Out of Sight-Tom/Luna oneshot

[black_hat]

 

Disclaimer: All the characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author notes: Heh, another Tom/Luna. :) Hope you guys enjoy!

Out of Sight...

To be honest, perhaps she shouldn’t have interfered.

Luna was not told about the boy in the Weasleys’ basement. Ginny never wrote to her about it. Hermione did not mention it when she visited Luna’s home during the war.

It had been weeks since Hogwarts had finally surrendered to the inevitable closing, and Luna had been bored. The leaves were turning an orangey, phoenix tone, and the village fires would begin as the fall season grew closer. She liked how the fire danced, and she was looking forward to the event.

Luna had just started into the garden when she ran into a breathless Hermione.

“I just needed to step away for a little bit,” Hermione said, smiling wearily. Her hands shook with exhaustion, and her hands were scarred. One hand was encased in a plain black glove. “I thought I had to take my mind off of it to keep my wits about me. Who else could help me be distracted?"

Though Hermione was unannounced, Luna had welcomed her into her home.

"Daddy's out," Luna said, handing her a cup of tea and waiting patiently. She had discovered that Hermione usually talked about everything, eventually. It wasn’t that she was a gossip by any means. She just always had a lot on her mind.

“Ginny told me where you lived, Luna. I do hope I’m not intruding,” the girl said, placing her red cloak across the chair. She looked around at the kitchen.

“Not at all. So Harry and Ronald are back.”

“Yes, and they’re all right. Are those birds in the ceiling, in the wallpaper?”

“Indeed, and there are cats in the parlor. One must keep things balanced. Daddy says that if you touch the paper, you can enter another world…with another you, but I haven’t done so yet. Or maybe I have, and I could be a paper person and just not recall. When can one tell if the world has changed, and I don't believe that two people can exist in the same place and have the same name. It’s like two mirrors sitting side by side, you know. The cats have taken up knitting and spinning the most wonderful yarns.”

“Oh. Oh, great. It’s very lovely. You see, it’s working already.”

“Where have you three been off to? You didn’t come back to Hogwarts.”

“Well, that. First we went to where-where Harry’s parents were murdered. They are buried in a cemetery not too far, actually right in Godric’s Hollow. I’ve never seen a wizarding cemetery before, and Harry actually has a long line of relatives there. He said—he said he wished to be buried there, if it came down to it, and I told him he was being fatalistic. We need hope to survive this, and I knew it was a bad idea to let him go there, Luna, I really did. You know him though, once he gets his mind set on something, he’ll never let it go. You should have heard the row we had over it, though, I imagine the whole town overheard it. Thank goodness Ron was there, he kept his head about it, and I-oh, I’m so sorry. I’m babbling.”

Luna peered into the cup. “I didn’t give you a Babbling Beverage. That’s just tea, really.”

“I know,” Hermione laughed. “Imagine what that would do to me. I…I guess I haven’t been able to say a lot of things that are on my mind. There’s really no time for it.”

“What happened to your hands? Did you stumble upon a Heliopath or a flaming nargle?”

“I wish those existed for me to do so, Luna. I do. We did find something. I was holding it at the time it activated.”

“Activated?” Luna inquired, forgiving the display of a closed-mind for this new information. Hermione frowned.

“Yes, you see, we are searching for very dangerous magical objects. I didn’t think to use gloves for it. Did you know it almost killed me?”

Luna stared at the cup in Hermione’s hand and saw the thin liquid ripping with her motion. The cup chatted against the plate like a pair of nervous teeth.

“And Ron. He wasn’t able to…I felt so bad, that he was watching and helpless. I was helpless. Harry was helpless. No one knew what to do, it happened so fast.”

“What happened?” Luna asked, starting to become draw in very quickly.

“The funniest thing…a complete accident. I fell. And there was this lake. Where we were, it was an underground lake. And there were—well, never mind that. The water did something to it. I think, and don’t call me mad—well, I know you won’t, Luna—that besides just those things, there were souls in the water. I’m quite serious. I felt something in the water with me, flowing around me. Speaking.”

“Speaking like they are inside of you…” Luna whispered. “The Veil. I’ve heard those voices before, Hermione. You were not afraid , were you? They were trying to help.”

