I do not own Harry potter it belongs to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: A reviewer asked why this is rated M, and the answer is for future chapters.
Luna woke that morning with one thing on her mind, Her father. trying to shake away the thought of him was not working. She felt ill and had to take a few deep breaths before gathering the courage to rise from her cot in Ginny's room. Fred's funeral was today at noon the thought made her stomach do flip flops. This was all happening to quickly, She would once again get to see her other friends from D.A. Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville. But it was not going to be a visit in a way that she would have liked.
Today was going to be painful and thinking about the funeral left a bad taste in her mouth. The room was empty Ginny and Hermione had already woken up and went down stairs.
They had been kind to let her sleep in, She dressed slowly in a black sundress and left her feet bare. She pulled her hair out of it's loose bun on top of her head. She made her way into the hall and down the stairs to the small kitchen were she took a seat at the breakfast table next to Percy.
He smiled at her weakly and looked very uncomfortable, She looked across the table at Ginny who just shrugged and continued eating her eggs. Luna accepted a plate piled with eggs and bacon from Mrs. Weasley and glanced down the table at George. He refused to make eye contact with anyone. His mouth was pressed into a line and his face was colorless. Mr. Weasley patted his wife's arm when she began to whimper. Ginny looked misty eyed at her mother who covered her mouth with her handkerchief. George stood without a word, made his way up the stairs and closed his bedroom door. Luna put a forkful of eggs in her mouth as Mrs. Weasley sobbed into her husbands shoulder. Breakfast ended in complete silence after Percy also left unannounced. Luna was helping Ginny, and Hermione clean up the kitchen. While Ron, Harry, Bill and Charlie set up rows of white seats. A large surface stood at the front of the setup. A Gryffindor banner hanging in the front and some quidditch things around.
Collages of pictures of the Weasley family, and a red sweater with an F embroidered on it were also on the display. Luna stared out the window at where Fred's casket would soon lay. The heat was draining from her face as the reality of it all fell over her, It was like stepping under a cold shower. She could feel her self start to wobble slightly. Luna felt a steady hand on her shoulder and turned around quickly to see George looking at her concern hidden under a seemingly blank face. She smiled at him and turn back towards the window, she pretended not to notice the odd look he had given her. She picked up the forks she was washing and ran them under the warm water. She heard the back door close and sighed when she saw George outside with his brothers. Luna put the last of the dishes away and turned off the sink making her way out into the back yard. Where Harry and Ron were setting up many bundles of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fire works. George was removing them from a large crate, Ginny and Hermione were laying table clothes over long rows of tables. Mr. Weasley walked out behind them floating along with him tea pots, water, pumpkin juice and coffee. Mrs. Weasley came out with trays full of finger sandwiches. As the next hour sped by faint pops could be heard and funeral guests came walking over a distant hill. Hagrid, Professor Mcgonagall, Angelina, Katie Bell, Lee Jordan, Seamus Finnigan, Alicia Spinnet, Oliver Wood, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and other red haired and freckled faces that Luna assumed were more distant Weasley's.
Neville was walking towards her and smiling at her and waving. Luna returned the greeting as Neville made his way to her. They sat next to one another in the middle of the second row of seats. George and Percy sat in front of them. A group of people all sat around as a casket appeared on the display. Fred's body lay inside cold and completely still, A small smile curved into his lips. His fiery red hair was styled in it's usual fashion.
George twitched in his seat and Percy jumped. Luna reached forward and placed her hand on George's shoulder the same way he had. She squeezed lightly and his whole body relaxed a little. His eyes never moved from the face of his twin. Mrs. Weasley could be heard trying to muffle her sobs. Sniffles could be heard all around the area. Hagrid blew his nose in his tablecloth sized handkerchief. Neville grabbed Luna's hand and held it in his own, Luna looked at him curiously but he just continued to look forward as Kingsley continued to speak. When he was finished speaking Bill rose from his seat and walked up to podium, he began to speak his voice soft, Luna had never heard him use that voice before. It was as if he were speaking to a child as they fell to sleep, She could not help but smile when she saw the love and admiration in Fluer's eyes.
