Chapter – 4 Confessions Calamity

Draco entered the study where Winky had taken his guest or guests were more like it. All four of them, he was expecting two possibly three but not four, two Weasels in his house, and Potter of course, and the only one he had originally invited. They were all perched very precariously around the room looking as if the books might fly off the shelves and take them to the dungeons. He almost made a remark about how he only invited one and got four guests, but decided he needed them in his good graces for the time being. Luna had fallen a few steps behind him, he suspected she stopped in the bathroom just before the entry way.

"Can I get you all anything?" he said moving to the bar in the corner of the room near a large window. As he passed Harry he stuck out his hand in an amicable gesture. "Potter." He then turned to Ron who was standing nearest the bar. "Weasley."

"Firewhiskey for me," said Ron eagerly.

"Me too." Harry stood from his chair.

"Ladies, anything for either of you?" he asked as the dark colored liquid filled the crystal tumbles.

Both of them shook their head.

He knew they were all uncomfortable, and so he decided not to keep them in the lurch any longer.

"Granger," he said moving to a chair in front of the window, propping his elbows on his knees, drink clasped in his hands, "what do you know about curses, and I am not talking about Aveda Kedavra."

"You mean things that are hexed or cursed?" Hermione shifted in her seat as she answered him.

"Precisely."

"Why have you been cursed or hexed by something?" she asked puzzled.

He felt The Scar and the Weasels gawking at him, but paying close attention to the conversation.

"No, but someone I care about has," he cleared his throat. "Well only partially cursed, if you can be partially cursed. You see the initial curse killed the person that actually broke the accursed item, and then it sort of passed through him to her."

"How long has it been since this happened?" Hermione asked him, concentrating.

"Who?" Harry asked blatantly.

Draco ignored him only directing his conversation to Hermione. "It has been over a year since this happened."

"Well honestly I don't know Draco," she said standing up. "It would depend on the origin of the curse, and the witch or wizard that placed it there. There are a lot of things to consider here."

He could tell she was thinking hard about it, why he didn't just go to her in the first place? He glanced at the door to the study, he thought Luna would have joined them by now- what if she had another spell. What if she was lying unconscious on the bathroom floor? He fidgeted a little in his seat, he began to worry. He moved his eyes back quickly to Hermione who was now pacing the study.

"Do you still have the item that released the curse?" she turned to him and asked.

He nodded his head. Yes of course he still had it; he hoped that she wouldn't ask that, it was the last thing he wanted to see.

"What kind of effects did you say it had on the person, it killed the first one correct?"

"Yes, instantly," he stood his drink still in his hand, the memory presenting itself clearly in his mind. He glanced over at Potter who was finishing off his Firewhiskey. "Then it was as if it tried to latch onto her too, but I think it was only because she was behind him over his shoulder, touching him probably."

"Is there any possible way I can examine her?" Hermione asked. "What kind of state is she in now?"

Draco was about to answer her when he heard music coming from down the hallway. It was the old harpsichord that was in the music room, the sound filled the house with a great eerie sensation. His muscles relaxed a little, for he figured it to be Luna playing.

"House elf play, Malfoy?" Ron asked with a slight smirk.

He shrugged his shoulders, and then turned back to Hermione. "She is apparently well enough to play the harpsichord."

"She is here then?" Hermione still had that intense thinking look on her face.

"Couldn't your dad figure something out to help," Ginny said off-handed, looking in the direction of the door, the music had come to a stop. "I mean…" she trailed off.

"Well, I would like to keep my father out of this if at all possible." Draco rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "It is a matter of privacy."

"Oh seeing someone that family wouldn't approve of huh Malfoy?" Ron couldn't help but be smug.

"Probably," Luna said in an even voice from the door.

Draco looked up with a slight grin on his face; Harry's face was contorted in confusion as was Ron's and Hermione seemed to have lost her voice. Ginny only smiled.

"Luna," Ginny said.

The surprise in her voice and the looks on the other's faces confirmed the initial shock; both he and Luan knew they would be this way.

"What a surprise," she continued, her voice still reveling disbelief.

"Luna is who you are talking about?" Hermione spun looking back at Draco, then back to Luna.

