Luna had been walking with her friend Ginny Weasley in the hallway when shouting from behind a closed classroom door had caught their attention. "That's Harry's voice. What's he on about?" Ginny had asked Luna. It may have been a rhetoric question but Luna had shrugged anyways. Their curiosity got the better of them and they had opened the door to inquire.
It seemed Harry was insisting he needed to get in touch with Sirius Black, the true alias of the famous singer Stubby Boardman. Harry seemed to think Stubby was in grave danger because of Lord Voldemort and the only way to confirm this was through the Floo Network in Umbridge's office. Ginny had promptly volunteered her and Luna's services as guards and subterfuge.
As Luna was a terrible liar, she let Ginny come up with the story to keep students out of the corridor to the Headmaster's office. Ron, Hermoine and Harry had snuck in while Ginny was making up stories of a gas leak to keep the other students away. It was all working very well, Luna herding the younger students away from the corridor and reminding them, "Mind you don't step on any Nargles while you go." She had just turned away three more second years from Hufflepuff when her arm was grabbed and she was spun around.
She found herself looking at a rather large, stocky boy with an Inquisitorial Squad badge on his robes. Vaguely she could recall he was a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team and in his final year at Hogwarts but Luna could not put a name with his face. Wellerman? Wakerton? Wellington? Whoever he was, he had a brusing grip on her wand arm, twisting it and forcing a physical disarm of her wand.
"I got this one Warrington!" Luna did recognize the dark head of Pansy Parkinson who had a hold of Ginny. The redhead was putting up a good struggle, the same height as Pansy. The ensuing scuffle was noisy, both girls grunting as they attempted to wrestle each other.
Luna's captor, now identified as Warrington, had turned her face into the wall and pinned her arm behind her back. "This is really uncomfortable," she felt the need to inform him, not fighting against his hold the way Ginny was tearing it up with Pansy.
"Shut up Looney!" He had snarled, watching Pansy and Ginny. Pansy had a fistful of Ginny's bright red hair, pulling on it while Ginny was kicking Pansy's shins.
"Leave her alone!"
Luna recognized the voice, even if she couldn't turn her head to see the owner, her cheek prone to the wall where she was being held. From within her limited vision of Pansy and Ginny she could see their fight had attracted the attention of one Neville Longbottom and within a few seconds he had passed from behind her and Warrington into her view, attempting to stun Pansy off of Ginny. It wasn't easy though as the two girls were grappling with each other and he couldn't get a clear shot without possibly hitting Ginny.
"Expelliarmus!"
Neville's wand flew from his hand as Draco Malfoy came around the corner, aiming his wand at the tall Gryffindor. Luna was yanked away from the wall as Warrington held his wand to her throat. "Stop fighting Pansy or Looney gets it!" He threatened his voice clearly meant for Ginny. He dug the point of his wand deeper into Luna's throat. It hurt, but she didn't make a noise as her silvery grey eyes locked on Ginny and Neville. Draco was gripping Neville's upper arm, his wand pointed at the Gryffindor's head. He was at a slight disadvantage in height and size to Neville, but Neville looked more afraid of Draco than the Slytherin did of him.
The three of them were forced to walk down the hall, up the stairs and into Umbridge's office. Umbridge was already in there with Crabbe and Goyle. They had caught Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, the first of which who was seated in a chair. The other two were being held by Crabbe and Goyle. Warrington walked Luna over to the far wall as Draco shoved Neville inside saying, "Caught this one trying to help the Weasley girl."
Luna's mind drifted, wondering what punishment would befall the six of them, as she half listened to Umbridge threatening Harry Potter. Severus Snape had come in at one point and she was surprised as the others had been to find out that Cho Chang had been coerced with Veritaserum to tell on the D.A's secrets. She felt a tiny twinge of guilt for the way she'd been ignoring her fellow housemate since the incident, but she couldn't deny the scars that remained on her hand were at the fault of Cho.
"Tell her Harry!"
Luna's musings were interrupted as she listened to Hermoine and Umbridge discuss a secret weapon made by Dumbledore. Luna glanced at Ginny, Ron and Neville who looked as bewildered as she felt at the mention of this weapon. What was Hermoine talking about? What weapon? And why was it hidden in the Forbidden Forest?
It was a good place to hide things, Luna had to admit as she drifted off into her own thoughts again. Harry and Hermoine left with Umbridge, while Luna was composing a letter to her father in her head, to let him know that Dumbledore had constructed a secret weapon to defeat Cornelius Fudge. That would be good news for their readers and also the goblins at Gringotts. She knew, just as her father had published, that Fudge had been trying for years to get his hands on Gringott's, terrorizing the poor goblins inside and secretly murdering them. If Dumbledore had a weapon against Fudge, the goblins were sure to support the Headmaster's side.
A little while later her thoughts were interrupted again as her stomach gave a low growl, reminding her she hadn't eaten. Even though her stomach had already talked for her, Luna felt the need to speak up as she said, "I'm hungry. What do you think they're eating in the Great Hall tonight?"
Her words, spoken so casually and contrary to a manner of someone under the threat of a wand pointed at her throat, caused the others to give her that pained expression she saw so often on the other students. It was usually followed by "Looney's done it again!" She could see the Slytherin's sneering at her, Malfoy gearing up for some a malicious comment, likely about the irony of her being in Ravenclaw and an idiot as he always called her.
Before he could speak though, Goyle piped up in his deep, baritone voice admitting, "I'm hungry too." Without a hostage since Hermoine had left with Harry and Umbridge, he was standing in front of the door with his arms crossed in front of him.
