St Mungo's

An anxious ball of nerves sat in the pit of Luna's stomach as she walked through the crowded entrance foyer of St Mungo's with Draco at her side. She clutched tightly to his hand, her other hand holding the small collection of roses she had brought from the garden at Malfoy Manor.

"He's not going to be any different than when I last saw him is he, Draco?"

"I doubt it," Draco replied, pulling her into the stuffy lift and pressing the relevant button.

"Does he know we're coming?"

"I'm not sure."

Luna bit her lip distractedly. "I should have brought some books from your library, daddy does like to read and there's enough books in there to give him a wide variety to chose from"

"You can bring a book for the next visit," Draco said, he was sure his father wouldn't object to another visit if this one went smoothly. Lucius seemed to think the visit would go off without a hitch, he had told him so that morning just after breakfast when Luna was busy selecting the perfect roses to take along as a gift.

She smiled up at him. "I'm so glad that you came with me."

"Of course I came." Draco was a little put out Luna would think he would try to weasel out of attending St Mungo's with her. "Someone needs to keep an eye on you."

The lift pinged and the familiar female voice announced they had arrived at their destination. Draco strode out of the lift pulling Luna along behind him, eyes scanning the notice board for directions to the Janus Thickey Ward.

"Looks like we go down here." Draco gestured to his right and fell into step beside Luna as she shuffled down the corridor.

It was so strange for Luna to think her father was now living at St Mungo's, and he required around the clock professional care. What if he wasn't the same as before? What if his mind had deteriorated further?

"Draco, what if he doesn't know who I am?"

"He'll know."

"But what if he doesn't? What if he's become sicker than he was? He hasn't seen me in two weeks, maybe he's forgotten me?"

"He hasn't forgotten you," he assured her. "Now come on, you wanted to see him, I wouldn't have brought you if I thought you didn't really want to visit."

"Oh I do want to visit!" Luna exclaimed. "It's just that I don't know what to expect."

"A long conversation about Nargles I should imagine," Draco responded dryly, and Luna giggled.

The sun streamed in through the large glass windows as they walked down the corridor towards the large double doors, where a sign declared that the room beyond was the Janus Thickey Ward. The white walls were so bright they hurt Draco's eyes and he could see dust moats dancing in the air.

Pushing the door open he paused beside a small desk where a medi-witch sat scribbling on some parchment. She looked up and smiled at them. "Hello there, and who are you here to see?"

"We are the Malfoy's," Draco informed her haughtily. "We have a scheduled visit with Mr Lovegood,"

Luna's lips curled into a smile and she glanced up at Draco from the corner of her eye. This was the first time he had referred to them as "The Malfoy's" and it made her stomach muscles flutter. Luna wanted to hug him, press herself close to the warmth of Draco's body where she felt safe and tell him she liked being a Malfoy, and enjoyed being his wife.

"Oh yes." The medi-witch nodded as she checked her diary. "Here you are, Mr and Mrs Malfoy. Mr Ellington has booked you in himself, it's the bed over by the window." She gestured towards the bed in the corner, with pale green curtains which were pulled closed. "He likes to look out of the window. I'll take the roses shall I, Mrs Malfoy?"

"Thank you." Luna handed them over and turned to face the bed. All nerves had gone from her now and she was excited to see her father. She hurried forward, tugging Draco along with her. Rounding the curtain she called out, "Guess whose…. Oh dear Merlin! What have you done to my father?!" Luna's instinctive words left her mouth on a horrified gasp as she stood transfixed, dismay on her face as she stared at her father.

Draco's nose wrinkled and he scowled, pity erupting in him for the horror and disappointment Luna was undoubtedly suffering. Now he understood why his father had been agreeable to the visit, Mr Lovegood sat on the chair with a dazed expression on his face, his crossed eyes glazed over completely and his legs stuck up in the air as though they rested on an invisible foot stool. The man was drugged up to his eyeballs, incapable of interacting with Luna at all.

Luna turned to Draco with large, tear-filled eyes, she grasped the front of his shirt and shook him feebly. "Draco?" She didn't know what to say, she couldn't understand what was going on, it was too much of a shock.

Squaring his shoulders Draco sprang into action as he knew he was supposed to as her husband and a Malfoy. "What exactly is going on here?" He demanded of the medi-witch as she returned with the roses arranged in a vase.

"I'm sorry? I don't understand, Mr Malfoy."

"He's sedated to the point that he doesn't even know we're here. What happened?" Draco pointed at Mr Lovegood unnecessarily, he knew what had happened, his father had struck again.

The medi -witch placed the vase of roses on the bedside table. "Well, he became a bit anxious this morning, a little excited and we had to take appropriate steps."

"You drug your patients when they get excited?" Draco asked, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "His daughter was coming to visit him today, of course he was excited, that isn't a justification for this kind of behaviour!"

The medi-witch shifted uncomfortably. "That's not exactly what happened, Mr Malfoy. Mr Lovegood was taken to a private room ready for your visit and he became highly agitated. He started shouting and performing in a very upsetting manner. Mr Ellington, the Head Healer here, thought it would be appropriate to calm Mr Lovegood down before you arrived. We don't like family members to see that sort of thing if it can be avoided."

"I wish to speak to Ellington," Draco said, the man was living off the Malfoy's for goodness sake, how much had his father paid for this little stunt? "It's absolutely appalling we weren't informed about this before hand, and Ellington wasn't here to meet us and explain the situation."

