(A/N) Sorry for the late update but since the lastchapter was a bit of fluff i decided to post a second one with it. Read and review, thank you for all the reviews so far!
Harry looked over at Rory, her long black hair was tied up in a low pont tail, she hadn't cut it since she left stars hollow and now it brushed against her elbows. Her nose stuck in another one of her muggle books. Her blue eyes were drooping closed asthe night wore on. It was December 23rd, the order were coming over tomorrow night, along with the Weasley's. Harry and Rory looked forward to it, neither of them had a true family christmas as long as they could remember and now their house would be filled to the brim with happy family and friends.
Jess had gone off to bed before supper because he wasn't feeling too well, Sirius had given him some flu medicine that would have Jess as good as new in the morning. Sirius was now in the kitchen, setting plates for dinner while Kreacher worked on supper.
"Is everything ok, Harry?" Rory asked, looking up from her book.
"Yeah, everything is just fine," Harry replied and Rory looked back down to her book.
Harry found it amazing that she existed. That the fact that someone else was going through the eact same thing he was, well it was astounding! She had proven herslef a talented witch by catchign up with Harry in three months of schooling! Now she used her wand like she had gotten it at 11 instead of 20.
"Come on you two!" Their dad called from the kitchen. "Supper's on!"
Rory and Harry hopped up off the couch and into the dining room. Sirius sat at the head of the table and two plates sat in front of the two chairs either side. Harry sat down on Sirius' left, his back to the open door, and Rory sat across from him, smiling widely.
Kreacher appeared in the room with a loud crack that made Rory almost fall out of her chair in fear. He served the pea soup in silence, placing the steaming bread and chicken breast on the table between them.
"Send a portion of this up to Jess's room, he can't be sleeping well," said Sirius.
"Of course, master," mumbled Kreacher, and with another crack he disappeared from the room.
"Why can't Jess be sleeping well," Rory asked.
"That potion gives you a splitting headache," Sirius explained as he happily gulped down his soup.
"So has Hermione told anyone else yet?" Rory asked after a few moments of eating in the silence.
"No, she's waiting until tomorrow night," Harry replied.
"What's Hermione not telling until tomorrow?" Sirius asked, looking up from his meal.
"Nothing, Dad," Rory said with a smug smile. "You'll find out soon enough." she looked up and Harry winked at her.
"Hermione's a fine girl," Sirius muttered. "Its a shame she can't spend her holidays with her Mum and Dad, but I guess its too dangerous for someone so connected with Harry to be out in the muggle world."
"I think she already considers us all family already," Harry replied. "And soon she'll be very connected to the Weasleys." Rory and Harry sniggered as Sirius looked at them both, looking very confused.
"What are you two on about?" he asked.
"Nothing," they replied.
"All I can say is I'm glad that I am able to spend my holidays with my family," Sirius said, each one of them smiled widely as they gazed at each other. Rory glowed like an angel when she was compared to Sirius' scruffy demeanor. "Its just a shame your mother couldn't be with us..." muttered Sirius before eating some chicken.
"I'm sure she's looking down on us," Rory said with a sad smile. "Just happy that we're togther."
"Have you all done your christmas shopping?" Sirius asked loudly, Rory looked down at her plate and subtly dabbed her eye with her napkin, Hary had to blink away his surfacing tears.
"Of course, I love shopping!" Rory said, happy for the change of subject. "Hermione, Ginny and I were done before tea time!
"I hate it, Ron and I had to go back because we never actually got any shopping done the first time, we spent all our time in Fred and George's joke shop!" Harry mumbled.
"Ah yes," Sirius said. "I got all my shopping done earlier this year, before all the crowds."
"Well, we've hardly had time, have we Harry?" Rory defended. "All this army business, and Snape is loading us with homework! I barely went to Hogsmede twice!"
"It's true, luckily Hermione felt like doing our extra homework while she sat out on the DA meetings," Harry agreed.
It all felt so normal to Harry, as if they were truly a happy family just sitting down to dinner. Harry felt more at home then he ever had done and it unsettled him. Suddenly his fingers and toes began to tingle, all the muscles in his wand arm began to contract and throb as if begging to use his wand. And his stomach began to feel slightly queezy as it did nervous flips. All Harry could do was smile as he ate his dinner, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong, that some major event was only moments away...
"Why is Hermione sitting out on your meetings," Sirius asked. "Its vitally important she learn how to defend herself!"
Neither Harry or Rory had a chance to say anything in return because suddenly someone quickly wrapped on the door. Kreacher cracked into the entrance hall and opened the door. The snow was falling down heavily, coating the square outside in a pure white, the wind howled and blew snow into the hall.
Rory sprang up from her seat and ran out of the room to the door where Kreacher questioned their newcomers. Harry turned in his seat but he only saw the bulky silhouttes of the people who stood in the entranceway. Rory stood talking to them, Kreacher still holding open the door. The freezing wind carried their voices down the hall but Harry couldn't make out what they were saying.
Rory finally beckoned them into the house, Kreacher slamned the door behind them and then cracked out of the hallway. Rory wrapped her arms around both figures in a hug then lead them further towards the light of the dining room.
