Just Old Friends

Chapter 8: Luna

Six o'clock always brought Hermione around to say goodbye before she headed home and Harry wasn't surprised that today was no different. She looked worn out and as she entered he patted his bed.

She sat next to him laying her head onto his shoulder, they sat like that as if their lives hadn't changed as if they were still two seventeen year old best friends sitting together in Gryffindor Tower before the awful war had found its end destroying so many people.

"Tough day?"

"Yes, Malfoy sent his goons around to rough up a few people for him, we'll have to keep a closer eye on him he could try to rise to power like his father."

"Malfoy? You mean he isn't dead?"

Hermione turned her head to study his face and she wore a small frown.

"Why would he be dead?"

"The Whomping Willow, it kept hitting him over and over again."

She laughed and her eyes danced with the old flame of mischief and happiness that he remembered from his school years.

"Yes he was attacked by it, but Goyle managed to get him out, nothing but a concussion unfortunately. He got away without much damage and then about a year after the war ended his father tried to take over. Failed miserably but Draco could succeed where his father failed. We've got somebody watching him though."

He just nodded and placed his chin on her head. She sighed and the small movement made him think back to the easy days when they were carefree well almost and he remembered the bushy haired girl that had always told him everything, and what she had grown into.

"Why did you become a Healer Hermione? You always said you were going to become an Auror like Ron and me."

"I wanted to help out after the war. They needed a lot of carers and I just fell into the job. I started by taking care of you, Neville and Fred and well I've just continued. I'll be qualified by July and well I love being able to help. You want to hear something funny?"

He nodded at her seeing the way her eyes glazed over as she slipped into a memory.

"I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger. Mum and dad thought I'd be great. Then when I got my Hogwarts letter, it scared them because my dreams were going to change so much. They knew though I think that I would fall in love and start a family, and I've fallen, God have I fallen and then I told them I'd be an Auror just like a police officer, they were happy. But I think if they could see me now they'd be happiest because okay I'm not a doctor I'm a Healer but it's the same job I always wanted as a child."

"They'd be very proud of you Hermione. Just like I'm proud of you. You've followed your heart but most importantly and the thing they would care about the most is that you're happy and as long as your happy they'll always be proud."

"Thanks"

Small tears were in her eyes and he just held her close, keeping her safe or maybe he was using her to keep himself safe. He didn't know and he didn't care all that mattered was that she was here, she was still with him after everything he had put her through.

"Hermione, I've still got a few questions, will you answer them?"

"You want to know about Luna don't you?"

"Yes!"

She sighed and sat up, moving to the other end of the bed so that her feet were facing his chest. She closed her eyes and he noticed tears were shinning through them.

"She was so brave that day Harry, really she truly was. I'd never seen her like that before. She ran around yelling spells and pushing people out of the way taking spells for them. She took crucio for me, and she took jelly legs for Neville. I don't know who threw that one I think it may have been Crabbe."

"I told you that Ron lost a leg, well he hit the floor really bad and couldn't get up. It was horrible everything was happening so fast around me but I remember that it felt like that was in slow motion."

"Pettigrew raised his wand after Ron had landed and muttered something about showing you what allowing him to live had done, how you had allowed him to kill your best friend. Everything was so slow Harry."

She was crying tears were flowing down her face. It wasn't right somehow it just wasn't right.

"He yelled the killing curse and I saw it move slowly towards Ron. I just screamed, I couldn't move, couldn't do anything and then Luna was in front of Ron. She was there Harry she just turned up. She took the curse for him, landed on him shielding him from any other spells."

"She died saving Ron, Harry I'm so sorry. She just appeared and nobody could stop her she was there."

Hermione was weeping like he'd never seen before. He felt his own eyes fill up. He had known really that she was gone, he had seen her in his dreams but she hadn't turned up. Even if Hermione had been stopping people from visiting she would never have stopped Luna.

He cried like he had never before, allowing his tears to roll down his face. He didn't remember stopping because he fell asleep with the tears still running.