“No. No, Luna. I was not afraid but they were not trying to help me. They were angry, Luna. So angry and there was so much hurt and rage, and I couldn’t be afraid, I don’t know why. The object that I had activated was overcome by these souls. The object itself feeds on souls to regain itself. And flesh, but—.” Hermione laughed bitterly. “It had taken its fill, apparently.”

“What happens when the object absorbed the souls?” Luna asked, her eyes wide.

“…Well. Nothing worth mentioning.”

“That’s why you’ve come back,” Luna pressed on. “You’ve been gone for so long that you wouldn’t have come back unless something had made you. You needed something.”

“Luna, that’s ridiculous. Ron missed his family. We are all tired. Ah, there it is, we were exhausted. I was practically dreaming of the Burrow. Isn’t it odd that I didn’t dream of my own home.”

“But you left the Burrow. You came here to rest, Hermione, you just said.”

Hermione frowned at her. “If I am imposing, I will leave,” she said, pursing her lips in a very McGonagal-like fashion.

Luna smiled. “And if you are opposing, you will stay. I remember our talks. I've missed them. I’ve missed all of you.”

“How’s Neville?”

“Didn’t you hear? Neville left Hogwarts too. He’s gone to St. Mungo’s to be with his parents. To protect them properly. The war has spread to that area, I believe.”

“Oh…I didn’t know that. Harry would want to know. Anyway, I did see the Quibbler article. I have to say, Luna, that’s not wise. That’s really not wise.”

“But did you laugh?”

“Harry did. I remember.”

“Then it had a string of truth in it. We can laugh at the truth. We can’t laugh at a lie.”

“Oh, I suppose. But honestly, why did your father write about Voldemort? That article about his…oh well, it really put your father in danger.”

“He knows. Journalism is a tricky, dangerous mistress. Besides, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named won’t be able to stand people laughing at him.”

“How did you know his…what was it, a band during that time, his favorite—God, I can’t believe I’m asking. Though I’ve been meaning to ask since we’ve got here.”

“Daddy wrote to McGonagall. She knew him during her school days. Can you imagine? I wrote her soon after, to find out what he was like then. We at least wanted his true name. You know, if he was so very bad. I got a very rude reply. Even her handwriting was rude.”

“Rightly so,” Hermione agreed, sipping her tea with judgment.

“I don’t see why that is. Why must that be, if it’s an eye-witness account? It’s important.”

“You know what is important--to forget he was ever human. That’s why I came here, to get my bearings, to understand when I look at him, he’s not human,” Hermione snapped.

“…Now? But, Hermione, eye-witness accounts say he’s very distincty not human in appearance. That’s why Daddy suggested he was a vampiric piece of celery from Callisto. So I don’t understand.”

“Never mind, Luna. Never mind. This is a war where we have to forget ourselves.”

“I have to disagree. In a war, it’s most vital to remember yourself.”

Hermione looked at her and smiled again, very warmly this time. “That’s a nice sentiment. Do you mind terribly if I spend the night here?”

“Not at all. I’ve very pleased to have you here. Will Harry stop by?”

“…We’ll see. If he can spare a moment.”

Luna thought that was very odd, and she felt rather sad.

“If you go to the left of the stairs, there is a bed already for guests. You see, Daddy has a lot of important people over.”

“Oh, who? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“The most brilliant theorists of our time. One is an inside person for the Ministry. He's in the paper department.”

“Paper department? Historical documents, you mean?”

“He specializes in ‘cleaning out the rubbish’."

"You mean...literally?"

Luna nodded. "Can you imagine what all he knows?”

“…Yes, I can. Thanks for that, Luna. I’ll be upstairs.”

As Luna watched her go, she felt the sharp edge of a betrayal. Hermione had not said it was all right to wander off to the Weasleys. She quickly packed a basket of treats and put on her blue cloak. Something was happening, and she was going to find out about it.

&

Of all the things Luna had imagined, she did not expect the Burrow to be pitch black. There were no lights. No small, welcoming candles in the window.

Puzzled, she went around to the garden. There! A small light from the cellar window…Quietly, Luna put the basket aside and snuck towards the window, leaning just near enough to hear and not be heard.

