Author's Note: This focuses on a bonding relationship. Contact is hypersensitive between the bonded and is used to help soothe, calm, and heal the bond-mates.
I Wouldn't Mind
Week 1
Luna Lovegood never thought she would stumble upon a fellow peer dragging another from the rubble of Hogwarts castle, nor did she have to even consider deciding on if she should help them or not as she immediately came to their aid. She would have written off the encounter as a mere coincidence if she had left to pursue her life's dream to travel the world and uncover the mysteries of the many creatures out there, but Luna had a different calling after the war was won.
In the intensive care unit of St. Mungo's Hospital, she carefully changed out the IV bag of the very person she had saved from the rubble a week ago. The room's ambient lighting was just enough for her to easily identify the battered visage of Theodore Nott lying motionless on the hospital bed. She waved her wand over his heart to activate a soft, pink light above his chest that pulsed in time with the steady beat of his heart. Healer Jason Hale had placed him in a medically induced coma to speed his healing, considering his crushed body had endured high levels of trauma. Luna was awed at his survival in and of itself, finding it miraculous, even.
Pulling the blanket up some, she heard shouts from just outside the room. Luna smiled to herself. She knew he would come eventually; the bonded never could stay separated for long.
"You are not permitted to be in this part of the hospital. I'm going to have to ask you to return to the waiting room immediately." Healer Hale's level voice caused Luna to emerge from the room to encounter a very agitated and sickly looking Draco.
He ceased his tirade when he noticed her standing at Jason's side. "It's you!" Draco's demeanor shifted drastically from irate to reserved.
"You made it," Luna responded passively. "He is stable, but in a coma. It was best, considering the massive trauma his body endured—"
"Miss Lovegood, you are not allowed to disclose patient information so freely," Jason scolded his assistant.
"It's alright, Healer Hale. Mr. Malfoy is listed as Mr. Nott's emergency contact," Luna revealed, addressing the file that Jason currently held in hand.
"I stand corrected. Thank you, Miss Lovegood." Jason reinforced the hidden apology with a smile. "How is the patient?"
"I replaced the IV bag and checked his vitals. They all remain stable, but they are still below the recommended levels," the witch recited while Jason recorded what she said inside the file.
She glanced at Draco while she spoke to her superior. She could see the conflict within him, either wanting to interrupt or simply getting annoyed at being ignored. It was difficult to read someone who kept masking the surge of emotions that flashed across his face.
"I want to see him," he blurted suddenly, voice stern with determination.
"We do not allow guests to see patients in the critical care ward, Mr. Malfoy," Jason stated matter-of-factly. "Miss Lovegood will walk you to the waiting room and answer any questions you may have."
"I don't care," Draco started to challenge before Luna cut in.
"A brief visit wouldn't harm anyone, Healer Hale," Luna suggested, offering a light smile to the senior Healer. "In fact, it will do quite the opposite, really. You shouldn't underestimate the healing properties that can be offered from a loved one, after all."
Jason regarded her a moment, processing her strange logic. With a subtle shake of his head, he briefly glanced at Draco. "Your philosophies will never cease to baffle me, Miss Lovegood. Very well. But keep it short, please. I will check in soon."
Draco bypassed them as soon as the words of approval escaped the Healers mouth. He burst through the door where Theo rested, Luna silently following behind him. The blond hovered over the gravely injured wizard for a moment, and then slowly sank into the chair beside the bed. The witch quietly observed him as he buried his face in his hands as he spoke in inaudible whispers to Theo. Luna wasn't sure if Draco even knew she was there, but something stopped her from discreetly slipping back outside to allow them privacy.
She didn't know either of them at all, not really. They had caused trouble for the D.A. Draco had terrorized her friends, and occasionally her by extension. After all, it was only a short time ago when she had witnessed his bullying, arrogant, and racist persona. Now she saw him, ragged from war, damaged, scared, and concerned, a side of him that she knew he often kept hidden away.
Allowing her instincts to guide her, she quietly approached the blond. Wishing to offer him some sort of silent comfort and assurance, she placed a delicate hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She felt Draco tense briefly at the contact, but then it morphed into a shaken wave of emotion as a quiet sob escaped him.
.oOo.
