Disclaimer:

I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Intends to follow all sources of canon: books, Cursed Child, Fantastic Beasts. Movies and complementary sources as well (Pottermore, interviews, twitter), unless they contradict the books.

If you spot any mistakes, let me know. I am not a native English speaker, but I try my best. Thanks for reading.

Trigger warning: violence, domestic abuse. Please, watch out for it.

Years and years ago...

"What a surprise. You're home," an old man said nonchalantly, with an ounce of irony, not taking his eyes off his book.

"Nice to see you too, Xeno," Neville retorted as he got inside the house, dropping his briefcase on the floor.

"Luna's gone to bed already... resigned that you wouldn't come home tonight."

"Oh, well... then I'll just..."

"You'll sleep here in the living room on the excuse you don't want to wake her up," Xenophilius cut him off and finished his sentence. "So I figured."

Neville headed to the kitchen and pretended to grab something to eat, pretty annoyed by what his (soon to be) father-in-law had just said. 'On the excuse?' he thought, indignantly.

"She left you dinner, though, of course, you must've eaten out."

"Of course I did," he replied, cranky, but helping himself with mashed potatoes and boiled eggs anyway. "There's food at the school. You're both well aware of that."

"Certainly," he shut his book, got on his feet and smiled at him, cynically polite. "Very well. Since you'll sleep here again," he defiantly stressed, "I'll just finish reading in my own room. Have a wonderful night, Neville."

"Night, Xeno," Neville dispiritedly bade him goodnight.

"Neville?" before Xenophilius could actually leave the room, another voice, much different from his, warmhearted and expectant, called him from the top of the stairs. "Neville, are you home?"

"Yeah, I just..."

Before he could finish that, she had already dashed downstairs towards him, pulling him into a breathtaking embrace and resting her head on his chest.

"I'm so glad... I was so worried..."

"You've got nothing to worry about," he caressed her hair stonily.

"I know, I know... it's just... I was longing to see you. I have so much to tell you," she tiptoed to peck his lips.

When her soft lips touched him, he felt as if he had taken a portkey straight to heaven. When they broke apart, however, he felt like he had fallen abruptly from there directly onto... Azkaban. He felt just as if she had been a dementor sucking all of his happiness with that kiss. Suitably enough, when he faced down at her, she grinned widely at him, overflowing with joy.

"Oh, don't eat that, sweetheart," she indicated his plate with her head. "It's cold. I can make you something fresh real quick..."

"No, Luna," he answered with resolution. "It's not your job to cook for me, right? You don't have to do this."

"But I'm really bored here at home... so many days of bed rest..." she sighed, as she grabbed Neville's plate. "I'll just heat it for you, then. Won't you eat anything else?" she gestured with a spoon in her hand as if serving him.

"Luna, you know I've got a little of a... weight issue..."

"Don't be silly. You look perfect to me," she smiled. "You're my... prince charming..." she blushed as she whispered his intimate nickname to his ear. "Either way, if you want to lose weight, you'd better watch out for carbs..." she scooped some of his mashed potatoes out of his plate. "But you've been drinking, so you better have a little more actually..." she slapped it back there and served him some more of it, along with some boiled vegetables. She waved her wand towards the plate and, seconds later, hot steam was coming out of the food. "All done," she delivered it to him.

"Hum, thanks," he headed to the table. She followed. "Hey, Luna, how d'you know I had been drinking?"

"Don't mind about it," she answered, slippery. "I... I've been eager to talk to you about today." She brusquely changed the subject. "They were here earlier, the healers. With... her..."

He rolled his eyes. "So, what Narcissa Malfoy" he pronounced her name spitefully as if doing so left a bad taste in his mouth, "has to say about..." he didn't finish his sentence, he merely stared at Luna quizzically.

"Narcissa thinks this has nothing to do with... her."

"How come?" he asked, interestedly. "It couldn't be 'cause she didn't know you were my girlfriend... she yelled she would do to us just like..." 'she did to my parents,' he thought, but he couldn't muster enough will to actually say it out loud.

