Although she couldn't see it herself, Luna's face mirrored Sirius' exactly; both were flabbergasted, mouths hanging slightly open and blinking fairly rapidly. Sirius, being older and more experienced, managed an answer first.

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"I saw you," she answered. "I was there, at the Department of Mysteries, when you…"

"Died," he finished.

"That's what I thought happened," she answered. "But here you are, talking to me just like you're alive."

"I'm dead," he confirmed. "Or I'm having an insane dream. A really long, ridiculously detailed, insane dream."

Luna remembered the feeling of Harry's hand in hers. "I'm definitely not dreaming, so I can rule that out," she said thoughtfully. "Which would mean you're probably not either."

"If I'm dead, and you're definitely not dreaming, how can you see me?" asked Sirius.

Luna blinked and thought hard. "I honestly have no idea."

Frustrated, he stood and began pacing. "Think back to what happened to you before now," he said.

"Well, I woke up and Harry was here, and all the Healers—"

"Not now," he said impatiently. "Before you got here. After my death. Fill in the blanks."

"I think you need to relax," she answered. "It will probably affect my life a lot more than it will affect yours—oh, wait. You don't have a life, do you."

Sirius blinked in surprise, but didn't have a chance to answer before she began to speak again.

"After you died, Harry got super protective of everyone because, unless I miss my guess, he's blaming your death on himself, and—"

"It's not his fault," said Sirius immediately. "I was standing too close to the Veil, and he can't blame that on himself."

"I know that," she answered serenely. "But it's not your fault, either. It's that woman's fault—what was her name, again?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange," he answered, a scowl forming on his face. "She's—she was—my cousin."

"Oh," said Luna. "That would make for some awkward family reunions."

Sirius blinked again. "Go on."

"He started to move toward the Veil—Harry, that is. I think he was going to try to stop anyone from falling into it and sacrifice himself, if he had to."

"He has a saving people thing," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

"Well, personally, I'm grateful for it," said Luna, a small smile appearing on her face. "I think he's quite brave."

"I won't argue that," agreed Sirius, a smile appearing on his face, too.

She continued. "I was fighting Draco Malfoy's father—I always thought he was a bit nasty, although I never expected their family to be in league with Voldemort…" She broke off, contemplating this, until Sirius brought her back to the conversation with a small "hem, hem" reminiscent of Professor Umbridge. "I must have gotten too close to the Veil, because I fell…Harry said that he grabbed my hand before I could fall all the way through."

"And that's all you remember?" prompted Sirius when she was silent for a moment.

"Mhm," she agreed before adding, "although Harry mentioned something about the Healers being unsure of what the consequences of half-experience death would be."

"Evidently the consequences are seeing the dead," Sirius sighed.

Luna blinked. "You seem sad, for some reason other than being dead," she said.

He looked away for a moment, and she swore she could see a tear forming in his eye when he turned back. "I never got to say goodbye. I just left everyone behind."

She frowned. "My mom never got to say goodbye, either. She was doing one of her experiments, and then…she was dead." She took his hand. "He understands. He blames himself, not you. He's not mad or upset at you, I promise."

He met her eye, and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Luna?" questioned a voice, and she gave a startled jump when she realized Harry was standing beside her.

"Harry," she breathed, trying to regain her composure.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked, glancing at the chair.

In a panic, she glanced quickly at Sirius—only to realize he was gone.

"No one," she lied. "I find that it sometimes helps if one talks out loud to themselves, to more sensibly reason things out."

He blinked and inwardly shrugged. She was, after all, Luna Lovegood. "You look a little better. Are you feeling better?"

"Oh—yes, I believe so," she answered. She noticed the Healer at his shoulder, the one who he'd left to find in the first place. "Do you know when I'll be able to leave?" she asked, directing the question at her.

"Soon, dear," answered the Healer, waving her wand to assess Luna's condition. "Very soon."

Luna nodded and looked away. She realized with a jolt that she hadn't seen anyone else since… "Harry," she questioned, looking back at him. "Is everyone else all right?"

"Yes," he said with a sigh, sinking down into the chair he had occupied before. "They're a little shaken up, but physically unharmed."

Luna frowned. He had some much on his shoulders, between Sirius' death and the prophecy…she didn't want to be one more burden. But when she tried to convey this, the words wouldn't come out right. Instead, she muttered quietly, "Thank you for being here."

He nodded. "You're welcome."

They sat in silence, listening to the Healers bustle around the ward attending to patients, until Luna caught a fragment of conversation from a few beds away.

"…either way, she won't be the same ever again," said a voice, apparently resigned.

"She's a strong girl," answered another voice, and Luna recognized this one to be her father's. "She pulled through her mother's death without any damage."

There was a pregnant pause, as if the first voice didn't believe this to be true. "That was an emotional hardship," it answered. "This is a physical injury, however internal it may be."

"Maybe she will be the same," argued her father. "Maybe she won't change."

"I hate to be the one to inform of this," sighed the first, "but even if she doesn't suffer any consequences from her fall, she won't be the same ever again."

Luna met Harry's eyes, and they both silently agreed with the first.

Don't resent me,

And when you're feeling empty,

Keep me in your memory,

Leave out all the rest…

"Leave Out All The Rest" Linkin Park

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I had writer's block and then no internet access. Sorry =) Am I getting Luna close to in character? Or am I wildly off? I'd like to know, so leave a comment in your review, please. =) Have a great day!