Hello, friends! So, there's not much happening in this chapter, and I'm sorry about that! However, it's all leading into what's to come! I hope you enjoy! - Lillie

Chapter Sixteen

From the moment Draco began to awaken, it was clear he was not in his bed within the Slytherin dorms. The mattress he was lying on was far too thin, and the room was far too quiet; not a single snore from neither Crabbe nor Goyle could be heard. Allowing himself a few moments to fully wake, he began to feel a burning sensation in his leg that caused him to grimace. Then he remembered: Seamus Finnigan had set him on fire, on purpose. Shifting slightly to the left, Draco bit his tongue roughly to keep from crying out as a rush of pain flickered up his leg stopping at his upper thigh.

Slowly, Draco blinked his silver eyes open seeing the blurry hospital wing come into focus. He deduced it was early morning because outside the windows, the sun was just peaking over the horizon. He turned his head to see two empty chairs beside his bed; he began to wonder how long he'd been in the infirmary. As the pain continued to pulse through his leg, Draco looked around for Madam Pomfrey hoping she would supply him with some sort of relief. Just as the thought flashed through his brain, a door on the far end of the room opened and the head nurse walked diligently into the room holding a few potions in her arms. Draco wondered if she had a trace of sorts on her patients to track their pain levels; it was very probable.

"Mr. Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey greeted with a curt nod as she placed three glass bottles on his bedside tray. "I won't be having any of your dramatics this time," she said. "You're going to survive with your leg, but your recovery is going to hurt."

"Yes ma'am," Draco nodded; the matronly nurse merely stared at him in shock.

"Well, alright then," she nodded though her eyes looked a bit lost; she'd clearly expected him to fight with her. "Take this pain potion now; it should help with the burning sensation," she said handing him a red bottle.

Obediently, Draco drank the entire bottle noting that it tasted like sage and honey. In a lovely wave, peacefulness settled over his body and the pain in his leg disappeared altogether. He noticed the muscles in his shoulders relaxed; he leaned back against the pillows unable to remember when his body became so rigid with pain. His eyes felt slightly droopy and his mind dazed. Satisfied with his relaxing, Madam Pomfrey began to unwrap the bandages on his leg. Draco noticed his hospital issued pajamas had been cut to allow access to his burnt leg. As she began to unravel the bandages, the nurse stopped suddenly and cast her eyes at Draco with a cautious gleam.

"You may not want to look, Mr. Malfoy," she warned him. "It's rather ghastly."

"That bad?" Draco sighed as he leaned his head back hitting the headboard.

"Quite," she responded before resuming her task.

Draco fought with himself as she removed the bandages. He wanted to survey the damage, yet he knew he didn't want to see the disgusting shape his leg was in. If it were on someone else, he could handle it, but knowing it was his own body that still smelled like rotting flesh made his stomach churn. Unfortunately, the pain potion did nothing to counteract his nausea. After what felt like hours, she was done and stood up to grab a second potion from the tray.

"I applied a heavy layer of dittany to your leg last night. It healed the tissue that had been damaged along with your third layer of skin. However, the second layer, if damaged, causes the most pain," Madam Pomfrey explained as she pulled out the cork and reached for a dropper. "This may burn a little, but the pain potion should relieve most of it."

With a steady hand, the head nurse skillfully dropped the brown liquid all over his leg. Though he was looking at the ceiling, Draco could see a greenish smoke rise in the air. It did sting a little, but just enough that he could feel it. He'd felt much worse before. Once she was finished and looking rather pleased with herself, Madam Pomfrey placed the stopper back into the bottle and stood up to retrieve another role of bandages. She expertly wrapped his leg within a minute.

"The third is a bottle of Dreamless Sleep," she said gesturing towards the purple bottle on the tray. "I won't ask, but it is clear your injuries were not accidental. Should you need it, the potion is there for your use," she said with a nod.

"Thank you," he responded. "Will it scar too badly?"

"No, it shouldn't as long as dittany is continuously applied," she said gathering her supplies. "It will be much like your injuries from last year," she said before walking back towards her private quarters leaving Draco with the memories of his last visit to the hospital wing; he was covered in lacerations from Potter's Sectumsempra.