"Who is it, Rory?" Sirius asked.
His sister's bright blue eyes shone in the gas light as she first stepped into view, she then stepped out of the way and the two guests entered after. All Harry could see at first was their eyes, peering out from ski masks and bundles of scarfs, and their figures hidden under bundles of coats.
"Its two fellow DA members," Rory explained as the two people began to strip off their layers. The one on the right pulled off her ski cap and her long tendrils of bright blond hair fel around her pale face hwere her two blue diamond eyes stared into Harry's. The man on the left pulled off his cloaks to show his lean figure and muscular arms, one in a sling. And then he pulled off his own ski cap and his pointy face smiled unccertanly, his grey eyes looking from Harry to Sirius. "This is Draco Malfoy, as you already know, Dad, and Luna Lovegood."
Draco looked skinnier then usual and his clothes in tatters but Luna looked as healthy as she always had been. She helped Draco into the seat next to Harry, he fell down into it with a grunt, Lunna gave him a comforting smile, letting one hand rest on his chhek before standing up and smiling at Sirius.
"We can't go back to our homes, Mr. Black," she said in her distant voice, but at that moment her voice was deeper then usual, with a hint of sadness.
"Call me Sirius, Luna," Sirius said kindly, he motioned to the seat in which Rory had once sat and Luna went over and sat down, Rory followed her and sat down next to her.
"Would it be too much to ask to stay here?" asked Luna. "Its the only safe place we knew at the moment, and I know that your expecting lots of people tomorrow for Christmas, but we really have no where else."
"Of course, dear girl!" Sirius exclaimed. Harry glanced over at Draco who was running his free hand through his hair, his eyes looked down at the table. "Kreacher!" Sirius suddenly yelled and the house elf came int the room with his usual crack. "Get these two some soup, and make it nice and hot."
"Yes master," Kreacher grumbled and then cracked out of the room.
"So, please tell me what happened to cause you to seek refuge at my home this close to christmas," Sirius asked.
"Well my father was off on a research job today, while I stayed home," Luna began. It was getting rather late and I had just finished preparing supper and looking out the window." her eyes gl;anced at Draco who was looking more depressed by the second. "You see I hadn't heard from Draco these holidays, which I didn't understand, he was going to come to my house for Christmas, his family isn't very nice you see... My father came in and he was all flushed, he knew about Draco and I, I thought he was the only one."
"Wait a moment," Harry interrupted. "What's happening between you and Draco?"
"We're in love," Draco replied, it was the first the first words he had spoken since he stumbeled through the door way. Harry just stared at Draco for a few dumbfounded moments, for a long time he had convinced that Draco Malfoy was incapable of feeling anything close to love, especially for someone like Luna. But Harry wondered why he had said it with such a heavy heart.
"So, carry on Luna," Sirius prompted, Luna was looking over at Draco sadly, she then snpped her eyes back at Sirius and continued with the story.
"Well, Draco couldn't tell his parents, they wouldn't approve, but I never thought they would find out..." Luna muttered. "Well my dad came in and he looked very worried, I suspected Tinfons, they often antagonise people. But then he came up to me and hauled me to my feet! He began shouting but I coudln't understand what he said."
"What did he say," Rory asked. Kreacher cracked into the room and placed steaming bowls of soup in front of Draco and Luna.
"Eat up, it'll do you good," Sirius said with a smile. Luna and Draco obeyed and began to eat there soup, the coulour returned to their cheeks. After a few moments of silence Luna looked up, her usual smile spread across her face again and she xcarried on as if she had been explaining her day at the zoo.
"He told me that he had just been in the Leaky Cauldron, and that Luscious Malfoy and a few other Deatheaters had been sitting in the far corner." Luna continued. "They were discussing how outraged that Luscious couldn't kleep his son undercontrol, and that it was his fault he was srewing around with myself and Harry Potter. Father told me that Luscious had explained that he had tried to convince Draco to give it all up and become faithful to the dark lord again, how he was being held captive and beat daily, kept on the brink of starvation!"
Harry looked over to Draco who continued to eat his soup, trying his best not to be involved with the conversation at that time. Harry looked at Luna who had returned to her grave voice as she continued to explain.
"My father heard them palnning on coming to my house tonight, to finish me off so Draco had nothing left." Luna began.
"Foolish plan," Draco muttered.
"How so?" Sirius asked, almost enjoying the wild story. But then again that was his dad, always thirty for am adventure.
"If they had killed Luna, I would have just run away and fought even harder to bring them down." Draco replied, Luna smiled at Draco then continued her story.
"He said he'd stay home, and buy me time to get to the Malfoy Manor and save Draco! He told me not to come back for him but run away with Draco to Harry, because he was bound to take us in and protect us." Luna continued, smiling proudly as she descirbed her father's brave actions. "I agreed and hopped on my broom and flew away to Draco's house."
'How did you get through?" Sirius asked again. "There must be very heavy defences!"
