(no subject)
What do you do when you're supposed to be finishing something that absolutely needs finishing? You finish something else! *facepalm*
Title: Crowd
Author: corvidae9
Rating: NC17
Word Count: ~5900
Summary: Luna is so clever, she outwits herself. (Harry/Ron, including Harry/Luna/Ron and every permutation thereof, mention of F/Hr/G) Post-HBP.
Author's Note: Written for antosha_c, based on a result of a discussion about his One Bad Thing theory and for no particular reason other than we share a lot of the same perverse amusements. :D And also, it took me about a year to finish. Good thing my friends aren't allowed to hold it against me, right? It also doesn't end the way it was originally supposed to and it's probably responsible for all of your unmatched socks and probably ripped the tags off of several mattresses while it was at it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. *irons hands omg*
###
October, 1997
Harry considered the lump on the other side of the room, recognizable by the shock of Weasley red hair poking out from under the quilt that was pulled almost entirely over his face. He didn't have to think at all to know that Ron had two methods of sleep. 'Sprawled out' counted as one, since no matter what, all limbs ended up pointing in different directions and was his default mode of sleep. 'Curled up' meant a particularly rough day and no desire to talk about it. In the four months that they'd been out hunting and destroying and generally roughing it, Harry had seen this probably twice and in the six years prior to that, he'd seen it maybe a handful of times.
Today Harry knew exactly why. Rolling up on his elbow, he cleared his throat and watched for the cover to be lowered just far enough for Ron's eye to focus on him, which it did almost immediately as far as he could tell without his glasses.
"I don't know what to make of it either, mate. It's... a little weird, yeah."
The one blue eye showing narrowed slightly. "Don't want to talk about it."
"Bothered me too, you know. Felt like... I don't know. Cracking one or both of them upside the face. Hard."
"Mate," Ron growled, not even bothering to disguise his jealousy. "Do not even tell me that you're all sprung on her too..."
"No! God, Ron. No," said Harry quickly. "She's like my sister. Gah. I just... Doesn't seem right that your brothers --and I do mean brothers because I've no clue which was doing what-- should chat Hermione up."
"Or that she'd just stand about and giggle like an empty-headed bit of fluff," Ron grumbled.
"Especially not with Ginny standing around acting like they're the best thing that ever happened to the Wizarding World and I'm just an overrated hack. I mean, they're her brothers and successful and not in mortal danger every hour or so, but still. Damn."
"Did you see the way Hermione was giggling?" said Ron, sitting further up, eyes narrowed. "Giggling, Harry."
"Funny," mused Harry, now staring at the wall just above Ron's shoulder, not registering that they were talking about separate 'she's. "Didn't sting quite as much as I thought it might. But that dig from Ginny about stealing her brother..."
"Sodding brothers," murmured Ron.
"And sister," Harry said, eyes snapping back to Ron. "Don't forget her."
"Cut from the same bloody cloth, the three of them."
There was a pause as their two disparate conversations merged back into one, followed by identical guffaws of laughter. Harry covered his eyes with his forearm. "Oh hell. We... are the biggest wankers."
Ron laughed, adding in an offhand manner, "Speak for yourself. Gone are my days of wanking to H--"
Silence reigned again as Ron stopped dead in his tracks and Harry half-sat up, incredulous. In all of their years as best mates, Ron had never, ever admitted anything about what he did or did not feel about Hermione except to say that they were just friends and now... "I'm sorry, what?"
"Piss off. I'm done carrying a half-arsed torch for my best friend, alright?" Ron said with a vehement sweeping motion with his hands as he sat up. "Done. She can shag my brother if she wants. Either or both, I don't give a damn."
His tone was mocking and relatively light, but Harry could hear the resentment in it, as well as another emotion more immediate, and couldn't decide whether it was regret or genuine relief that it was no longer his job to be Hermione's intended love interest by default. It sounded far too much like his own voice in his head telling him things with Ginny were better off this way too (though truthfully, he could do without the open scorn). "Well, good luck to her then. She's got exactly... twenty hours to pull it off, and then we're gone again."
Ron's bed creaked and groaned as he rolled onto his back, forearm across his face unconsciously mirroring Harry's position. "Bugger."
###
March, 1998
Harry was thrown to the ground as a curse flew past, fully convinced he'd been hit by a freight train or a hex with about as much force, but when he opened his eyes he found he was being shaken lightly by a Ron not eight inches from his face, murmuring incoherencies such as "I swear to God if you die I'll kill you, Harry. We've been through this."
Managing a pat to Ron's side, Harry coughed and blinked and mumbled, "'Mfine. Got to get up. Death Eaters." At the last his eyes opened wider than ever and tried to sit in a rush, only to find a smaller, blood-spattered hand on his shoulder helping to hold him down.
Her voice was almost unrecognizably missing a lot of the spacey qualities he'd come to appreciate, but Luna spoke clearly and calmly nonetheless as Ron continued to hold him steady. "Gone. They all Disapparated about five minutes ago. Apparently, they had somewhere to be."
"How long... how long have I been out?" asked Harry, still dazed. "Hermione?!"
"Is fine. You've not been out long - they left right after you went down, buggered if I know why." Ron peered into Harry's eyes for signs of concussion and then gently turned his face to where Hermione was being fussed over by both Fred and George. "And those prats have some explaining to do."
Harry's hand had not yet left Ron's side (entirely unconsciously no doubt), and now he squeezed lightly, voice regaining an almost playful edge. "After we kick their arse."
In an uncharacteristic show of affection, Ron dropped his forehead to Harry's chest with a laugh. Before Harry could react, he straightened and popped to his feet offering Harry a hand up. "Can you walk?"
Tentative, Harry took the hand and stood. "Yeah. Looks like. "
"Good. Let's go," Ron nodded and clapped Harry's shoulder gently, not letting go as they made their way to Hermione.
Harry may not have had time to process the scene correctly, but Luna certainly had. She'd stood watching them practically in their own world from the time Harry's eyes opened to their walking away without so much as a by your leave, and the pieces fell into place. With a sigh, she brushed her hair back from her face with barely a hiss as her fingertips brushed the raw scrape at her temple and thought that maybe she should try and help.
It was a thought, at least. That was what Healers-in-Training did, after all.
###
April, 1998
Harry walked into the room he shared with Ron at Grimmauld Place and sat on the floor with a thump. " I need a drink."
"Harry?!" Ron was on his feet and peering at Harry in an instant, sinking to his knees beside him, and truly alarmed by the look on his face. "Mate? say something..."
Ron shook him slightly, and Harry finally blinked and turned his attention to him. "It was... no. Just. I didn't need to see that."
"All right. Let's slow down," said Ron, his brain already churning possibilities, each more horrific than the last. "What did you see?"
"Hermione. And Fred..." Harry said, licking his lips.
"That bastard," spat Ron. "I knew it!"
"...and George," murmured Harry, and Ron's eyes flew wide.
"I'm sorry, what?!"
"The... err. Three of them." Harry scratched his head and refocused on Ron, sort of almost-smiling now. "It was... y'know. Creative."
Ron blinked and sat back on his heels. "Ugh. Just... Ugh."