He'd only been awake for a half hour at most, but Draco was already bored out of his mind and still slightly drowsy from the pain potion. He hated just lying around. When he was younger, Draco would have reveled in this situation knowing he would be able to rest up as much as possible and receive endless supplies of chocolates and sweets from his mother; Pansy would have visited him every day tending to his every need while staring at him like a devoted puppy. Crabbe and Goyle would have clung to every syllable of his elaborate tales of how he'd ended up in the infirmary. However, due to its vacantness, the large room felt more like incarceration than a vacation.

Looking at the two chairs once more, Draco wondered if Pansy and the others had visited him last night. However, it had been well after hours, so he deemed it highly unlikely. With a huff of annoyance, Draco looked down at this leg wrapped in heavy white cloth, his imagination creating gruesome images of what his skin looked like beneath. Luckily, the large doors opened to reveal Professor Snape proving to be a great distraction from his thoughts. With a dark gaze, the headmaster looked him up and down before pursing his lips slightly.

"I see you've already had visitors," he said gesturing towards the two chairs.

"Not that I remember," Draco shrugged.

"Interesting," Professor Snape deadpanned. "I expect you have a name to give this morning regarding your injury?"

"No," Draco said without thinking. "It was extremely dark; I couldn't see much."

"There was a sconce right above where you were found," Snape said squinting his black eyes slightly.

"Was there?" Draco asked. "He or she must have extinguished it before cursing me with fire."

"You don't even remember if your attacker was male or female?" Snape asked.

"No," Draco said shaking his head. "There wasn't much talking."

"Very well. I've alerted the seventh year Slytherins about your injury; I'm sure you'll have many visitors this morning and afternoon." Snape said. "Oh, and might I suggest limiting your time outside of the Slytherin dorm after hours, Mr. Malfoy," he added before turning to leave with his robes billowing around him.

"Right," Draco mumbled as he considered taking the Dreamless Sleep to avoid any visitors he might have. However, a House Elf popped in with breakfast a few moments later; his stomach growled loudly erasing all thoughts of easing into a peaceful sleep.

Once the poached eggs and bacon were situated nicely in his stomach, the visitors started arriving. Pansy was the first person to reach him. Her olive eyes carried a rather worried expression as she sat down in the chair closest to him. She reached out and grabbed his hand; he didn't pull away. Blaise sat in the chair beside her while Theo opted to stand. Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere in sight.

"Who did this to you?" Pansy asked as she glanced at his bandaged leg. "Does it hurt terribly?"

"I don't know," Draco answered. "And it did, but I've taken a pain potion, so I don't feel much now."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Blaise asked with furrowed brows.

"It was rather dark, and we didn't exactly have a conversation before he or she decided to nearly burn my leg off," Draco smarted.

"Will it scar?" Pansy asked.

"Not really," Draco shrugged. "Madam Pomfrey is applying dittany, so it should heal normally. Why are you all here anyway? Haven't you got lessons?"

"Please contain your excitement," Theo said with rolled eyes. "We have Dark Arts at the moment; Professor Carrow excused us to visit."

"Right," Draco nodded.

"Is there anything we can do, Draco?" Pansy asked with sincerity dripping from her olive eyes.

"Not really," he shrugged noncommittally. "I've only been awake for two hours or so, and I'm already bored to bits."

"Has your mother contacted you?" Blaise asked looking around for a box of the delicious sweets Mrs. Malfoy always sent.

"Not yet," Draco shook his head. "But it's only a matter of time."

Draco was not wrong. Soon after Theo, Blaise, and Pansy left with promises to return later, a letter was delivered with the Malfoy crest pressed within the wax seal along with a heavy box, the same box he'd received nearly every day his first year. With a sigh, Draco opened the letter to reveal his mother's handwriting.

My Darling Boy,

Severus has informed me of the situation and of your injuries. I am horribly sorry to hear that someone has done such a horrid thing to you, my son. Please be more cautious of your surroundings. I despise knowing you are in pain, yet there is nothing I can do to help. Please take care, darling. Owl back if there is anything you require or want to help your recovery. I wish I could be there to take care of you. I love you beyond all. Never forget that.

All my love,

Mother

The message was clear to Draco. She wanted him to come home, yet he was not permitted to do so nor was she allowed to leave the Manor. With a defeated sigh, Draco tossed the letter and the box of truffles onto the tray beside his bed. The infirmary was rather cold, yet the heavy bandages on his leg kept half of his body warm while the other half was frigid. He couldn't get comfortable, and it was beginning to wear down his patience. To make matters worse, the pain potion had fully worn off and a blistering pain was pulsing in his leg causing him to grind his teeth together. However, this time, Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight.

