Bonds of Healing

By: HufflemypuffSiriusly

Disclaimer: The characters and places referenced in this story are not my own but that of J.K Rowling's work Harry Potter. This is an expansion of her work by myself that I receive no monetary compensation for.

Chapter 3

It was a stormy summer so far at Hogwarts and the rain and winds had taken its toll on the progress of the graveyard. Luna and Hagrid sat inside his cottage, discussing the plans for the cemetery as the rain pelted the windows. So far, the team had decided to erect a mausoleum for members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army.

The idea of the Mausoleum came about because Ron and some others were still upset that all would be buried alongside each other. Everyone understood their reasoning, most of them agreed. This was just the right thing to do. In the end, it was Neville who came up with the compromise. The death eaters would be buried, the heroes would be housed.

"Professor I-"

"Luna, told ya b'fore. Yer can just call me Hagrid. Yer me friend, me friends call me Hagrid"

"thank you Hagrid. I'm sorry, I just wanted to show you the respect i feel you deserve" Luna smiled at Hagrid as she took a sip of tea.

"I'm just having some difficulty coming up with a design large enough to hold everyone! There are-there are just so many people that we need to have space for!"

"er- what 'bout that charm thing 'mionie used on her purse?" asked Hagrid remembering Hermione's undetectable extension charm that was placed on her purse.

"What pur- OHHHHHHH!" Luna exclaimed as her eyes lit up with dancing lights as the thunderstorm roared outside lighting up the night sky. Hagrid loved thunderstorms. They made him feel small.

Luna began to mutter. Her wispy voice bearly a flutter on the air as she talked to her self. She grabbed her fringed and beaded bag and began rummaging through its contents.

"I know it's in here!" she huffed, finally auditable. Hagrid watched on in silence as she pulled out all sorts of random...unique objects from her purse. When finally all the contents seemed to have been pulled out, she tipped the bag upside down and out fell a plan looking notepad.

As she quickly began sketching and jotting down notes Hagrid couldn't help but stare at her note book. Everything about Luna was extraordinary. But here she was with an ordinary black note pad. He couldn't help but wonder why.

"Luna."

"hmmmm?" she responded as she continued to sketch

"yer notepad...couldn't help notice that it's er- so….normal" Hagrid asked hoping she wouldn't take offense to his question.

"what?" Luna paused looking at her notepad and all her things laying on the table. She had never really given it much thought before, but he was right. Everything else she had pulled out of her bag reflected her personality except her notepad.

" was jus wonderin why yah chose a plain notepad when everything else is so uhh- unique? just stuck out that's all, don't mean anything offensive by it."

"oh of course not Hagrid!" she said with a chuckle. "Honestly i had never put much thought into it before. I'm not sure why i choose such plain notepads. But now that you mention it, it doesn't really suit me does it?"

"definitely not" Hagrid said with a smile. Luna and Hagrid spent the rest of the stormy afternoon drafting plans for the cemetery. They were due to meet the rest of the team and Headmistress McGonagall the next day to finalize the plans. By the time the moon rose high in the sky and the storm passed Luna and Hagrid had come up with a design that Luna felt even the Hogwarts founders would be in awe of.

Luna awoke the next morning to a fresh sky having just poured its tears upon them the whole night before. The summer winds whistled against her dorm window in Ravenclaw tower. Her thick dark blue velvet curtains with gold inlay stitching gave her four poster bed a regal appearance. As she pulled back the curtains, the light from the morning sun shone bright through the lancet windows. Stretching her arms high above her head, the sleeves of her night dress slid down her arm, cascading into a billowing pile of sheer fabric around her shoulders.

Unlike the other girls she knew who all wore pajama pants or shorts and either a boyfriend's shirt or a tank top of their own , Luna enjoyed wearing long flowing night dresses. Her mother was found of them and she could clearly envision her mother gliding around the house in the early mornings, dancing around as she flourished her wand making the breakfast dishes dance along with her as she set the table. Her mother was a light in the world and

Many of her dorm mates would taunt her, asking who she was getting so dressed up for over the years. She would merely smile at them while she continued on with her routine. It wasn't that she didn't want her roommates to know why she really wore these delicate nightdresses, it was more that it was a special reason only meant for her and they didn't need to know, least of all they try to ruin it. She was an optimist, but she wasn't a fool and knew girls could be very mean. This small connection to her mother she did not want tainted.

The summer was well underway and today was the day that Luna and her committee were to meet with Headmistress McGonagall. She was proud of the work that they had done so far and the design that she created with Hagrid's help but she couldn't help the feelings of butterflies fluttering around inside her. Most of the students and others who had remained in the castle had chosen to occupy empty classrooms with their families and friends. This left Luna alone in the Ravenclaw girls dorm this morning and she was grateful as she began getting her self together for the day ahead.

An hour later after she was showered and dressed, her still damp hair hanging at her back she finally made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The house tables had been replaced with numerous smaller tables for families and friends to gather around rather than 4 long tables. Many of the larger groups had pushed tables together, like the one at which Luna navigated too.