“D’you…I didn’t think it would be like this, mate.”

“How’d you think it would be, Ron? A bloody bed of roses?”

“Well—yes, for the bloody part. I just didn’t know…when Hermione said pieces of his soul, I didn’t think one of the things would actually be looking at me.”

All in all, odd. Luna peeked and promptly held back a gasp.

Ronald and Harry were standing with their backs turned towards the window, thank goodness. Mr. Weasley was near the door, looking both anxious and determined. She had never seen good Mr. Weasley look so terribly shaken. As if he were seeing the two familiar faces, the one of his son and the boy who was like his son, for the very first time.

And there was thing that really stood out: a boy with the blackest hair she had ever seen, much darker than Harry’s, tied up to a chair in a very Muggle fashion. A move she was certain was intentional since a good Silencio charm would have replaced the need for a gag.

The boy was bruised too, in a similar form to Hermione. And his eyes…oh dear Merlin, his eyes just stared straight ahead as if he couldn’t see a thing. As if he were blind. But he was alert and his mouth formed a disdainful smirk around his gag, and…what were they doing? What was Harry doing?

“Dad, come on,” Ron said, turning to his father. “You know that old Dumbledore saying? I can’t remember all of it, but this isn’t what he would have wanted.”

“How do you know?” Harry asked sharply. “He’s gone. He left this up to me. Deal with it.”

The boy lifted his chin and seemed to smile, staring past Harry and yet staring right at him.

“Listen, boys. Harry, old Mad-Eye…I can Floo him.”

“They’ll just try and stop me.”

“No…they won’t. They know what war is.”

The boy seemed to be frustrated at being denied the right to speak. It actually seemed to bother him more than being tied up.

“You can’t do-er, that curse, can you, Harry?” Ronald inquired. “I mean, it doesn’t matter, right?”

“I know one curse, Ron. The one I shared with Malfoy. The one I owe Snape for,” Harry spat.

Mr. Weasley looked pensive. “I think this part of that monster may have information, though. It doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

“…But he’s a liar,” a voice piped up from the stairs. Luna’s heart melted in disappointment. Ginny. Ginny was on the stairs. “Dad, you won’t get the truth from him. I’ve seen what he’s like. He’s not human. It’s not the same as if it actually matter-”

“A truth serum. Tonks should have some spare vials,” Mr. Weasley pressed on, giving the shadow on the stairway a warning look.

“Well, Dad’s right. And Hermione’s not with us. I think—after what happened—we should all decide together,” Ron reasoned, crossing his arms.

“Get her here, then,” Harry hissed, growing increasingly enraged by the boy’s smirk.

“He isn’t worth it, Harry,” Ginny said again, from out of sight. “We’ll find a way to destroy this piece of him. But let an Auror do this. You found the piece, you and Ron and Hermione. That was enough. Besides—it will hurt his pride to be done in by an Auror.”

The boy clenched his fists, and Harry slowly lowered his wand.

“That would just kill you, wouldn’t it?” he asked, clearly enjoying the effect. Luna had never seen this Harry before, and she wasn’t sure he liked him. This was the Harry that had taken her to the party?

“Enough of that,” Mr. Weasley said, taking charge. “Ginny, up to your room. I want a word with you. Ron and Harry…go upstairs and forget about him. Forget about what happened in this room. I’ll Floo in Moody and Tonks.”

“And Lupin,” Harry insisted, suddenly appearing quite lost and slumping as if all the energy that had made him so terrible had left.

“All right. I will get Remus for you, I promise.”

Without a word to their prisoner—in fact, ignoring him—Ron and Harry took to the stairs, and Luna saw Ginny’s shadow outlined in the light.

Mr. Weasley was the only one who looked at the boy.

“I know what you’re thinking, and if I were you, I wouldn’t try it. Those ropes are a gift. From Dumbledore himself. He sent them to us before he died. Just in case. Bless him, he thought of everything.”

The boy’s face darkened with a sudden burning intensity.

“Yes. I think he planned for you. He knew every move you were going to make. He once said to me that cruelty is predictable. This was after that piece of you possessed my little girl, in case you’re wondering. So we knew you were coming. And you’re getting exactly what you deserve. I would pity you. If I could, I would like to believe that I would.”

