Fic: What Seems (Ginny, Neville, Luna, G)
It's been forever since I posted fic. For lyras.
Title: What Seems
Author: quietliban
Rating: G
Summary: Ginny, Neville and Luna make their daring bid for hope. As expected things do not end well and although, things could be worse, it isn't over yet.
Disclaimer: These characters are property of JK Rowling and her associated publishers etc. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: For lyras. Thanks for the book. I enjoyed it and learnt a lot too.
Feedback is adored.
I.
Winds whip through the courtyard and Ginny watches as tree branches lose their remaining leaves. The castle grounds around her look stark, bare and soulless, like the colour has been leached out of them.
Sometimes, when Ginny looks in the mirror and all she can see is her tired grey face with its muted freckles and washed out hair, she thinks that the colour has been leached from the world and only grey, black and greens remain in the place of the reds, blues and yellows she remembers. She shakes her head then because those thoughts are useless, those thoughts are the thoughts of the Defeated, and she refuses to be Defeated.
She wants to hope. She wants to dream. She wants to be free of this awful shadow that calls itself the Dark Lord.
She leans against the balustrade, arms crossed with her head jutting over the edge. She scans the courtyard, watching, waiting, wanting to see the flicker of red and gold wool wrapped tightly around Creevey's neck. She wants to see the sign that the diversion is in place; that the Carrows and Snape are suitably engaged elsewhere castle while she, Neville and Luna make their daring bid for hope.
She knows on some level that what they're about to attempt is foolish, and that it can't possibly end well, but she has to try. She has to try, for Harry's sake, for her sake, for the sake of Hogwarts and the memory of Professor Dumbledore. She has to try, because it's not right that, that snake, Snape has his hands on the Sword of Gryffindor.
She unclenches her fist and stands up straight. Ginny can feel her heart beating in her chest; it's thudding heavily inside her ribcage. She smiles to herself. Dennis Creevey is out there, in the courtyard, with his Gryffindor scarf around his neck.
She smiles to herself as she unwraps her own scarf from around her neck and holds it out, letting the wind carry it for a moment before she guides it down to Creevey using her wand: message received.
It is time.
II.
Neville was bruised and bloodied with scrapes and scratches when Ginny saw him, and unleashed her Weasley temper upon the Gryffindor common room.
It was the afternoon he had first stood up to Alecto Carrow, and while she refused to perform the Cruciatus curse on a pureblood student for 'minor infractions,' that did not mean there weren't some misguided students who weren't above using their fists when their Cruciatus curses failed. Neville was in no state to stand up to Ginny Weasley's determined madness that afternoon. And it was madness, suicidal madness to start up Dumbledore's Army again, and to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape's office.
It was suicidal madness and just because Neville had embarked on his own special form of suicidal madness by standing up to Alecto and Amycus Carrow, did not mean he wanted to lead and encourage others to follow his example.
And yet, he's still here with Luna, waiting in front of gargoyle to Snape's office for Ginny so they can steal the Sword of Gryffindor from his office and send it to Harry. It's an act of desperation, an act of madness and Neville's terrified. He can stand up to the Carrows because they are revolting, they are nothing, but this is not the Carrows. This is Snape and…
"Listen," Luna says, "she's coming."
He closes his eyes and breaths in slowly. Luna catches his hand and he looks up at her. She looks pale and determined.
This is an act of desperation, yes, but it's to let them know, to let You-Know-Who know, to let the other students know, that Neville-that Dumbledore's Army-has not been defeated.
III.
The gargoyle slides away with a heavy sound and she stares at it curiously for a moment. It didn't ask for a password, instead it slid open as Ginny arrived, and Ginny doesn't hesitate, just runs up the staircase while Neville gives Luna a quick glance before he follows.
"Were we expected?" Luna asks the stone creature. It doesn't answer. It stands out of the way, unmoving. "You can't have been expecting us," she tells it.