Week 3
Theo remained in his coma for another two weeks since Draco's arrival. Luna had pulled more strings with a very reluctant Jason to allow Draco to remain in the room with their patient for as long as it took for Theo to heal. She pointed out that some color had returned to the dark-haired wizard after the brief hour Draco had been granted the day he came. The witch argued that Theo's levels would improve quicker with longer exposure to his loved one. Sure enough, Luna's suggestion improved Theo's health just enough that Jason decided it was time to wake him.
Draco sat in the same chair beside the bed for so long that it was a wonder he hadn't molded directly into it. As Luna quietly went through the motions of her checklist: adjusting Theo's pillows, changing out the blanket, switching nutrition and IV bags, keeping him clean, and monitoring his vitals. The soft hum of a song offered a great comfort to Draco, but the two exchanged very few words whenever they were present.
She didn't mind though, Luna could feel his suffering almost radiate from his very being and she knew he was struggling with a lot of unspoken turmoil. It was not her business to meddle, but if he wished to open up to her, she wouldn't deny him.
The serene quiet mixed with the subtle thud of the pink pulsating orb hovering above Theo's chest and the pleasant song Luna hummed was interrupted by the quietest of voices.
"Do you believe in miracles?" The question was breathed out so quietly Luna wasn't even sure she heard Draco even speak.
Releasing a long, quiet breath of her own, she looked over at the wizard with sincerity. "Yes, of course I do. Don't you?"
"It wasn't something I was raised to believe in. There's no logic behind it to grasp the concept," Draco explained, keeping his voice low as if he didn't want to disturb Theo. "But then all this happened and I–"
The silence snaked between them as Draco turned his face away from Luna. He was hiding what he felt was a weakness – feelings. "I should be the one laying here half dead, not him. He didn't deserve this…"
Luna moved around the bed to stand beside Draco now, offering him that simple comforting squeeze of his shoulder. The tension she felt under the surface was startling, but the witch did not pull back.
"What if he doesn't wake up?"
"He will."
"But how do you know for sure?" Draco looked up at Luna then, allowing her to see the fear swirling in his soul.
"You just have to believe that he will pull through," she continued. "Simply believe in him. Believe in the Healer. Believe in the miracle of his very survival and the choice he made to save you."
Luna offered a soft smile, feeling the tension lesson under her touch. Draco dropped his gaze to Theo, carefully taking one of his hands in his. She closed her eyes when he leaned forward to kiss him, offering privacy at seeing the gesture. She allowed herself to focus on breathing calmly to further soothe the distressed wizard in the meantime. A warmth covered her hand then and she opened her eyes to see that Draco placed his free hand over hers while still holding Theo's. He never took his eyes off the dark-haired wizard, and she couldn't take hers off him by the sheer fact that she was awed by how dedicated to Theo he was. The deep connection she felt course between the two was staggering, and it only made her smile warmly at the thought that he wanted to share that intimate feeling with her.
The two quickly separated when Jason had entered then with everything needed to start the process of drawing Theo out of the coma. He carefully measured out the potion dosage while Luna exchanged the IV bag containing the potion that kept him under with a different one.
"It will take about eight hours to flush the remaining potion from him, but it may take longer to see signs of waking," Jason explained as he checked vitals and the drip flow of the bag. "Patience, is all I ask of you."
Luna left with Jason, and the waiting continued.
Twenty-four hours ticked by and Theo hadn't shown any natural signs of waking. The Healer felt that offering a minor jump start would be beneficial now. Draco was wracked with various waves of emotions to the point where he started pacing the room.
Luna was busy monitoring vitals, determined to help get Theo back for Draco's sake. Jason carefully measured the desired dosage of potion before injecting in in Theo's arm. He watched for any changes. The room was quiet, the tension pulsed from an anxious wizard skirting around them, peering over shoulders to see any difference, before resuming his pacing. It was making her nervous, and it was not going to help the process if everyone was on edge.
Giving her superior a silent exchange, Luna paused in her task to tend to Draco. She wrapped her arms around his midsection, placing her palms against his chest, and pressed a cheek against the center of his back. Focusing on the racing beat of his heart, Luna breathed in slowly and released it until she could no longer, and then inhaled deeply once more. Not a word was exchanged at the sudden gesture, this silent exchange Luna knew would help calm the blond down. The touch alone was enough, but having him focus on her breaths and synchronize his with it was what really brought Draco down from an ongoing panic.
