A Light of Meaning

“Harry, can’t this wait?” Hermione asked breathlessly as she, Ron and Ginny followed Harry up the stairs.

“No,” Harry said shortly. “Your mum gave you the releasing Charm for your room, right Ginny?”

“Yeah,” Ginny confirmed, feeling a bit bemused by Harry’s behavior.

“Good.” The reached the landing outside Ginny’s room, where Luna was waiting for them. Harry pointed at Ginny’s door. “Go on.” Frowning a bit, Ginny performed the Charm to unlock her room. As soon as it was done Harry grabbed the doorknob, pushed the door open and gestured for everyone to enter. Once everyone was inside, Harry relocked the door and cast the Silencing Charm. “Okay,” he said to Luna, “tell them what you told me. And then explain it to us.”

“It’s very simple,” Luna said patiently. “A week ago when Neville told me what had happened to his parents, I remembered something I’d read in the book Sawol Immortalis earlier, about people who were tortured with the Cruciatus curse. I’ve been translating the section since then, and I’ve discovered that it may be possible to give Neville’s parents their minds back.”

Everyone stared incredulously at Luna. “That’s impossible,” Hermione stated flatly. “Luna, the best Healers and medi-wizards in the world were consulted about Neville’s parents; if they didn’t come up with a solution, then there isn’t one.”

“Perhaps none of them consulted Sawol Immortalis,” Luna suggested. “You did say it’s very rare. And I did some research and found that the number of cases like Neville’s parents are almost nonexistent since the Cruciatus Curse was made an Unforgivable…”

“Luna, this isn’t funny,” Ron growled; he looked furious.

“Of course not, Ronald. Family is very important; you and Ginny and your parents are a very good example. I wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise. I couldn’t talk to Neville, of course, because it would mean explaining to him about the book.”

“Luna,” Ginny said carefully, “Neville’s parents…well, we’ve seen them. They’re not- not right any more. You can’t bring their minds back, because there’s nothing there to bring back.”

“But there is,” Luna insisted. “The book said that in cases where someone was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse too long, they subconsciously use their magic to protect themselves.”

Harry was confused again. “How does that work?”

“When the torture of the Curse becomes too much to endure, the victim’s magic creates a kind of…” Luna trailed off, and her brow furrowed. “It’s hard to explain, but from the sound of it, the magic creates a kind of fake personality. The real personality recedes, and the fake one is subjected to the torture. Sometimes, if the torture goes on too long, the fake personality becomes permanent. But the real one is still inside, and the book has the rough outline of a spell that can dislodge the fake personality and allow the real one to come out again.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” Ron snapped.

“No…it isn’t!” Hermione exclaimed, staring amazedly at Luna. “Muggles do that too sometimes!”

“They do?” Ginny asked skeptically.

“Not with magic, but they can have multiple personalities. Sometimes when a person is being subjected to ongoing abuse, the tougher personality endures abuse to spare the weaker one. Maybe it’s a sort of residual left-over for Muggles who had wizards somewhere far back in their family history.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t seem likely, but…it is at least possible.”

“Luna,” Harry said pointedly, “you said that the spell was only a rough outline. How do you know we could make it work?”

“I don’t know,” Luna answered calmly. “But we do have access to a great deal of intelligence and many different points of view, so it may be worth a try. And ‘rough outline’ is maybe not accurate…it’s just an archaic spell, and needs to be modernized.”

There was silence for a long time, as everyone contemplated what they’d heard. “What if something goes wrong?” Ron demanded eventually. “What if we make things worse?”

“If I’d let that stop me, you’d still be unconscious,” Hermione shot back pointedly. “But you do have a point…it’s a lovely idea, but I couldn’t bear it if we hurt Neville by hurting his parents, even by accident.”

“That would be bad,” Luna agreed, looking as though the possibility was a new concept to her. “Perhaps you’d better check my work?”

“Bloody right,” Harry said firmly. “Hermione, you and Luna spend the next few days going over her work until you’re sure it’s right, and you both understand it backwards and forwards. Then we’ll get together again and you can explain it to us until we get it just as well. Then we’ll talk more about whether we’ll even consider trying it.”

“What about Neville?” Ron asked. “He should know about this-”

“NO!” Ginny shouted. “No, Ron! What if we get his hopes up and then nothing comes of it? He’d lose his parents all over again!”

“So we should just throw spells at his mum and dad and hope we don’t melt their brains without telling him?”

“Neville knows he’ll be in the dark about some things the Army does!”

“This isn’t anything to do with fighting Voldemort, this is about his parents!”

“His parents fought Voldemort! This has everything to do with that!”

“STOP!” Harry shouted, and Ron and Ginny shut their mouths, still glaring at each other. Harry nervously ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, you both have good points, all right? We just found out about this, so we shouldn’t make any decisions right now. Let’s wait until we’ve learned everything we can – this might turn out to be moot anyway. This might be something that’ll help our friend and it might not, but we shouldn’t fight about it – we all want to do right by Neville, and any decisions we make will bear that in mind, right?”

“Yeah,” Ron agreed grudgingly. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, Ginny.”

“Me too,” Ginny answered. “I didn’t mean to ruin your engagement day.”

“You didn’t,” Hermione insisted, hugging Ginny. “This is still the best day of my life. Ginny, we really are going to be sisters!”

“Hey, that’s right,” Harry said with a huge grin. “Hermione, we’ll be brother and sister too!”

Ginny smirked at Luna. “And when you nail down George you’ll be our sister too, Luna!”

“That’s a lovely idea, but I think George is a little sensitive about marriage,” Luna said, apparently not bothered, either by George’s attitude or the just-finished fight.

