The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

16. Goodbye To You

Draco and Luna stayed with Sloane for the rest of the afternoon, helping her weave through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley with bags hanging from nearly every arm. Not that Sloane needed very much compared to most first years. She already had a few second-hand robes from charity collections Joanna had altered for her, and Kingsley had quietly insisted on paying for the rest before she could even protest. Still, there were dozens of little things that added up quickly once you stepped into the magical world properly.

By the time they finally left Flourish and Blotts, Sloane's arms ached from the weight of her schoolbooks. Luna floated half the pile beside them absentmindedly with magic while chatting about Wrackspurts circling the upper shelves, and Draco — despite pretending to be irritated the entire time — kept silently taking the heavier bags from Sloane whenever she slowed down.

"You walk like you're carrying bricks," he muttered at one point, tugging the cauldron box from her grip before she could argue.

"I am carrying bricks," Sloane shot back breathlessly. "Have you seen how thick these books are?"

Draco only smirked faintly and kept walking.

Over the course of an hour, maybe longer, they gathered everything she would need for Hogwarts. A sturdy black book bag with silver clasps. Polished school shoes that still squeaked slightly when she walked. A brass cauldron. A basic potions kit carefully packed into a wooden case. Rolls of parchment tied with string. Bottles of ink. Fresh quills. Socks, tights, gloves for winter, even a proper cloak after Luna insisted Scotland was "freezing enough to turn your eyeballs solid."

Sloane had never owned so many things that belonged solely to her before.

Each new purchase made the reality settle deeper into her chest. Hogwarts. School. A future.

It still didn't feel entirely real.

By the time the sky outside had begun turning dusky gold, Draco and Luna walked her all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron. The pub was louder now than it had been earlier, full of travellers, witches laughing over butterbeer, and exhausted parents herding children upstairs.

At the entrance, Luna wrapped her arms around Sloane without hesitation.

"You'll love Hogwarts," she said dreamily. "Even the ghosts are mostly friendly."

"Mostly?" Sloane asked nervously.

Luna smiled serenely. "Well... one tried to bite me once, but I think he was lonely."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Ignore her. You'll be fine." But despite the sarcasm, his voice was gentler than usual.

Sloane looked between the two of them, feeling something warm twist painfully in her chest. She still barely understood why they had been so kind to her all day. Draco Malfoy especially. Everything she had heard about him growing up painted a very different picture than the boy standing awkwardly in front of her now, hands shoved into his coat pockets like he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "For today. For... all of it."

Draco shrugged immediately, uncomfortable with sincerity. "You would've gotten lost without us."

"I absolutely would have."

"That's true," Luna agreed brightly.

For the first time that day, Sloane laughed properly. The sound surprised all three of them. Draco's mouth twitched upward slightly at hearing it. "Well," he said after a moment, stepping backward toward the fireplace. "See you on the train."

"Don't miss it," Luna added. "The platform gets terribly crowded."

Then, with one last wave, they disappeared in a swirl of green flames, leaving Sloane standing alone in the warmth of the Leaky Cauldron.