Chapter Seventeen

Harry arrived at the hospital early the next day and found Draco and Ginny holding vigil in Luna's room. He leaned against the wall and tried to put on a stern countenance. "So, I understand that the two of you made a healer cry this morning."

The pair shared a look before Draco said, "Then I assume you also heard why?" Harry nodded. Draco's jaw tensed. "They aren't moving her up there, Potter. That ward is only for irreversible spell damage and she's going to be fine..." He gripped the arm of the chair. "Then Ginevra heard that stupid healer use that awful word and..."

Harry raised a hand. Apparently, when the topic of moving Luna to the Janus Thickey Ward had been raised, Ginny overheard a young healer make a comment about the 'loony bin' and...well, Harry didn't even want to imagine the resulting confrontation. "No explanations are necessary. I personally think you both showed tremendous restraint."

"I can't speak for Malfoy but the only reason I didn't hex the woman into next year is the fact we can't use magic inside the wards," Ginny huffed and Draco grunted his agreement.

Harry tried to suppress a smile. "I understand that but I have to make reports to the Ministry on all aspects of Luna's stay in hospital so if you can both try to keep the uproars to a minimum it will make things easier for everyone involved, okay?" He gave Ginny a hug then turned to Draco. "What about you, Malfoy? Is there anything I can get for you? Anything you need?"

"I need for her to wake up, Potter. I need to hear her telling me what I am going to say before I say it."

"I think we all need a bit of that right now," said Harry.

Draco tucked a stray piece of hair behind Luna's ear. "That first day when she…accosted me at the Hogshead Inn, she kept answering my questions before I asked them – before I had even formulated them in my mind. I was convinced that she was the most gifted legilimens I had ever encountered."

Ginny sat in the chair next to him. "The first time she did it to me, I accused her of eavesdropping and reading my journal."

Harry perched on the arm of Ginny's chair. "The first time I met her she told me that I was just as sane as she was….I wasn't quite sure how to take that." Even Draco had to chuckle at that thought. Harry said, "I once asked her why people were so unwilling to accept the truth about thestrals. She said that seeing things that others couldn't was not a recipe for popularity and approval. It wasn't until much later that I realized that she wasn't only talking about thestrals."

The other two nodded in agreement then they all sat quietly, each lost in their own memories, each hoping for a miracle.

xoxox

After a while Harry went to the cafeteria to get some food, leaving Ginny and Draco in quiet conversation about their friend's prognosis. Suddenly and without warning Luna sat bolt upright, gasping for air like someone that had been held underwater for a long time. Draco leapt onto the bed and caught her as she fell backwards into his arms. He looked wildly at Ginny who was already sprinting out of the room to find a healer. Draco rocked Luna gently as she tried to regain her bearings.

She shivered slightly and whispered in a dry, thin voice, "Draco?"

"Shhh. I'm right here. You're at St Mungo's and you're safe. You were forced to consume some liquid despair but you're going to be fine. I promise. " He stroked her hair. "How do you feel?"

Luna tried to sit up but the room began to spin so she leaned back against Draco. "I feel...kind of woozy." He fought back tears and held her even tighter. They stayed like that for another minute before Luna asked, "Draco? Is that what it felt like for you during the bad times? All cold and dark and … empty inside?"

Draco hesitated then nodded. "Yes, pretty much."

Luna shifted so she could see his face. "How often?"

Draco reached for her hand. "Before you showed up to read my mind and feed me curry? Most of the time." He interlaced their fingers and squeezed. "Now? Not nearly as much."

Luna closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. "I'm so sorry."

"For what, love?"

"That you ever had to feel this way. It's horrible."

Draco closed his eyes. "I know, Luna. I know." He kissed the top of her head. "But you are going to feel better. I swear it. Okay?"

Just then a group of healers rushed into the room, pushed Draco aside and began checking Luna's vitals. When their preliminary tests came back to their satisfaction they advised there would be an brief observation period before she would be allowed to go home. Harry went back to the Ministry to advise them of the new developments while Ginny sent word to their friends.

As soon as the medical team stepped away from the bed, Draco wrapped Luna in his arms and refused to let go. Ginny appointed herself guardian and set up a post outside the door where she strictly regulated additional visitors to one at a time so as not to overwhelm Luna and to give the couple some privacy.

About an hour later Harry peeked his head inside the room. "Luna? May I come in?"

