"In the end, the only people who fail are the ones who don't try." –David Viscott
"Luna, what are you doing out here?" Neville had just come out of a detention to find me waiting in the hallway for him.
"Waiting for you, of course," I said with a tiny smile. "What else would I be doing out here?"
Neville shrugged. "Knowing you, there could be lots of things."
"You look dreadful."
Neville met my eyes. "They mostly used the Cruciatus Curse. Other than that they just gave me a few cuts and bruises."
I shook my head. "I don't like this. I don't like that they're hurting you." I looked at a bruise on his jaw line that was a deep purplish-red color tinged with yellow.
"Do you think I can stand that they're hurting you?" Neville asked, reaching out and rubbing a thumb along my cheek, where I knew there was a healing cut. "And Ginny, too, of course. It's terrible."
"Sometimes I think they're harder on us," I said as we started to walk down the hallway. We had about half an hour until we were supposed to be back in our dorms so luckily we didn't have to worry about getting caught out late.
"Well, yeah, that makes sense. They know we're behind a lot of the rebellion stuff," Neville shrugged. He paused. "You know, sometimes I think that the fact that you and Ginny are getting terribly hurt is entirely my fault. I wanted to do this. I wanted to reform Dumbledore's Army. I feel like I dragged you two into this."
"No, don't think that," I answered quickly. "We're doing this because we want to and because we think it's the right thing. If we didn't want to do it, then we would have said no." I shrugged. "None of it is your fault. I'm just trying to get through it by reminding myself that in the end, it'll work out. It'll all be okay again one day."
"What if it isn't?" Neville asked, glancing at me. "We might not win the war. It could go either way. We might lose. All of this might be for nothing. All of it will be wasted."
I didn't answer right away, but I almost smiled. Sometimes I think Neville liked to test me by asking me questions that were the opposite of whatever I had just said.
"Well," I said slowly, looking up into his eyes, "yes, maybe we won't win the war, but that doesn't mean this will be wasted or for nothing. When it's over, whatever happens, we can say we tried. We had hope and we did something and that means that when it's over we can have no regrets and we won't have to wonder what it would have been like if we hadn't tried."
"But I don't know if I can live in a world where people like the Carrows and You-Know-Who are in control everything," Neville said sadly. "And besides, my parents fought to put a stop to dark wizards. If what we're doing now fails, then I'll feel like I've failed them."
"But you're trying," I insisted. "I think as long as you try, you can't call yourself a failure. You'd only be a failure if you didn't try. They would be so proud of you for trying."
"You don't know that," Neville said, a slight edge to his tone.
"No, perhaps I don't. Not for sure, at least," I said as we neared the door to the Ravenclaw common room, "but I'm being honest and telling you what I really think and it's up to you if you want to believe me or not."
"I'm sorry," Neville whispered, resting his forehead against mine. He sighed. "It's just that half the time I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just winging it. I don't think I'm as composed and organized leading the D.A. as Harry was and this time around it's so much worse."
"I don't think Harry knew what he was doing a lot of the time either," I said quietly. "Even when he was fighting off You-Know-Who. Don't you remember what he said at that first meeting? It was a lot of luck and help and I think we need a little bit of both as well."
"Or a lot of both," Neville corrected as I giggled. Neville sighed again and continued. "I just sometimes wish that my parents were still around so I could go to them and just ask them what to do. You know, just ask them for help."
"They aren't the only people you can ask for help, though," I reminded him. "I'm always here. You do know that, don't you? I may not be your parents, but if you ever need help…well, I'm here."
Neville moved away from me and started tracing his finger along the stone wall. Finally he turned towards me and I saw tears in his eyes. "Sorry," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
I reached over and squeezed his hand. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't upset me," he answered quickly. "I just really like knowing that I have you."
"As long as you do know," I said quietly.
He nodded. "Can you promise me one thing?"
"What's that?"
"I want you to promise that you'll never stop trying to talk me out of being negative."
I smiled. "Of course I will. It's not that hard, really. My mum was really good at making my feel better. Maybe that's where I got it from."
"I'll bet it is," Neville said with a small smile.
Over the course of the next few months, Neville, Ginny and I continued to write graffiti on the walls and fight against what Hogwarts was becoming. We continued to get detentions, some with the Carrows and some with Hagrid. We got more bruises and cuts and injuries, but Neville's were always the worst. The Carrows seemed to know he was kind of our leader, so they came down hardest on him.
The first years were still getting tortured. Everyone was getting tortured for that matter. Punishments were brutal and everything terrible that could be used was used: the Cruciatus Curse, being hung from your wrists in the dungeons, and chores like cleaning bathrooms and classrooms. They even managed to bring back Umbridge's charmed quills that wrote with the user's blood. It seemed like the cuts on my hand had only just healed.
"Christmas is coming," Ginny said halfheartedly as we sat in our usual corner of the library.
"Doesn't feel like it," Neville muttered. His head was propped up in his hand as he flipped through his Charms book.
"No, you're right, it doesn't," I said. It was the second week of December. There was about a week and a half until break. Typically, the school would have undergone decorating by now, but this year there wasn't a single decoration in sight. Not even any mistletoe.
Thinking about mistletoe gave me an idea, though. I started rummaging through the pockets of my bag.
"Luna, what are you looking for?" Neville asked, lifting his head up and looking at me.
"I know I have some in here somewhere. I've been carrying it around since Herbology class last week."
"You took something from the greenhouses?" Neville asked.
"No, of course I didn't just take it. I asked Professor Sprout. She said she doesn't need it since there are no decorations this year. Aha, here it is." I proudly held up the slightly flattened sprig of mistletoe. "We can make a little Christmas of our own." I dangled the mistletoe over Neville's head and smiled.
