-Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling
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Loony for Luna: Forever from the Ashes
Chapter Five
Declarations and Memories
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George paced anxiously around the procedure waiting room of St. Mungos. Luna had been taken in over three hours before and his nerves were about shot. Fortunately, he wasn't waiting alone.
"George..." Ginny came around the corner, a cup in her hands. "I've brought you some tea. Why don't you sit down and try to relax."
George opened his mouth to refuse but the scared look on his sisters face stopped him. A look around him at his family made it perfectly clear he wasn't the only one worried. Hermione and Ron sat in a far corner holding hands, their heads together in soft conversation. Harry sat next to Ron biting his nails and staring out of another window. Across from them was his mother and Fleur.
Fleur had become close to Luna while she stayed at Shell Cottage that spring, and had insisted on coming down for the day. As she sat on his mothers other side, she spoke softly with her mother in law. Fleur held a skein of yarn while Molly rolled it into a huge fluffy ball. The yarn, he knew, was to be used to knit Luna bed jacket type sweater.
The only family members who weren't present were his father, Percy and Bill...all had had to work and couldn't get away at short notice but they sent messages often while they waited for word.
Luna had become very dear to the Weasley's in the time she and George were together and they had taken the break-up nearly as bad as he had. Already they had promised to help in anyway they could. Molly hadn't been wild about the idea of George and Luna cohabiting, considering their lack of marital status, but as George had pointed out...it wasn't like they were going to be doing anything improper, considering Luna would be laid up the majority of the time recovering.
He smiled faintly at Ginny and took the tea, then slid weakly into a hard chair on the other side of the magical window and stared blankly at the wall.
Luna had been difficult, refusing at first to accept George's help. It had taken nearly two hours of discussion...well...arguing to bring her around, and then it hadn't been George who had turned her mind, but his having fought dirty and called in the reserves. Once Ginny, Harry, Ron, Molly and Hermione started in on her, Luna had had no choice to sign the papers giving permission.
"I wish they would give us some news." Ginny sighed as she slid into the vacant seat next to Harry and he took her hand. "Feels like it has been forever since she was taken back."
"Well, they said it could take some time." Molly said without looking up "These are very delicate spells they are using."
George knew that only too well. He'd sat at Luna's side while Healer Kenning had explained the procedure to her the night before in minute detail.
"I'm sure she's fine." Harry squeezed Ginny's hand.
George wished he could be as sure as Harry seemed to be.
"It's a wonderful thing you're doing George." He looked up, fairly shocked to see Hermione smiling at him.
He nodded, wishing he could get the lump of fear out of his throat so he could at least speak.
"Really George..." Fleur nodded "it is."
"I would have expected nothing less from him." Molly nodded and gave George a small smile "George is a good boy."
"Why do I suddenly have an urge to bark for a doggy biscuit and roll over on my back so someone will scratch my stomach?" he sighed
Ginny looked perfectly revolted "Eww, don't look at me."
Harry grinned "Will you scratch my stomach?"
Ginny giggled "Maybe later...if your good."
Ron gave Ginny a look "Long as that's all your scratching."
"Ron!" Hermione rolled her eyes and kicked him gently
"Wouldn't you like to know." Ginny rolled her eyes
Molly looked up from her yarn and gave Ginny the evil eye "Do I need to put a caterwauling charm on your bedroom doors and windows?"
"Don't look at me! I'm a good boy..." Harry dropped Ginny's hand like it was a hot potato
"Really?" Hermione looked like she wanted to laugh
"Really! See?" He put his hands up and pretended to pant like a dog "Woof!"
Fleur rolled her eyes and looked at Ginny with a small grin "And you wish to have children with him someday?"
"Well" Ginny deadpanned "There's always adoption."
Before anyone could say anything further the double doors opened and the healer stepped out, still in blue procedure robes. George was out of his chair and across the room like a he'd been fired from a slingshot.
"Mr. Weasley." Healer Kenning smiled and shook George's hand "Everything went beautifully. If you'll come with me, Luna's awake and wants to see you."
George looked at the others and nodded, his face showing relief for the first time all day.
He followed the Healer down a series of hallways.
"She's in a holding room right now, mobility personnel will be along soon to take her back to her room. I'll warn you, she's still groggy from the anesthesia spell, so she might not seem like herself. She'll take a good bit of the day to fully come out of it. Likely, she'll sleep the rest of the day, but after twenty four hours she should be clear enough to go home."