She appeared to be the last of her group to join the breakfast rush this morning. Everyone around her was talking animatedly about this that and the other, briefly taking notice that Luna had joined them at Neville's side. She listened intently to everything going on around her. It was a happy distraction. Her mind was swimming with her ideas and plans and the deadline looming over them. The idle gossip helped ease her mind.

Neville slightly startled her when he grabbed her hand. She had been lost in the conversations around her and had not noticed Neville fidgeting while he wrangled with if he should hold her hand or not. Finally after telling himself about a million times 'you chopped the head off a bloody snake! You can hold a girl's hand Neville' he finally reached across her lap and grasped her hand in his. She had jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion into her bubble and looked with her big eyes at whose hand this belonged to. As her eyes connected with the kind brown eyes of Neville, she relaxed in his hand and gave him a smile.

She surely did not know how she felt about Neville but she did know that he brought her comfort. He was a kind and honest boy and she rather liked having someone care about her. He was handsome and compassionate and loyal. 'He would have made a wonderful hufflepuff' Luna thought to herself as she rested his head on his shoulder. 'if it wasn't for being so brave.' she couldn't help but smile a little at this thought.

Neville had been so brave over the years that she had known him. And she had heard about how, in his first year, even though he was bullied relentlessly, he stood up to his own house mates and friends. Neville was a true Gryffindor with that brave heart of his and his courage to do the right thing Luna supposed he wouldn't make a very good Hufflepuff after all.

They had been a couple for a couple weeks now but, with everything going on they really had not interacted much. Especially on a one on one level. Luna supposed it was about time they went out on a date. Since their meeting with McGonagall was immediately following breakfast, Luna knew she wasn't going to have a chance to ask him later. It was now or never.

"Neville, love." Luna said, capturing his attention as well as a few of the people sitting around them including George Weasley who was now listening intensely.

"Yes?" Neville asked as a slight blush rose to his face upon realizing that some of their table companions had halted their conversations in order to eve's drop in on theirs.

"After our meeting today with the Headmistress, would you care to join me for a trip down to Hogsmeade? I just realized we have not had our first date yet! Seems such a shame don't you think?"

"Uh-uh ummm…" Neville stammered as all voices around him ceased and all eyes were on the couple. "Sure Luna, that would be er-great."

Neville was slightly embarrassed for not having thought to ask her out on a date yet. Almost as soon as the conversation between he and Luna finished, everyone around them continued on with their respective conversations. Leaving Neville, holding Luna's hand and marvelling at the fact that honestly the thought had never crossed his mind to ask her on a date.

They essentially lived together after all. And it was school! Where do you go on a date in school?! It's not like before the war they would have been allowed down to Hogsmeade. But it's summer and things are a bit peculiar right now he supposed. Once he rationalized why he had not been the first to ask the other out on a date, his nerves for the actual date began to set in. Luna was one of the most amazing people he knew and by far the kindest. He would go so far at to describe her as the kindest person he ever knew.

He felt she would have made a wonderful Hufflepuff. So kind, so caring, even about creatures everyone around her did not believe existed. And she was Honest. To the point it was usually uncomfortable. But that was one of the things that everyone loved about Luna. She would tell you the blunt truth of the matter and her honest opinion but in the absolute nicest way as possible. Even if it was bad news, she would always find a silver lining. The Light in the Darkness. Always.

But...she was Luna. and Luna was unlike any person he had ever met. She was the definition of individuality. She played off people's insults with wit beyond measure, she embodied creativity. Neville decided she perfect in the house she was sorted. After all, the Sorting Hat knew just what it was doing when it gave him that sword. Right?

At around 8:45, everyone heading to the meeting got up from their table and started to head to the Headmistresses office. McGonagall was not known to be a patient women and everyone was anxious to get things underway. Luna, Hagrid, Neville, Professor Sprout, Angalina and George ascended the spiral staircase encased in stone. Luna could tell as she glanced around the space, that Headmistress McGonagall had started to make herself at home in her new office.

It was still a very warm and homey room just, as it had been with Professor Dumbledore. However, McGonagall, though she would never admit it, throughly enjoyed being in her animagus form. Her office had shelves all over the walls along with the portraits of the previous Headmasters of Hogwarts. Luna could just picture Headmistress McGonagall in her Cat form prowling her office along the shelves.

The office was decorated with hiding holes, scratch posts, books, comfortable chairs any cat would love to sink their claws into, and a basket full of cat toys in the corner. A thick soft deep red rug covered the cold stone floor of the office. The curtains on the windows were a sheer material enchanted to allow the proper amount of sunlight into the room depending on the occasion. They had small gold flowers stitched into them which really helped give the office a more feminine feel but NOTHING compared to the pink horror of Umbridge's office.

Even though the primary colors of her office were an homage to her Gryffindor roots, she had elements of all of the houses in her office. It gave the office and position a sense of unity. All the books were charmed to appear bound in dark blue leather with gold script to represent Ravenclaw. The scratch posts spaced along the walls of her office were enchanted to look like trees and the lights shown yellow to give the room a warm glow and earthy feel, symbolizing Hufflepuff.

