Masked

Chapter Thirty

"Neville!" Hermione threw her arms around the boy who stepped through the portrait. Her old friend hugged her tightly. Upon their closeness she realized, Neville's face was cut and bruised.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked when Hermione released him and stepped back. Neville only shrugged it off. "Seamus got it worse. Come on. They need to know your back." On that note the trio embarked into the dark tunnel.

At St. Mungos, a nurse shouted "I've got it! I know who this is." Katrina, a young healer in training was standing besides Draco's bed, almost bouncing with excitement over the discovery. Healers made there way over to the young girl. "What's this blabbering about?"

Katrina only crossed her arms "the patient. I know who he is." Other women looked at her quiet skeptically, clearly not believing the trainee. "How?" Elizabeth, Draco's healer, asked putting a hand protectively on the boys arm. He was still asleep. His chest continued to rise and fall but nothing more.

"Did you happen to over look his mark?" She asked gesturing to the dark lines in his fair skin. The edges were scarred and raw looking. Elizabeth had learned, over time, that meant the mark was not taken willingly. "Besides I've met him before. It's Draco Malfoy."

Light temporarily blinded Hermione and the others as they walked into the room. "Harry!" Familiar faces called once he entered the room. Harry rushed to hug Ginny, who he hadn't seen in months. Ron,surprisingly, ran and hugged lavender. He secretly missed her more than he would admit.

Hermione watched as the boys hugged them closest to their hearts. Ron and Hermione had had a long conversation about their feelings for each other, and they both agreed to remain friends. He apologized. There was a pang in her heart when she realized she had no one to hug. The one closest to Hermione's heart was gone. Sadness over coming her she made her way to a bathroom while Harry explained the plan to find the horcrux.

"Draco Malfoy?!" Few healers gasped and then stared at his face. All women knew Draco Malfoy was incredibly gifted in his looks. But bruised and cut up, he was almost unrecognizable. "The dark lord must know he's here." Elizabeth gasped in horror.

"The dark lord and his family believe Mr. Malfoy is dead. And it must remain that way." A deep voice said from behind the group of crowded women. Snape was standing in his usual black clothes looking at the man, who has not awaken. "No one must know he is here or alive. If the dark lord ever found out, he would be killed."

Hermione was sitting in the back by a fire to keep warm in the drafty room. Students were busy questioning Ron and Harry about the horcruxes and left Hermione alone. That was until someone sat beside her. "Thinking of him aren't you?" Luna's sweet and dreamy voice drifted into her ears.

Confused, Hermione snuck a glance at the Ravenclaw. Luna had the usual dreamy far away look in those eyes of hers. Seeing Hermione's confused looked she simply smiled a sweet smile. "Don't worry about Draco. He's strong and will fight to come back to you."

A pair of brown eyes widen, Hermione was utterly speechless. How did Luna know about Draco and her? Did Harry and Ron tell her? No they still didn't approve of her relationship with Malfoy. "What are you talking about?" Hermione tried to throw the girl off.

Luna looked at the fire, tilting her head. "Pretending you don't love him won't help Hermione. I saw you guys one night at the lake. I was hunting nargles but I stumbled upon you two talking and holding hands. It's pretty obvious you two love each other. I was always hoping you two would get together." With that said luna left Hermione to her thoughts.