-Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling
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-A/N I heard from several people that they liked the letters and the glimpses into the time George and Luna were together. I've decided to keep them as a regular part of the story. I'll probably add a few flashbacks too.
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Loony for Luna:Forever from the Ashes
Chapter Six
Friends Again
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Luna felt as if she were coming out of a heavy fog. Her eyes were reluctant to open and felt as if they had gained fifty pounds each in the time she she had closed them. When at last they did open she found herself looking into the concerned eyes of George Weasley.
He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept for days.
"Hey." he smiled, "How you feeling?"
"You look terrible." she muttered
"Thanks." He grinned "You're not looking so ducky yourself you know."
"I have an excuse." Luna smiled "What's yours?"
"Spending all day waiting for you to wake up, that's what." Luna felt her heart hammer in her chest. He looked so tired and worry lines creased his forehead. Was this all because of her?
"Tell me about the procedure."
"Everything went well" he smiled "I expect healer Kenning will come in soon, now that your awake."
They lapsed then into an uncomfortably silence. Something in George's expression nettled her, a sadness of sorts.
"George, is something wrong?"
"Wrong?"
"You seem as if you're hiding something" she felt panic rise to sit in the pit of her stomach "Did something go wrong with the procedure."
"No no!" he hastened to reassure her "Every thing's fine."
"Did something happen with your family?"
George shook his head "Stop worrying, nothings wrong."
"I don't believe you. I can see it on your face."
Not for the first time George really hated the fact that Luna was so intuitive.
"Luna..."
"It's me isn't it?" she closed her eyes, trying to force off the tears that threatened "You regret it now...don't you?"
"Regret what?" he looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise
"Regret promising to stay with me...to take care of me."
George didn't know what to say, in a way, she was completely right. He did regret it, but not for the reasons he knew she was thinking.
"George..."
"Hmmm?"
"I love you."
The memory of her words burned in his chest. They scared him like nothing ever had before, because they forced him to admit to himself that he had never stopped loving her, that he would always love her.
The thought of the coming weeks, spent so closely by her side, tortured him. But it went beyond just being in the same room with her, living in the same space. He would be touching her, feeding her, helping her to dress and bathe. He would be helping her brush her hair, the same hair that he had always loved to touch. He would be holding her in his arms as he lifted her to and from bed. He would be close to her, closer than he had ever wanted to be again.
But he had known going in that it was the price he had to pay for helping her...and not helping her was impossible. The idea of her in pain for the rest of her life, of her never finishing school, had been unbearable. Seeing her relived of that pain, of seeing her able to return to Hogwarts for her final year, it made it worth any torture it might cause him...because it would make her happy.
"Of course I don't regret it!" he lied "Don't be daft!"
George felt like he was about to break apart. He cursed himself, knowing that reading the letters had only made things worse. He hadn't even been able to leave them behind, in the end, they had gone right into his old Hogwarts trunk with the rest of the things he was taking to Luna's.
"Then tell me what's wrong!" She opened her eyes and a small trail of tears ran onto her pillow.
"Luna...I promise you." He took her hand, even though touching her made him feel even worse "Nothings wrong. I'm just really tired, and I've spent all day worrying about you."
George cringed, he hadn't meant to admit the last.
"You've been worried about me?" he eyes were wide with surprise
George nodded sheepishly
"I thought you didn't care about me." Her voice was full of wonder
"Of course I care." He sighed, a terrible clenching sensation nearly choked him "Would I be here if I didn't?"
"George..." She said softly, a twinge of fear at the edges "I know that you don't love me anymore, but..."
A rage of panic swept over George. No way could he take her saying it again...he felt so weak that if she said those words...he would too.
"Luna..."
"Do you think you could ever like me again?" She looked at him longingly "That you could be my friend again?"
Relief fell over him as he took Luna's hand and he pushed away the feeling of disappointment that lurked around the edges of his heart. This was something he could give her...he could be her friend. He reached out and picked up her hand.
"I wish I could say I could...but..." He smiled "Luna...I've never stopped..."
She looked at him, her eyes confused
"I never stopped being your friend."
"Thank you." she turned her hand over and linked their fingers together.
