"Looney! Mum, Looney's here!" Draco Malfoy called to his mother. Narscissa peaked around a doorframe to see a 25-year-old Luna Lovegood giving her a very irritated look.
"Erm, Draco sweety, don't call her that…" Narcissa mused quietly as she came out of her hiding place.
"Oooh, oops, sorry Luna!" he chirped. He grinned over at her.
"Draco, the Thestrals are irritable today could you go keep them company?" Luna mused gently to him. Her grinned and bolted out the door. Once he was gone and the door closed Luna rounded on Narcissa.
"Bloody Hell Narcissa, you hadn't Owled me in months… I thought he was getting better! I go down to your flat and they tell me you moved back here! Do you want him to stay like this? He is 26 years old Narcissa, and he acts like he's 9!" Luna said. Her voice floated, as delicate and airy as ever, but now it cut into Narcissa like a spell.
"I know that… He used to love it here… I thought-"
"No he didn't! You loved it here Narcissa, this is where you were at your peak… His father almost beat him to death here, or don't you remember that?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or are you still denying that?" Narcissa looked away. "You thought…. What? That maybe if you lived her you'd be respected again? Is that it? Narcissa… I'm dissapointed in you."
Narcissa looked taken aback.
"You are dissapointed in me?" Narcissa spat. She stood up taller and glowered at Luna.
"Yes, it's almost as though you don't care about him anymore," Luna replied.
"I care!" Narcissa sniffed
"About Draco?" Luna responded instantly.
"Of course," Narcissa growled.
"Then at least try to do right for him, your son is not mentally stable, people know that, you cannot act like everything is all puffer-toots and rainbows."
There was a long silence, a battle for power. Narcissa lost.
"I know Luna, I do. You know Draco means the world to me, but I don't know how to handle him anymore. I-" but before she could say anyting else Draco was pushing open the door.
"The Thestrals are happy!" he chirped. Luna's face brightened. Narcissa smiled to him and allowed Luna to talk.
"Thanks Draco… would you mind waiting for me in the sitting room? I want to have a quick talk with your mum," Luna mused. "Girl stuff," she added when Draco looked as though he might not agree. He scampered off down the hall and swooped into the sitting room.
"Alright Narcissa, you have a few options from here," Luna said firmly.
"Which are?"
"One, you can remain a stuborn old bat, continue to live here and keep Draco locked away, soiling him all the more. Two, you can get him a real psychiatrist. Or Three, you start listening to me." Luna paused and then added. "If you try to keep him locked up here I will petition the Ministry and have him taken from you, even if I have to take care of him myself."
Narcissa gaped at the edgy blonde.
"Who do you think you are? Saying things like that in my home," Narcissa hissed.
"They needed to be said, Narcissa… I was in school just a year behind Draco, I know first hand what he went through, and worse yet Narcissa the boy feels that there is blood on his hands! None of us can ever be exactly normal, not after what we went through," Luna mused, her voice held and edge which made Narcissa uneasy. "But he deserves better than to slowly rot because of Voldemort."
Narcissa flinched. Luna raised an eyebrow. "He's dead Narcissa, you needn't fear his name," Luna assured her.
Narcissa shook her head and looked away.
"I'm aware of what he went through, Lovegood." She took a deep breath and then turned back to Luna. Her face frightened and sad. "I want to help him, but I can't leave this house again." Luna met Narcissa's eyes. "I'm not trying to be selfish, Luna, you've come to know me… there are some things I can't do… I can't be poor Luna, and unless we live here unless we are real Malfoys we don't have any money, you understand… don't you?"
Luna gaped. Someone was withholding money from Narcissa?
Luna moved to say something, perhaps to ask who had them trapped here, but the look on Narcissa's face silenced her. An idea struck her.
"Narcissa, pack your bags," Luna mused. Narcissa gave her a look that swore and called her crazy, but Luna was used to those looks. "You and Draco need to get away from everything for a little while you'll be staying in my flat until I can sort out Draco I'll be paying for you both until he's right," she mused. There was no offer, no room for give and take in this situation, Narcissa would accept it and go along willingly or she would lose and she would be all alone in the massive house.
Luna would take Draco with her, no matter what, Narcissa knew the young witch well enough to know it was that determination and confidence which had kept her alive this long.
Many people in the wizarding community did not like Luna. She danced on the edge constantly. She had helped save the world from Voldemort's reign of terror, but she found herself constantly drawn in with Purebloods.
