"So what have you and Blaise found out?" Pansy asked her from the other vanity in her bathroom. Both girls had caps on their hair and masks on their faces. Hermione was just finishing her last toenail. A bright blue for her and dark purple for Pans. Hermione had to paint both girls nails, the other witch was terrible at it.
The nail polish was muggle and the mask one the two had created so they were more subdued than usual. Wary of it going wrong and so both of them would be embarrassed together if they had to plead for help from someone. She looked up and the girl's dark eyes were steady. She expected an answer and she wondered if it was time to tell someone. Looking down at her drying toes she considered. She hadn't yet, Blaise had been there each time or sat with her while she processed what she had been told.
"Whatever it is. It will not be too much." Pansy said sternly and Hermione looked up again. The witch had a fierce look on her face and she wasn't sure if she could say anything without saying everything. Or more than she wanted to.
The soft chime gave her a diversion and she waited for Zavi to come and tell her who it was. Unless he was busy, it was always him if it involved people coming or going. The house itself too.
"It be's a witch. Zavi thinks Miss Luna." The elf had its ears at half mast because he wasn't sure and she hopped off the counter and looked to Pansy again. Who had a perfect eyebrow raised and looked ridiculous.
"We will disillusion ourselves and if it isn't Luna then I'll deal with it." She suggested and that got a nod and the two headed down the stairs. The unverified guest would be kept in that room until she arrived. At the bottom of the stairs she spelled both of them and then opened the doors.
The fall of silvery waves shimmered in the light as she turned and then Luna was smiling where she was. Pulling off the magic, she smiled and then moved to her friend and squeezed her tight. For a long minute and then pulled back and held her shoulders. Looking her over. She had seen Luna for half an hour and slumped had been the girls self diagnosis. Hermione had agreed. Before her stood a radiant young woman. With sun kissed cheeks and happy eyes.
"You're centred then? Ready to come home." She checked and Luna smiled such a smug smile that she could help laughing and then she was crying. A small huff of exasperation reminded her of Pansy and she waved her hand.
"Pansy. You look better without the disguises." Luna said and the witch gave a wry smile and then shared a glance with hermione. Who giggled through her tears and then observed her hands.
"It didn't come off. That's promising for mess purposes." She said and then Luna asked the obvious question.
"What is it? It smells like rain." She said and hermione linked arms with the two and headed back upstairs.
"It's our third face mask recipe. Want me to paint your nails? I've got a shimmering green I think you will like. See mine are blue and Pans wanted the mysterious purple so you can pick." Pansy stopped by the door and waited. Hermione knew what for and looked to Luna.
"There is a tie. That's enough." She said and began looking through the basket full of nailpolish and it's accessories. Pansy looked to her in question and she shrugged. Somehow Luna knew about the vow and was fine with it. Then she tried to communicate that she was okay if Pansy wasn't comfortable. Her slight shrug was reply and Hermione smiled tentatively. A small grin then and a nod. Then Pansy walked over to the blond and pulled out a tiny constellation stencil and little container of rhinestones.
"I can't paint but I can decorate Lovegood." She said and Luna smiled at both of them before holding up a darker green and asking if they had gold for the stars.
Twenty minutes later they sat on her sitting room sofa with their feet propped on the long coffee table and Luna had her hair in a cap but no mask on. It was an hour long so she said she would wait and deal with the public if needed before trying it. She had some suggestions for the recipe too. The idea of one for their feet was good too.
"So what were you talking about before my arrival?" She asked and Pansy shot her a look. A small groan from her and she nodded. Then once more to indicate she could speak. Could start since she just didn't know how.
"I know you two write but don't know what you know. In January I noticed it first. Close to the end. Blaise was around more for a few days and Hermione was different. Fronting more. Then a couple months later they went away overnight. Which isn't unheard of but they didn't come back with smiles either. They do when they've done really well. Or had a lot of fun. Almost smugly satisfied. It was shocking to see them. Then the next day it was as if she were on fire and she was reading. For weeks. Not all the time. She still did things and popped by but a lot. Lately it has been tense between them. No animosity though and then finally he came to one of the Friday night dinners and nearly bored holes into her with his significant glances until she gave him a jerky nod. That was last week and she has taken three mornings away this week. Not alarming but something and she is ready to talk about it I think." Luna had listened riveted and her eyes had flicked between them. Eventually she sat on the table and carefully put her feet on a cushion between them. Silence and Hermione just looked at her.
"It will be better when it's not all inside." Luna said quietly and Hermione couldn't help her bitter chuckle at that.
"It is all inside." She said and then sobered. The hysterical feelings diminished a bit and she needed something. Not a calming draught, though maybe when she went to bed. Wine would work. She stood and headed toward the cabinet behind a paining and pulled out one of the dusty bottles and pristine three glasses. Her glance got a nod from Luna and so she poured the dark liquid into the glasses and cast and impervious charm on her toes before curling into an armchair and waiting for the other two to settle in too. Then a tray appeared with cheese and fruit so that provided another minute.
"When she did that. My magic had a shell or something on it. We haven't found out what was blocking my magic but Josh didn't find a way to maybe break it that wouldn't seriously hurt me or leave me a squib. The curse hurt. It did a lot. I don't know how long exactly she had me on the floor for but it felt like forever. The curse would kind of flare out from the point of impact which was here." She looked up from her glass and put her free hand there. Over her womb. She ignored Luna's stricken face and Pansy's blank mask. If she stopped then she wouldn't continue.