“Er, hey,” said Ron, looking a bit red, “I think I should go un-Charm my room.”

“I’ll go with you,” Hermione said instantly. Harry and Ginny fought down laughter as the pair raced each other out of the room and up the stairs.

Luna made as if to leave, but Ginny stopped her: “Luna, wait a second. Will you do me a favor?”

“Of course I will.”

Ginny walked over and shut the door. “Just stand there. You don’t have to do anything, but stay in here, all right?”

“All right,” Luna agreed with a light smile.

“Ginny, what-” Harry didn’t get any further as Ginny pounced on him, crushing their lips together. He’d been half-expecting it once they were out of Mrs. Weasley’s sight, but Ginny asking Luna to stay was an unexpected twist. Harry grunted in surprise when Ginny tore his dress robes open and shoved her hands inside, squeezing his half-erect cock. “Ginn,” Harry muttered, “Do you-”

Shut up,” Ginny said shortly, her cheeks a bit flushed. “I’m already nervous enough about it, okay? Just let me give you your thanks for today.”

No need to ask what ‘it’ was. Harry found it difficult to argue anyway, when Ginny dropped to her knees in front of him, let his pants fall to his ankles and slid his cock into her mouth. Harry moaned, and then flushed embarrassedly. He kept his eyes fixed on Ginny’s bobbing head, so he wouldn’t have to look at Luna.

Luna rendered that idea pointless when she walked over, kneeled down and peered intently at Harry’s cock. “Luna!” Harry gasped, causing Ginny to pull back and stare at the other girl.

“Oh, you don’t have to stop,” Luna said calmly, her gaze never wavering. “I was just curious. I’d thought all penises were the same, but evidently not.”

“Look all you want,” Harry said quickly before Ginny could respond. “It’s what Ginny wants.”

Ginny flushed, but she didn’t deny what Harry had said. Instead she pulled him down to his knees and all but tackled him back onto the floor. She removed her own clothes in record time, and muttered the anti-Pregnancy Charm. “Oh, how odd,” Luna said conversationally. “Your charm is a different color!”

“I only care if it works,” Ginny muttered. She positioned herself and slid Harry’s cock in, shuddering out a tiny orgasm at the feel of Harry spreading up into her. She sat up, taking Harry all the way in, and both of them groaned.

Luna walked around them until she was in front of Ginny, and sat on Ginny’s bed. “Well, Harry said you wanted me to watch you,” she said in response to Ginny’s stare.

Ginny couldn’t bring herself to move until Harry bucked under her; the shot of pleasure through her quim made her gasp, and she instinctively rolled her hips against him. Thinking of that day in the conference room, Ginny rocked herself above Harry and forced herself to watch Luna, who was smiling faintly but distractedly.

Then Ginny noticed something else; Luna’s legs were clamped together tightly – very tightly. And there was a faint but potent smell that most definitely wasn’t Ginny, and wasn’t Harry.

The sight of Harry and Ginny fucking was turning Luna on. A lot.

Ginny came again, with a moan that bordered on a growl; she squeezed Harry so hard he yelped and came too, his fingers clenching in the carpet. Ginny collapsed against Harry and they both lay there panting and twitching. Harry twisted so he could look at Luna. “Thanks,” he said tiredly.

“You’re welcome,” Luna answered. “Are you done with me?”

“Er…”

Ginny smacked Harry on the arm. “Yes, we’re done, Luna,” she said with a pointed look at Harry. “Thanks.”

“Certainly,” Luna said, standing up. She walked to the door. “I’m going to go find George, I think,” she said vaguely, and shut the door behind her.

*****

“Harry – look!”

Harry turned and followed where Hermione was pointing, and smiled hugely. “Remus! I didn’t think he was going to make it!” he exclaimed.

There was no mistaking the ex-Marauder, standing slightly outside the reception tent and deep in conversation with the groom. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione all headed that direction; when they got close Bill noticed them and stopped in mid-sentence, then grinned. “Didn’t take long for you lot to come say hi!”

“I would expect no less,” Remus said, turning to smile at them. “Hello, Harry,” he said softly. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

Apropos of nothing, Harry hugged Remus. “It’s good to see you too,” he said a bit thickly when he let go. “Er…I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch…”

“That’s all right, I’ve been hearing a bit of what you’re up to from Minerva, and Dora, of course,” Remus said with a slight twinkle in his eye. “And a good bit more from the papers.” He smiled warmly at Ginny. “Congratulations on your marriage, I’m very happy for you.”

“I’m glad you don’t think we’re too young, at least,” Ginny mumbled with a slight blush.

“Hardly. Although I don’t have the best track record with denial of what you truly feel,” Remus said ruefully. “Now more than ever, though, you remind me of James and Lily.” He chuckled lightly at Ginny’s startled look. “Yes Ginny, I’ve thought so a long time; I never said this before, for fear of creating…er, undue pressure, but you’ve always reminded me of Lily. You have the same potent intelligence, the same somewhat sharp sense of humor…your laugh sounds like Lily’s, a bit. You even look rather like her…take away the freckles and you could be her sister.”

“Take away the freckles and I wouldn’t be a Weasley,” Ginny replied softly.

“From what I understood, you’re not any more,” Remus pointed out amusedly.

“Her name isn’t changed yet,” Harry said with a grin, “but even when it is Ginny won’t stop being a Weasley.”

“Just try and make me,” Ginny retorted, and snarled at Harry. “You can take away the name but you can’t take away the Weasley!”

“Take away the name? It was your idea to change it!” Harry insisted.

Remus laughed. “As I was saying: just like Lily.”