(Backdated to March 15th) Flicking Lights=Painful Memories

[radishearring]

(Plotlocked to Kevin Ford, CW for torture while Luna was held in Malfoy Manor)

Luna had been quite happily working on a sketch when the lights started to flicker. At first she made nothing of it, being happily reminded for a moment of Hogwarts and the constant use of candles in the house common rooms. But as she worked the lights kept flicking, leading her to whisper a single word when a hand on her wand.

"Lumos"

With that single word the tip of Luna's wand lit up, enough to keep her calm for the moment.

But the next round of flicking lights only sent the witch back to memories she was sure were behind her.

Malfoy Manor.

So cue massive meltdown as she kept one hand on her wand in case of approaching Death Eaters. But she would lower the wand (and her guard) if the person approaching was a friend.

Comments

[southernreaper]

Stupid lights. Kevin doesn't like flickering lights. They remind him too much of the fluorescent bulbs used in his jail cell.

But they're not so bad here. He knows how to navigate in almost dark. It's required learning at the X-Mansion. Too many people have been blind or are blind. They'd always said that being able to navigate in the dark would come in handy. Kevin would never admit that though.

The sight of a light ahead made him move toward it. Maybe Magneto had light or something? He wants to go pester the man anyway.

When he sees the blonde head, he first thinks it's Miss Frost, whom he hasn't seen a long while. But the color is wrong, and there's a tip of a stick that's glowing. That doesn't make any sense at all. Then he notices the earrings. "Luna?" He watches her, the way she's crouched, the way her hand shakes, the way her eyes... He's seen eyes like that, in the mirror, when the hunger is the worst. "Luna, it's Kevin." He stops, crouching a short distance away. "You're okay." He says, softly. "Whatever it is can't get you here, I won't let it."

[radishearring]

Luna was ankle deep in a manor induced haze when she somehow realized the voice belong to Kevin,"Kevin?" her voice was shaking almost as much as her earrings were by this point. "The lights,Malfoy....Manor..." forgetting that in her panic she had forgotten to glamor the scar on her neck. "The light is a spell." as she whispered another round of Lumos to keep the tip of her wand lit up.

[southernreaper]

It's not the light on the end of her stick that gets him. It's the scar. He can only imagine how horrifically she must have been hurt to set a scar like that.

"You're not in Malfoy Manor now." Wherever that is. But he can imagine that's where she got that scar. He holds out a hand for her. "Just keep talking to me, okay? We'll get you someplace safe. I won't let a thing happen to you."

Sometimes, Kevin is a Big Damn Hero.

[radishearring]

In an act of trust Luna was somehow able to let Kevin take her badly trembling hand. She held onto her wand with the other hand and was not even caring her scar was on full display,"Too many memories." she finally could whimper.

[southernreaper]

Kevin gently curls his fingers with hers, coming just a little bit closer. He can understand. "I know." He whispers. One gloved hand brushes back a bit of blonde hair. "I know." And he did, somewhat. He understands the horrors of memories, especially when they creep up on him.

"Can you move?" If she can't, he'll stay here. But maybe there's somewhere with better lighting, something to help her calm down. His voice is steady and warm, calming.

[radishearring]

Somehow Luna was able to will herself to move, only making a reach for the dropped sketchbook while holding onto her wand. Kevin brushing back a few loose strands of her long hair only helped, Luna never understood it but any kind of simple and real touch seemed to help during hazes. But tiny peaks into what happened did escape, little things like the Death Eaters.

[southernreaper]

Kevin knows the power of touch. It's something he can't have any more and he knows how he craves it. He keeps her hand in his and helps her to her feet. "Now, we're going to one of the observation rooms, alright? Someplace nice and neutral." He wraps his arm around Luna's shoulders and gently begins steering her down the hall.

"But I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, alright?"

[radishearring]

Luna was able to nod,"I'm also armed via magic." knowing she could at least offer that much in spite of her brain going haywire. But she had given in and was letting Kevin lead the way away from the power surges and her memories.

[southernreaper]

"Magic huh?" Kevin doesn't even blink about that. "So, that's your wand?" He asks, opening a door to one of the observation decks. He gently guides her inside. Carefully, he settles her into a seat.

"Sweet tea." He tells the computer and gets two glasses of sweet Georgia tea. He carries them carefully over to where Luna is sitting. "Here, it helps with the shakes." He settles down next to her. "Is magic common where you're from?" He doesn't know how common it is back home, but he still remembers taking a class on it.