Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to the incomparable J. K. Rowling. No money is being made from this.

Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition – Season Seven – Quarter Finals

Captain for the Tutshill Tornados

Quarter-Finals

In It Together

We're nearing the end of the season, and we'll be sorry to see you go, but there's still a few rounds left! So why not make the most of what little time we have left with each other?

Each position has been given a prompt associated with one or more of their teammates

(All prompts must be listed in your A/N, otherwise your judge won't know what they are and you will, unfortunately, not be able to receive any points for that section)

CAPTAIN: Write a story dedicated to your entire team (you must include an aspect for each team member — e.g. fave pairing, plot device, character, song, colour etc — and post in the A/N which prompt has come from which team member. As you'll be using 7 prompts, this can be something small, but it must be present and at least 3 must heavily influence the plot.)

Thanks to my amazing team for betaing. You're all amazing!

Viola: The Story by Brandi Carlile (used Lyrics: So many stories of where I've been/And how I got to where I am)

Jaz: Vampire AU

Anna: Historical AU

Hazuzu: Yuri

Frida: Tomarry

Natalie: a character is more of the silent type and believes that actions speak louder than words

Lovely: (color) Dark Forest Green

Word count: 2996

Together

Harry crouched lower into the underbrush when he heard a car approaching. When they had started rounding everyone up, his great-aunt had told them to run. His parents might not have been Jews, but his mother's family on her mother's side were. His dad had agreed with her—he hadn't wanted to risk it.

The plan had been simple: try to cross the border into Switzerland and from there make their way back home to England.

In practice, it was harder.

Three days in, Harry had no idea where his parents were, nor where he was for that matter.

He cursed as another car drove by. Even though it clearly wasn't military, he didn't want to risk being seen. For all he knew, they could be sympathizers and hand him in. Why hadn't he learned German as his mother had insisted? He doubted being English would earn him any points as things were.

He startled as a small hand covered his mouth and pulled him back. He struggled to get free and managed to turn, coming face to face with wide bright blue eyes. The girl brought a finger to her lips, singling him to be silent. He frowned but let her pull him further into the surrounding bushes. She pulled him down, crouching near the ground.

Harry stared at her, flabbergasted. As he was about to open his mouth to demand what the hell she was doing, she slapped her hand over his mouth, curling in further on herself. Moments later, Harry heard the telltale sounds of marching.

Heart thundering away in his chest, he froze; eyes never moving from the approaching platoon.

He hardly noticed the tight grip the girl had on his hand.

What seemed like an eternity later, the last soldier passed them, and Harry took a shuddering breath. The hand wrapped around his squeezed once, then let go. Harry looked towards the girl.

"I'm Harry," he said, hoping she knew English.

She smiled—a small dreamy thing pulling at the corner of her lips. "Luna." She had a very faint accent, barely noticeable in her soft, breathy voice.

"Why are you hiding?" He wanted to smack himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. There was only one reason why she would be hiding from the Nazis.

Luna's eyes focused on him for the first time—impossibly blue and round and so innocent that for a moment Harry thought that she was younger than he had at first assumed.

"They came for us during the night," she said, slowly leaning closer to him. "Mutti…" She closed her eyes, and Harry remained still as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "They shot Mutti." Her breath hitched, her nails pierced tiny crescent moons into his skin, but Harry didn't move. "Vati said to run, hide." She shrugged. "I run, hide."

Without conscious thought, he wrapped his free arm around her tiny figure and pulled her closer. "I'm sorry." What else could he say? No words could possibly offer her any sort of comfort or peace.

He leaned back against the tree trunk, pulling her closer as he felt her tears on his neck. They were far from safe, but he could give her a moment to mourn.

Harry huddled closer to the corner he had been shoved into, making sure that Luna was as close to him as possible.

He flinched as a large man stumbled into him when the train gave a particularly violent jolt. The man smiled at them—strained and broken—but Harry could see the utter desolation in his eyes.

