Silver Moon
Prologue
Luna sat and thought.
She sat besides the old coal bucket, which was once used by its previous muggle owners, and let her mind wander. This was her all time, very favourite spot for thinking. When daddy had moved to this house, just after her mother had died, Luna had found this place almost at once, and had come outside to sit and grieve as soon as she had seen her father tucked up in bed and settled.
She had come to sit there, ever since.
It was a good place for thinking; no one ever sought her out here, and she could let her mind roam freely. Not that daddy disapproved of thinking, of course. No, if anything, Luna's father approved of pursuits of the mind; besides, she knew that she could tell him almost anything, and not have to be afraid of unfair judgement. No, Luna came out here to think out her thoughts because sometimes she just needed solitude and quiet. As much as she loved and adored her father, sometimes, some things just needed to be thought through by her.
Private things; things that eluded even her fine sense of comprehension: things that included thinking about Draco Malfoy, and wondering where he was now?
Luna sighed, curled up her toes, and gazed up at the moon.
Do you hold the answers, Mr Man in the Moon?
But, as always, the man in the moon did not answer.
Luna smiled ambiguously and cupped her cheeks in her hands, and leaned her knobbly elbows against her hunched up knees.
Draco Malfoy, where are you now?
Luna's thoughts roamed far and wide; she danced, in and out, of each and every promising possibility that presented itself to her.: he could be standing by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named side, feeling proud of his deeds and eager to serve his new master, or, maybe, he was running scared, trying to escape his own misdeeds; racing forward, as he tired to leave the shadows behind him.
Harry hadn't had the chance to tell her much, true. But, from the odds and ends of what she had heard, Luna was inclined to think the later: Draco had been scared; crippled by his fear for his family, driven by fondness of self preservation; scared and disillusioned, for the first time, he had been forced to think for himself.
Certain, in her own eerie way, Luna was quite sure that Draco would prove vital to the war which hovered ominously on the horizon. But, which role he would play remained a mystery. Luna laid her head on her knees, trying her best not to think of liquid grey eyes. The moon radiated, and cast its silver, long reached beams down upon her.
Draco took a step forward, and fell to his knees. To afraid to gossip, his fellow Death Eaters smirked and nodded silently, knowing full well that this young upstart would soon get his comeuppance. The Dark Lord leaned forward, and drew his lips back in a mocking, iniquitous smile.
"You have failed me once, boy. Pray tell me, how you intend to make amends?"
The pale blond lowered his head in a contrite bow. Reckless thoughts raged through his mind: unchecked thoughts, wild thoughts of insubordination and foolishness. He allowed himself to dream of the impossible. "I will bring you Harry Potter, My lord..."
The cobwebbed room fell silent.