Falling for Innocent Wisdom
Months after the Battle of Hogwarts ended, the dust settled and Draco Malfoy feels like he is to blame for it all. He needs to learn how to become the man his father never was and can't help but fall in love with the innocent wisdom of Luna Lovegood. Follow lots of old faces and a couple new ones with life after Hogwarts. The magic never ends and a new love is in the air.
This is a Draco/Luna fanfic and it is my first Harry Potter fanfic. The entire thing will be first person in Draco's perspective. Please read and review. Let me know if something isn't right. I'm not a total expert on all things Potterhead so there may be some mistakes. I hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the universe from the Harry Potter series. The only thing I own is the story, Virginia Moore and Shelby Hill, and One-Liners and Needles. The rest belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 1:
I stayed back and watched from behind a tree. I couldn't join the crowd that was huddled around a single gravestone. This was their moment for grief, not mine. He was their son, brother, friend..., not mine. There were so many bodies after the battle and so many funerals but I felt obligated to go to Fred's. I couldn't be seen by the others but I had to go. The crowd started to slowly make their way back to their cars and brooms in the drizzle. The sea of mainly red hair and black clothing departed until only one remained. I knew it was George by the way he leaned to the side as if his brother was still there. I quickly turned away. This was his moment, not mine. Out of the corner of my eye I saw George walk away to join his family. I waited a while longer for the cars to leave before I left the shelter of the tree and embarked through the drizzle to Fred's grave. I stopped before the headstone and let the rain soak through my blazer.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered into the air, "This is all my fault. If I hadn't played along, if I hadn't helped them get in..., this would have never happened." My breath hitched as I held back tears but I continued.
"I always found you and George funny. Especially the fireworks you set on Umbridge." My small laugh quickly turned into a sob that I immediately repressed.
"My father would have had my head if I ever even laughed at a joke made by a Weasley but that shouldn't have mattered. I'm so so sorry." With that, I bowed my head in guilt and regret on what I didn't do but should have done. This was all my fault. I let myself soak in my misery and guilt until I am interrupted by a fairy-like voice that is coming from beside me.
"He really was a good soul. Full of laughter and kindness," said this feather-light voice. I quickly turned my head to find Luna Lovegood standing at my side. Quickly straightening my back and fixing my blazer (which was soaked through), I averted my gaze back to the tombstone and lifted my chin. Luna, unfazed by my abrupt dismissal, moved her umbrella to cover us both and continued talking.
"It sure is raining a lot, isn't it? I suppose some people would say that it is ironic that it should rain during a funeral but my mother used to say that when somebody important leaves this world, the sky cries for all those who never knew them." I stared at this odd girl out of the corner of my eye. She looked up at me and my eyes snapped back to look at the headstone.
"She always had an interesting view on things, my mum did," Luna continued, "Much like Fred did." My breath caught at that last comment and my head bowed low. I could feel Luna's hand rest on my arm which made me stiffen and caused my nose to return to its place high in the air.
"It's not your fault you know," Luna whispered. For the first time since she joined me by Fred's grave, I turned my head to look at her. Her silver grey eyes did not hold judgment, hate or blame nor did they hold sympathy or concern. Instead, they held such wisdom and truth that I couldn't look away. She didn't offer any other comment nor did I respond to what she said. We stayed like that for what felt like hours but was really only a few moments. Luna broke this strange trance she had me under with the oddest comment.
"I feel like pudding. Do you know where we can get some?"
"... No, I... " My voice was barely above a whisper so I cleared my throat and continued, "I don't know any place around here that serves pudding. Actually I don't know any of the places around here at all." This was the small town that was, apparently, an hour's walk away from the Weasley's residence. I had never been here before. In fact, I had to follow Professor Slughorn, who thankfully arrived her via broomstick. What reason did I have to know where the Weasleys lived? I shouldn't even be here.
"I'm sorry to depart so suddenly but I'm afraid I must go," I informed Luna before turning my back to her and began to walk away. However, before I could reach the tree where I had parked my broomstick, a small hand gently settled on my arm. I could have easily broken away from her but, for some reason that I can't quite explain, I stopped and turned back to face her.
"Draco," she began (which shocked me because nobody from Hogwarts ever addressed me as anything other than Malfoy), "I know what you're feeling and you should know that nobody blames you." She then reached into her bag, which looked like she had seen it using random bits of fabric that she had found, and pulled out a piece of parchment.
"If you ever need a bit of a chat, send me an owl," Luna remarked as she handed me the parchment, "I'll let you go now but before I do I'm going to give you this." She reached into her bag again and pulled out a chain with a strange looking talisman hanging like a pendant. She draped it around my neck and I just stood there, too shocked to move.
"It should keep the nargles away. They tend to go in your head when you're upset." And with that, she left. I watched her skip away into a nearby forest until I heard what sounded like a gun-shot but knew that she had just apparated. I continued to stare at the place where she had stood for a while longer before I came to my senses. I had to return home before my parents realized that I was gone. I can't even imagine the punishment I would receive if my father found out that I went to Fred Weasley's funeral. With that thought in mind, I made my way back to my broom and took off into the air.