The boy scoffed dismissively. Mr. Weasley made his way up the stairs and shut the door. There was still light in the small, cramped room. Luna stared at him. He was stoic. She was amazed, considering the situation. His head was bent as if in prayer or deep meditation. Or in the deepest of thoughts.

He was indeed blind. He could hear, apparently. But he was quite, quite blind. She couldn’t imagine that. And she wondered if this was the reason Hermione had fled. Luna couldn’t blame her now. This was too…too far cruel. One step too close to the edge. Harry was so close to it.

Why had Dumbledore sent the Weasleys the bonds?

Suddenly, the boy moved his head in her direction and seemed to stare at her. There was no malice in his features, just a sharp awareness.

Luna stood quickly and backed away.

The garden seemed completely soulless now, and the darkness matched the mood of the inhabitants of the house. Luna picked up her basket and planned to return to her home. Her bright, suddenly lovely home…but what would happen to the boy?

He was obviously an enemy. She had no idea of Ginny’s possession by anyone, either. She gripped her basket and approached the Weasleys' door, knocking politely. The curtains moved to the side, and a pair of frightened eyes peered at her. She waved.

“Oh, dear. Luna, dear, is that you?”

“Yes, I am me. Most of the time, anyway. Aren’t you you, most of the time, Mrs. Weasley?”

“That’s her all right, Mum.”

The door opened and Luna slipped inside. Ronald sat at the table, clutching a glass and looking pale. Still, he smiled in her direction.

“Hey, Hermione said she was going to stop by your place.”

“She is at my place, Ronald. She’s asleep.”

“That’s wonderful,” Mrs. Weasley said. “The poor dear looked so tired under her eyes.”

“What’s in the basket? Top secret Ministry creatures come to wipe us all out?”

“You do realize there is a small army being assembled.”

“I wish they’d hurry it up, myself, and take this mess off our hands. Hey, Mum, what’s the odds? You-Know-Who versus one of Luna’s Heliopaths?”

“Heliopath?” Mrs. Weasley asked, mystified.

“Sun horses made entirely of fire. And they are peaceful creatures, Ronald, as you know.”

“Nah, I wager the Heliopaths will kick arse. That guy needs some sun, anyway. Hopefully he’s allergic.”

“Oh…Luna,” Harry said, leaning against the doorway. She looked at him slowly.

“Hello, Harry.”

“Why’s Hermione not with you?”

“She’s taking a kipper, Harry. You should too, you know,” Ronald said, toasting him.

“And taking a rest from me. I get it.”

Ronald frowned and seemed about to protest. “Yes, Harry. She mentioned that as being her motivation for her visit,” Luna said, putting the basket down on the table.

Ronald gaped and Mrs. Weasley whirled around. “Pardon?”

“Heh, an uncomfortable truth, eh. I’m not really that bothered by it. Not any more. At least it’s out in the open.”

“Luna probably misunderstood,” Ronald said, giving her some unreadable look.

“Well, she had a lot on her mind. She needed to step away for a moment.”

“Wonder what that’s like,” Harry said, crossing his arms.

“Er,” Ronald muttered, taking Luna’s basket and looking inside. “Hey, Mum, you don’t have to cook! Luna’s brought food. Food I tell you! Harry, mate, pull up a chair.”

Harry did so sullenly, and Mrs. Weasley bustled around fetching the plates.

“Did Hermione tell you to come over here?” Harry asked. “If she didn’t, what are you doing here?”

“Harry,” Mrs. Weasley scolded, shocked.

“I’m here to find out what’s going on,” Luna said. “Biscuits for everyone, then.”

“It’s really none of your business,” Harry said shortly.

“Mum, hurry with the plates,” Ronald said.

“It usually isn’t. Daddy always says that’s the downside of being a journalist. You’re usually not very popular.”

“So that’s your excuse now.”

“Harry, button up,” Ronald said, angrily. “Let’s eat, for god’s sake.

“That was very rude, you know.”

“I know.”

“All right. Luna, dear, maybe you should hurry along,” Mrs. Weasley urged.

