DISCLAIMER: THIS IS THE PROPERTY OF JKR. MY IDEA IN HER STORY.
Sorry the update took so long! My laptop charger broke and I was caught up in essays and schoolwork that had to go first. I'll be updating more regularly now, especially since the next chapter answers the question everyone seems to be asking, Harry or Neville?
As well, please take the time to review my story. I'm glad I have so much positive feedback coming in for it! Enjoy the chapter!
The Loss for the Lovegoods
"Selene!" cried out a voice. Selene put her new baby Luna down and came downstairs. Her husband, Xenophilius was smiling widely up at her, with a pure joy.
"What's the matter Xeno?" asked Selene, as she came downstairs. Her husband's grey eyes sparkled with delight.
"I got it! The licence for our new magazine! It's finally happening Selene, we can start the Quibbler! We can inform people! Give the oppressed a voice! People will finally be aware of the dangers and menaces as well as miracles in our society!" said Xeno, a sparkle in his eye.
"I'm so proud of you Xeno!" she said, flinging her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. He lifted her off of her feet and kissed her back furiously.
"Where's Luna? I want to share the news with her," said Xeno brightly.
"She was falling asleep upstairs, I was reading her your articles about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack," said Selene with a smile.
With a flash, he was gone. Up the stairs he flew, to be with his baby girl. Selene went to check the mail, smiling to herself at the beauty of life.
"Hey there, Luna," said Xeno quietly, as he walked into the nursery.
Painted in a bright yellow, the room resounded with happiness and dottiness. Her crib had the oddest carousel above it, with dirigible plums, corks, radishes and old owl feathers hanging from it. It was very obviously homemade. The crib itself was white, as was the changing table and crib beside it. Orange and green linens were in the crib.
Xeno peered into the crib. A baby with dirty blond hair lay sleeping. He sighed. He loved staring into his daughter's identical grey eyes. They peered directly into his soul. Everything about her belonged to Selene; the pert little nose, the pale, milky skin. He wondered if when she grew up he'd see more of himself in her.
"Hey there Luna," said Xeno softly, sitting down on the white stool beside the crib. "Guess what Daddy did today, he got a licence. He's going to start a magazine, and publish the truth. The things the ministry doesn't like to tell the people. He's going to reveal the secret to wrackspurts, and the crumple-horned snorkack, and about the secrets of the ministry's, and-
"She's sleeping Xeno," said a voice. He turned to see his beautiful wife smiling at him.
Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back with a blue head band. She was still round from the pregnancy weight. Her green eyes sparkled back at him. She was wearing a white cotton shirt, and blue over robes.
"Talking to a child while they sleep is beneficial for securing a bond," argued Xeno with a smile.
"I know, I read that article you prepared too," she said, sauntering over and wrapping her arms around him.
"I wish your sister was here, to see Luna," said Xeno softly to Selene. She stiffened, and then relaxed.
"I do too, Marlene loved babies," said Selene.
They enjoyed a quiet silence, before Selene spoke.
"Tomorrow's your cousin's wedding, are we going?" she asked him.
"Of course, the more people to bless a marriage, the healthier it is," he said.
"Who do we leave Luna with? She's only four months old," said Selene nervously.
"We discussed this Selene. Your cousin will look after her, and we'll be back before midnight," said Xeno warmly to his wife.
"But what if she misses us?" asked Selene nervously.
"That is a problem," said Xeno.
"What's the proposed solution?" asked Selene, her big eyes staring at him with that determined, curious look that drove him wild.
"Well, how about this?" asked Xeno, pulling out a necklace he had made. Unlike his usual odd creations, it was sparkly and beautiful. On a thin, silver chain, a small oval shaped locket dangled. A bright white crescent moon was on the front.
"It's beautiful, when did you get it?" asked Selene, her eyes sparkling at him.
"When I heard about all the kidnappings, I thought how uncertain the future is, and that if anything happened to us and Luna was alone, she'd need something to remember us by," said Xeno softly.
"How does it open?" asked Selene curiously.
"The lullaby you sing, I attuned it to that," he said.
"It's beautiful," said Selene, and then she began to sing. They watched with joy as the locket opened to reveal two images.
The first image was of Selene and Xeno on their wedding day. Selene had chosen to wear a silvery white dress. A lace white dress fell over the silver, and emphasized the purity of the moment. It was form fitting on top and fell straight down her body, emphasizing her height. The veil was silver, and fit into her hair with star shaped pins. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled up into a bun and a few tender wisps fell down framing her face. Xeno was wearing bright yellow robes. His white hair had been pulled back into a neat pony tail for the day. On the other end was a picture of the two holding their daughter the day she was born. Beneath the picture was the words Lovegoods.
"It's amazing, oh Xeno!" she said, pressing her lips to his.
The next night was all a blur. Before Selene knew it, they had gone to the wedding and were dancing the night away. It was late when they apparated back to their home. Selene couldn't remember a night when she had relaxed more. It was just so enjoyable to relax. Luna was a gentle child, always cooing and hardly crying, but it had been so long since the two had just had time to themselves.
"Let's get home, I want to be with Luna," said Selene.
"I do too, I miss her, I don't know how I let you talk me into going tonight," said Xeno to his wife as they strolled in the direction of their house. They had only a few strong wards protecting the house, including anti-apparition. Neither believed that that they would be threatened since Marlene's death.
