Say You Love Me

{20}

Hermione had not set up an appointment that day, but running into Luna was always a serendipitous affair. The blonde was happy to see her, and honestly, Hermione had needed someone to talk to about all of this nonsense for a very long time. Someone practical like only Luna could be. 

They went to her office, and Hermione snatched up the nearest puffskein without a second thought. This one was a light orange, it's disposition pleasant as she stroked its fur.

"How have you been, Hermione?"

Not wanting to lie, all she could offer the healer was a shrug. 

"I just- I feel like with this hourglass over my head, I've lost my purpose."

"Your purpose? Or a purpose in general?"

Hermione breathed in deeply, prepared to answer, yet she couldn't exactly place how she really felt.

"Luna, I just... want everything to stay the same until I'm not here. I don't want my friends to know about my disease like Severus does and have them working on the same thing he probably isn't going to find. What makes him the one person in the history of this flower petal anomaly to be able to solve it? 

"Hermione, I think you need to understand that he's doing it because he cares about you. Don't you know that that is one of the biggest reasons things are invented int he first place?"

Unable to answer, Hermione sat in her seat and petted down the orange fluff-ball that was rather content all considering. Of course she knew that, being a brilliant student and witch made her able to know why people did the things they did. That didn't make it any less frustrating that she had nothing else to do with her life besides keep living and hurting those around her. Her life wasn't supposed to be like this. 

She looked around the room, counting the puffskeins since it was one of the many things she would rather be doing than talking about her friends and motivations. There were... thirteen including the one in her lap. That made it one more than the last time Hermione was there.

"Did you get another Puffskein?"

Luna looked up at her from files absently. "Oh, yes."

Hermione was shocked that there was no elaboration involved.

"And... where are you getting them?"

"A reputable breeder, I promise! He's actually very well known, well, his grandfather is, anyways."

Nodding along, Hermione listened with rapt attention. Luna made sure to mention his honor, of course, because she had been instrumental in safer laws for a lot of magical creatures.

"His name is Rolf Scamander." She left that there for Hermione to fill in the blanks. 

"Like Newt Scamander... the wizard who wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?"

"Yeah, and whenever Rolf comes to the office-"

"He's a patient?"

"Yes," Luna asserted. "Whenever he comes to the office, he brings me one of them."

"And you've seen him recently, then?"

"I have."

Hermione mulled this information over. There was more to the situation, and she wasn't being told any of it. Suddenly, she found herself at the edge of her seat, but it wasn't any conscious choice.

"He won't be coming to see me anymore, though," Luna added almost hesitantly, as though the information could be upsetting to Hermione.

There was only one reason it would be, and so she looked at the little fluff in her lap and sighed. Luna fancied Rolf, or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, the news should have been happy... it was! Hermione was happy for Luna, but she only felt her heart break a little more.

Literally everyone around her had someone else....

Besides, Severus, of course. He wanted her, yet they had tried that already and it had ended in her finding out the ocean was merely dulling her senses until eventually, they did not. And hadn't she already seen the first affects of that a few days ago? 

"You fancy him?" Hermione softened, wanting to encourage Luna.

They were friends, and there was no reason to go arse over tits, especially on someone like Luna Lovegood, one of the kindest people in the Wizarding World.

"I do," she said, her smile small, but her eyes telling Hermione everything one need know about her feelings. "But I also don't need anymore puffskeins! There are so many in every room!"

"Do you have any photographs of him?"

Luna hesitated, but then nodded softly, pushing her floating self over to the shelf. She extracted a file and the moment it opened, several Polaroids fell swiftly from their confinement.

"Oh, they're so sweet," Hermione said as she looked at a goofy face surrounded by various magical creatures. He really took after Newt, she gathered. They were charmed, as were most photographs in their world, but they almost all were of him waving. Some looked older than the others, and one in particular looked relatively new, the man blowing a kiss to the camera... Hermione doubted it was towards the camera, however.

"I'm bringing him to the wedding."

"That's... wonderful!" Hermione was genuinely excited for Luna. She hadn't ever had someone before as far as she knew, and to see her so excited and happy about a wizard!

Well, it was nice, even despite how she felt herself.

"Thanks, Hermione. I am sorry I did not tell you sooner, but yours was a delicate situation-"

"It's fine, Luna! Really. I am really happy for you, especially if he keeps making you grin like he seems to be doing currently."

The blonde smiled wider, and Hermione loved seeing her friend happy.

That didn't take the weight of her feelings off of her any less.

"Let's get back to you, hm?"

Hermione shook off the feeling of dread and nodded. 

"Sure."

"Have you thought about trying to discover who cursed you yet? That might help in developing something to help you find a cure."

"I haven't done much thinking into it, Luna. Do I really want to know who is the one who put a death sentence on me?" Hermione didn't feel like it was all that important to figure it out. Not now anyways. Maybe at first, when there were still options for her, but now that there weren't it was a moot point. 

"I don't know... it could provide some sense of understanding with their motivations and all. Why not think on it? It would probably be someone you know considering you have to be relatively close to perform the spell, and with any other curse you need intent."

Luna reached out reassuringly to Hermione and squeezed her hand. 

"Maybe I will, Luna. I won't go searching, but if I come up with something, I will let you and Severus know."

"Good," she replied happily. "Now, I'll see you at the wedding?"

Feeling slightly better, Hermione nodded. 

"See you at the wedding!"

A/N

So sorry this is so late. I've had an interesting time these past few days. 

Anyways... Luna wants to know whodunit. As do the rest of you, I'm sure. And you'll find out, no worries on that, but I can't guarantee when! Just hopefully sooner than this update! 

Oh, and you know, gotta get Hermione and Severus back together soon too! (Or do I?!)