-Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

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-As always, mucho loveo to my Beta Crimsonangel23! YOU ROCK! All I got to say is....Poor, Poor Edward!

(Sorry folks, inside joke!) LMAO

I also forgot to thank her for her help in diagnosing Luna in the last chapter..., so, thanks Healer Crimsonangel!

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-Get the puffs ready...this one is kinda a weeper! I bawled my eyes out writing this! LOL

This story is getting close to the end, only probably four or five more chapters to go. Check out my new George and Luna fic, Fred's Gift!

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Loony for Luna: Forever from the Ashes

Chapter Fourteen

Hope

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-Flashback-

As was usual on September 1st, Platform 9 ¾ was jam packed with students waiting to board the train that would take them to another year of school. But this year was different. This year a quiet panic was obvious on the faces of the young people and the families that had come to see them off.

Were it up to them, most of them wouldn't be there.

Unfortunately the new Minister of Magic, Pious Thickness, had put in place a decree that made it illegal for them to not attend school at Hogwarts. There were many unfamiliar faces in the crowd, students who had once gone to school abroad but had been forced to leave Beauxbatons and Durmstrang because of where they lived.

Amongst the throng were George and Luna, their embrace tight and afraid.

"Please don't be angry with me George," Luna pleaded as she clung to him. Only moments remained before the train was scheduled to depart.

"I'm not angry," he said quietly. "I just wish you would reconsider."

"I have to go George! I can't risk Daddy getting into trouble." She sighed and tightened her arms around him. "It will be okay, Daddy and I, we're purebloods. We have nothing to be afraid of."

"That's not much protection, not when that slimy bastard has been put in charge by Voldemort," he nearly growled.

"I've always gotten on well with Professor Snape. I think it will be okay." Luna tried to encourage him, but the words sounded hollow, even to her.

"He murdered Dumbledore! Have you forgotten? He's a filthy murder...and now he's headmaster!" George spat.

"Of course I haven't forgotten." Luna sighed, squeezing her eyes closed and burying her face in his chest.

"He only reigned himself in before because he had Dumbledore fooled, he only wanted to spy on the Order for Voldemort!"

"I know!" Luna said, willing herself not to cry. She didn't want George to see just how afraid she was to return to school, but it was a hopeless battle. The way her arms shook around him gave her away. "I know! I know, okay?"

George lifted her face to his and kissed her softly. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears. When she blinked, they spilled over and ran down her face. He crushed her back to him.

"Please don't go Luna! You can do what Ron did....you're father said...he said he knows a doctor who will fake papers saying your ill. Don't go." He pleaded.

She wanted to stay. She wanted to stay with him forever. But she knew she couldn't. Not when Neville, Ginny, and all the others were being brave and facing what they had to do.

"I can't." She whispered. "I'm sorry George...I just can't stay."

"Then promise me. Promise me that you will stay out of trouble, that you won't do anything that will give Snape, or the others, any reason to realize that you're even there." George begged desperately.

"George..."

"We promised, remember? At Dumbledore's funeral, we both promised that we wouldn't take unnecessary risks."

Luna pulled back and gave him a small smile. "Well, if you want to be technical, you've already broken your promise."

George rolled his eyes. "And I became a deformed freak because of it, didn't I?"

"You're not a freak." She lay her cheek on his chest again, "Don't even say that."

"Then promise me you'll behave."

"Like you did with Umbridge?"

George sighed. "Luna...This isn't like Umbridge. These people are killers, and they don't care how old someone is. Just, promise me okay? Please? It's the only way I'll have any peace of mind. If you won't stay behind, then promise me you won't give Snape any excuse to hurt you."

His arms were so tight around her, it was a wonderful place to be, and in that moment the only thing that mattered to her was that she not make him angry, so she would be able to return to this place. At that moment she didn't think about what she might be called to do once she got there, or about her friends, or bravery and honor. She didn't think that she might feel the call to fight.

"Okay." She tightened her arms around him. "I promise... I promise I won't get into any trouble."

George breathed a sigh of relief, and then he took her face between his hands and kissed her as the conductor began the final call to board the Hogwarts Express.

-End Flashback-

'I broke my promise,' Luna thought as she stared at her reflection in the hospital window. 'I promised George that I would stay out of trouble...and I broke it.'

The door opened behind her and like a miracle, George's face appeared in the dark glass above her.

"George...?" Luna asked in disbelief.