"Of course, Harry." Luna said. "Please."

Harry tentatively approached and extended his arms. He glanced from Draco to Luna. "May I?" She nodded and Draco moved aside slightly so that Harry could embrace his friend. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak. Dizzy. Still in a bit of a fog but it's getting better."

Harry sat beside the bed. "I'm so glad to see you awake, Luna. You've given us all quite a fright." He ran his hand through his hair. "I hate to do this now but I felt you needed to know. Apparently there was an incident during the morning prisoner transport to Azkaban."

Draco grasped Luna protectively and growled, "So help me, Potter, if you have managed to let those bastards go free..."

"They're not free, Draco. Well, not in the sense that you mean at least. The morning transport consisting of six aurors and five prisoners was attacked while en route to Azkaban. The escorts were stunned and two prisoners were injured." He looked at Luna. "All three of the men that assaulted you were killed."

The room got very still and Draco asked, "When you say they were 'attacked'...what do you mean exactly?"

"Eyewitness testimony along with the evidence at the scene confirms that the transport was set upon by manticores."

Both Luna and Draco appeared confused by this. Draco shook his head in disbelief. "Manticores? Are you sure, Potter?"

Harry nodded. "The facts are very clear. The aurors that were escorting the prisoners were incapacitated but awake so they saw everything. The two prisoners that survived were mauled pretty severely but they were conscious during the attack as well. The other three were...dispatched in the manner usually associated with manticores."

Harry did not need to elaborate on that point. It was common knowledge that manticores used their three rows of razor sharp teeth to completely devour their prey - bones and all - leaving nothing behind.

Luna sat very still, taking in all this information. "So...it's over?"

Harry reached for her hand. "Yes, Luna. It's over. The men who hurt you are gone and they can never harm you again. You're completely safe now, okay?"

Luna nodded but a troubled expression remained on her face. She squeezed Harry's fingers and without breaking his gaze asked, "Draco, could you please go and check with the healers to see how soon it will be before I can leave? I would really like to go home now."

Draco hesitated but Luna gave him a reassuring nod. "It's okay. Harry will stay with me. I am sure he has some more questions for me anyway."

Draco kissed her and moved towards the door. Before leaving he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "Potter, you say that the escorts were unharmed?"

"Yes. Stunned and bruised but otherwise uninjured."

"And the men that harmed Luna. Did they suffer before they died?"

Harry shifted uneasily in his chair. "I wasn't there but...yes, I rather think that they did."

Draco stood for a moment then simply said, "Good" before exiting the room.

As soon as they were alone Luna turned to Harry. "Draco had nothing to do with the manticores..."

Harry sighed. "Luna, you've been asleep..."

"No. I was trapped inside myself but I could hear everything going on around me and I could feel him with me, Harry. He never left this room."

"I know that but he could have reached out another way."

"I know that he didn't." Luna insisted.

"How?"

Luna glanced towards the door. "Because of his reaction."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can see it in his eyes, Harry. He is angry that it wasn't him." She studied the hem of the bed sheet before saying, "Which is why I am so conflicted about the deaths of these men. You know that I hate the loss of any life, but part of me is glad they are gone because I know that Draco would not have stopped until he found a way..."

Harry finished her sentence. "To make them pay for hurting you."

Luna nodded. Harry leaned in and said, "To be honest with you, Luna, I already told the team handling the investigation that I was certain this wasn't Draco's doing."

"How did you know?"

Harry looked away briefly. "It wasn't his style."

Luna's eyes widened slightly and she said, "Oh. I see."

"See what, Luna?"

"If it had been Ginny you wouldn't have someone or something else kill the people responsible. You would have done it yourself and so would Draco."

He began to protest. "Now, Luna, I never said that..."

Luna gave him a sad smile. "When was the last time you had to actually say something to me, Harry?"

He sighed and closed his notebook. He couldn't argue that point. "Listen. I hope you don't mind but I talked with my superiors. Due to the nature of this whole situation, the ministry is willing to mark this down as an "Act of Merlin", close the case and move on if that is okay with you."

Luna's body sagged in relief. "Yes, please, Harry. That would be more than okay with me."

The door opened and Draco came back in the room. "They say they have a couple of more tests to run and then we can go, okay?" He sat on the bed and Luna nestled against him. "Everything all right in here?"

"Absolutely," nodded Luna. "Everything is fine now."