Final chapter! =)

Chapter 7

"Draco, c'mon!"

"You told us to do this, Draco."

"Yeah, we need to try out your game at wizard's chess. I still need to beat you."

Draco shoved passed the trio down the corridor. Luna stared at his back as he cantered away and gave her friends weary looks.

"He's in deep denial," Daniel said as Hermione, Harry and Ron gave up and walked in the opposite direction. He and Luna went into the courtyard and sat on a stone bench as a cold wind blew. "It's like he's forcing himself to not think of it. Do you think he hasn't obliviated his mind because you don't want him to?"

"Maybe," she said.

"At least he's letting me walk with him at times. But I think he just tolerates it."

"That is because you two have a strong bond."

Daniel looked at her incredulously. "Strong bond? You have the strongest bond with him out of any of us." He blew air out of his mouth. "That's probably why he's avoiding you the most. Oh… sorry."

"It's true, though."

At that moment, Luna spotted Draco walking in a corridor on the opposite side of the courtyard with his posse. He me met her glance and stared at her and Daniel for a moment, but he immediately looked away.

"I think he wants to talk to you, but he's forcing himself not to," Daniel said.

"I think so, too."

Luna's heart hurt. It hasn't stopped hurting since the day Draco got off the potion. She knew he would be like this, and he did as well. She just wants him to be happy. And he can be if he lets people in.

"We're still not going to give up on him," Daniel said assuredly. "We're his friends and we care about him, happy or not."

Luna noticed tears in his eyes. She put an arm around the shoulder of her young friend and squeezed. "You're right. We care about him a lot."

"And you especially."

"I think we all care about him the same amount, just in different ways."

He nodded. The clock tower gonged, signifying the end of lunch.

"Would you like me to walk with you to your class?" Luna asked.

"No, that's alright. Thanks, though."

He got up and started walking away across the courtyard. A minute passed as she watched students vacate the area, and she started walking to her next class. Student after student passed, and she tried to keep a happy face, even in her remaining classes for the day. But it didn't cure the hurt inside of her. Would Draco ever smile at her the way he did before?

The sun had already set when she walked back to her common room. A few students were around in the cool corridors, but not many. She turned a corner to a deserted corridor and gulped back something heavy as she heard her name.

"Loony Lovegood!"

She turned and found a few tall and lanky boys from Slytherin house with nasty grins on their faces. "Not so high and mighty now that Draco's got his wits about him again?" a boy sneered.

"I never thought of myself as high and mighty," she said lightly.

One of the boys grunted. "Yeah. Three Charmers my arse."

The boys advanced and Luna instinctively pulled out her wand, but one of the boys used the expelliamus spell to flick her wand out one of one of the corridor windows.

"What're you gonna do now, Loony?" one of the boys shouted at her, and she felt hot tears roll down her cheeks.

"Aw, look, we're making her cry. Didn't know she could do that."

"We can experiment."

Before Luna could use her legs to run, she was banged to the stone floor by some spell she didn't recognize. The wind flew out of her and she started wheezing.

"That one hurt," said one of the boys.

"Got more than that."

Luna struggled to get up, but something slashed her leg, causing her to holler in pain. She clutched her bleeding leg.

"That'll teach you to mess with the Prince of Slytherin—giving him a happy potion… disgusting."

Luna held onto her bleeding leg, getting blood all over her hands and skirt. She started to feel dizzy. Something hit her in the head and she collapsed to the ground, and she started seeing spots in front of her eyes.

She suddenly heard shouting, the air being knocked out of someone, and then many footsteps. Then she felt herself being propped up.

"Luna! Luna!"

Her name was distant, but she recognized that voice.

"Luna, c'mon!"

She heard muttering, and the pain from her leg suddenly vanished, and her head stopped throbbing. Her vision cleared and she saw who her rescuer was.

"Draco…" she muttered.

"I got rid of those devils. Are you alright?"

"Yes… now."

He propped her up to a sitting position and she was able to look him square in the face. She saw red and puffy blue eyes, and there were tear stains on his cheeks.

