Beauty From Pain

Chapter Twelve

Hermione woke the next morning with a nasty hangover pounding in her head. She groaned and cursed herself for not buying any hangover potions since her return, and carefully made her way into the bathroom. Muggle pain killers would have to do. She distantly heard the fireplace roar to life and prayed to any god listening that it wasn't Ginny.

"Hermione," called out a distant, sing song voice.

"Oh, thank Godric," Hermione sighed.

Luna peaked her head through the bathroom doorway and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Drink too much last night," she asked softly.

Hermione nodded miserably.

"I've got just the thing." Luna stepped fully into the bathroom and produced a hot cup of tea. She said, "I added a bit of hangover potion to it. I figured you wouldn't have any yet."

She took the cup from Luna with a grateful sigh and tentatively sipped at the steaming contents. Warmth immediately flooded her system, the pounding in her head began to lessen, and the room finally righted itself.

"You're a gift from Merlin himself, Luna."

Hermione shuffled out into the living room of her flat and sank into the fluffy reading chair beside the fireplace, her tea cup carefully cradled in her hands. When Luna didn't join her, she asked, "Are you not staying for breakfast?"

"No, I am supposed to be meeting Ginny in a little bit. I just wanted to drop by and make sure you were doing alright and had something to help your inevitable hangover."

It was odd to be on the receiving end of such maternal affections. Hermione had grown so used to taking care of her friends during school that she wasn't quite sure how to respond to Luna taking care of her. It was nice, she admitted, to have someone worry about you and your wellbeing.

"Best not keep her waiting," Hermione said. "You know better than anyone how she gets."

Luna nodded but her eyes remained fixed on Hermione. "Are you sure you are alright?"

Crinkling her brow, Hermione nodded. "I'm fine, Luna. Thank you for checking on me and bringing the tea, I appreciate it."

There were a few moments of silence in which Hermione tried not to fidget and Luna stared unblinkingly at her. Finally, just as Hermione was ready to ask Luna to at least blink, Luna smiled and grabbed a handful of floo powder from the jar on the mantle.

"You have changed, Hermione, but in a positive way," Luna said. Her big blue eyes held that otherworldly light that always unsettled Hermione. "You have always been strong, but now there is a peace in your strength, a surety in yourself that wasn't there before."

Hermione blinked up at her, unsure of what to say.

Luna stepped into the fireplace, and her soul searching gaze turned into a conspiratorial smile. "Tell Draco I said hi," she said with a wink and then vanished into the fire.

Grumbling into her tea cup about nosy witches, Hermione snuggled down further into her chair. Why would Luna want her to tell Draco anything? It wasn't as if Hermione would be seeing him today.

She sat up straighter in her chair.

When had he become Draco to her? She had always called him Malfoy, the formality of last names becoming a welcome barrier between herself and the pompous bully. Even in her thoughts she had avoided using his given name, so what had changed? And why?

Images of the previous night began to fill her mind. Dancing, drinking, and celebrating the night away all with a certain blond wizard at her side. She had managed to forget the War, just for a night, and celebrate the victory they had won. She had honored her dead in a way they would have appreciated, and she had Draco to thank for that.