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Hogwarts was often overwhelming for Luna. It was too loud, what with the paintings gossiping along the walls, the ghosts randomly appearing for conversations, and the staircases themselves creaking as they moved. That didn't even take into account the other students in their bright colors with their loud voices and disruptive magic in the halls, despite the rules clearly stating that wasn't allowed.
Today was more overwhelming than most days though. Luna's housemates had once again stolen her modified spectrespecs, the ones that helped dim the assault of color and noise on her senses. She'd tried using her back up method with the special ear plugs her dad had made for her, but they hadn't worked right. Luna assumed she'd have to get him to recalibrate them. Again. What her housemates called "misspells" always seemed to hit Luna's things and ruin them. Like her favorite pair of fuzzy socks that now felt like sandpaper on Luna's feet.
Luna had tried to take a break in the bathroom, but whatever creature controlled fate didn't seem to approve of that for her. Her access to the bathroom was stopped by three older Ravenclaw girls. They leered at her, breath rank amidst the already too much sensory input.
The middle one spoke, spittle flying as her lips formed the words. "This bathroom is for students only. Not weirdos or outcasts or creature wannabes."
Luna didn't answer. She simply wiped the spit off her face and turned away, tears forming in her eyes. She'd learned a long time past that trying to reason with, or get past the bullies only ever ended with more pain. She trudged down the hall, head down, body trembling slightly from the stimulation.
"Hey! Freak!" Somebody called out.
Luna tried her best to ignore the harsh voice. She thought maybe she could make it to the library and find some peace there. It'd mean missing charms, but Flitwick had always been understanding towards her before.
"I said Freak! That means you Loony!"
Luna hunched down further, her hands coming up to cover her ears. Whomever was calling her had a high pitched nasally voice. It hurt more than the words themselves did. Just have to make it to the library. Luna thought to herself.
"When someone calls your name Loony, you look at them! Freakazoid! Look at me! Aguamenti!"
The person who'd shot the spell kept shouting insults and other hexes, but Luna couldn't focus on them. The freezing cold water had splashed against her back, instantly soaking her clothes. It trailed down her spine and dripped into her shoes. And, in that moment, it became too much.
Luna fell to her knees. Her head stayed ducked down, her hands covering her ears as tightly as they could. It didn't do anything to stop the grotesque sound that started echoing down the halls.
Luna wasn't aware of what she was doing anymore. Wasn't sure what was making the horrible sound. She wasn't aware of where she was, or who was around her, or what was happening. Or rather, she was far too aware. It was all too much.
~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~
Draco didn't like Tracey Davis. She wasn't cunning enough to be a Slytherin in his opinion. She was ambitious, sure, but for all the wrong things. Like being the prettiest girl in school; something she had an extremely long way to go to achieve. Her voice was annoying and her insults fell far too short. So no. Draco didn't like the young half-blood. He tolerated her.
So when she started insulting someone in the hall, calling them a freak, Draco really didn't care. It wasn't a creative insult. It wasn't personalized enough to matter. It was a word a three year old could have used just as effectively.
Draco was about to point out as much when Davis called out her next 'insult'.
"I said Freak! That means you Loony!"
Draco did a double take and shook his head. For a second, he'd thought Davis was calling out to his cousin, which was stupid. Davis wouldn't know his cousin. Draco hadn't even seen his cousin in years, not counting the passing glances in the corridors of Hogwarts. His father had made sure of it after learning about the carnival trip. No, he convinced himself, I've just been under too much stress. I'm sure Davis calls lots of kids Loony. After all, it sounds similar to–
Draco's thought was caught off midway as a break in the crowd allowed him a glimpse of the unmistakable messy blond hair of his cousin. He pushed two kids out of his way so he could see her better.
Luna looked like she was having a rough time. Her hair was even more matted than usual, which was saying something considering Luna's hair had permanently looked like she'd just survived a blasting curse since Pandora had died. Her hands clutched at the sides of her head and she stared at the ground. She flinched with every step she took. As she swerved around another student, Draco caught a glimpse of her red ringed eyes.
