Author's note: I know these chapters haven't been the most action-filled, and I haven't been able to update as often because of school but trust me - there will be conflict, climax, and lots of drama… Just wait. :) Also, it would be awesome if you guys checked out my two other fics (you can just go to my profile and find them from there) and if you wanna follow me on Tumblr, find me at s-p-e-c-t-r-e-s-p-e-c-s. Thanks for all the reviews I've been getting! Please, continue! XX
Chapter Ten - A Father's Approval
The next few cold winter weeks leading up to the holidays passed quickly, much too quick for Harry. There seemed to be no time available and he would have killed for a Time Turner, but, unfortunately, few were made since the last batch had been destroyed, and they all went to Hogwarts students. There was just so much to do - Harry constantly thought about the what-ifs - if he had a Time Turner, he could double his productivity. He was often envious of those precocious, overachieving students taking so many classes that they'd need a Time Turner.
He had to help out at the joke shop and in the Auror office, as the weeks leading up to the holidays were chock-full with pranksters attempting to imitate dark wizards and scare Muggles, and a few even had to be Obliviated. His new busy schedule thusly diminished the time he had to spend with Luna, Ron, and Hermione. He hadn't seen Arthur, Molly, or any of the other Weasleys except for Ron and George at work, and this made him feel even more upset and guilty. There were immense amounts of pressure on him - it felt as though his back was constantly about to snap because of the boulders on his shoulder and in his heart.
He felt bad about not being able to see Molly - Molly, the woman who had taken the role as his mother, the one who had always been there for him, the one who cared so much about him, who saw him as one of her own - but he couldn't risk seeing Ginny. Perhaps he'd owl her and invite her over for tea, but he didn't have the time.
He'd also promised Hermione he'd meet her and Ron and go out to dinner, perhaps with Luna, sometime soon, but he hadn't gotten around to that either. He thought about just going out with Ron and Hermione - just the trio - but he wasn't sure if Luna would be upset with him. He knew that Ginny was, when he did it too often, but Luna was different, and it was only one time…
Then, he'd promised Luna that he'd get to know Xenophilius better. He knew it was important to her that he and Xenophilius get along, and he felt immensely terrible that he hadn't gotten around to it, with Christmas in only a few days.
Christmas, he remembered as he blearily shoved spoonfuls of left-over, tasteless oatmeal into his mouth on a slow Saturday morning. He'd told Ron and George in advance that he wouldn't be helping them today - he needed to get some things done, and he was sure they'd be fine without him as long as Ron and Hermione went in. He was no chef, and hadn't seen Luna in days. He flipped through the Daily Prophet, thankful that he and Ginny and Neville and Luna were no longer making headlines. Ginny had been portrayed in an awful light by the media, whereas Neville had gotten some slack, described as "awkward," "pitiful," and "not the brightest apple in the barrel." Harry knew that most of those things were not true and were definitely no excuse for destroying a relationship, but let it slide, tossing the newspaper into the rubbish bin. The Daily Prophet rarely had valuable articles - it was mostly gossip and rumors, useless in Harry's eyes.
The windows were frosty, but it had not yet snowed, and Harry was slightly worried. Christmas was ten-thousand times better if it was a white one, everyone knew that. Common logic.
I'll go shopping today. No excuses, he ordered himself, dressing quickly into warm corduroy slacks and a striped sweater. He laced up his Chuck Taylors as he summoned his glasses and shoved them on before grabbing his thickest cloak and his wallet, which was heavier than usual - the one good thing about going to work in the Auror office more often. He didn't accept money from George, insisting that all he wanted was a sweater from Molly on Christmas.
Apparating to Diagon Alley, he ran into Flourish & Blotts and thought about what he might get Hermione. A book, of course, but she probably already had nearly every book in the store. The store was sparsely populated, and for that Harry was thankful. Nearly everywhere he went, he had his photo taken, or was asked for an autograph, and it did get tiring. He began searching hastily through the new arrivals section to ensure that he bought Hermione a book she did not already have. This search went on for nearly fifteen minutes - the shelves were huge, and the books were enormous. He had yet, however, to spot one that he thought Hermione would like. There were books about Quidditch, one particularly about Viktor Krum, but she knew that Hermione (and perhaps Ron more so) wouldn't like that, so he chuckled to himself and put it back.