It was almost laughable how the tables had turned, Purebloods and muggle-borns had switched up. Even the great Harry Potter looked down upon Purebloods. The Weasleys seemed to be the only pureblood family to retain any public respect.
The Weasleys had turned into a little bit of everything, Percy had joined a band and was succeeding with it. George had continued to work with his joke shop with the help of a few others from his year, the shop itself was dedicated to Fred. Ron worked alongside Harry in the Ministry, both very successful Aurors. And Ginny, a particular friend of Luna's before all of the social angst began was a stay at home mother, who detested what Luna had "turned into".
"Luna-" Narcissa began and then gave up. "Fine, I'll pack some things for Draco and I," she mused. And with that she retreated up the stairs. Luna smiled, slightly unnerved by the level of dominance Narcissa accepted. Lucius had dominated the house. Luna could picture his face, his tone, but she could never imagine being around him in private.
Luna shook off the bizarre thought and made her way down the hall to the sitting room. She stopped in the hall when she heard Draco speaking.
"I miss you."
"Of course you do." Lucius? But he was dead. Luna forced herself to shove open the window. Draco sat in the center of the room staring up a a huge photo of Lucius Malfoy. Lucius glared over at her.
Most witches of her age would have quailed even though it was only a picture. She did not. "C'mon Draco, let's take a walk," she mused. Draco's face lit up.
He lept up, waved at his father's picture, and loped to where Luna stood. Luna scooted him out, glowered at Lucius, and followed Draco.
They made their way down the long hall, Draco humming as he scooted along beside Luna. Once outside there was an air of calm that hadn't been there mere moments before.
"How would you feel about a little vacation Draco, hmm?" Luna asked brightly. Draco spun to looked diretly at her. He bounced up and down and took her hand.
"Oh, really? Oh where're we going Luna? Where?" he chirped.
"All over, we'd be staying in my flat for a while, and then you and your mum could travel with me for a while, how's that sound?" Draco grinned brightly.
"Great! And mum's coming? … Does she have to?" he asked. Luna smiled. Of course he wouldn't want Narcissa around very much, he was 26, wether he knew it or not.
"For most of it, although I'm sure you'll get your time without her," she assured him with a chuckle.
"But you'll be there, right? All the time, like before, right Looney?"
"Luna," she replied patiently.
"Right, Luna," he repeated.
"Of course Draco," she assured him.
He grinned and Luna smiled back, but her smile hurt a little inside. He'd been making leaps and bounds before. He'd been aware of so much, he'd acted older, and understood so much. And she'd told Narcissa what had to be done. It wasn't just the house that was messing with Draco's fragile psyche. Something had or had not been done that had soiled all of her work.
Luna ignored the tension and she walked with Draco over to a large greenhouse. She held the door for him and took a seat on a bench just inside as he ran about smelling the flowers.
He was a full head taller than her, and he didn't seem to notice it.
He'd grown to be quite handsome. He'd developed a widows peak, although it was probably just his hair receeding. His eyes were startling, just as his fathers had been, but they were much kinder. He had a natural sort of muscle and brilliant bone structure. Not to mention his active lifestyle's gifting him with a set of washboard abs Luna had seen more than once when she'd been his counselor and she'd brought him swimming. And no female who knew him could mention him without mentioning his fine behind.
Nobody seemed to care that he was mentally unstable, he was gorgeous.
Luna was attractive in her own right, nomatter what she did to herself. A dozen scars crisscrossed her body from her dealings with wild animals, and scarcely a month went by in which her face wasn't bloodied of bruised for the same reason, or for her dealings at St. Mongo's. But she had a mystical sort of elegance nobody could recreate, and eyes the color of the purest sea.
Narcissa appeared in the doorway with two large bags levitating behind her.
"We're ready, Ms. Lovegood," Narcissa replied.
"Call me Luna, Narcissa," Luna responded but moved across the floor, took Draco's hand and led him out. She led the way to her carriage.
The carriage was reminiscent of the carriage the Beauxbaton school used when visiting other schools, save for the creatures pulling it and the simple wood colour of it. Four large Thestrals stood, harnessed and waiting, while two younger ones mulled around at their feet.
"In you go," she mused gently. Draco, all to eager, crawled in and scooted across to sit close to a window. Narcissa followed, sitting with her back to the thestrals. Luna hiked herself up, holdign the doorframe for support she called to the thestrals "St. Mongo's please." She then yanked the door shut behind her as they rattled into motion.
"St. Mongo's?" Narcissa demanded. Luna remained infront of the door as Narcissa looked all too keen on escaping back outside even though they were already in the sky.