Draco went to tell Davis to knock it off, but she was already hurtling her next insult at Luna. "When someone calls your name Loony, you look at them! Freakazoid! Look at me! Aguamenti!"
Luna froze as the conjured water hit her back. She dropped to her knees in a way that had Draco wincing in sympathy. Not seeming in control of what she was doing, Luna continued to stare at the floor. Her mouth opened and a gut-wrenching scream was forced from her throat.
The noise seemed to trigger Luna further, seeing how she started rocking back and forth. Her hands grabbed even tighter, knuckles turning white against her hair. Still the wail continued, pitch never changing.
Draco had a vague memory of the ill-fated carnival come to mind. Luna had been having a hard time hearing him, and had asked Pandora to do something. Pandora hadn't wanted to, but finally caved. Luna had been able to hear him much better after that.
But about twenty minutes later, she'd barely touched a puddle on the table from a recent rainstorm. It dripped from her finger to her pants. Luna had dropped to the ground then too, curling up in a ball. She had kept mumbling about it being "too much" and that she could "feel everything". Luna had started a cry very similar to the wail she was now producing, and had started rocking back and forth.
Pandora had grabbed Draco's hand and must have grabbed some part of Luna because the next thing he knew, they were in a plain little clearing with almost no noise and nothing vibrant enough to be noted. Pandora, ripped off Luna's shoes and socks, handed her some small object, then carefully sat back about two feet. In a calm, quiet voice, she'd talked Luna through a simple breathing exercise, repeating it until Luna stopped screaming and could open her eyes again.
His Aunt had later explained to him that Luna had autism, and sometimes she noticed too much about the world all at once. She'd said that adding more stimuli always made it worse. That when it happened, Luna did best if she was able to get to a quiet, calm, boring place to regulate herself. Especially if she had something soft she could focus on.
Luna's wails in the corridor seemed to be the same situation. An overstimulation, probably made a thousand times worse by the water Davis had doused her with. Draco felt something stir in his chest.
"Everyone already knew you were the biggest wimp around, Loony. You didn't need to scream at a little water to prove it! Picadura!"
The beast that had been sleeping in his chest reared its head at the stinging hex. Draco shot a mix of hexes, jinxes, and curses at the stupid girl as he rushed to Luna's side. He was too furious to note which ones he actually used, only barely noticing the strange yellow pustules decorating what appeared to be a giant pink jelly slug where Davis had been standing. He firmly grabbed Luna's shoulders, yanking her to a standing position, and starting to steer her away. He could feel her whole body trembling, shaking under his firm hands.
Draco must have looked a frightening sight, seeing how all the kids they passed in the corridors drew back to the edges, giving him no problems passing. He felt bad for dragging Luna around like a dog, but she had at least stopped screaming. The dungeons had never felt further away.
Another random thought crossed Draco's mind. He was on the eighth floor. The Come and Go Room should be on the floor just below. He'd never tried to use it that way before, but couldn't see why it wouldn't work.
With unmatched speed, he ushered Luna down a flight of stairs. She stumbled and nearly fell, only staying upright because Draco had grabbed her around the middle. Luna tried to squirm out of his grasp, looking more and more flighty. Luna started a low whine that kept building in intensity.
Draco finally made it to the stretch of hallway he was looking for. He stared at the wall in frustration. Why does it require someone to pass by it three times before opening? Draco didn't want to let go of Luna, on the chance she'd see him as part of the problem and run, not that she seemed coherent enough to do that. It still wasn't a risk he was willing to take. But forcing her to pace seemed equally cruel.
Draco decided to compromise, hoping the Room could do the same. Eyes shut tight, he gripped Luna's shoulder with one hand and took two steps one way. With careful maneuvering, his other hand replaced the first and three steps were taken the other way. He repeated the process one more time.
I need a fast path to get Luna safely to my room. I need a fast path to get Luna safely to my room. I need a fast path to get Luna safely to my room.
