Stuck with Me [Harry Potter]

Chapter 10 - A Revealing Chest Game

"I see the beauty of the world."

"Beauty," he spat in disbelief and looked down at her. "How can you see the beauty of everything, despite all the ugly and repulsiveness? And how are you so bloody carefree all the time?"

All she did was smile at the clouds. "There is evil and ugliness all around us, Draco, you just need to know what to do with it. That's why the Patronus Charm is so powerful—it forces you to dismiss the evil and focus on the good."

He thought about that. Since he produced his patronus, he was better able to keep all those horrid thoughts aside. But they still came now and then. The memory of the battle he escaped right before he went into the dungeon entered his mind.

"I ran," he said, and she looked over at him as he rested his arms on the tops of his knees as he sat. "I ran from that battle in my living room, the one that made me run into the dungeon."

Luna sat up and continued looking at him, listening intently.

"I was a coward for leaving, from running away from the chaos." He sucked in a breath as his chest pinched. "They brought a girl in, a girl from Slytherin house... a girl I knew and talked to before. Her father killed a Death Eater, and in turn, just to punish her father, the Dark Lord killed her, and all hell broke loose after that."

"Is she the death that you saw? The one that you thought of when you read about thestrals?"

He swallowed emotion, and it sank into his stomach like a cold stone. "No. I didn't see her die. I only guessed she did since she cast a spell at the Dark Lord. That was probably the last thing she ever did."

"Then who did you see die?"

He might as well tell her this. He had told her enough in the past few days. "Professor Charity Burbage from Hogwarts. She taught muggle studies. She was killed by the Dark Lord's snake right in front of me during a meeting with the Dark Lord and other Death Eaters."

Luna nodded and placed a light hand on his arm, which sent a shiver up his arm to his shoulder. "I'm sorry. How terrible."

"But it's not as bad as seeing your own mother die."

Luna retracted her hand. "Yes. But I'm fine now. Sure, I become a little sad while thinking about it, but it comforts me in knowing that it was her time to go." She paused for a moment, then said, "You know, running from that battle doesn't make you a coward. You ran from evil."

His heart leaped. "That still doesn't make anything better," he shot at her. "Even if that were the case, I, a Death Eater, ran from the Dark Lord's presence after he summoned me. Once I'm found, who knows the consequences I will face?" He glared at her. "And you, an escapee prisoner—you'll face some horrible punishment for my stupid actions."

Her expression remained calm. "That may be true. We will both most likely be punished, but I'm thankful to you for bringing me here, even if it was by accident."

"It's only because I couldn't think of anywhere to go since I was so desperate to escape, so the spell just fed off of your thoughts and brought us here."

"Which I'm still thankful for. I'm actually really glad that I got to know you... to be your friend."

He stared her blue-gray eyes, a bit surprised at that. "Friend?"

"Yes. You don't really have any friends at school, they're just followers."

Annoyance pulsated through to his heart. "They are too my friends."

"Have you had heart-to-heart conversations, laughed together, cried together, and helped each other up when you or they needed it? Were you with them for them and not for their families or social statuses?"