Luna blinked out of her thoughts when she saw Bill sitting down. Ginny now walked up to the podium. She had swollen cheeks and eyes she must have been crying. Ginny spoke in careful sentences stopping frequently to swallow and hold back more tears. She stopped even though it was obvious she was not finished and excused herself. She walked over to her father and took a seat next to him and trying to hold back tears that were forcing there way out of her eyes.
Ron rose nervously holding a piece of crumpled parchment. He walked to the podium and began by thanking everyone for coming. He started to speak and every eye was on him, the heart felt word he shared with them made her smile widely. He really had a way with words, Luna had never failed to notice this about Ronald Weasley. Her memory of being trapped in Malfoy Manor came back around to the front of her mind. She remembered Ron who was so frazzled and desperate to save Hermione, when Bellatrix was torturing her. The display of love gave her hope for mankind. It warmed her all the way to her core and then the memories turned sour. She could hear Mr. Ollivanders hallow weak scream as he was being tortured. She would scream at them to stop and the man would turn towards her holding his wand out and then, Clapping. She looked up again to see everyone clapping and Ron returning to his seat with his ears as red as his hair. Luna took a deep breath trying to calm her racing thoughts.
It was going to catch up with her she knew it would. It made her heart beat pick up, what would her friends think of her. If only they knew the horror she had endured. What if they found out about the awful things that man had done to her. The awful things he made the others do to her. Neville squeezed her hand again and gave her a reassuring smile. Luna felt relaxed at her friends comforting. There was a faint pop from behind them, Luna turned around to see a man with slicked back blonde hair and a nicely tailored black suite. She instantly knew who it was but was not concerned at the boys presence, she thought about the odd friendship she had with Draco Malfoy.
He would come to her late in the night, and confide his fears in her and tell her of things happening on the outside. He was scared and he did many things for the wrong reason's but she thought he was not as terrible as the others. He was not cruel he could not bring himself to seriously harm another person. She remembered quickly that he did not turn Harry over to Voldemort the day she was rescued. The space on the hill he once occupied was now vacant.
Luna rose from her spot and stood in line to say final goodbyes to Fred, She could feel George behind her stiff and unfeeling. He was trying to be a wall, he had hit a point in his grieving that meant he was one step closer to normalcy. As close as will be possible for him anyway she could hear his breathing picking up the closer they got to the body. Luna for quick moment thought that George may be having a nervous breakdown. She threw a fleeting look at Hermione as she passed them gripping onto Ron's arm. Her brilliant friend seemed to pick up on her concern right away. Luna saw a look of fear take over Herminone's eyes and it was confirmed. George was indeed having a nervous breakdown. Things on the tables began to shake and then objects, food, and broken glasses and tea pots flew around. Luna was in front of the casket and she turned around to see George the moment her eyes met his there was a sharp pain in her head and everything went black.
Luna opened her eyes and groaned as she felt a small stinging on the left side of her face. She had no memory of how she got onto the floor in Ginny's room. She was on the floor in the precise spot her cot had been. Luna's mind flew to George his face red with anger and streaked with tears. She sat up quickly and grabbed the side of her head she had to balance herself. She rose from the bed and began walking towards Ginny's bedroom door, She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and gasped. She had three small jagged cuts on the left side of her face above her eye. They looked to be recently healed. When she looked out side she saw it was roughly 8 am. Had she been asleep for an entire day?
She heard voices outside and ran to the window looking out of it at the back yard. She saw Ron talking to a short red haired boy and beautiful white tents where set up outside, to say the least Luna was confused. She did not know what seemed so familiar about the set up outside. She had a funny feeling she had seen it before. The door to Ginny's room opened and the head of red hair that walked into the room almost made her lose consciousness again. Fred Weasley stood before her, dressed smartly in a vest and tie. "Luna listen I can tell you this once and only once."
Luna nodded silvery eyes as wide as dinner plates as she stared at a very alive looking Fred. "Everything happens for a reason George needs you." "George?!" Luna said still confused at the things she was seeing. "He needs your help, promise me Luna!" His eyes were pleading Luna bit her lip and hesitated. "What does he need my help with?" Fred now looked a little bit uncomfortable.