Harry snorted a laugh, to which Ron responded by thumping his shoulder with a half-hearted frown. Unfortunately, this seemed to have no effect other than to spur Harry on, and he laughed again and didn't quite stop, letting his head fall back against the wall. Ron tried to narrow his eyes at Harry, but instead, he suddenly loosed a chuckle that became a bark of laughter. Neither seemed inclined to stop, and both continued to laugh madly, Harry holding his hands over his stomach, Ron folding over, his forehead pressed to the wall near Harry's head.
"Oh my god. Just..." Harry wheezed. "Hermione. Who knew?"
"Shut up, man," Ron said in a tone higher than his usual speaking voice and creaking with laughter. "Seriously. I still don't want to know."
Harry kept laughing and Ron collapsed forward against the wall and partially Harry's shoulder, almost inaudible. Eventually the hysterical laughter did in fact die back and Harry wiped his eyes under his glasses fighting stray chuckles. As he turned to face Ron, Ron was turning to face him and they bumped temples. Ron loosed another chuckle, but suddenly he was breathing too hard; he had a visual he didn't need, but it had to do with the fact that if Harry was this close all it would take for a kiss really was to turn just a little bit. Just. A little.
In the meantime, Harry had generally the same thought, and though somewhat surprised, was fully willing to follow it through at that particular moment. He nuzzled Ron's temple several times before making to tilt his chin toward him. He could feel Ron's breath on his cheek; it was rushed and too-hot and Harry slowly let his eyes shut.
Suddenly as one, their eyes popped open and they flew apart as if burnt.
Straightening his glasses, Harry sputtered, "I--"
"Right," mumbled Ron, scratching the back of his neck as he got to his feet.
"Long. Um. Long day," said Harry as he popped to his feet.
"Yeah. Yeah!"
"I'm..."
"Yeah! Going. Me, um. Me too."
"It was just. y'know. After."
"Seeing that, o'course."
"Yeah! um, yeah."
"Right. So, bed? I mean! You know. Yours, and also mine. As in, two."
Harry nodded inanely, "Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna... yeah. Brush my teeth."
"Sure, yeah, 'course," said Ron lamely. "I'll um. I'll do that when you're done."
"Ok, yeah. Sure," Harry nodded again, wishing the crazy would stop, finally managing to edge to the door. "Right. Be. Um. Be right back."
He slipped through the door and shut it, immediately doubling over, hands to his knees to take a deep breath, because he suddenly felt like he was hyperventilating. He shook his head and arms and finally moved on to the bathroom, wondering what the hell had just happened. Unbeknownst to him, Ron was thinking pretty much the same thing just on the other side of the door.
###
Breakfast at Grimmauld Place consisted of tea and whatever was at hand, at whatever hour you rose to find it. Luna was fine with this. There always seemed to be rolls, sometimes even fruit, and that was for the most part all she needed.
Today, however, Harry, Ron and Hermione were in residence and she wanted to catch them, since they would probably be on their way again shortly. She'd heard the commotion in Hermione's room, and thought that maybe Harry and Ron had worked it out both with Hermione and without her. The idea was discarded when she caught sight of Harry hurrying down the hallway, however, and from the look on his face, wasn't nearly as relaxed as Hermione would no doubt be come morning.
Apparently, they still did need the help. She watched him walk, admiring the grace of his actions when he wasn't paying attention to them, and thinking that his coloring really did suit him well, as did the extra long sleeves of his shirt and the eternal almost-artful mess of his hair.
Smiling and thinking that Ron was a lucky boy indeed, she brushed her hair more quickly to hurry up and get downstairs.
###
Of all the uncomfortable flushing going on over breakfast, Hermione was the least informed of the three, given that she assumed that it revolved around her. After about ten minutes of group mumbling and niceties the three of them never bothered with anymore, she cleared her throat.
"Harry. Listen, I'm... really really sorry you had to see that."
It was Ron that held up his finger. "Rule number one. we don't want to hear about it. Details, that is. We don't want them."
"Rule number two," said Harry. "If it makes you happy... then y'know. We'll deal with it."
Ron held a third finger up and hesitated, "Rule-- no wait. That's it. Though I've no idea why you'd want to shag those idiots."
Hermione cocked her head at them, half-horrified and yet mostly relieved. Her rabbit-in-headlights look dissolved into a wobbly smile and she hooked her arm around Harry's shoulders. "I love you. Both of you. Sooo much." She looked up as Ron stood not a foot away without moving. "Well?! Come here!"
He hesitated before stepping up and immediately was crushed into a hug, trying very much not to think about the fact that he was sort of hugging Harry, too. They'd done this before. It wasn't a big deal, not at all.
"Oh! Hugging! What a good way to start a day!" exclaimed Luna from the doorway. The trio disentangled themselves and took a collective step back. "Don't mind me. I just need some tea and whatever's about."
She walked in directly to Hermione and threw her arms around the shorter Gryffindor. "And good morning to you, too!"
Hermione's eyebrow shot up as she patted Luna's back. "Err. Yes! good morning!"
Luna turned and made Harry her next target. He was about her height and just right for throwing her arms around, as opposed to Ron who came next. He was just tall enough that she had to rise up on her tiptoes and sort of launch herself upward. It's possible that she lingered a little longer on the boys, but that was purely scientific, given that she wanted a feel for how they'd fit together.
Rather well, was the conclusion.
That done, she smiled blissfully and moved to get tea. "Would anyone like more tea?" She asked offhand as she poured the last drops into her cup, pondering possible next steps. It might have to wait until next time.
###
May, 1998
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood crouched, hidden in the recesses of the tall shrubbery at the garden wall of the aged manor, watching as they had been since an hour before the last light went out.
Hermione shot a quick look at Harry before raising her wand and beginning work the countercharms to the security wards. It had taken her a week to work out how to deconstruct them without setting off the alarms, but if the Horcrux they were seeking was indeed in the basement vault of the manor, the wards would be the least of their problems.
There was a faint sizzle and Harry leaned forward but Ron put a hand on his shoulder. "Nuh uh, mate. I'll go."
Brow furrowed, Harry shook his head. "No way."
"We're all going in once they're down, anyway," hissed Ron. "I'll just nip up to the door to make sure."
Looking up, Harry closed his hand over Ron's without another word, waiting a beat before nodding. "Hermione took them down, she knows what she's doing."
"Then it's not a problem, is it?" smiled Ron, squeezing Harry's shoulder once again before creeping forward along the wall, wand drawn.
Narrowing her eyes in the direction of the Manor, Hermione nodded and murmured, "He's fine. They're down."
Ron reached the servant's entrance without incident, pushed open the door and turned with a small wave. Harry exhaled a relieved, "bloody hell," as he and Hermione scrambled to follow.
###
"Mobilicorpus!" shouted Hermione, her wand arm shaky but her voice steady. Harry's unconscious form rose into the air slowly, but at the rate the thumping at the door and the spell sparks coming through the gaps between it were increasing, the wards she'd set hastily would be coming down any second now. "Ronald! We have to move!"
Ron finally had a grip on the smaller box inside the puzzle box he'd had to work carefully to keep from having his hands smashed flat or worse. "Got it, got it; Hermione how's he doing?"
