Mending What Has Been Broken (Neville and Luna)

Chapter 2: Death and Apparating

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Percy_Is_Awesome (again) because she's the greatest friend in the world and has/is helped/helping me in so many ways. Thanks so much Dasha. <3 

Well here's Chapter 2. Hope you guys enjoy it and please if you wouldn't mind tell me what you think below.

Luna's PoV

Neville smiled and took my hand. That's when I noticed Professor McGonagall walking quickly through the Great Hall, towards us, with a grim look set upon her face.

When she finally reached the place where we were sitting, she said, "Miss Lovegood, I don't know how to tell you this..."

"It's about dad, isn't it?" I asked nervously.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is. Xenophilius, while fighting, was Crucioed several times, as you probably already know. It left him bloodied, injured, and very, very weak. He died several minutes ago. There was barely anything we could do but make sure he passed peacefully and as in little pain as possible. I'm so sorry Miss Lovegood."

I didn't say anything. Just stared at my dirty, slightly blood covered hands. What seemed like a minute later Professor McGonagall left to attend to some other business.

Neville still held my hand, he squeezed it. "Luna, I'm so, so sorry."

I sighed. After a long time of silence I spoke in a small voice, "I haven't seen him since before I was taken to Malfoy Manor. I never got to say goodbye. My mum's dead, and I don't have any close family members. I'm too young to live on my own, I don't know where I'll go."

Neville was silent for a moment. Then, "You could live at my grandmother's with me!" A moment's pause. "Oh gosh, sorry, that sounds so wrong."

I broke out in a small smile. "That's okay, Neville, and yes, I'd love to live with you and your grandmother, if that would be okay with her?"

Neville smiled and put him arm around my shoulders. "Of course."

***

It has been a full week since the day Voldemort and the Death Eaters had been (just barely) defeated. It had taken that long for enough of Hogwarts to be somewhat repaired and the severely injured to be treated well enough.

The service for the people who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts was almost done. All the people who spoke were friends and family of those who were lost.

It was my turn to speak. I was the last one.

I walked up to the podium. The one where Professor Dumbledore used to give speeches at the beginning and end of school years, what seemed thousands of years ago. All the eyes in the very crowded room were on me. Neville was in the second row, giving me a small smile.

The dead were outside in coffins, waiting to be buried after the service was over. My father was among them.

I took a deep breath and spoke. "My father was a great man. Xenophilius Lovegood was the editor of the Quibbler, and he fully supported Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter when many others didn't believe them in the beginning. Even after Professor Dumbledore was murdered, my dad supported Harry. In the end, he and the others fought bravely and sacrificed themselves for us. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here today. I hope to one day be as courageous as my father and all of our loved ones were, and to one day make them all proud." At this point I was doing my absolute best not to cry. "Though many of us never got to say goodbye to them, and though they aren't physically with us any more, they're still with us, in here," I pointed to the place above my heart. "They'll always be with us in our hearts. Always."

That was the end of the service. Everyone stood up and slowly started to walk outside. They were going to bury the dead near where Professor Dumbledore lay.

Neville waited for me to walk down. When I finally got to where he was, he hugged me tightly. He whispered in my ear, "You did a great job, Luna. That speech was beautiful. Your dad is proud of you."

After a few minutes, I finally pulled away from my boyfriend, tears brimming and threatening to spill from my eyes. Neville gently took his finger and wiped them away when a few fell. He hugged me again for a few seconds, then pulled away and started walking with me towards the front doors of the Hogwarts castle.

We weren't going to the burial. I couldn't bear it. Neither could he. We didn't want to see my father and our friends put in the ground near our late Headmaster's final resting place.

Instead, Neville and I slowly walked, hand in hand, down the path to the town of Hogsmeade. We weren't going to The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, or Zonko's Joke Shop though. Neither of us was near in the mood. Instead, we walked all the way to the Shrieking Shack, where we could Apparate from, since no one can Apparate from inside the gates of Hogwarts.

Neville had never taken his hand out of mine as we had walked all the way down here. He squeezed mine in his slightly bigger one and closed his hazel eyes. I proceeded to do the same. And then we Apparated.

It's a strange and queasy thing, Apparation. To me, it feels like the entire world is spinning uncontrollably around me and that I'll get sucked deep into its depths. The only feeling I have is nauseousness and I get the need to throw up.

And all of this occurs in the vast time of a few seconds. Neville and I stumble and fall onto slightly damp grass. I laugh lightly and he joins in. Apparently neither of us has gotten use to the feeling of Apparating yet.

Neville stands up, brushes off his pants, and holds his hand out for me. I take it and he pulls me up. We both turn to look at a small little cottage about ten feet from where we're standing.

Neville smiles, turns to me, and says, "Welcome to me and my gran's home, Luna."

A/N: Ah Neville and Luna are my ultimate Harry Potter ship. Neville is bae <3

So what did guys think of this chapter?

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I was a bit disappointed that the first chapter only got 8 reads and 0 votes and comments. Did it suck that much? :'(

I'd appreciate it if you guys would vote and comment on this chapter so I can know if this story is actually good and if I should continue it.