As Luna looked around the office waiting for the meeting to start, she found the ode to Slytherin. At Harry's insistence, Professor Snape's portrait hung in McGonagall's office. But it was not his portrait that represented Slytherin but lone dark velvet green chair with silver footings. Etched into the footings were the image of serpents, slithering up the and around to form the the chair's structure.

Beside it sat a small silver table with a candle contained within an elegant embossed holder. The chair was positioned just so, so that, when occupied, the person would be facing Proffessor Snape, as though to have a conversation with him. Luna had never realized that Professor McGonagall had cared for her college so much. It was clear to her though now, despite the house rivalries and conflicting teaching theories, they had been friends.

Headmistress McGonagall entered her office at exactly 9 am, her usually stern face in place as she briskly approached her desk and sat behind it. Summoning extra chairs, for no one dared sit in the dark green chair, everyone in the group took their seats and the meeting commenced.

"Good morning everyone. I trust you all had your fill at breakfast?" McGonagall began. All in attendance murmured a mixture of 'good mornings' and 'yes Headmistress'. Clearly disappointed in the groups lack of enthusiasm, she summund 6 normal sized tea cups and one very large cup for Hagrid. With another flick of her wrist, the large steaming pot of strong tea appeared before them, dispensing tea into each cup.

As the cups made their magical way around the room followed closely behind by a floating tea tray, McGonagall tried again. "Good morning everyone."

"Good morning the group replied back in unison after having inhaled the deep aromas of the tea and had had a chance to allow the hot brew to work its caffeinated magic within their bodies. McGonagall was not about to conduct a meeting without everyone being alert and attentive. This was far too important of a job.

"Well done. Now that we all have our bellies full and some tea in hand, Luna would you please start my dear. Where are you at on the design plans?" the headmistress asked.

"Ive actually completed them as of last night Headmistress. Pending your approval of course. We will however need Hermionie to accomplish the designs." Luna said with her usually airy quality. Her large bright eyes alight and George could sense some mischief behind them. He couldn't wait to hear why they were going to need Hermione.

"And why Ms. Lovegood, will we require Ms. Granger. Certainly the 3 professors in this office are more than capable of performing any magic required." McGonagall said through pierced lips. Anything involving either Harry, Ron, or Hermione usually left her with a headache and a need for firewhiskey. Hagrid on the other hand was feeling mighty proud that McGonagall had included him in her list of capable professors.

"Well...you see Professor. This place is not just for those who died in the battle. It will be for those souls yet to depart from this life who wish to be buried here. It will need to be able to expand to accommodate everyone over the years." Luna paused to watch what appeared to be nothing to everyone else in the room but to Luna was a visual display of their magical cores reaching out into the space surrounding them creating a kaleidoscope effect in the room to Luna.

"I am following please continue." McGonagall stated as Luna's pause continued on a bit longer than she had intended.

"I apologize Headmistress, I got distracted. Where was I? Oh yes. It was Professor Hagrid here actually gave me the idea. He reminded me of Hermione's purse and that is why we need her, Headmistress. We need Hermionie to place an undetectable extension charm on the mausoleum." Luna's eyes were bulging from excitement. She knew this was the way it needed to be done.

"Ms. Lovegood, you surely are aware that undetectable extension charms are strictly regulated and illegal. I am unsure of what Ms. Grangers purse has to do with any of this, and no please do not tell me, let me savor my ignorance for now, but I can not possibly perform an illegal charm on a school building." McGonagall said exasperated. She was starting to grow concerned that this all was going to crumble. They needed to get the bodies out of the school. They currently had them under a salutem spell to keep the bodies preserved until they could be buried but this spell had to be reapplied frequently.

"Exactly Headmistress." Luna said with a smile. "You can not perform such a spell because of your position and duty to carry out the laws. However, Hermione is a war hero, best friend of the chosen one, the boy who lived twice. She has already produced the charm and so already guilty of the crime and been excused for it. This graveyard and entire project is being done as a result of Harry's request and this is a loophole in which we can climb through to accomplish this project." Luna sat tall in triumph as she recognized the light bulbs click on in everyone's heads at what she was suggesting.

"Use Harry and Hermione's celebrity status to skirt around the Wizarding communities laws to suit our own needs….how very….slytherin of you..Ms. Lovegood." Professor Snape's portrait, startling everyone in the room except Luna.

"Precisely Professor. And thank you for the compliment." Luna said as she bowed her head slightly towards her former professors portrait as he inclined his own head towards her.

George was the first to speak following the...interesting...exchange between Luna and Snape. "Bloody brilliant Luna! Breaking the rules and getting away with it! Its perfect for ol Freddy Boy!"

The rest of the meeting was spent bent over drafting papers as Luna and the rest of the group worked out all the details of the entire cemetery. She had created the basic floor plan and site plan but they as a team of friends, filled in the details. They had only intended the meeting to last a couple of hours at most. But as the dove into the particulars the became consumed. It was as if they were pouring their own souls into this place. As luna watched them work together as a team, she saw each person's magic blend in with the others around it. They were becoming one, united in this project and what they were creating was something purely magical and created with the purist magic of all: Love.