“It’s also very rude to keep someone in your basement tied up where they can’t defend themselves. Did you know?”

There was a ghastly silence.

“Uh…” Ron said, holding his biscuit in midair. “Oh hell.”

“I see. You think it’s wrong to tie up a monster,” Harry said, his eyes looking very strange in the darkness.

“I think it’s wrong to become a monster.”

Harry flinched.

“All right, Luna, you’ve gone too far!” Ronald yelled, whirling on her.

“Hah, and you think he…he hasn’t done worse!” Harry bellowed. “TIED UP, THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK IS THE WORST OF IT!”

“Does it matter if he has done worse? Is there a competition?” Luna asked curiously, looking to Ronald for confirmation.

“That will do,” Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Luna up by her arm.

“What’s all this, then?” Mr. Weasley asked, appearing in the doorway.

“Uh, Dad, Luna, um, I think she was watching through the window or something. You know, when we were downstairs.”

“Or Hermione told.”

“She did not tell, Harry!”

“No, she didn’t tell me. It wasn’t that difficult to find out.”

“If you were sneaking around the shrubbery, I'm sure it wasn't,” Mrs. Weasley said sharply.

“Oh well. I guess you’ll read my point of view tomorrow in the Quibbler.”

“You would publish this?” Harry asked, looking suddenly defeated. “On me? You would do that?”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Hell, Luna, it isn’t—it isn’t,” Harry repeated, and he looked away.

“You won’t be publishing anything,” Mr. Weasley said. “I’ll talk to your father first thing in the morning. Now, that's enough yelling and shouting for tonight. Let’s not say anything we’ll all regret later.”

“I’m not your enemy, Harry. I’m your friend,” Luna said. “We are friends.”

“…Well,” Ronald piped up. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

“No, I understand,” Harry said softly. “But…but I can’t afford to right now.”

Luna left the Weasleys and didn’t feel like going home.

She thought about the boy in the basement who was indeed a monster. A blind one, at that. Hermione was right. He looked so human at this point it was hard. And what had he done to Harry?

She walked her favorite path and did not feel one wit better. The wind whistled a merry tune past her ears and she felt grim. A butterfly danced with a small fairy and she was unmoved as a rock.

What had happened? How did this happen?

Luna found a fence post and leaned against it, incredibly weary. She felt like she had lost her only friends, and perhaps, if she were honest with herself, it had been her fault.

She sighed and watched her breath mist against the wind. Hopefully it would take her ill feelings away. Because she did feel as though she were right…though she could be wrong, and that bothered her immensely.

A flash of light caught her eye, and at first, she thought it was a playful will o’ wisp. The fires of the season should not be starting yet, at least…

Then she noticed that the tips of those flames were black. She watched curiously as the fire grew closer in the distance. The hill was illuminated like the back of a sleeping giant. Suddenly, she heard the screaming.

“Hermione…” she whispered and began to run. Halfway over the hill, Hermione rushed towards her, unharmed.

“Oh, Luna, your home…”

Luna turned and watched all her memories go up into smoke. There were people just out of sight, but not out of mind. They moved amongst the shadows like dancers, complete with the purest mask. As if they had to hide their dark intentions with white, or to repel the darkness that they were dealing in…

“I—I have to save-.”

“No! No! I’m sorry, it’s too late!” Hermione yelled, pulling at her elbow. Luna allowed her to pull her alone, staring at the flames. All the pictures of her mother she had left at home to protect them from her housemates…all those pictures gone and they probably thought she had abandoned them.

“They got out, they got out, they had to have…” Hermione said in a mantra.

Then ahead of the pair was the roar of spells being fired in the direction of the Burrow. Death Eaters had appeared in circle around the house, laughing as the black flames spread quickly.

“RON!” Hermione screamed, and she left Luna at the crossroads of the path, running towards the house, her wand drawn.

“Don’t worry, Hermione, we’re out,” a voice said from behind shadows. Luna stepped back, realizing in a moment what had occurred.

The Weasleys and Harry Potter stood in the clearing near the road.

“This was brilliant, Hermione,” Ron said gently, and she rushed towards him, sobbing.

