InsaneJournal

NaNo Fanfic Part 5
Picks up from the end of the Previous Part
Pairings: Harry/Luna, Draco/OFC
Rating: PG-13


late June, 2008, London (cont'd)

"So.  Shall I call Hermione before I get the whole story?"  Jenieve had her hand on the delicate wristwatch she wore on her left arm, a wristwatch with several hands that could encode messages for anyone else who had a watch from the set.  The members of Luna's monthly dinner club each wore one, as did a few others.  All veterans of the war, or family.

"Go ahead," said Harry as he walked to the windows and looked out.  It was one of his favorite views. "She can take an early lunch."     

Jenieve nodded and busied herself for a moment winding the correct message into the watch. They had all learned early on to differentiate urgent messages from more mundane communications, so as to prevent incidents like the one with Ginny and her bad date back in 2003, which resulted in several unnecessary breakages at a pub in South Wales, including the date's left arm. 

Luna touched Harry's wrist lightly, and he turned from the window. 

"I'm sorry, Luna," he said, taking her hand.  "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to do this together." 

She turned and lifted his arm around her shoulders, pressing herself against his side.  "Don't you dare blame yourself for my mediwitch's small-minded failure."  She pressed her face into his neck as they embraced, and was content to just breathe in his proximity.  "I love you." 

"I don't want you to go out by yourself for a while after this news breaks.  I should have planned this better, but I was so happy to be home for good."  He curled his hand around the back of her neck, combing his fingers through her hair.  "I've put you in danger again." 

Luna just sighed and held on to him. 

After a moment, the distinctive sound of a floo connection being opened made Luna turn her head on Harry's shoulder so that she could see the room.

Jenieve stood at the tall fireplace that took up most of the interior wall, with her head close to the green flames.  "Faith, ma chere, tell Draco that the MDC is having a strategy meeting in the Executive Lounge over lunch, and he should be here," Jenieve said clearly. "No, no, sweet, you can interrupt him for this.  He's only in with old school chums this morning.  Yes, MDC.  He'll understand." 

Just as Jenieve finished her call, Hermione opened the door to the lounge.  "Jen, I got your message - Luna?  Harry?  What's wrong?"  After so many years, Hermione could probably read Harry's posture better than Luna could, and she crossed the room to them with concern creasing the corners of her eyes. 

Before anyone could answer Hermione's question, the floo flared again and Draco stepped through, flicking his wand to banish the ash as the fire died behind him.  "Does Deputy Minister Weasley have another amendment on the floor, then?" he asked, seeing Hermione in her Ministry robes.  Then he saw Harry and Luna by the window and frowned. 

"Luna needs a new mediwitch, and we need a plan of action for her last one,"  Jenieve explained as she sat down at the closer end of the long conference table and began pouring tea.  "I haven't heard the whole story yet."

"What happened to Madam Tennison?"  Hermione asked, leaning on the table and crossing her arms. 

Luna shook her head and turned her face into Harry's neck again.  

"Madam Tennison," Harry said in a voice that sent shivers down Luna's spine, "not only betrayed Luna's confidence by sharing sensitive medical information without her permisson, but the woman also had the absolute gall to imply that Luna was a mentally deficient stalker who had somehow duped me into a paternity claim to get at my money."  He stroked Luna's back in long, soothing motions as her fingers curled tight in his robes. 

There was a long silence from the rest of the room. 

Finally, Draco cleared his throat and said, "Ah. Paternity?" 

"Our dinner tomorrow was going to be the announcement."  Luna lifted her head and leaned just far enough away from Harry to see the other three.  "I'm pregnant." 

Hermione's schoolgirl clap and squeal of joy were so entirely in contrast to her staid and sober Ministry robes and ruthlessly tamed hair that Luna could only laugh.  Even Harry managed to smile as his old friend threw her arms around them both.  "That's wonderful!"  

After a moment, Luna let herself be pulled from Harry's arms to accept Jenieve's congratulatory embrace, and Draco held her close long enough to kiss her cheek.  Somehow this genuine and loving reaction softened the edges of Luna's own anger, and to judge by Harry's face it may have done the same for him. 

Soon enough, though, the initial enthusiasm faded and Jenieve said, thoughtfully, "What a foolish woman, that mediwitch.  She cannot have known you well at all."     

Yet Luna had thought Madam Tennison knew her better than most, and still the woman offered only insult.  What could Luna now expect from strangers on the street?

