The Second Moony (Sirius Black)

Ch 10

"Lyall, it's been hours and it's getting dark outside. Where is she?" Hope asked her husband, extremely concerned. Luna knew better than to stay out this late. 

"I don't know. We should go look for her. She should be back by now."

"We'll start in town and ask around if anyone's seen her. Hopefully she just lost track of time in one of them. Remus?" Remus pretended like he wasn't hearing this conversation and sprinted back to his room. 

"Yes, mum?" He yelled back. 

"We're going to get Luna! Do not leave this house under any circumstances!" Hope yelled to her son. She grabbed a flashlight and Lyall grabbed his wand. Who knows what goes on outside at night. Luna was so small; someone could easily snatch her.

Lyall and Hope started in the town center. Hope was ripping out her eyelashes and could feel her breathing start to get heavy as panic slowly consumed her. She and Lyall asked everyone they could find; no one had seen their little girl. They even asked Jackson and co., who lied. By the time they were finished it was pitch black and they still hadn't found her. 

"Where could she be, Lyall? She's gone. Gone. What if she was kidnapped? or killed?" Hope's mind started creating a variety of scenarios. None particularly likely, but then again she never thought wizards existed. 

"Honey, you need to go home and stay with Remus. Make yourself some tea. Maybe she'll come home. I won't stop searching until I find her. I promise" Hope nodded her head. She can't lose both children in one day. She started the walk back home as Lyall began to walk in the opposite direction. 

After a while Lyall decided to walk towards the woods. She could just be lost in there. She'd be pretty hidden. "Luna?" He called out. 

"Dad?" He heard a faint response. Luna had fallen asleep for a brief period of time, but was awoken by a bright light that she assumed must belong to a wizard. She recognized the charm from her classes. 

"Luna!" Lyall shouted again, this time making sure he could decipher where it coming from.

Summoning all her strength, Luna responded. "Dad!" 

Lyall sprinted in the direction of the sound. There he found his daughter covered in blood and dirt. The bone wasn't visible, but there was a large bump on her arm, and it looked like someone had painted a purple circle on her nose. Lyall couldn't believe his eyes. No father ever wanted to find their daughter like this. Especially not when she's twelve. He got flashbacks to the night Fenrir attacked Remus. How he was too late to save him. Lyall knew he should've gone after her and mentally kicked himself for failing to protect his kids twice now. 

"Darling, what happened to you?" 

With a voice raspier than a flu-ridden person after a concert, Luna replied "It was Jackson and his friends. They were making fun of Remus and our family. I couldn't let them"

"Honey, Jackson is older than you and stronger. And he had friends. Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't just let them get away with it. They're mean. They deserve to be beat up." Lyall just shook his head. There's no question the little girl in his arms belongs in Gryffindor. 

"Well let's get you home. Mum has been worried sick." Lyall didn't risk apparating with her. She was so weak. Instead he walked as fast as could without hurting her too much. Small groans of pains escaped her lips. Tears welled up in Lyall's eyes but he fought them off. He had to be strong for her. 

When Lyall finally got her home, Hope was frantic. She couldn't believe the sight. She demanded Lyall bring her to her room while she grabbed medications and some water. "Lyall she needs to go to a hospital."

"I know, love. But I can't apparate with her, and we don't have any floo powder. I don't know how else to get her there."

Hope bit her lip. "How do we get more powder?"

"I can grab some from work tomorrow. I'll go in early and come back immediately. Shouldn't take that much time." Hope wished she had more to give her daughter. But right now the muggle medicine they always keep stocked will have to do. Hope couldn't decide what to do about the arm though. 

"Are there any spells that could help her right now?" 

"I know a few" Lyall went to work casting healing charms wherever he could. He knew, since they were all muggle injuries, that the healers at St. Mungo's won't have a problem. But he can't get her there until tomorrow morning, another failure. He left the arm alone. He didn't want to make it worse by ridding her of the bones. Luckily, she passed out on the walk back to the house. 

"Did she tell you what happened?" Hope asked her husband.

"Says Jackson and some friends were attacking the family, so she tried to defend us. Well, Remus in particular. You see the results" Hope shook her head. Stubborn little girl. Incredibly loyal though. Stupidly loyal. 

"She always wants to protect him. We'll need to get her some self-defense classes for next time." Hope said. 

"She never reacts when people ridicule her, but the moment they touch on Remus she gets so mad." Lyall shook his head. 

"Guess we shouldn't be upset that she cares so much for her brother."

"I'd agree but look at her. She has to learn to pick and choose her battles. That some people aren't worth it." 

Lyall and Hope continued working on Luna's injuries. They cleaned the dirt off her face and cleaned the wounds as best the could. Eventually Lyall and Hope did all that they knew how to do. They went to their bedroom, but neither could sleep. Instead they stayed up talking, waiting anxiously for any sounds coming from their daughter's bedroom. 

What they didn't realize is that Remus heard and saw the whole thing. He saw how bloody his sister was and the bruises on her face. And he heard how she got this way trying to protect him. He felt incredibly bad. He stayed at the doorway after his parents had gone away and just stared at his slightly-younger sister. It should be him protecting her, not the other way around. He could see her start to stir and wanted to help her somehow. 

He had just the thing. After every full moon, she'd bring him hot chocolate and a jumper. So that's what he'll do. He went to the kitchen and grabbed her favorite hot chocolate and then went back into her room. He had no idea what her favorite jumper was, another thing to feel  guilty about. He grabbed a lavender one that felt like petting an alpaca. He had seen her wear it before, and it was his best guess. 

Perfect timing, as he heard a groan of pain come from his sister's twin bed. "Luna? Are you okay?" Remus asked shyly.

"I've been better" She croaked. 

"I brought you something." Remus handed her the jumper and hot chocolate. Luna smiled gratefully, remembering all the time she had done this for Remus. She tried to move her arm to accept them, but cried out in pain, causing Hope and Lyall to come sprinting in. 

"Everything okay?" Hope panted.

"I was just giving her hot chocolate and a jumper to make her feel better." Hope's heart softened at the sight. She wished Remus was back in bed, but seeing him try to take care of his sister was the cutest thing ever. If only it were under better circumstances. 

"Well I don't know if she can wear a jumper right now" Hope's eyes flickered to her daughter's  arm. "But I'm sure she appreciates it. Why don't you go back to bed now?"

Remus nodded, but not before promising to himself that he'd check in on her in a few minutes once their parents had gone back to bed. 

Lyall took Remus back to bed and made sure he was asleep before leaving the room. Hope stayed with Luna as she drank her hot chocolate. Tomorrow she'll go to St. Mungo's and be brand new. Except for any trauma, but Hope didn't know what to do about that.  

Once Luna was asleep, Hope went back into her bedroom to find her husband already there. "She'll be okay. St. Mungo's can easily heal muggle injuries."

"I hope so. I can't believe this happened to her. On the first day of summer too. I'm worried"

"Well. Let's just get through tomorrow. Then we can worry."