"Yes, yes of course, Mr Malfoy."

Clearly, Draco thought, the woman was desperate to shove him off onto someone else. "Stay here, Luna."

Luna nodded despondently, taking a seat on the edge of her father's bed and reaching for his limp hand. This was not what she had envisaged for her visit. She had imagined her father looking healthy, making fine progress with his recovery, telling her and Draco tales from The Quibbler but admitting some things were indeed just stories. She had seen him laughing at some anecdote Draco spoke of and the three of them getting along wonderfully. Luna sniffed, now she could see her father wouldn't even know she had been to see him.

He looked all right though, Luna had to admit that. Apart from his vacant expression he looked healthy, his face had filled out from eating proper set meals and his robes were clean and pressed, his hair washed and neatly brushed. Sighing softly, Luna patted her father's hand and began to talk, telling him small snippets of her life with Draco. It was possible he might recall something she said when he came round.

After sitting with her father for twenty minutes and getting no response from him at all, Luna could hardly stand it anymore. She hopped off the bed and kissed her father's cheek. "I have to go now, daddy. Draco and I will come to visit you again soon."

Luna left the ward without speaking to the medi-witch, she would sit in the corridor and wait for Draco to return. She couldn't bear to stay near her father any longer, it hurt too much seeing him like that. She had just gotten comfortable in the hard plastic chair when a familiar voice made her jump.

"Luna? Luna, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello, Neville," Luna responded, glancing briefly at the boy with the freckles and checked jumper. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'll be in behind you gran," he told the old woman dressed head to toe in black who accompanied him.

"See that you don't take too long," she muttered, giving Luna the once over before entering the ward through the swinging doors.

"Have you heard from, Harry?" Neville hissed, taking a seat next to her.

"No, I wouldn't hear from him, would I? Have you?" She would be the last person Harry would write to, now being married to his enemy.

"No, nothing at all, not from Ron, Ginny or Hermione either."

Luna was glad she hadn't heard from Hermione, she never heard from Hermione, but she could just imagine the rage and indignation Draco would be subject to if she received a letter from a muggle born.

"What are you doing here, Luna?"

"Visiting my father, he's been declared insane," she replied dully, it was easier to talk about if she just stated facts.

"Oh dear." Neville took her hand. "I'm really sorry, Luna."

"He's getting help, that's the important thing."

"Yes of course, how are you coping? You should have contacted me, Luna, I could have helped you. I don't like to think of you dealing with this all on your own." Gentle brown eyes gazed pityingly at her from a chubby, anxious face.

"I'm not alone, Neville, didn't you see the announcement in The Daily Prophet?" Luna asked with surprise. "I'm married now."

Neville raised his eyebrows in astonishment. "No, I didn't see it." Examining Luna closely Neville could see she was extremely different; she looked rich and luxurious, much more normal than she did last year at school. "Who did you marry?"

"Me, now get your filthy hands off my wife," Draco's ice cold voice made them both jump. Luna had been so distracted with her own thoughts she hadn't heard him come back.

"Where have you been? Why did you take so long?" She sounded petulantly accusing and Luna knew it, but she had wanted Draco with her, she hadn't wanted him to leave her to deal with the shock all alone.

"Him?! Draco Malfoy? You married him!?" Neville almost yelled, his eyes widening to their utmost.

"Yes, I married Draco." Luna stood, reaching for Draco. "What did he say, Draco? What did the Healer say?"

"We'll discuss it at home, Luna," Draco told her, glaring over the top of her head at the astounded Neville. "You can stay away from my wife in future, understand, Longbottom?"

"Oh, Draco," Luna said dismissively. "Neville is my friend, he's…."

"Not anymore," Draco interrupted icily. "You will not associate with filth any longer, Luna."

"Filth? I'm not the murderer here, Malfoy," Neville spat angrily.

"Draco's not a murderer either," Luna said quickly. "Don't call him that, it's not true, Neville."

"It's okay, Luna," Draco soothed gently. "There's no need to worry about what someone like him thinks of us. He's nothing but a bumbling oaf, a spineless fool whose probably as weak as his parents were," he finished nastily.

Luna paled, her hands gripping tightly to Draco's waist. "Please, please don't, Draco."

Neville was on his feet, his face flushed red with rage. "Take it back, Malfoy."

"Why should I take back the truth? Your parents were weak, they were supposed to arrest my Aunt and Uncle and ended up buckling to their superiority, just as all filthy blood traitors and mud bloods will submit to the authority of purebloods," Draco hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"Draco, let's go home," Luna pleaded.

His eyes sweeping Neville quickly, his top lip curling into a sneer that told the other boy Draco found him lacking, he said, "Longbottom's will never measure up to the likes of the Lestrange's or the Malfoy's. If you come near my wife again, Longbottom, you'll discover that first hand. I'll make sure you join your parents in the loony ward."

Keeping an arm wrapped securely around Luna's shoulders, Draco guided her away from Neville who stood shaking with barely concealed rage, shame creeping up from his stomach to his heart. He had always backed down from Draco Malfoy, the other boy scared him witless. Even when Malfoy had insulted his parents Neville had still not reacted as he should have.

"Next time," Neville whispered. "Next time I promise you'll regret what you say, Malfoy."