"I'm sorry," he said miserably. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come."

"No George...I've been thinking so much, about all that happened, and I need you to know...."She rolled from her side onto her back. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

George was taken aback. He had come expecting that he would need to beg for forgiveness, instead, Luna lay still, her face pale and weak, covered in tears...and for some unfathomable reason, she was the one asking for forgiveness.

"Wh...What are you apologizing for?" He asked as he slid into the empty chair by the bed and took her hands in his.

"You were right. Everything that happened...it's all my fault." She sobbed. "It's my fault that things went bad between us and...and...it's my fault...every bit of it."

"Why are you bringing this up?" He asked softly as he pulled a tissue from the box next to bed and wiped her cheeks. "Why are you even thinking about this now?"

Luna rolled over onto her side so she could face him. "Because… because it's my fault. I hurt you. I hurt you so much. You asked me to promise, and I did, and then I broke it."

"Luna..." He sighed softly. "You weren't the only one to break promises. It isn't your fault that things went bad between us."

"What do you mean? You never..."

"I did," he shook his head. "I broke the most important promise of all...and because of that...horrible things happened, horrible things happened to you."

He took a deep breath. "Do you remember...that day I came over the first time, and we argued...?"

Luna nodded, tears still clinging to her lashes.

"You asked me what I was going to say to you that day in the cavern, when you cut across me. I couldn't tell you, and it was because I...I was ashamed...ashamed to tell you the truth..."

-Flashback-

"George..." Xenophilius said softly as he looked out the window at the falling snow. The crumpled letter in his hand told him that Luna had been caught trying to steal a sword from the headmaster. "I can't allow her to do these things. She doesn't realize..."

"Realize what, sir?" George was beyond angry. Luna had just landed herself in detention and, she had broken the promise she had made to him.

"She doesn't know that they are already watching her."

"What do you mean watching her? Because of the graffiti and...?"

"No, it's more than that." He shook his head and turned away from the window. "They're already threatening me because of my pro-Harry Potter articles in the Quibbler. They've come here and they've warned me to stop, to make her stop, or else..."

George shuddered as Xenophilius seized him by the arm, his fingers like steel. "They know that she and you're sister are behind reviving Dumbledore's Army, and you-know-who doesn't like it. He hates anything related to Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. Luna and her friends, they're opposing the Carrows, and they don't understand...they don't know. They've warned me to make Luna stop, or else...I've told them I will, but you know my Luna. She won't back down."

"Tell me what you want me to do.." George said plainly, ready to go to any lengths. "I'll do anything to keep her safe."

"You're going there aren't you? On Saturday, for her Hogsmeade visit?" Xenophilius asked.

George nodded, ready to do anything if it meant keeping Luna safe.

"You have to talk to her, make her understand that they have to stop." Xenophilius' eyes were determined.

"Of course, I'll talk to her." George sighed. "But you know Luna...she's stubborn, she might not listen, not even to me."

"Then you have to promise me, George..." His fingers tightened. "If it doesn't seem like she will comply, bring her home with you. I don't care how you do it, tie her up and throw her over your broom if you must, just bring her home. My wife's sister is in Belize. I'll give you money and you can take her there, take her there and stay with her. Keep her safe."

"I will," George said, his voice nervous and unsure. Luna would NOT like this.

"Promise me, George. Promise me you'll protect her."

"I promise sir."

-End Flashback-

"That's what you were going to say that day, before I cut across you? That you were pulling me from school?" Luna looked up at him, her eyes huge and sad. "Then, I really did destroy everything. You were never going to end things between us...it was all me."

Luna turned her face into her pillow, her frail body shaking with her sobs.

"No! Stop saying that!" George wiped his arm across his own wet face "It's not your fault, don't even think that! I should have followed you. I should have taken you home, kicking and screaming if I had to. When I came back without you, you're father wasn't even angry with me. 'Christmas break is only two weeks away,' he said. 'Once she comes home, we will disappear together.'"

George's face wrinkled in pain. "But Christmas came, and you weren't on the train." He tightened his grip on the hand he still held. "It's my fault, my fault that you were held in that place all those months, that your father was taken and put in Azkaban, that you fought in the battle and got hurt..."

"No..." Luna shook her head. "No, George. No. It was me, my stubbornness, my need to ditch you before you ditched me. If I'd only listened to you, I would have known..."

"Don't you see Luna...I let you go! I should have stopped you from leaving that day..." He buried his head in his hands. "Instead, I just let you walk away. I let them take you. I broke my promise to your father."