For nearly half an hour, Draco sat in agony; he'd called for Madam Pomfrey once, but she never came into the hospital wing. He supposed she'd taken off for lunch, but what if he started dying? Would she come then or continue eating only to find his corpse upon her return? What if there was an emergency? With a defeated sigh, Draco reached over for the purple potion and downed half the content. Without delay, his body warmed and his eyelids felt incredibly heavy. He closed them once, and that was all it took.

What felt like minutes later, Draco woke to the feeling of warm fingers sliding against his. He assumed Pansy had honored her promise and returned wanting to offer a bit of comfort. He allowed her fingers to grasp onto his while her other hand tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. However, when Pansy ran her fingers up his cheekbone and then across his jaw, he realized it wasn't Pansy at all. Blinking his eyes open, Draco saw nothing more than a foggy halo of messy blonde hair. After a few moments, his eyes adjusted to the faint light of the candle beside his bed, and he was able to see his visitor clearly. Luna Lovegood sat in the chair with a bright smile etched across her face.

"What are you—" he said quickly causing his gravely voice to crack. Luna held a finger to her lips and pointed at the dark windows behind her. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"I came to see you of course," Luna answered simply. "Before you start to worry, I set a barrier down the hall that will alert me if anyone comes near."

"Where'd you learn that?" Draco asked releasing her hand to push himself up so that he was no longer lying down. Once situated, he reached for her hand again. She stared at their intertwined fingers for a moment before answering.

"Ginny taught me actually," she said softly. "She learned how to cast it in order to keep her brothers out of her room."

"Does it work in the castle?" he asked.

"I guess we'll find out," Luna shrugged without a care. "How are you?" she asked giving his hand a tighter squeeze.

"I'm alright," he lied; since waking, the pain in his leg had surfaced once more causing a harsh ache to climb through his skin.

"I think this is a pain potion here," Luna said gesturing towards the red bottle on the bedside tray. "You should take some. I did smell it while you were resting; I think there's a bit of Dreamless Sleep mixed in."

"No, I'm comfortable for now," he said knowing the potion would leave his mind out of focus and eyes drowsy.

"I'm so terribly sorry, Draco," Luna said gently leaning forward to rest her elbows on his bed as she brought their intertwined hands to rest against her cheek.

"What for?" he asked with furrowed brows.

"Seamus," Luna replied. "He thought he was defending me, but he was sorely mistaken, I'm afraid."

"I understand," Draco nodded at her. "I'm not angry."

Luna cast her eyes to meet his as the words registered in her mind. Draco looked back at her and saw a mixing swirl of awe and admiration in her wide grey-blue eyes. Slowly, a small smile pulled at the corner of her full lips before she placed a quick kiss on the back of his hand. She shook her head slightly.

"Draco Malfoy," she sighed. "Oh, how you've changed."

"I guess," he shrugged ignoring the burst of pride he felt in knowing the look of amazement in her eyes was directed at him.

"When did you become so modest?" she asked with a raised eyebrow; he merely shrugged again.

"My mother sent a letter today," Draco said wanting to talk about anything other than his moral progression; he was still trying to wrap his mind around Pansy's words the day before. "You can read the letter there if you'd like."

"I'd rather you tell me," Luna smiled shyly. "You have such a lovely voice."

"Right," Draco said as a blush ran across his cheeks. "Well, she basically said she wanted me to come home, but I wasn't allowed nor was she allowed to come to me."

"She said all that?" Luna asked tilting her head to the side.

"In her own way," Draco admitted. "But I got the message."

"Do you miss her?"

"A bit, yeah," he admitted. "What about you; do you miss your mum?"

"Yes, I miss Mummy quite a lot," Luna nodded with a serene look in her eyes. "She's dead, you know."

"Merlin, Luna," Draco said quickly feeling his entire body burn red from embarrassment. "I'm so sorry; I didn't—"

"It's alright, Draco," Luna said smoothing her thumb over his hand. "We don't know that much about each other, do we?"

"I suppose not," he said slightly defeated.

"Well, shall we?"

"Shall we what?" he asked.

"Get to know each other, of course," she responded as if it were the obvious answer. "We're friends after all."

"It feels a bit unconventional doing so now," Draco said gesturing at their intertwined hands that were resting against Luna's cheek.

"I quite like unconventional," she replied dreamily. "Ask me a question."

"Uh, what's your favorite color?" he asked lamely.

"White," she answered immediately.