"Perhaps I should retire to Sweden for the duration," she said, mostly in jest.  Mostly.  "Avoid the poison quill of the popular press."

"No.  This requires a plan."  Hermione tapped her knuckles against the tabletop as she thought.  "You two need to be seen as a united front from the very start.  Have you scheduled a press conference?"

"Can you take legal action for the breach of medical confidentiality?" Jenieve inquired, picking up the tea pot once more, and passing the cups down as the five of them settled into seats around the table. 

"Or threaten her with legal action unless she keeps her mouth shut about your business."  Draco steepled his fingers under his chin as he leaned back. 

"We're not blackmailing the mediwitch, Draco," Hermione countered crossly, stirring sugar into her tea a little too forcefully.  "We have to remain the wronged party here."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.  "The threat of a lawsuit is perfectly sound business practice." 

"Oh, please."  Hermione scowled at him.  "We're not talking about a business deal, this is a matter of personal privacy.  You threaten her, and she has no reason not to go to the papers, if she isn't planning to already." 

Jenieve leaned across the table, interrupting the line of sight between her husband and Hermione.  "Perhaps instead of direct blackmail, a bit of judicious society gossip can do the job.  With a word in the ears of the right women, I can reduce this Madam Tennison's practice by at least half." 

Harry rested his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.  "You have your fun, that's fine, but can we please move away from punishing the mediwitch and figure out what Luna and I are going to do now?" 

Luna dragged her finger through a trail of spilled sugar on the table, then pressed her fingertip to her tongue.  She wished she had managed to get a diagnostic charm performed before this disaster.  Her nausea was only getting worse now, and she was nervous enough without panicking over every twinge in her abdomen. 

A plate of digestive biscuits appeared on the table in front of her and she glanced over at Jenieve, who looked pointedly from Luna to the plate and back.  Luna nibbled half-heartedly on one as Hermione made her next suggestion.

"Perhaps an interview.  You've done well with those, historically, and at this point you need to get people used to hearing your names together.  Shock is not a useful reaction.  And - I know you're going to hate this - go out more often."  Hermione had actually taken out her notebook and a ballpoint pen - two Muggle affectations that other Ministry employees had begun adopting - and was listing bullet points.  "You need to be seen, and be happy about it.  We can make sure of subtle security, and perhaps our next few Dinners can be in public places?  If the others don't mind." 

"Luna should offer a lecture based on her book," Draco put in.

"A lecture?"  Luna repeated, confused.

"You were accused of committing fraud to gain Harry's money, or his fame.  And she brought up your rumored mental instability after the war, didn't she?"  At Luna's nod and Harry's groan, Draco's lips twisted into a smirk.  "The press will pick up on that if you don't counter it now.  Remind people that you have a successful career of your own.  Bring out those damned beetles you love so much and have someone from St. Mungo's write a column about their improved rate of recovery in the spell damage ward since you published your research."

Harry's expression had cleared by the time Draco finished, and he actually smiled.  "I'm glad we have friends who think well under pressure." 

Draco snorted.  "Only certain kinds of pressure.  I'll leave the street combat to you, Auror Potter." 

"And speaking of that," Hermione said.  "You should mention - loudly - how happy you are to be transferring to Regional, where you'll be able to spend more time with your family.  And how proud you are to have been so instrumental in ending the greatest Death Eater threats, and all that, but try not to focus too much on them.  You'll be protecting the citizens of Great Britain now, try to keep to that line."

"Why don't you just write us a script, Hermione?" Harry asked as he finally took a sip of his tea.

Jenieve put her hand over Luna's as Draco, Harry, and Hermione debated, Hermione waving her pen at times as if brandishing a sword.  "Are you feeling well, sweet?  What have you eaten today?"  Jenieve asked, leaning over so that she couldn't be heard over the other conversation. 

"Only crackers and a bit of broth.  I can't bear to even think of food most mornings, and even some afternoons."  Luna rubbed her temple and reached for a second biscuit. 

"Do you have any cravings we can fill now?  This is a lunch meeting." 

Luna shook her head, wondering if she could even stand to watch the others eat.  She propped her forehead on one hand and spoke for Jenieve's ears alone.  "Oh, no, please, I may be ill at the thought of more than this.  I'm so nervous.  I wish we had done the diagnostic first.  This will drive me crazy.  What if something's wrong, what if the stress has done something?" 

