Led by the Spirits
Disclaimer: Jk's world, i'm just living here. A/N: Fun fun fun, this fic is a blast to write...wait, who says that these days? a 'blast' hehe. never mind. PLEASE R&R
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Chapter Two
Home
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Harry walked back to his cubicle quickly, scanning his desk to make sure there weren't any more papers he needed to know about. With a quick glance around the office he apparated back to his hotel.
He appeared in the hallway outside his room just as the cleaning lady turned away from his door. She shrieked and jumped at the sight of him.
"Mr Potter!" she gasped, pressing a plump hand to still her racing heart. "What are you doing out here!?" she demanded. Harry placed a mask over his expression quickly, not wanting her to see his wariness.
"I worked late last night. I just got back, Mrs Lorinson," Harry lied smoothly, putting on a friendly smile. He'd met Mrs Lorinson quite a few times; he'd lived in the Phoenix Hotel for two years after all.
"Really?" she asked, looking back at the door with suspicion. "Then who's in your room? I couldn't go in." She looked back at him with a mother's smirk. "Not with all your wards on the room." Harry forced a playful grin.
Mrs Lorinson was at least sixty years old, a bit on the plump side, and had greying mousy hair that was always tied into a bun. Her face was lined from years of smiling, and her dull brown eyes were friendly. Of course, he'd already checked out her file. She didn't have a record, otherwise he'd never let her clean his room. As friendly as she seemed, he never trusted anyone … not straight away at least.
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. My friend is staying with me at the moment. She's in between places," Harry told her as he walked over to his door. "I forgot to tell her about the wards," he added and Mrs Lorinson smiled.
"You're such a nice boy, Mr Potter. Your friend is very lucky to have you," she said, waving her wand at her bucket of cleaning supplies. "I'll come back later to do your room," she said as she knocked on the next door, the bucket hovering ready beside her. Harry smiled and thanked her before he opened his door and slipped inside.
As soon as he had closed the door behind him his mask fell. Why didn't Luna answer the door?
"Luna?" he called. Looking around himself he realised the room was completely empty …
"Luna!" he demanded, jogging over to the kitchen, bathroom, and lounge. She wasn't there.
"Luna!" he called again.
Suddenly he heard a small noise. His nerves jumped into overdrive. His wand was drawn in a moment and he had lowered his stance, ready for a fight … he heard the sound again. It was … he frowned in confusion. Crying?
"Luna?" he called again. He slipped his wand into his back pocket as he returned to the hallway. He closed his eyes and focused on his hearing … the sound was coming from the bedroom. Quietly but quickly he made his way there.
"Luna?" he asked again. Nothing … but a small startled sniff drew his attention to the gap between the bed and the wall. He looked at the place carefully, a small frown creasing his brow. The soft carpet had been pushed down. Realisation hit him and he walked forward carefully.
"Luna?" he asked again as he knelt down before the indentation. Suddenly he felt something spike into the side of his neck. A wand tip … he knew the feeling well.
"Try anything and I'll curse you. Put your wand down," a small choked voice hissed though a blocked nose.
"Luna, it's me," Harry said calmly as he placed his wand on the carpet beside him.
"Sure it is," the voice spat, fear lacing her anger.
"Luna, I can prove it. Just last night you told me you've found a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, and that your father was proud," Harry told her. The wand tip dug deeper into his neck.
"Anyone could have overheard that," her voice was teary. She's terrified, Harry realised worriedly.
"Well, how about this? I met you in my fifth year, on the Hogwarts Express. You were reading the Quibbler upside down. We were in the same compartment as Neville and his pus cactus thingy. It exploded all over us. Remember?" Harry tried again. How else can I prove I'm me? He felt the wand tip quiver slightly.
"Some one could have told you that," Luna said. Harry could feel the wand tip heating up as Luna prepared to cast a spell. Inspiration suddenly struck, I'm so stupid.
"I'm wearing a wedding ring, and so are you," Harry said dryly, holding up his left hand. The wand fell away and Harry felt tentative hands touch his own. It was quite unnerving, feeling something he couldn't see.
"I'm sorry! I'm … s-so-rr-ry." Luna began to sob, deep wrenching sobs, and suddenly arms wrapped around him. Harry hugged her to him as he felt tears wet the front of his shirt.
"What glamour have you cast? It's a good one. I can't see you at all," Harry said into what he felt was her hair as he rubbed her shaking back.
"I-it's m-m-my ow-n," Luna said between deep breaths. He heard her mutter something and suddenly she materialised in his arms, sheet, scarf and all.
"Luna, why didn't you open the door?" he asked frankly, his voice gentle. He'd never been very good at asking things discretely. That's why he was a field Auror and not an information gatherer. For a moment Luna didn't answer, but her sobs where lessening as Harry continued to rub her back.
"They're after me, Harry," she finally whispered as her shaking stilled. Her voice was still filled with fear.
"Who are?" Harry asked, hoping he was wrong.
"Death Eaters." Her voice wavered slightly. Harry closed his eyes tightly. He wasn't wrong. "They've been staking out my home! I can't go back! I hear any noise and I jump! I can't stand it, Harry! I don't know why, but I know they're there!" Luna whispered. There was no trace of fear in her voice anymore, only spite.
"Why didn't you go to the Aurors? Someone could have stayed with you-" Harry began but Luna broke away from his grasp and looked up at him, blue eyes bloodshot from crying.
There was something in her eyes that unnerved him even more than hugging her in her invisible state.
"Would you have come?" she asked. Harry froze. Would I have come? he wondered.
Luna nodded mutely, disentangling herself from him as she got slowly to her feet. "Do you have anything I could wear?" she asked, wiping stray tears from her blotchy face. Harry slowly got to his feet as well, guilt twisting his gut.