"I'm scared," Luna whispered against his cheek, the words almost drowned by the heavy sounds of the train getting closer and closer to their destination.

His arms tightened around her. "We'll be fine." His voice was steady, and for a moment he convinced even himself. "I won't leave you."

He wouldn't. Luna was family. They had almost made it to the border together. Those months they had spent together hiding and running and hoping against hope that they would make it had created a bond Harry would do anything to protect.

Luna wrapped her dainty arms around his waist. "I know, Bruder."

The train slowed to a stop, and Harry pretended that his shaking came from the cold and not the bloodcurdling fear that threatened to freeze his legs in place.

"Aus!"

He flinched at the shouts and loud banging against the walls of the train.

"Geh raus! Jetzt! Aus!"

Dogs were barking and snarling, and Harry pulled Luna even closer. He didn't want to move. He couldn't. He jumped, shoving Luna behind him when a large hand landed on his shoulder.

The man from before was looking at them.

"Better to go out," he said, with a heavy accent. "Not want them coming get you."

Harry swallowed thickly. He nodded. He knew. He needed to move, he needed to leave the train. Still, his legs refused to obey him.

Luna gave his hand a small squeeze. He glanced back at her.

She smiled at him through her tears. "Zusammen."

He turned, pulling her into a hug. She didn't complain, even though Harry knew he was holding her far too tight.

"I promise," he said, releasing her.

He took a shuddering breath and started following the people out of the train. The closer they came to the doors and the crisp night air, the shakier his steps became. He wanted to be strong for Luna, she needed him, and yet, he couldn't help but feel he was leading them to their deaths the closer he walked to those doors.

As soon as their feet hit the graveled ground, Luna was pulled from his arms.

"Luna!" He pulled against the arms holding him. "Luna!"

"Harry!"

He saw her struggling against the men holding her, and he snarled, kicking out at the man that had him in a vice-like grip.

"Luna!"

Next, pain was all he knew.

"You have to come," the man who usually slept on the makeshift bunk above Harry's said.

Well, calling him a man was stretching it a bit. Credence couldn't be much older than Harry.

Harry remained on his bed, staring at the far wall of the barracks. It had been four days since they'd been taken from that cursed train, and he hadn't seen Luna since.

Credence sighed, and with strength that one wouldn't suspect he had, pulled him out of the bed. Credence held his shoulders—his grip the only thing keeping Harry upright.

"You have to come. They will punish you." Slowly, Credence raised a hand to cup his cheek. "You need to fight. Be strong. To find Luna again, yes?"

"Luna?" Harry whispered, and Credence smiled. It was small, barely a twitch of his lips, but it was the brightest thing Harry had seen in what felt like forever.

Harry nodded and didn't resist when Credence pulled him out of the barracks.

He would be strong. He would make it. He would find Luna.

Together. They had promised.

"Harry!"

His heart skipped a beat. He turned, looking around frantically, only to be jumped on. He felt the tears on his neck even as his arms came to wrap around the shuddering body. "Luna," he whispered, shoulders slumping.

A month. One whole month away from her. Nightmares about her fate plaguing his sleep, and now, finally, he had her back.

He pulled away a bit, taking in her teary smile.

Gone was her long blonde hair and cork necklace. Logically, he knew what to expect; however, it still came as a shock to see her shaved head and rags hanging from her skinny body. There was no more innocence in her beautiful eyes, and Harry mourned for its loss.

Luna cupped his cheeks, pulling him closer again. "I missed you," she whispered, her tears evident in her words even as her eyes were dry.

"Me too."

Days turned into weeks, and Harry made sure that he was always near Luna. He shielded her as much as he could; however, it proved futile most days. Death was a constant companion—either illness or an overzealous guard made sure of that.

