Written for:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

The Houses Competition, Year 4, Pre-Round

Monthly Challenges for All

Term 10 - Assignment 3 - Photography Task 5: Write about two people getting closer in a situation.

House: Hufflepuff

Position: Head Student

Category: Pre-Round

Prompt: Gwen (Ship - Luna/Harry/Blaise)

Representation: Triad; Magic; Auras; Finger Combing Hair; Touch Starved; Detached; Comfort; Cuddles; Calming Tactics

Bonus Challenges:

Word Count: (Per Google Docs) 1,470

Beta(s): Gwen

Luna hadn't gone far in returning to Ravenclaw Tower after another failed quest to find her favourite pair of seafoam green trainers before she stumbled across Harry motionless in the corridor. The hum on her lips quieted when she noticed a small puddle of blood pooled on the floor from the right hand that hung loosely at his side. This told Luna that he had been standing there for a while now, and it also told her that what he needed wasn't going to be found in the Gryffindor Tower.

She quietly approached Harry and curled an arm around his uninjured side, feeling the tension stiffen before melting from him instantly when he knew it was her. He turned his head just enough so she could see his stoic face, but Luna knew that he was battling an inner turmoil he refused to show. Without a word, Luna gave his arm a pull, signaling him to follow. She turned down the corridor leading away from both of their towers and silently guided him somewhere she knew he needed.

Luckily, the room she sought wasn't far. She only released Harry just long enough to tug open the heavy, rusty door before leading him to her sanctuary. She was too focused on getting Harry somewhere away from prying eyes to notice they were being watched from afar.

The deserted classroom was decorated to the witch's unique taste. Odd trinkets laid out on the broken desks and worn tables. Necklaces crafted from bottlecaps and corks dangled from old candelabras. Bells dangled from the ceiling and quietly chimed their song from the draft in the room. Harry didn't react to any of it; he merely stared ahead while Luna continued to lead him through the maze of collected and abandoned things to the back corner.

"Stay here," Luna said before wandering out of sight.

Harry took the time to properly absorb what he was looking at while he waited for her to return. It appeared to be an oversized hole in the ground filled with bright pastel colored pillows, cushions, and blankets of different textures and sizes. The shape was almost nest like, but it showed that thought and care was put into creating it by the way it was organized. To anyone else, it'd look like a hideous makeshift bed, but to Harry, it looked like a safe haven to crawl into and disappear for a while.

Luna was back at his side, taking his injured hand in hers to carefully wrap a clean white cloth around it and securing it with a sticking charm. The medicated cloth pulled some of the pain away from the scarring mark there, but it was all that could be done for it. Cursed objects were difficult to counter even for a professional Healer. She curled her fingers around his opposite hand, offering a gentle smile before climbing onto the pile of softness, tugging at his arm to signal Harry to follow.

"I made this for us, for when you need to get away," Luna said, not expecting a response.

She knew he became non-verbal when he fell into these high levels of stress and anxiety, and quiet places tended to help him, so she made sure to speak quietly when she needed to talk.

Harry released a heavy well-needed breath, tears stinging at his eyes as he gave in and allowed Luna to pull him into the pile of fluff. He curled into her side, burying his face in her soft blond hair to inhale her lovely scent of jasmine. She carefully removed his glasses and laid them out of harm's way before sliding petite fingers through his wild dark hair at a slow pace. The gentle combing of his hair and scalp started to calm Harry down. A shiver was felt, prompting Luna to pull a pastel green and lavender fleece blanket from a nearby pile and loosely draped it over them. The room was a little drafty, after all.

She sensed his presence before seeing Blaise emerge from the pillars of knickknacks that weaved her maze room. No words were needed to be exchanged once Luna's silvery eyes met dark chocolate. The silent fury that burned behind the veil of concern told her plenty, but it was not directed at them. She exchanged her own concern before looking back to Harry. He shifted his gaze over to him.

