Healing the Heart (Dramione)

47 || Worrying and Planning

Hermione sat in the cafe with her head in her hands. She was supposed to visit the Manor the next day, and she was dreading it. Maybe she could suddenly become sick and get out of it? Or perhaps there would be some emergency at the hospital and she's have to rush into work. No, she shouldn't be wishing for anything like that to happen. "Oh, this is going to be bad."

"What's bad?" An airy voice drifted by her shoulder.

"Luna! I'm just, I, it's nothing." She motioned for Luna to join her. "Really."

"How strange." Luna took a seat and gazed at Hermione.

"Strange?"

"Yeah, you seem rather distraught and distracted for something that you claim is really nothing." A soft smile spread across her lips as she innocently turned to look outside.

"Ah," Hermione let out an awkward chuckle before sighing. Dare she mention it? Luna would have similar memories to hers; similar pain. "I'm going to The Manor tomorrow." The words came out so soft, she thought for a moment she hadn't said them out loud.

Luna's usually placid expression vanished for only a fraction of a second before she blinked, it returned, and she tilted her head to the side. "Draco's home?" She was there when it all happened. She was tortured as well, held prisoner in the dungeon.

"Yes." Hermione hedged cautiously. "Lucius invited me to take a tour. I guess it's his way of accepting me. That or trying to scare me off."

Luna slipped off her bright orange overcoat and folded her hands in front of her. "You're scared?" At Hermione's confirmation, she nodded. "That's normal. Human, even. You were hurt there. So don't go." She lifted a shoulder and dropped it casually. "Draco would understand. He's been worrying about it to Blaise since his father mentioned it."

"I can't not go. I know this means a lot to Draco. I know his father will never like me but if can do this to make it so he at least tolerates me, then I will." She explained quickly.

"Do you like him that much?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I love him." She stated simply. "His father is his only surviving parent. As much as they don't get along, Draco loves his father. How can I not do this for him? I'm just fretting a little."

Luna smiled and took Hermione's hands in her own, then went back to staring out the window. "He loves you too."

"Who loves her? Draco?" Ginny appeared beside them, folded her arms, and rolled her eyes. "Of course he does. You didn't see him at Christmas time, Luna. Picture this: tousled hair, white knuckled, gripping a mug of cold cider, forced into one of my mum's homemade sweaters, while she jabbered about food she made him, and Teddy hanging off his arm." She slipped into the chair beside Hermione and nodded at Luna. "If that doesn't say "I love you' then I don't know what does. It's obvious he'd do anything for her."

"I'm going to The Manor tomorrow."

Ginny's smile slipped. "Do you want me to come? We'll both come. Even Harry and Teddy."

Luna gripped Hermione's hands tighter and nodded earnestly. "Of course!"

"Thank you, really." Hermione gripped Luna's hands in response. She knew that Luna was strong, stronger than any witch she'd ever known, but that she was afraid of The Manor, and more specifically, Mr. Malfoy. "We better not give Mr. Malfoy that much excitement. I'm afraid he'll only be able to handle one dreaded visitor at a time."

Ginny shrugged and placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. "We should do a triple date sometime! After your Manor trip. I'll have my mum watch Teddy and the three of us can go out!"

"Do you think that's a good idea? Draco doesn't like Harry. It's his biggest flaw, I'm afraid." Hermione frowned.

"Well, Blaise and Draco get along, and you and I get along, and Harry gets along with you and Luna and obviously me." Ginny argued.

"But Blaise doesn't really like Harry, or you. Draco doesn't like Harry and I don't think he's overly fond of you, Luna. Sorry." Hermione retorted. "And you don't really like Draco."

"I'm learning to tolerate him!" Ginny snapped indignantly. She actually had come to like Draco a lot, though she still refused to admit it out loud.

"And Harry doesn't really like Draco or Blaise."

"I like all of you though!" Luna let out a breathy laugh. "We should all go on a date. It'll be fun. We could go to a market."

A market. Of course Luna would suggest something like that. "How about dinner first? We could start with that and maybe another time we could go to a market." Hermione wasn't sure Draco could handle anything too whimsical if three people he didn't care for were going to be involved.

"Dinner would be nice." Ginny nodded at the thought. "I'm not sure how Harry would feel about walking around a market after a day at work anyway."

"I agree. We walk around the hospital all day long so a nice quiet dinner might be best for everyone." Though, she expected, dinner likely wouldn't be entirely nice and quiet if Draco and a Harry were forced to be there together. Maybe she could trick or bribe Draco into going as she highly doubted he'd join them willingly.

"Dinner it it." Luna beamed.