Luna follows up the staircase when the gargoyle fails to give her a response. She steps over the threshold, through the open door and stares at the headmaster's office. She's not been there since it became Snape's office and the changes are palpable. The light that seemed to radiate from the objects scattered throughout the room is gone. Instead, there are shadows everywhere. Luna takes a moment to look up at the wall of portraits. There is a murmur amongst them, but not one calls out. Luna searches for one portrait in particular and she finds him; Professor Dumbledore. He is fast asleep. Luna watches for a moment as his painted chest rises and falls.
"Luna, c'mon! Hurry!" Ginny calls, her wand is out but the case which holds the Sword of Gryffindor remains closed.
Luna goes over. Neville is pulling at the case trying to lift it. Luna looks between them.
"Magic," she says quietly, but Neville shakes his head. His cheeks are red and he's straining against the weight.
Ginny is trying to help him by pushing the case up. Her grip slips against the glass. "Quick! Take it!" she hisses at Luna.
Luna reaches out tentatively, ignoring the haste in Ginny's voice. The ruby encrusted sword is beautiful and Luna's hands close on the hilt. She pulls the sword out from underneath the case. It's both heavier and lighter than she expected. Ginny and Neville let the case back down with a thud, both breathing heavily.
"You there, Mr Longbottom," one of the portraits calls out in a snide voice. Luna turns with Neville, holding the sword in the air, watching as the faint light shimmers across its blade. "Do you think that's a wholly intelligent idea?"
Luna can feel Neville falter beside her. He reaches over and takes the sword from Luna's grip. He looks fierce with it in his hands. Fierce and brave and Luna's heart swells with pride because that's Neville Longbottom as she's always known him to be.
"It's an idea," he says to the portrait.
The portrait laughs at them and Ginny steps forward in front of Neville with her wand drawn. "I know you," she says, "I know who you are, and you're no better than Snape."
"No better than Snape?" the portrait considers Ginny for a moment. "I think you'll find that quite incorrect, Miss Weasley, but never mind that. Oughtn't you be running off to face your doom?"
Ginny scowls before stepping forward again.
"Professor Black," Luna says cutting off whatever Ginny was about to say or do. Ginny glares at her and then her expression changes and her face whitens. Luna turns to follow her gaze. Luna reaches out to grab both Ginny and Neville once she realises who is there.
"I'd thought better of you, Miss Lovegood, although only Merlin knows why."
Professor Snape is standing in his office doorway. He glances from Luna to Ginny and then Neville. Ginny shifts and points her wand toward Snape, while Neville holds the sword with both hands in defiance. Luna steps back and Ginny lets a bat-bogey hex fly from her wand.
"No!" Neville shouts as Snape casts a shield charm followed quickly by a disarming spell which sends their wands through the air and into Snape's hands.
"Foolish children." Snape advances on them and Neville points the sword at him. Luna pulls Ginny with her as she steps behind Neville. "What did you hope to achieve?"
Snape looks pale, tired and very, very angry. He stops an inch from the point of the sword blade and stares down at the three of them. Luna can't meet his gaze and instead diverts her eyes to Neville's shoulder blade.
"Well?" Professor Snape asks.
The air around them is tense and all Luna can focus on is the sound of her own heartbeat and the heavy breathing of Neville and Ginny.
"Do you think you can do it, Longbottom?" Snape asks.
Luna watches as Neville looks up and does what she couldn't do. Neville meets Snape's gaze and he trembles. Ginny pulls out of Luna's grasp and steps forward as the sword falls from Neville's hands clattering against the floor with the hilt making a dull thud as it hits Neville's shoes.
"No," Neville breathes the word and Ginny descends on Snape, her hands tightly ball fists as she hits against his chest once, twice, before Snape grabs her wrists and pushes her across the room.
"Enough!"
There are tears in Ginny's eyes when she looks up.
"You should have-"
"What, Ginny? Run him through? And then where would we be? No. No I couldn't do it, and I doubt either could you."
"Enough!" Luna tears her eyes away from Ginny and looks up at Snape. He looks furious. "If it weren't the will of the Dark Lord to keep you here at Hogwarts, you'd all be expelled and sent to Azkaban. Do not doubt that."