"I had a lovely time tonight, it's nice to celebrate love," said Selene with a smile to her husband.
"Of course it is, love is the most powerful force in the universe," said Xeno seriously.
"That it is," said Selene, resting her head on her husband's shoulder.
They walked in a comfortable silence. The turned the bend, and stopped in their tracks. Neither could believe what they saw. A large, green skull hung over their house. The rook shaped house had fallen apart. The garden was torn up, and an acrid stench of burning wood and gunpowder hung in the air. A body was hanging from the top of the rook, on a ledge that had been charmed to stay put. It was her cousin.
A few cautious neighbours seemed to be around the house, having just approached. Obviously they had missed the Death Eaters by minutes if the sign was up. She saw the Aurors apparating around the house, having received the message of an attack.
"No," said Selene, clapping a hand over her mouth. Xeno tore away from her and ran to the house, but she knew he wouldn't find what he was looking for. They had taken her. Luna was gone.
Her knees wobbled, and then gave out. She couldn't breathe as tears began streaming down her face. A ghastly scream escaped from her lips, tearing into the night. She was screaming incoherently, shrieking for something, anything. Her entire body was shaking with anger and pain. She felt someone touch her shoulders as she screamed towards the house, trying to pull her away from the sight, but she was frozen. She felt a corrosive hatred enter her mind, blaming Marlene for wanting to fight, blaming Xeno for convincing her to go, blaming Xeno's cousin for not protecting Luna, blaming herself for leaving her daughter.
"Selene, come away," said the firm, kind voice she recognized as Amos Diggory's.
"They took her, my baby!" she screamed, before letting out another scream of rage. Beside them, a tree caught on fire. Obviously her accidental magic was letting loose.
"Selene, you need to move," said another voice she recognized just barely as old Mr. Fawcett, the kind man who sold her grapes from his vineyard.
"Luna, my Luna," she cried, her voice hoarse from all the screaming.
They suddenly heard a loud rage-filled yell come from the house. She stopped screaming to see Xeno. He had somehow climbed to where Luna's nursery was, and was yelling at the Auror who was trying to get him to leave the crime scene. He was still looking for Luna, not wanting to believe the situation. She identified with that yell, it was her pain. Only Xeno understood how she felt, only he could understand her.
Blast resounded as Xeno obviously sent a hex at the Auror. He wasn't giving up. She felt hatred for him in that moment as well as love, and it hurt. How could she hate him? How could she love him? It was as much her fault as his for this happening. He shouldn't hex the Auror. He should give up. They had lost Luna. But he wasn't. And she loved him for it. She loved that he wouldn't give up. She loved that he'd still try. She loved him and hated him.
Xeno Lovegood had been stunned and then detained after hexing the Auror. Now he sat in a small booth at the Ministry, facing Bartemius Crouch and Alastor Moody for questioning. Amos Diggory had offered to take Selene to his house after they had drugged his wife with several Calming Draughts and Dreamless Sleep Potions. That was twelve hours ago.
It seemed like a miracle to him that just twelve hours ago, he and Selene were dancing at a wedding. Twenty-four hours ago, he had been holding his daughter and singing her a lullaby. She'd never know that lullaby Selene had made especially for her. She'd never know what a Crumple-Horned Snorkack was. No, that wouldn't happen. He'd bring Luna home.
"Xenophilius Lovegood," said a sharp, crisp voice.
He turned to see Barty Crouch looking up at him finally. He wondered briefly how he looked as he met this powerful man. His white hair must have become straggly and loose from his ponytail. His eyes were probably red-rimmed as he had cried unashamedly for his Luna. His perfect, little Luna. His robes were covered in dirt and grime from the remnants of the house.
"That's me," said Xeno hoarsely, his throat sore from yelling and crying in rage and frustration.
"You realize that cooperating with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the only thing stopping you from heading to Azkaban for attempted assault of an Auror?" asked Barty Crouch severly.
Xeno glared angrily at the man. How could he threaten him with Azkaban now? When his daughter was in the hands of Death Eaters? And cooperation? No wonder Barty Crouch was a hated man.
"Yes," he said contemptuously.
"Were you expecting an attack?" asked Barty Crouch.
"Yes, that's why I left my only daughter alone at home to be kidnapped," snapped Xeno angrily.
"You are balancing on a thin line, Mr. Lovegood," warned Barty Crouch, "Was your family affiliated to the Order of the Phoenix in anyway?"
"Selene's sister was a member," said Xeno stiffly.
"Barty this isn't doing any good. What's the point of interviewing him? Xeno needs to be with his wife, let him go. We have enough reports already, and we can excuse his behavior as irrational thinking," interrupted Alastor carefully.
"He needs to answer our questions Alastor," said Barty furiously.
"When we have answers for them, we can give them, until then, leave me to handle this case, I'll bring those children back, besides, I've been the guy on site for all the cases anyways," said Alastor quietly and calmly.
"Fine, but you're not using the Prewetts' this time, they have a personal connection," said Barty with a glare.
"I'll leave you to find me some competent fools then," said Alastor stiffly, "You can go home now Xeno."
"Thank you," said Xeno, and he stood up, and walked out, unsure of where exactly home was anymore.