Hidden Wings - Part II

The Eclipse

Mrs. Weasley spent the entire next few days fussing around Charlie and Luna, making sure they had enough to eat and that they got plenty of rest. The two spent the week in the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey could give them every hour the necessary potions to heal them from the aftereffects of malnourishment and torture. Ginny, Fred, George and Bill barely left Luna and Charlie alone, but had to reluctantly retreat when Madam Pomfrey threw them out due to disrupting her patients' recovery.

Draco barely spent any time with the others. He never showed up to meals in the Great Hall, nor participated in the training. Instead, he spent his hours sitting on the roof of the astronomy tower, staring into the distance. He had found a way to climb onto the roof without flying and noticed that no one ever seemed to find him up here.
He could come here when he needed space.

Thoughts of self-doubt filled his head as his thoughts kept returning to the moment he had lost Mioha.

Why didn't I cast my Patronus earlier? We could have gotten out faster...we would have made it...

Draco slammed his fist into the shingles, feeling them break.

Is that the only thing I'm good at? Hurting Mioha and leaving her behind?

He exhaled heavily through his nose and closed his eyes. If he focused hard enough, he could still feel Mioha's hand in his when she had pulled him along through Malfoy Manor. She had been imprisoned in the most cruel way and still, instead of fleeing when she had the chance, she had waited for him.

A soft chirp made him look up.
Esma was perched beside him on the roof, staring at him out of her dark button eyes.

"What?", snapped Draco. "What are you staring at?"

Esma cocked her head slightly and hopped a little closer.
Draco balled his fist, thinking about shooing her away. He did not want a bird's company, nor its pity.
But the only thing keeping him from swatting at Esma was the thought that Mioha would never approve of it.

His hand opened and when he looked down, he found it was bloody from hitting the shingles.

Esma hopped closer and chirped again.

"I failed her again, Esma", said Draco dully and stared ahead, his eyes unfocused. "The Dark Lord will turn her evil and Fawkes still did not show up. The potion won't be ready.
We will lose her...I will lose her."

The blackbird remained silent. Draco's eyes kept returning to the forest in the distance, its brown trees stretching out like a vast carpet. He knew the unicorns had to be gravely ill by now, since Mioha had been missing for almost a year.

Guilt started to gnaw at him. Was Orlai still alive? What about the other unicorns? Rorinn and...Perius?

He had no idea.

He looked down startled when something light landed on his knee. Esma looked at him impatiently and tapped her talon against his thigh.

"What?", said Draco annoyed.

Esma tapped him again and held out her talon, her claws extended.

Draco looked at her confused. What did she want?

Slowly, feeling very stupid, he raised his right hand and held it close to Esma's talon. The blackbird leaned forward and wrapped her claws around Draco's finger, holding it tightly. Then she looked at him out of her dark eyes.