"It's not that," she answered sympathetically, patting his back tenderly, figuring out what he was about to say without needing to hear it. "She believes this work isn't worthy of her. She was a much more gifted dark witch, so says Narcissa. Bellatrix broke the curse her husband had put upon her on their wedding day with such ease she did it wandlessly... shouting to anyone who'd listen that the only man that could ever curse her was You-Know-Who himself. Narcissa told us she was kind of a legend..."

"Well, I am painfully aware of that, thank you," short-tempered, Neville cut Luna off. "Anyway, why would her own husband curse her?"

"Narcissa said it's... erm... usual... for pure-blood supremacists... from ancient wizarding families..."

"To curse your own spouse when you marry?" he asked, taken aback. "That's mental!"

"Have you never actually heard of that?" she questioned, uneasily. "Longbottom is an ancient wizarding family too, after all..."

"Seriously?" he suddenly stopped eating and stared bewildered at her. "Have you been drinking as well, Luna?"

"Nevermind, it was silly..." she fidgeted with her fingers. "So... Narcissa Malfoy... she said no capable dark witch would do that. Witches from ancient wizarding families usually learn these curses from their mothers once they can first brandish a wand. It's sister cursing sister, cousin cursing cousin, all eyes on the gold of the family. She said she was afraid Bellatrix would curse her when she was pregnant with Draco, but she cast a powerful protective curse on her instead, said she'd never hurt her own sister..."

"So has Narcissa Malfoy been to this house to put Bellatrix Lestrange in a good word?" Neville got to his feet, hammering on the table. "It doesn't matter she wouldn't curse her sister, it doesn't mean she wouldn't curse you, Luna!"

"She said no capable dark witch did that, Neville, neither Bellatrix nor any other... that nasty Carrow woman, for instance. The good news is... that it's not that big of a deal... She says it's going to wear off on its own, Neville!" she gleamed, standing up as well and tugging him into a hug. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"That's fantastic, moonlight..." he whispered, hugging her back, joyful for the first time since he had arrived. "It really is," he kissed her temple. "It doesn't need a counter-curse?"

"No, according to her. The cause's already taken care of, what's left are just symptoms. I've got just a minor dark magical wound. Luckily, it'll disappear son. I will probably leak dark powers for a little while, though..." she said, sorrowfully. "But healers will be here every day."

"They don't need to. I can heal your dark wound," he pulled his wand out. "I can do this for you, they don't need..."

"No, Neville," she pushed his wand down slowly. "You shouldn't exhaust your powers with me. You're likely to be affected by that dark power as well, you'll feel much worse if you try to heal me. You better keep your own powers to you." She smiled kindly at him. "Besides..." she sighed. "Nevermind."

"Besides what, Luna?"

"Nothing..."

"I know it's something, Luna."

"Besides..." she glanced mournfully at him. "You're never here."

"Luna, I..."

"It's alright," she gazed at her own feet, tearing. "Don't worry, Neville. I know it must be very uncomfortable to be around me while I'm..." she began sobbing.

"Moonlight, come here," tenderly, he embraced her once more. "I'm so sorry. Please, don't cry..."

She sobbed even stronger than before. "No, it's my fault," she paused to dry out her tears with her hands. "I'm sorry for being so selfish. I know that it must've been terrible for you to be around me in the present situation... I know it probably feels awful to sleep next to me... even so, it doesn't keep me from holding myself against you right now." She tightened her grasp around him. "And I don't want to let go..." he could feel the fabric of his clothes getting wet with her tears. "I'm so sorry for being so self-absorbed, Neville."

"I..." he didn't know what to say after her utmost display of sincerity. And to think she thought the fault was hers. She was injured, in a delicate situation, and, instead of being there, he had been running from her. Now, on top of all that, she was blaming herself for it. These thoughts made him feel even worse than he had been feeling lately, if possible.

