A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

Word count: 1951

"What do I care what they're doing out there?" Severus asked Hermione. She was watching out the window as Draco and Luna's portkey arrived.

"You should care, they're our family, in a way," Hermione muttered. "And this whole thing is being funded by Draco's money, unless you'd rather just cancel the expedition and not get your prized flower petals?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Severus ignored her as he opened the door for Draco and Luna. Draco glared at Hermione.

"I thought she wasn't coming."

"We're a pair, Draco, you know that, and do you really think she'd stay home and do nothing while I put my life in danger?" Severus asked. Hermione and Luna slipped out of the room with Draco still muttering under his breath. Hermione caught a few words and growled slightly.

"I hope my boyfriend wasn't too mean to you. I'm sorry about him, he's having a rough morning," Luna said, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"We should get going, the light's not going to last all day," Severus stated, cutting off the start of Hermione and Draco's verbal fight. She nodded, taking his hand as they all stepped out of the cabin they'd be calling home until the expedition was over.

"We shouldn't cause a commotion on enemy ground, but if we were to, he'd be the first one I'd behead," Severus whispered in Hermione's ear once they were apart from Luna and Draco.

"But you won't, he's your godson, don't think I don't know," she replied, studying the map. Luna came over and looked over her shoulder, nodding slightly.

"Everything alright?" she asked. "We ready?"

"We're ready, is Draco? I'm surprised he even came with you, I never saw him as the hands on kind of person," Hermione snapped. Luna sighed.

"You're not going to hurt him, are you?"

"Don't tempt me, but no. I promised Severus I'd behave," Hermione snorted.

"Well this seems like it won't end in a homicide. I hope. But Severus needs to keep his mouth shut about things he doesn't understand. Draco's got his own reasons for coming. I don't need to explain them to either of you."

"What aren't you explaining to the mudblood?" Draco asked. Hermione turned to him, raising her fist, it connected with his nose at the same time Severus had grabbed Draco by the collar of his shirt.

"Apologize!" he demanded.
"If you think I'm about to say sorry, you've got another thing coming. I never asked for Granger to be on this thing."

Hermione raised her fist again, but Severus grabbed her hand.

"Be the bigger person for once. Just say you're sorry so we can get on with this," Luna insisted. Draco muttered something under his breath. Hermione glared at him.

"Say that to my face!" she demanded.

"Fine, I'm sorry, happy now, Granger? It's because of you and your friends that my father's going to be Kissed, that my mother won't speak to him before we lose him forever!"

"Your father made his own bed to lie in," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. The war had ended over three years ago and things still didn't seem to have gotten better. Draco was still the same git he'd always been, only now he had Luna in his corner for some reason.

They started walking, Draco and Severus talking about something. Hermione was trying to tune them out.

"Can you keep a secret?" Luna asked after a moment.

"Of course!"

"Good, because I'm glad you're here. I didn't tell Draco I invited you because I know how he feels about everything. I know he's trying to change, and I see little bits of that, but this thing with his father."

"It's brought everything back, sometimes I wonder if we're ever going to be the same again."

"I don't think we will be, we'll be new people, we'll survive, but we'll never be the same. Could you not tell Draco I invited you? Please?"

"Alright, but just because we're friends. I know you see the good in him, Luna, but I still worry about you, but I'll keep you secret. Let's pretend this conversation never happened, and then we will never speak of this again?"

"Agreed," Luna nodded as the quartet approached the ancient caves. Severus and Draco paused outside the opening waiting for the girls to catch up.

"What else could I lose? I've lost everything," Draco stated. Severus shook his head.

"No, you haven't. You could lose her," he replied, looking to where Luna was talking to Hermione. "Draco, you know I've put my life on the line for you, that once upon a time, I'd give up everything for you. I wish I could find a way to save your father, he was my friend too."

"It's because of her, Granger, isn't it?" Draco asked.

"One cannot live without the other," Severus said. "She saved me, I owe her my life, and even if I didn't, I do not think I could live without her.

"Life needs things to live, that's what my father used to say."

"Things?" Severus asked. "Not people?"

"No, money, food, water, love maybe. He did love my mum, she was part of what kept him going."

"Love is overrated. Hate is more powerful," Severus commented as Luna and Hermione joined them. Hermione laughed hearing his last comment.

"You're ridiculous, you love me and you've stopped hating pretty much everything and everyone except for wearing a color other than black," she commented, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"You're the one who married me," he said, returning the kiss while Draco pretended to make retching sounds. They both ignored him.