"Yes, it has been a rather unpleasant time over the last months." She walked into the room and stood beside Draco. "Sick headaches that feel like death, ludicrous nightmares, sick to your stomach all the time and then the sleep, sometimes for days," she explained as they all still had gaping mouths. "At first I thought it was the shock of my father's death, and my witnessing it, but then Draco, came to the conclusion that the curse must have attached a little piece of itself to me."

Hermione rounded on Luna, her face red. "Why didn't you come to me before now?"

"I didn't want to bother you with it," Luna said earnestly.

"Apparently she didn't want to bother anyone with it." Draco moved behind the bar and poured himself some more Firewhiskey. "She disappeared shortly after she started having the spells."

"Ahh it all makes sense now," Ginny blurted out, obviously making connections in her head.

"What makes sense?" Harry looked up at her.

"Later," she said patting him on the shoulder.

"I knew you all wouldn't understand the circumstances," she replied then sat down in the chair that Draco had been sitting in. "And Draco didn't need anymore hanging over his head."

"Luna, we could have been looking for something to help you ages ago, possibly even cure you!" Hermione had clamed a little, her voice still slightly rigid.

Draco watched as they all sat there starring at the pair of them. He could tell that the youngest Weasel had pieced most things together. On the other hand he could tell that Potter took it as somewhat of a betrayal on their friendship and the eldest Weasel had a comical look about him. Granger was in brain mode, he could tell that all the gears in her skull were spinning at once.

Finally Harry spoke up, "Do you have any blackening of any body part? You know like Dumbledore did?"

Hell no, Draco thought, her body looked perfect, porcelain and perfect.

"No," she answered shaking her head. "It started off small at first, headaches beyond the normal ones," she paused, "then nightmares, ones that I couldn't place why I would be having. Draco tried to get me to go see a local healer when it happened, but I wouldn't, and then things just sort of fell to pieces and I decided it would be best if-,"

"-You were with her when it happened?" Harry looked at Draco with question.

"Yes," he answered irritably. How could Potter look at him like that, he didn't put her in the danger, she was capable of that on her own. They obviously didn't know the real Lovegood like he did. A daring, risk taking, brave and sometimes a little off the beaten path, beautiful woman.

"Harry it really wasn't his fault, it was all me and dad, if any thing Draco kept me from being killed too." Luna reached up and took hold of his hand. "He insisted that we shouldn't go actually, said it would be too dangerous."

"Your dad was the one it killed?" Hermione sat back on the settee, her face long.

"Yes," Luna said with a croak.

"What on earth were you looking for?" Harry asked, his voice still distrusting. Draco didn't know if she would tell them or not, so he left it up to her.

"Oh something I think you would find silly," she said.

Draco was rather glad that she did not go into great detail about what they were looking for just yet, as he was sure Potter and Granger would go into a great preaching about lost artifacts that in their opinion should stay lost. Though if they took a look at Xeno's basement they would probably call the Ministry of Magic in and have all his stuff hauled off and locked up. The man was a treasure seeker, and he found many things that he was certain would have been frowned upon. He was eccentric, so was Luna, and some of the things that most people thought to be long gone or non-existent, they found. They never used it for anything or never even tried to sell it, they just possessed it. Which he could respect, there were many things that he held in his possession that he certainly would not part with.

"Is there any way I could see what expelled the curse?" Hermione asked.

"Are you mad?" Ron sputtered. "What ever it is, killed Luna's father, and it has damaged her, what if it is still, you know," he paused, waving his hands, "still active."

"I don't think they work like that Weasley," Draco said, looking very unpleasant.

"No once it was released, that should have been it." Hermione bit her bottom lip in thought. "But that can wait, is there a place where I can examine Luna in private."

"Up stairs bedroom," Draco said. What she really meant to say was, is there a place where I can knock some sense into your head Luna. They both knew that they wouldn't take the initial news very well. But he didn't care anymore, and he hoped for her sake that Luna didn't either.

"Sure," Luna consented. She stood and walked past Hermione. "Ginny, you can come too. I know you all will want to discuss this after you leave and you might as well hear what I have to say too."

She always made him want to laugh; she had a way of calling things in their place with such panache. He smiled as Ginny looked at Harry with her eyes wide as saucers. Damn, now he would be stuck in the room alone with The Scar and Weasel. He decided more Firewhiskey was necessary.

