This chapter is the reason Finite exists. Theo x Luna shippers, welcome back.

x Noelle

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Knocks opponent over.

what to do when Luna awoke the next morning. She froze as she met the girl's wide-eyed gaze. When Luna kept staring, she smiled shyly and nodded. "Hello, Luna."

Luna struggled to sit up. "Hermione?"

Hermione immediately went over to ease her down on the pillow. Draco had already cleared out the guest room, and Transfigured a chair to use as a makeshift bed for Luna.

"The Order's not going to be coming back for her so soon," Draco had said, when Hermione asked why Luna was to stay with them. "They're going to be too busy saving their arses they wouldn't even think about the captured prisoners until at least a week later. Loony Lovegood's stuck with us."

"Lu-na," Hermione had corrected.

"It's Loony. Just wait till you have a conversation with her – if you can even call it that."

Hermione wasn't even sure she could have a conversation with Luna Lovegood anymore. The girl looked familiar, but it felt like talking to a complete stranger. She forced her worries aside and said, "You're in a lot of pain. Just lie back down."

"Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me." She tried not to flinch when Luna reached across to hug her.

"Everyone thought you were dead," Luna told her bluntly, after she'd pulled back, "but I've always told Neville that you weren't. And Harry and Ron and Ginny too. Although none of them seem to believe me. But they've missed you so much – we all do." Luna didn't seem to notice the frozen look on Hermione's face, and continued on in her breezy, cheery manner. "It's so good to see you, Hermione. Everyone in the Order will be so happy to know that you're here. Where is here, anyway?"

"I – I have to get some potions," Hermione stammered out. "I'll – I'll be right back."

Before Luna could reply, she rushed out of the room and slammed the door shut.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Draco awoke that morning with a chilling terror seizing his heart when he glanced over at the chair and found it empty. It wasn't until he recalled Looney Lovegood in the other room and realised that Hermione had probably gone to check up on her that the oxygen finally rushed back into his lungs.

He took his time in the shower to heal his bruises. When he was done, he found his friends having breakfast in the kitchen. A tense silence reigned, and Pansy and Blaise seemed unable to look him in the eye.

"Look," he started. "Last night was a disaster – "

"A major disaster," Theo cut in, only to shut his mouth when Draco shot him a look.

" – things went to shite. But it's none of our faults. We had a miscommunication. We weren't on the same wavelengths. The whole bloody mission was unexpected, for Merlin's sake."

He paused to take a deep breath. "We can't fall apart," he said flatly, wondering if they knew how important they were to him. He'd never in a million years admit it, but the three of them, Hermione, Andromeda and her grandson Teddy were all he had left. "The Order's already in pieces and the Dark Lord's inner circle has traitors from within, so we can't break down. Do you three fucking get it?"

They looked surprised by his vehemence, but nodded all the same. Just then, a door slammed shut. He looked up, only to find Hermione. Her face was pale as she rushed by them and back to his room. The four Slytherins exchanged glances.

"Did anyone else find that odd?" Theo asked.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Clever observation, Sherlock."

"You flatter me too much, Watson."

Blaise shook his head at them, before he turned to Draco. "Luna's probably awake now."

Draco poured out two mugs of tea and headed out of the kitchen. "Check up on her," he called over his shoulder.

"Alright." But Blaise remained where he was, even after Draco had returned to his room.

Theo shot him an amused look. "Not looking forward to meeting Loony Lovegood, huh?"

"Are you?"

"'Course not," Theo scoffed. "Red's not the only one uncomfortable around the loon. I'm sure we all are."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Draco found Hermione pacing the room; her face drawn and white. Her features crumpled with relief when he entered, and she rushed into his arms. "Thank Merlin you're here."

No, Draco thought, thank Merlin you're here.

But he didn't allow the words to leave his lips, and simply held her tight as she trembled, like the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. When she drew back, her eyes searched his frantically. "I – I don't want to go back to the Order, Draco."

"Is that what Lovegood said?"

"Well, she – she said the Order would be happy to see me." He frowned as Hermione began to trip over her words again. "She said that...everyone thought I-I was dead, and they'd be happy to hear that I'm alright."

The Order thought that Hermione Granger was dead? White hot anger surged through him. All this time, he'd believed that the Order hadn't searched for her because they were struggling to survive.

But this – this was new. This was cold. The Order hadn't looked for Hermione simply because they'd presumed her dead. Logically, it was the right decision and Draco knew that he too held this sort of mentality when it came to the war – but this was Hermione Granger, and you didn't fucking give up on Hermione Granger even if she went missing.

"Draco?"

He blinked and focused back on her. "Yeah?"

A tiny smile glossed her lips as she looked up at him fondly. "I-I was saying – do you think it's wrong that I have no wish to go back to the Order?" His eyebrows rose and she hastened to explain herself, "I mean – I feel like it's selfish of me to not want to. I feel like I have to help them too, because that's something I used to do. But – " she sighed, meeting his gaze frankly. " – I want to stay with you."