"Breathing... I think," Hermione said, flinching as the door bowed inward again. "Other than that all I know is we have to get him back home."
"Oh shite!" Ron shouted as he pulled the box free and the bigger apparatus snapped shut, his entire upper body barely clearing the crash. "Let's go," He scrambled to his feet breathless, shoved the box at Hermione and crouched to wrap his arms around Harry's knees and toss him over a shoulder. "Now Hermione! Now!"
Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Ron's hand and Apparated them all directly out as the door splintered inward.
Having one Apparate all three in a tight situation had become a habit-- mostly to ensure that they all ended up in the same place and were still able to watch each other's back when they arrived. As such, all three appeared at the end of the walk leading to 12 Grimmauld Place at once, though Ron was already heading for the door at a dead run, assisted by the fact that Harry's limp form was still magically lightened by the Mobilicorpus spell.
Hermione ran hard to keep up with Ron's long legs, a step behind as he crashed through the door, shouting, "Anybody home? 'Cos we sort of need you now!"
Luna was already there. "His room, I think," she said calmly, even though Hermione had already set the chest down, collared Luna and was dragging her up the stairs behind Ron.
"Curse damage - I heard part of the spell. I don't know it, but I can repeat it for you," said Hermione, not waiting for the questions she knew by heart. "He went down immediately-- his eyes were half-open at first, but he's been totally unresponsive since."
Ron set Harry down on his bed and stood back with a hand over his own mouth, swearing quietly as Luna moved in and removed the Mobilicorpus, murmuring and examining. "Hmm. Hermione, the spell?"
"Tempus Impedimento, I think," said Hermione as she wrapped her arms around Ron. "Something about stopping time?"
Nodding Luna lifted Harry's hand and let it drop to the mattress, which it did so slowly, it was as though his hand was floating through the air. "He's in a pocket of time that responds to different rules than ours," said Luna as she crouched down and watched Harry's hand fall the rest of the way to the bed, muttering what sounded like math under her breath. "Fortunately, this was either cast by someone who didn't know what they were doing, isn't very strong, or Harry's massive, frightening reservoir of power kicked in and kept him from taking it full-strength."
Pointing a belligerent finger toward Harry, Ron's scowl deepened. "This isn't full-strength?"
Luna remained unphased as she shook her head. "Not even close. Unimpeded, he should still be falling to the ground." Her eyes were wide as she looked up at Ron again. "Which is why it's such an effective curse. You immobilize your enemy and put them out of commission for a month or longer, if you care to let them live that long. Not everyone that meets this curse has someone around that can first, remove them from the situation and secondly, knows or can find the countercurse without killing them."
"What?" Hermione said, face completely devoid of color. "No, no, we can fix it-- there is a safe counter. Right?"
"Oh yes!" Luna exclaimed with a bright smile as she straightened abruptly. "The countercurse involves a slow return to normal time. You see, Finite Incantatem doesn't work, and then there's only killing when people who don't know get desperate and use more complicated breaking spells, which eventually release the victim in one fell swoop. And that's when the rescuers end up killing whomever they're trying to fix." She shook her head. "Shame, really."
Ron gestured wildly again. "Ok, so do it, yeah?"
Shoving his gesturing hand out of the way, Hermione turned a considering eye on Luna. "How slow?"
"No idea," shrugged Luna. "The only surviving victim I actually know of took just about ten days before he could manage to cross a room in the space of twelve hours. But this isn't the full curse for whatever reason, and this is Harry we're talking about."
"That's bollocks!" shouted Ron, taking his frustration out on Luna without remorse.
Hermione turned a disapproving eye on Ron, but said nothing, the tone of her answer to Luna evident that it held the same meaning and intent. "Fine. You start, I'll go see what I can find out about it." She stooped to press a kiss to Harry's forehead before adding, "Stay with him, Ron. I'll lock the chest up and we'll deal with it when we've got him back."
Luna watched her stretch up and kiss Ron's cheek and then rush out of the room.
"Chair?" offered Luna, but Ron was already pulling one away from the writing desk and turning it backwards flush against the bed. He sat hard, wearing a sullen expression that was a curious mix of worry and anger, and always that fierce devotion to Harry.
"Well?" he growled as he dropped his chin onto his arm.
"Well, well, well," Luna murmured to herself as she began on the counter, ignoring Ron's glare.
###
An hour later, a complex web of magic laid by Luna's countercharm was slinking its way around Harry's still form though one could really only feel it rather than see it, and Ron was still staring as though doing so might help.
Luna sighed and circled the bed, setting her hands on his shoulders. Though she'd moved slowly, he started, clearly not paying attention to anything past his line of sight. She made to knead the knotted muscles under her hands, but they were pulled so tight she vaguely worried that she might hurt her fingers in so doing, not that it stopped her from trying. Quietly, Luna murmured a spell to help them relax, though when she began to speak, Ron's hand darted up and caught hers. Holding it a little more firmly than was comfortable, he growled, "What are you doing?"
Unperturbed, Luna answered. "You can't help him if you can't move from how sore you must be."
"What? I'm fine," he said with a scowl. "Worry about Harry."
"I am," she said softly, trying to wiggle her fingers and failing. "The counters are doing their work, and in half an hour I'll start again. In the meantime, I'll work on you. Ouch."
Ron's eyes slid from hers to where he was squeezing her fingers and the pressure immediately eased, his expression gone apologetic.
"Oh, God, Luna, I'm sorry. It's just--"
"Shh," she said as her hands soothed over his shoulders again, her eyes darting to Harry and back. "I understand."
Visibly deflating, Ron nodded and muttered a small, "Sorry," as he dropped his head onto his crossed forearms on the back of the chair. He didn't have further complaint as Luna worked the knots out of his neck and shoulders, pressing down along either side of the length of his spine and shoulderblades. Ron groaned appreciatively over her murmured spell at the small of his back.
"Did you l--nngh--learn that somewhere?"
Luna nodded sagely as he melted further under her hands. "As is the case with most things."
Her hands drifted down his hips and over his spread thighs and over the bulge in his jeans. Ron's head popped up with a sharp inhale.
"Luna, what?!"
"Relax," said Luna, unzipping his jeans and slipping her hand in and through the slit of his boxers.
"C--can't," he said, shaking his head, though not making any attempt to shove her away. "Harry."
"Relax," she repeated, her lips pressed to the back of his neck, her hand moving faster.
Panting irregularly, Ron hung his head, and Luna could see his fingers bled white and clutching the chair back. Her mouth dragged up under his ear, thumb moving up and around with every stroke. Harry lay unmoving in the bed two feet away appeared to be unconscious but there was no telling with the state of the curse, and Luna didn't care. Correction: Luna did care-- she hoped he was awake and watching.
Ron's muscles tightened under her hands and when Luna's teeth bit into his ear, he loosed a stuttered moan from the back of his throat and spilled hot over her hand. Distracted as he might be, Luna was paying close attention and didn't miss the name on his lips when he did.
Harry-- it was always about Harry, wasn't it?
After a second, Ron stood abruptly and didn't quite meet her eyes as he tucked himself away and zipped his jeans.
"Sorry," he murmured again and hurried for the door.
"He needed that," she said in Harry's direction as the door slammed shut.
Harry didn't have an answer.