Even so, those were the deaths that were envied by many in the camp. None of them wanted to be handed over to the Ärzte. Harry grimaced just thinking about them. Doctors, what a joke. His uncle Remus was a doctor, and Harry knew he would be outraged if he saw what these so-called doctors were doing.

He picked up a bowl of the mush they were given to eat and joined Luna in a secluded corner.

"What has you so distracted lately?" he asked.

Luna turned towards him, a spark of something in her eyes that he hadn't seen since they'd been caught. She looked back towards where she'd been gazing.

Harry followed her look, raising an eyebrow when he saw two women leaning against a partially collapsed wall.

"She's very pretty," Luna said.

Harry's eyes widened, terror filling his being like nothing else had before.

"Luna!" He gripped her arm, dropping his bowl of mush, and looking around frantically.

Luna bit her bottom lip and dropped her head. "I'm sorry," she said.

Harry shook his head, willing his racing heart to calm back down. "I'm sorry," he said, and she looked back up. "I just… I'm afraid. You know what they'll do."

Luna smiled—so bright and full of life that it took Harry's breath away. "Love is nothing to be afraid of."

She turned back towards the women, and Harry saw the blonde one looking back, a beautiful smile on her lips as her eyes landed on Luna.

"Love makes life worth living."

Harry watched as the blonde made her way towards them, and the grip he had on Luna's arm slackened.

Luna got up, meeting the woman halfway, small smiles on their lips, gentle touches hidden from most.

Harry looked away, giving them what privacy he could. If they could find love in a place like this…

His heart raced and his breath shuddered.

Hope… he hadn't felt such a thing in a long while. It felt dangerous. Could he get something that pure for himself? He shook his head. Luna still retained her innocence, while he… Who would want him?

Queenie was her name, and Harry understood how Luna fell in love with her. Even in the camps, she held onto hope. Her sister, Tina, had been just as afraid for Queenie as Harry had been for Luna, but trying to stop the two from being together made them feel like monsters.

They had so few things to be happy about, how could they possibly try and break them apart?

As such, Tina and Harry became their secret keepers, finding ways to keep them safe and their love hidden.

"Honestly," Harry muttered as Queenie and Luna waltzed by him to a tune only the pair of them could hear.

Tina shook her head, but Harry spied a smile tugging at her lips. "It's nice seeing such simple joy," she said. "I was certain it was something I would never see again." She looked at her sister who had dipped Luna. "She's the reason I haven't lost hope yet." Tina leaned back against the makeshift seats they had found. "Queenie was always such a bright soul. She could spend days in silence, but she walked into a room and it was as if the sun itself had graced you with its presence. I've always talked about doing this and that, but Queenie… she did it. She lived." Tina chuckled, and Harry made no comment about how strained it sounded. "I don't think even this place could break her."

As Luna and Queenie waltzed by them once more—loving gazes and soft touches and no words exchanged at all—Harry could see why Tina thought so.

They lived and loved, and it didn't seem like anything could break them.

"Luna!" he screamed in a repeat of that night so long ago. "No! Luna!"

He struggled against the soldiers holding him down, kicking and screaming and fighting with every bit of strength left in his broken body.

"Dieser Gräuel wird nicht toleriert!" the Captain snarled, looking at Queenie and Luna in disgust.

How? Harry howled inside his mind. They had been so careful! How had they found out?

"However," the Captain said, switching to English and smirking at Harry, "before we remove this blight from the Earth, we will show them the touch of a man."

Harry's eyes widened and his struggles doubled as the Captain motioned for a group of soldiers to step closer. "No!" Harry cried. "Stop it!"

A hand gripped his hair in a vice-like grip and slammed his head against the ground. "Stille! Das haben sie verdient!"

Harry struggled to lift his head, and he heard Luna scream and thrash around in a soldier's grip. "No, no, no. Please," Harry mumbled against the gravel, splitting his lips as the tiny, sharp rocks brushed against them.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The sharp, cold voice was heard over the sound of Luna's struggle, freezing everyone in place.