"Herbology, nope; she has this one; Quidditch, no way; aha!" he shouted, and was scolded by an elderly employee. The book was crisp and fresh and heavy and the font was amazingly small - he was sure Hermione would love it. It was titled The Heroines of Our Day: Witches Deserve Some Credit, Too!
He wouldn't have been surprised if Hermione was mentioned in this book. Smiling at his accomplishment, he jogged over to the cashier, lugging the overweight hardcover. On the way, he saw an interesting-looking new arrival about rare specimens of dragons and picked it up for Charlie. As he got into the short, steadily-moving line, he heard a drawling voice behind him.
"Well, if it isn't the famous Mr. Potter."
Harry turned around, shocked at who he saw. It was Draco Malfoy, lips curled into a genuine smile. He hadn't seen Draco in ages. In fact, he hadn't seen him since he'd saved his life at the Battle of Hogwarts. He looked exactly the same as the last time Harry had seen him, over two years ago, except he seemed happier, lighter, more carefree, and Harry knew exactly why.
"Nice to see you, Draco," Harry said, smiling. He didn't see the need in addressing Draco by his last name - they were grown men now, not school-boys.
Draco was in a neat business-suit with an expensive-looking grey cloak that matched his eyes perfectly. "Likewise. Though I must ask - why are you interested in heroines of our day?" he asked, laughing as he saw the book Harry was holding.
Harry laughed with him. "It's for Hermione. It's a Christmas present for her."
"So are you two-?" Draco began, and Harry knew exactly where his question was going. He'd been asked the same question for years, and always said the same thing.
"No, we're still just friends," he informed Draco. "I'm seeing someone else."
"Really? You've got yourself a girlfriend again?" Draco asked, slapping Harry on the back. "Way to bounce back! Who's the lucky girl?"
Harry felt slightly uncomfortable. It was unusual for Draco to be this nice to him, but he answered his question anyway. "Luna Lovegood. She was a year below us. I dunno if you knew here." He didn't want to remind Draco too much of their days at Hogwarts… Maybe he'd remember that they were enemies, and hex him.
"Loony Lovegood? Everyone knew her," Draco chortled. His skin was no longer so pale and his eyes had a twinkle in them, but he hadn't lost that tangible aura of pompousness and smugness, judging by his diamond-encrusted white-gold watch and creaseless, perfectly unwrinkled shirt.
"That's the one. No idea what I should buy her, though," Harry frowned. "She's a bit unconventional."
"I hear you, Harry," Draco responded cheerily. "At least you've got one. I'm here shopping for my aunt, actually."
Caught off guard, Harry said, "But Bellatrix is dead!"
"Not her," Draco said, sounding only slightly miffed. "Aunt 'Dromeda." Harry was even more shocked now. Draco seemed to read his expression (though it wasn't difficult), because he continued, "We're all on good terms now. The whole family's so tight-knit. It's a bit annoying, really. No time for myself. Now I know how Weasley feels."
He sounded sincere. Harry wondered exactly how much he'd changed. Was this Draco Malfoy?
"You looked shocked. My feelings are hurt, Potter," Draco said sarcastically. "Anyways, I've no idea what to get her. I just thought I'd say hello." He turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Harry called. "I knew your Aunt Andromeda's daughter. Very well, actually. She was a close friend. And if mother's anything like daughter, I know that your aunt would really like this book," Harry said, pointing to the one he had gotten for Hermione. "It's about a Galleon, but when has money been an obstacle for a Malfoy?"
Draco laughed and nodded, then curtly gave Harry his thanks. Harry was half sure that was the first time Draco had ever said "thank you" to someone, and saying it to Harry was most unexpected. Harry purchased the book and with one last goodbye to Draco, walked back into Diagon Alley.
It had to be nearly eleven, as the sun was only slightly to the east and the street was bathed in a pale yellow. Harry strolled into the Quality Quidditch Supplies store and bought Ron the largest set available of broom-keeping supplies, and bought George and Percy new beater's clubs for when they had scrimmages in the backyard of the Burrow - Percy had taken Fred's position as beater. The thought made Harry's heart ache sharply - not a day went by without him missing Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Colin, and all the others who had given their lives for the greater good. Forcing his mind off the subject, he picked up a new pair of expensive Chaser's gloves for Angelina - the last time they played, her gloves were worn with holes in the leather.