"Shall we head inside then?" Luna asked, drawing her wand. "Lumos," she said, lighting the tip as they stepped into the darkness of the cave. They'd been walking a bit when Luna started the conversation again. "Sometimes our deepest hate is for the things we cannot change about ourselves. What do you hate about yourself?"

"My feet," Severus stated.

"You know what they say about big feet," Hermione teased, grabbing his hand in the dark.

"Big shoes?" Luna asked, knowing the correct saying.

"It is impossible to find shoes in my size," Severus commented.

"You could have some commissioned," Draco said after a moment. "I know a guy."

"I'll take that in consideration," Severus replied, ignoring the fact Hermione was trying not to laugh. She finally failed and he started laughing.

"Stop laughing. We… we can't do this if we're both laughing. We're going to draw attention."

"I doubt there's anyone in these caves anymore," Luna said, "but it is possible, so we should probably keep moving. The creatures that built these underground mazes are said to be extinct, but they were used by outlaws for years after that. They didn't care much for magical people either," she added. Severus and Hermione fell quiet. They were here for a reason. Luna and Draco for a different one.

"The wall over there looks different," Draco said, shining the tip of his wand towards the wall to their left. Luna nodded, walking over to it and tapping it gently.

"The things that make me different are the things that make me. That was part of the poem about the location of the lost treasure," she recited. "This might be it, but it might also be a trap."

"There are so many things about that statement-" Draco started to say. Luna hushed him and pulled Hermione over.

"Don't even think about it. Just close your eyes. Put your hand here, what do you feel?"

"Air," Hermione answered, although she was sure the wall was right there.

"Exactly. If your eyes don't see it, it's not there anymore. This is it!" She walked through the not a wall followed by Hermione, Severus and then Draco. Draco's foot got caught on something, causing him to stumble, pushing into Severus who fell on top of Hermione. Luna turned seeing them on the ground. Severus was first on his feet, after years of practice falling gracefully. He helped Hermione up while Luna grabbed Draco. He was curled in a ball, shaking. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take a deep breath. It's going to be alright. What did you get?" she asked, searching his body for injuries.

"It's like I got punched in the nuts. I got a headache, and I probably got tuberculosis, and I'm not going to be able to walk for a week straight. This is all your fault!" he screamed. Luna waved her wand, healing what she could.

"I don't know what to say, Draco. You wanted to come with me, take your mind off things. We're almost there, look," she pointed. There at the far wall was a podium made of a rust colored stone. Sitting there was a large book, opened somewhere in the middle. Surrounding the podium were bunches of blooming flowers with long jade green stems and large purple blooms in the shape of stars.

"It is real," he said after a moment. "The book is real. Maybe, it will work, maybe I can save my father?" he whispered, rising to his feet. He took a few trembling steps, Luna holding his hand.

"Be careful. If there was one booby trap there are sure to be more," Severus stated.

"Revelio," Hermione cast, watching as several invisible tripwires appeared along with several of the earthen tiles lighting up.

"Maybe only one of us should approach, less of a chance of someone else getting hurt?" Luna suggested. They nodded and Luna started walking towards the podium, nimbly avoiding the hidden traps. She grabbed the book, closing it and sliding it under her arm before curling her fingers around a bunch of flowers. She pulled them up, making sure the roots were still intact. It was possible Neville might be able to cultivate them. She ran back to the group and found herself in Draco's arms. He kissed her, holding her tightly.

"I never thought, I never realized how dangerous this could be, that you were putting your life in danger, I never realized, you do love, for real, you love me."

"Of course I do, Draco. The way you feel for me, the love, it was real for me too," she said, kissing him back. "Now, we should get out of here before the whole place starts falling apart," she stated, wrapping her free arm around Draco. The other was still holding the book. They made their way out of the cave just as it closed behind them.

"Here's your flowers, Severus, good luck," Luna said, handing him the plants. He smiled, his mind already spinning with all the potential uses he could find the parts. Luna had grabbed enough for him to use and for Neville to try to plant. If it worked, he might have a permanent supply of the rarest flowers he'd ever seen.

"Thank you, Luna. Hermione and I are going to head back to Hogwarts. I do not want to risk using a spell on these."

"I understand," Luna said, giving Hermione a hug. She looked to Draco.

"Surely you're going to say goodbye?" she asked. Draco looked to Hermione and Severus.

"Right, look, I'm sorry for the things I said. I know I've got a lot of work to do, and I'll see you both at some point, right? Maybe we could start having dinners at the manor again, invite my mother, and father if this book can really save his soul?" he asked.

"We'd be happy to attend," Hermione answered, giving Draco an awkward hug. Severus nodded in agreement shaking Draco's hand before they apparated back to Hogwarts.