George nodded "And everything went okay?"
"Oh yes." He nodded with a small smile "Her injury was to a relatively small part of her spine and muscle. We didn't need to replace as much as I had originally anticipated so while it won't speed up her recovery by much, it should make it considerably less painful for her."
George breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'll be watching her through the night as well, as long as she doesn't have any complications she will be able to leave tomorrow."
He stopped in front of a door with a small window and pushed it open. He pointed to a blue box.
"If she needs anything, just hold point your wand to the sensor on the door and someone come."
George nodded and gingerly stepped into the room, the door closing behind him as Healer Kenning went to look in on other patients. The room was totally white except for the yellow and blue striped curtains around the gurney. Nervously he pushed the curtains aside and stepped between them.
He had never seen Luna so pale. Her hair hidden by a yellow paper hat and she wore an oxygen mask. He looked at it nervously and the healers assistant on her other side was quick to assure him it was typical for patients coming out of anesthesia spells.
She walked around the bed and with a wave of her wand she conjured a chair and motioned for George to sit. She took Luna's pulse and then she was gone, leaving them alone.
George slid weakly into the chair and after a few minutes Luna's eyes cracked open.
"George...?"
"I'm here." George slid forward to sit on the edge of the chair and took her hand in his. "Hey...how you feeling?"
"Tired. Like I could sleep for a month."
"You go back to sleep then." he urged
"My back doesn't hurt at all." she smiled "It's the first time since the battle that I haven't had any pain at all."
George felt like he could have wept with the news.
"Good." He smiled "I'm very glad."
Her eyes began to droop and she allowed them to close.
"I'm sorry George...I'm just so sleepy."
"Sleep Luna."
"Will you stay with me?" she forced her eyes open
"As long as you want me to."
"That's going to be a really long time in that case."
"I have all the time in the world." George laughed a little "Now go to sleep...I'll be here when you wake up."
Luna nodded "George?"
"Hmm?"
She sighed "I love you."
George felt a painful jolt directly to his heart "What?"
Luna was asleep.
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Once Luna had been moved back to her room and the assistant assured him that they would reach him if Luna needed him, George had left and gone to his flat in Diagon Alley. Though he had been largely staying at the burrow the past couple of weeks he had still going into the shop most days, though Percy, Ron, Harry and Ginny were helping him out too.
But there were things that he would need at Luna's, so he'd returned to pack and, as he would be taking more time off, he had wanted to go over the books with Hermione who would be taking over the books and accounting in his absence.
Now he sat alone in his room in the flat that he had shared with Fred. He'd only actually come up here once since Fred died, to find clothes for Fred to be buried in.
He opened a drawer, looking for a lost brush, when his eyes fell upon a blue cardboard box. He pulled it out of the drawer, sat down on the bed and pulled the cover off the box. It contained only two things, the combs he had given Luna and a stack of old letters. Just as Luna's had, his hands took on a mind of their own and he picked up the stack of letters. Even though his mind screamed at him not to, he slid up against the headboard and began to read.
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September 7st
Dear George,
Sorry I haven't written sooner...things have been mad this first week back. Harry's told me he doesn't see a need for DA meetings this year, now that we have a proper teacher again (Sort of *eyeroll*) it makes me kind of sad...it was like having a whole bunch of friends to hang out with.
Thank you so much for the lovely poem. It was so beautiful, I nearly cried in front of everybody! Not that I really care how they see me anymore, only how you see me. Often times, I still can't believe that you chose me to give your love to. This whole summer was like a beautiful dream ...I expect I'm waiting to wake up any moment to find that I am late for double DADA with Umbridge or something!
And you wonder why they call me Loony Lovegood.
Behave and give my love to Fred,
I love you,
Luna
P.S. Ho Ho on the Verity being a better kisser than me thing, and Fred is right, you better be careful about hexes in the mail. Ginny's been teaching me the bat bogey.
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September 13th
Dear George,
Just wanted to tell you that the first Hogsmeade visit has been posted! It's October 3rd. I hope you'll be able to come, though I understand if you can't. I remember how busy Saturday's are at the shop and I wonder how well Verity knows the shop yet. Nothing against her of course! I'm just thinking about how long it took me before I was able to tell the difference between Peruvian darkness powder and that horrible black eye powder you put in those trick telescopes. I still say those things are mean by the way, but if you say they are good sellers...well, who am I to argue?