He covered her hands with his and just listened to her serene breaths. The two remained like that for several minutes before Luna took his hand and guided him to Theo's side. She clasped her hand over Theo's, and placed Draco's on top. Theo's hand twitched between them, and Luna released her hand when a raspy groan emitted from the bed.
Luna stepped aside, quietly watching as Draco gripped Theo's hand tighter while he whispered in his ear and kissed his temple. Jason's voice was merely background noise as he calmly asked Theo general questions and explained what had happened to him and where he was. The drastic shift in the air was enough to make her heart sing. After Jason jotted down the information in the file and hung it on the foot of the bed, she exchanged that "I told you so" look with him.
He may not be keen on the healing magic Luna spoke of, but it was clear that it was working. Jason couldn't explain the progress any other practical way for the moment, so he let it slide.
.oOo.
Week 12
"Do you believe in miracles?" Theo's hushed voice asked Luna late one evening as she checked his vitals, humming a soft song as she worked.
Draco had long since passed out on the transfigured couch he conjured by the window nearby, so she made sure to keep her voice low. She didn't hesitate in her answer.
"Yes, of course I do. Don't you?"
He gave a quick shake of his head. "I never had any reason to before, but now I can't seem to deny I still being around is anything but one."
"That is what makes miracles so enchanting, they never make much sense as to why they happen, they just do," she explained.
"Yet I shouldn't even be here…"
Theo's mannerisms were similar to Draco's. He stalled when trying to express his feelings and turned his head some to look passed Luna and over to Draco instead. She had tried to give the pair their privacy since Theo had woken up, so they hadn't conversed much other than Luna asking generic questions about his pain levels. There were times when it felt wrong leaving them, as if she was forcing the separation for her own sake rather then theirs. She was getting attached, and that simply wouldn't do.
"Draco told me you saved him," Luna recalled, glancing his way as she spoke. "He returned the gesture by saving you."
"Not without your help, he says. Had you not been in that corridor…"
The quiet settled between them. Not wishing to recite the past anymore then what was needed, Luna chose her words carefully. "I did what was right."
Luna met hazel eyes then, a shaky hand lifted from the bed to reach for hers and she gladly accepted it, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm glad you did."
.oOo.
Week 22
"I just want a nice, easy life. What's wrong with that?" Theo said with a laugh before he winced at the pain screaming from his still healing ribs.
"You just want to be a lazy sod while I do all the work," Draco deadpanned, the seriousness in his tone conflicted with his amused expression.
"You wound me, love." He placed a hand over his heart and made a very convincing hurt expression. "Can't you see I just want to go home already?"
Theo showed tremendous progress in his recovery the past several weeks now. Luna kept her giggles contained behind a warm smile as she made busy work of the simplest of tasks to draw out her time in their presence. It got to the point where it bothered Jason to no end at how long his assistant lingered in this particular room, but she couldn't help it anymore. Avoiding them made everyone miserable – herself especially – so succumbing to the bond that had slowly weaved the three together was no doubt the best choice... for now.
"I know what will cure the homesickness, at least for a time," Luna softly announced, catching the boy's attention. "I'll be right back."
She left the room without another word, leaving two confused wizards to exchange questioning looks. Unfortunately Luna was gone much longer than she anticipated, so the three mugs of hot chocolate she prepared an hour ago had long since cooled and the marshmallows she added were dissolved into the mixture.
"I'm sorry, duty calls at the more inconvenient of times." She placed the tray on the portable table before drawing her wand, using a quick warming charm on the mugs to revive their contents temperature. "I'm afraid the marshmallows cannot be saved."
Luna's voice faltered some as she spoke, it's song-like pitch was duller than usual. She could only hope that Draco and Theo were not as in tune with her as she was with them to pick up on it. Swallowing down the sadness that welled in her, she distributed the drinks and settled down in the chair Draco no longer occupied – he preferred sitting on the bed most times now.