Jenieve squeezed Luna's wrist in gentle fingers.  "No, do not think like this.  Here, any nurse can cast this diagnostic you wish, yes?" 

Luna nodded, and Jenieve pushed her chair back and stood up.  The others stopped talking at the abrupt change, and Jenieve pulled Luna gently to her feet as well. 

"Do not stop for us.  We will just be right back," Jenieve said, and tucked Luna's hand in her elbow. 

Harry made a move as if to stand, but Jenieve's gentle shake of her head arrested his motion before he could leave his chair.  Luna tried to smile to reassure him, and although he did not look entirely happy, he did turn his attention back to Hermione and Draco. 

Jenieve led Luna out of the lounge and down the corridor, to a lift guarded by a very grumpy portrait of a princess in a tower.  "Rapunzel, we need the third level."  The portrait swung open to reveal a small but comfortable-looking chamber furnished with plush benches and a tea service on a round table. 

"Where are we going?"  Luna asked as they settled into their seats and felt the shift as the lift moved. 

"Phoenix Fire is a family-friendly company.  Another little Malfoy Redemption media coup, that, but it has been good policy so that's fine.  We have on-site child care.  And a nurse on staff." 

Luna blinked.  "You are a wonder-worker." 

Jenieve smiled and shook her head.  "For taking you to see the nurse?  No.  But for making you a Yule Ball gown to make the fashion plates of Paris weep with envy and wish they were with child?  Then I will work wonders, and you will be queen of winter." 

Luna didn't know whether to be horrified or enchanted at that prospect, but she tried not to imagine it.  By the Ministry Yule Ball she would be mere weeks from her due date, and in all likelihood extremely uninterested in being the queen of winter. 

The lift stopped with so smoothly that it took Luna a few moments to notice, and then Jenieve was pulling her out the door and into another white corridor.  This floor was decorated with Muggle photographs of mountains in all seasons.  Jenieve navigated the maze of unmarked corridors with confident ease, and they reached a door marked with a bright lime green caduceus. 

"Here.  Let us see if Adam knows this charm you need, and then all will be well." 

Fifteen minutes later Luna was sitting on a bright pink blanket in a very cheerful examination room, watching giraffes and zebras dance across the wallpaper, as the company nurse, a wizened old man with feathers in his beard but an extremely competent bedside manner, cast diagnostic charms.   "Quite the picture of health, Miss Luna.  Everything is fine," he said with a smile. "Would you like to see the baby before you go?" 

Luna longed to see that magical image again, but she took a deep breath, concentrating on her relief that the days' shocks had not done any damage.  "I think I would rather wait to do that with Harry.  But thank you so much." 

Luna was practically bouncing when she and Jenieve returned to the Executive Lounge.  Hermione was gone; Luna was not surprised, as her friend usually had a very busy schedule of appointments.  A torn sheet of notebook paper sat in the middle of the conference table, surrounded by what looked like an army of toy soldiers.  Draco and Harry sat across from each other now, each with a flat black panel in their hands, and when Harry did something with the buttons on his panel, half the toy soldiers on the table vanished and reappeared in different places.  "I can't believe you just did that," Draco crowed, pressing his own buttons, and another set of toy soldiers disappeared, reappeared, and attacked Harry's groups. 

Harry rolled his eyes, then dropped his panel onto the table and rushed from his chair when he saw Luna.  "Everything okay?"  She felt a surge of affection for him as he took both her hands in his. 

"Yes, yes, we're fine," Luna said, letting him pull her back to the table.  "We still need a new mediwitch." 

Draco waved his wand over the table and the entire set of toys vanished.  Jenieve sat next to him and swiveled so that she could swing her feet into her husband's lap.  Draco curled one hand around Jenieve's ankles and flicked his wand.  The notebook paper flew from the center of the table to hover by Luna's elbow.  "Hermione left you a name or two, and a long list of ideas.  We can discuss things in detail tomorrow."  Draco looked sharply at Luna.  "Monthly Dinner Club is still on, right?"  Jenieve had everyone in the office believing that MDC was an extremely important partner client of Draco's company, and Draco never seemed inclined to correct the assumption.  It was his sort of humor. 

Luna nodded, reading through Hermione's note.  "Yes, and please try not to be too smug about knowing our news before the others." 

"Me, smug?" 

Luna tucked her note away and thought, with something like real hope, that she would have to buy Draco a drink for making Harry laugh like that.  

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