Dark World (Peekaboo x ABagOVicodin)

[Peekaboo]

Things hadn't worked out at all as planned. Those years ago during the final confrontation at Hogwarts....everyone had thought Harry was sure to win....sure to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Unfortunately it seemed that fate had other ideas. Somehow, against all the odds, Voldemort had managed to overcome his nemesis, not just defeating Harry, but defeating him utterly and entirely. The boy who lived had become the boy who died...slowly. After that everything started to fall apart. Nobody had the spirit to fight anymore, everyone was so tired of it, it had been easy for Voldemort to take over after that.

That was 7 years ago, and the world was a very dark and different place. Magic was now common knowledge, but muggles were second class citizens at best. Magical children were taught almost exclusively dark magic, and above all were taught that Voldemort was not just their leader, but their immortal god, someone whom they should worship and obey without question....or else.

Luna Lovegood sighed sightly as she walked down the street, people huddled and keeping to themselves, Muggles quickly moving out of her way out of fear. Her status as a witch was known from the robes she was wearing, immediately commanding fear from Muggles. She hated to do that, but if she dressed as a muggle it would be seen as a crime....being arrested would be the least of her worries. The woman just ran a hand through her hair, adjusting the rather odd, bright glasses she was wearing, glancing around slowly as she walked down the london street. Some habits died hard no matter how things changed, and Luna Lovegood was paying more attention to what was on the other side of the road than where she was going.

 

[ABagOVicodin]

If anyone had given up, it was Ginny. Her one true love, the man that she had planned on helping defeat Voldemort, was killed. Ginny was depressed enough when Harry had first died, but when the both of them dueled, and Harry lost, Ginny lost a part of her heart in the challenge. It played in her head every time that she thought of something happy. It played in her head and told her that nothing was going to go right, that she might as well just point the wand at herself and mutter the curse. Ginny had wanted to do it... so many times. But the truth was, that she didn't have the strength. She wasn't selfish enough, or depressed enough. And she had her parents... her brothers to think about.

So as Ginny walked down the aisles to Diagon Alley, looking for some wizarding gear to buy and some groceries. Her eyes seemed to lose that spark that she had in them years ago. And it did, the night her lover died. She ran her hand through her hair as she looked at some new clothes that were on sale. That was her, using the tips that her mother always gave me. Fashion did not matter, sales matter. Ginny looked at the clothes with empty eyes, and then pulled a few off their rack, thinking about trying them on. If only things worked as planned... then she wouldn't be contemplating suicide every minute of the day.

 

[Peekaboo]

After a while longer wandering around the Muggle inhabited parts of London, Luna found herself heading toward Diagon Alley, though not intentionally, it seemed she just ended up there without even thinking about it. Luna began to move through the crowds of wizards and witches, most of them looking at her with an air of contempt. Many of them were former Slytherin students, whilst others had quickly caved in and sworn loyalty to Voldemort. Luna however had made no such oath, though similarly she never spoke out publically, or even privately, against Voldemort. To do so would be as good as suicide.

After a short while longer of aimless wandering, something seemed to catch Luna's attention, though whatever it was either had no interest to anyone else, or it was something only she could see, or at least thought she could see. For those few moments of complete distraction, Luna continued walking, and found herself walking straight into Ginny Weasley. "Ah..." Luna stumbled back. "My apologies..." The apology was instant, immediate, a reflex in todays world. "I was just looking at a few-" She looked up and blinked, tilting her head curiously as she spotted Ginny. The two hadn't seen each other in years, not since that night when Harry had.....

 

[ABagOVicodin]

Ginny almost didn't answer Luna when she ran into her. She was the kind of girl that would let people bypass her and push her around. There was no reason to not fight back, now that Harry was gone. It was sad really... everyone putting their faith in one boy, and when he screwed up, everyone stopped caring. Everyone gave up. Ginny took notice that it was Luna Lovegood that she had ran into, and her eyes widened. "Sorry Luna..." She said, turning back to the clothes that she was planning on buying. "I didn't mean to get in your way." She said. Why did she have to meet a past student now? They were bound to bring up the subject of Harry's death. And whenever it was brought up, or thought of, Ginny was always on the brink of tears. However Ginny found her, so there was no way that she could talk herself out of this one. "Hello Luna, how have you been?" She asked, her eyes getting misty as she thought of Slughorn's party, where all three of them attended. Or the certain classes that they all had together. "It's... been a long time... How are you doing?" She said, blocking out the tears but it was painfully obvious. Her fists clenched and her toes clenched underneath her shoes. So much stress... so much anger... so much depression, all in one little package.

 

[Peekaboo]

How had she been? How was she doing? Well that was a more complicated question than most would first think....but then again, when it came to Luna those were never simple questions anyway. "Oh I'm as well as can be expected. There have been less and less new species of magical creature coming around lately" She adjusted her bright glasses, but after a few moments slowly removed them, seemingly deciding that it may be best not to wear such bright things around Ginny. The girl gave off an air of unhappiness and depression.....so different to what she used to be like. "Would you perhaps like some company for a while?" Rather than asking how Ginny had been, Luna decided to offer company instead. Perhaps it would help take Ginny's mind off things even just slightly.