Draco cautiously opened his eyes. With more relief than he'd imagined possible, Draco saw a plain wooden door. It didn't convey the importance of the room, but Draco could care less about that.
He opened it and carefully guided Luna through it. On the other side of the room, about 20 paces away, was a different door. It was a dark emerald color with silver accents. Draco vaguely recognized it.
It was only as he pushed it open that Draco realized why it was familiar. Somehow the Room had linked up to the door of His own half bathroom. It swung open into his room, silently closing behind them. In distracted curiosity, he opened it back up only to find the normal toilet and sink greeting him.
Draco refocused himself and looked around. Luna was standing silently next to him, shivering violently, still rocking back and forth with her hands against her ears. Ashamed he hadn't thought of it sooner, Draco cast a quick drying charm followed by a strong warming charm. Luna's shivering calmed down but didn't stop.
He guided her to sit down on the floor. With gentle hands, Draco pulled off Luna's shoes. He winced as he tried to remove her socks, like his Aunt had done so many years before. They felt like sandpaper against his fingers. In disgust he threw them across the room, a charm flying out of his wand to make them softer and fluffier, which would increase with each use. Luna took a deep breath as soon as they were off her feet, as if they had been contributing to her inability to draw in a more substantial breath.
He couldn't think of anything else small and soft to grab, so reluctantly he summoned Hydrus from his hiding spot by his pillow. He handed her the well loved stuffie and wished he had something else to use. But Luna was more important than his selfish wants.
Draco sat down a bit away from Luna, just close enough he could lean forward and tap her knees if needed. In a forced calm, that by no means conveyed how he actually felt, Draco started whispering instructions on how to steadily breathe, cuing his cousin when to inhale, and when to exhale. One of her hands tugged at the stiff collar of the school uniform circling her neck.
Praying he could later undo it, Draco transfigured her uniform into something much looser and far more soft. He continued to attempt to guide Luna's breathing, trying to help her actually focus. She seemed zoned out, eyes wide open, facing directly at Draco, but not seeing anything.
Draco had to stop himself from grabbing Hydrus from Luna when he realized what exactly she was doing with him. Luna nuzzled her face into his head. Her nose was running and every so often a tear fell down her cheek.
Draco decided to take comfort in the fact that even though Luna was stimming a lot, it wasn't actually anything harmful to Hydrus. Unlike her poor sleeve. Draco didn't know when she had started, but Luna had put her sweater sleeve in her mouth and was frantically chewing on it.
He tried to gently pull it from her mouth but Luna shrank away from him. Her elbow rose, partially blocking her head, and the sleeve stayed firmly between her teeth. With a shrug, Draco left it alone. It's not like it was his sleeve. He continued talking through the deep breaths he wanted Luna to take.
Draco had no idea how long it took, but Luna's breath finally evened out. She was able to follow his instructions on when to breathe. They sat breathing together for a few more minutes.
Draco could instantly tell the moment Luna was all the way back to herself. Her eyes blinked rapidly five times, glanced away from him, then at him, then at the ground.
Keeping his voice low, Draco asked "Are you back with me?"
"I-I think so. Wh-who? Wh-where?" Luna's voice was shaky and she didn't seem to be finishing her thoughts fully.
"Hey. It's okay. It's me. Drac-" Draco cut himself off, remembering what his cousin had always called him. "Dragon. It's me, Dragon."
"Dragon?" She stared briefly at his eyes then looked back to the floor. A faint blush rose on her cheeks and she tried to force herself to look in Draco's eyes. She couldn't manage, instead ending up looking at his ear. "Where are we?"
Draco couldn't help but smile. He'd heard Snape complain often enough about various students to know this was completely normal behavior for his cousin. "We're in my dorm. Hope that's okay. I had to get you out of that hallway."
"You got me out of the hallway?" Luna tipped her head incredulously, still not meeting his gaze. "And to your dorm? We were on the eighth floor!"
"And someday I'll show you how I managed that. But for now, are you okay?"