###
The counter charm could only be credited with part of the cure, Luna was certain. She watched Harry emerge from his room late the next morning, gaining stability with every step, though she didn't interrupt his progress downstairs. Instead, she smiled as she heard Ron and Hermione's reactions from the kitchen.
Luna slipped into Harry and Ron's room once he was gone, humming as she set to clearing away the magical spell debris as she dusted with charmed faux fwooper dusters that moved about on their own. When the door opened not much later, she knew exactly who it was, and so she didn't bother to be worried even after the heavy hand landed on her arm just above the elbow and spun her around to face him.
"Hello Harry," she said with a genuine grin. "I'm very glad to see your strength seems to have returned in full."
He didn't look very glad. He looked as though he had that answer now. The lights flickered, the dusters suddenly moving erratically and crashing into one another.
"Was that some sort of a show you put on?" he growled.
"The dusters?" said Luna, not really worried that he was hurting her. "No they--"
"Yesterday," he ground out, shoving her back a step. "With Ron."
"Oh! That. No," she said, going without resistance. "That was his needing to relax. Inappropriate as it was, I could try and admit that I didn't think you were conscious."
"Funny thing about that," Harry said, his eyes betraying a hint of a flinch as her back hit the wall. "Since you're the only one who knew anything about the curse."
Luna didn't have to tilt her head up at all to look at Harry in the eye. "There was an article on little-known deadly curses in the Quibbler of 4 April 1993," she said, breathing in the pressure of his squeezing hands. "The author wished to remain anonymous but Daddy had his suspicions."
Ignoring the extraneous information, Harry only pushed harder. "You knew I was watching the whole time!"
"Kinky," she said with a smile, slipping her right foot out of its scuffed sandal and running her toes along his calf. "You could see his face, couldn't you?"
"You knew," Harry leaned in and snarled, breath ragged and hot across her ear as he took the opportunity to push her into the wall again.
"Knew you could hear him groaning your name?" she asked, all feigned innocence, arching up against him purposefully. "Knew that you wanted to be the one wrapping your hand around his cock?" Harry groaned and ground his hips against hers and she went on.
"He's so beautiful, Harry. Did you see? When he came how his lips curved around your name as though he was s--" All at once, Harry was scrabbling at her skirt and shoving her knickers aside, his fingers plunging into her before she finished, "--sighing it. Smiling it."
Luna was so wet-- a situation made worse by the fact that his fingers gave her the impression that he wouldn't have cared if she wasn't. She let her head thump back against the wall as they curved under and into and up and around and murmured, "Harder, Harry."
"Stop," said Harry with another vicious swipe before withdrawing his hand and pushing away his pyjamas.
"Ron should be here to see this, I think," murmured Luna, watching his motions intently. "It'd be only fair."
"Shut up," growled Harry. "Don't talk about Ron."
"Ok," said Luna, tossing her newly-freed hand over his shoulder and flexing her fingers to encourage the returning circulation. Luna wasn't holding his tone against him; he'd had a hard, confusing few days, after all.
"I mean it," said Harry, tugging her hips up roughly. Luna went willingly, wrapping her leg around his arse as he lifted her once more and pushed into her roughly with a groan. "Don't," he breathed as he pounded into her. "Not Ron."
Luna didn't bother pointing out that she wasn't the one moaning his name as Harry was doing, nor did she bother pointing out when the door cracked open and Ron's surprised face appeared for a split second before it shut again. She shut her own eyes and clutched at Harry and let the wall hold her up, giving over to the sensations coursing through her body.
When he came, he let her down slowly and didn't quite look at her either, even when she kissed his cheek and let herself out, but Luna wasn't worried. She would make sure it was worked out before the end of the day.
###
Luna could hear the argument through the door and walked in without knocking.
Harry and Ron stood facing one another, faces red and hands in fists, both looking up and growling a simultaneous and uncharitable, "What?!"
Luna didn't stop until she was standing between them. She reached out, took hold of Harry's face and kissed him, ignoring his surprised yelp.
In the background, Ron groaned, "Oh for fuck's sake," and that was her cue to release Harry and turn to Ron instead, push up onto her tiptoes and kiss him as well. It should be noted that neither put up much of a fight.
"Now you," said Luna as she pulled away from Ron. Both made sounds of protest and Luna wasted no time in pointing to Harry though she addressed Ron. "You could have died and you would never have known what it's like to do what I just did."
She watched them stare at each other and wondered whether they could feel the weight of it as keenly as she could, even though neither did a damn thing else. With an exasperated sigh, Luna grabbed a handful of Ron's shirt and tugged as she kissed Harry again. "Do it," she mumbled, her grip tight on Harry as she turned to Ron again. "You want to," she added, privately delighted when she felt Harry's hand drift low across her stomach. "Take it while you can," she said as Ron kissed her without being dragged, his eyes rooted firmly over her shoulder. Harry suddenly pressed closer, his mouth on her neck from behind, though from the size and angle of the hands on her hips, it could only be Ron tugging at her.
"Do it," she breathed and they were finally kissing over her shoulder, one of Harry's hands sneaking up her ribs to palm a breast. She leaned the side of her cheek against Ron's shoulder and watched as best she could, glad to act as their temporary body by proxy. Even if it was only for the selfish prospect of all four of their hands on her at once; both of their mouths and both of their cocks.
If they could only rip them from one another.
###
Luna was tired and sore, bruised from heavy fingerprints and overenthusiastic elbows and knees, but bore none of the evidence of biting kisses that decorated Ron's neck and at least one place on his thigh. Which was fine. Harry had marked what was his. It was lucky, how they fit together.
Her knickers were a loss but her skirt and jumper made themselves available with little fuss. Once she had them on, she twisted her hair into a knot that she could slip her wand through temporarily until she could shower and wash it.
Just as well about the knickers anyway. Luna ran an absent hand between her legs and shuddered as her fingers came up slick and warm. She whimpered audibly as a fingertip teased bundles of highly overstimulated nerves enough to verify just what sort of activities she'd been involved in, as if there'd been a doubt. The covers draped low across Harry's back did little to cover his skin or the way he was tangled up with Ron, which in turn did nothing to make her want to stop.
Still-- her job was done.
One sleeping boy shifted closer to the other and paid her no heed as she wiped her fingers on a nearly-raw thigh and slipped into the hallway. Though Luna shut the door carefully behind herself, the door across the hall opened as though on cue and a glaring Hermione stepped through, arms crossed in front of her chest.
"Good morning, Hermione," whispered Luna with a smile powered only in small part by the cool breeze up her skirt and the fresh memories that came along with it.
Hermione said nothing. If Luna had to guess, she would likely attribute it to Hermione's keen awareness of the glass house in which she stood.
"It's not going to happen again," said Luna with a distinct lack of penitence despite the fingernail wedged firmly between her teeth.
Furrowing her brow, Hermione leaned one shoulder against the doorframe. "Why's that?
Luna popped the finger out of her mouth and ran a reverent hand down the outside of Harry and Ron's door. "You're asking me?"
Just like that, all of the burgeoning hostility was gone from Hermione's expression as she sighed, looked away and murmured, "No."
Luna didn't have an answer as she walked away, but she squeezed Hermione's elbow in passing. There was only so much she could fix, after all.