"Draco isn't my only parient Narcissa, you two can wait here or come along with me when we get there," Luna assured Narcissa. "Either way we will all be getting back into the carriage and going to my flat after."
Narcissa looked soothed by that and she sat back to enjoy the luxury of the carriage. Luna rounded on Draco.
"So Draco, what's been going on lately?" Luna asked, taking a seat close to him. Draco watched the sky out the window for a few minutes before turning and sitting down.
"Not much really, father hasn't been home in a long while," Draco mused, slightly dejected.
"Draco sweetie-"Narcissa began but Luna stomped her foot, silencing her. Narcissa did not question Luna's judgement and once again withdrew into a quiet submissiveness.
Draco remained entirely unaware. He began to play with the sleave of his robe, bending his face down so his chin nearly touched his chest.
"I thought you were going to go away like father did," he admitted quietly. Luna smiled gently, lifting his face so he was looking at her.
"So long as you want me around, I won't leave you," she assured him. He smiled at her, the tension abating.
Narcissa grimaced at that, greatful as she was for the leaps and bounds Luna brought about in her son, she couldn't help but wish the woman would simply butt out. Every day Draco had grown more mature, his sleep had been equally filled with nightmares. Luna wasn't around to deal with his night terrors, and Narcissa had never brought them up.
Perhaps she enjoyed being needed, but she was more aware of her son's fear than of the need to be needed however, and thus resented Luna.
The carriage touched down on the roof of St. Mongo's and Luna got to her feet. Draco followed her without a word while Narcissa remained rooted to her seat.
Luna strode with purpose down the stairs and glanced aroung the tearoom.
"Would you like anything, Draco?" she asked, watchign him eye a large green-frosted cake.
"Uhm…" he murmured sheepishly.
"Remember, I'm taking care of you," she mused quietly. At which he grinned, fished for her hand, and when he found it he strode proudly to the counter.
"Ms. Lovegood! Have you finally gotten yourself a boyfriend then?" asked the portly woman behind the counter. Draco blushed bright pink, but Luna brushed it off with ease.
"No, Lucinda, not yet," she chuckled to the bright woman, who shrugged.
"What'll it be then?" she asked, still eyeing Draco. Draco bithis lip and looked intently at the cake.
"That cake, please," Luna said simply to the woman, ignoring her shock. "anything to drink?" Luna added to Draco.
"Do they have those cherry-syrup-soda mixtures?"
"Yupp," Luna replied
"I'll have one of those then."
"Make that two," Luna mused to the woman at the counter, before nodding pointedly at the cake. The woman shrugged to herself and set to collecting the order. Luna looked around the room as Lucinda took her dear sweet time pulling the cake out from under the counter. Three or four people were deliberatly staring at Draco, obviously well aware of the fact that he was 'not right'. Luna glared in the same blatant fashion until each of them quailed and returned to whatever they were each doing.
Lucinda finally set the cake on the countertop and the drinks beside it. "That's three galleons and a sickle," Lucinda mused. Although Luna could clearly see that the woman was estimating very roughly and would stil expect a tip Luna paid her, slipping in an extra sickle for Lucinda's benefit.
"Hold the cake for us, we'll be back through in a few minutes," Luna said firmly, pushing the Cake pointedly to the far corner of the counter, handing Draco his drink and taking hers. The two strode dow t
Draco held her handa bit more firmly than nessicary when a male nurse stopped Luna to speak to her.
"Luna, hey…" the nurse mused, intentionally ruffling hisscruffy dark hair.
"Hello Marcus," Luna replied. She felt Draco inch closer to her.
"And who've we got here?" Marcus cooed. Luna felt a pang of irritation.
"I'm Draco Malfoy, and I'm not five," Draco snapped irritably.
"Easy Tiger," Marcus mused, again using that irritating 'I-am-above-you' tone.
"Marcus, don't talk down to him," Luna warned firmly. Marcus looked surprised but shrugged it off.
"I've gotta go, but I'll see you around," he mused to Luna. Neither he nor Draco acknowledged the other's existance. He walked past and Luna set off walking again, Draco at her side.
"I don't like him," Draco mused sharply, his brow furrowing as he looked down at her. "He looks at you funny." Luna chuckled.
"Don't tell anyone but I don't like him much either," she mused with a wink. "He thinks he's prettier than he is."
"Oh… you're pretty," Draco mused, probably by means of conversation. "… Luna, why're you blushing?"