"Draco…"

"I just saw you getting beaten up. I couldn't leave you to…"

Luna's chest pinched in emotion and she leaned into him and clung onto his robes. She let the tears fall, allowing the anguish of the past weeks to leave her body in painful sobs. Draco froze. More Sobs escaped her and she let out tears like she hasn't before. She found herself desperate to be near him, to feel him, to take in his scent and warmth…

She leaned back a little and looked at his face. Tears brimmed his eyes. She couldn't help it. She leaned in and kissed him.

She clung onto him for a dreadfully hopeful moment. When his lips moved in response, her heart soared. She gasped when he suddenly leaned more into her and grabbed her face and kissed her and kissed her. Happiness and relief shot through her body as his hand dug into her hair, and his mouth did not cease moving with hers. He suddenly broke away and muttered near her mouth, "I couldn't push it all back anymore. I couldn't fight myself."

"That's good. Did you not obliviate your mind because of what I said?"

"It never left my mind. Noe of it did. And I didn't want to forget it, no matter how many times I told myself otherwise. I just… I'm not used to people caring about me. Especially when I'm a bloody bully and monster."

"You will have to get used to it, Draco."

"I know."

Luna winced a little from a sharp pain in her abdomen and leg.

"We have to get you to the hospital wing," Draco said. "Can you stand?"

"I believe so. You cast spells on me that helped me heal."

"Not all of you is healed. C'mon."

Luna held onto him as he walked her to the hospital wing. On the way, Draco said under his breath, "I'm going to bloody kill those cods for doing this to you."

Luna surprised herself by smiling at those words. Draco still cared about her—the feelings they had were still there, even without the potion.

Luna's eyes fluttered open to see specks floating in the air, then a tall ceiling. The hospital wing. The sun shown through the windows. She looked down a little and saw Draco leaning on her bed, sleeping on his folded arms.

She smiled. He stayed with her the whole night.

She looked back up at the ceiling and recalled the night before. She beamed and looked over at Draco again, and touched his blonde hair with the tips of her fingers. He couldn't hold back those feelings and memories. She, Daniel, and even him, knew that he would not be able to.

Draco's eyes started to drift open. He groaned. "Aw, my neck…" He leaned up and grabbed the back of his neck and winced. He noticed Luna smiling at him. He immediately put his hand down. "You're awake."

"Did you sleep well?"

He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Not really."

"Thank you for staying with me."

His cheeks started to flush pink. "Well… you wanted me to stay until you fell asleep. I guess I stayed long enough for me to fall asleep as well."

She giggled and took his pale, bony, yet attractive hand. "Thank you."

At that moment, someone came bursting into the hospital wing, saw Luna, and ran up to her. "Luna! You alright? I heard what happened! Golly, I'm going to clobber who did this to you!"

"I'm quiet alright, Daniel. Draco rescued me and told me that he couldn't fight the feelings and memories anymore."

Daniel's eyes widened and looked to Draco from across the bed. "It's about time you got the sense knocked into you! Took you long enough. I was beating my brains out trying to bring you 'round."

Draco huffed through his nose and looked away, slightly embarrassed. Daniel turned back to Luna.

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yes. What Draco didn't heal on the spot Madam Pomfrey did when I arrived here. She said I would be alright to go by morning."

"Thank heavens." His hand balled into a fist and he said with emotion, "I'm seriously going to find those guys and give them a piece of my mind! How dare they try to hurt one of my best friends! They have it comin' to 'em!"

Luna's heart warmed. She glanced over and saw that girl who Daniel fancies sitting four beds down from her. The girl instantly turned her head when she saw Luna looking at her. Luna smiled.

Madam Pomfrey came up to the three friends and put hands on her hips. She said in a loud whisper, "What is all this ruckus? There are people in here who are trying to sleep."

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," Daniel said and pursed his lips.

She turned to Luna. "Now Miss Lovegood, you are right as rain, and are good to go. Looks like you are in good hands, so I will tend to the patients who were woken up."

She gave Daniel an annoyed pointed look, and he looked away from her, then she eyed Draco for a moment and walked off. Luna suspected Madam Pomfrey thought it strange to see Draco Malfoy with her. But she didn't care. She never did.

Luna, Draco, and Daniel exited the hospital wing about fifteen minutes later and walked down the cool corridors. Not many students were around since it was about an hour before breakfast.