Draco stared at her for a moment in disbelief. The girl who wore multiple patterns at one time, radish earrings, and a Butterbeer cork necklace loved the color white most of all? Luna, a girl who was every color under the rainbow all at once favored the most boring of colors? He found her admission strange, to say the least.

"White," he repeated slowly.

"Yes, of course," Luna smiled. "White, like the color of spring flowers, puffy summer clouds, and fresh snow. Did you know white is the all of the colors combined? Hermione told me that once; she said muggle scientist discovered that light is a combination of every color in the rainbow, some of which we don't have the ability to see."

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "Muggles discovered that?"

"Yes," Luna said nodding her head enthusiastically. "I think that's why I like the color so much; I never can pick my favorite, so I choose them all. Therefore, I choose white. What about you?"

"Green," Draco said immediately without thought; Luna tilted her head to the side again.

"Is it really?" she asked.

For a moment, Draco sat there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Of course green was his favorite color. It was the color of Slytherin, the color of the Malfoy crest, the color of the jewels within the Malfoy tiara. It was the color of his bedding, his curtains, and velvet fabric covering his lounge chairs. It was the color of the apples growing outside in the garden. It was the color of his Mother's dining room set, and the color of the rugs in the parlor. Green was, without a doubt, his favorite color. Except it wasn't. Sitting there, Draco searched within his mind thinking of a time where a color, other than green, brought him joy.

"Blue," he said hesitantly. "Light blue."

"Like the sky?" she asked.

"No, not as bright. Just like, a pale blue," he said thinking back to his childhood where he found a robin's nest within the apple tree.

Every day he would check on the nest, never touching the soft blue eggs for fear they would break. He would sit on the sprawling tree limbs as his feet dangled in the air and simply watch the nest while the mother bird was away gathering more sticks and leaves. The soft blue eggs had been his only companions that spring many years ago. He remembered the sheer bliss he felt when the eggs finally hatched; he'd felt a sense of pride knowing he'd kept the nest safe from any predators that may have attacked while the mother bird was away.

"Mm," Luna hummed. "That's a very calming color," she smiled.

Draco looked up to see that her eyes were closed. He took the time to study her face. Illuminated in the warm candle glow, Luna's skin didn't look as pale, but rather it was saturated with amber light. Her eyebrows were pale, nearly translucent, and he thought it made her look rather odd, a bit like an otherworldly being. In a way, she was. Her cheeks and lips were rosy, and he thought this is how she was meant to look. She looked warm and healthy; she belonged in the light. His mind flashed back to the manor and how the moonlight would reflect off of her skin. Even then, he thought she embodied the glowing light. It had always suited her.

"Where did you go?" Luna asked breaking Draco out of his own mind. "Your eyes turned rather dark. Bad thoughts? I've suspected there was a wackspurt invasion in here for years."

"Just thinking," he replied.

"I get lost in my mind sometimes too," Luna said gently giving Draco's hand a soft squeeze.

"Do you have a question for me?" Draco asked.

"If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?"

"Anywhere?" Draco repeated to himself in a low whisper. "I think I'd be here."

"Why is that?" Luna asked.

"I don't think people would accept me anywhere else," Draco admitted. "Not with this thing on my arm. It will always label me, no matter how this war ends. It will always define me.

"I don't think that's true," Luna said.

"It doesn't matter," Draco sighed. "What about you? Where would you be?"

"I think I would be here too," she smiled. "There's nowhere I'd rather be."

"Nowhere?" Draco asked.

"Nowhere," she grinned giving his hand anther squeeze.

"You're strange," Draco said shaking his head though a smile spread across his face.

"All the best people are," Luna shrugged; Draco didn't disagree. "I came to visit you last night, do you remember?"

"You did?" he asked. "I don't remember anything after passing out in the corridor; I woke up here this morning."

"I see," Luna nodded. "Ginny and I both were here."

"Weasley was here?" Draco asked in disbelief; however, now the two chairs at his bedside made sense. "Why?"

"She followed me here; I think she took quite a shock when I told her we were friends before running through the castle," Luna grinned.

"I bet. Was she angry?"

"I think concerned is a better word," Luna offered. "You see, I've done something I shouldn't have. I kept a secret from my friends."

"They don't have to know everything," Draco said cautiously.

"No, but by not telling them, you nearly lost your leg," Luna counter-argued.

"It's not that bad."