"He's not really in his right mind." I need you Luna to make sure he doesn't do anything drastic." Luna looked up at Fred her eyes wide again. "What do you mean drastic." Fred knitted his brows together and took a deep breath. "You can help him Luna." He said but his voice was beginning to sound further away by the second. Luna felt the world around her become fuzzy and suddenly everything was black again. She opened her eyes and saw the clouds in the afternoon sky. The grass felt soft below her and she could see Hermione kneeling over her healing her face. She could feel something sticky over her left eye and she just assumed it was blood. She sat up to see George sitting with his head in his hands a few feet away, she looked around most of the guest's had disappeared. She sat up quickly and thanked Hermione who looked a little bit shaken.
Luna allowed her friend to help her to her feet and walked towards George, a sharp pain was throbbing in the side of her head. His head was still in his hands even when she stood directly in front of him. He lifted his head slowly and looked at her, he still had tears streaming down his face and he looked painfully tired. "I'm sorry Luna." he looked down at his feet again hanging his head in shame. Luna placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "How did you do that?" she asked with no anger in her voice which seemed to take George by surprise considering he just accidentally gave her a face full of glass.
"I don't know I just couldn't control it." He raised from his seat his pride obviously wounded by the public display of emotion. George walked towards the house and in the back door, Mrs. Weasley eased Luna into a seat and finished cleaning her face.
It was cool outside Luna could feel the summer night air coming in Ginny's bedroom window. Her head still hurt a little, but she was not concerned about the dull ache in her skull. She kept seeing George's face every time she closed her eyes. Pride wounded and angry, tears streaking down his face. The worst part was the humiliation. George had a look of being mortified in his eyes at the lose of control. Accidental magic was not common in adults, it was more of a childhood thing.
Luna heard a door open and close and someone descending down the stairs. Luna had a hunch she knew who it was and rose from her bed quietly sneaking out of Ginny's room a quietly as possible.
She made her way down the stairs to the sitting room and saw George walking towards the door dressed for travel with a rucksack and a suite case. "George where are you going?" He turned around and looked at her wide eyed at being caught. "I just can't be here anymore." Luna felt anger rising in her chest. "You're just going to leave like that?!" she moved closer to him and he backed up slightly at her aggression. "Did you think to tell anyone, Imagine how they will feel if they wake and you are just gone?" George looked down at his feet in shame and back up Luna. "I just wanted to get out for a while." Luna breathed out a sigh. "It...It's, you can't leave like this." Luna looked down and fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. "If you want to leave you should tell them properly." George took a few steps forward and placed his ruck sack and case down on the couch. "Would you like to go for a walk with me?" Luna looked up surprised to see the hand offered out to her.
She took his hand and they walked out of the front door of the burrow and down the walk way. George let go of her hand and they walked in silence. The moon was high in sky and the slightly chilly breeze gave Luna goose bumps up and down her arms it felt wonderful.
They walked over a large grassy hill and they were making there way towards Otter St. Catchpole. The street lamps were light but the town was quiet and everything was dark except for the church. "How are long are you going to stay with us." George said casually, Luna was taken a back a bit, she did not expect him to be conversational. "Well, until I can find somewhere more permanent I suppose." George nodded and continued walking towards the center of the town. "Did you have a problem with it or something." Luna said feeling slightly embarrassed that she was causing irritation. "No, no nothing like that, I was just curious." He took a deep breath and continued on "I saw that your house is gone, I used to be able to see it through my bed room window." Luna smiled sadly and look down at her feet. "I'm going to bury my dad there tomorrow, next to my mom I mean." George looked at her curiously and she moved forward pulling his hand into hers and smiling up at him. "I could come if you would like." he said looking to the side slightly and was pretending to look at the scenery. George picked a fuzz off of his jumper and flicking it away. "You know, just because you were there today." She smiled and looked up at the clear night sky. "Yeah I think I would like that a lot."
