Emily Potter - Book 7 - The Deathly Hallows

Chapter 19: The New Addition

Odd bits of color flowed like water in front of Emily's eyes as she began to wake up, and what small portion of sunshine that shone through the small window made it all the more difficult to open her eyes. Nevertheless, her body felt stiff as corpse in spite of Draco Malfoy's extensive attempts to heal her, but she had to credit him something for ridding her from the pain – but now, she wondered if not feeling anything was a good deal or not.

"She's not budging – Emily, Em – Wake up." Luna's gentle voice filtered in her ears, finally labeling that odd assortment of color moving in front of her to be the girl's eccentric outfit.

"I'm awake." The Potter girl answered, stiffly moving her hand around the space near her head to look for her glasses. "I just... I feel really weak." She felt the hands of both Luna and Mister Ollivander guide her against the wall to prop her up in a sitting position. "Come on, sit up straight and get that blood flowing. Can you do that for me?" Luna's hands softly tucked her hair away from her face before placing the glasses on her nose.

Soon, the obscure colors solidified, and Emily blinked repetitively at the sight of her friend, miserable to see her in such a state of being. "We grew up fast, didn't we?" Luna nodded, her eyes growing wide in worry. "Yes. I'm afraid so." It was only an inkling of hers, but Luna Lovegood wasted no time in urging Mister Ollivander to keep an eye out for Draco at the gates, fearing that the torment her friend had endured finally made a crack in her sanity.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, sitting by her side. Emily shook her head as an answer, her eyes grew wild as she observed the basement. "What is this place?" There was a childlike wonder in her voice, but Luna could not avoid looking at the tremor in her hand and the shakiness of her jaw. "We're... We're in a secret place. This is a hide and seek game with Harry and his friends – We've been hiding so well that it really took them a great time to find us."

Emily hugged her legs to her chest, placing her chin upon her knees. "That sounds fun." The Ravenclaw acted quickly and raised Emily's chin, "Don't close your eyes, alright? You can lay on my lap, but you have to keep your eyes open for me." And so, she did. To avert her herself from panicking, Luna began to braid Emily's hair, trying hard to soothe her own mind.

"I'm not going to lie, Luna. I feel rightfully terrified now."

"I am too, Em. It seems like weeks, to be honest, maybe even a month since we've been here."

A frail laugh came out from the Potter twin, disconcerting enough, Luna felt Emily's entire body quiver like a dying engine. "I suppose we're winning. But I do hope Harry and the others find us, I feel like I have to go to Madam Pomfrey soon. Worst-case scenario, Thomas might have to heal me again." She paused for a moment, looking up at Luna. "I have such a terrible ache all over my body, did I fall somewhere?"

The sound of iron gates clanging open and slamming into the concrete wall came alerting their senses. Draco stood there frigid and unmoving as the wandmaker explains the circumstances Emily was currently under. In a few quick steps, he was already at her side, unfolding a blanket to keep her warm.

"You feel cold," Emily commented as his fingers brushed against her wrist. Luna looked at the boy carefully, surprised to see him looking actually gray in the face. "Malfoy... Are you sick?"

"I haven't seen a mirror in a while, but I'd bet everything I got that we look just as bad right now." Emily joked. Draco forced a small smile, beckoning Luna to come with him to the far corner of the basement. She had settled Emily down on the floor with another blanket to act as a pillow.

Draco paced back and forth in front of Luna, trying to rack his brain on how to tell her his secret without the tendency of her fist going through his face. "Alright – I've been ill. I didn't know at first, I thought it was just some random headaches, chest pains, and insomnia. It got worse when Emily was dragged here. Then came nausea, vertigo, nosebleeds – "