Something clicked in Luna’s mind. A trick, she thought. It was a trick to get his own fellows to kill him in their stead. No wonder the window wasn’t warded.

“We all agreed to it,” Ron said, challenging anyone to express regret in his family. Luna continued to step back until she was among the shadows. Then she started to run. Hermione had not noticed her absence. She was too busy staring at the Burrow and the task at hand.

In fact, not a soul noticed until it was far too late.

&

She remembered what Ginny had told her. That during You-Know-Who’s first reign of terror, the family had used a tiny escape route under the ground. Quite literally a burrow. That’s probably how they had gotten past the wards the Death Eaters had cast.

Luna stood calmly at the top of the stairs while the fire and laughter danced outside the window. It was rather like watching a shape-shifter, except this one was on the inside.

“Hello,” she called, gripping the banister tightly. “I won’t hurt you.”

Those seemed to be the most serious ideas: the greeting and the assurance that she would not maim him. She made her way down, afraid. She would not be able to go back. She would have crossed the river for good. However, she couldn’t stop and think. She was afraid of what necessity would say.

Luna was relieved when she found he was pretending unconscious. It removed the initial awkwardness. However, she really needed him to stand up.

Black flames could burn witches. The flames themselves were sustained by magic itself, all the bits and pieces of it. So she really couldn’t Levitate him out. His gag was gone. She didn't dare dwell on the reason why.

“The house is on fire,” she said, poking him.

“Oh, really, I didn’t notice.” Well, he wasn’t pretending anymore.

“That’s a bad thing, you know.”

“For me or for you?”

Luna was confused. “In general, it’s a bad thing.”

“Sometimes it can be rather useful in purification rituals.”

Luna lamented. “Oh, I didn’t mean ‘in general’,” she cried as several cinders danced around her head, nearly singeing her. “I meant, considering the fact that...well, it’s about to consume us and all that will be left of our bodies is ashes. In general, you know.”

“I know what you meant, girl,” he muttered. Luna distinctly thought she heard the upstairs collapse somewhere in the house.

“Um…so we should be hurrying along,” she spoke, trying to put some incentive in her soft tone.

“Considering I’m currently tied to a chair, that may be difficult.”

“Oh!” Luna exclaimed, somewhat excited, and quickly undid the knots. However, she kept his wrists tied together.

“Keeping me on a short leash?” he inquired, looking halfway to her left. His eyes seemed to be almost foggy, or misty, as if a rainforest had made its home there.

“You can’t see, so does it matter?” Luna asked, pulling him towards the stairs.

“I am blind, true. And yet I can still see that the stairs are completely blocked.”

And he was right. Luna started to get a bit worried.

“Then…to the window!”

“Window?” he asked. “Right where everyone is gathered?”

“That’s the last place they’d expect us,” she added, pushing the chair towards it.

“I can’t climb, dolt, my hands are tied.”

“Kickaroos use their elbows to scale the clouds all the time, so you can too,” she said firmly and guided him in that direction. He teetered on the chair, cursing.

“Do hurry,” Luna piped up, feeling the room starting to become quickly suffocating.

“Why you-.”

She decided he needed some assistance. In which she pushed him directly out of the window, holding it open just enough for him to wiggle through.

“Little-gah.”

“Move a little. Like the earthworm would.”

“I’ll-!” She then decided he was waiting for her. Like a gentlemen.

“Thank you,” she said and pushed past him through the window. He leaned away, seeming as far as he could while being pinned in a rectangle, but he couldn’t distance himself entirely. Once outside, she pulled him through by the collar of his robes.

Indeed, the flames actually offered them cover, and they took it.

“Well, you see. You’re all right now,” Luna said, patting his shoulder.

“And you’re not. I’M-.”

She covered his mouth quickly. “You must have inhaled the smoke,” Luna said sadly. “To do such a thing as attract their attention.”

His eyes, though blind, narrowed dangerously.

“They are meant to kill you,” Luna said, and that was the truth.

His eyes now darted to her face, and it seemed to torment him that he could not read her expression.

“And so you put us right in the middle of them,” he whispered against her palm.

“Exactly,” she chirped. “Now, hurry, take off your clothes.”

“Excuse me?” he hissed.