Now, he just needed gifts for Bill, Fleur, Molly, Arthur, Audrey, and Luna. He sighed and trudged into Witchkinz R Us, a baby store for magical folk, and quickly picked out some small baby books that would be good for Bill and Fleur no matter if their child was a girl or a boy. Next, he dashed to Twilfitt and Tatting's and bought Molly and Arthur new dress robes, Molly's a shimmering emerald and Arthur's a deep sapphire. For Audrey, he haggled with a jewelry vendor and picked out a simple silver necklace, as Audrey was a simple but classy woman.
That left Luna. What could she possibly want? Harry thought and thought, but his mind was at a blank. He found himself stumbling through the Alley scratching his head and brainstorming, completely oblivious to the bustling world around him.
Jewelry? No, she makes her own. Books? Maybe, but she already has so many. Quidditch? She doesn't play. Robes? She's so beautiful on her own, and has a unique sense of style you can't just buy. She has an owl… What else could she possibly want?
Now rubbing his chin, he continued pacing back in the opposite direction, deep in thought. He could see blurs of people gift-buying all around him from his peripheral vision, but it was all foggy, even with his glasses. When he was focused, it was hard to pull himself out.
THUD.
Harry fell over, and by the time he got back up, there was a wand pointed to his chest. "You better watch-" a familiarly high-strung voice began angrily, and Harry looked up, eyes refocusing. It was Draco, but as soon as Draco realized he had pulled his wand on Harry Potter, he let it down abruptly, with a jerky arm movement. "Sorry," Draco said in a lighter voice. "Didn't know it was you."
"It's fine. Sorry for bumping into you like that," Harry said, embarrassed.
"You look deep in thought, P- Harry," Draco said pensively. "Do you need help with anything?"
Draco Malfoy? Offering me help? This is a bit too odd.
But Harry didn't see how it could hurt, so he informed Draco of his situation with Luna.
"Well, I haven't got much experience with women. Only Pansy," he said, shuddering, "and there's no way in Hell I ever bought her anything, that crazy hag." Harry laughed hysterically. He had no idea Draco hated Pansy so much. "What does Luna like?"
"Well," Harry said, racking his mind for anything and everything they'd talked about in the past two months, "she likes flowers and weird magical creatures and bits of wisdom and making her own clothes and rare plants and art and astronomy and being herself and designing and helping others-"
"I didn't ask for her life story, Harry," Draco chuckled. "This is easy. Get her Tasteria Tourano's Telescope for Talented Teenagers from Flourish & Blotts, on the upstairs level. They're really advanced telescopes - they say you can see other solar systems with them! They come in a nice leather case with a book about all the different constellations in the sky and galaxies and black holes and all the ghastly, boring things mum made me study at Hogwarts."
"Thanks a million, Draco!" Harry said, already speed walking to Flourish & Blotts. "I owe you one!" He knew in his mind - he was 100 per cent sure, actually - that Luna would love a new telescope, especially such an advanced one. The one she has is like the Cleansweep Five of telescopes, Harry thought. It was rusty and old and probably not much better than the ones Muggles had.
"You saved my life twice, Harry, and you helped me choose out my Aunt's book. I owe you two. Two big ones," Draco said seriously.
Harry shrugged and they said their goodbyes once more - Draco disapparated and Harry sprinted to the second floor of Flourish & Blotts that reeked of old books, grabbed the shining silver telescope bundled in a metallic leather case and tied with crimson and green ribbon to a thick book with a picture of a nebula on the cover, and ran to the cash register, arms quickly become sore from the other bags he was carrying.
He formulated a plan for the rest of the day. He would take all these gifts home, go get a bite to eat, visit Luna for a few hours, try to win over Xenophilius' approval, crash at Ron and Hermione's for the night, and join them at George's joke shop the next morning.
By two in the afternoon, the sun was shining annoyingly bright and Harry was shielding his eyes as he walked to the disgusting alley near the café that had come to be known by the magic community as Apparating Alley. His stomach was full with a delicious meal of fish and chips and he apparated to the small, sunny village of Ottery St. Catchpole, right in front of Luna's house. Hoping she was home, he knocked cautiously on the thick wooden door.
"Luna," he heard Xenophilius call, sounding a bit bitter. "You know who it is." Harry then heard delicate footsteps prancing down the staircase and the door soon flung open. Luna smiled at Harry warmly.