Luna started to answer, but after a quick glance at Draco she seemed to close herself back off. "Does it matter? You haven't cared how I was for eight years!"
Draco's mouth fell open. He tried to form words but couldn't get his voice to work. Had nobody explained to Luna what had happened? Draco knew his dad hadn't found out about the carnival until shortly before Aunt Pandora had died, almost a full year after it happened. But it was definitely before she died. Draco had assumed that she would have told Luna what had happened.
Draco felt his heart break. Does Luna think I was purposefully ignoring her? That I didn't want to be around her? "It's not like that Little Moon. I-"
"Don't," Luna harshly spoke over him, blue eyes alighting with fury and snapping to attention on his own. "Don't you dare call me that. That was a name people who cared about me used. A young cousin who would actually talk to me. The friendly magizoologist who helped heal Jigna's wing. My mum." Luna stifled a sob, but continued glaring at Draco. "You do not fall into any of those categories. You abandoned me for no reason."
Draco felt something he hadn't been exposed to in quite some time. Felt something curdle in his stomach, sitting heavy and sinking further down. It took him a moment to name the sour feeling. Guilt.
"I apologize. I don't know–"
"Yeah you don't know! You left me alone, Draco! Nobody wanted to deal with 'the weird girl'. You stopped coming over. You didn't answer my numerous owls. Do you know how many letters I sent that first month?" Luna pushed on without allowing Draco a chance to answer. She was nearly yelling now. "Fifty-three! Fifty-three letters wondering what I had done wrong! Fifty-three times I sent Jigna over carrying a parchment as big as she was! Then one more every three days until mum died." Luna angrily wiped tears from her face with one hand, her other arm still flinging about as she talked. She wasn't looking at him anymore, which kind of relieved Draco but also made him scared. He could see the ghosts that haunted his cousin swirl in front of her eyes.
"Do you even realize? I was there when she died, Draco! I saw the experiment fail. I watched the life leave her eyes. I couldn't do anything as she fell to the ground, pulling the elaborate potion set up on top of her which all shattered and broke, cutting her skin apart. I was the one that rushed forward and hugged her, getting cut by the same shards that had been stained with her blood!
"And I was alone! Dad was off at some stupid conference and had told us owls wouldn't be able to reach him! It was supposed to be a girls week. It was supposed to be fun! Instead I was left with my mum's corpse for four days!"
Draco gave a horrified gasp. "Why didn't you call someone?"
"I tried," Luna said, her voice now eerily calm and quiet. "I tried to floo you only to find out our floo was blocked from connecting to yours. I tried to send you another owl. The letter came back unopened, a tiny paper attached to the top that said, in what could only have been a house elf's handwriting, 'if your owl is spotted on premises again, it will be killed.' Mr. Newt had told me a week prior he'd be gone for a month. In desperation I tried reaching out to the only two other ministry adults I knew.
"Mister Scrimgeour ignored me. Madam Bones took the time to send me a harsh letter back about not wasting important adults and officials time. Nobody cared."
"They didn't believe you?" Draco was aghast. If he had made the same claim he would have had 17 officials there within an hour. If he had even gotten that far. He would have gone through family first and probably would have gotten someone within ten minutes. It wouldn't have mattered that he was a child.
"They formally apologized at the funeral. To save face. Even I could tell they didn't actually care.
"You didn't come to the funeral, Draco. But you know who did? Dad's family. They told me, a seven year old, to my face that my mum deserved to die and was going to burn in Hell. That I better hope I didn't end up falling into the same devilish ways or I too would burn. They had come just to tell us that she was doomed even in death."
Draco felt his careful mask of composure drop. Tears welled up in his eyes. He'd thought for years that he'd gotten the short end of the stick that came with being forbidden from seeing his cousin. After all, Father had grounded him for a month and thrashed him that first day. Not to mention he'd then had no cousins willing to listen to him just go on and on about his interests.