"Besides..." He grinned the same cocky grin that never failed to make her smile "Someone has to be around to bale you out of all your detentions."
Luna smiled and a small burst of pain hit her as she laughed.
"Ouch." Her smile nearly knocked George to his knees "Stop making me laugh...it hurts."
"Then stop laughing and go to sleep." He said softly "You need your rest."
She nodded and closed her eyes
"Sweet dreams." He whispered.
He held her hand as she drifted off to sleep and even after she was sound asleep... he didn't let go.
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Luna arrived home the next day strapped tightly to a stretcher. She wore a heavy brace that kept her back completely straight. Fortunately, this would be removed in two days later if a scan of her back showed that the tissue had completely fused.
Luna's biggest problem was, of course, boredom. Playing cards wasn't conductive to laying flat on her back and she had already read Witch Weekly cover to cover and reread nearly every book she owned...(it didn't help matters that she only owned three books as most of her books has exploded with the house) It didn't take long before she was starting to get cranky. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione spent hours with her, spelling George when he had to go into the shop.
George spent hour after hour with her and yet they never ran out of conversation. He told her stories about his and Fred's misdeeds, about how they antagonized Percy the first month he was a prefect by cursing his quills to give him a scaly rash on his hands and how, the night after he'd found out he was head boy, they had turned his hair green by putting Forogreen potion in his Butterbeer during the celebration dinner.
At last the day came when Healer Kenning visited and ran the scan on her back. George nearly fainted with relief as he announced that everything had fused together perfectly and the brace could come off...meaning that Luna could begin to do more things. He had nearly exhausted his stories by then.
Up till then she had been limited to soft foods (due to the risk of her choking while eating on her back) so George planned a special dinner, pork chops with herbed potatoes and baby peas with a nice cherry crumble for dessert. He prepared it and lay it out on a tray, then brought it into Luna's room.
"Oh wow George!" Luna exclaimed happily "You really outdid yourself."
"It was nothing." He said, though he beamed under her praise "Just consider yourself lucky that Mum insisted we learn to cook before she would let us move out."
"I remember." Luna smiled "Angelina and I had to be your taste testers."
"It wasn't that terrible was it?" He grinned
"No...not at all." She grinned "When Fred wasn't substituting sugar for salt."
George mock cringed and gave Luna a grin "That was the most ruddy awful lamb stew I ever tasted."
George flashed again on the memory of Fred, of brushing his fingers across his face just before the coroner closed the casket.
"You must miss him so horribly." Luna said, picking up on his sadness
George nodded "Sometimes, it's like I'm being smothered by it. He was my best friend you know? He understood me, without my even having to say anything...he always just got it."
"He felt the same about you, you know that right?"
"Yeah." he smiled a little "I know."
"I miss him too." Luna bit her lip, determined not to cry "I'll never forget that day in the Hogshead...how he...both of you, made room for me to sit with you. You changed my whole life that day."
George stood and picked up their trays to return them to the kitchen. He returned, sat on the side of her bed and picked up her hand.
"Fred adored you." George smiled and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear
"And I him."
"He wouldn't want you to be sad." his voice was soft
Luna put her hand on his cheek and gently caressed it with her fingers.
"He wouldn't want you to be either."
"What makes you think I'm sad?" his voice was a whisper as he looked away
"I know you too well George Weasley." She looked up at him and her eyes made his heart hammer within his chest "I know that you're badly hurt inside and I know that your heart is crying."
"I..." His throat closed around the words as he continued to stare into her silvery eyes. He reached up for the hand that rested on his face and more than anything in the world, he wanted to kiss her. Instead he pulled her hand away and stood.
"I need to do the dinner dishes." He turned away quickly and left the room.
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January 2
Dear George,
Of course I forgive you, the whole argument was silly in the first place. I hope that you believe that Harry asked me as a friend, nothing more. I'd hate to see you angry with him over this. Besides, haven't I told you that Harry is in love with your sister Ginny? It's obvious to anyone who looks at him, he looks at her the same way I know I must look at you.
I'm so glad that you changed your mind and came to platform 9 ¾ to see me off. I confess, I would have been terribly sad if you hadn't.