"Don't let the Carrows see," Neville smirked before leaning in to kiss me.
"I don't have to kiss either one of you, do I?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows.
"No, of course not," I said. I suddenly realized she must feel rather left out, so I started digging in my bag again. I pulled out a sprig of holly this time and put it in the middle of the table. "There, that's lovely," I said.
"Now Ginny doesn't have to be reminded that she has no one to kiss," Neville said with a small smile.
Ginny didn't smile back. Instead, she looked sadly down at the table.
"You miss him very much, don't you?" I said gently, patting her hand.
She nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I know he's doing something good and important, but sometimes it's hard, you know?"
I nodded. I hadn't ever had to be away from Neville for very long, but I did know how it felt to be away from someone you loved.
"I'm sorry, Gin," Neville said gently. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"No, it's okay," Ginny said quickly. "Actually, under normal circumstances I might've laughed."
"Under normal circumstances there wouldn't have been any reason to say what I said," Neville replied. "I'm sorry. I know it must be terrible. I don't know what I'd do without Luna around. I don't think I'd be able to keep it together like you have."
Ginny smiled. "Sure you'd be able to. I'd help you. And I do miss Harry a lot, but I'm so glad I have you two here with me. If I didn't, I'd lose it."
"Agreed," Neville said.
"Definitely," I added, smiling at them. "We did promise to stick together after all.
It seemed as if fate, life, the war, whatever you want to blame it on, insisted that Ginny, Neville and I be separated.
The three of us were on the train, heading home for the Christmas holiday. Going home was a lot better than staying at Hogwarts. The three of us needed a break. The few members of the DA who were staying at school had promised to keep it going until we got back, which was really amazing of them to do what with the risks and the punishments it entailed.
I was curled up against the window reading The Quibbler while Ginny and Neville played Exploding Snap while the train made its way back to King's Cross Station.
"Anything good in the Quibbler?" Ginny asked.
"There's always something good in The Quibbler," I answered.
Ginny gave a small laugh. "I mean anything about Harry."
"Well, no, just that dad's been supporting him. This is last month's edition though. This month's hasn't come out yet. I'm actually quite worried. Dad's usually printed by now. He's really cutting it close this time. I have to ask him what's going on what I get home."
"Do you think he's alright?" Neville asked hesitantly.
"Oh, yes," I said. "He wrote to me last week. He's alright."
It was moments later that the train screeched to a halt. "Don't tell me Death Eaters are coming aboard again?" Neville asked. "I mean, do they really think Harry will be here?"
Ginny shuffled the Exploding Snap cards in her hands continually. Neville watched her and I kept reading the Quibbler. We were all listening to hear any sound that was unnatural. It seemed as if the rest of the train had gone silent as well.
Suddenly, we heard what we had been listening for: loud, thumping footsteps coming down the train. From the sounds of the footsteps, the Death Eaters were pausing at every compartment.
"This is mad," Ginny sighed, leaning back in her seat and shuffling the cards furiously.
We heard the Death Eaters stop at the compartment before ours. I didn't even look up. Instead, I continued to read the Quibbler. I didn't even think those Death Eaters were worth me worrying about them.
With a bang, our compartment door was thrown open. Neville and Ginny jumped up, but I stayed in my seat, peering discreetly over the top of my Quibbler.
"If you're looking for Harry-," Ginny began.
One of the three Death Eaters standing in the doorway laughed. "Stupid girl, we're not looking for Harry Potter on the train anymore. We need her." He gestured to me.
"Her?" Neville yelped, accidentally dropping his wand. He tried to get it as quickly as he could, but the Death Eater kicked it out of the way before Disarming Ginny and kicking her wand under the seat with Neville's.
"If you all cooperate, you won't get harmed. Although, it looks like one more injury wouldn't make much of a difference." His eyes wandered over our bruised and battered faces.
"Why do you need Luna?" Neville asked. "She hasn't done anything."
"No," the Death Eater sneered, "but her father has."
"What about him?" I asked, speaking up for the first time. I put The Quibbler into my bag and stood up. "What's wrong with him?"
"Have you done anything to him?" Ginny asked.
"Not yet, but we will unless she comes quietly and you two cooperate." The Death Eater gestured to Ginny and Neville with his wand.
"You're not taking her," Neville said, standing in front of me and grabbing my wrist.
"Ah, now don't make this difficult," the Death Eater smirked, stepping forward and twirling his wand.
Neville and Ginny blocked me from view and stared at the Death Eater almost unblinkingly. "We're not moving," Neville said. "If you want to get to Luna, you'll have to kill us first."
"I can arrange that," the Death Eater said, raising his wand.
"No, don't," I said, looking over Neville's shoulder. "Tell me what's going on with my dad first. Where is he?"
"Oh, he's home, but he's been printing some articles in support of Harry Potter. We've warned him not to do that, but he hasn't listened. We need to do something to get him to behave."
"So you're taking Luna to bribe him into doing what you want," Neville said in a low voice.
The Death Eater shrugged. "Exactly."
"No. I won't let you!"
"Like I said, killing you won't be a problem. Don't make this hard. Just move out of the way before I move you out of the way on my own. Either way, I'm taking the girl with me. I'm not leaving here without her."
"Looks like we'll all be here for a while, then," Ginny said, crossing her arms.
The Death Eater waved his wand, causing Neville and Ginny to be blasted back, past my shoulders and into the far wall of the compartment. In one swift movement, he grabbed my arms behind my back, took my wand, and dragged me from the train. I didn't even bother fighting. I knew I'd be no match without my wand. The last thing I saw was Neville getting to his feet and lunging for the door as Ginny tried to hold him back. He had tears in his eyes and it nearly broke my heart. I was hoping for the best, but if I was being realistic, I knew that this very well might be the last time I ever saw him.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review! :)