"I have some good news." Luna stalled with a long drink of her hot chocolate, too lost in her world to really notice them giving her their full attention. "Your remarkable recovery has granted you an early release as soon as next week, according to Healer Hale. He is one of the best there is, so you know his decisions are precise. You are lucky to have had him, Theo."
"No," Draco dismissed the praise almost harshly. "We were lucky to have you, Luna."
"I second that," Theo confirmed, smirking at her.
Draco clasped his hand over Luna's free one, silver meeting light grey. "Thank you."
The warm smile she gave him didn't help drown her sadness. Feeling needed was something Luna always liked, but the attention from these wizards made it extremely difficult to deliver the bad news. She wasn't sure she could do it anymore. The thought had her pull away from Draco's touch, sloshing some hot chocolate on Theo and his blanket in the process.
"Oh no, my cocoa has made a mess," Luna said, flustered with emotions. She sat down the cup and hastily collected the soiled bedding. "I'll be right back."
Theo caught her hand as she turned away, feeling soft lips brush her knuckles. That same surge she felt when Draco touched her hand all those weeks ago came flooding back at this gesture from Theo. Her eyes welled with tears and she quickly retreated from the room.
She didn't come back.
.oOo.
Week 25
Luna had packed her trunk with everything she needed to travel the world. Her heart was heavy when she was dismissed from St. Mungos since they no longer needed the volunteers, but she knew that it was the right thing to do. It was not her calling, that chapter was over, and she couldn't interfer with Draco and Theo's relationship anymore than she already had. Her desire to pursue her dreams in becoming a Magizoologist was still overwhelming, but all she could think about was the last six short, but blissful months in St. Mungo's. She helped heal several injured from the war with suggestions and a unique practice, even producing promising results. But Luna never intended to bond with them. She knew it wouldn't work out, so leaving them without a word was best.
Giving her father a hug and a kiss on his cheek, Luna threw the Floo powder into the fireplace of her childhood home, stepping in and announcing her destination to the Ministry's Department of Magical Transportation. Silvanus Kettleburn – who got bored in retirement – arranged for her first field assignment from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to study the Occamie's new nesting grounds in the Far East.
As she waited in line for her turn to sign off and accept the trinket that would send her on a three month adventure, Luna twirled the worn down quill in her fingers as she pondered the words that needed to be written in the letter. She never said goodbye to Draco and Theo, so she felt that they at least deserved one in writing.
"Hey, Lovegood!"
Luna looked straight up, staring at the back of the person in front of her. That voice was all too familiar, and the fluttering in her chest made her head all fuzzy. The Wrackspurts jumped her at the first opportunity when Luna hoped she was simply hearing things.
Closing her eyes, she exhaled slowly before deciding to turn around. Silver eyes opened, meeting the pair that stopped a meter away. Luna felt the tears well in her eyes as a smile crept across her face. She asked them with a shaky breath the only thing she could think of in that moment.
"Do you believe in miracles?"
Draco and Theo closed the distance and pulled her into a tight, desperate, but welcoming hug.
"We definitely do now," Theo whispered in her ear.
Draco pulled away and wiped the tears off her cheek with a thumb. "Mind if we tag along?"
Luna laughed despite herself, giving a light sniff to compose herself.
"I wouldn't mind."
.oOo.
You came and you took this heart, and set it free
I Wouldn't Mind; He Is We
.oOo.
Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)
Written for the Terms of Service May 2018 Challenge
Assignment 10 - Muggle Music - Task 5.1: Write about someone who believes in miracles
(bonus incorporate [drink] Hot Chocolate)
Terms of Service Fill: 04
Representation(s): Hospital Help/Volunteer
Bonus Challenge(s): Tomorrow's Shade; Nightingale; Second Verse (Not A Lamp)
Moresome May: 3. Dialogue: "I just want to go home."
Count Your Buttons: 1. [Song] "I Wouldn't Mind"- He Is We
National Photography Month: 4. Burns Archive: Set your story at St. Mungo's Hospital.
The Insane House Challenge: 462. [Item] Bed
365 Prompts Challenge: 94. [Dialogue] "I just want a nice, easy life. What's wrong with
that?"
Word Count: (Per Google Docs) 3,352
Beta(s): Pix