###
Title: Crowd
Author: corvidae9
Rating: NC17
Word Count: ~5900
Summary: Luna is so clever, she outwits herself. (Harry/Ron, including Harry/Luna/Ron and every permutation thereof, mention of F/Hr/G) Post-HBP.
Author's Note: Written for antosha_c, based on a result of a discussion about his One Bad Thing theory and for no particular reason other than we share a lot of the same perverse amusements. :D And also, it took me about a year to finish. Good thing my friends aren't allowed to hold it against me, right? It also doesn't end the way it was originally supposed to and it's probably responsible for all of your unmatched socks and probably ripped the tags off of several mattresses while it was at it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. *irons hands omg*
###
October, 1997
Harry considered the lump on the other side of the room, recognizable by the shock of Weasley red hair poking out from under the quilt that was pulled almost entirely over his face. He didn't have to think at all to know that Ron had two methods of sleep. 'Sprawled out' counted as one, since no matter what, all limbs ended up pointing in different directions and was his default mode of sleep. 'Curled up' meant a particularly rough day and no desire to talk about it. In the four months that they'd been out hunting and destroying and generally roughing it, Harry had seen this probably twice and in the six years prior to that, he'd seen it maybe a handful of times.
Today Harry knew exactly why. Rolling up on his elbow, he cleared his throat and watched for the cover to be lowered just far enough for Ron's eye to focus on him, which it did almost immediately as far as he could tell without his glasses.
"I don't know what to make of it either, mate. It's... a little weird, yeah."
The one blue eye showing narrowed slightly. "Don't want to talk about it."
"Bothered me too, you know. Felt like... I don't know. Cracking one or both of them upside the face. Hard."
"Mate," Ron growled, not even bothering to disguise his jealousy. "Do not even tell me that you're all sprung on her too..."
"No! God, Ron. No," said Harry quickly. "She's like my sister. Gah. I just... Doesn't seem right that your brothers --and I do mean brothers because I've no clue which was doing what-- should chat Hermione up."
"Or that she'd just stand about and giggle like an empty-headed bit of fluff," Ron grumbled.
"Especially not with Ginny standing around acting like they're the best thing that ever happened to the Wizarding World and I'm just an overrated hack. I mean, they're her brothers and successful and not in mortal danger every hour or so, but still. Damn."
"Did you see the way Hermione was giggling?" said Ron, sitting further up, eyes narrowed. "Giggling, Harry."
"Funny," mused Harry, now staring at the wall just above Ron's shoulder, not registering that they were talking about separate 'she's. "Didn't sting quite as much as I thought it might. But that dig from Ginny about stealing her brother..."
"Sodding brothers," murmured Ron.
"And sister," Harry said, eyes snapping back to Ron. "Don't forget her."
"Cut from the same bloody cloth, the three of them."
There was a pause as their two disparate conversations merged back into one, followed by identical guffaws of laughter. Harry covered his eyes with his forearm. "Oh hell. We... are the biggest wankers."
Ron laughed, adding in an offhand manner, "Speak for yourself. Gone are my days of wanking to H--"
Silence reigned again as Ron stopped dead in his tracks and Harry half-sat up, incredulous. In all of their years as best mates, Ron had never, ever admitted anything about what he did or did not feel about Hermione except to say that they were just friends and now... "I'm sorry, what?"
"Piss off. I'm done carrying a half-arsed torch for my best friend, alright?" Ron said with a vehement sweeping motion with his hands as he sat up. "Done. She can shag my brother if she wants. Either or both, I don't give a damn."
His tone was mocking and relatively light, but Harry could hear the resentment in it, as well as another emotion more immediate, and couldn't decide whether it was regret or genuine relief that it was no longer his job to be Hermione's intended love interest by default. It sounded far too much like his own voice in his head telling him things with Ginny were better off this way too (though truthfully, he could do without the open scorn). "Well, good luck to her then. She's got exactly... twenty hours to pull it off, and then we're gone again."
Ron's bed creaked and groaned as he rolled onto his back, forearm across his face unconsciously mirroring Harry's position. "Bugger."
###
March, 1998
Harry was thrown to the ground as a curse flew past, fully convinced he'd been hit by a freight train or a hex with about as much force, but when he opened his eyes he found he was being shaken lightly by a Ron not eight inches from his face, murmuring incoherencies such as "I swear to God if you die I'll kill you, Harry. We've been through this."
Managing a pat to Ron's side, Harry coughed and blinked and mumbled, "'Mfine. Got to get up. Death Eaters." At the last his eyes opened wider than ever and tried to sit in a rush, only to find a smaller, blood-spattered hand on his shoulder helping to hold him down.
Her voice was almost unrecognizably missing a lot of the spacey qualities he'd come to appreciate, but Luna spoke clearly and calmly nonetheless as Ron continued to hold him steady. "Gone. They all Disapparated about five minutes ago. Apparently, they had somewhere to be."
"How long... how long have I been out?" asked Harry, still dazed. "Hermione?!"
"Is fine. You've not been out long - they left right after you went down, buggered if I know why." Ron peered into Harry's eyes for signs of concussion and then gently turned his face to where Hermione was being fussed over by both Fred and George. "And those prats have some explaining to do."
Harry's hand had not yet left Ron's side (entirely unconsciously no doubt), and now he squeezed lightly, voice regaining an almost playful edge. "After we kick their arse."
In an uncharacteristic show of affection, Ron dropped his forehead to Harry's chest with a laugh. Before Harry could react, he straightened and popped to his feet offering Harry a hand up. "Can you walk?"
Tentative, Harry took the hand and stood. "Yeah. Looks like. "
"Good. Let's go," Ron nodded and clapped Harry's shoulder gently, not letting go as they made their way to Hermione.
Harry may not have had time to process the scene correctly, but Luna certainly had. She'd stood watching them practically in their own world from the time Harry's eyes opened to their walking away without so much as a by your leave, and the pieces fell into place. With a sigh, she brushed her hair back from her face with barely a hiss as her fingertips brushed the raw scrape at her temple and thought that maybe she should try and help.
It was a thought, at least. That was what Healers-in-Training did, after all.
###
April, 1998
Harry walked into the room he shared with Ron at Grimmauld Place and sat on the floor with a thump. " I need a drink."
"Harry?!" Ron was on his feet and peering at Harry in an instant, sinking to his knees beside him, and truly alarmed by the look on his face. "Mate? say something..."
Ron shook him slightly, and Harry finally blinked and turned his attention to him. "It was... no. Just. I didn't need to see that."
"All right. Let's slow down," said Ron, his brain already churning possibilities, each more horrific than the last. "What did you see?"
"Hermione. And Fred..." Harry said, licking his lips.
"That bastard," spat Ron. "I knew it!"
"...and George," murmured Harry, and Ron's eyes flew wide.
"I'm sorry, what?!"
"The... err. Three of them." Harry scratched his head and refocused on Ron, sort of almost-smiling now. "It was... y'know. Creative."
Ron blinked and sat back on his heels. "Ugh. Just... Ugh."