I miss you so much already, give my love to Fred
I Love you,
Luna
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January 10th
Dear George,
Just wanted to let you know that our next Hogsmeade visit has been set for February 3th...if you want to come that is. You're last letter makes me wonder if you aren't still a little upset over my going to that silly Christmas party with Harry. I hope I'm wrong, because that is a really dumb thing to be angry about. Harry only asked me to get Romilda Vane to stop trying to feed him chocolates laced with love potion...Love potion, by the way, that you and Fred sold to her. Hmmm...if one really wanted to get technical, you could say that it's YOUR fault that Harry asked me to go to that party in the first place!
Anyway, I hope you'll come, though I imagine it will be terribly cold to fly on a broom...of course, you do know how to apparate, so the cold isn't much of an excuse. I imagine it would be too cold though to meet at the cavern...there's been so much snow that that tiny entrance is probably sealed anyway.
Love to Fred, and as always, I love you.
Luna
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January 14
Dear George,
I went AS HIS FRIEND! Would you get over it already? Besides, I talked to Harry about this just last night and he told me all about your plan to steal me from him when he went back to the Dursley's for the summer...so, it seems to me your just as guilty as he is!
I Love you
(Even though your acting like a total git)
Luna
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January 20th
Dear George,
I guess I should have realized that you might be a little over-sensitive where Harry is concerned, considering what you thought last spring. For that I am sorry, and you know, I would have asked you if it bothered you if I'd had time. But as it was, I didn't...since he only asked me about four hours before the party. Honestly, if I had realized you were so jealous I would have said no...but then, maybe not...I think I have every right to go to a party with a friend when he asks me to go JUST AS FRIENDS. That's right, I DO, SO THERE!
I Love you (just don't like you much at the moment)
Luna
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January 24th
Of course I forgive you, and I love and miss you like mad too. I think you're absolutely right...we will never come to an agreement on the whole party thing, so lets just forget it and put it behind us shall we? By the way, thanks for the roses and I do truly love them...but don't you think three dozen was a bit much? I wasn't that angry! *Smile*
I Love you always,
Luna
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February 3rd
Dear George,
I just got back a few minutes ago and came straight to my room to write to you. I feel so lonely and miserable right now I think my heart might stop beating. We've been through this so many, many times already you would think it would be easier by now, but every time we have to say goodbye it just gets worse.
I feel so stupid now, rowing over something so silly and inconsequential as a stupid party...the only thing that matters is how much I love you. I hope that you know, I mean really know, deep down in the very bottom your heart, how much I am in love with you. I've wondered at times, if it might have been easier for me to have never fallen in love with you. It would certainly hurt a lot less I know...but to never have known what it was like to have you love me, to have never been held by you or kissed by you...it's unthinkable.
I guess I fully get now what you said in that one letter before the holidays...this hurting when we're apart is worth it, the happiness I feel when were together makes up for so much. But it goes even beyond that...it makes me appreciate the miracle that you are so much more.
I love you in every corner in my heart and soul,
Love to Fred,
Luna
P.S. Tell Fred I'm really, really sorry I keep forgetting to send my love when I write...
George let the stack of letters fall from his hand onto the bed. He hated himself for having started reading them in the first place...that he couldn't stop himself from reading them.
It was rather obvious to him that Luna hadn't meant it when she said she loved him. The healer had warned him that she wouldn't be herself because of the anesthesia spell and as such, George figured, would say things she didn't mean.
He'd agreed to be her friend and she'd made it clear she didn't want more than that. Not that he wanted more than that either.
Obviously Luna wasn't sitting about moping over his old letters. He'd seen no trace of them when he was putting her things away after doing her laundry (not that he'd been looking....exactly). He wished more than anything that he could stop himself from reading hers....but he couldn't. He'd even given a half-hearted attempt at burning them...but the incendio had frozen in his throat halfway out and the blue box had been tossed angrily back into his trunk.
This friends thing was going to be a lot harder than he thought.
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Chapter Seven Preview
Things grow
awkward as Luna begins therapy
and George helps her
with her exercises...
and into the
hot tub.
(lol...hows THAT for a teaser!)
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