Snape looks up at the portraits, all of which now appear sound asleep, even the nosy portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black. Snape turns and looks down at the three of them. Ginny is standing tall now, her eyes tearstained but defiant and Neville meets his gaze yet again. He looks at Luna and she steps forward.
"Professor Snape," she says softly. He turns away, his jaw tense.
"Do not-" He pauses and Luna does not continue.
"Mr Longbottom," Snape says, turning to face them again. He looks more composed now or at least so Luna thinks. "I believe Mr Filch requires your assistance. Miss Weasley, you will attend to Professor Hagrid and help with maintaining the Blast End Skrewts, and you, Miss Lovegood shall report to Madam Pomfrey and assist her in whatever she asks. What has happened here, will not leave this room, do you understand? If I hear a mere whisper of it, I am sure Professors Carrow will be able to find something for you to do. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Snape."
"Now, be gone."
Luna watches as Ginny is the first to leave. She casts a wistful glance behind her, her eyes resting on the blade of the sword. Neville follows closely behind her. His body still taut and his eyes still watchful. Luna is the last to leave, and she looks over at Snape. His black eyes are watching her and Luna notices how exhausted he looks. Fearsome but exhausted and she wonders why he hasn't handed them over to the Carrows or worse to Voldemort himself. Luna pauses at the door, looking down the staircase.
"The gargoyle wasn't expecting us," she says softly to herself. She thinks perhaps that Snape hears her, but he doesn't answer. Luna takes the first step down and that one is the hardest. The stairs are easy to climb down after the first step. She climbs down until she reaches the gargoyle. It is still aside, waiting for her to pass and as soon as it does it slides closed; the scrape of the heavy stone echoing down the corridor. Neville is waiting for her. He looks exhausted too, although not nearly as haunted as Snape. He takes Luna's arm and she shrugs him off.
"No," she tells him. He frowns. "You shouldn't have waited," Luna tells him with a sad smile.
"I-"
Luna shakes her head. "Go on, you've Mrs Norris to worry about."
"I'm sorry," he says.
"Nonsense," Luna replies. Her eyes rest on the gargoyle standing sentry. "It isn't over yet."
Title: What Seems
Author: quietliban
Rating: G
Summary: Ginny, Neville and Luna make their daring bid for hope. As expected things do not end well and although, things could be worse, it isn't over yet.
Disclaimer: These characters are property of JK Rowling and her associated publishers etc. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: For lyras. Thanks for the book. I enjoyed it and learnt a lot too.
Feedback is adored.
I.
Winds whip through the courtyard and Ginny watches as tree branches lose their remaining leaves. The castle grounds around her look stark, bare and soulless, like the colour has been leached out of them.
Sometimes, when Ginny looks in the mirror and all she can see is her tired grey face with its muted freckles and washed out hair, she thinks that the colour has been leached from the world and only grey, black and greens remain in the place of the reds, blues and yellows she remembers. She shakes her head then because those thoughts are useless, those thoughts are the thoughts of the Defeated, and she refuses to be Defeated.
She wants to hope. She wants to dream. She wants to be free of this awful shadow that calls itself the Dark Lord.
She leans against the balustrade, arms crossed with her head jutting over the edge. She scans the courtyard, watching, waiting, wanting to see the flicker of red and gold wool wrapped tightly around Creevey's neck. She wants to see the sign that the diversion is in place; that the Carrows and Snape are suitably engaged elsewhere castle while she, Neville and Luna make their daring bid for hope.
She knows on some level that what they're about to attempt is foolish, and that it can't possibly end well, but she has to try. She has to try, for Harry's sake, for her sake, for the sake of Hogwarts and the memory of Professor Dumbledore. She has to try, because it's not right that, that snake, Snape has his hands on the Sword of Gryffindor.
She unclenches her fist and stands up straight. Ginny can feel her heart beating in her chest; it's thudding heavily inside her ribcage. She smiles to herself. Dennis Creevey is out there, in the courtyard, with his Gryffindor scarf around his neck.
She smiles to herself as she unwraps her own scarf from around her neck and holds it out, letting the wind carry it for a moment before she guides it down to Creevey using her wand: message received.