“For the disguise. For you to dress like them, I would need to charm your clothes.”

“…You’re going for the sheep in wolf’s clothing approach…that could work.”

“Could and should,” Luna said happily and tugged at his robes.

“Allow me to cast the enchantments. I can do so and keep my clothes on. You do have a wand, don’t you?”

“I have a wand,” she said. “But I don’t trust you one wit, you know.”

“Do you trust that if they find us, they will kill us?”

“Oh, that is a problem,” Luna whispered. “Well, if you promise to give it back…”

“Cross my heart and all that rubbish, just give me the wand,” he hissed, and she placed her wand carefully in his open palm.

The process was so subtle she almost missed it. She found she was standing up once more and that her pale blue robes had extended like bat wings. For someone so blind, he certainly had a good idea of what the robes looked like. Possibly better than the actual wearers of the robe. Something was amiss.

She opened her mouth to question this discovery but found she could not speak. She was staring through slits, little eye slits, and her mouth was clenched shut. It hurt, actually. She mumbled in protest.

“Ah, such a useful addition to the design, no?” he asked, listening to her general outrage as if it were music. She noticed he had an opening in the mask for his mouth and thought him a bit rude. “Well, lead me, then. Light the way. Show-.”

“Aww ight,” Luna said and took his hand. She was relatively sure that when the Death Eaters went on raids, they did not hold hands. But she could not be positive and she wondered if anyone would really notice if they were burning everything in range.

They passed through the black mass of robes and flecks of white unharmed. She thought it was quite amusing and was very happy. She led him to the right, directly into the forest near the Burrow. Soon, she thought, Aurors will be arriving, and it would be best to be out of sight and out of mind.

Luna did realize, however, that he had her under some of his control already. She could not shout for help, that was for certain. These robes seemed to be constricting, the further she led him from danger.

But he did need her, so she did not struggle. Luna reached a familiar clearing, right where the moonlight shone in a perfect circle like a great knowing eye.

“So…” he said, twirling her wand in between his fingers. “I trust we are out of sight. You have my gratitude. The only question is how am I going to repay you?”

He moved around her in a tight circle, and she followed his motions in a willing silence. She thought him very funny. He was as blind as an old bat and still, he was trying to move gracefully. She smiled.

“You’re quite the little traitor, aren’t you?” he muttered. “Answer me.”

She found she could. “I would be. If I was betraying what I believe in, I would be a traitor.”

“How convenient. Well, what about your previous alliance? I heard your voice above me, you know. In a house that small, privacy is non-existent.”

“Then if you heard, you should know how I feel about this,” she said, puzzled.

“By aiding me, you have turned against Harry Potter.”

“I am loyal to my own thoughts. That’s what Daddy says is most important. I am Harry’s friend, though.”

“Again, how convenient. On that note, you could betray anyone when their goals are not to your liking.”

“I was for Harry. I didn’t want him to become like you.”

“ ‘Was’ being the key word. So…my little light-bearer, you are in my hands now.”

“Exactly. You need me.”

“Hardly,” he scoffed. “I do not need anyone.”

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Who am I?”

“Are you a ‘what’ then?” she asked, surprised.

“A—I am merely an extension of the Dark Lord’s will, to be exact.”

“Oh, how boring. So you’re a minnow?”

“Don’t deliberately misunderstand!” he snapped. “And that’s ‘minion’.”

“What is? Your actual name is Minion? Oh dear, your parents must have disliked you.”

“Who are you, then?” he asked, avoiding the question.

“My name is Luna Lovegood,” she said happily. “And don’t worry, I’ll be taking care of you in the meantime.”

“The meantime?”

“Yes, until you regain your sight. Then you can defend yourself properly. Then Harry can trounce you properly.”

“...Your compassion stuns me," he said, and his mouth held an expression Luna had never seen before. She reached up, standing on the tips of her toes, and touched his mouth to try and get a feel for his meaning. He leaned back and almost stumbled, a clear look of surprise upon his face.

“Well, I won't be cruel to you in the meantime," Luna opined, and burst out laughing as she thought the wonderful sentence through. He seemed to flinch. "My house has burnt down," she continued on." So I’m not quite sure where to take you.”