"Then don't go," he blurted abruptly. The words slipped past his lips, far too swift and selfish to catch, and he felt like a bastard for even wanting Hermione to stay with him, but it was the truth. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Really?"

"Yes," he rushed out, and this was the closest to a confession that Hermione was ever going to get. He pulled her close and buried his face in her curls, because he didn't think he could look her in the eyes and say it out loud. "Stay with me."

He felt her smile against his skin.

"Of course."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Theo had lost to Pansy and Blaise at rock-paper-scissors – a game that Hermione had taught him several days ago. And so he had to be the one to bring Loony Lovegood the healing potions.

To say he wasn't looking forward to it would be an understatement. Theo thought it was the stupidest thing he'd ever had to do and that was saying a hell lot, because he'd done a lot of stupid things all through his life.

He stepped into the room and held his wand out protectively, just in case the girl decided to hex him.

But he almost fell over in shock when Loony Lovegood simply smiled at him pleasantly and nodded. "Hello, Theodore."

"Uh – "

"I knew I saw you last night in the fight. And I think I saw Draco too. In fact, I think he was the one who hexed me. Would you thank him for me?"

"Are you serious – "

"Hexes are a lot better than death, I think. I knew you two weren't entirely bad, despite being Death-Eaters, and I presume – "

"Okay, stop talking," Theo blurted, when he finally gathered his wits about him. He'd never felt quite so overwhelmed before, and he considered himself one hell of a conversationalist, but Loony Lovegood here had somehow left him speechless. He stared at her for a moment or two, to which she stared back calmly, before smiling amicably.

"How are you, Theodore?"

"I told you to fucking stop talking," he growled, waving his wand and levitating the tray of healing potions onto the bed. "Stop talking, and drink these."

She was silent as she drank the potions and Theo took the time to process the odd more or less one-sided conversation that they'd just had. He couldn't even wrap his head around the fact that she didn't seem surprised or afraid to see him, which she should've been.

He was a Death-Eater, for Merlin's sake. People were supposed to take one look at him and run away screaming. Either that or he was losing his touch. He frowned, and reached up to massage his forehead briefly.

"Do you have a headache?"

He scowled. "No."

"Would you like to share some of the potion? I think it's a great pain-reliever – "

"No, I'm good."

She finished the last of her potions and settled back against the headboard. "So how've you been, Theodore?"

"Stop calling me that."

"What? Theodore?"

"Yes, it's just Theo."

"Theo?" She shot him a quizzical look. "Why not Dora?"

"Would you like to be hexed?"

"No, thank you. But really, why not Dora?" She insisted earnestly. "It sounds better than Theo. You know, that's a nickname for Theodore too."

"It's a nickname for Theodora, you ..." and then Theo trailed off because he simply couldn't think of any insult to fling at her. "You bloody Ravenclaw – "

"Of course I'm a Ravenclaw, which house did you think I was in?"

"For Salazar's sake – " Theo pointed his wand in her direction. "silen – "

The last syllable never left his lips as he was hit by a body-binding curse from the back. Draco strode in and lifted the spell, before he turned to Luna.

"Death-Eaters have very little patience, Lovegood," he told her shortly, and gestured to Theo. "And this one has close to none. Try not to use any of your whimsical insanity on him – he doesn't appreciate it."

Luna smiled at him. "Hello, Draco. Hermione," she added, with a glance at the girl by the doorway.

Hermione managed a shy wave. "Hi. How – how're you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm much better. The potions are working well and Theo and I just had a lovely conversation."

Theo's mouth fell open. "You're really weird – "

"Go to work," Draco interrupted. "Now."

"Fine." Theo gave Luna one last glare before turning to leave.

On the way out, he passed Hermione, who couldn't help but let a tiny laugh spill from her lips. "Bye, Dora."

But unlike the heated reaction Theo had previously given to Luna, he simply rolled his eyes and left the room. Luna watched Hermione curiously. Clearly, a lot of things had changed since the war began. Luna was already trying to wrap her head around the fact that Hermione was alive, and that she apparently lived in a house with two Death-Eaters, Death-Eaters who once upon a time used to be her arch-nemeses.

She wanted to mull on the matter, but her leg began to ache once again. She reached forward to soothe it, only for Draco to place his wand just above the inflammation.

Immediately, the pain subsided. "Thank you," she smiled at him, feeling both relieved by the pain and impressed at his knowledge of wordless magic at the same time. "And thank you for hexing me last night."

Draco's eyebrows shot up.

"You could've killed me. I think it's nice that you didn't."

Her words seemed to have struck a nerve, because he began to walk away. "Don't think so highly of me. You know I would if the situation called for it."

He left the room, but Hermione remained behind. "He'll be alright," she said and shot Luna a faint smile. "Are you hungry?"

"No." Luna shook her head and patted the empty spot beside her. "I'd much rather talk to you. It's been so long and I don't even know what you've been up to."

Hermione suddenly wished that Draco was with her. But he'd left for a meeting with the Dark Lord and there was no one else. "I – I'd much rather not," she choked out. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Luna nodded and smiled. "Alright," she said and started to ramble on about the Order, while Hermione listened in silence.