Harry twisted a little, trying to look at who had spoken. His eyes landed on a tall, dark-haired man, dressed in a uniform that spoke of high standing but looking completely different from the ones Harry was used seeing from the Nazis. However, the thing that made Harry's blood freeze in his veins was the man's eyes. Even from a distance, Harry was sure they were blood-red.

He startled as the soldier pulled him up, and those eyes locked with his own.

A shiver ran down his spine; never had he felt more like prey.

Harry held perfectly still in the plush armchair he was seated on. He could hardly remember the last time he had sat on anything so comfortable.

The man from that afternoon was sitting across from him, sipping on a glass of red wine.

They had been in these positions for going on ten minutes, and yet Harry hadn't dared to move a muscle.

Luna, Queenie, and Tina had been taken to the neighboring room, and he didn't want to risk them.

"Exquisite," the man said, breaking the heavy silence.

Harry couldn't place his accent at all, but it was very agreeable to the ear. It was so soft and lulling, and Harry found himself thinking that he could spend the rest of his life just listening to it.

"Your eyes," the man continued. "They are exquisite. Dark forest green. When I saw them in that camp… the only thing that seemed alive amidst all that bleakness."

Harry cleared his throat, trying in vain to stop the blush from spreading on his cheeks.

"Thank you," he croaked out, clearing his throat once more.

He shuddered as he saw the man's eyes focusing on his throat, following the path of his Adam's apple.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked, amusement and mischief in his eyes as if he already knew Harry's answer.

Harry shook his head.

"I am the man behind this war."

Harry frowned. "No, you're not."

He might have been in the camps for the last few months, but he had seen Hitler's face before. This man looked nothing like him.

The man chuckled—a deep, rich sound, that did things to Harry that he didn't want to think about.

"No, not dear Adolf." He stood, walking towards Harry and boxing him in. "That man is merely a tool. I am Marvolo." He flashed Harry a smile, and for the first time, Harry saw the sharp teeth hidden behind that sinful mouth. "Everything you think you know… It's nothing but a fanciful creation elaborated by my associates and I to keep the human population manageable."

Harry's ears were ringing. No. No. No. This was all a lie. A dream. Yes, he had been struck unconscious. None of this was real.

Marvolo's smile grew larger, teeth on full display.

"Denial… I wonder why that is always a human's first reaction. I assure you, I am very real." He pressed in even closer, and Harry could smell a hint of cooper on Marvolo's breath. That hadn't been wine after all. "I have a proposition for you, Harry."

"How do you know my name?" he asked, gathering every bit of courage he had.

Marvolo leaned back a bit. "Your file, of course. Now, back to my proposition, yes?"

Harry nodded.

"You know what I am."

Harry nodded once more, even if his mind was still refusing to accept it.

"I have lived a very long life. I have seen things you couldn't possibly imagine. I have so many stories of where I've been and how I got to where I am." Marvolo leaned further in, his nose brushing against Harry's neck, and Harry swallowed when there was a featherlight press of lips. "I thought it was what I wanted. Immortality." The word was breathed on his skin. "However, it is so incredibly dull that I can hardly stomach the passing of the days much less the coming years. Not even this little war that I have concocted keeps me entertained." Harry shuddered at a sharp nip to his neck, that was quickly soothed by a hot tongue. "You smell divine. You make me feel alive. I wonder why that is." Marvolo pulled back. "My proposition is simple, remain with me. I will keep your friends safe and hunt down your parents. If they are alive, I will find them and bring them to you. In exchange, all I ask is for you to remain with me. Swear yourself to me. Your blood, your body, your soul."

"I…" Harry swallowed. Could he? His parents, were they even alive? But even if they weren't, there was Luna. Together. They had promised. "I swear."

Marvolo smiled, fangs on display, then he was lapping at Harry's neck, and Harry moaned as pleasure flooded his body and darkness claimed him.