The Girl Marauder(Book One)

Chapter 23

Luna could feel the sleep pulling at her eyelids, urging her back to the warm bed she had only just abandoned. If she went back now, she could easily fall back asleep, could pretend she had never heard the voices coming from the living room...

When there was a sharp laugh, though, she knew she had to find the source. She already knew it wasn't going to pretty; a laugh that high and that cruel could never come from something beautiful. But Luna had been sheltered from many ugly things in her life, and she was getting sick and tired of it.

She wouldn't start sheltering herself.

It was easy to creep along the hallway, the thick rugs under her feet allowing her to tread silently. The closer she got to the hallway's ends, the more voices she could make out- always quiet though, just a gentle murmur even when she strained her ears. 

Gently, she managed to get to the top of the staircase, situating herself in the corner between the balusters and the wall. If she ducked her head a little, she could just peek into the room, could just see the light of the fire and the people its light shone on.

Well, people might have not entirely been the right word. Two of those in the room were certainly human, but the third- the third was terrifyingly inhuman, unnatural and dark. Luna tucked herself a little tighter into the corner when it spoke.

"If you think I am be impressed by your attempt at bravery, you are wrong."

"If you think I'm trying to impress you, so are you." Luna's brother seemed eerily calm in the presence of the Dark Lord. "Only a fool would want to impress a murderer."

"Only a fool would turn down life for death." The Dark Lord said sharply. "You claim to be a Ravenclaw, Swift... Entertain me with a riddle."

"If you insist."

"Do not mock the Dark Lord, Perseus." Luna heard her father's voice chastise, a low rumble compared to the two voices that had come before it. Luna felt her throat tighten. Percy was smart, she knew, but he was also incessantly stubborn. He didn't know how to shut up.

"Let the boy speak his mind." Voldemort requested, and even though the Dark Lord was silhouetted by the fireplace that roared with flames behind him, Luna could've sworn she could see his eyes brighten "Come now, Perseus; Tell me. What do you call a boy who plans to run away, gets caught, and then rebukes his only chance of redemption?"

"Your redemption would be the ultimate downfall, my Lord." Percy said in a clipped tone. Luna saw his shoulders square. "And I am done with falling for your and your followers' lies and tricks."

"Interesting. As a matter of fact, that was not the correct answer, Swift." Voldemort said. "In fact, the correct answer- is dead."

Luna didn't hear the words, but she could register the bright flash that lit up the room, the silhouette of her brother falling to the floor. She was aware when she rose from her hidden spot with a cry, flying down the stairs and into the living room. But she was too late, and her father's hand came down on her shoulder before she could reach her brother.

"Percy!" She screeched, a cry that hurt both her throat and her ears. "Percy!"

"Silenco!" The spell was cruel and swift, and while the muscles moved, sound no longer came from Luna's mouth as she cried, slumping back into her father's chest when her legs had forgotten how to stand. While no sound came out, tears still rolled steadily down her cheeks, and continued to even when two cool fingers slipped themselves under her chin and forced her head up.