When they reached the church George walked into the grave yard letting go of Luna's hand again and walking over to a small fresh headstone, It looked much newer than all of the others and the dirt was pressed neatly over it. He stood in front of the headstone and began to speak. "Hey Freddie, sorry I didn't say goodbye before." he cleared his throat and was silent for a moment. "But, I realized I don't want to say goodbye, I'll never say goodbye to you." He smiled sadly and was trying to hold back tears. "Because we'll be together again one day. A friend said that to me, so I decided I'm just going to say, see you." Luna felt a warmness flow through her veins and was suppressing a smile. George stood still for a long moment and then made his way back towards Luna. They walked back the same way they came, out through town square. Into the grassy hills and to the Burrow's front porch. George opened the door and offered Luna to step inside, He grabbed his bag's off of the couch and they both made their way up the stairs. Luna stopped and Ginny's door and George continued up the landing only to stop in front of his door about 6 feet away.
"See you." Luna said before opening the door and walking into Ginny's room. She heard a mumbled "see you." from the hall as George opened his door disappearing in to his room as well.
She made her way to her cot and kicked off of her shoes, she could hear Ginny snoring slightly and Hermione shifting in her sleep. Luna lied down with her head on the pillow. She gazed out of the window and at the moon that was slowly making it's way west as the sky began to lighten on the other side. Predawn was fast approaching. She closed her eyes and sighed contently letting the soothing sounds of her friends even breathing to lull her off to sleep.
Luna woke that morning and found a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt to wear for that day. The day she had been dreading, for some reason she did not feel quite as scared as she had yesterday. She pulled her hair up and put her bag across herself, Her wand was tucked safely behind her right ear and she was ready to do this.
At the table she ate blueberry pancakes and drank orange juice, she took a seat next to George who seemed to have opted for silence again. His mother was fussing over him telling him to eat at least some toast. George simply took a small bite from a piece of toast and sipped his coffee quietly. Harry looked at Luna and offered her the jam for her toast. "Later when we are done, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I are going to go start cleaning out my god fathers house, do you want to come and help." Luna grinned brightly at her friend excited that she was being involved. "Of course I would love too." The meal continued in low conversation about upcoming plans for reconstruction on the ministry and Hogwarts.
When they were done Luna and her friends made there way to the hill where her house once stood. She felt a pain in her chest when she saw the empty space the grass growing in quickly and the willow tree under which her mother was buried plush with hanging green leaves. Luna pointed to the spot just to the left of her mothers marker. The trunk of the tree had neat cursive words carved into it. George, Ron, Harry, and now Neville who was walking up towards them waving all carried shovels. They dug up a deep and wide hole were Luna had gestured towards. Ginny and Hermione waved there wands and an apple tree began to rise from the ground above the hole next to her mothers Willow. It grew tall and strong and had plush green leaves as well. A man appeared next to them and offered a few papers for Luna to sign before waving his wand and a mahogany wooden box appeared and hovered over the hole.
He left with a quick nod to them his eyes lingering on Harry for a moment, Luna waved her wand and the box descended slowly into the ground she covered it with the earth neatly and regrew the grass. She carved the deathly hallows symbol into the tree with her wand, the penmanship matching that on her mothers tree. "Here Lies Xenophilius Lovegood, born June 2nd 1960 died May 1998." Luna pointed her wand at the bench still standing on the opposite side of her mothers tree and moved it directly between the two.
She smiled towards her friends and sighed. "Should we go now?" They nodded in agreement and Luna looked up at George curiously. "Are you coming with us to help clean?" George shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I think I'm going to head home actually." He turned with a wave to everyone and began to walk briskly towards the Burrow. She looked at Neville who smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to head out too, be careful." He eyed all of them with a smile and disappeared on the spot.
Luna grabbed onto Ron's forearm and he held Hermione hand, Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and they disappeared as well. They were on the front step of Number 12 Grimauld Place, Luna remembered coming to this place after her 4th year when the D.A. Broke into the ministry.
They walked in the house and Mrs. Black began to wail at the sound of the door opening. "Mudbloods! Blood traitors in my house!" Harry groaned and he and Hermione pulled her curtains closed. "The first thing we need to do is get rid of that." Ron said gesturing towards the portrait. They tried many different methods to take it down but it did not budge. "Sirius said they used a permanent sticking charm remember?" Hermione said with irritation evident in her voice. "Well why don't you just cut out that part of the wall and then fill it magically?" Luna said as if it were very obvious what they should be doing. It worked Hermione cut the piece of wall out carefully and left a large opening in the wall. She moved to fill it and Harry stopped her saying her liked it like that. Ginny laughed at him and he just smiled at her flirtatiously making Ginny's cheeks flush a pleasant pink.