It is time.
II.
Neville was bruised and bloodied with scrapes and scratches when Ginny saw him, and unleashed her Weasley temper upon the Gryffindor common room.
It was the afternoon he had first stood up to Alecto Carrow, and while she refused to perform the Cruciatus curse on a pureblood student for 'minor infractions,' that did not mean there weren't some misguided students who weren't above using their fists when their Cruciatus curses failed. Neville was in no state to stand up to Ginny Weasley's determined madness that afternoon. And it was madness, suicidal madness to start up Dumbledore's Army again, and to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape's office.
It was suicidal madness and just because Neville had embarked on his own special form of suicidal madness by standing up to Alecto and Amycus Carrow, did not mean he wanted to lead and encourage others to follow his example.
And yet, he's still here with Luna, waiting in front of gargoyle to Snape's office for Ginny so they can steal the Sword of Gryffindor from his office and send it to Harry. It's an act of desperation, an act of madness and Neville's terrified. He can stand up to the Carrows because they are revolting, they are nothing, but this is not the Carrows. This is Snape and…
"Listen," Luna says, "she's coming."
He closes his eyes and breaths in slowly. Luna catches his hand and he looks up at her. She looks pale and determined.
This is an act of desperation, yes, but it's to let them know, to let You-Know-Who know, to let the other students know, that Neville-that Dumbledore's Army-has not been defeated.
III.
The gargoyle slides away with a heavy sound and she stares at it curiously for a moment. It didn't ask for a password, instead it slid open as Ginny arrived, and Ginny doesn't hesitate, just runs up the staircase while Neville gives Luna a quick glance before he follows.
"Were we expected?" Luna asks the stone creature. It doesn't answer. It stands out of the way, unmoving. "You can't have been expecting us," she tells it.
Luna follows up the staircase when the gargoyle fails to give her a response. She steps over the threshold, through the open door and stares at the headmaster's office. She's not been there since it became Snape's office and the changes are palpable. The light that seemed to radiate from the objects scattered throughout the room is gone. Instead, there are shadows everywhere. Luna takes a moment to look up at the wall of portraits. There is a murmur amongst them, but not one calls out. Luna searches for one portrait in particular and she finds him; Professor Dumbledore. He is fast asleep. Luna watches for a moment as his painted chest rises and falls.
"Luna, c'mon! Hurry!" Ginny calls, her wand is out but the case which holds the Sword of Gryffindor remains closed.
Luna goes over. Neville is pulling at the case trying to lift it. Luna looks between them.
"Magic," she says quietly, but Neville shakes his head. His cheeks are red and he's straining against the weight.
Ginny is trying to help him by pushing the case up. Her grip slips against the glass. "Quick! Take it!" she hisses at Luna.
Luna reaches out tentatively, ignoring the haste in Ginny's voice. The ruby encrusted sword is beautiful and Luna's hands close on the hilt. She pulls the sword out from underneath the case. It's both heavier and lighter than she expected. Ginny and Neville let the case back down with a thud, both breathing heavily.
"You there, Mr Longbottom," one of the portraits calls out in a snide voice. Luna turns with Neville, holding the sword in the air, watching as the faint light shimmers across its blade. "Do you think that's a wholly intelligent idea?"
Luna can feel Neville falter beside her. He reaches over and takes the sword from Luna's grip. He looks fierce with it in his hands. Fierce and brave and Luna's heart swells with pride because that's Neville Longbottom as she's always known him to be.
"It's an idea," he says to the portrait.
The portrait laughs at them and Ginny steps forward in front of Neville with her wand drawn. "I know you," she says, "I know who you are, and you're no better than Snape."
"No better than Snape?" the portrait considers Ginny for a moment. "I think you'll find that quite incorrect, Miss Weasley, but never mind that. Oughtn't you be running off to face your doom?"
Ginny scowls before stepping forward again.
"Professor Black," Luna says cutting off whatever Ginny was about to say or do. Ginny glares at her and then her expression changes and her face whitens. Luna turns to follow her gaze. Luna reaches out to grab both Ginny and Neville once she realises who is there.