"Care for more?" he said turning and tipping the decanter for the third time to his glass.

The two men didn't say anything only handed them their glasses for a hearty refill. And he happily obliged them, because if they were drinking hopefully that meant they wouldn't be talking. He knew there was still a lot of animosity between them, he didn't try to pretend there wasn't, nor did Potter. They were only being civil for the sake of the problem at the table. He wasn't blind that Potter had his hand on his wand the whole time he had been sitting there. Nor did he not notice that Weasley stood on guard at all times. Well the silence was golden, but it was too much.

"So Potter, I hear you are retiring after the Next World Cup."

- - - -

Ginny closed the door behind them, and the two of them stood there staring at Luna as if she had lost her mind. She had expected this, hence why she didn't tell them before now. If she weren't in great need of their help she would have just soon continued on her sordid affair with Draco Malfoy in the shadows. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for it.

The silence was broken.

"Luna, have you lost your mind?" Hermione started.

Ginny was looking around the lavishly furnished bedroom, running her hands and fingers over every inch of exposed fabric that she could.

"At first I thought had," she answered nonchalantly, but honest.

"Malfoy spares no expense does he?" Ginny picked up the silk duvet rubbing it between her fingers. "How long have you two been knockin' boots?"

Luna smiled, she had much rather they get to the point of what they wanted to know. "Shortly after I finished school, that summer I think it was."

"Wow, and you have managed to keep it from us that long." Again Ginny was smiling. "I'm impressed."

"Well I'm not!" Hermione's voice was heated again.

"I didn't figure you would be which is why I haven't told you." Luna pushed her feet into the plush rug. "And please save me the speech of how this is wrong on every level, because believe me, I, we have already been over and over it."

Hermione crossed her arms, her breath forcibly blowing through her nostrils in disapproval.

"How did Dean take it?" Ginny asked now pilfering through a box that sat on the hand carved ebony dresser.

"He doesn't know, about Draco I mean."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her.

"Well, that would defeat the purpose of keeping it under wraps." Luna adjusted her hair in frustration.

"What did you tell him?" Hermione insisted.

"Nothing," Luna answered diffidently.

"Nothing, you told him nothing," Hermione said, her nose really flaring now, and her arms wrapped tight around. "Luna this just isn't like you."

Luna knew she wouldn't understand, she never really did understand her.

"So tell us how it started," Ginny asked in a giddy voice, her eyes bright.

"Ginny please," Hermione scolded her as if she were a little child. "We don't want to hear that."

"Maybe you don't but I do!" Ginny jumped on the bed and sat in the middle with her legs crossed, like they were having a slumber party.

"It was rather random." Luna turned looking at Ginny sitting on the bed smiling at her. Hermione had unwillingly let her arms fall to her side and her breathing was calmer. Luna continued, "Shortly after we finished school Ginny, do you remember that day we were supposed leave for Poland, to go to watch the Holyhead Harpies and the Grodzisk Goblins?"

"You had that meeting with that bloke at The Leakey Cauldron, that day." Ginny grabbed a pillow and squashed it up to her.

"You lied and met Draco instead?" Hermione asked, disgusted but interested.

"No, I told you he was there, and that I out bid him and got the artifact for my father." Luna shifted making herself more comfortable on the bed. How she wished she were in it sleeping with him, instead of emptying her dirty laundry. "Well he followed me back to my place in North London."

"You mean that tatty little place we used to slip off to?" Hermione smiled.

"The same one, anyway, he followed me back, though I don't know if it was all fair, I knew he was following me. He came to my backdoor; I knew he was there to seduce the dagger out of me. But when I saw him standing there, something came over me."

"I bet it did," giggled Ginny, her cheeks blushing a bit.

"Ginny please spare us," droned Hermione.

"You are absolutely a stick in the mud, you know that." Ginny smacked her with the pillow. "Go on Luna."

"Well it all happened really fast, he was all intent on intimidating me. But when I kissed him, he faltered. Before I knew it I was on top of the table and I don't know who was breathing harder, me or him." The memory was vivid in Luna's mind; she felt her lips curve into a smile at the recount of it.