He was well aware of how down in the dumps blame could get someone, for one of the main reasons he had been fleeing from her was because, deep down, he felt responsible for everything that was happening to her. The possibility of Bellatrix having cursed her pure, innocent and helpless Luna at Malfoy Manor just because she would've found it hilarious to harm more of his beloved ones was unbearable to him. He was in denial, though, trying to steer himself away from all this guilt, mostly by never being home or by getting himself drunk. When he was actually home, he spent almost all his time bitterly suspecting Xeno held him responsible for his daughter being cursed, angered that they might have been talking behind his back, annoyed by her constant crying, resenting that she had cheated on him, trying to avoid her at all costs.

"That's how I know you've been drinking," she said, shyly, snapping him out of his own rambling. "I called Ron with the muggle device and asked him to check if you were at the pub..."

"You what!?" his remorse vanished completely upon listening to that, giving way to the usual resentment he had been carrying with him lately. "You what, Luna Lovegood!? You've been spying on me!?"

"Please, don't shout, Neville," she wailed. "It really makes me feel miserable..."

"Oh, now you're going turn it against me, will you!?" he shouted louder. "Splendid! You can mess up as much as you want, then you just burst into tears and it's suddenly alright!?"

"No, Neville. I am really sorry... it's just... I've been really worried about you..."

"The hell you're worried!" he roared, abruptly turning his back on her. "You knew why I wasn't home! You just said that! You knew I was trying to get away from you!" he knew that would hurt her deeply, but he just didn't care.

"I was worried too!" she yelled, losing her temper, but shortly after burying her face in her hands, sobbing. "This thing makes me wonder all day about the most outrageous things... things that could have happened to you... you have no idea. As much as my head tells me they're not likely to be true, my heart doesn't settle down..."

"That's unheard-of!" he smirked cynically. "Before that, have you ever considered something outrageous from inside your delirious mind could not be actually true? That's an improvement! This curse might have fixed you, Luna! We should celebrate!"

"Oh," she swallowed her tears, speechless, gazing at her feet. She stood silent for a moment, thus, finally looking up to face him, she stated matter-of-factly, "You think I'm loony..." she frowned as she thought hard. "I never imagined..." heartfelt, she sniffled and took a deep breath. Then, abruptly, without saying anything, she turned her back on him, climbing up the stairs.

"We're not finished yet!" he bellowed. "Don't turn your back on me!" he raced her up the stairs, seizing her arm roughly.

"You're hurting me," she said, quietly.

He let go of her. "How exactly did you find out I wasn't at school!?"

"You mean, after checking your fireplace numerous times, calling you on the muggle thing I begged you to take to work and helplessly trying to produce a patronus?" she gestured towards an empty framework back in the living room. "I asked her."

"Bloody Diadem taken out of the fire! You sent Ravenclaw after me?" he buried his hands in his hair as he walked back into the room. "You're sick, Luna! When you spent days and nights with that nasty man, supposedly researching, did I ever try to peek at what you were doing?" he began crying with rage. "It turned out you were cheating on me. Since I never stalked you, I never found out, but you came to me with all that talk of remorse and regret, so I've kindly forgiven you! That's how you repay me!?"

"Did I ever say I thought you were cheating on me?" she resumed crying, following him. "I just needed to see you! I thought you'd be here with me to meet up with the healers!"

"Why? So I can hear Narcissa Malfoy speak well of Bellatrix Lestrange!? Or else, have everyone thinking everything is my fault!?"

"No one thinks this is your fault, Neville!"

"Good!"

"Except..."

"Except Xeno, of course!"

"No," she shook her head as if that was utter nonsense. "Narcissa," he stared at her, intrigued. "Well, she thinks the fault might have been yours, not that it actually was..." she silenced.

"Clearly she wants to clean up for her sister..."

"Neville," she neared him, reaching out for his hand. "I'm sorry I was sneaking on you. This conversation is over. Maybe we should wait until our emotions cool off to talk."

He huffed, his blood boiling with rage, a vein bulging and throbbing on his forehead as her soft hands caressed his. He wanted to push her away, but he reminded himself she was the most precious thing in the whole world to him, that the only thing making him so angry was that nasty dark magic affecting him, that he would detest himself for the rest of his life if he ever mistreated her. Then he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and focused on getting himself back together. "I'm sorry I freaked out, Luna," he gently squeezed her hand. "I was a moron. I'm so sorry I called you loony..."

