Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the concept of Harry Potter, they all belong to J.K. Rowling.
Have you ever thought of going back to your innocent days. Those days when you were just the purest thing in the world, and not tainted by the reality of humanity. Well that's what Draco was thinking of as he walked down the halls of Hogwarts. He remembered back to the good old days, back when he was but a young boy, learning about his magical abilities and getting ready for the future. He would run into his father's office, asking him for lessons, or running to his mother to hear more stories of her and his father during their time at Hogwarts. Those certainly were the days. But it wasn't just his time with his parents that made him miss the past, but a time spent with a blonde haired little girl, whose family lived near his. At first his family wasn't too keen in letting him play with other children, but when they learned that she was a pure blooded witch, they allowed him.
The two of them would play on either his or her back or front garden, casting small spells at each other or looking for magical creatures that they could find amongst the grass or flowers. The two of them were inseparable. Draco smiled to himself, as he remembered the silly times when she would make him flower crowns or tell him stories about the creatures her father would find, even if they weren't real to him but real to her. He remembered how he would have lunch at her house sometimes, and would see how colorful and vibrant her household was. He remembered how kind and gentle her mother was to him, and knew that his friend would grow up to look and act just like her, generous and beautiful. He remembered how differently she would act when she visited his house for lunch. Acting all proper and well mannered around his parents. She knew how traditional his parents were and thought she would play the part around them. He laughed at that.
Draco rounded a corner and sat on a ledge that viewed the patio center that leads out to the main gate to Hogsmeade. He sighed to himself as he remembered that one tragic day. He came down from his room to receive tragic news that his friend's mother passed away from a back-fired spell that she was working on. Draco tried to run for the door to see her but was stopped by his parents, telling him that she needed time alone and that they will attend the funeral. When that day came, Draco could see the depressed look on her face, as if she had no emotions at all. As he got closer to her, he could see that her face showed no signs of life, other than her gaze transfixed on the coffin that is slowly lowering itself into the ground. His parents paid their condolences to her and her father, to which her father thanked, but she said nothing. Draco tried to speak to her at that time, but she would just stay quiet and avoid his gaze. His family brought him back to the Manor, not being able to talk to her fully. He ran up to his room and locked the door, crying. After that day, she never spoke to him again.
Draco clenched his hands in annoyance at what happened next. He stood up and made his way to the Great Hall for dinner. He remembered one night, his mother entering his bedroom and sat down to talk to Draco. She said that his friend's family will be moving, and will no longer be living near them. All Draco could do at the moment was cry and cry out to his mother, asking why they needed to make such a decision. She explained that his friend's father thought it would be the best form of coping for her, to forget about her time at the house they are currently staying at, and that held a lot of memories of her mother, and to move into a new house within nature and start a new. After their conversation, Draco just cried himself to sleep. He thought to himself back then, why did she need to leave, when she had him. He loves her enough to try and make her pain go away, and he planned to prove it, by visiting her the next day.
Draco sighed at his annoyance back then, because he remembered getting out of bed, dressing up quickly and just booking it out of the house, with his mother yelling out for him to come back. He could not hear his mother anymore by the time he reached her house. He walked up to the gate and rang the doorbell. To his surprise, annoyance, and sadness, apparently his mother forgot to inform him that they moved out a couple of days ago, without even telling Draco before hand. Draco emotionlessly walked back to the Manor, and his parents could see the nothingness on his face that he learned the hard way of his friend's early departure. After that day, he went on to living his life how he normally lived it, asking his father for lessons and listening to his mother's stories.
Draco remembered when turned 11, he finally gotten into Hogwarts and was housed in Slytherin. He was a socialite, and was basically the house's leader, having followers such as Crabbe and Goyle to boss around and admires like Pansy and Astoria. He tried his best to be friendly to Harry Potter himself but that didn't turned out the way he planned. But despite everything that has happened during his first year, he still couldn't help but remember the good old days, back to when everything was simple, and that he didn't have a stature, or disciples. Back to when it was just his parents and her. His first year was finally over before he knew it and was getting ready to enter his second year. What he didn't expect at that time was that it would change his life forever.
As Draco remembered, he would run into his classmates and take a break from reminiscing. Chatting up with them on anything new within the house. After that, he continued onto his destination to the Great Hall. As he was walking, he saw some Slytherin second years running pass him, as they were holding onto a Ravenclaw scarf, and soon after, a Ravenclaw student was running after them. Draco chuckled at the scene, and remembered doing the same thing to a Hufflepuff, but then he remembered that that was also the day that his childhood came back to haunt him.
He was 12 at that time, Crabbe, Golye, and him were watching a poor defenseless Hufflepuff and ran up to him grabbing his scarf from his neck and running off. The Hufflepuff tried to chase them but the three where too fast.
"Here, run as far as you can with this, I'll look for something to make the Hufflepuff trip" Draco remembered saying to Crabbe and Goyle, who followed his orders immediately. He remembered not actually doing anything, other than let the two run with the scarf as the Hufflepuff chased them. He remembered walking down the opposite direction and hiding from the Hufflepuff as he ran past him. After he came out of his hiding spot, he remembered walking back to his common room when he collided into a small figure.
"Ouch! Hey, watch where you're going!" He yelled to the person. He could see that the figure was a first year, and judging from her robes, she was in Ravenclaw. He stood up and patted his robes clean and watched as the first year was picking up her books. Draco rolled his eyes and helped her, but once he handed her the last book, he remembered being face to face with a familiar set of blue eyes. He's mouth widened a little in shock and he dropped the book that he was handing back to her. The girl didn't bother picking it up and was staring into a pair of familiar silver eyes herself. The two where almost in a trance with each other, as they looked at each others face and eventually physical appearances. He knew those deep shiny blue eyes, and those dirty curly blonde hair anywhere.
"...You…" They both said at the same time. Draco sighed with content, at remembering that moment. He remembered hugging her close, with her returning the favor. They talked about the past and the present, about their friends and family, about what they are doing and what they will do in the future. He was just glad to have his best friend back in his life. But now that they were older, him being 18 and her being 17, he wondered, did he really want to be just best friends with her. Throughout their years, he could gradually see his Slytherin comrades accepting their friendship, except Pansy and her disciples who admire and love him. And he could tell that the Golden Trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, were slowly accepting his kindest towards her, and her alone. But did he really want to be stuck in the friendzone with her. He thought to himself, No… He did not.
As Draco arrived at the the entrance to the Great Hall, he was greeted by a familiar face, the face of his childhood, the face of his best friend. And who knows, the face of the love of his life.
"Hello Draco Malfoy" She said with a smile of glee upon her face.
"Hello Luna Lovegood" He said with his own type of smile. As the two walked in together and sat at their respective house tables, he thought to himself. Maybe he'll ask her later.
