Chapter XXV: Unhinged

Beta Services offered by: DreamStallion33

Disclaimer; I do not own Harry Potter

Special thanks to Befread for noticing a large error!

There was nothing easy about being a parent for Harry as he reached the bottom of the steps and walked into the aftereffects of a shockwave. Knoby was at his side as he urged his feet to walk into the kitchen; a slightly damaged kitchen that looked worse than he had originally thought. He sidestepped the children's luggage and knelt down next to his kids and Luna.

James looked to him, his face expressionless, though small beads of perspiration were present and he sneered with such loathing that Harry found the resemblance between his son and his former Potions Master almost undeniable. He looked to Lily who was still shaking with tears. Albus seemed confused, he mouthed moved wordlessly at his father. Luna scooted over so that Harry could comfort his little girl.

"Knoby," Luna whispered, motioning for the cautious looking elf. "Upstairs in the washroom, you will find a blue vial, get it please, it's a calming draught."

Knoby nodded and set off quickly, returning a few seconds later with the requested vial in his shaky little hands. Luna caught Harry's nod of approval and offered it to Lily. "Here, Dear, drink this for us," Luna said unstopping it and tipping a little back into Lily's mouth.

Lily hiccoughed and quickly calmed down, her eyes no longer flooded with tears and her breathing became more rhythmic. "I don't wanna go back to school today," she looked at her father pleadingly, hands grasped on his large ones now. Harry felt nearly heartbroken amidst the confusion.

"What happened, Lily?" Harry asked, feeling her hands; wet with tears. He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew it to be Luna's.

"Mum jumped Luna, they had a row," James offered, as he backed away from the small huddle, while Al remained there by his father and sister.

Harry raised his head and saw Luna's nod of confirmation. "Well, Harry, it was kind of like that…she and I …well, we were discussing what she had done to make Teddy leave, he's gone of course, I should have said that first, but yes. Teddy left early and I had reasonable suspicion that she was behind it; she was. I confronted her on it and she-no-I got too close to her and she started going off," her voice rang with fear.

"Did you find out what she did?" Harry helped Lily to her feet, and Knoby offered her a chair.

"She raped Teddy by the sounds of it," James stated boldly, his foot tapping on the floor.

"Thank you James, let's drop the word though." Harry cast his son a warning look, and he then moved his eyes to Lily, he hoped his meaning was clear.

"I'm tired of her Dad," James refused silence.

Harry said nothing, instead he focused on Lily, and after making sure she was alright he looked to Albus. "How did the kitchen get into such a state Son?" Harry pointed at the pantry.

Albus seemed to be fighting with stringing a sentence together, his hands rubbed against his legs and his eyes did not meet his fathers'. "It wasn't supposed to happen, was it Luna? My wand went off…" Albus looked over to Luna.

She was surprised at him, asking her to lie about James attacking his mother? But then, why would he take the blame for James? What was he afraid of? She pondered all of this, deeply. She would not lie to Harry. "Al, it's alright. Harry, I think what should happen right now is we get the kids calmed down, and possibly send them to school a little later. I can owl Hogwarts and let them know."

Harry looked over his family and nodded, he didn't need all the details right now, and all that mattered was everyone being okay. "Look," he bit his lip, "I don't know what's happened here, or completely why it happened- but I'm not sending you back today- unless you want to go," he looked at all of his children who gave no inclination of wanting to return to school at present. "So, erm, how about breakfast? Is anyone here hungry? Knoby?" Harry looked at his elf and friend, hoping the elf would offer endorsement.

"You are just like Uncle Ron, Dad!" Lily said, a weak smile working it's way onto her face, Harry noticed the pain was still in her eyes though.

"Sorry?" Harry said, not catching the comment.

"Food-Food is the answer, that's what she means. Uncle Ron always goes to food in a pinch!" James spoke calmly, sitting down.

"Harry, I don't think food is going to be the top priority right now. Ginny is gone, and she was in quite a state when she left. I would like to ensure that everything here is as secure as can be." Luna remembered Teddy's advice, "Please, let us see to that first?" And we can talk as well, Luna thought-she hoped.

James looked at both of the adults; considering knowledge within him that he felt didn't need to be shared, James regarded his dream more carefully now that he knew what his mother had done. The noose was around a wolf's throat, James internalized his fear, his hands clenched and unclenched. "Dad, Luna is right, I think. Can I help with the enchantments?"

Harry felt dumbstruck, they were all acting frightened, for the sake of time he decided to go with it- they were only enchantments and nothing would likely come of them. "Fine! James you come with Luna and I, Knoby," Harry looked at the elf, "watch over these two please."

"As if they were my own, Master Harry," Knoby said, going to Albus and Lily.

Harry, Luna and James left the kitchen; Luna heard Harry cast Muffliato behind them. They patrolled the corridors of the house, magically sealing every window and door, blocking every floo and passageway. "Protego Totallum!" Luna waved her wand at the ceiling, which glistened after a moment.

"There now," Harry said, locking the last door in the Estate. "Now, I want both of you to tell me what has happened today."

And so the story was told, truthfully and most completely by both of them. Luna didn't like how hurt Harry looked, she wanted to take that away from him; it wasn't the right time though. She knew she had not been as careful as she should have been; there was a burden on her shoulders that she felt she would know evermore. She and James finished the tale and were both rather dry mouthed.

Harry shook his head, understanding now the cause for everyone's desire for protection. "So who do you think she was trying to attack? You or Luna?" Harry looked at his son first, and his Luna.

"I wouldn't be able to say, I'm afraid, all I know is that Knoby stopped her, our backs were turned…" Luna said shakily.

There was a silence in the air that wanted to be popped like a balloon, and James was that pin.

"Mine wasn't," James confessed.

"What James?" Harry focused on him.

"My back wasn't turned," he shook his head, and didn't want to come out with it. "My back wasn't turned at all, Luna had just disarmed me. I could see her." He spoke in broken gasps of breath; his eyes flickered across the room that they occupied, the sunlight making him feel more exposed. "I could see her as she raised her wand…it was pointed at you, Luna," he trembled. "She wanted you," James said.

Luna did feel fear over this revelation, but she was relieved that it was, at the very least, safe to say that Ginny still cared enough for her children on some level. Luna was comforted that she would have been attacked, and not the children- better her than them any day. "It's alright, James."

"No it's not Luna, it's really not!" James sounded defeated, his eyes scanning the ceilings and windows and doors. "I wanna go back to school, it's safest there."

Luna had her arms around James in a heartbeat, her own heart flooded with love for the frightened boy that reminded her so of Harry at fifteen. "You're safe here James, your dad and I will make sure nothing happens to you."

Harry knew a rising feeling of love for Luna at that moment, the way she cared for James as her own. "Luna, James," he breathed deeply "maybe what happened today was necessary. Ginny needs help. She must have become unhinged somehow, I'm not sure what caused it."

Luna's looked at Harry with wonder, as did James. James held his wand in his hand and looked around the room. "I think it was Draco. I think Mum started cheating after Lil' went to school and it's undone her." James said slowly.

Harry looked doubtful, simply being with Draco couldn't have made Ginny mad.

"I don't think Draco is a bad person, not deep down. I think Ginny was bad for him and he realized things would be better for him if he stayed away from Ginny. That's what made her mad, after Draco rejected her- I mean, she went a bit batty." Luna offered.

Harry thought it all to be true. Little did he know Draco's well being was in jeopardy, as well as another soul.

AN: Reviews loved and appreciated, and once again thanks to all of those who have reviewed. Love, TowerMage