riddlenet | miavi } un: hares (anon)

You're closer in time than some others I've met, at least.

[He's still in the war. She wonders if she should feel guilty that she's grateful; decides it's not worth the extra energy.]

I'm [How to put this.] Worried about how time's gotten all odd and everything, but still better than I was.

[It's hard for things not to be better than that terrible cellar.]

[He feels - well, not guilty exactly, but it is a strange sort of relief to have someone else who understands where they came from. Well, sort of: only Harry and Hermione really know what that was like, he reckons.]

Yeah, real worried. Hold on - what's going on at Hogwarts back home, then?

[Since, of course, he assumes that's where she's been.]

[Well. That's going to earn a brief pause. It's a little difficult to explain the situation, after all.]

It's mainly Death Eaters teaching at Hogwarts now. [She imagines he can read between the lines for what that might imply-- this is hardly the medium to talk of "detentions" and torture and fear.] But I haven't been there since December. Dad and I angered them a bit too much for them to let me stay.

[There's a pause and some smudgey ink marks while Ron sees red. 'The Death Eaters are teaching at Hogwarts now' is definitely among the most horrifying things he's ever read, and he read that Rita Skeeter article about Harry and Hermione.

Eventually, he gets his shit together and manages to write an actual sentence, if rather sloppy.]

So you've been safe at home then?

[He writes safe for a reason. He wants to know.]

[There's a pause and a dot of ink where Luna puts her quill down. It takes her a moment to breathe through the brief ache.]

Quite the opposite.

[For a moment that's all she can write, but then:]

They've been keeping me in Malfoy Manor. Or were, before I came here.

What

[He starts writing as a gut reaction, then thinks how bloody stupid this is. She may be right, he isn't so keen on their friendship as Harry is, but she's still his friend and he will go back to Rosier's pub and strangle Lucius Malfoy himself if he has to.

But maybe first thing's first.]

Where are you right now Luna?

I've been staying at an apartment above Fortescue's. Scorpius-- Draco's future son, apparently-- found me in the cellar after [Maybe saying she panicked isn't the best way to explain this, true though it is.] I ended up in this time. He helped explain things and got me sorted the best he could.

[Okay well that. That surprise him a bit. A lot. He is very surprised by a Malfoy helping someone. It makes sense, he supposes, that it'd be Scorpius who helped, because every other Malfoy Ron's ever met has been a git and a half. And if Harry's son befriended him then he can't be all bad, probably.

He lets out an annoyed breath and probably mutters to himself but at least this Malfoy doesn't appear to be the slimiest. (That award definitely goes to the Lucius of this era.)]

Can I come see you then?

[Oh. Well if that doesn't earn one of her first (closer to) proper smiles in a long time.]

I'd like that very much.

[He doesn't write again, but he does apparate to Diagon Alley and make his way to Fortescue's. It takes some poking around - usually he's stubborn, but in the normal world he'd probably ask how to ring the apartment above. Here, though, the less contact he has with people he doesn't know - or worse, people he does - the better.

When he gets upstairs, he taps on a door he thinks might be hers.]

Luna?

[It's her door. There's a little radish hanging off the door knocker. It's part self-protection, part indication for anyone who might know her.

She glances through the peephole before opening the door. Maybe she should be more careful than just that, but she's too relieved to see someone she knows to do it.]

Hello, Ron.

[Trust Luna to put her quirks on anything. The door opens, and Ron has not gotten tired of seeing a familiar face - some of the tension bleeds out of him. He thinks about hugging her, then second guesses himself and settles for taking in anything out of place. Ron might not be the most observant bloke in England, but it's hard to hear that she's been kept at Malfoy bloody Manor and not look for signs of harm.]

Hi. How long have you been up here?

[There's a fading black eye on her left side and an almost painfully thin look to her, when she opens the door. The worst of the scars are hidden beneath the long sleeves of her shirt-- will remain that way for some time. Still, the gauntness and general air of frailty to her will be enough of a hint at what she'd been through.

She still manages a smile, though. It's nothing bright and it doesn't reach her eyes, but it's still a smile.]

Not long. Barely a week, yet. Have you been here long?

[In this time period, obviously.]

[Bloody hell, she looks like a strong wind might knock her over. It makes the frown in his brow settle in for the long hall.]

'Bout the same - Luna, are you all right? Do you need-- [Healing? Rest and relaxation? Destressing?] --Something to eat?

[wellness begins and ends with food, in Ron's humble opinion. He is also bad at these things, even when he tries not to be.]

Oh, no, thank you very much. The owner of Fortescue's is my Mum's uncle-- or, well, my Mum back in our time, anyways-- and he was kind enough to let me stay. He's been feeding me quite a bit.

[Understandably so, given... Well, how she looks.

She steps back nonetheless to let him in, a continued smile on her face.]

Do come in. Speaking of food, I've actually some leftovers if you need any, but right now I think I might go for some tea.

miavi } un: hares (anon)

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so late