This is a Drarry story featuring Harry, Draco, and Luna. It is based on the story "Ice Skating" from the children's book: Mr. Pig and Sonny Too.

Draco sat by the fire in the eighth-year common room, his new potions text propped open on his lap. Yawning, stretching, and wondering vaguely how long it was until dinner, he closed the book with a snap. He leaned forward, propping his chin on his closed fist and stared into the flames. They crackled and popped, warming his face and chasing the early December chill from the air.

That was one thing about this room that was better than the Slytherin common room - he could actually get warm in the winter here. In the dungeons, the air was cold and clammy, despite the roaring fire, and Draco had been forced to resort to warming charms almost daily.

He sighed, stretching his feet toward the glowing fireplace, basking in the toasty warmth. Oh, yes. He could get used to this.

He could think of his old house, now, without more than a twinge of sadness - and the one primarily responsible for effecting that change sat on the floor near his feet, tapping the end of her wand absently on her chin as she read some obscure book of magical mythology.

He smiled and settled more comfortably in his chair. "I'm very glad it's today," he said.

Luna looked up at him, frowning at her wand and then winding her hair into a knot at the base of her scalp and tucking the wand into it to secure it. "Why are you glad its today, Draco?" she asked curiously, uncrossing her legs and drawing them up in front of her so she could lean her chin on them.

Draco shrugged. "Because if it's today, then it can't be tomorrow. And tomorrow is the Harry Potter Gala Costume Ice-Skating Party."

He hoped that would be enough to satisfy her - surely she could understand his reluctance to attend the ridiculous bash the ministry was putting on for the infuriatingly handsome and oblivious Boy Who Lived Yet Again.

Unfortunately, it wasn't. She stared at him, unnervingly intent. Draco felt his shoulders slump. "I can't skate."

Luna blinked at him. "Really? Why not?"

He frowned. "Father tried to teach me once, but… he said I wasn't graceful enough."

Luna frowned. "Draco. If anyone is graceful enough to ice skate, it's you."

She jumped to her feet, breaking into a bright smile, and held out her hand to Draco.

He didn't move; merely raised one eyebrow and waited.

Luna sighed. "Come on, Draco. It's easy. I'll show you."

"I don't have any skates." It was a flimsy excuse, and he knew it.

She rolled her eyes. "Accio Draco's winter clothes."

His scarf, gloves, and hat with furry earflaps whizzed through the air toward them, along with his winter coat. Luna grinned and piled them all on top of him. "Put these on."

"But…"

"Now, Draco."

Draco put them on. Then he allowed Luna to drag him through the castle and out to the lake, which had been magically frozen over in preparation for the event. When they reached the shore, Luna retrieved her wand from her hair and transfigured their shoes into skates with gleaming metal blades. It was a beautiful piece of transfiguration, and Draco was, as always, impressed with her skill.

A gust of wind chose that moment to lift his earflaps, whistle in his ears, and whip his scarf around his head.

"Mhmmhmph," he said.

"Draco," Luna admonished him, "How do you expect me to understand you when you have your scarf wrapped around your face?"

Draco sighed and unwrapped the scarf. "I don't think I want to learn," he said, when he'd freed his mouth from the clinging wool. "I would really rather sit by the fire. Where it's nice and warm. And dry."

"Skating is fun," said Luna. It makes you warm and rosy. You'll see."

"All right," said Draco, giving in once more. "Show me."

Luna took his hand and helped him onto the ice. When he was steady enough that he thought he most likely wouldn't fall in a heap, she gently pried his fingers loose from around her wrist and glided gracefully away. Then she turned, continuing to skate backward, "first, you slide on one skate. Then you slide on the other," she said. "Good! Now, slide on both together!"

Draco slid on both skates, but they didn't stay together. One skate slid out on one side, the other slid out on the other side, and Draco sat down very hard in the middle.

"Ouch," he grumbled. "I don't like skating. It hurts my back."

Luna pursed her lips, studying him. "I'll tie a pillow on you," she said finally, "so it won't hurt when you fall."