"You've flinched or grimaced every thirty seconds since you've been awake," Luna replied pointedly. "I do wish you would take the pain potion."

"It makes me drowsy," he admitted. "I want to be conscious while you're here."

"That's very sweet of you," Luna whispered. "But I want you to be without pain. Please take it. I'll stay here until you go to sleep. I promise."

"Fine," he surrendered grateful that Luna had the ability to see past his words; he truly was in a great amount of pain. Luna handed him the opened bottle, and he eagerly drank the warm liquid. He sighed as the effects took over; his leg was numb and his body was at ease. However, his mind was a bit woozy, his vision slightly blurred.

"Better?" Luna whispered from beside him.

Turning his head, he looked at her noticing a loose wave had fallen into her face. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and twirled the lock of hair around his finger transfixed as the light reflected on her blonde hair. She giggled watching him so enthralled with the movement. He smiled back as he was too at ease to be embarrassed. He leaned over tucking the strand of hair behind her ear allowing his fingertips to trace over the shell of her ear as she had done to him so many times. Trailing his fingers down along the side of her face, Draco placed his warm palm against her cheek as his thumb traced over her full lips.

Luna never reacted; she kept her wide eyes on him without blinking. In his altered state of mind, Draco thought he might like to kiss her; however, he shook the thought completely. It was the potion taking over his mind and causing him to think such things. He hadn't the time for silly school romances; he was too busy trying to stay alive. Slowly, Luna's free hand came up to wrap around his wrist as she leaned her face into his hand. Her eyes never closed, and he found himself speaking words as quickly as they came into his mind.

"I talked to Helena Ravenclaw last night," he said.

"Did you now?" Luna questioned; her warm breath tickled his palm.

"She told me relationships between Ravenclaws and Slytherins don't work out too well," he said in a rush. "Do you think she's right?"

"I think she speaks only of what she knows. Most often tragedy is remembered more so than joy; it leaves a lasting memory, heartache. She and Myrtle met horrible endings, and they both live every day with their fates."

"She says I want power; that or I think she believes I'm in love," Draco said before he could stop himself.

"Are you?" Luna asked curiously.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I haven't the faintest idea of what it feels like."

"I don't either," she said softly.

"I think you might be the best friend I've ever had," Draco said as his eyes started to shut; the potion was fully taking over at this point.

"I shall cherish that forever," Luna whispered running her fingertips through the fine hair beside his temple.

"Come back tomorrow," he said in a breathy whisper as he slid from his upright position to lie down. "I miss you."

As is breathing evened out, Luna held his hand where it was against her face reveling in the warmth of his skin. Closing her eyes, she imagined she could take him back to the Room of Requirement. She would never have to sneak out or risk her safety to see if he was doing well. She would help him with all of his doubts and troubles, and he would help with hers. She imagined they lived in a world where there was no Dark Lord and no Boy-Who-Lived, no Chosen One. They could just be great friends, Luna and Draco. She wanted that for him; she wanted that for herself.

With a quiet sigh, Luna planted a kiss on his knuckles before placing his arm carefully on the bed. She stood up and pulled the blankets up to his chin smoothing out any wrinkles. She gave a long look to his bandaged leg wishing there was something she could do to ease his pain and discomfort. She felt horribly guilty even now looking at the expansive amount of skin that was heavily burned. She couldn't imagine how excruciating it must have been. Gently, Luna placed her fingertips onto his knee as she pushed positive and healing energy through her body hoping that Draco would absorb some from her. She cast her eyes back to his face and leaned in placing her forehead against his temple.

"I don't know what falling in love feels like," she whispered into his hair. "But perhaps one day we'll both find out," she smiled placing a kiss on his forehead before walking out of the Hospital Wing as she cast a disillusionment charm on herself.

Walking in the deserted corridors, Luna marveled in the cool moonlight and the feeling of fresh air in her lungs. She walked diligently back to the Room of Requirement, yet she took her time doing so. She'd missed the nights where she was permitted and safe being alone in the castle allowing her subconscious to take her where it most desired. Although she was immensely thankful for the friends she had, Luna missed having times of quiet contemplation. As an only child, she and her father often spent days together in a studious silence as they each conducted their research. When she wasn't helping her father write articles for The Quibbler, Luna enjoyed spending time in her room adding to the murals on her walls or out in the garden with the towering flowers and trees. She was happy surrounded by friends, but she was also happy to be alone; she enjoyed the balance.

