For two whole days, no one saw Luna at all. You could hear her speaking to herself sometimes, and the random sound of a book dropping, coming out of the room Draco had given her, but that was all. Finally one warm, beautiful day, they were all sitting out in the garden, laying in the sun by the fountain were Ginny and Hermione. They were whispering to each other about, well, girly things.
" I must say, he's is very attractive without a shirt on." Ginny said, giggling.
" When did you see him without a shirt on?" Hermione popped right up, demandingly.
Ginny sat up on her elbows, " oh years ago.Several of the Slytherin boys had gone for a swim on a hot June day, i just happened to be passing by. And well, he was well built then, I can only imagine what he looks like now. Has he changed a lot?" she asked.
Hermione laid back down next to her, " Hell if I know" she said, sighing loudly.
Ginny smiled, " don't sound so disappointed 'Mione" Both girls broke out into a laugh.
Just then a loud bang errupted behind them, as Luna came running out of the manor.
" I'VE GOT IT!" she yelled, " I FIGURED IT OUT!"Nearly falling over herself, she dashed to the wooden table the boys were sitting at, throwing a paper to the lot of them. " It's souls he needs. A few of them as well."
Ginny and Hermione came running to the table, " what do you mean Luna?" asked Ginny, out of breath.
" It's all here. Look" Luna said, pointing at the crude stick figure drawings on the paper." He needs souls to make it work. look! It says,
a pregnant woman, brave and smart, an evil man, who has no heart, a damned child, who is lost, the center figure at any cost."
They all looked at the drawing Luna had made. Three figures surrounding a center one.
" what are the flowers for, and that bunny?" Ron asked, pointing towards the bottom.
" Oh" Luna said, blushing, " I doodle when I think sometimes."
Ron smiled, and blushed a little bit too. Ginny caught sight of this, and giggled, poking Hermione to get her attention to the matter. She too giggled, hiding her face.
Luna shook her head, as if waking up." I also found that it mentions a book. The Serpents Cross. I think if we find this book, it would explain more of what we don't know. There's one problem" Luna said, looking down at Harry. " No one has seen this book in a very long time. It's been lost to the ages, but I have a positive attitude."
Ron looked up, " why?" he asked, completely befuddled.
" Because of who the book was writen by!" Luna looked at them all like they should know this. They all looked at her like she was psychotic. " Avid Gaunt...the great grandfather of Tom Riddle."
She made it seem like they should all be jumping for joy at this.
The most they could muster out was Ron adding, " THANKS positive attitude!" throwing his head back over the back of the chair. " It's probably in a house belonging to the family. Anyone feel like looking up Gaunt in the phonebook?" Ron said, sighing.
" Yeah , it could be anywhere in the world by now. We would never know where to begin." Hermione said, sadly.
Suddenly Draco jumped up, " Wait. I think I can help"
They all ran after Draco, following him into the next room, the study. He ran to the nearest ladder and rode it to the left and then up to the second level...and rode that ladder all the way to the right. On the top shelf there was a little case of books, glass, with a big lock on the front.
" You got the key mate?" Ron yelled up to him,
" NO!" Draco yelled back staring at the case.
" Well then how the hell are you going to open it?" He yelled again.
" Positive attitude Ron!" Draco returned, smashing his shoe through the glass, shattering it, and gaining access to the books.
Ron looked up laughing, throwing his hands in the air, " YAY for positive attitude!"
Draco took his sweatshirt off and piled everything into it, making it easier to decend the ladders with all of them. Once at the bottom he laid all the books out on the table. Finally he spotted what he was looking for. It was a journal from Avid's wife, Marbella. Quickly he flipped through it. Stopping to skim several of the pages.
" AH here!" He said, throwing the book down so everyone could see. " She mentions a house. Deep in the moors of Ireland. It was their vacation home. I guess cold people like to vacation in the cold." He said with a smirk.
Draco quickly pulled out the atlas his father kept in the study and started searching throughout Ireland. Finally slamming his finger down in the west top corner, " Kiltimagh. That's were it's located."
Harry leaned over, " by all means mate, I'm ready to believe you but I just need to know, why there? Why out of everywhere it could possibly be, why there?"
Harry looked at Draco,leaning back in his chair again. Draco smirked yet again, and looked over at Hermione. He brought the book up to his face and began to read.