"I'd thought better of you, Miss Lovegood, although only Merlin knows why."
Professor Snape is standing in his office doorway. He glances from Luna to Ginny and then Neville. Ginny shifts and points her wand toward Snape, while Neville holds the sword with both hands in defiance. Luna steps back and Ginny lets a bat-bogey hex fly from her wand.
"No!" Neville shouts as Snape casts a shield charm followed quickly by a disarming spell which sends their wands through the air and into Snape's hands.
"Foolish children." Snape advances on them and Neville points the sword at him. Luna pulls Ginny with her as she steps behind Neville. "What did you hope to achieve?"
Snape looks pale, tired and very, very angry. He stops an inch from the point of the sword blade and stares down at the three of them. Luna can't meet his gaze and instead diverts her eyes to Neville's shoulder blade.
"Well?" Professor Snape asks.
The air around them is tense and all Luna can focus on is the sound of her own heartbeat and the heavy breathing of Neville and Ginny.
"Do you think you can do it, Longbottom?" Snape asks.
Luna watches as Neville looks up and does what she couldn't do. Neville meets Snape's gaze and he trembles. Ginny pulls out of Luna's grasp and steps forward as the sword falls from Neville's hands clattering against the floor with the hilt making a dull thud as it hits Neville's shoes.
"No," Neville breathes the word and Ginny descends on Snape, her hands tightly ball fists as she hits against his chest once, twice, before Snape grabs her wrists and pushes her across the room.
"Enough!"
There are tears in Ginny's eyes when she looks up.
"You should have-"
"What, Ginny? Run him through? And then where would we be? No. No I couldn't do it, and I doubt either could you."
"Enough!" Luna tears her eyes away from Ginny and looks up at Snape. He looks furious. "If it weren't the will of the Dark Lord to keep you here at Hogwarts, you'd all be expelled and sent to Azkaban. Do not doubt that."
Snape looks up at the portraits, all of which now appear sound asleep, even the nosy portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black. Snape turns and looks down at the three of them. Ginny is standing tall now, her eyes tearstained but defiant and Neville meets his gaze yet again. He looks at Luna and she steps forward.
"Professor Snape," she says softly. He turns away, his jaw tense.
"Do not-" He pauses and Luna does not continue.
"Mr Longbottom," Snape says, turning to face them again. He looks more composed now or at least so Luna thinks. "I believe Mr Filch requires your assistance. Miss Weasley, you will attend to Professor Hagrid and help with maintaining the Blast End Skrewts, and you, Miss Lovegood shall report to Madam Pomfrey and assist her in whatever she asks. What has happened here, will not leave this room, do you understand? If I hear a mere whisper of it, I am sure Professors Carrow will be able to find something for you to do. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Snape."
"Now, be gone."
Luna watches as Ginny is the first to leave. She casts a wistful glance behind her, her eyes resting on the blade of the sword. Neville follows closely behind her. His body still taut and his eyes still watchful. Luna is the last to leave, and she looks over at Snape. His black eyes are watching her and Luna notices how exhausted he looks. Fearsome but exhausted and she wonders why he hasn't handed them over to the Carrows or worse to Voldemort himself. Luna pauses at the door, looking down the staircase.
"The gargoyle wasn't expecting us," she says softly to herself. She thinks perhaps that Snape hears her, but he doesn't answer. Luna takes the first step down and that one is the hardest. The stairs are easy to climb down after the first step. She climbs down until she reaches the gargoyle. It is still aside, waiting for her to pass and as soon as it does it slides closed; the scrape of the heavy stone echoing down the corridor. Neville is waiting for her. He looks exhausted too, although not nearly as haunted as Snape. He takes Luna's arm and she shrugs him off.
"No," she tells him. He frowns. "You shouldn't have waited," Luna tells him with a sad smile.
"I-"
Luna shakes her head. "Go on, you've Mrs Norris to worry about."
"I'm sorry," he says.
"Nonsense," Luna replies. Her eyes rest on the gargoyle standing sentry. "It isn't over yet."