"It's alright," she smiled, albeit downcast. "At least I know what you really think about me."

"No, it's not alright..."

"It is," she said, decisively.

"What did she say?"

"Huh?"

"Narcissa."

"You have to promise you won't freak out."

"I promise."

"Really?"

He took her other hand as well. "What is it, Luna?"

"She thinks you might have cursed me..." she said, casually.

"She is... why does anyone listen to what that woman says anyway? She is still a dark witch! She's only defected You-Know-Who for fear, she never..."

"Did you?" she asked, tentatively, homeless-dog look in her eyes.

"How come?"

"It's alright if you did. I forgive you," she rushed to say. "I just need to know the truth, Neville. I've been thinking about that all day, I..." she started to tear up again. "Just... just tell me, please."

"You think I cursed you, Luna!?" he yelled, shook her hands off his and began pacing frantically around the room. "This must be some kind of joke!"

"I know in my head... but my heart..." she wept, silently, not daring to look directly at him.

"Your heart believes I cursed you!?"

"That's not what I meant. I really can't talk right now, Neville. We better talk tomorrow..."

"Then what exactly did you mean!?"

"It's just... I've been thinking about it all day, Neville! I can't really get it out of my mind... the thought that you may have cursed me..." she sat on an armchair, shaking, crying out loud, her face covered by her hands. "It's the curse, Neville. It messes with your mind. Just tell me you didn't, and I'll believe you. Please."

"Of course, I didn't, Luna! She invented that! It's a completely groundless allegation!"

"No," she turned her face to him, trembling. "It's not groundless..." she anxiously clawed at the armrest. "She thought maybe the person who did that wasn't very familiar with dark arts. She asked if I had done it. She thought it resembled an abortive curse gone wrong."

"This is ridiculous, nobody wanted our kid more than you."

"That's what I told her. Then she raised the possibility of a protective curse gone wrong, you know... I said I would never do that..." Luna paused and glanced at the empty portrait of Ravenclaw.

"So, that's when she thought it could have been me?"

"I told her I had cheated on you. That made her think you could have cursed me to prevent me from doing it again."

"There's a curse for that?"

"That's the curse dark wizards usually cast on their weddings."

"Oh, right! Now I get it. You think my family and the Malfoys are the same. You think we do that. You probably think my grandma was cursed, my mother was cursed... maybe the curse is on the ring, Luna!" he pointed at her hand, where his grandmother's ring shone brightly, white and black diamonds encrusted in white gold, made by Goblins. "Maybe the black diamonds are the cursed ones, we should get rid of them and keep the rest!" he laughed, ironically.

"This is not funny, Neville," she got up, walking towards him. "Tell me, face to face," she whispered. "Did you do it?"

"For Merlin's sake, Luna! You're not over that yet!?"

"It all fits together... because..." her voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "I cheated on you again..."

He turned his back on her, panting heavily. He stomped to the kitchen, where he took a bottle of Firewhisky out of a cupboard, beginning to drink right out of it.

"Neville, don't do it!" she attempted to catch the bottle he held up high in the air, but she was too short.

"D'wanna some?"

"No, Neville. I want to talk to you..."

"To me!? I reckon you'd rather talk to your lover, no!?" he roared, drink spilling all over the floor. "By the way," he paused to draught from the bottle. "This man cursed you, Luna! He's obsessed with you! He won't accept you'll stop working with him and that you choose to be with me! It's his fault, Luna! His fault!" he slipped on the wet floor and almost fell. He roughly poured some more whisky directly into his mouth when he regained balance. "He's the one who's destroying our lives! Maybe that Malfoy bitch wasn't wrong at all! It was never Bellatrix Lestrange, you'd be dead if it had been her! It was that damned bastard all along!"

"Neville, please, stop drinking..." she pleaded. "Let's talk tomorrow..."

"No, I wanna hear what d'you think!" he dropped himself on the armchair. "He's to blame. Case solved."

"I don't think so, Neville..." she sighed. "If he had cursed me, maybe I'd still have lost our baby, but..." she wept. "I wouldn't be so afflicted by dark magic as I am right now... erm... it..."

