It was an especially cold night in the cellar, and Luna curled herself into a tight ball, trying to stay warm. She had been struggling to fall asleep for hours, but the cold and discomfort kept her wide awake. Then the cellar door creaked open, and a soft male voice whispered, "Lumos." Luna pretended to be asleep as the footsteps drew closer. Her body tensed when she felt a hand gently shaking her.
"Luna, Luna, are you awake?" Draco whispered.
"Y-yes," Luna stammered softly.
"Sit up. I have something for your teeth." Luna blinked in confusion but complied, sitting up. The soft blue glow from his wand illuminated Draco's pajama-clad figure—his t-shirt and sweatpants looking oddly out of place in the grim cellar. In his other hand, he held a small glass bottle. "Drink this. It's Skele-Gro. I'm assuming it'll work for teeth because technically, teeth are bones."
Luna had heard rumors about Skele-Gro—about how agonizing it could be to regrow bones. Despite her apprehension, she took a deep breath, opened the bottle, and swallowed the contents in one gulp. The instant it slid down her throat, a sharp pain shot through her gums as new teeth began to grow. She winced, covering her mouth and groaning softly. Draco watched her apologetically as he draped a blanket around her shoulders.
Luna stiffened when Draco sat next to her, his arm wrapping around her for support. She was startled by the gesture, but after a moment, she relaxed, laying her head on his shoulder as the pain in her mouth gradually began to subside.
"Do you need something to rinse out your mouth, or...?" Draco asked gently.
Luna blinked and suddenly noticed his arm—specifically the dark mark on it. "Draco, your arm is all cut," she said softly, her fingers instinctively reaching for his forearm in the dim light, examining the fresh cuts with concern.
He cursed under his breath, pulling his arm away and quickly hiding it. "I knew I should've worn long sleeves," he muttered to himself.
"Is someone hurting you?" Luna asked, stopping mid-sentence when the truth dawned on her. "You're doing this to yourself, aren't you?"
Draco looked down, his expression unreadable. "I don't want to talk about it."
Luna nodded, but her voice remained calm. "Fine. I won't make you talk about it. But something tells me you don't really want to be a Death Eater." There was a long silence, and Luna felt a pang of heartbreak for him. "I wish there was something I could do to help."
Draco let out a bitter laugh. "I kidnapped you, threw you in this dark cellar, knocked out some of your teeth, and you wish there was something you could do to help me?"
"I know there's good in you," Luna replied quietly, her words firm yet gentle. "I hope one day you'll see the good in yourself and have the courage to pursue it. But, now that I think of it... I think you already have the courage. It took courage to come down here tonight and sneak in Skele-Gro for me." She paused, offering him a warm smile. "By the way, I accept your apology. Even if you didn't say it, you showed it, and I can respect that."
Draco looked at her as though he had never heard the word "respect" used in reference to him before.
"You're strange, you know that? But a good kind of strange. Though honestly, I used to think you were completely mental, with your imaginary creatures, what are they? Nargles, wrackspurts or something-"
"Students transfigured into ferrets," Luna giggled. Draco froze.
"Y-you know about that?" A flush crept up his neck.
"I was in the courtyard when it happened," she was laughing openly now. "I have to admit, you made a rather handsome ferret."
Draco groaned and covered his face. "Seriously, why did Mad-Eye Moody have to shove me down Goyle's pants? I made Crabbe and Goyle swear never to speak of it again. I saw things I can't unsee."
Luna clamped a hand over her mouth, her laughter squeaking through her fingers. Draco couldn't help but join in.
"But what about you," he said, grinning, "and your commentary during the Gryffindor–Hufflepuff match last year? Crabbe, Goyle, and I were trying to figure something out in the castle, but we couldn't concentrate—we were crying laughing!"
Luna blushed, giggling. "I saw you trying to sneak off, but I thought you were with two first-year girls."
Draco pressed his lips together to keep from bursting out again. "That was Crabbe and Goyle under Polyjuice Potion. Totally unnecessary, but hilarious watching them try to walk in Mary Janes."
Luna's eyes widened in amused horror. She gave him a playful punch in the arm. "That's awful!"
"But worth it," Draco said with a wink.
Luna tilted her head thoughtfully. "That does make me wonder, if a boy turns into a girl, or vice versa, with Polyjuice... does everything change? You know, everything?"
Draco grinned wickedly. "According to Crabbe and Goyle—yes. Everything."
Luna snorted. "Oh dear. I don't think I'd enjoy turning into a boy. I'd probably be walking all funny having—well—"
Draco turned beet red, shoving a fist in his mouth to keep from howling with laughter. Luna was barely holding it together either, both of them shaking with silent giggles as they tried not to wake the others.
Eventually, they settled, catching their breath. Draco turned to her, his smile softening.
"I should let you rest," he said. "But I really needed that tonight. Thank you."
He kissed the top of her head and slipped out of the cellar, locking it gently behind him.
Though he was gone, Luna lay wide-eyed in the quiet dark, a lingering smile on her lips. Sleep, she knew, wasn't coming anytime soon.