Chapter Twenty Three

Luna's choked cry caused Draco's eyelids to flutter open. The aching pain in his body and the terrified look on her face told him all he needed to know.

"Go," he gasped in a dry, raspy voice. "Leave. Run. Save yourself. Now. Take the scroll. There's still a chance you haven't been infected."

"I'm not leaving you."

"GO," he pleaded. "If you stay you'll get sick too and then it was all for nothing."

"Rubbish. I'm staying right here. I'll find a way to send for help and..."

"Luna, I'm begging you. Please," Draco said weakly. "I've screwed up so many things in my life. Give me this. Let me die knowing I did something right, that I kept you safe. Please, love, if nothing else - let me have that."

"Don't be daft. I'm not going anywhere," insisted Luna, frantically rummaging through her pack. She was summoning a canteen of water when Draco's eyes began rolling back in his head.

The last clear memory Draco had before the darkness overtook him was the sound of Luna shouting his name and the overwhelming regret that he hadn't told her how very much he loved her.

xoxoxo

He had no idea how long he was unconscious. There was only shadow and sweats and chills and throbbing and dizziness and thirst. Sometimes, however, he thought he could hear Luna's voice through the haze, calling out as if from a great distance.

Sometimes it was assuring. "You'll be fine. Come on. Drink this. It will help."

Sometimes it was pleading. "Please, Draco. Please, don't leave me. Please. I can't lose you too."

Sometimes it was threatening. "Damn it, Malfoy Draco Malfoy! We swore an oath to do this together so you better not bloody well back out on me now so fight, damn you! Fight!"

The tone and words might have varied but the voice was the same - always there, always comforting, always challenging, always Luna.

Eventually the fog began to lift and he became vaguely aware of a cold compress on his forehead and delicate fingers running through his hair. His eyes slowly opened and once his vision cleared he saw Luna hovering over him, dark circles under her eyes and exhaustion written all over her face.

"There you are, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"

"Where am I? What's going on? Why are you still here?"

"Shh...Settle down. It's okay. You're going to be fine," Luna assured him.

"No. You need to leave. I'm infected. I'm..."

"You were infected. You aren't any more," said Luna.

"What? How?"

"Did you forget why we came here in the first place? It seems that scroll is the genuine article. The cure for the pox was inside and it works," Luna sniffed. "You are going to be fine, you hear me?"

"You should have left," Draco insisted. "You put yourself at risk staying here."

"Not a chance. I wasn't about to sit back while another man that I love died alone and without me. Like we said, we started this together so we were going to finish it together - one way or another."

Draco weakly reached up to caress her cheek. "You love me?"

"Of course, silly," said Luna, leaning into his touch. "I was fairly certain we had already established that fact. Merlin's beard, I thought you were the smart one." She bit her lip nervously then asked, "Are you angry with me?"

"Angry? Whatever for?"

"I did test an experimental potion on you without your permission," said Luna.

"You saved my life, Luna."

"So you don't hate me?"

"Hate you? Woman, I've been in love with you ever since you stared down that bloody dragon. I just never thought you'd..." Draco coughed violently and Luna placed a glass up to his dry, cracked lips. As he took a sip of water, he thought he heard something outside.

"W-what's that noise?"

"Charlie has an extraction team outside. They're getting ready to move us but it will be easier if you drink this first," Luna said, producing a small vial from her pocket.

"Charlie? How did he...?"

"Shhh...It's okay. Drink this and I'll explain it all later."

"What is it?"

"A potion to help you sleep while we travel. When you wake up, we'll be home."

"And you'll be there?"

Luna smiled warmly. "Right by your side. I promise."

Draco downed the potion and the last thing he was aware of was her lips pressing gently against his forehead as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.