"Spit it out!"

"If it had been him, for the curse to have an effect, I'd have to be sleeping with another man besides him, and, last time I checked, I'm not, am I?" she yelled, resentfully. "I don't even remember when was the last time you touched me! You don't even sleep by my side, let alone sleep with me!"

"No man likes leftovers, Luna."

"What d'you call me!?" she asked, outraged.

"So, you believe he wouldn't curse you, but I would. Right. I get it," he tried to take a sip from the bottle, but it was already empty, so he launched it against the wall. The bottle shattered violently with a large and pitchy smash, glass shards flying against their faces.

"Neville, you're out of your mind!" she screeched, drawing her wand.

"What in the world means that!?" a third voice joined in, but it didn't resemble anything the two had ever heard before. It was bold, overbearing and a bit throaty. Her father, like Luna had never seen, in the middle of the staircase, wand in hand, stared hatefully at Neville. "What do you think you're doing to my daughter!?"

"Oh, I'm to blame again! Tell him, Luna! Tell him what you did to me!"

"Cheated on you?" Xenophilius walked into the room, stepping protectively in front of his daughter. "Well done, sweetie! Well done! It suits you well! You're not even a shadow of the man you were when I met you! You used to treat her with care and respect! Now you throw bottles on walls!"

"You knew!" Neville barked to the man. "That's why you're out to get me! I bet you're all buddies with him already!"

"I wish! I just saw him coming."

"You did it with him in our room!?" he snarled, crying with anger, turning to Luna. "How d'you have the... how..." he babbled, sobbing.

"I didn't, Neville!" she cried, trying to step forward, but her dad gently pushed her back again.

"It's her room! Out of my house! Now!" Mr Lovegood shouted. "Don't ever bother showing up here! I don't want to see your face ever again! You have been the greatest disappointment I've ever had!"

"My pleasure!" Neville picked another bottle of Firewhisky from the cupboard. "This is mine, I'll take it..." he gulped half of it at once. "You have something that's mine as well, Luna," he outstretched his hand towards the man, who was still blocking his way to Luna. "Ring."

"Neville, no, please..." shaking and panting, she tried to reach him, but her father stopped her. "Dad, please, no... don't do this, he's totally drunk, it's dangerous! He can't apparate like this! Even if he could, he'd end up at the Leaky Cauldron and drink all night long! Please, dad!"

"You're correct!" he drank from his bottle again. "Ring, Luna. I'm going, whether you want or not."

"Please, don't. Please!" she bypassed her father and jumped towards Neville, pulling him into a tight hug. "Please, please, I beg you. At least stay the night," she asked, softly. "Don't leave me, Neville. We've been together for almost 8 years, we've fought a war together, we almost had a daughter together!" she sobbed on his chest. "We can overcome this, I know we can. I only slept with him 'cause I missed you..." she mumbled, shaking. "I love you... only you..."

"You should have thought that when you decided to take the teacher-student relationship too literally. Wish you and Professor Scamander the best!" he staggered towards the door, Luna still holding on to him as tight as she could. "Let go, Luna! I'm going!"

"No!"

"Get off!" he yelled, partially free. Now she was merely dangling from his left arm, being dragged through the room as he walked.

"Neville, please, quit that! At least stay the night!" she implored, sobbing.

"I said let go!" he struggled, shooking her off him.

She was sent flying harshly towards the wall, rightly in the direction of the shattered glass bottle, and a particularly large and pointy shard slashed and pierced her left shoulder crudely. When he realized what he had done, Neville hesitated. He meant to dash towards her, pick her up, fix her, beg for her forgiveness, swear he had never intended to hurt her. However, when Xenophilius watched blood dripping down his daughter's arm, when he heard her squeal in pain, he had other plans. Wielding his wand firmly up high, he resentfully bellowed, "Stupefy!"

It never hit, though it was Neville's cue to flee as fast as he could through the front door, staggering and spilling whisky wherever he went.

Luna spent all night long sobbing alone on her bed, holding on to her deceased mother's portrait.