Harry snorted a laugh, to which Ron responded by thumping his shoulder with a half-hearted frown. Unfortunately, this seemed to have no effect other than to spur Harry on, and he laughed again and didn't quite stop, letting his head fall back against the wall. Ron tried to narrow his eyes at Harry, but instead, he suddenly loosed a chuckle that became a bark of laughter. Neither seemed inclined to stop, and both continued to laugh madly, Harry holding his hands over his stomach, Ron folding over, his forehead pressed to the wall near Harry's head.
"Oh my god. Just..." Harry wheezed. "Hermione. Who knew?"
"Shut up, man," Ron said in a tone higher than his usual speaking voice and creaking with laughter. "Seriously. I still don't want to know."
Harry kept laughing and Ron collapsed forward against the wall and partially Harry's shoulder, almost inaudible. Eventually the hysterical laughter did in fact die back and Harry wiped his eyes under his glasses fighting stray chuckles. As he turned to face Ron, Ron was turning to face him and they bumped temples. Ron loosed another chuckle, but suddenly he was breathing too hard; he had a visual he didn't need, but it had to do with the fact that if Harry was this close all it would take for a kiss really was to turn just a little bit. Just. A little.
In the meantime, Harry had generally the same thought, and though somewhat surprised, was fully willing to follow it through at that particular moment. He nuzzled Ron's temple several times before making to tilt his chin toward him. He could feel Ron's breath on his cheek; it was rushed and too-hot and Harry slowly let his eyes shut.
Suddenly as one, their eyes popped open and they flew apart as if burnt.
Straightening his glasses, Harry sputtered, "I--"
"Right," mumbled Ron, scratching the back of his neck as he got to his feet.
"Long. Um. Long day," said Harry as he popped to his feet.
"Yeah. Yeah!"
"I'm..."
"Yeah! Going. Me, um. Me too."
"It was just. y'know. After."
"Seeing that, o'course."
"Yeah! um, yeah."
"Right. So, bed? I mean! You know. Yours, and also mine. As in, two."
Harry nodded inanely, "Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna... yeah. Brush my teeth."
"Sure, yeah, 'course," said Ron lamely. "I'll um. I'll do that when you're done."
"Ok, yeah. Sure," Harry nodded again, wishing the crazy would stop, finally managing to edge to the door. "Right. Be. Um. Be right back."
He slipped through the door and shut it, immediately doubling over, hands to his knees to take a deep breath, because he suddenly felt like he was hyperventilating. He shook his head and arms and finally moved on to the bathroom, wondering what the hell had just happened. Unbeknownst to him, Ron was thinking pretty much the same thing just on the other side of the door.
###
Breakfast at Grimmauld Place consisted of tea and whatever was at hand, at whatever hour you rose to find it. Luna was fine with this. There always seemed to be rolls, sometimes even fruit, and that was for the most part all she needed.
Today, however, Harry, Ron and Hermione were in residence and she wanted to catch them, since they would probably be on their way again shortly. She'd heard the commotion in Hermione's room, and thought that maybe Harry and Ron had worked it out both with Hermione and without her. The idea was discarded when she caught sight of Harry hurrying down the hallway, however, and from the look on his face, wasn't nearly as relaxed as Hermione would no doubt be come morning.
Apparently, they still did need the help. She watched him walk, admiring the grace of his actions when he wasn't paying attention to them, and thinking that his coloring really did suit him well, as did the extra long sleeves of his shirt and the eternal almost-artful mess of his hair.
Smiling and thinking that Ron was a lucky boy indeed, she brushed her hair more quickly to hurry up and get downstairs.
###
Of all the uncomfortable flushing going on over breakfast, Hermione was the least informed of the three, given that she assumed that it revolved around her. After about ten minutes of group mumbling and niceties the three of them never bothered with anymore, she cleared her throat.
"Harry. Listen, I'm... really really sorry you had to see that."
It was Ron that held up his finger. "Rule number one. we don't want to hear about it. Details, that is. We don't want them."
"Rule number two," said Harry. "If it makes you happy... then y'know. We'll deal with it."
Ron held a third finger up and hesitated, "Rule-- no wait. That's it. Though I've no idea why you'd want to shag those idiots."
Hermione cocked her head at them, half-horrified and yet mostly relieved. Her rabbit-in-headlights look dissolved into a wobbly smile and she hooked her arm around Harry's shoulders. "I love you. Both of you. Sooo much." She looked up as Ron stood not a foot away without moving. "Well?! Come here!"
He hesitated before stepping up and immediately was crushed into a hug, trying very much not to think about the fact that he was sort of hugging Harry, too. They'd done this before. It wasn't a big deal, not at all.
"Oh! Hugging! What a good way to start a day!" exclaimed Luna from the doorway. The trio disentangled themselves and took a collective step back. "Don't mind me. I just need some tea and whatever's about."
She walked in directly to Hermione and threw her arms around the shorter Gryffindor. "And good morning to you, too!"
Hermione's eyebrow shot up as she patted Luna's back. "Err. Yes! good morning!"
Luna turned and made Harry her next target. He was about her height and just right for throwing her arms around, as opposed to Ron who came next. He was just tall enough that she had to rise up on her tiptoes and sort of launch herself upward. It's possible that she lingered a little longer on the boys, but that was purely scientific, given that she wanted a feel for how they'd fit together.
Rather well, was the conclusion.
That done, she smiled blissfully and moved to get tea. "Would anyone like more tea?" She asked offhand as she poured the last drops into her cup, pondering possible next steps. It might have to wait until next time.
###
May, 1998
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood crouched, hidden in the recesses of the tall shrubbery at the garden wall of the aged manor, watching as they had been since an hour before the last light went out.
Hermione shot a quick look at Harry before raising her wand and beginning work the countercharms to the security wards. It had taken her a week to work out how to deconstruct them without setting off the alarms, but if the Horcrux they were seeking was indeed in the basement vault of the manor, the wards would be the least of their problems.
There was a faint sizzle and Harry leaned forward but Ron put a hand on his shoulder. "Nuh uh, mate. I'll go."
Brow furrowed, Harry shook his head. "No way."
"We're all going in once they're down, anyway," hissed Ron. "I'll just nip up to the door to make sure."
Looking up, Harry closed his hand over Ron's without another word, waiting a beat before nodding. "Hermione took them down, she knows what she's doing."
"Then it's not a problem, is it?" smiled Ron, squeezing Harry's shoulder once again before creeping forward along the wall, wand drawn.
Narrowing her eyes in the direction of the Manor, Hermione nodded and murmured, "He's fine. They're down."
Ron reached the servant's entrance without incident, pushed open the door and turned with a small wave. Harry exhaled a relieved, "bloody hell," as he and Hermione scrambled to follow.
###
"Mobilicorpus!" shouted Hermione, her wand arm shaky but her voice steady. Harry's unconscious form rose into the air slowly, but at the rate the thumping at the door and the spell sparks coming through the gaps between it were increasing, the wards she'd set hastily would be coming down any second now. "Ronald! We have to move!"
Ron finally had a grip on the smaller box inside the puzzle box he'd had to work carefully to keep from having his hands smashed flat or worse. "Got it, got it; Hermione how's he doing?"
"Breathing... I think," Hermione said, flinching as the door bowed inward again. "Other than that all I know is we have to get him back home."