"A terrible morning for all of us, this was. The dam was released without notification and the river over flowed. The entire east end of the manor is flooded as well. We've saved as much as we could. Most of the furniture had to be destroyed. Terrible loss, old pieces that came from the family. The library however was left in tact. In fear of rising waters, my husband has moved the entire collection to the vacation home we keep in Kiltimagh for perminate residence. Not only is it not near any water, he says, but no one knows of it. Therefore airlooms will be kept safe without lock and key..."
Draco finished, lowering the book just slightly, looking again at Hermione he raised an eyebrow as if to say " I'm the shit!" Looking around he realized everyone was on the edge of their seats, facing Harry, who was still laid back in the chair. Draco realized that they were all looking not at him, but to him.For guidance, reasurance. Not that this was a bad thing, It made him realize that all those years he thought Harry was a prick, with a big head, this was not something he chose. People will look to Harry whether he wants them to or not. This made Draco appreciate Harry all that much more. Harry however was looking at his hands again, thinking, pondering.
Several minutes passed and then he finally spoke, " Alright. This is what we have, this is what we go with. Pack small bags everyone, we're leaving in the morning." They all sat back in their chairs, releaved that a plan was formed.
" hey Harry" Ron said, pouring himself more coffee, " Why tomorrow morning, why not now? I mean there is a sense of inpending doom here"
Harry smiled, but realized Ron wasn't. " Inpending doom or not Ron, I'm spending this beautiful day outside, I need to rest." They all nodded in agreeance and one by one, they all got up.
Off the kitchen was a great stone patio open to the grounds, with glass french doors to the inside. The doors lay open and Ron, who was still sipping his coffee, was leaning on the frame. Harry and Draco, who had been talking in the kitchen still, now made their way over to Ron in the doorway. He was staring one might say "day dream-ishly" into the garden, unaware that he was now joined by his friends. Harry looked at Ron and then the garden, then back again, unable to figure out what he was looking at.
" Oy. Ron...what's up?" Harry said, looking confused.
Ron however, ignored Harry. Actually he was still completely unaware that they were there. Draco nudged him a bit, finally bringing him back to reality.
" what? You say something Harry?" taking a drink from his coffee, Ron tried to play it off completely cool.
The look on Draco and Harry's face nevertheless proved that it wasn't working so well.
" Ron, I've known you for several years. Nothing holds your attention that well, but girls." Harry said, looking out to the garden.
Hermione, Luna and Ginny were all sicking their feet into the grand fountain, cooling off. Ron couldn't say anything, he just gazed at the girls.
Draco's face fell a little, with a little undertone he asked " Is it Hermione?"
Ron suddenly entered the conversation. " WHAT? No. Of course not." He said laughing, " No that's over with, Cause I mean..you can't date your sister right!" The boys all stopped, and thought for a moment.
" Ron was that a question, or were you stating a fact?" Asked Harry with true concern.
" Um, That came out wrong on a lot of different levels." Ron finished, blushing.
" Well, if it's not Hermione" Draco started, feeling releaved, " and it's not your sister...it's NOT your sister, right..."
Ron got a little red, pushing Draco, " then it's got to be.."
" Luna" Ron said, leaning his head on the door frame. " She's always been beautiful, we've talked about this before Harry remember?" He asked.
" Yeah, I remember. I remember you calling her one nut short of a tool box" Harry said, rolling his eyes toward Draco.
" Yeah well, that was when i was young and stupid.." Ron said, defending himself to the best of his capacity.
"Verses? " Draco asked, sincerely, but making it a joke. " I'm being serious" Ron said, noticing his coffee was all gone now, " she's odd, I admit it. But there that side to her that makes you fall to pieces. She's beautiful, and funny , and honest. She's great." He trailed off, still watching her.
" yeah" Draco said, thinking back to his earlier meeting with her, " and I think her boobs got bigger"
Harry and Draco laughed.
" Yeah" Ron said dreamly, " I know"
Harry and Draco stopped laughing, " You know I was kidding right" Draco said, leaning a little closer to Ron,
" What? I mean, maybe. They look bigger to me. I think. Yeah." He said, walking out to the grounds.
A/N I always thought Luna was this beautiful creature, and i think Ron would be perfect to balance her goofiness out! and hey, yay for Draco figuring out where the book was right :) - Dazen