However, Luna found herself craving solitude after spending weeks within a room full of people; she cared for them all deeply, yet she missed having time alone with her thoughts. The cool stone walls and fresh air supplied her with the peacefulness she had craved so strongly. As she skipped up the staircases with ease having memorized their rotations, Luna found herself walking slower as her skin prickled. She could feel someone following her, but she never felt a sense of danger. With a knowing smile, she looked around her for a shimmering sight of grey translucence. As she stepped onto the seventh floor landing, Luna saw Helena Ravenclaw shying behind a bust of her mother.

"Hello, Helena," Luna whispered with a bright smile as she skipped over to her house ghost. "Nice night for a stroll, yes?"

"Not for you, Luna," Helena said sadly. "You're not—"

"Safe, I know," she grinned. "I've been told that a lot lately."

"You've been in the infirmary," the shy ghost said as she clutched her arm to her chest; it wasn't a question. Helena knew where she had been.

"I have, yes," Luna nodded. "I have a dear friend who has been terribly injured."

"He was telling the truth," Helena Ravenclaw said with perplexed eyes.

"Oh yes, he said you talked," Luna sighed dreamily. "I'd nearly forgotten."

"He told you?"

"Why of course," Luna nodded.

"You need to be wary of him, Luna," Helena said. "I trusted a young man from Slytherin once as did my mother; they don't understand people like us. They will destroy what they cannot possess. He— Someone is coming," she said suddenly rushing around the bust to stand closer to Luna. "You must run now; I don't want them to find you."

"Watch over him for me," Luna said suddenly without thinking. "Please, Helena. He's my friend."

"I—I will, for you, Luna," Helena nodded quickly. "But you must go now."

"Thank you," Luna said breathily as she ran down the long, shadowed corridor. As she turned a corner, she heard footsteps far behind her, so far back that she had made it into the room with the door disappearing behind her before they'd rounded the corner.

"Who's there?" she heard Ginny shout as she stood in the middle of the room with her wand pointed at the door.

"Oh! Sorry," Luna giggled as she released the Disillusionment Charm.

"Thank, Merlin," Ginny sighed lowering her wand. "You alright? Looking a bit rosy."

"I had to run a bit," Luna shrugged with a wide smile. "I think someone was searching for students out of bed."

"Did they see you?" Neville asked with a panic expression on his soft face.

"No, Helena warned me in time," Luna said.

"Good," Ginny. "Luna, I was hoping we could have that talk now, all of us. I-I think we're ready to listen," the redheaded girl said shyly, an expression Luna had rarely seen on her freckled face. Seamus and Neville nodded beside her as Dean gave her an encouraging nod.

"Lovely," Luna said happily. "We'll be needing a place to do so."

"I think I know a place," Dean said looking over the Ravenclaw's shoulder nodding at a yellow door that emerged on the opposite end of the room.

"Yellow," Luna grinned. "The perfect choice, I think," she said as she skipped over to the sunny door and opened it before following her friends inside.

Within the newly formed room, Luna saw cushions of all sizes and patterns along with cozy blankets. It was brightly lit with floating candles and smelled of rosemary and lemongrass; it was the perfect room for a calm conversation amongst close friends. Luna was quite pleased with herself and remained hopefully optimistic. Once they were all comfortably situated, Luna felt Ginny, Neville, Seamus, and Dean all look at her to begin. She took a deep breath allowing herself a moment to close her eyes and organize her thoughts. Opening her wide blue eyes, Luna began her story.

"I will ask that you let me get it all out, and then I will answer any questions you may have," she said waiting for them all to nod in agreement.

"We promise," Ginny whispered.

"Right. So, you all know I was taken by snatchers while on the Hogwarts Express right before Christmas. I was taken directly to Malfoy Manor where I was put within the dungeons along with Mr. Ollivander…"

For nearly a half hour, Luna explained every detail of her stay within the Manor. She told them of her purposeful questioning that caused Bellatrix to choose her to torture rather than Mr. Ollivander. She told them of Draco's hesitance in cursing her, the confusion in his eyes, and the way his hands would shake when he was commanded to do so. She told them of the time Bellatrix kicked her in the ribs causing the bones to pierce her lung, how Draco had healed her bones despite the act posing a great deal of danger for him had he been discovered doing so.

