The Moon Girl | Druna

Chapter Fifteen

Hello friends! I hope you all enjoy this installment! Sending love! --Lillie

Chapter Fifteen

Though she would never admit it, Luna had avoided talking to Dean throughout the day. They had sipped their Butterbeers in silence as heavy cloaks draped around their faces. Luna kept staring at the Dirigible plum earring in her hand as if it would disappear or vanish from her possession. Several times Dean attempted to ask her something, but she would turn her head and look out the nearest window or stare at a picture; something else always grasped her attention. That night, when they were safely back in the Room of Requirement, Dean climbed into Luna's hammock as she stared down at her hands lying still in her lap; without looking, he knew she was staring at the earring. Once comfortable, Dean bumped his shoulder with hers.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked.

"It's my earring," Luna said lowly so no one else would hear. "The earring the Death Eaters took when I was brought to Malfoy Manor."

"How did you get that?" Dean asked with interest.

"Draco," Luna whispered. "He slipped it into my hand right before he pretended to curse me after Theodore Nott came into the alley."

"Did you go looking for him?" Dean asked staring at the earring along with her as he clenched his jaw.

"Not exactly," Luna responded lightly looking up at Dean with wide eyes.

"Luna," Dean sighed.

"You would do the same," Luna said with a certain tone. "If it was Seamus, Neville, Ginny, or me, you would do the same, Dean. Please understand."

"I'm trying," he replied earnestly. "But Luna, you don't know how devastated we would be if anything happened to you. I wasn't here for the first time, but I can only imagine how torn Neville and Ginny were. I might be selfish in saying so, but please don't make them go through that again or me."

"It wasn't my fault the first time," Luna said slightly hurt by his words.

"No, absolutely not," Dean agreed. "But if you continue to seek him out knowing the possible consequences, it might be. You were lucky it was only Nott. If it was Snape or the Carrows, I don't think a pretend Cruciatus would fool them."

"He's my friend, Dean," Luna said with fierce eyes.

"So are we, Luna."

"Are you asking me to choose?" she implored.

"No, never. I would never ask you to do that, Luna, ever. I just want you safe; we need you. We care about you. I'm not asking you to choose him or us, but I am asking you to be cautious. Hogwarts is not the same."

"I know," Luna nodded reaching out for his hand. She was relieved he hadn't asked her to choose, because she didn't think she would have been able to.

"You're really okay, though," Dean asked claiming her fingers.

"Perfectly fine," Luna assured him as she stared lovingly at the earring in her free hand. "It's going to happen soon, Dean. The end of it all; I can feel it coming near," she said looking over once more at the boy beside her. His eyes darkened as he nodded his head once.

"I know; I can feel it too," he replied gripping her fingers fractionally tighter.

________________________________________________________

After wandering around Hogsmeade in search of his Slytherin companions, Draco, along with Theo, trailed back to the castle. The Sugar Quills were heavy and unappetizing within his robe pocket. Theo was talking about something he had no desire to hear, so Draco tuned him out. Nott Jr. could have been rattling off a way to defeat the Dark Lord and Draco would not have heard a syllable. He was beyond reach. Though he knew he hadn't hurt Luna, Draco felt awful putting her in that position once again. Doing so had brought back so many memories of sleepless nights and the sounds of her screaming reaching his bedchambers as Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters cursed her night after night. Draco knew tonight was going to be another sleepless night, and his muscles were already protesting at the realization.