They did cleaning spells all over removing everything that was in anyway suspicious of being dark objects. Luna was repeatedly using cleaning charms on the windows each time making the outdoors a little more visible. Ginny was removing the long dark curtains and Ron was cleaning the carpet sneezing as dust was pulled from it and landed in a garbage bag. Around 2 pm Ron and Hermione walked to near by muggle shop and got the 5 of them lunch. They ate in the newly cleaned kitchen the windows were bright and shiny letting sun pour into the room in the most wonderful way. The sitting room was arranged nicely they kept some of the old furniture putting newer touches on it. The thick dust covered rug was gone and the walls were washed smartly. Luna felt satisfied with their efforts.
After lunch they made there way up the stairs and began on the first floor bed rooms. By 9 o'clock that night they were finished with all four floors of the house, everything that was not being kept had been removed all of the windows were clean. New layers of paint coated every room, they fixed the walls in Sirius's old room and Harry made it his. The house looked wonderful, the old things that still stood in it made it look like something out of the 18th century.
When they arrived back at the Burrow Luna felt like her legs were 10 times heavier than normal. She was completely tired out, They walked into the kitchen to be greeted by Percy sitting at the table sipping tea. "Mum left soup on the stove just heat it, oh and there's bread on the counter." They all ate bowels of chicken and dumpling soup with slices of buttered bread. Ron and Harry made their way up to Ron's attic room and Hermione yawned as she opened Ginny's door and was followed in to the room by said girl. Luna excused herself and walked towards the bathroom.
She washed her hands and dried them off thoroughly, She stood in front of Ginny's door and kept her hand just in front of the door knob. She sucked in a quick breath and turned around walking up the landing to George's door, She raised her hand before she lost her nerve and banged her knuckles twice on the door. She heard nothing and turned around to walk back to Ginny's room. Luna was halfway down the landing when the door opened behind her and George peaked out. "Oh," was all Luna could think to respond to his questioning look. "I was just wondering if you were feeling alright." A small smile played it's self on George's lips and was gone in an instant. She was not sure if she had really seen him smile or just imagined it.
"Come on in." He said walking away from the door leaving it ajar. Luna walked up the landing and settled the butterfly's in her stomach as she reached for the door walking into the room and clicking it shut behind her.
George sat on his bed and Luna took a seat on the other, she glanced out the window and saw a perfect view of where her house had once stood. She smiled at how peaceful the trees looked next to one another blowing lazily in the wind. He cleared his throat and Luna looked up at him in surprise. "George I would like it if we could be friends." She blurted out before she could think.
The room remained silent for a minute and she heard a noise that took her by surprise, it happened quickly but she could have sworn he had laughed. "We are friends Luna." Her insides swelled with excitement and she knew it was silly to be so excited about something so mundane but she felt like something wonderful had exploded inside of her.
Luna tried to ignore the butterfly's that were traveling up and down her chest and stomach. "Did you finish your cleaning?" George said breaking her from her thoughts. "Oh, yes it really does look wonderful." he smiled at her slightly and looked back down at his hands seeming to have nothing else to say. "Where did those burn marks on your walls come from?" she had said the first thing that came into her head. "Experiments." He answered simply. Luna nodded in thought of course there would have been some trial and error in order for He and Fred to create all of the interesting things they did.
"Have you ever created something on accident?" She said leaning her elbows on her knees and resting her chin on her hands. He looked lost in thought and them smiled in a slightly mischievous way that made a jolt run straight through her. "Well Peruvian instant darkness powder is the by-product of all of the things in skiving snack boxes." He rubbed his chin and looked at her, they made eye contact, and it was not like the other times. His warm brown eyes were making heat pool in her stomach. Her face flushed and she realized very quickly that it was quite possible she had a crush.
Reviews anyone?
Love always, Space23Case.