She told them of the apple and the fresh bread, of the panic attacks she knew he was having, and the doubt he showed for the teachings he'd been exposed to his whole life. She told them of his vulnerability. Luna explained how she was deemed useless once her father was in Azkaban and it was decided she no longer had a purpose, how Mrs. Malfoy cunningly convinced Bellatrix to give her to Draco, and how he pulled her from Bellatrix's grasp on several occasions. She told them on Fenrir Greyback and how Draco rescued her from his disgusting grip sacrificing his wand and his pride before the werewolf and Mr. Malfoy.

Luna told them how Lucius had forced Draco to strike her in threat that he would do so himself should Draco disobey; she explained to them how he cried and hated himself after every attack and how he would try to comfort her the best way he knew how. It was hard for them both, but Draco suffered far more than she ever within the Manor. She told them about the birds and how it was her idea to use them, how Draco cut open his arm so that the elves would give him a Blood Replenishing Potion he could give to her. She told them everything up until Draco refused to identify Harry and went so far as to help them escape with wands.

At the end of her tale, everyone sat there in absolute silence with far off gleams in their eyes. Luna gave them time to process, for she knew it was substantial information to digest all at once. Luna watched as Ginny opened and closed her mouths several times to speak before thinking better of it. Finally Seamus was the one to break the silence.

"He could have pretended, ya know," Seamus said with a hard face. "He didn't have to curse you all those times. He's still a slimy git who tortured you, Luna."

"I was checked for injuries every day," Luna said gently. "Besides, a fake Cruciatus would not have fooled the Death Eaters; they specialize in Dark Magic. It would have been quite obvious to them."

"He punched you, Luna," Ginny said. "He physically hurt you."

"Yes, I know," Luna nodded her head. "Under different circumstances, I would never standup for him, but this was a painful situation, impossible really. Ginny, if someone said to punch Neville in the face or they were going to hurt you or your family, what would you do?"

"I don't know—I-I'd probably punch Neville and beg for forgiveness after," she replied honestly.

"Exactly. Neville, if Ginny was told to hit you or be hit herself or have her family attacked, what would you have her do?" Luna asked turning to her pale friend.

"I'd tell her to hit me of course," Neville admitted quietly.

"There's no difference, you see?" Luna reasoned. "Not really when you get to the basics of it. The only part that isn't the same is that you two are friends, so it seems obvious that you would want to protect each other, your family, and yourselves at the same time."

"But, Luna—" Ginny began.

"Ginny, Draco is my friend. He's committed terrible curses and acts of violence, some of them directed at me; I'm not oblivious to that, but they weren't his idea, they weren't what he wanted. I will never be able to properly explain to you just how broken he was; he was unrecognizable."

"What Bill said," Neville sighed casting his eyes towards Ginny. "It makes a bit of sense now."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked tilting her head to the side.

"Well, Bill sent a message through Aberforth; said to keep an eye on Malfoy," Ginny shrugged. "We just assumed he meant that he'd received word about a mission he was on or something. We never thought it meant—"

"That he changed," Luna nodded sadly.

"Right," Ginny whispered. "What should we tell the others? They're all whispering about it already; they're going to want answers."

"I think for Draco's safety, the less people know the better," Luna said resolutely. "Let them think I'm loony; most of them already do," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Luna," Ginny sighed. "You're not crazy; the people who matter know that. Don't worry about what they think."

"It's fine. Honestly, it means people don't really question my actions; it comes in handy most of the time," she grinned as she stood up while looking around the room. "I wish we could keep this room; it's nice to have a bit of quiet. Shall we?" she asked as her hand wrapped around the doorknob.

"Yes, we should head back in; people will notice we've gone missing if we stay too long," Ginny agreed as she and the others stood up and walked out of the room; Seamus stayed behind.

"I won't fight along side of him," Seamus gritted out. "He's done nothing but torture us for six years, you know. I don't trust him; I'll never trust him," he said before storming out of the room leaving Luna to shut the door sadly behind her.

For the remainder of the night, Luna noticed that Seamus stayed to himself; several times, Dean attempted to engage the Irish boy in conversation, but he never would return the effort. Eventually, everyone left him alone. Luna wanted to give the boy a hug or offer words of advice, but she knew she would not be well received. She wondered if Seamus felt guilty for cursing Draco as he did. She wondered if he was more upset at himself now. However, she never asked; she simply hoped that by shedding light on the truth, her friends would begin to see Draco Malfoy in a different light or at least give him a chance. Luna felt he deserved such; perhaps her friends would too.

**Reveiws/Commments are never required, but they are incredibly appreciated.**