He realized now how very wrong he'd been. He'd lost one person to talk to. One singular dumping spot, after slipping up and talking to his father about the carnival coming to town again, which dumping spot had been quickly replaced. Luna had lost everything, without knowing why.
"I'm so sorry," Draco said, the formal, 'pureblood approved' apologies slipping from his mind. "I never– Nobody– that's awful. I should have been there for you. I wish I had been there for you. I'm so sorry."
Luna didn't even bother looking at him, her hands tightly throttling Hydrus. "Is this the point where you tell me some lame excuse that's supposed to cover eight years of absence?"
"Not an excuse!" Draco exclaimed, offense coloring his tone. "An explanation. If you'll let me."
Luna didn't answer. She didn't look at him. She gave no reaction to the fact that he had said something. The only difference in her demeanor was Luna pulling her sleeve back up to her mouth, biting it viciously as her other hand tightened further around Hydrus.
Draco decided to take the lack of objection as implicit permission. "I didn't want to leave you. You were my best friend, just weird enough to make me question things. To make me explore. But, I made a massive mistake."
Draco looked down, fiddling slightly with his own sleeves. It wasn't often he actually took blame for things. It hurt. He did his best to not let that stop him.
"I asked my father if he and I could go to the carnival together when they were back in town. He asked me questions, questions that at the time I wasn't clever enough to evade or realize were digging my grave. Eventually he had the full story. About how we had gone. How I'd willfully interacted with mud– muggles. How I'd enjoyed it. How Aunt Pandora had been the one responsible for it.
"That afternoon, he thrashed me, doing it himself for the first time in my life, instead of making a house elf discipline me. I couldn't sit right for a week. I still have a small scar from it." Draco smiled ruefully, but dropped it as he looked back at Luna.
"I was on house arrest for a month after that. No broom, no Diagon Alley, no friends, no anything. Just me, at the manor, writing lines and essays day after day about why purebloods were so much better."
Draco could easily imagine the resentment his cousin must have been feeling. He didn't blame her. He sounded spoiled, even to himself, like a chubby toddler told they couldn't have a second ginger biscuit before bed.
Clenching his hands and staring at the floor, Draco continued. "Our house elves always get the letters from the owls. Father must have told them that anything addressed to me was to be brought to him first, because I never saw a single one of your letters. The bastard probably just threw them all in the fire, unopened."
Draco scowled. He had always viewed his father's actions in that month with contempt, but now realizing just how much they had affected Luna, he despised him. He'd been willing to ruin two children's lives to assert his own dominance. A truly heinous act.
"I did try to floo you!" He quickly added, least he seemed like he'd just accepted the silence. "I tried the next morning to let you know I was sorry about what had happened. Father had set a hex trigger on the floo pot and it got me. I tried to push past it and got enough of a zap to black out for a second.
"So I tried to send a letter, but father had ordered the house elves to stop and detain me if I attempted to send one and he hadn't okayed it. Ended up locked in my room for two days, elves bringing food into my room with a snap. I tried once more the following week, when I was sure father would have calmed down enough to remove the hex on the powder pot. He had, but he'd already blocked off access to your floo at that point."
Draco risked a look at Luna. Her eyes still didn't meet his but they seemed softer than the ice they'd been earlier. He decided to admit the final part of his story. "I wish I could have come to your mum's funeral. I had been holding onto the hope that she'd be able to talk some sense into my father. She'd get him to let me see you again. Seeing the tree turn an ugly gray behind her blast mark scared me. I asked Father what it meant and he just smirked and said 'it means that bloody pestilence is finally dead.' I had no clue if it was just her, or your whole family. The way my father responded it sounded almost like something he had arranged. As far as I knew, until I saw you get sorted, you were dead. So I cried. For like a week. So much so that Father threatened me with the cruciatus curse."
Lunas eyes finally met his own again. They were filled with vulnerability and unshed tears. "He threatened you with an unforgivable?"
"Yeah. At least that time it was only a threat," Draco said offhandedly, ready to brush it off and continue to plead for forgiveness.