He looked so small curled up beside Luna, face hidden in a pocket of her hair as she continued to lightly comb his with her fingers. Blaise's gaze moved to the bandaged hand and the glint in his eyes darkened more at the sight of the blood that started to seep through its layers. It was no mystery as to what or who caused it.

Luna knew that she liked him for a reason – she just wished she saw and understood it sooner. His aura dripped with dignity, yes, but she could also feel the extreme protection and safety seep from him when he was around those he cared for—something that Harry dearly needed.

When he became one of the recruits to Dumbledore's Army, sort of by accident, Luna found him difficult to read. He was often quiet, observed his surroundings, and practiced with Draco and Theo who mostly kept to themselves. She often watched him, wishing to know and understand the foreign feeling that radiated from him. He would catch her eye from time to time and offer a ghost of a smile before he settled his attention back to Harry as he discussed the Patronus Charm. When she gave Harry a gentle hug or a quick kiss on his nose once the majority of the team disbursed, Blaise was one of the few who remained and watched the map for clearance. Luna knew when he turned his gaze to them to declare the coast was cleared, she would see something in his eyes she couldn't quite figure out.

Constructing the nest was something Luna hoped would be well received by Harry, but was uncertain if Blaise would approve once she finally managed to decode him and his silent messages he kept sending at a respective distance. She envisioned bringing them both here in a much different circumstance, but now felt as good as any. Luna was glad he had taken notice in the corridors when he did because Harry needed them both in order to recover.

Blaise's eyes lightened after a moment, pushing aside the dark thoughts that arose from seeing Harry look so broken and helpless. He knelt down beside the two, only briefly examining the nest before climbing down into it. With a careful grace, he slid into the pile of cushions next to Harry, making sure to press his side into Harry's back so he could absorb his presence.

Luna kept her arm wrapped around Harry's shoulders while still combing his hair. She could feel his breathing hitch with the contact of the new presence. Blaise shifted so that his chest was now against Harry's back, and an unknown layer tension was released with a quiet, sob-like breath. Luna smiled softly over at Blaise when Harry physically responded to the comforting touch.

Blaise allowed long fingers to lightly massage Harry's scalp while offering deep, controlled breaths to level out his own, giving Luna a break to shift herself to fully face Harry, resting her forehead against his.

"Just breathe," she whispered.

The three were silent for what could've been hours infusing Harry with their auras while they huddled comfortably together in the mass of blankets, cushions, and pillows. It didn't matter. No one was going to disturb them there. The focus was to make sure that Harry knew he was safe and that he could take as long as he needed to recuperate.

Luna knew he put on a brave face, and Blaise had sensed it the moment he set foot in the Hog's Head all those weeks ago. He was just as scared as the rest of them, but everyone expected so many things from him, and he wasn't the sort to let anyone who mattered down. So he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and pretended it didn't bother him; he stood up to Umbridge and pretended it didn't hurt him; he eventaught his peers and pretend he knew what he was doing.

Everyone just took, and took, and took, and he had finally snapped with exhaustion shutting him down in that corridor Luna found him in, catatonic and trapped in his own mind. She wasn't going to force him to talk about it, he will when and if he is ready and wants to. For now, the quiet and comfort she and Blaise could give him was what he needed. And that was okay.

Winter Bingo 2018: A5 (Bell)

Insane House Challenge (R): 324. [Pairing] Harry/Luna

365 Prompts: 95. Pastel

Winter Seasonal Challenge

Star Chart - Partial Solar Eclipse: (emotion) Broken

Slytherin House Challenge: [Character] Blaise Zabini; [Trait] Intimate

Winter in Japan - Temples & Shrines: Write about someone visiting a place significant to them.

Flower - Winter Jasmine - (theme) Protection

Winter Prompt: [Word] Shiver

Days of the Year - January 10th - Peculiar People Day: Write about someone considered 'odd'.

Book Club

Disney Challenge: 6. Trusty - Write about someone being injured.

Amber's Attic - 2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Prompt: (plot point) trying to escape from reality. [bonus]

Film Festival: Setting: Secret base