath, shutting her eyes,
"Tell me," She whispered, her mind flying over all that had transpired during their parting. The baby, the melting snow, the way Wayne had looked at her with large eyes, while Stephen tried to pull her along with them, "Tell me that you feel something for me," Luna opened her eyes, scanning his face with a gaze that might even succeed in melting a glacier.
Theodore pressed his lips together, grasping her shoulders and staring at her for a long moment, "I feel something for you," He said firmly, tightening his hold a bit as his eyes went stormy. Luna's went wider, feeling his breath on her cheek, that intense stare holding her captive, "I love you," Which he did, of course. She was the only human being, along with his sisters, that he cared anything for in that world, after all.
Luna could breathe again. She fell forward, once again pressing kisses to his face, but now softly. Slowly running her hands through his longish hair, she sighed against his lips, before pulling back again, "And I love you,"
They were melded then, his hands remembering the slender curves of her slim frame, her lips attached to his as if they were that which kept her breathing. As if she could not breathe without him, breathing into her.
Their lovemaking that night was frantically paced and achingly sweet, both almost battling to prove without words what had finally been acknowledged. He was a Death Eater, and in that moment Luna did not care. He ignited her, and she responded to him in a passion Theodore had never seen her let loose, and it had him gasping her name in their bed as she fell against his chest, her hair falling all around them. After a few moments of catching his breath, Theodore wrapped his arms around her, stroking that long, slightly damp hair, with hands that only shook slightly. Apparently, when she was in a state, Luna had that effect.
"I missed you," She said softly, and Theodore smirked,
"I caught that," He replied wryly. Luna giggled slightly, even as a both strange and comforting realization came over her. He WAS all that she had keeping her alive. She settled into the steadying comfort of his arms, shutting her eyes with a sigh. Theodore was still stroking her hair, staring up at the curtains of their bed thoughtfully, "You are all in this world that I fully trust, you know…" He admitted after a time, which surprised her, to say the least. Again, this was a young man who did not let on much. Luna opened her eyes, lifting her head so that she could look down at him, brushing the hair back from his forehead.
"And you shall always have me," She promised.
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When the Northern Canadian Territories were supposedly completely purged of useless muggles and those with tainted blood, the last Extermination Camp in North America closed. After cleaning the abandoned buildings out of any supplies, Sturgis and Hestia were forced to face the fact that what protection they'd been unaware of having was now gone. And while it was unlikely that Deception Bay would be mapped out for settlement now, when plenty of muggle cities lay empty under a haze of green, there was still ample cause to worry.
Bill returned with the boys just a few days later, their hands empty and their look one that was generally not uplifting. Sturgis built up the fires and Hestia put on tea, while Megan proceeded to smother Wayne in blankets and hot chocolate.
"Ginny's back in England," Bill divulged quietly, as they gathered around Hestia's kitchen table that evening. He rubbed his eyes, staring into his mug of tea, "With Voldemort," He was completely oblivious to the reaction this created in the present company, "And I'm going to go get her," He yawned, "Once I warm up again."
"…Hopefully you'll wait a bit longer than that," Sturgis replied at last. Hestia turned her head and just stared at him, before looking at Bill,
"You're crazy, Bill Weasley," She murmured, sighing, "Are you sure he's the one who has her?"
"Luna and Ginny were taken the same night," He reminded her, "By one of the bastard's most trusted servants. And, if you'll recall, one of the signs we used that it was a clear night to go searching London was that Voldemort was at Nott Manor. Luna knew for sure."
In the corner close to the woodstove where she sat between Zach and Wayne, Megan shut her eyes tightly, resting her head on Zach's shoulder. Others might have gotten used to these sorts of things, but she hadn't. And she was quite sure that she didn't ever want to get used to them. And poor Ginny!
"And how do you think you're ever going to get her away from him?" Selune asked, a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a pensive frown on her lips, "If Severus wasn't even sure about it, it must mean she's being kept well-hidden."
"Indeed," Sturgis nodded, "Can't let his followers think he's in possession of any sort of weakness. Though," He grimaced, "I hardly think he'd have any sort of attachment to her,"
"She would be a trophy to him," Bill spat out bitterly, "The only spoils he has of his enemy. Harry's girlfriend."
"Always fun to talk like we know what's going on in a murderer's head," Megan murmured in the corner. Wayne wrapped an arm around her.
"I'm leaving as soon as I can, anyway," Bill sat up, taking a deep breath. Hestia nodded slowly, as he went on, "And hey, it'll be one less drain on the supplies, right?" Hestia smirked at him, shaking her head. Across the table from her, Stephen lifted his head from where it had been resting on his arms for the past hour, staring into space,
"I want to go with you," He said, clearing his throat, "There have to be more people hiding out in Europe too, right?"
"Highly likely," Sturgis nodded, "I know Hagrid was still hiding out around the school when we left."
"Fine by me if you've got a death wish," Bill told him, and Stephen shrugged in the semi-darkness,
"What else am I going to do?"
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Author's Notes: Short? Yes. Transitionals usually are so. Frostbite? Yes, I do have it.