Hermione felt like she remembered Luna from a dream a long time ago. Only it wasn't just a dream – it was the past, and it involved far too many people and events that she'd long forgotten. And the fact that she could not physically wake up from this dream was all the more terrifying.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Draco knew that he was going to relive his worst nightmare the moment he stepped into the Malfoy Manor.

He remembered the first time it happened all too clearly. White walls and dark shadows. Bellatrix's insane eyes and cackles of laughter. Screams, screams and more screams. The only difference was that neither his mother nor Hermione were here.

"Ah, there you are," Bellatrix's shrill voice demanded his attention, "come, Draco. I believe there are certain classmates of yours you may be familiar with."

She led him over to the prisoners and he immediately saw that there were fifteen of them in total, some who were complete strangers and others whom he vaguely recognised. Seamus Finnigan was among them, and when Seamus's eyes narrowed in recognition, Draco met his gaze evenly. He stared for a second or two, before looking at the person beside him – Susan Bones, whose gaze was suspiciously vacant. Cho Chang and Terry Boot were among those captured as well.

"So?" Bellatrix looked at him eagerly and he knew that the other Death-Eaters were too. "Any of them ring a bell?"

The feeling of déjà vu sent a shiver running down his spine as he recalled how his father had once made him do the same thing.

"It's been awhile," he said mildly. "I don't remember most faces."

"Doesn't matter," Dolohov said. "Let's begin."

"Draco is in charge of this," Bellatrix retorted, and lunged forward to grab Susan Bones by her hair. Susan shrieked in pain and the other prisoners stepped forward to help, only to be held back by the Death-Eaters. "Start with her, Draco," Bellatrix said as she held her wand to Susan's neck. "She'd break so pretty."

Draco took one more look at Susan's blank gaze. Beside her, Seamus Finnigan caught his eyes and shook his head. He knew what that meant. Pansy's spell from the night before had worked. So he shrugged. "She's of no use to us. Someone used Obliviate on her."

"You know, sometimes the Cruciatus can force a person to remember things after awhile," MacNair commented, from the side.

Draco wanted nothing more to hurl a killing curse at MacNair there and then. He knew now without a doubt that this had been what the Peverells had done to Hermione. His jaw clenched, and he could feel the blood pounding in his ears.

"I'm not going to waste my time on someone who may or may not remember," he said shortly. He glanced over at Seamus again, and a fleeting look of mutual understanding passed between them. "Let's start with you."

Seamus didn't say a word as he stepped forward. His posture was rigid, features defiant.

"Let me know when you want to talk about the fucking Order," Draco told him calmly, casting a wordless numbing spell on Seamus, whose eyes flickered in surprise as the spell hit him. "Until then – "

He pointed the wand at Seamus, a sinking feeling of dread and self-loathing spreading from within. Just more red on his ledger.

"Crucio."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"So...Nargles."

Theo shot a look of disbelief at Luna. The girl had only been there for a day, but she treated the apartment like she'd been living there for years, and treated them like they were her closest friends.

Luna had decided that she was well enough to get out of bed, and had hobbled into the living room with Hermione holding her up. She'd spent an hour talking to Blaise and Pansy about the Order. Then when Theo had returned, she told him about a Nargle infestation in the Order's headquarters.

Theo didn't even know what a bloody Nargle was.

"They're very mischievous creatures," Luna explained. "Best to keep them at bay."

"How?" Hermione asked curiously. She'd never quite warmed up to anyone so quickly after her capture before – apart from Draco, of course – but Luna was so fascinating and Hermione couldn't help but be interested in what she had to say.

"I have a Butterbeer cork necklace and plum earrings. They kept the Nargles away fairly well."

"And where would one get a Butterbeer cork necklace?"

"Oh, you don't buy them. You make them – "

Theo rolled his eyes, realising that the conversation was becoming more ridiculous by the minute. "For Merlin's sake, Nargles aren't even real!"

Hermione shot him a firm look. "It's better to be safe than sorry. What if we have a Nargle infestation in this apartment?"

"We wouldn't have a sodding infestation because they're not real!"

"Well, you thought I was dead – until you saw me."

He glared at her, before he leaned back in resignation. Hermione smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but a crack of apparition stopped her. Draco's silver eyes were stormy as he met hers for a moment, then he headed to his room. Hermione shot Theo a questioning look, but he shrugged.

Without wasting another moment, Hermione went into Draco's room, pausing by the doorway when she saw him. He had his arms braced on the table and he was leaning against it, deep, silent shudders wracking through his body.

He glanced up the moment she shut the door. The expression on his face was something close to desperation as he walked up to her quickly, and wound his arms around her, pulling her to him tightly.

"Don't say anything," he pleaded, and Hermione felt her chest tighten at the brokenness of his voice. "Just – just let me – "

And then he seemed incapable of saying anything more, so she just held him tight, shifting her head slightly so she could press a brief kiss to his forehead. He made something like a low, strangled sob deep in his throat and buried his face in her hair. And she held on tight, because in this war, it was somehow the one thing she could do best.