This story was written for Gamma Orionis for the Christmas Fic Exchange.
Happy Christmas!
I don´t own Harry Potter.
Magic has its own ways
It was a normal evening in December and Christmas was approaching. And as every one who possesses knowledge of magic knows, Christmas is also a time where magic is mighty. This is the time where magical bonds are formed and strengthened. Even if some bonds are unexpected. Magic sometimes has its own ways.
In Ottery St. Catchpole snow was falling. The houses of the village were already buried under a thick layer of white and unspoiled snow. In a certain round house on the hills nearby a blonde young woman was doing her evening ritual.
Luna Lovegood was about to send her two children, Lorcan and Lysander, to bed. Putting them into their pajamas she asked "Which story do you want to hear tonight? "
"Mommy, can you tell us the story of the dragon and the moon?"
That was Lorcan, the more avid of the twins. He had recently grown fond of the story that she had invented for them.
"Of course, pumpkin", Luna replied. "So listen. Once upon a time, there was a silver dragon. He was a huge and mighty beast and that made him very proud. He lived in a big beautiful cave with a lot of treasures deep down in a forest. And as every dragon, this one loved his treasures, too. He enjoyed looking at all the things and polishing the gold and silver. As every nocturne creature he loved the night and the darkness. During the nighttime he used to wander through the forest and to look at the stars. A long time the dragon enjoyed doing this, but slowly, barley noticeable, he became bored. He had nobody to share his possessing with, he was alone. He began to wish for company. And so he decided to look for it.
Shortly after he had come to this decision the dragon heard a song. He hadn´t heard such a beautiful song in his life. And so he went in search of the singer. He went away from his home. Far, far away. But finally he found somebody: he found the moon. The moon was very beautiful and lovely to watch. The dragon immediately thought that she had to be his. His treasure alone. "Did you sing this beautiful song?" he asked the moon. "Yes " answered the moon, and her voice was clear as silver and warm as sunlight. The dragon fell in love, and who are we to judge. Love is just love, and you an´t decide on that.
"I love you", said the dragon to the moon. "Will you come with me and live with me? I have a beautiful cave and you will have a good life with me."
The moon did like the dragon, too. His words were nice and sounded honest. Instead of an answer she began to sing again, a song so alluring that the whole area around her came to life. The flowers and the grass to the feet began to grow, the animals and birds of the forest and the field came nearby.
And with this song the dragon understood that it wasn´t possible for the moon to leave the place where she was. She was supposed to shine to the whole world, not only to him. He was a dragon and not supposed to be with the moon. And he couldn´t live here forever, too. His roots were at his cave and he would have to return there to be happy.
So he returned to his cave and continued to live there. At first he was very sad. The world outside did not seem the same as before. But then, a few weeks later, one night he was awakened by a song. He knew this song and went out of the cave. And the moon was there. "I came to see you" she said. "I have to leave soon, but I will return. Will you wait for me?" "Of course" said the dragon. Sometimes strange bondes are formed and remain. And since this time, they meet once a month. These are the times, the few hours every month where we can´t see the moon."
Luna had a small smile on her lips as she continued the story and watched her children fall asleep.
"And as far as we know, they are happy every after until today. And that was the story of the dragon and the moon", finished Luna the story. Then she gave each of the twins, who were by now severely asleep, a kiss. "Goodnight, sweethearts", she whispered, and, putting the lights out with a murmured Nox, she left the room.
She liked the ritual of bringing her children to bed and telling them stories. They really liked this story. The two loved the story and she…. loved a dragon. Draco.
They were also an unlikely pair. He, the Malfoy heir and she, the daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood. But there had always since their first meeting been a bonding between them.
It was like yesterday since they had met for the first time. She had been four at the time. It had been in Diagon Alley, in a small second hand bookshop. Her father had been looking for some new books for his "quest" and taken her with him. And, as Diagon Alley isn´t very huge, you can just bump into people you don't necessarily want to bump into. In this case Lucius Malfoy and his son were in the same shop, too. Luna didn´t recognize them nor did she pay any attention to the outside world. She was playing by herself.
Suddenly someone asked "Can I play with you ? I am Draco". Luna turned around and there was a small boy with blonde hair standing in front of her. He seemed at about her age. She said in a quiet voice "Yes. My name is Luna".
"Why do you wisper?" he asked quite curiously.
"Because of the Blibbering Humdingers, of course." she replied seriously. "They like hiding behind old books."
"What are Blibbering Humdingers? Are they dangerous? Then I will save you." the boy told her.
"Like a prince?"
Draco thought for a moment then noded.
"Oh fine. Then I am the princess. Will you to save me?"
"I promise to save you", said Draco.
"In the stories the prince normally has to solve three tasks the princess chooses. Will you fulfill the tasks I choose?"
"I promise to fulfill the tasks", Draco replied.
