** I do not own anything in this story except 'Victims of War and Circumstance Board House' (VWCBH). J.K Rowling gets the rest of the credit. I might make this longer. Maybe a chapter of two more, who knows maybe I will make ten more! I guess it depends on the reviews and stuff. Enjoy :3
A year after the war, Draco Malfoy was a man consumed in his own darkness. Now that the war was over, and the story of his family was released, he was shunned because of the association with a certain dark wizard. He would often lock up in his bedroom chambers and let himself be consumed with dark thoughts .Sometimes; he would pull up his left sleeve and remember the days when it was bare. The mark on his forearm became the force that made him succumb to the darkness inside him. His pale skin became sallow and his hair became greasy. He was not the pompous boy he used to be.
On an overcast day that resembled Draco's mind, he thought it appropriate to finally leave the family manor, and run some errands for his parents who had been busy with running the Victims of War and Circumstance Board house that they had created to restore their family name for their son. It was mostly inhabited by family friends and previous Death Eaters that claimed to have changed but couldn't find work or a place to live.
Draco apparated to Diagon Alley through the Leakey Cauldron, after receiving some dirty looks from observing customers, he strode out of the pub with his head hanging low. As he expected the streets of Diagon Alley were emptier than usual. He started his quest with a trip to Gringotts to visit his family vault. Part of being in the Malfoy family involved sharing everything. As long as Draco's parents were alive he would share the Manor, the vault, and the shame that came with them. Grabbing a couple dozen galleons for his purchases, he thanked the Goblin curtly and headed to Madam Primpernelle'e Beautifying Potions. It was a difficult endeavor to be there buying his mother Age Defying Wrinkle Potion, but there also happened to be a guest in the Board House ,Stan Shunpike, who had horrific acne and boils on his face and requested a potion for those too.
After trips to Twittlefitt and Tattings, Sugarplum's Sweet Shop, Rosa Lee Teabag, all of the infuriating errands for his mother, Draco found himself stopped in front of an old shop that looked on the verge of closing. The sign above the door read Obscurus Books. A large window by the front had many ancient texts written by Merlin himself but one glance revealed a color changing book in the center with strange creatures running back and forth on the bottom of the cover. Above this, in gold lettering, read the words: Incredulous Creatures Believed to be Fabled by Xenophilius and Luna Lovegood. There were several people inside the odd shop that were intrigued by the artistic handiwork of his younger classmate. With each purchase of their book the Lovegoods handed the buyer a pair of strange spectacles. Draco remembered seeing a younger Luna often wearing the same spectacles with her nose in an upside down magazine. The Lovegoods were known for their obscurity.
Luna's father, Xenophilius was stood behind the register and collecting the money due for each book sold. Draco looked on with a sullen face at the smiling girl among the shelves. Her curly blonde hair was tucked behind her ear with her wand and was, in length, below her waist. Her eyes were clouded with innocence and she looked at each customer with pure joy. Intrigued, Draco walked into the store, and the tinkle of a small bell on the door announced his arrival. Luna looked away from her customer who was pondering a book perched on the farthest shelf and spotted him. She eyed him with a concerned look before smiling slightly and turning to her father. She referred the customer to her father, and headed in Draco's direction. This made him uncomfortable and he tried to inch away but the girl reached him too quickly. She smiled slightly again "Draco," she sounded genuinely happy to see him and called him by his first name, the only one of all Potter's friends to accomplish this, "you look very-" she paused trying to find the right words, "-you don't look at all like the Draco I remember." She continued and her slight smile slowly turned into a pitying frown. The door's bell sounded again and signaled the last customer's exit. This prompted Luna's father to join them.
"Luna dear, is this one of your old school friends?" he asked in an almost innocent tone.
Luna looked at Draco thoughtfully; "no" she said truthfully "this is Draco Malfoy."
Draco clearly saw the change in Mr. Lovegood's face immediately, but it was only there for a second before it was plastered with a wide and obviously fake smile. "Okay dear," he said holding Luna protectively by the shoulders. Draco backed away as he had before, but faster. "I'm sorry; I must have walked into the wrong shop. I am not feeling like myself today I suppose I should go now." He nodded his head slightly and swiftly marched out of the shop.
He has apparated straight to his manor from right outside the shop, his heart was thumping and seemed to crack in sadness. His mind kept replaying Xenophilius' reaction to his presence after he found out who Draco was. He had obviously not forgotten about Luna's imprisonment in the dungeons just floors below him.
He had often visited Luna down there when his arrogant air began to fade. She didn't often make understandable conversation with him, but she didn't ignore him as his family had. Luna never appeared less than pleasant. Not one tear was shed by her beautiful eyes. Beautiful? He thought to himself, they could indeed be considered beautiful to anyone else other than Draco but lately he had prided himself on being numb to any kind of feeling. But something seemed to have changed in the five second conversation held by the Lovegoods. It seemed that the warmth that had been extinguished last year by the war was now ignited again. Ignited by Luna Lovegood.