-Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

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-Warning: This chapter contains mature content

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Loony for Luna: Forever from the Ashes

Chapter Eighteen

Bodily Comfort

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George watched from a distance as Luna still sat in the white chair in front of her fathers tomb, even though the funeral had ended sometime before.

"George..." Ginny and Harry stepped up next to him and Ginny put her hand on his shoulder "How's Luna been?"

"I don't know." George shrugged " She doesn't like to talk about it much."

"I reckon that's to be expected." Harry said sadly as he sat in the chair next to George.

"I suppose." He nodded "I wish she would talk to me though, she's barely spoke since he died. She mostly just sits on her bed and stares out the window."

For the past three days George had been watching Luna suffer, helpless to do anything but stand by and watch, hoping that she would eventually break her silence and let him in.

"How are you doing?" Ginny asked as she sat on her brothers other side.

"I'm fine." he shook his head "It's Luna I'm worried about. Mostly I am trying to decide how to kill Rita Skeeter and get away with it."

"Don't blame you there." Harry shook his head angrily. How dare that vile woman show up at the funeral attempting to cover the story of the 'fitting death of the man who betrayed Harry Potter'. Fortunately, Ron and Harry had been able to get her out of there before Luna saw her. However, George was still going to have to tell her about it. It was likely to be in the papers.

"You have to tell her George." Ginny said sadly "Better it come from you than she see it herself."

"I know." George leaned forward and buried his face in his hand. "But How? How I am suppose to prepare her for that damned article. It's not enough that she lost her father, now she has to watch him raked over the coals in the Daily Prophet?"

"There's no way really. Nothing is going to make it easier. " Harry shrugged "Just tell her and be there for her."

George leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. "As if I would be anywhere else?"

He looked up at Luna again. She had stood now and her hand rested atop her fathers tomb. She looked so small and frail, as if the slightest wind would knock her off her feet. George stood and walked to her side. Her body shook as he put his arm around her and pulled her against his side.

"You okay?" He asked gently

"No." Luna looked at him, her face red and puffy, her cheeks tear stained. "I don't think I am ever going to be okay again George."

"You will be." He assured "You'll have to be, because I'm not leaving your side until you are, and I imagine you'll get awfully sick of me trailing you at school."

Luna laughed a little then turned and buried her nose in his chest.

"Will you take me home now?" She asked softly, her voice slightly muffled.

"Let's go." George wrapped his arms tightly around her as he lead her away from the tomb.

-

"Luna?" George stood outside Luna's bedroom the next night, her dinner on a tray. "I brought you dinner."

Luna looked away from the window "Thanks, but, I don't think I can eat."

George set the tray on the table next to the bed then sat down next to her.

"Luna, you should try to eat." He reached out and ran his fingers gently down her cheek "You're better now, but you still need to keep your strength up."

"I know." she sighed as she turned away from the window "It's just...the thought of food, it makes me sick."

"It was the same way for me." George took her hand "Right after Fred died.

"And it got better?" She looked at him, her eyes pleading.

"Eventually, after some time passed." he nodded and squeezed her hand "I guess I just realized that if Fred could have seen me, he wouldn't have liked it very much."

"Did that make it easier?" She looked away again

"I don't know about easier" he sighed "I think it just gave me a reason to fight my way back up out of worst of the sadness I felt."

"I don't think Daddy would have liked this much." Luna admitted "Seeing me so sad. He always said he was the happiest when he saw me smile." A trail of tears began down her cheek.

"Luna...there's something I need to tell you about." George began nervously

Luna looked back at him, her eyes afraid and weary. "Go on then."

"Rita Skeeter was at the funeral yesterday."

"Rita Skeeter? Why would she..." Luna nodded and slowly turned her head away again "Oh, I get it. I imagine she feels justice has been served doesn't she?"

"I'm afraid so." He moved closer to her and put his arms around her "But Luna...what you need to remember is that the people who matter, Harry, Ron and Hermione, they don't feel that way. They don't blame your father for what he did, because they know, he did it to keep you safe. He did what ANY father would have done."

"They've been very kind, and understanding." Luna agreed "Maybe even more than I have."

"What do you mean?"

"They have been such good friends to me. Besides you and Fred, they were my first real friends. After I was taken off the train last December, Mrs. Malfoy told me that as soon as my father did what you-know-who wanted that I would be set free...but I knew better. I knew that I was to be killed. But then they came, they rescued me from Malfoy manor and they saved my life. So when I heard what Daddy did to them...I was so angry. I had it in my head that as soon as I saw him I was going to chew him out for what he had done. But...now..."

