A Drink at the Leaky Cauldron
Astoria and I had a fight, so I ran off and went for a drink. I left Scorpius with her and left for the leaky cauldron. When I got there the old bartender walked up to me.
"The usual then Mr. Malfoy?" he asked with a grunt. I simply nodded. "What's happened this time?" he asked sliding me a glass down the table.
I took a sip, "she is refusing not to breastfeed in the bedroom! She claims that she is at least not doing it where others might see! She said she's comfortable there and that if there were a nice comfortable chair in the nursury, she would be more inclined to do it there! That's just ridiculous! Where does she get off telling me what for? It's not right!"
"sounds like a typical problem," the bartender said, "Glad I'm not married to her!"
I sighed, "I wouldn't be if I had anything to say about it! But there's no way for me to get out of the relationship... except maybe..." I took a deep gulp and looked around the bar. I smiled when I saw Luna Lovegood in the corner, reading a book. When I was a young boy. There was this crazy witch in the year behind me. She talked about snorkacks and nargles. She wore strange earrings, like radishes and such. Her name was Luna Lovegood.
I knew how to get myself out of this horrible relationship but the consequence was almost as bad. "what does that girl like?" I asked the bartender pointing to Luna.
He rolled his eyes, "Yeah I'll get you one." he said before pouring out a glass of some neon green liquid and adding a shot of firewisky. "Here you go."
I got up and walked over to the table she was sitting at, slid into the booth and set the glass in front of her, "Hey," I said, "do you remember me, I'm Draco Malfoy."
"Clear as day," she said, without ever looking up from her book.
"Well, how would you like to put that book down and chat?" I said a little uncertain.
She marked her page, closed the book and set it down, "O.K. I'll humor you. What do you want to talk about?"
"How's your father?" I asked, as always quick on my feet.
"He's fine." she said simply.
I was surprised that she didn't go on about it. I had to think of something else... what to say, what to say... "and the quibbler?" I asked finally.
She looked up at me, with a sad look in her eyes "it went out of buisiness last year." she said.
Finally something I can talk about, "What!? How did that happen?"
"Most of the readership died in the war. There were only a few left and it was impossible to make ends meet." she said, lowering her eyes.
"That's too bad. What are you doing with your life? Are you working somewhere?"
She perked up, "I'm training to be a healer at St. Mungo's"
I was shocked. I thought this girl would be a store clerk or something, not a healer in training, "Really?! That's awesome! What are the prerequisites for that position?"
"You have to get an O on your potions N.E.W.T., as well as transfiguration, runes and charms. You have to get an E on everything else. One low grade you are not accepted." she said smugly.
"Your grades were that good?" I asked. I had never completed school but my O.W.L.S. Were, nowhere near that good.
She rolled her eyes, "Yes of course they were. I was a Ravenclaw after all."
I smiled, "yeah see that's the difference between the houses. Gryffondor stayed to fight for the light. Ravenclaw stayed because of the education. Hufflepuff stayed, because they were so loyal to the school. And half of Slytherin left to join Voldemort, the other half stayed to help out Voldemort at Hogwarts."
She laughed heartily, "You've got that spot on!" when she finished laughing she looked at me, "so you were part of the half that stayed to help Voldemort in Hogwarts?" she asked.
I lowered my eyes this time in shame. "Yes," I muttered.
Her eyes narrowed, "So explain to me why I should trust you."
"Ever since that fight, and thinking back on how good Harry Potter was to me for saving my life in the room of requirement, I have changed. I have changed so much. I no longer think that muggles are bad. Muggle borns are fine. They are like squibs, from the muggle world. I tell you I have changed a lot." I said, I laughed to myself, it almost sounded sincere.
"And do you regret fully all the wrong you have done?" she asked.
"Yes." I lied. If I had told the truth she would be gone right then.
"Good," she said. Before she downed the rest of her neon green drink and looked up at me, "how come did you come over here?" she asked after what seemed like ages.
I shrugged, not knowing what to say. Why was she asking this.
She got up from the table grabbed her book, came around to my side cupped my face in her hand and kissed me on the lips passionately. Kissing her was so much better than anything I had ever had with Astoria, maybe this could be a bit more than just a way out of my marriage. Maybe she was the real one for me.
She pulled away, grabbed a slip of paper out of her book, and a pencil from her hair, scrawled down some numbers.
"Call me." she said before she left.
I walked back to the bartender, and looked at him. "she gave me a paper with numbers on it and told me to call her... what does that mean?