"Oh shite!" Ron shouted as he pulled the box free and the bigger apparatus snapped shut, his entire upper body barely clearing the crash. "Let's go," He scrambled to his feet breathless, shoved the box at Hermione and crouched to wrap his arms around Harry's knees and toss him over a shoulder. "Now Hermione! Now!"
Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Ron's hand and Apparated them all directly out as the door splintered inward.
Having one Apparate all three in a tight situation had become a habit-- mostly to ensure that they all ended up in the same place and were still able to watch each other's back when they arrived. As such, all three appeared at the end of the walk leading to 12 Grimmauld Place at once, though Ron was already heading for the door at a dead run, assisted by the fact that Harry's limp form was still magically lightened by the Mobilicorpus spell.
Hermione ran hard to keep up with Ron's long legs, a step behind as he crashed through the door, shouting, "Anybody home? 'Cos we sort of need you now!"
Luna was already there. "His room, I think," she said calmly, even though Hermione had already set the chest down, collared Luna and was dragging her up the stairs behind Ron.
"Curse damage - I heard part of the spell. I don't know it, but I can repeat it for you," said Hermione, not waiting for the questions she knew by heart. "He went down immediately-- his eyes were half-open at first, but he's been totally unresponsive since."
Ron set Harry down on his bed and stood back with a hand over his own mouth, swearing quietly as Luna moved in and removed the Mobilicorpus, murmuring and examining. "Hmm. Hermione, the spell?"
"Tempus Impedimento, I think," said Hermione as she wrapped her arms around Ron. "Something about stopping time?"
Nodding Luna lifted Harry's hand and let it drop to the mattress, which it did so slowly, it was as though his hand was floating through the air. "He's in a pocket of time that responds to different rules than ours," said Luna as she crouched down and watched Harry's hand fall the rest of the way to the bed, muttering what sounded like math under her breath. "Fortunately, this was either cast by someone who didn't know what they were doing, isn't very strong, or Harry's massive, frightening reservoir of power kicked in and kept him from taking it full-strength."
Pointing a belligerent finger toward Harry, Ron's scowl deepened. "This isn't full-strength?"
Luna remained unphased as she shook her head. "Not even close. Unimpeded, he should still be falling to the ground." Her eyes were wide as she looked up at Ron again. "Which is why it's such an effective curse. You immobilize your enemy and put them out of commission for a month or longer, if you care to let them live that long. Not everyone that meets this curse has someone around that can first, remove them from the situation and secondly, knows or can find the countercurse without killing them."
"What?" Hermione said, face completely devoid of color. "No, no, we can fix it-- there is a safe counter. Right?"
"Oh yes!" Luna exclaimed with a bright smile as she straightened abruptly. "The countercurse involves a slow return to normal time. You see, Finite Incantatem doesn't work, and then there's only killing when people who don't know get desperate and use more complicated breaking spells, which eventually release the victim in one fell swoop. And that's when the rescuers end up killing whomever they're trying to fix." She shook her head. "Shame, really."
Ron gestured wildly again. "Ok, so do it, yeah?"
Shoving his gesturing hand out of the way, Hermione turned a considering eye on Luna. "How slow?"
"No idea," shrugged Luna. "The only surviving victim I actually know of took just about ten days before he could manage to cross a room in the space of twelve hours. But this isn't the full curse for whatever reason, and this is Harry we're talking about."
"That's bollocks!" shouted Ron, taking his frustration out on Luna without remorse.
Hermione turned a disapproving eye on Ron, but said nothing, the tone of her answer to Luna evident that it held the same meaning and intent. "Fine. You start, I'll go see what I can find out about it." She stooped to press a kiss to Harry's forehead before adding, "Stay with him, Ron. I'll lock the chest up and we'll deal with it when we've got him back."
Luna watched her stretch up and kiss Ron's cheek and then rush out of the room.
"Chair?" offered Luna, but Ron was already pulling one away from the writing desk and turning it backwards flush against the bed. He sat hard, wearing a sullen expression that was a curious mix of worry and anger, and always that fierce devotion to Harry.
"Well?" he growled as he dropped his chin onto his arm.
"Well, well, well," Luna murmured to herself as she began on the counter, ignoring Ron's glare.
###
An hour later, a complex web of magic laid by Luna's countercharm was slinking its way around Harry's still form though one could really only feel it rather than see it, and Ron was still staring as though doing so might help.
Luna sighed and circled the bed, setting her hands on his shoulders. Though she'd moved slowly, he started, clearly not paying attention to anything past his line of sight. She made to knead the knotted muscles under her hands, but they were pulled so tight she vaguely worried that she might hurt her fingers in so doing, not that it stopped her from trying. Quietly, Luna murmured a spell to help them relax, though when she began to speak, Ron's hand darted up and caught hers. Holding it a little more firmly than was comfortable, he growled, "What are you doing?"
Unperturbed, Luna answered. "You can't help him if you can't move from how sore you must be."
"What? I'm fine," he said with a scowl. "Worry about Harry."
"I am," she said softly, trying to wiggle her fingers and failing. "The counters are doing their work, and in half an hour I'll start again. In the meantime, I'll work on you. Ouch."
Ron's eyes slid from hers to where he was squeezing her fingers and the pressure immediately eased, his expression gone apologetic.
"Oh, God, Luna, I'm sorry. It's just--"
"Shh," she said as her hands soothed over his shoulders again, her eyes darting to Harry and back. "I understand."
Visibly deflating, Ron nodded and muttered a small, "Sorry," as he dropped his head onto his crossed forearms on the back of the chair. He didn't have further complaint as Luna worked the knots out of his neck and shoulders, pressing down along either side of the length of his spine and shoulderblades. Ron groaned appreciatively over her murmured spell at the small of his back.
"Did you l--nngh--learn that somewhere?"
Luna nodded sagely as he melted further under her hands. "As is the case with most things."
Her hands drifted down his hips and over his spread thighs and over the bulge in his jeans. Ron's head popped up with a sharp inhale.
"Luna, what?!"
"Relax," said Luna, unzipping his jeans and slipping her hand in and through the slit of his boxers.
"C--can't," he said, shaking his head, though not making any attempt to shove her away. "Harry."
"Relax," she repeated, her lips pressed to the back of his neck, her hand moving faster.
Panting irregularly, Ron hung his head, and Luna could see his fingers bled white and clutching the chair back. Her mouth dragged up under his ear, thumb moving up and around with every stroke. Harry lay unmoving in the bed two feet away appeared to be unconscious but there was no telling with the state of the curse, and Luna didn't care. Correction: Luna did care-- she hoped he was awake and watching.
Ron's muscles tightened under her hands and when Luna's teeth bit into his ear, he loosed a stuttered moan from the back of his throat and spilled hot over her hand. Distracted as he might be, Luna was paying close attention and didn't miss the name on his lips when he did.
Harry-- it was always about Harry, wasn't it?
After a second, Ron stood abruptly and didn't quite meet her eyes as he tucked himself away and zipped his jeans.
"Sorry," he murmured again and hurried for the door.
"He needed that," she said in Harry's direction as the door slammed shut.
Harry didn't have an answer.