"But I felt a shift or something after she asked about the sword. I've thought about it and dreamed about it. I think it was her rage. She was crazy but then she was nearly incoherent and the magic was different. There was so much pain that it didn't register like normal or what it had felt like before. That was different though and I didn't know how to explain it. Like she was flaying my magic or my insides. It's nerves. That's what the cruciatus does. Or I think so. I haven't tested it but my bodily reactions are all similar to muggle nerve damage. After that though it was like fire inside. All through that place." She took a sip and looked down then. Feeling like they needed the lack of eye contact more than her.
"When we got away and they were fixing me up. After. I was beaten up from thrashing and her knife but there weren't any marks from the fucking magic. I felt sore all over and Remus explained as much as he knew about the nerve pain and tremors. Shock and nightmares. I took the potions regimen and most of that went away. My hands shake more than they used to. With nerves or whatever. Inside though. It was like I was numb after a few days. We were planning the Hringotts break in and I could barely function for a while. Then I tried to be grateful. That it didn't hurt like the rest of me." She broke off and wiped a tear away.
Then looked up at them. Angry. They were angry and she understood that. She was angry too. When she wasn't sad or trying to ignore it. Two slow sips later she was about to speak when her wand buzzed and she looked up at Pansy who looked surprised. So was she. Having forgotten they were wearing the masks.
"I'm glad it didn't hurt anything and it does feel good. Especially around my nose. No one is blue or glowing. Can we go sit down now?" Pansy asked her and she wasn't surprised. The witch had been looking at her as if she might run away. It wouldn't work though. She couldn't run from this. It had taken a long time or it felt like it. Months to come this far, begin accepting it. Settled in three armchairs that Luna had moved into a circle, she began speaking. Curled up into a tight ball. Luna was on her side like a cat and had her hands beneath her head. Pansy was wedged in sideways.
"I had to find a healer that I trusted and that took a while. Blaise agreed to help me with it when we started our other projects. He was upset I hadn't seen anyone but I just couldn't. Everything was happening before it was over and then after it was the same. So much going on and I didn't have much room to process anything. Just react. It explains my lack of planning or consideration in several situations. I'm not sorry to have done it, if I had thought things out I would have been panicking and to me it felt like Sabrina needed rescuing. I couldn't leave her somewhere he thought worse than with a girl he had last faced across wands." Luna blinked but Pansy looked thoughtful.
"I wasn't around then. Did you research the rights?" She asked with interest.
"No. I read the legal stuff the lawyer gave me but not magical texts. I've gotten a few from the Tower. Patter did actually though he mentioned me going there and how. I've read a bit and it's clear that something will happen. Or begin too." She trailed off and Pansy have a nod.
"Certainly. Dampeners will keep his effects minimized if not negated." Luna said this flatly and Hermione felt apprehension race up her spine. She shivered and Luna smiled a small smile.
"You will have some time I think." The words were sort of reassuring. Enough to put it aside for now. To keep going.
"So I found a healer and got preliminary scans. Then explained some and went back for other scans and tests. It's there. Magic. Sort of in me. Not touching my core but affecting that part of my body. It was such a relief that it wasn't touching my core. That's a whole different level of contamination. That's what Healer Sylter calls it. We are looking into what can be done." She finished quietly and met each witch's eyes.
"Affecting it in what way?" Luna asked her and she accepted her friends need to know.
"Basically it is only preventing life. I get my courses and cramps. Bad ones but potions help with that and the elves too. All the hot water bottles I can ask for. It just sucks the life from me. Feeds on my ovulation every month or that's the current trend of investigation." She said it quietly and as steadily as she could. Pansy stares at her and was on her feet. Luna stayed as she was and looked lost in thoughts and Hermione just watched Pansy as she walked the open area behind the sofas. In a square around the middle of the room.
"There will be a way Granger." It was said into the air as she rounded the far corner for the fourth time.
"Certainly." Came Luna's voice and it wasn't dreamy. It was thoughtful though and the light blue eyes were looking at her with pain and honesty. Hermione had her feet on the floor and the arms of the chair held tightly in her grip in an instant.
"You think so?" She asked the blonde and waited. Pansy stopped walking it was completely silent.
"Yes. There are many options to consider and we will need to look into alternatives to traditional healing. I'm sure they could succeed but we need magic to do it for us. Allow it to." Pansy was standing behind her and looking at Luna too. A quick glance over her shoulder showed the dark haired witch scanning her friend with intent. Then she looked back and Luna slowly sat up.
"Your visit was good? You didn't mention it in your last letters. A brother wasn't something you had expected." Luna said and Pansy came and squeezed in with her.
She didn't reply right away and Pansy nudged her and then spoke.
"It was fine. Nothing wrong. She's disappointed though." Pansy spoke as if it was all understandable and Luna nodded as if she agreed.
"You want an emotional kinship. Caring and affection. He doesn't know how so that will take time. Perhaps it feels like too much is taking time." Her words were thoughtful but a bit sharp and Hemrione could only look her feelings at her friend. The visit had been fine. It was mostly a one way exchange of news. Almost an interview and it made her unsettled as well as uncertain. That was in the future though and another thing she couldn't change right now.
"Let's have some hot chocolate and sleep in Hermione's bed. That is enough for tonight. This is a time for deliberate instead of rash actions. Maybe we could add some calming draught and have some cookies. Sleep well and easily." She said and then looked around as if the ingredients would appear. Pansy chuckled lowly and Hermione smiled a bit too. It was good to have Luna home and telling these two had helped.