"You and me, Draco," Daniel said when they came to a corridor near the main courtyard. "Let's find those losers who attacked Luna and teach them a lesson."

"You stay away from them," Draco ordered. "I'll deal with them."

Daniel creased his brows. "No way. I'm comin' too."

"No you're not."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want them to beat up you, too."

"But… if you're there, then they won't. C'mon, let's get 'em!"

Draco grabbed the boy's sleeve as he was about to walk away, stopping him from going anywhere, and said sharply, "You're not going near those guys, understood?"

Daniel's eyes widened and started to brim with tears. "But..."

"Look," Draco said, his own eyes starting water, "I don't want another friend of mine taken to the hospital wing because of me, alright? I've already caused enough hurt over the past six years. I don't want to cause anymore."

The two boys glared at one another, and Luna's chest started to constrict with relief and happiness. She was going to say something, but Daniel suddenly embraced Draco's torso and held onto him, which made Draco stagger back a bit. His eyes widened fully at the sudden hug.

"Thank you for being there for me and being my friend, even when you were off the potion. You're like an older brother to me, you know."

He squeezed Draco tighter, and Draco took hold of his shoulders. "Alright, alright, now get off."

Daniel let go of Draco and he beamed up at him.

"Get that grin off your face and let's head to breakfast. I'm starving."

Draco stalked off and Daniel looked over at Luna. "He knows breakfast is in an hour, right?"

"I think you made him embarrassed."

He smiled triumphantly. "Good."

The two followed after Draco until they arrived at the Great Hall. Draco stood near the entrance, and he stared at Daniel and Luna as they walked up to him.

"We're early," Daniel commented. "Golly, too bad we can't sit at different tables."

"Excuse me."

All three of them turned to find that brown-haired girl from the hospital wing. Luna and Draco held in a smile as Daniel's face started to flush bright pink.

"Um..." he stammered nervously.

"I saw you in the hospital wing earlier," she said. "Is your friend alright?"

When Daniel didn't answer, Luna said for him, "Yes, I'm quite alright."

"That's good." She looked back at Daniel with her big brown eyes surrounded by long lashes. "I'm Sarah. We talked before."

"Y-yeah, we did," Daniel said, still stunned, and his cheeks pink.

Luna leaned in to Draco and gave him a look. He nodded and the two of them walked off down the corridor. Daniel didn't even notice.

"She was in the hospital wing," Luna said. "I think what Daniel said to me touched her heart. It touched mine, for sure."

Draco nodded. "That lad's really something else. Rather clingy."

Luna giggled and they walked on as Draco had his hands in his pockets. People eyed them as they walked by, whispering. Draco noticed and put his head down.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" Luna asked.

"I'm… getting used to it." He looked at her. "Because I forced myself to accept that I actually want to be with you, as loony as you are. Sorry."

"No, I can think of it as a term of an endearment from you." She smiled and linked her arm with his. "I realized I want to be with you, too."

"The potion started it all," he muttered. "It made both of us see what we actually desired. Especially me."

"That is another side-effect the potion has."

"Indeed."

They walked on to the south entrance and stood where they watched that sunset the day before the potion wore off. The sky was grey, and there was a bit of a drizzle.

"Thanks for reminding me about everything," Draco when they reached the archway. "I know I needed it." He huffed through his nose. "The task that the Dark Lord has given me is horrible, but at least I have a few people around to cheer me up."

She tightened her hold on his arm and leaned against him. "That's what friends are for."

He looked down at her, a sly small smile hinting at his lips. "I think you're more than just a friend to me."

Her heart jumped and she looked up at him. He turned to fully face her.

"Remind me what you told me that time in the Room of Requirement," he softly commanded.

"I said that I thought I loved you."

"And do you still? Now that I'm off the potion?"

"Yes."

He smiled broadly and took her in his arms. "Good. This is… nice. And different."

"Can I hear you say it? What you said back to me?"

He pulled her out and looked at her face. "Very well. I love you, you loony and pretty girl."

Luna beamed and embraced him, savoring his nearness and affection. She had no idea that slipping depressed Death Eater Draco Malfoy the euphoria potion would result into him turning into her loving boyfriend, but she wasn't complaining. She knew she chose the right person.