What Luna Said

By SilverCrystalArtemis

AN: So, I'm writing. Not just here. But I thought you would appreciate an update. Especially since I should be packing for our move in… four days. ::shrug:: A Man's Gotta Do, amirite?

But seriously, you've waited long enough. Have a thing. But fair warning: I'm going to follow canonical themes at points, but probably rewrite an awful lot of dialogue.

What Luna Said

Chapter Six

Harry sat back, stretching in his chair. It was good Luna would be here soon. If anybody could offer Draco some comfort, it would be her. Not that we was sure it would really help, of course…

"You won't believe the story Dad's telling," Lily broke through her father's thoughts. He noticed that his other children were well and truly settled in their family's circle in the waiting room. A small part of him was amused at how they seemed to be gradually overtaking the area; as more and more of their considerable brood arrived, fewer and fewer unrelated individuals remained. He hadn't even noticed the majority of them. He wondered if he was just too enveloped in his memories to notice them leaving, or if they had all received good news and had no need for the tears he had been fighting off for days now. If so, he envied them. They weren't losing someone so integral to their lives as Hermione was to everyone surrounding him.

Albus looked over at his father, interested. His father wasn't well known for his storytelling capabilities. Hell, most of what he knew of his father's part in the war was from his Grandmum, and Uncle Ron. Any time his father really tried to relay what happened, he'd get flustered, and sidetracked, and spend three hours talking about how Oliver Wood was a slave driver, or how bloody long it took him to get the portrait of the Banshee Black down from the foyer in his childhood home.

"I suppose Mum has been corralling him a bit, then? Otherwise you'd all be sleeping."

Harry smirked. Draco had been too much of an influence on his children. He remembered Albus being so shy and scared as a child, but "Uncle Draco" in the course of a summer at Malfoy Manor had managed to snark it out of him. He was now his George's favorite nephew, because of his temperament so close to George's long lost brother.

"Ha. Ha. But really. We're hearing about how Uncle Draco and Aunt Hermione got together."

Albus shifted toward his sister, surprised. "Oh, do tell. I don't believe this is one that has ever gone 'round."

"Well," Ron started, "We haven't managed to get very far. So far, all you've missed is that he secretly sent her letters during the summer before sixth year, hoping to waylay all the blood purist abuse he put her through previously. Oh, that and Lucius was a right git."

"Ron!" Ginny cut in, glaring jokingly at her brother. She turned to her son, who now looked even more confused. "Albus, dear, he spent many years playing a part to keep her safe from his father. Once Lucius was imprisoned, he felt free to finally pursue her."

"And that's how it went for the rest of the summer, really," Harry continued. "He kept the letters anonymous, but Hermione had her suspicions. There was one point, shortly before the school year, where we… uhh… followed him into Knockturn Alley…"

"I just think it's unreasonable of you, Harry. You don't know what he was doing in there, and the fact that you're so ready to criminalize hi-"

"Hermione! This has nothing to do with your mystery Slytherin!"

"You can't know that for certain, Ron! And even if he isn't my 'mystery Slytherin', it only perpetuates this awful animosity by acting and thinking that way! Maybe he'll change; maybe he's dealing with the same pressures-"

"Oh, give it a rest, 'Mione! I've not bothered you about your new favorite pen pal, but that doesn't mean I like it!"

"Uncle Ron, how is it that you and Hermione remained friends? It seems as though you were always at each other's throats…"

"Victoire, that was nothing. You should have seen them their third year."

"Forget third year- wait until you hear how Ron dealt with the Veela thing."

"Oh, blimy, Harry, you're not going to go into that, are you?!"

"Well, I do have to tell it as it happened, Ron," It was obvious to everybody how the idea delighted Harry. "It really got rolling when the school year started. Hermione and Ron were prefects, and I had lessons with Dumbledore, along with being Quidditch captain. We were all busy, but of course for Hermione, who-"

"Mate, you've forgotten something."

Harry turned to Ron, confused as to what he was talking about. Ron, however, wore a smirk to match Harry's from earlier.

"You overlooked the part where he walloped you on the train."

Shit. Shit shit shirtshitshit. Draco knew he had ruined it, now. But after what has happened with the Dark Lord this summer, he feared too fully for his and his mother's lives. Too many things were going wrong, now. It had been hard to play his face before he was forced into the Mark; now it would be damn near impossible. And after what had just happened on the train, he was almost certain Hermione would hate him more than ever. He felt near defeated, panicked, lost.

He had felt so hopeful this summer. He felt like he would finally be able to pursue her. But now… he had no idea what would happen. Should he even try to continue? Should he just keep writing her anonymously? He certainly could, if he didn't mind too much the idea of dying. To be honest, it wasn't his first choice- he was rather attached to his life, thanks. But now…

Draco shook awake again, surprised he had fallen asleep so easily. He started to shift, before he realized Hermione was still lying on his arm. He smiled a bit, looking at her, but it quickly fell when he saw how pale and weak she looked.

He wondered what had made him remember that, why he had dreamed of it. It had been so long, now, since the stress of the war. He tried so very hard to focus on the positive, to leave the past in the past. Hermione helped. Perhaps, with her leaving him, the stress was revisiting him?

He wondered what the rest of their family was up to. Were they even still here? He couldn't expect them to wait all day in the hospital, but at the same time, couldn't picture any of them leaving now. He appreciated their presence, he really did. But none of them really understood what he was going through. As he settled back into a relaxed pose, closing his eyes, he desperately wished that Luna were here.

"But why in MERLIN'S NAME would he do that to you?!"

Harry turned to Scorpius, who looked so confused, and hurt. Harry knew this must be a bit difficult for the boy; he had never seen that side of his father. He never knew his father capable of such vile behavior. He raised slightly in his seat. He knew he had to explain to Scorpius in such a way that he would not lost any respect for his father; he needed to understand the difference between the Pureblood Draco and the real Draco.

"You see, Scorpius, over the summer your father's situation had taken a turn for the worse. Sometime around midsummer, Voldemort had forced him to take the Dark Mark, and had given him an almost impossible task. He was using your father as an… example, sort of a punishment on Lucius, and reminding other Death Eaters that none of their families were safe if they fell out of his favor. Your dad had to do everything he could to keep himself and his mother safe. And he had to make sure nobody thought he had any tenderness for the 'Light'. He made up for it, though."

Harry looked at his wife, grateful for her input.

"So, what did he do, then? How do you make up for something like that?"

Harry smiled, a little more comfortable with this part of the story. "Well, that's a funny story…"

Alright. Hope you enjoyed. There will be more once moving happens. I HAVE PLAAAAANS.