"All this time right under our noses," Ginny said deferentially.

Luna smiled; at least Ginny was open to the idea. She knew out of all of them she would be the one to accept it most easily.

"Well enough of that, I do need to examine you Luna. You will need to come into the hospital so I can run some test on you." Hermione was starring intently at her.

Luna knew that she was still not very accepting of the state of affairs, but hopefully given a little time she would.

"I will clear my schedule and you can come first thing in the morning."

"I would like to keep this confident; you know as low profile as possible."

Hermione nodded her head in compliance. "I will need also to run test on the article which released the curse."

"But the only place to do that is at the Ministry." Luna did not want to involve them if it could be helped.

"Not the only place, I still have connections at Hogwarts." Hermione stood, clearly going over her plan in her head. "To figure out what to do for you we need to figure out what kind of curse it was first."

"Okay," Luna agreed. "I will bring it with me."

"I will see you in the morning then, be there early." Hermione stood and walked out the door with out saying another word leaving Ginny sitting on the bed.

"Draco Malfoy," Ginny said tossing the pillow back to the head of the bed. "I'm impressed."

"I knew they wouldn't understand, I don't even understand most of the time," Luna said warily.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Ginny said assuring. "They wouldn't because they have never gone outside of their comfort zone, not in matters of the heart anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"All the battles and dark wizards will never compare to battle of love, and especially when you move out of what someone expects of you." Ginny was now sitting beside her with her arm around her shoulder. "You should have seen the riot that Pansy Parkinson caused at the Weasley house not so long ago."

For some reason that didn't leave Luna with much confidence that the others would accept her decisions. Harry for one would be the one to feel betrayed the most. After all it was from the clutch of the Malfoy's that he rescued her, and he befriended her at school, making his other friends respect her. But if it weren't for Draco, when she and Olivander were held captive, they would have surely died. Someday she hoped to get to tell Harry and the others about it.

"Thank you Ginny." She leaned her head over on her red-headed friends shoulder.

"If you ever want to talk," she squeezed her, "or share any sordid tales, I am here."

Ginny gave Luna one last hug leaving her sitting on the edge of the bed. She decided not to go and say good-by to the others, she had seen enough of their disapproving faces for one evening.

It wasn't long after Ginny left when Draco came back into the room. He had a rather annoyed look about him, closing the door behind him. She could only imagine how the conversation went down stairs. She felt a little culpable, leaving him down there by himself. She could tell he must have been really annoyed by the tenseness in his neck. She wanted to tell him she told him so, but decided to keep it to her self. After all what he did he did was out of concern for her.

"Went well with you too huh?" Luna asked sarcastically.

"Joyous." He moved across the bedroom to the wardrobe took off his shirt and shoes replacing them ever so neatly inside. "I wished sometimes I was Saint Potter, that way I could be forgiven all my sins."

"Or Hermione, over analyzing every aspect of your life, making sure to do what is right." Luna added.

"You know the Weasel was rather entertaining," Draco said as he walked towards the bed.

"What exactly were you expecting Draco?" Luna stood making her way to the window, staring out over the grounds. She could see the white peacock strutting across the back lawn through the dying roses. The moon was rising only baring a quarter of its surface.

"Well them to be a little more," he paused as if her were thinking of what it was he was expecting.

"Accepting? Approving?" Luna said with diminutive conviction, her arms now crossed over her chest. "Ginny rather understood."

"Of course she did." Draco moved behind Luna putting his arms around her waist his chin propped on her shoulder. "She lives in the shadow of Saint Potter."

"Draco, please do not call him that." She moved her hands down and her arms around his.

They stood there in silence for a few minutes, looking out the window at the peacock still strutting among the roses.

"We need to get the scarab." She turned around facing him. "Hermione wants to examine it, and I am supposed to meet her at the hospital tomorrow."

"It will have to be removed from the vault at Gringott's, we will go by before heading to the hospital." He moved in kissing her on the lips.

"We?" She pulled back looking at him. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"Well the main people we were keeping this from, well they all know now don't they?" He smiled, but she could see a fleck of doubt in his eyes.

"Most of them, yes."

She could not help but think about the people that didn't know. Like his family, and Dean. They couldn't retreat and hide forever.