"That time? Oh Draco! That's awful!" She clenched Hydrus closer to her, though Draco doubted it was a conscious action.
He gave a weird little shrug. "It's just how it was for me. But seeing you in school, as relieving as it was, just confirmed I couldn't go near you. I was still too much under my father's thumb. Threats had turned to actions and I couldn't subject you to that."
Luna looked at him curiously. "What changed?"
"Davis was bullying you." Draco tried for nonchalance, hoping Luna would accept his reply as the whole reason. It was a child's hope. Luna had always been too smart for that.
"I've been bullied here since my first ride on the Hogwarts Express. Davis in particular has hated me ever since second year when I pointed out a flaw in the story she was spreading about. So I ask again. What changed?"
Draco blinked owlishly. "Wait, it's been happening since the first day?"
"Watching a herd of animals no one else can see because none of them have watched someone die tends to set the vibe reading to crazy." Luna didn't so much as smile at the statement. Her face sat still, far too knowing, and displaying far too little emotion again.
"And nobody has stopped it?"
"And show they care about the weird girl? Yeah right."
"But the teachers! Surely one of them has stepped in."
"They stepped in. Once or twice. After the really serious incidents. Like the push down the grand staircase. But most don't bother. Some even join the bullying."
Draco shifted, stomach churning. His cousin had been more than bullied. She'd been physically attacked. To make matters worse, Draco was fairly positive he knew who the biggest adult contributor was. "Still though."
"Why would they stop it? You knew it was happening too. I saw you laugh with some of your buddies when they showed you my stuff they'd pilfered. Saw you smile when people would call out insults in the hall. Even heard you a couple of times, throwing in remarks. Just vague enough it could be claimed they weren't intended for me, but following insults from your friends that were aimed directly at me."
Draco winced. He remembered the times his cousin was talking about. It had been best to fit in with the kids of his father's colleagues who reported back to their parents which spread the tales to his own. It kept him on his father's good side.
He hadn't ever stopped to think about how it might have affected his sweet young cousin. Hadn't bothered to consider that even if he meant it as a joke, she likely wouldn't see it that way. Had acted as bad as Potter often accused him of.
Draco swallowed back his self disgust. I'll deal with that at a later time, he thought, more intent on reassuring his cousin. "Well that changes now. If anyone so much as looks at you in a way you don't like, you come tell me and I'll sort them out."
"Again, why? What's different now? You say you'll change but I'm positive you'll just go right back to following what your father says."
Draco scratched at his arm. The arm he had shown Borgin in the shops. The arm he had diverted attention from all year by boasting about his special mission. The mission that was as much a punishment as the scars on his arm.
He didn't know how to tell Luna that it wouldn't happen again because he no longer cared about what his father thought. He had tried that path for years. All it got him was separation from the one cousin he cared about, annoyance from his peers, and a terrible future he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.
Draco had heard Potter's speculations. Potter thought he'd taken the mark. As if Draco would be stupid enough to enslave himself to another megalomaniac. Not that he had to worry about that branding ever again. It was a disturbing brightside to his situation; the Dark Lord didn't brand half breeds. Even if they were only a half breed because of his orders.
"I'm not my father." He finally said. "I've paid enough prices trying to keep on his good side. Paid enough for his mistakes. I won't do another thing for him even if it means my death! Death would be a relief after Fenrir sealed my fate!"
Draco panted, unsure when he had gotten to his feet. His skin burned and his hands ached. He felt like something was tearing him apart, trying to get free.
It took him a minute to realize something, or rather someone, was ripping him apart. Himself. His fingers were breaking the skin on his left arm, clawing at the scars as if that would change them.
Draco stared at his hands in disgust. Try as he might though, he couldn't make himself stop. It was as if they had a mind of their own. A mind intent on destroying him before he could create a bigger problem. Or rather, another bigger problem.
What ended up stopping him was quite surprising. A small hand pulling his own away. It was dreadfully cold and yet somehow still weirdly clammy.