"Wait, Luna —" said Draco, but it was too late. Luna had transfigured a pillow and rope and was knotting the rope securely around his middle.

"There," she said. "Now, try again."

Draco tried again. This time, his skates crossed each other, and he fell face-down in a puddle.

"Now my front is all wet," he grumbled, "and I'm cold. The wind is nipping my nose, I'm going to sneeze, and I'm quite sure I'm catching my death of cold. Can we please just go back and sit in front of the fire?"

Luna frowned at him. "No. If you want to impress Harry tomorrow, then you need to learn how to skate."

"But what makes you think I want to impress Harry?"

Luna stared at him, pale eyebrows rising nearly to her hairline. Draco sighed.

"Fine."

"Here," said Luna, transfiguring a stray leaf into a patchwork quilt. This will keep you warm."

She wrapped the quilt around him, tying it securely. "Now," she said, "try again."

Draco slid forward on one foot. Then he slid forward on the other. Soon, he was slipping and sliding and gliding on the ice - not gracefully, exactly, but not falling over either.

"This is fun!" he yelled.

Suddenly, the mischievous wind lifted the blanket high above his head. Draco went flying over the ice, the blanket billowing like a sail. The wind twisted his scarf around him and lifted his hat completely off his head.

"Help!" Draco screeched, "Luna! I can't stop! Do something!"

But before she could do anything, the wind tickled his nose, and he sneezed, losing his balance and tumbling in a heap.

"Draco!" called Harry, who was walking past the pond on his way back from the quidditch pitch, "I didn't know you could skate! Are you practicing for the party?"

"AH-KA-CHOO!" sneezed Draco.

"What an unusual costume," said Harry, as he and Luna joined Draco on the ice and hauled him to his feet. "Whatever made you dress up as a bed?"

"AH-KA-CHOO!" sneezed Draco.

Harry looked at Luna, concerned.

"I think he's caught a cold," she said, "We'd best get him back inside and dry him off."

They settled Draco in front of the fire, peeling off his wet clothes - Draco fiercely pretended that he wasn't blushing - and wrapped him in the fluffiest bathrobe he had ever seen. Luna said it was a Crumple-Horned Snorkak pelt, and he didn't have the energy to try to argue.

Then Luna ran off to fetch a pepper-up potion from Madam Pomfrey, and Harry tucked Draco into his favorite cozy chair, under a mountain of blankets. Luna returned with the potion, as well as tea and biscuits for the three of them, and they spent a pleasant afternoon and evening together. Luna and Harry took turns telling stories and reading from a ridiculous muggle novel Hermione had brought with her, and Draco forgot to be grumpy about the cold.

The next day, everyone went to the Gala - everyone but Draco and Luna. Not long after it had started, Harry stepped sheepishly into the common room holding a giant chocolate cake. Draco broke off mid-sentence and sat up, eying the cake avidly. He loved chocolate.

Harry laughed and presented it to him, blushing slightly.

"Why are you giving me cake?" Draco asked, puzzled. "Not that I'm complaining, mind."

Harry turned redder. "You, ah, won the costume contest."

"How did I do that? I wasn't even there."

"Well," Harry scratched the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at Draco. "They made me judge the costume contest. And so I said that I saw your costume yesterday, and it was definitely the most creative, and so I explained you weren't there to claim your prize because you'd gotten a cold practicing for the party, and then they let me go give it to you."

He looked up at Draco then, defiant. "And I'm not going back. I didn't want the stupid party, anyway, but the Ministry insisted, and—"

"You won't get any argument from me," Draco said. "Now are we going to eat that or not? Because it looks divine."

Harry grinned and presented the cake to him with a flourish. Luna, who had disappeared without either of them noticing, returned with plates and forks and a knife to cut it with.

"I'm very glad tomorrow is today," Draco said to Luna, around a mouthful of cake, stretching his toes toward the fire.

Harry, who'd insisted on sharing Draco's chair because he said it was the comfiest chair in the room, lifted his head from Draco's shoulder to say, "me, too," and twined their fingers together. Then he stole a bite of Draco's cake.

THE END