I love you and miss you too,
Love,
Luna
P.S. Oh! I almost forgot...Love to Fred! (But I confess, I won't be too disappointed if you don't let him come)
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October 5th
Dear George,
I wouldn't be too hard on your mum, she's just looking out for your well being you know, and of course, she has to look out for the Order too. It's scary what happened to Mr. Fortescue, and I hate to think about something like what happened to him happening to you and Fred. So...no more UNOPOO posters in the window, okay? Angelina was right to make Fred take it down.
By the way...are those Anti-nargle charms still working okay? Sometimes you have to refresh the spell on them. I think we have an infestation in the dormitory...my shoes keep coming up missing again.
I already apologized for not telling you about Professor Snape, so I won't do it again, but I do promise to be careful.
I miss you too by the way,
I Love you,
Love to Fred,
Luna
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November 16th
Dear George,
I miss you so much!!!
It's not the same without you, Fred, Angelina and Lee here...its almost like my very dearest friends have gone. Of course, I do still have the others of course, but Hermione is always busy studying, Neville is putting in extra time Professor Sprout, Harry and Ron are already training so hard for Quidditch. (I'm so glad Harry's ban was lifted by Professor Dumbledore!I'm sure he is a wonderful captain too!) And Ginny is always off somewhere with Dean. I don't think Harry is liking Dean much these days. I've looked across at meal times and he always seems to be glaring at him and Ginny.
Maybe you'll think I'm silly, but, I suspect that Harry has a crush on Ginny. It seems like he is always watching her with this funny look on his face. I wonder if it's the same way I look when I look at you?
I love you so much and miss you like mad,
Love to Fred,
Luna
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December 2nd
Dear George,
Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, our next Hogsmeade visit has been set, for December 15th. The bad news is that Professor Trelawney says there is going to be a terrible storm that weekend. She says we will have twenty inches of snow Friday and by Saturday it will be so cold that people's will wish for death if they go outside for more than two minutes. So, you have to promise me that if it is snowing Friday you won't come...cause that will mean her prediction about Saturday will come true too. I hope she's wrong...I really want to see you...I miss you so much!
Love to Fred...
I LOVE YOU!!!
Luna
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December 17th
Dear George,
I took one of your Skiving Snackboxes (A Fainting Fancy) so I could skive off double Divination in order to write you back immediately.
I had to leave the great hall this morning half-way through your letter because I was crying so hard people were staring at me like I'd lost my mind. I want you to know that I feel exactly the same way. No, the Christmas trees here aren't bare like yours, the castle is just as lovely this year as it always is with the candles, evergreens and holly everywhere but I still feel empty, even among all this splendor. I thought about it a lot after I first read your letter this morning and I think maybe I understand why. There use to be a muggle philosopher who had this theory about how two people are part of a whole that came apart. So we are all just walking around looking for our other half.
Your my other half George, and when were apart, how can we possibly feel anything but empty and incomplete?
I guess it sounds a little funny, and I imagine a great mind like Hermione would think me silly, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me.
Well, my free time is about up, it's off to potions next... I want to have time to owl this before class. At least professor Slughorn doesn't give detentions for being late the way Professor Snape does. He's actually a very nice person, you and Fred would have liked him I think, though he does continuously go on and on about how important our upcoming O.W.L.S are...as if we are too daft to know this on our own?
But I just want you to know...you're worth it too...every bit of it.
I Love you!
Luna
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George set the letters aside with a deep sigh then reached into the box and picked up the combs and pressed them to his lips.
He picked up the letters and put them back in the box with the combs and dropped the box into a garbage can.
"I Love you too Luna." he whispered into the dark room
"But it doesn't change anything. "
He got up and began once again to pack but his eyes were constantly drawn back to the box in the garbage.
"Fuck." He whispered bitterly, then he crossed the room and pulled the box out of the garbage and dropped it back in his dresser drawer.
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Chapter 6 Preview
George takes Luna
home and the cohabitation
begins as George
dwells on Luna's declaration
of love.
But did she mean
to say it or was it the anesthesia
spell talking?
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