Nightmares and Nocturnes

The Three Brothers

Chapter 28: The Three Brothers

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2002

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"Luna," Hermione said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is a terrible idea."

Luna swiveled away from Harry to face Hermione, her expression unchanging.

"Oh, but it really isn't, is it?" Luna asked, and her dreamy eyes, normally so wide and vacant, went sharp and hungry, flooded with focus; with intention. "After all, what do you have to lose, Hermione? Only me," she remarked, the words unfailingly sing-song and buoyant despite the accusation implied.

Hermione gritted her teeth in frustration. "No," she warned. "Don't do that, Luna. Don't act like I don't care."

It's not fair, she didn't say, it's not fair that you can be so cavalier -

"You want to keep people safe," Luna returned, unfazed. "But you can't, Hermione. At least this way we take control, and - "

"You sacrificing yourself is not taking control," Hermione growled, bristling. "This is precisely the kind of thing you'd never allow Harry to do!"

"Yes, well, I'm rather not Harry," Luna said, as though Hermione had needed reminding. "It's not my job to inspire people, or to intimidate them, either. The Death Eaters find me harmless, Hermione, and I welcome their misconception." She paused, her gaze flicking to Harry's, and then turned back to Hermione. "I shouldn't even be alive," Luna continued, with such a vacant apathy that it momentarily sent Hermione reeling. "I'm only alive thanks to Harry, and if he doesn't save me this time, than I've still lived long past m- "

"Stop it," Harry said gruffly, reaching out to close his hand around Luna's arm as Hermione bit her tongue, agitated. "Stop, Luna. I'll save you every fucking time, I promise you - "

"Maybe you will," Luna permitted, shrugging, "and maybe you won't. I'm just saying that if you look at my life from that perspective, then - "

"But this isn't just about you, Luna!" Hermione erupted, stepping towards her, and behind them, Bill sighed.

"Hermione," he murmured warningly, reaching for her, but she ignored him.

"You're asking us to sacrifice what little safety we have!" Hermione shouted at Luna, shrugging herself from Bill's reach as he tried to hold her back. "You don't seem to realize that every time you put yourself in danger, we're the ones who have to risk our safety to save you, and - "

"Do you really think this is what safety feels like, Hermione?" Luna interrupted, and then her pale grey eyes grew wide, and soft, and filled with latent sorrow. "Has it really been that long?"

Hermione blinked, startled by the shift in mood; in her momentary pause, Bill's arms wrapped around her waist.

"We're safe here," Hermione said mechanically; a mantra she scarcely realized she'd been repeating to herself for months. "We - this is home," she stammered, feeling a numbness wash over her, even with Bill's chin digging in against her shoulder. "We made this our home, and - "

"Snatchers have found us before," Harry reminded her, clearing his throat softly, and behind him George and Neville nodded their agreement. "They know we're here, Hermione. It's only a matter of time before they raid our camp."

"Impossible," Hermione said hoarsely, and Bill's grip on her tightened; either comfort or warning. "I used every concealment spell in existence, and - "