"Yeah, I'll get you something," he said as he sat heavily on his bed. He raised his hand and flicked it over in Luna's direction. A red shirt floated over from his walk-in wardrobe, followed closely by a pair of jeans. He looked up at the hovering garments and then over at Luna, who still clutched her sheet closely to herself.
"These should fit you," he said, and the clothes folded themselves in midair and landed lightly in his outstretched hand. He looked down at the jeans and felt like a dagger had just been twisted in his chest. They were Ginny's; she'd left them at his apartment. Harry cleared his head quickly. She broke up with me. I have no reason to feel guilty. He looked up slowly and saw Luna staring at him in amazement, or at least he thought that was amazement. Her eyes had widened ever so slightly.
As he watched, she slowly bent down and picked up his wand. Harry smiled ruefully, all thoughts of Ginny forgotten. "Yeah … a few years ago I found out I was quite adept at wandless magic. It's quite useful in the mornings. I can get the coffee to make itself," he said with a shaky grin. As she collected the clothes from him, Luna nodded, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
It wasn't.
Every witch and wizard could do wandless magic, but its strength depended on their physical strength as well as their magical. Harry knew that both Hermione and Ron were quite good at it too, but for some reason he'd always found it easy. He could do it without thinking most of the time … and did.
"Thank you," Luna said as she dropped the sheet. Harry quickly looked away. He heard Luna sigh.
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"I'm dressed. You can look again," she said after a moment. Harry got to his feet and collected his wand from her.
"Come on," he said as he walked towards the door.
"Where are we going?" Luna asked as she trotted beside him. He looked down at her and felt a small smile form on his face … the jeans fit nicely. Ginny would be livid … my wife in her clothes. As soon as the thought crossed his mind he shook it aside, stunned at how naturally it came, before returning to the present conversation with a snap.
"To your place," he told her.
Luna stopped in her tracks at his words. "I'm not going back there," she said. Harry turned to her. She squared her shoulders as he watched. "No," she said more firmly.
Harry looked down at his hand, his stomach turning a little bit more. His ring glinted up at him.
"If you're my … wife -" the word felt strange in his mouth. He looked at Luna and saw that she was smiling, the dreamy look he remembered from Hogwarts back in her eyes.
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I'm his wife … he's my husband … Luna's heart began to flutter again, all fear of returning home sinking into the depths of her mind. It was smothered completely by three simple words, however hesitant they had been. '- you're my … wife -'. The rest of Harry's words melted together as Luna thrilled at the prospect. I've loved him since year five! And now we're married!
"- Can't have you in my clothes all the time, can I? And there have to be more things at your home that you want with you," Harry finished.
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"- then you're also my … you're also with me. Can't have you in my clothes all the time, can I? And there have to be more things at your home that you want with you," Harry said and Luna nodded.
"True," she admitted. She looked down at herself and looked up at Harry with a quirky grin.
"You wear women's jeans, do you?" she asked. Harry blanched.
"NO! - why - what? -" he began to splutter but Luna giggled and stepped forward, placing a dainty finger across his lips to still them.
"I'm joking. I know they're Ginny's," she told him, her grin slowly sobering. Harry frowned slightly.
"How do you know?" he asked, her finger still touching his lips. For some reason he couldn't make himself take it away.
A small lopsided smirk crossed her face. "Apart from the name tag …" she said coyly, letting her sentence trail off as she arched a playful brow.
Some insane part of him slowly unthawed in his chest. It raged inside him, wanting him to lean down and kiss her, long and hard. It battered at his decent nature. He hadn't felt the emotion-crazed monster since his sixth year at Hogwarts. It had stayed with him, emerging every time he saw Ginny for years … when had it died? He'd never noticed its absence … why was it awakening now? Harry closed his eyes slowly. He knew why…
It took all of his resolve to step backwards, so he was no longer in contact with the beautiful woman before him. Only then did he open his eyes.
She doesn't want that side of me, he told himself firmly, as he watched her lower her arm and slip her hand into a pocket. She just wants someone she can rely on. Someone who can set this whole mess straight.
"Now … where about is your apartment?" he asked gruffly. He cleared his throat quickly as the smallest of blushes stained his cheeks. I'm too old to blush.
He saw uncertainty creep into her eyes slowly. "I will not let anything happen to you. I promise. In no way will you get hurt," Harry told her, gripping her shoulder tightly. She looked at his hand and he realised it was his left; his ring was touching her skin. He took his hand away quickly, his stomach writhing.
This is so strange. He looked up at Luna who was still looking at her shoulder. When do I wake up?
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"I will not let anything happen to you. I promise. In no way will you get hurt." Harry's voice was soothing, a beautiful baritone that was smooth and soft on her ears. It washed away any doubts she had. He'd protect her … just him being with her would be protection. A warm calloused hand clasped her shoulder tightly, radiating reassurance and strength. But something cold also was touching her shoulder. She looked to it and realised it was his wedding ring. Harry drew his hand away quickly as if he was a little school boy, afraid of catching cooties from a girl …
But at his age he's grown immune, he should know that. Luna continued to stare at her shoulder, was it just her or was there a faint outline of a hand there?
"Shall we be off?" Harry asked. Luna looked up at him with a smile, the hand print forgotten. She nodded, sliding her arm through the crook of his.
Together they walked out of the room, and Luna apparated the both of them to her flat.
heheheh, fun fun fun. Cooties. hehheeh. hope you all liked! and sorry it took so long to update. Thankyou Dreamer for editing this!
Mali
p.s. Please Review!
(edited 09-Nov-2006 - td4)