“Oh…May I make a suggestion?”

She smiled, even though he could not see it.

“Take me into…into a Muggle city.”

“Isn’t that against your Lord’s will?” she asked lightly.

“My views on the Muggles are not a mystery. But it may be the last place that they search for me.”

“Um, I…I have another place.”

“No,” he interrupted. “Think, girl, they are looking for you as well.”

“It’s a secret place. No one knows about it but me. Well, mother does but she won’t tell.”

“She will if they inform her of the company you keep, I assure you.”

“They can’t. She’s dead, you know.”

“…No, I did not know. Well, that’s comforting,” he muttered, looking away from her direction. “Now I have to worry about you.”

“Why is that?” she asked, stepping closer. “I do make people nervous sometimes. I’m sorry. I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“…Of that, I have no doubt,” he admitted. “It’s clear you mean no harm.”

“I still don’t understand how I’ve made you uneasy,” she said, feeling a bit sad.

“Not uneasy. It would take a great deal more than that to make me uneasy. Come here, Luna, let me take a look at the person to whom I owe my life.”

She blinked. “But you’re…”

“No need to point it out. Come here.”

She wandered closer, cautiously, not taking her eyes of the wand in his hand. He reached out and cupped her face suddenly, completing his motion with startling accuracy. She flinched.

“I suppose I should confess,” he began softly. “I knew you were watching us early on. I knew you would take pity, as any outsider would. I knew you would come back for me. My intuition has never led my astray. Not even in my current condition.”

“But you owe me your life,” she reminded him.

“Indeed. Indeed, I do. If you consider that, in fact, I was acting a little more weakened than I truly am while you were watching…I suppose the debt is a little jaded, no? There’s room to improvise.”

Luna bit her lip. “You still seem very ill. Your hand’s shaking.”

He drew away quickly. “I don’t want anything from you,” she said. “There doesn’t need to be a debt, then.”

“Wanting is different from needing,” he corrected, looking a litte undone. His features held an odd, lost expression, as if the very idea of need was eating him up from the inside.

“Oh, I realize now…I didn’t mean to imply you needed me. If you want my help…” she said, tugging the cuff of his robes. "Just pretend, is all. Mother did say that we all have our dreams to get by on..."

"Avoiding reality does me no good," he whispered, his head tilted and listened to the cries coming from village. Almost in the manner of a wolf, she thought. "I've never taken such a coward's avenue."

"You could pretend that you're using me," Luna offered, bluntly. "You know you seem like you could manage on your own," she added, in a luminous tone. "But instead you're taking an opportunity."

"How do you know that I'm pretending?" he asked, his eyes like an eclipse. To be honest, she was afraid. His voice was like nightshade and she was afraid. Daddy might not understand. Even Daddy might not understand why, she thought sadly. She was quite alone.

"Whatever gets you by, Minion," she answered, shivering.

"Tom. You may call me Tom."

"May I have my wand back now, Tom?" she asked, extending her hand. He held out her wand, and when she closed her small fingers around it, he pulled back his arm suddenly. She was drawn much closer to him than she would have wished. Almost like a serpent, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly to him. She inhaled, trying to think of all the things that kept her calm and running through robin eggs, moon dancing, and...

"You know, I could get used to this arrangement," he commented. She realized she could not tell how old how he was. He seemed both very young and very ancient. His motions were like liquid and more than a shade unnatural. A piece of a soul...Ronald had said that, hadn’t he?

"You're not human, are you?" she asked.

He laughed. "I look human, don't I? That should be enough for you, Luna. Luna...such an interesting name. You know, most guides in the tales are of the sun. The sun means clarity and order, you see. And here you are, my own piece of moonlight."

She shivered again, like she was suddenly cold.

"I don't mind delusions, Luna," he said. "Not really. Everything is a bit chaotic. Now show me this grave secret, then."

Luna noticed that his fingers were very long and that he talked with his hands, moving them as if plucking notes from the air. Somehow, this did not bother her as much as it intrigued her.

"All right," she said and took his hand once more. Together, they disappeared into the shadows.

When the Aurors came with the morning, they found nothing but abandoned, white masks in the clearing. Anything else was left up to the imagination.