She shook her head, unable to continue.

"Hey." George turned her to face him "Who's always telling me that we can't change the past? That all we can do is move on from it and go on?"

Luna sniffled "That does sound vaguely familiar."

George chuckled lightly "It should. You've had to say it a lot to get through my thick head."

He let go of her and reached for the tray, then set it over her legs. "Now, I am ordering you to eat something."

"Oh George..." Luna looked at the tray like she wanted to vomit. "I don't know if I can do this."

He arched his eyebrow "Do I have to feed you?"

The corners of Luna's mouth lifted up into a small grin. "And if I said yes?"

"Then I would feed you." He tilted his head, his eyes giving her a definite stern look. "But, I am thinking that you are strong enough to do it yourself. You've always been a strong person Luna, much, much stronger than I. So, don't make me fight you."

"Fine. " Luna sighed deeply, then picked up her fork and slanted George a look. "Bully."

-

Luna was surprised to find that she was able to choke down most of the food on the tray. After she finished she took a long hot soak then slipped into her nightgown and robe. When she came from the bathroom she discovered that George's mother had delivered yet another basket of food, this one containing a huge strawberry-rhubarb cobbler.

He handed her a plate and turned to leave, but Luna stopped him. "George...would you stay?"

He turned and looked at her.

"Come and sit with me..."Luna patted the side of the bed "I think I'd like to talk...if that's okay with you."

"Of course." He sat on the side of the bed

Luna looked up at him "I was thinking a lot while I was in the bath. About the future."

"The future?"

"About what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and, what Daddy might have liked me to do."

George smiled, Luna seemed to be making positive strides and he felt a huge burden lift from his shoulders. She would be alright, but then, he had always known she would be.

"And...have you come to any conclusions?"

Luna nodded "When Daddy's lawyer was here the other day it was about his will."

George had guessed that, that was why he had left Luna alone. It was a rather private thing and he hadn't wanted to intrude.

"Daddy left everything to me. The land, the house...of course, when he drew up his will he had no idea that the house would be destroyed." She grinned a little "He also left me the rights to publish the Quibbler."

"Is that what you want to do?"

"Well...not exactly. You see, it also turns out that Daddy was quite heavily insured. It seems that I have come into a fair amount of money because of it." She took a deep breath "I want to revive the Quibbler, but as a newspaper. A daily, like the Daily Prophet. Someplace where I can challenge the rubbish gits like Rita Skeeter put out as news."

George scooted closer and cupped her cheek in his hand "I think, that is a wonderful plan."

"You think so?" Luna looked at him nervously "Really?"

"Of course." He smiled warmly and put his arms around her, pulling her close "You will be an amazing publisher. I think your father would have been very proud."

"I miss him." Luna sighed and lay her head on his shoulder. "I miss him so much that I feel like I could smother from it."

"I know." George let her go and shifted so he was sitting next to her, then he put an arm around her so he could hold her close to his side.

"Sometimes, I still miss Fred so much that I am sure I will smother from it. But...do you remember, when you were sick and I left?'

Luna nodded

"I went back to our flat above the shop." he laughed a little "Like an idiot I decided to get pissed. Something I accomplished quite well. The next morning I had a terrible hangover, and I knew that Fred had kept a bottle of hangover potion in his room. I had only been in there once since Fred died...to get his suit for him to be buried in." George took a deep breath and let it out on a soft sigh.

"I forced myself to go into his room, mostly because I knew I couldn't put it off forever, you know?"

Luna nodded "That must have been so hard for you."

"It was." George nodded "The room was just the way he had left it. Dirty clothes on the floor, his bed looking like he had just left it. I found myself remembering how you and Angelina use to make him clean his room, and he would protest...saying the smell was …."

"His own special brand of air freshener." Luna finished and smiled a little "I remember...Angelina and I called it Au Du Stinky Fred."

"Right." George grinned "I realized then, that for the first time I was thinking about Fred and I didn't feel like I was smothering. It was so wonderful, being able to remember Fred and smile. So you see Luna...I can promise you..."He picked up Luna's hand and held it tight in his."Maybe it won't be tomorrow, but one day...the same thing will happen for you. You'll think of your father and you'll realize that it doesn't hurt as much anymore to remember."

"Thank you...for telling me that. It helps to know that it won't always hurt so much." A burst of tears broke free from her eyes "That day just seems so far off right now."

George let go of her hand and put his arms around her, holding her close. "I know. I'm sorry..."