"I think I heard the house-elves say they were making a treacle tart tonight for dessert," Luna shared that information with Goyle whose eyes lit up with the same excitement she felt over the scrumptious honey-flavored treat. She smiled, seeing a kindred treat lover in the stout Slytherin 5th year.
"I really like it when they make milk cake," Goyle said to her.
"Are you both nutters!" Malfoy interjected, his lips curled back in digust over their conversation. "Goyle! Don't talk to Looney! She'll have you spouting nonsense too!" His harsh scolding caused Pansy, Warrington and Crabbe to laugh uproariously over his words and Goyle flushed red with embarrassment.
"I am hungry," Luna said in her soft voice, lost under the laughter of the Slytherins. Her feet were starting to get tired of standing still. She shifted slightly, a pins and needles sensation starting in her feet and working its way up her legs. She glanced at the faces around her. Neville was looking dejected that he had been unable to help her and Ginny escape the Inquisitorial Squad. Ginny was flushed with anger from being caught and Ron...
Luna tried to figure out the look on Ron's face. He was looking at her with a bemused expression on his face but his eyes were also giving off a crafty look like he had figured something out. What was he planning?
"Hey Luna," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few pieces of wrapped chocolate candies. "I've got some candy here if you're hungry."
"Oh, thank you Ron," Luna said this sweetly to him with a smile as she held her hand out, ready to accept the chocolates from him.
"I'll have those!" Crabbe snatched the chocolates from Ron's hands before they could even be passed to Luna. Luna's smile fell from her face as Crabbe handed a chocolate to each one of the squad members.
Luna mourned the loss of food temporarily as the squad members each devoured a piece. She glanced at Ron, expecting him to be mad but he had the most peculiar expression of his face. His eyes were avidly watching each of the squad members he could see, a slight tilt upward to his lips. It almost seemed he was laughing at them.
She didn't have to wait long to find out why as Fred and George Weasley's puking pastilles went to work. Pansy, the smallest was the first to let go of Ginny, her face a nasty shade of puce as she raced over to Umbridge's trash bin, hurling up her stomach.
"What's wrong Pansy?" Draco asked, his wand shaking, his forehead starting to sweat. He didn't look so good either, his face shiny and pale. Pansy didn't answer, too busy upchucking.
Goyle started to heave and quickly strode out of the room. Crabbe didn't get a chance to leave the room, hurrying towards Pansy and trying to shove her out of the way so he could puke too.
Neville grabbed Draco's shaky hand and quickly disarmed him with an elbow to the stomach. At this point Warrington and Draco began to hurl, Ron laughing at their reactions, Ginny and Neville looking sick themselves. Luna was merely fascinated by the reaction. She had never seen a group of people throw up together before.
Ron collected their wands back from the Inquisitorial Squad as well as Harry and Hermoine's. "Come on then!" he said leaving Umbridge's office. They followed him.
"That was brilliant Ron!" Ginny's own brief disgust at the scene they had left behind, evaporated once they were clear of the pukers. They passed Goyle in the hallway, hurling his lunch into the metal boot of a suit of armor. The armor was objecting to this by repeatedly whacking him on the back of the head with an iron fist.
The quartet made their way through the corridors. Luna's legs were shorter than the others and she began a funny hop, skip every second stride to help her keep up with them. Neville noticed this bizzare walk and slowed down to ask "Are you okay Luna?"
"Oh yes," she smiled at him, pleased at his friendly concern. "Just trying to keep up. You and Ron are both so very tall." Even Ginny had a height advantage on her.
Neville flushed slightly and muttered an apology, slowing his walk down in favor of her shorter legged steps.
"Oh don't slow down or we'll never catch up to Ron," Luna advised reaching out her hand and slipping hers into his own. "Come on then! Let's run together." She flashed him her best smile before breaking into a sprint and pulling a more red-faced Neville behind her.
Her smile had outshone the sun and stunned Neville momentarily into a large blush. When he finally recovered from the shock of her beautifully, sunny visage he managed to make his uncoordinated feet cooperate with his body to keep up with Luna's pace down the stairs. He was happy to make it all the way down without stumbling once.
When they got to the bottom in the Great Hall entryway, to Neville's disappointment she let go of his hand. He realized at once why she had done so as he followed her gaze which had zeroed in on the house-elves bearing trays of food.
Luna passed by a house-elf carrying a tray of treacle tarts and snagged one for herself with a flick of her wand. "Accio Treacle!"
The pastry floated to her and she crammed it into her mouth as they ran down the steps into the courtyard and hurried across to the sturdy, twisted, covered bridge. The sun was slowly sliding down towards the mountains as they ran across the bridge, the intent to follow Harry and Hermoine into the Forbidden Forest. Halfway down the bridge they noticed two other students were running towards them.
Each of them slowed down as they realized it was Harry and Hermoine running towards them. They stopped before each other, each group catching their breath from hurrying. Harry told their tale of the escape from Umbridge in the forest, keeping it short beause of his worry for Stubby Boardman. He explained to Luna, Ginny and Neville about his vision seeing his godfather attacked and how he needed to get to the ministry as fast as possible. Only he didn't really know how to get there.
Luna felt a quirky smile come to her lips as she knew exactly the soluation to Harry Potter's dilemna. "We fly of course."
-HP-
Kat's Note: So this was supposed to be a one-shot but I have decided to turn it into a small drabble series about Luna & Neville and lots of handholding with maybe more to come XD But it will all be centered around holding hands at some point in each chapter.
