Of Moths and Crows, or

The Wild Rose-Briar

Chapter 31

The owl fluttered down to sit on Chador's knee and offer its letter to Lucia. He glared at it. "It's like they all recognize me, even when they're foreign."

"Well, you're in good company, at least," Lucia said absently, setting down her wand. "It could be vultures." They had been practicing Expecto patronum; she had gotten to the place where she could produce a shield, but there was no hint of an animal. Ginny had once shown her the horses that came for her, and she was trying not to be jealous.

She quickly unrolled the owl's parchment while Chador stroked its head and made feathers come and go on his fingers, somewhat confusing the owl. Since they had taken Dita's advice and started a group for students who wanted to discuss their War experiences, under the oversight of Professors Sinistra and Penrose, he had had fewer nightmares and found himself able to better control his inner owl, as he called it. Mostly Hufflepuffs came to the meetings, but Graham Pritchard also came, and Luna, to everyone's surprise, and sometimes even Ginny came, bringing Harry.

Luna gave a crow of delight. "She's safe! She found him, and they're going to Finland! And she'll be home for Christmas! I'm so glad. And he's doing better. I was worried."

"Lucia, sometime you're going to have to tell me about this quest of your mum's. It sounds like quite an adventure. And maybe tell me about who she was finding." The grey eye he cocked at her made her think he had probably guessed.

"I will," she promised, "when I have permission." She seized her wand and said gladly, "Expecto patronum!"

Something the size of her two hands together burst out, something glowing with just the faintest green in its transparent wings. The whole Slytherin table, hard at studying for tests, stopped and stared up at it as it fluttered gracefully across the Great Hall.

"A butterfly?" Chador said. "That is unexpected. Somehow I don't see you as a butterfly type."

"It's not a butterfly," Luna said, coming over from the Ravenclaw table.

"Then what is it?"

She smiled. "A moth. A Luna Moth."

"Do I have the wrong Patronus?" Lucia asked, staring at her. "Seems like you should have it."

"No. Patronuses are never wrong. Mine's a hare, you know."

Lucia burst out laughing. "A bunny rabbit!"

"No, a hare. I like it. I like yours too. It fits you. Slytherin green, but nice, and kind of luminous." She smiled and wandered away.

"I agree with her," Chador said. "Go away," he said to the owl. "Go get some food. You've done well." The owl flew away, looking pleased with itself. "Erm—Lucia, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"I mean—in private."

"Oh. Yes." She gathered up her warm robes from her recent flying lesson, and they went outside. "What is it?"

"I was wondering—would you go to the Christmas ball with me?"

"Of course."

He blinked at her. "I mean—you know, not just as a friend."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Well—yes. Why are you so astonished?"

"I thought you liked Luna."

"Luna? Because we're friends?"

"She's worth you liking her, you know. She's worth anyone loving her."

"I know. I can't help it that I don't. Except as a good friend, of course. And she's not remotely in love with me, either."

"How do you know?"

"She told me. I'm not sure why, but she did. Anyway, Luna is not the point."

"Sorry. Are you saying you're in love with me?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know about that—yet. I know I like you better than anyone else, and I wouldn't mind being in love with you."

Lucia looked up at him. His thin face was growing red. "I don't think I'd mind it either. But…would you mind waiting? Maybe until the start of next school year? I feel too young for that sort of thing just now."

Chador laughed, more at ease. "I like your thinking. To be honest, I'm glad. I don't feel exactly ready either, but I wanted to sort of get a claim in before anyone else tried to."

"There isn't exactly a queue of amorous swains," Lucia said demurely.

He said darkly, "Just you wait."

Lucia laughed. "I'll just tell them you have the prior claim."

"Thank you," he said gravely. "We will revisit the subject at the beginning of next school year. But you'll still go to the Christmas Ball with me?"

"Yes, I will. So you walk softly and look sweetly and say nothing, I am yours for the ball."

"What?" he asked blankly.

"Sorry. Just Shakespeare."

"Oh. Well, in that case…" He bowed and kissed her hand. "Fair lady, I salute thee."

Lucia laughed again. "I've never met anyone as odd as us."

"Is that good?"

"Yes, it is good."

Another, more complete letter came later in the evening. Lucia shuddered for the danger her mother had been in, but, with the eternal elasticity of youth, the adventure of it all thrilled her. It wasn't the first close scrape Dita had gotten out of.

After bedtime, she tiptoed up to Astoria's bedroom. "Astoria, I thought you'd want to know my mum and Draco are quite safe now. He saved them both from a whole group of vampires by making a Patronus out of fire. I've never heard of that, have you? Or Patronuses working against vampires?"

"No, I haven't," Astoria said slowly. "Nor have I ever heard of Draco being able to do a Patronus."

"Mummy said it was wonderful, like a whole flock of blue crows."

"Crows?"

"Yes. It's not at all what I would have imagined Draco's Patronus to be. A dragon, maybe, since that's what his name means, or a snake, for Slytherin. Astoria, what's wrong?"

Astoria had her hand over her mouth. "Crows," she said, muffled.

"What?"

She uncovered her mouth. "Crows. Did you ever hear that sometimes people who are married have similar Patronuses? I don't suppose that mean that people who have similar Patronuses are absolutely going to be married to each other, but…"

"But what? What does that have to do with anything?"

"My Patronus is a raven."