~Drabble Collection: In Search Of Wonderland~

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Alice Was Prepared For Ever After

(Never Came Along Too Late For Tea)

Draco shivers, twitches, hops close to her and presses himself against her breast; he turns his rabbit-face up to her cheek, and licks at the tears as they fall, and listens to her sobs feeling that his heart might break. He could save her, if he was only himself again – he could tell her all the truths she needs to hear. He does not even notice the moment in which the gnashing fangs have vanished; there is too much howling within him, too much longing, too much pain.

"It's just water, Draco, just water -"

Draco is changing, as if those were the magic words. He is changing, becoming, stretching, elongating, his body responding to his will and the will of his magic as it should have done all along.

He comes into his own flesh speaking, with words on his lips that wrap around Luna even as his arms do, holding her close, steadying her body as she rocks with sobs; he presses his lips against her mouth, tastes the salt of her tears on his own tongue, the chocolate that she had been eating while she sat beside him, talking – something clear and clean and perfect, something that is unnameable except as Luna or a thousand things.

Luna.

She is luminous now as she was then; even her tears seem glowing to him, and Draco grasps her hands so tightly she gasps in pain and sets his heart thumping with memory.

"You would've repaid your debt, you know – except you didn't have one. You could've paid me back for saving you by saving me – except that all I did was conjure you a bucket of water. You could've just turned away and let what was be – except that I love you, Luna."

He gives more of a kiss to her this time; his words are still echoing in her head, and she tastes sweet water and sunshine – incongruous, incomprehensible.

When he steps back, his hands are still on her hands, their fingers twining around each other as if by instinct; Luna is trembling, but the only feeling she knows in that moment is joy.

"Luna? Are you...all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Draco – conjure me a bucket of water, will you? Only...I've been trying for years, and I've never been able to get it quite right."

She stood, and reached to the shoulder of her robe, and undid the fastening there.

"I should have known it wasn't the water that I was missing – just you."

Draco reaches for the wand in his sleeve, conjures a plain wooden bucket full of water, and a plate of sandwiches.

"For after," he explains.

She smiles, and glows.

A/N: And that is the end of that completely random, totally unexpected, what the hell am I doing anyway writing this for nine hours straight, fic. Hope you enjoyed it – now, back to noveling and the Bridge of Dreams!

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