"The prince always marries the princess. Will you marry me?"
"I promise to marry you" he replied,
"Fine", Luna said. "Can we have pudding for dinner every day when we are married? I like pudding."
And then the two children had an enjoyable afternoon playing together (at least, to be honest, until Mr. Malfoy recognized that his son was playing with a Lovegood).
And this is one of the examples, that magic has its own ways. Even if it wasn´t an unbreakable vow, the three vows Draco made to Luna, bonded them and intertwined their lives much more than anyone would think.
So, even when they don't had much contact in the following years, and Draco even didn´t think anymore of the meeting with the blonde girl, he noticed her when they got to Hogwarts.
One of the first things he noticed about Luna Lovegood was the way she looked at things. "Lovegood, Luna!" The girl had a look in her eyes when she approached the Sorting Hat, as if she was seeing more than just the reality we all share. He felt a sudden urge of protection towards the girl and hoped she wouldn´t be placed in Slytherin. He knew that the Lovegood family was pureblooded after all. But the hat almost immediately shouted "Ravenclaw".
And there was a second their eyes met after the sorting, just before she was on her way to the Ravenclaw table. It was as if they knew each other. It was like she was family.
He blinked, turned his gaze away and began to chat with the other first years.
Luna recognized him, too. Her adult self had an amused smile on her lips when she thought about the diary entry she had made the evening after the sorting. She had been so excited about Hogwarts, the sorting, the other children and… the Nargles around a certain blonde boy.
In the second their eyes had met after her sorting ceremony, she had felt as if a long lost part had been finally found. And this missing part completed the puzzle.
Will you save me?
By the time they were half way through their first year in Hogwarts Luna was already marked as "strange". It was easy to play a trick on her, and especially Blaise, one of his yearmates, had developed a certain interest in playing pranks at "Loony".
Draco and Blaise both had been on their way in the library, as they saw Luna, coming towards them. Barefoot. Obviously she wasn´t able to take care of her things like a proper pureblood should. Her face read "Have you seen my shoes? " even before she phrased the words. Draco looked at Blaise who denied having them. "Why? " He flouted. "Did the Nargels steal them away from you?" He was about to continue when Draco said," Come, Blaise, we have better things to do" and took Blaise away with him.
And that night, as Luna went to bed, her shoes stood in front of it.
Will you fulfill the tasks I choose?
"I want out of here, Draco." Luna said. Her words echoed slightly in the dungeons.
"I know." He replied, leaving the things he came here (bread and water) in front of her. "I try." In secret he was about to develop a plan for her rescue. And, as she surely wouldn´t go without, for the wandmaker, too. But it would have to wait until he was destined to be in Hogsmead again, which was several weeks ahead.
He closed the door and shrugged, calming his conscience down. It would have to suffice.
Will you marry me?
It had been in the school year after the re-opening of Hogwarts after the end of the war. Luna had wanted to finish school and get her NEWTs, even if she could have done her plans for future, editing the Quibbler and looking for rare animals, without them (probably the Ravenclaw shining through). But she liked being with her friends and most of them would be there. Draco had been there, too. It had been awkward, seeing him again.
They had sort of talked during her "stay" at Malfoy Manor and seemingly he had wanted to help her out of the dungeons, but…
Normally she was sure of her feelings and able to express them, but …
Yes, she had had a bit of a crush on the Malfoy heir since their first term, but…
It was a few days before Christmas break. It had snowed the last days and a thick layer of snow was covering the grounds of Hogwarts. Even now big snowflakes fell down from the night sky.
She had been dancing around the now frozen lake. Not caring that she had snow in her hair or the fact that it was very cold. Even as barefoot as she was. She just loved the beauty of Hogwarts when the snow came and being the first to make imprints in the snow.
What she wasn´t noticing was that someone was watching her from the entrance.
She had been humming one of her favourite songs. And total absent-minded she wouldn´t have spotted the person near the entrance of the castle if not for a sudden movement. The person was now approaching. She stopped dancing and waited.
The person coming wore a cloak, but even so, she was aware that it had to be Draco Malfoy. She would recognize Malfoy out of every croud. And then he stood in front of her, silently. She looked up in his grey eyes and it was like in one of her dreams.
"Yes?" she asked.
Without further asking he took her in his arms, one hand around her head and kissed her. His lips gently touched hers.
Slowly she ended the kiss, putting back his hand from her shoulder.
"Draco, if that´s part of some game…."
"I nowadays only play on Quidditch grounds, Lovegood. We are adults now." he said.
"I love you, Luna." He added after a few moments, chewing the words, as if they were hard to admit. "I have a Christmas present for you." And with this words he showed her a small gift box.
"I love you, too" said Luna and accepted the gift. She unwrapped it and found inside a blue box a small silver bracelet. In the inner side there was the word love engraved repeating all along the bracelet.
As I said magic has its own ways.