 

[ABagOVicodin]

That was exactly what she needed. Ginny was suffering from loneliness and depression the moment that Harry had died. So company would make her feel all the more better and maybe make her feel happy, if she even knew what happy was anymore. She nodded her head and a small smile came across her face. She then put the clothes away that she was planning on buying, and she walked towards the Three Broomsticks, the bar with a new owner, and new barmaid. The other members of the bar were considered to be "blood traitors" and were killed. So as Ginny sat down at one of the tables with a Butterbeer in her hand, she sighed and looked at Luna. "So what happened to you... after... It happened?" She asked.

 

[Peekaboo]

Luna nodded as Ginny smiled and turned to follow her toward the Three Broomsticks, though the atmosphere just wasn't the happy and joyfull one it once had been. When they both sat down with a Butterbeer, Luna tilted her head to the side, seemingly contemplating her response. "Well....not a lot happened to me really....I suppose I wasn't important in the grand scheme of things so I kept my head down among the Snuckles" Another odd creature Ginny wouldn't have heard of, probably something Luna had 'discovered' in these past few years, though there was no way for her to popularise such creatures anymore. The Quibbler had tried to carry on after Harry's death, though it had quickly become nothing more than a propaganda tool for Voldemort. Shortly after that it had shut down altogether. Propaganda was no longer needed after all.

 

[ABagOVicodin]

Ginny was able to remember the slow change of the Quibbler after Voldemort had taken over. Even the Daily Prophet was forced to report propaganda and drivel that Mudbloods were illegal in the Wizarding World, and that they were unable to go in the Wizarding World, without being killed. Ginny was happy that none of the Death Eaters found her, because if they did, she would probably be tortured to death. That was the last thing that she could handle right now... the torture curse. If she had to endure that, she would die. The depression was taking too big of a toll on her. Even just sitting on this bench was hard on her. Ginny sipped some of her butterbeer, and looked down. "I would love to see some of those creatures... if you have any at your home." She said, wishing that she was able to think of a better way of asking for company, or even asking to stay with her. She didn't have the courage to. She just wanted to be alone... but she knew that alone with the thought of her dead beloved was not going to help her. Only make her want to point her wand at herself, and mutter the words that would end it all.

 

[Peekaboo]

"Hm? Well I would be happy to show you the Snuckles, though you must keep your mind open in order to see them, otherwise they wont appear to you" Luna picked up her glass, taking a sip of her butterbeer, before setting it back down quickly. It just didn't taste the same as it used to.....maybe part of the taste was that before she was always happen when drinking it...now on the other hand. The girl sighed inwardly, being careful not to let Ginny see. "Perhaps once we leave here you can come with me to my home? It's nice and small so I'm sure we'll be comfortable like the Snuckles. They don't like big open spaces"

 

[ABagOVicodin]

Ginny would be able to keep her mind open while she was in this area, but the hard part was keeping her mind on things that were not completely depressing. It seemed sad, and that she should get over what happened... but no one was able to get over it. All the plans that Harry and Ginny had, were crushed into dust from his death. If it wasn't for Ginny disappearing immediately, then Voldemort would have found her as well. But she was smart. She knew to run. She stood up and took her bottle of butterbeer. She couldn't stand being in this depressing place anymore. Everyone talked in whispers, and the bartender handed out the butterbeer without saying anything. It was better with Rosmerta handing them out with a smile. She grabbed Luna's hand and brought her outside. "Take us to the Snuckles, I really can't stand that bar anymore. I need somewhere happy..." She said, feeling tears come to her eyes again. "Just go. I'll follow you."

 

[Peekaboo]

Luna blinked, then nodded as Ginny grabbed her hand and pulled her outside, not even giving them time to finish their butterbeers, not that Luna minded, the drink just didn't taste the same in such an environment. "Well of course, I don't live too far from here actually, in a nice little street with very few people" Luna turned to head toward the area of London primarily populated with witches and wizards, the few muggles remaining in the area almost entirely employed by their 'magical superiors' as they had been told magical folk were.

Luna squeezed Ginny's hand slightly, leading her through a few streets, passing a few witches and wizards who seemed to regard the two with little more than contempt, whilst any muggles they passed kept their eyes down, the few who did dare look up just looking at them with absolute fear in their eyes. Luna however seemed to either not notice, or did a good job of hiding the fact that she had. Eventually, the two got to a small house, Luna leading the other girl inside. "So then, would you like something to eat or drink?"

 

[ABagOVicodin]

The butterbeer had tasted a little more flat when the Three Broomsticks was taken over by Voldemort, and that was possibly because all the happiness was sucked out of every building. Ollivander was killed because he gave Harry his wand, and the only wand shop that was up now, was a shop that immediately corrupted the souls of the ones who got their wands. Some were able to endure the corruption, but not many were anymore, since most people gave up. If Ginny were to hold onto one of those wands, she would lose her sanity, along with her life somewhere along the line.

As she followed Luna to her house, Ginny sat down on one of her couches, trying to get comfortable but it was reasonably hard to get comfortable when she hadn't been comfortable for years. However she smiled and nodded her head. "Um... A glass of water please." She said, not really caring for pumpkin juice anymore. Since her family was poor, she never really got into all of the sweets that the rich were able to buy. She just preferred the regular things. "How long have you been living here, Luna? Do you have a lover that is staying here?"