Out of the Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 24- Heal (Ava)

A/N-

Hello! Sorry for the delay in updates (again) but I have been really busy with schoolwork recently. I hope to update more frequently, but you know how I am.

Also, a sidenote- I have started to upload an X-Men fanfiction in the past few weeks which is a Charles Xavier love story set in the twentieth century. If you like Marvel or X-Men, feel free to check it out! It's called Flickers.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and hopefully I'll update again soon!

Chapter 24 (Ava)

It had only been a few days since I'd arrived at Hogwarts when Ginny arrived, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide with panic.

"Where is Luna?" She asked as she strode through the doors of the Room of Requirement, her eyes sweeping the faces of the students, "I couldn't find her on the train on the way home and she wasn't there on the way back either... does anyone know?"

I exchanged a glance with Neville before he stepped forwards and wrapped his hand around hers, pulling her towards where I was sitting on the hammock. As he walked with her, he explained what had happened to Luna. With each word that he spoke, more blood drained from Ginny's face. Her eyes shone with tears, and her fists were clenched angrily.

"How can they just take her? How is that fair?"

I reached out and squeezed Ginny's hand, "Hey- if I could survive what they did to me, I'm sure she can too. Luna is tough, just like you. She will be fine, I'm sure of it."

Ginny nodded slowly, her gaze meeting mine as she did. She understood that I was the only one with experience in captivity of Death Eaters, and she was willing to believe what I said. She blinked, and the tears in her eyes disappeared. After a moment, she reached out and hugged Neville to her. He smiled, and asked her how her Christmas holidays had been, clearly deciding that he needed to change the subject. As she pulled back and started to murmur quietly to him, she pulled a slip of parchment out of her pocket and handed it to me silently.

I glanced down at it and recognised the writing on it instantly. My heart twisted painfully, and I sank down onto the hammock as I opened it slowly.

Ava,

I thought it was worth making contact with you while I could- I understand that now Ginny is back at Hogwarts, it will be almost impossible to get a message to you.

The house has felt incredibly lonely without you there, and it's only been a few days. Merlin, I miss you more than you can imagine.

I hope you've settled in well- it must be odd to be back at Hogwarts but not be able to roam the corridors like before. I'm sure Neville has been the perfect host, so I trust that everything will be fine.

I'm proud of you for doing this- you inspire me in so many ways, Ava. I can't wait to see you again and show you just how much you mean to me.

I don't think I've ever written such a sappy letter, but I'm just going to ask Ginny to pass it on to you anyway. Be safe.

Love,

Fred

I smiled as I re-read the words for the second and then the third time. I'd certainly been missing Fred a lot over the past few days, and this letter somehow helped with that. I folded it up and slipped it into my pocket as Neville and Ginny settled down on either side of me.

"He made me promise not to read it," Ginny smirked, "He was terribly embarrassed about all the lovey dovey things he wrote in there. To be honest, I didn't want to read it. I think I would have thrown up if I had."