"Oh there are," Luna replied casually. "Well, there were anyway. I took good care of them with a heavy confusion charm, they all started to have a picnic! Draco was being held in this horrid dongeon in the basement! Oh I could have cried if I had the time but my confusion charm on Narcissa and that Wormtail wasn't going to last very long..."
"You cried for a good time afterwords," Draco commented.
"Well you were hurt!" Luna replied. "I tried my best to heal Draco in the wood far away from the manor, but my healing spells aren't as good as my confusion spells. It hurt me so much that all I could do was put his arm in a sling, so I figured the thing to do was jsut come here and hope you knew how to fix him."
"Not tongiht," Sirius began as he inspected Draco. "I know how to cure the odd cut but Mrs. Weasley will be here tomorrow morning and she is an expert at healing wounds."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Rory said to Luna, themn she truned to Draco. "Both of you."
"Oh, it isn't really Draco's parents' fault, if they didn't try and kill me then they and Draco would be killed instead!" Luna replied.
"Good," Draco shouted suddenly. "It deserves them right! If life is fair they'll be killed for not killing you!" Luna opened her mouth to object but Draco cut in. "Do you realise how close you came to death, Luna? Do you know how much I'd miss you if you left me now? You're my life now Luna, I wouldn't go on if you died."
"That's very sweet, Draco," Luna began. "And I feel the same way about you but-"
"Don't defend them, Luna! Those pathetic deatheaters don't deserve an ounce of sympathy! I'd hex them now if my wand arm wasn't broken if four places! And gripped in a cast and hurting like fuck!" he slamned his fork down. "We're lucky to be alive, and they would not have shone you pity! Do not show them any!"
Silence ran through the dining room as Draco's eyes seethed into Luna's. Rory looked from one to the other, worried if Luna was going to break out in tears or run from the house. Luna sprang from the seat and to Draco who had sprung up from his seat at the same time, Luna wrapped herarms around Draco's neck and kissed him deeply, Harry looked away and blushed while Rory smiled at the love struck pair.
"You're brilliant," Luna mumbled. "And you're right, I'm so glad you aren't dead!"
"Nicely put," Draco muttered and let out a smile. Harry wondered when the last time Draco had smiled.
"You can stay with Harry and Jess," Sirius said, standing form the table, Rory and Harry doing the same. "Ron will be joining you of course when he comes to stay."
"Luna will be in with Hermione, Ginny and I?" Rory asked.
"Naturually," Sirius replied. "Now its almost 11:30, and you'll be getting up for the celebrations tomorrow I suspect. It doesn't do anyone any good to dwell in one's misfortune."
"Of course, Sirius," Luna said smiling.
"Off to bed with you all," Sirius said and they all turned and filed out of the room. Harry knew that his moments family normality had gone, soon he'll be rushed up in others life, Luna will be happily retlling her story. Draco will continue to praise her bravery. Soon everyone will be caught up in Hermione and Ron's baby news. Rory and Jess will be spending more time together, now that the end is coming. And then soon enough he'll be back at Hogwarts training up his army. Harry felt ashamed of himself, he felt resentful of all this change, of all this happiness. All Harry wanted was turn back the clock and dwell in the small supper they had been enjoying beofre life crashed in on them again. Butthat's how it went with Harry, as soon as life was beginning to settle, something would send it reeling again.
"Good night," Luna called as she and Rory branched off to their room.
"Good night, my love," Draco replied back. His attitude had changed from moments before when he was cursing his family name.
Harry and Draco continued up the stairs until they reached the second floor where their room was. Harry began to change into his pajamas, Draco changing into a spare set of Harry's. And then the two boys settled into their beds. Ron's bed sat near the window, next to Jess's where he lay sleeping soundly. Harry turned off the lights and closed his eyes, trying to push the bitterness from his mind.
"You know," Draco said in the darkness. "I feel bad about this, but I'm actually glad that Luna and I are forced to take refuge here. I finally will be able to see a true family christmas, it should be great!"
"I'm sure it will," Harry replied.
"Everyone will be happy I suppose," Darco continued. "Hermione pregnant, Rory finally able to spend time with Jess who isn't cooped up in Moody's closet, you and Ginny madly in love." Harry smiled at the mention of Ginny, she was the last bit of normality left to him now, she would be able to keep him grounded during christmas, and she was by his side at Hogwarts.
"Yeah," Harry replied with a bit more enthusiasm. "She'll be great."
"It'll do me and Luna some good, I think, to see what we'll have if we survive this war – Happiness, true happiness." Draco mumbled, Harry could hear the smile in his voice.
"So, you plan to marry her, be with her fo rthe rest of you life?" Harry asked.
"That's what war does mate," Draco replied. "It makes you realise how much you have to loose, and how little you have to begin with. It opens your eyes and makes you realise that a life without love..."
"Isn't a life worth living..." Harry finished for Draco.
"Exactly!" Draco replied.
They stopped talking after that but Harry's mind coninued to think. And he fell asleep with visions of Ginny, if what Draco said was right... Ginny was Harry's love, and a life without Ginny, wouldn't be worth fighting for.
(A/N) In the next chapter more loves are sealed as the battle draws nearer...