A strange mix of conflicting feelings filled Draco's chest. He couldn't remember a time when his cousin had ever willingly touched him. Couldn't remember her ever initiating contact. Luna had always fought when he'd tried as a younger child, squiggling out of any gasp he tried.
She stared at his hands, brow furrowed slightly. With a decisive nod, she shoved Hydrus against his hand. When he didn't react, her cold grasp slid down his wrist to his fingers, forcing them to curl around the fuzzy head. She stayed holding his hand in place as she looked offset his eyes again.
"Don't tear at your skin. It doesn't help anything. Doesn't change the facts."
Draco let out a dry, humorless laugh. "The facts? Lou, you don't know the facts. You probably believe Potter's stupid theory about me getting the mark."
Luna's eyes clouded again. "You've been gone for at least two days, if not three or four, every month since the start of the year, Draco. Those days coincided with the fullest day of the moon and the few days following. You were in the infirmary for a couple of those days, not all of them though. Your skin is grayish, you keep getting new scratches and scars that you think no one notices, and you wince every time someone mentions the moon. You've been more animalistic in behavior and more aggressive. Plus you practically just admitted it by bringing up Fenrir. Not to mention I have my own methods of confirming some of those things. I know the facts at least as well as you do."
Draco couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. With as much as his cousin had apparently had going on, she'd still summed up more about his problem than any of his "friends" had even noticed. Still, he refused to fully take Hydrus yet. "Wait. Do you still need him?" He awkwardly asked.
Luna bit her lip, indecision practically oozing from her. "No. At least not technically. I don't need it. You do though. I'm really surprised you kept this. Especially hearing your story. Sounded like your dad would have burnt it for sure."
Draco felt his lips twitch into a small smile. He gently guided the small dragon-dressed bear back into Luna's hands. "I'm sure he would have, had he known about him. I've done a lot of stupid things but even I haven't been that stupid."
Luna nuzzled into the faded bear, whispering something against the small hood. Hydrus wasn't as fluffy as he once had been. He had looked a little ragged when Luna had first won it for Draco, and it had endured nine years of being cuddled and squeezed every night. Most would call him shabby, or threadbare, or even dilapidated. Draco still called him perfect.
Draco refocused his thoughts and noticed Luna prodding Hydrus with her wand, whispers still leaving her mouth. With a slight yelp, Draco pulled the battered dragon teddy from her hands. "What the bloody hell are you doing? I just said I managed to keep him safe! And you're poking him with your wand? And casting spells?"
"I was putting a few restoration and perseverance charms on him. Not to mention as much as you claim I'm supposed to come to you if I have problems, it will cause more problems to go up to you or have an owl seen going between us. So I'm trying to turn our stuffies into something to mimic muggle walkie-talkies."
"That's actually surprisingly brilliant," Draco conceded.
"I'm so glad you approve." Luna rolled her eyes and poked the stuffed animal with the tip of her wand again.
This time a full smile split Draco's face. He'd forgotten the levels of snark Luna managed to pull off with a straight face. Still he couldn't help but worry, since Luna had just proven she had information that could end him. "So does that mean we're good? We'll keep in touch and keep the knowledge we have of each other safe?"
"Bloody hell, Dragon. Your secret is safe with me," Luna said with another eye roll. "If I was going to tell, don't you think I would have done so before you intervened on my behalf?"
Draco allowed himself a stupid shrug. He supposed the point did make sense. And hearing his cousin use his old nickname made him feel safer. "Little Moon?" He asked hesitantly.
"Hmm?" Luna responded, not denying the nickname again like he had feared she would.
"Thank you. For everything. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. Is there anything I can do to make it better?"
"Don't leave me again." Luna's eyes only met his again briefly, but even the half second showed the depth of the trust and desperation behind her words.
"Never." He promised, leaning in and wrapping the smaller girl in a hug. She stiffened in his arms, as he'd expected, but after a moment Luna let her shoulders relax, tipping her head to lightly rest her head on his shoulder. "Never again Little Moon."