"Oh, George." Luna reached her hand out and stroked his hair. "I think...I think we've both been blaming ourselves for so long that we've forgotten where the real blame belongs. I was taken off the train because Daddy and I made you-know-who mad, and for no other reason. We were only doing what felt was right in our hearts."

"But..." George tried to protest.

"But nothing...you let me go that day because I had hurt you. If you had come after me to drag me home, who's to say I would have allowed you to take me to Belize? I may have left and gotten myself into even worse trouble. I might not even be here." She looked at him with wide, enlightened eyes.

"I'm a terribly stubborn person, George. Do you really think you and Daddy could have forced me to disappear if I wasn't willing? No. I'm pretty sure I would have apparated back here and gone about finding worse trouble to get myself into." A weak smile pulled up the corners of her lips. "Though, I admit, the idea of being with you in a tropical paradise might have distracted me a bit."

George grinned "Just a bit?"

"Well, maybe more than a bit." She smiled softly and squeezed his hands.

"Luna...about the other day...it wasn't you..."

"It's okay George, you don't have to..."

"Yes I do." He sighed. "I really do."

"Alright then." She looked at him nervously

George took a deep breath. "Since I've lost Fred, it's been hard for me. The idea of letting people be close to me...it scares the hell out of me. I've been pushing people away, and not just you, but everyone, even my family. I'm afraid...I'm so afraid of losing another person that I care about."

"When I came to see you this morning, my mum got angry with me. She said that what I was doing was hurting you, and that she wouldn't allow me to hurt you anymore. She told me to leave, to go and search within myself, to look inside my heart and see if I can find what's still there."

"She did?"

George nodded "Yes, she did. My family loves you, you know? They're all quite angry with me for the way I've treated you." he smiled wryly. "So... I left, and I went to Fred's grave, and I thought and thought. I thought so hard I think I might have injured my brain, not that there is much there to hurt." He grinned a little.

Luna hesitated, afraid to ask what she knew she had to. "What did you find? What is in your heart, George?"

"I found you," he said, his throat clenching around his words. "You were there, wrapped up in all of my love. I care about you Luna, I care about you so much that it scares the hell out of me. I'm afraid I'll lose you like I lost Fred, and because of that fear… I don't know if I will ever be able to be with you again the way I wish I could be.

"I know, that it's not right...it's not fair of me to ask when I can't promise that one day I'll stop being afraid. I don't want to hurt you ever again... but I might, without meaning to...I might hurt you again. It's terrible of me, and I'm a selfish bastard for even asking... but, I love you Luna, I want you in my life. The way I've been living since Fred died...its horrible, my life is a lonely, terrible place without you in it...I know that I don't deserve you, and I have no right to ask, but..."

"Stop...please just...stop." Luna closed her eyes, and a flood of tears fell down into her hair where it rested on the pillow. "Stop saying that you don't deserve it. You have every right to ask. You do, George."

"I...I do?"

Luna nodded. "I can't do anything to make your fear go away, even though I wish more than anything in the world that I could. I want you to be happy, but getting past your fear is something you have to do for yourself. All I can do is hold your hand when you're afraid, and help you however I can to get through the hard times. And I want to do that...even if you can't promise that you'll ever be able to offer me more than friendship...I want you to be a part of my life... because...because I love you too, George."

George laid his face on the bed, and Luna reached out her hand to stroke his head, her fingers tangled in his longish red hair. They stayed like that for a long, long time while George cried into the sheets. At last, he lifted his head and took her hands in his.

"You really shouldn't, you know," he smiled sadly. "Even though I don't want to...I might hurt you again."

"I know. But, even knowing that, I can't turn away from you." She smiled. "I guess I'm just stubborn that way."

"You're amazing that way." He bent his head and kissed her fingers. "Luna, I want you to know...I want to be able to get past my fear. I want to be able to offer you more."

"I know." Luna smiled.

"How? How can you know, when I've treated you so badly?"

"Because…" She reached out a hand and brushed her fingers over his cheek, where the fading scars still marred his face. "…Because you're here. Even when you try so hard to run away, you keep coming back to me."

He smiled and nodded "I think I always will."

"Well," she grinned teasingly. "Don't get too cocky, even a stubborn witch like me has my limits."

"I'll take it." He put his arms around her and pulled her close "Whatever I can have with you Luna, I'll take it."