"George..." Luna looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "If I asked you for something, would you do it, even if it would be difficult?"

"If I can." He answered, knowing full well he couldn't deny her anything...no matter how difficult it may be.

"Would you stay with me tonight?" Luna sniffled "Would you sleep next to me and hold me? I know it's a bit selfish of me to ask, knowing how you feel...but, I just can't stand to be alone right now."

"It's not selfish." Despite George's fear of letting her get too close, what she was asking seemed like such a simple thing. It was something he could do, something that would bring her comfort, and to George it felt like the least he could do. "Don't you know that I would do anything for you?"

He let her go and stood, pulling the blankets back for her. Luna took off her robe and scooted down under the blankets. George left, returning a moment later in his boxers and a t-shirt. He slid into bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. Luna snuggled down close to him, laying her head on his chest.

"Thank you George."

"Your welcome." he kissed her forehead "Go to sleep."

Luna nodded and put her arm around his middle. Her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

-

George was slowly pulled up from deep layers of sleep. There was an unfamiliar sound in the room, something vaguely familiar. He opened his eyes, the room was strange to him and he rolled over, hoping to get his bearings.

Instead, his eyes fell on the back of a woman's head, blonde hair fell around her, covering the pillow his head lay on. Her body lightly shook the bed and George became aware of the identity of the sound...the woman was sobbing. A woman he recognized in the next second as Luna.

"Hey." he said softly as he put his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest. "Are you okay?"

Luna shook her head

"What's wrong?" He rubbed her stomach lightly with his hand.

"I...I...h...had a n...n...nightmare." She reached her hands up and clung to his arm "About ...about Daddy."

"Shhh." George kissed the back of her head. "it's okay."

"It's not!" she moaned miserably "He's never coming back, and...and it's my fault!"

"No..." George squeezed her tighter "No...it's not."

"He never would have been in that awful place if he hadn't been trying to protect me." Luna sobbed against the pillows

"No..." He cupped her face in his hand and she turned to face him "Your father is a hero Luna, he died because he did what any father would have done." He kissed her cheek "He stood up for what was right, and he stood up to Voldemort at a time when just about everyone else was bowing down to him." He kissed her cheek again, closer to her lips. "How can you blame yourself for that?" he kissed her again, this time on the lips.

"I won't let you blame yourself. I won't."

He tightened his arms around her, his eyes boring into hers in the soft moonlight that came through the window.

"George..." She whispered, just before he kissed her. His hands reached up to cup her face, pulling her even closer as his tongue slid between her lips. Her arms went around him, pulling him closer still as he moved his hands from her face, one hand dove into her soft hair while the other went to her hip, then to her leg and he pulled it up over his.

His mouth slid from hers to her neck and he kissed his way down her throat, then to her ear. George became of tugging against his back and he shifted slightly as Luna pulled his shirt off. His own hand went to the buttons on her nightgown while his lips found her neck again, then moved slowly down to her chest. Luna pulled her arms free of the now open nightgown, tossing it onto the floor with his shirt.

Her skin glowed silver in the moonlight, beckoning him closer and he flicked his tongue over her swollen nipples, his hand moving lower to fall between her legs. He slid his hand inside her panties, cupping her before he slid a finger into her warmth, then another while he massaged the hardening nub of nerves. Luna bucked her hips upward as he stroked her, moving in time with his fingers as his mouth feasted at her breast.

"George..." she breathed heavily, panting hard as she felt herself beginning to climax. "I'm...." She cut off with a throaty moan as the coil released inside her, sending her off into a place of total bliss.

He kissed her hard as he pulled her panties off, Luna tugging his boxers off at the same time. George nudged her legs apart with his own, then slid his body over hers. He moaned in intense satisfaction as he slid easily inside of her. He felt like he belonged there, like it was the only place that he would ever belong again. Luna was his everything, the one he wanted to spend forever with...no matter how short that forever might be.

"George..." Luna gasped as he moved inside of her "Love me George..."

"I do." he whispered against her neck "I love you."

"More..." she begged as he quickened his pace, both nearing their climax "Please more!"

"Luna!" He called out her name and he felt her explode against him seconds before he too exploded. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her to his chest as he rolled them to their sides.

"George..." She said softly as his fingers tangled in her hair and he kissed her again, this time his kiss was incredibly gentle, a kiss filled with intense love rather than just desire.

"I love you too." Luna whispered just before they drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

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Chapter Nineteen Preview

Luna and George

wake to face the light of day...

and the aftermath of

their actions

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