###
The counter charm could only be credited with part of the cure, Luna was certain. She watched Harry emerge from his room late the next morning, gaining stability with every step, though she didn't interrupt his progress downstairs. Instead, she smiled as she heard Ron and Hermione's reactions from the kitchen.
Luna slipped into Harry and Ron's room once he was gone, humming as she set to clearing away the magical spell debris as she dusted with charmed faux fwooper dusters that moved about on their own. When the door opened not much later, she knew exactly who it was, and so she didn't bother to be worried even after the heavy hand landed on her arm just above the elbow and spun her around to face him.
"Hello Harry," she said with a genuine grin. "I'm very glad to see your strength seems to have returned in full."
He didn't look very glad. He looked as though he had that answer now. The lights flickered, the dusters suddenly moving erratically and crashing into one another.
"Was that some sort of a show you put on?" he growled.
"The dusters?" said Luna, not really worried that he was hurting her. "No they--"
"Yesterday," he ground out, shoving her back a step. "With Ron."
"Oh! That. No," she said, going without resistance. "That was his needing to relax. Inappropriate as it was, I could try and admit that I didn't think you were conscious."
"Funny thing about that," Harry said, his eyes betraying a hint of a flinch as her back hit the wall. "Since you're the only one who knew anything about the curse."
Luna didn't have to tilt her head up at all to look at Harry in the eye. "There was an article on little-known deadly curses in the Quibbler of 4 April 1993," she said, breathing in the pressure of his squeezing hands. "The author wished to remain anonymous but Daddy had his suspicions."
Ignoring the extraneous information, Harry only pushed harder. "You knew I was watching the whole time!"
"Kinky," she said with a smile, slipping her right foot out of its scuffed sandal and running her toes along his calf. "You could see his face, couldn't you?"
"You knew," Harry leaned in and snarled, breath ragged and hot across her ear as he took the opportunity to push her into the wall again.
"Knew you could hear him groaning your name?" she asked, all feigned innocence, arching up against him purposefully. "Knew that you wanted to be the one wrapping your hand around his cock?" Harry groaned and ground his hips against hers and she went on.
"He's so beautiful, Harry. Did you see? When he came how his lips curved around your name as though he was s--" All at once, Harry was scrabbling at her skirt and shoving her knickers aside, his fingers plunging into her before she finished, "--sighing it. Smiling it."
Luna was so wet-- a situation made worse by the fact that his fingers gave her the impression that he wouldn't have cared if she wasn't. She let her head thump back against the wall as they curved under and into and up and around and murmured, "Harder, Harry."
"Stop," said Harry with another vicious swipe before withdrawing his hand and pushing away his pyjamas.
"Ron should be here to see this, I think," murmured Luna, watching his motions intently. "It'd be only fair."
"Shut up," growled Harry. "Don't talk about Ron."
"Ok," said Luna, tossing her newly-freed hand over his shoulder and flexing her fingers to encourage the returning circulation. Luna wasn't holding his tone against him; he'd had a hard, confusing few days, after all.
"I mean it," said Harry, tugging her hips up roughly. Luna went willingly, wrapping her leg around his arse as he lifted her once more and pushed into her roughly with a groan. "Don't," he breathed as he pounded into her. "Not Ron."
Luna didn't bother pointing out that she wasn't the one moaning his name as Harry was doing, nor did she bother pointing out when the door cracked open and Ron's surprised face appeared for a split second before it shut again. She shut her own eyes and clutched at Harry and let the wall hold her up, giving over to the sensations coursing through her body.
When he came, he let her down slowly and didn't quite look at her either, even when she kissed his cheek and let herself out, but Luna wasn't worried. She would make sure it was worked out before the end of the day.
###
Luna could hear the argument through the door and walked in without knocking.
Harry and Ron stood facing one another, faces red and hands in fists, both looking up and growling a simultaneous and uncharitable, "What?!"
Luna didn't stop until she was standing between them. She reached out, took hold of Harry's face and kissed him, ignoring his surprised yelp.
In the background, Ron groaned, "Oh for fuck's sake," and that was her cue to release Harry and turn to Ron instead, push up onto her tiptoes and kiss him as well. It should be noted that neither put up much of a fight.
"Now you," said Luna as she pulled away from Ron. Both made sounds of protest and Luna wasted no time in pointing to Harry though she addressed Ron. "You could have died and you would never have known what it's like to do what I just did."
She watched them stare at each other and wondered whether they could feel the weight of it as keenly as she could, even though neither did a damn thing else. With an exasperated sigh, Luna grabbed a handful of Ron's shirt and tugged as she kissed Harry again. "Do it," she mumbled, her grip tight on Harry as she turned to Ron again. "You want to," she added, privately delighted when she felt Harry's hand drift low across her stomach. "Take it while you can," she said as Ron kissed her without being dragged, his eyes rooted firmly over her shoulder. Harry suddenly pressed closer, his mouth on her neck from behind, though from the size and angle of the hands on her hips, it could only be Ron tugging at her.
"Do it," she breathed and they were finally kissing over her shoulder, one of Harry's hands sneaking up her ribs to palm a breast. She leaned the side of her cheek against Ron's shoulder and watched as best she could, glad to act as their temporary body by proxy. Even if it was only for the selfish prospect of all four of their hands on her at once; both of their mouths and both of their cocks.
If they could only rip them from one another.
###
Luna was tired and sore, bruised from heavy fingerprints and overenthusiastic elbows and knees, but bore none of the evidence of biting kisses that decorated Ron's neck and at least one place on his thigh. Which was fine. Harry had marked what was his. It was lucky, how they fit together.
Her knickers were a loss but her skirt and jumper made themselves available with little fuss. Once she had them on, she twisted her hair into a knot that she could slip her wand through temporarily until she could shower and wash it.
Just as well about the knickers anyway. Luna ran an absent hand between her legs and shuddered as her fingers came up slick and warm. She whimpered audibly as a fingertip teased bundles of highly overstimulated nerves enough to verify just what sort of activities she'd been involved in, as if there'd been a doubt. The covers draped low across Harry's back did little to cover his skin or the way he was tangled up with Ron, which in turn did nothing to make her want to stop.
Still-- her job was done.
One sleeping boy shifted closer to the other and paid her no heed as she wiped her fingers on a nearly-raw thigh and slipped into the hallway. Though Luna shut the door carefully behind herself, the door across the hall opened as though on cue and a glaring Hermione stepped through, arms crossed in front of her chest.
"Good morning, Hermione," whispered Luna with a smile powered only in small part by the cool breeze up her skirt and the fresh memories that came along with it.
Hermione said nothing. If Luna had to guess, she would likely attribute it to Hermione's keen awareness of the glass house in which she stood.
"It's not going to happen again," said Luna with a distinct lack of penitence despite the fingernail wedged firmly between her teeth.
Furrowing her brow, Hermione leaned one shoulder against the doorframe. "Why's that?
Luna popped the finger out of her mouth and ran a reverent hand down the outside of Harry and Ron's door. "You're asking me?"
Just like that, all of the burgeoning hostility was gone from Hermione's expression as she sighed, looked away and murmured, "No."
Luna didn't have an answer as she walked away, but she squeezed Hermione's elbow in passing. There was only so much she could fix, after all.
###