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"You know..." Ginny said as she listened intently. "We really shouldn't be spying like this."

"It's his own fault," Ron gave his pair of extendable ears a slight adjustment. "He and Fred are the ones who invented these things."

"Still..." Hermione smirked. "It's not like we really have a right to eavesdrop. Percy, move over, you're on my foot."

"Sorry." Percy moved. "It is really kind of sweet though."

"I didn't think that George had it in him," Bill confessed.

Harry straightened and pulled the flesh colored wire from his ear. "I think we've heard all the good stuff."

"Shall we go and report to your mother then?" Arthur said as he pulled the wire from his own ear.

"Yes..." Molly said as she turned the corner just in time to catch them pulling the wires from their ears. "Do come and report to mother." She put her hand out and seven pairs of extendable ears were placed solemnly in her hand as they passed her.

"It was lovely mum," Ginny sighed. "Like something out of one of those muggle movies Harry takes me to."

"That's what you go see?" Ron glanced at Harry with a look of disgust. "I thought you said they were all muggle car chases and firelegs shootouts."

"Firearms." Arthur corrected.

"Yeah, that." Ron nodded.

"Well, mostly that." Harry shrugged "They gotta have the sappy stuff, or girls would never go to them, would they?"

Ginny looked at Harry with amusement, trying to decide whether or not to mention that the last movie they went to see, chosen by Harry, had been ALL sappy, not a single firearm or car chase to be had. A look of impish satisfaction came over her face as she remembered thatthe last movie they saw, Harry had actually cried when the heroine had died and she had not.

"Well anyway." Arthur said as he sat next to his wife and put an arm around her shoulders. "Alls well that ends well."

"It's not over yet." Bill said sadly. "You heard George, they have a long way to go until happily ever after."

"And knowing George," Ron said. "He will screw up again."

"Look who's talking about screwing up." Hermione smirked.

"Won-won." Harry said with an evil grin.

"Don't..." Ron turned an appropriate shade of puce. "Don't call me that ever again, not if you want to go on being the 'Boy Who Lived' instead of the 'Boy Who Pissed Off His Best Mate One Time Too Many'."

"Anyway..." Molly cut in, attempting to break up any possible arguments before they could truly get going. "The next matter we need to consider is what to do for Harry's birthday."

"Oh...I...I don't need anything special." Harry blushed, embarrassed by the sudden attention. "Really Mrs. Weasley, I don't."

"You know Harry," Arthur said "You've been a part of this family a long time now, I think Arthur and Molly would suffice. You too, Hermione. You're both adults now."

"Oh...I...couldn't possibly." Hermione stammered.

"It will work won't it?" Ron grinned. "At least till you start calling them Mum and Dad."

Hermione blushed as a huge grin spread across her face. She loved any opportunity to make Ron blush and stammer in that adorable way he had. "Ron! Is that a proposal I'm hearing?"

"Well..."The puce shade returned to Ron's face. "Well...what if it is?"

All went deathly silent. Hermione gaped at Ron, her eyes huge.

"If that's your idea of a funny joke Ronald Weasley..."

Ron shrugged. "Not joking."

The smile was slow to spread across Hermione's face, but when it did she wrapped her arms around Ron's neck.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Well..." Arthur beamed. "Now we really have something to celebrate!"

"So, how about we have a huge party? We can celebrate both at once." Bill grinned as he slid into a seat next to Harry and Ginny.

"That's a lovely idea, Bill." Molly smiled.

"But Luna won't be out of the hospital by then, and Harry's birthday is only two days away." Ginny said sadly.

"Doesn't have to be on my birthday," Harry shrugged. "Luna should be completely recovered in a couple weeks. We can do it then."

"We can celebrate my and Fleur's anniversary at the same time." Bill smiled.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Molly smiled happily. "I think Fleur would love it, after the way your reception was ruined."

Ginny clapped her hands happily. "We'll have to start planning right away."

"Percy?" Hermione said softly. He had grown silent, and a sad look now crossed his face. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. I'm fine..." He smiled sadly. "I was just...just wishing Fred were here to celebrate with us."

Bill patted him on the shoulder. "He will be. As long as we remember him, his spirit will live in our hearts, don't you think?"

Percy smiled and nodded. "It will."

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Chapter 15 Preview

A happy time of

celebration comes to the Burrow and

even more surprises...

George has a sudden wild urge to do something DRASTIC...

will he be able to supress it?

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