"I've missed you," Harry finally managed to say, temporarily in awe of her beauty, her presence.
"That's nice," she smiled shyly, and clasped Harry's hand gently, walking him into the sitting room. The purple couches were now an obnoxious orange, and the walls were patterned with purple, blue, and orange stripes.
"You've been doing redecorating here, too?" Harry grinned. The house had an infectious feeling of energy, and he felt substantially less tired. Perhaps that was just because he was with Luna.
"Lovely, isn't it?" she asked.
"Perfect."
They sat down on the squashy couches and began to catch up for a few minutes.
"I'm so sorry I haven't been visiting. I've been working with Daddy on the Quibbler. He's offered to pay me to become an official reporter!" Luna said excitedly.
"Don't be sorry, Luna. That's great! I'm happy for you," Harry said honestly.
"I'll fetch the latest issue so you can see what I've written. Accio Quibbler!" she said, pointing her wand upwards towards her room, and then tucking it behind her ear for safekeeping when the magazine plopped into her lap. She flipped open to one of the first pages and held it up for Harry to see. It was an extremely long, in-depth, intelligently written article on the whereabouts and recent sightings of Crumple Horned Snorkacks. Harry could feel Luna's enthusiasm radiate throughout the room. Skimming the twelve-page article, Harry smiled widely at Luna. He was filled with happiness at the thought that she was happy.
"It's wonderful!" Harry said. "I had no idea you could write so well!"
Luna blushed. "Thank you, Harry. I think it's because I was bitten by a gnome right before I started working on the article! Then, the words just poured from my mind, through the quill, and onto the parchment! But enough about me, what have you been up to?"
"Work," Harry groaned. "The joke shop is insanely busy during December. You've no idea. The Auror office is insane, too. I took a double shift just yesterday. Finally got the day off."
"Can you stay here for a while to relax? I'm sorry you're so overworked, Harry. I understand if you don't want to go to Seamus and Lavender's wedding tomorrow-"
"It's tomorrow?" Harry exclaimed. "I had no idea! I mean, I received an invitation, but that was ages ago… I need to get them a present… Of course I'm going, Seamus is a good friend… I'm sorry I forgot, Luna!" His brain whirred with guilty thoughts once again. He was so angry at himself - Seamus had been there for him when he was in need on multiple occasions, and Harry was so close to forgetting about his wedding!
"Don't worry about it, Harry. Please don't be upset. You now know. Everything's working out; since we're going together, I've already got a present for us to give-"
"I'll pay you back; how much was it?"
"It's just a vase Daddy and I painted ancient runes on to, it cost hardly anything to make, and I wouldn't let you pay me, anyways," she smiled. "You've done enough for me."
Harry softly caressed her warm face with his icy cold fingertips, but she didn't flinch once, and stared deeply into his eyes. "You've helped me so much, Luna. I haven't forgotten." He combed his fingers gently through her silky hair and tucked a loose strand of it behind her wand-free ear, then leaned in for a light kiss. Harry felt electricity he'd never felt with Ginny pass through every molecule of his being as their lips slowly met. He thought he'd go bouncing across the room. They pulled away slowly, her eyelashes tickling his cheeks as they parted.
"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Potter, but this is my house and I'd like to ask you to leave," said a stone-cold voice from across the room. Harry and Luna looked up, surprised. When Luna saw who it was, she wore an expression of bewilderment. Xenophilius Lovegood was ordering Harry to leave his house!
His thin, chapped lips were curved into what looked like a permanent frown, and he looked extremely distressed, with his wispy hair tangled and matted as though he'd been running his fingers through it madly. His face was as red as the hair of a Weasley.
Harry was unsure as to what he should do. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Love-"
"Save it, Potter! I will not tolerate you groping my innocent daughter! Why she still wants you is a mystery. You cheated her!"
"No, I didn't!" Harry said indignantly. He could feel his face getting hotter.
Xenophilius smirked and continued. "You're using her to replace that Weasley girl-"
"Daddy, stop it!" Luna urged, sounding a level of upset that Harry had never heard before.
Harry looked into her eyes and saw the silvery-blue bulbs glistening with tears. He knew she desperately wanted him and Xenophilius to get along, so for her sake, he didn't hex him on the spot and kept his voice at indoor volume and his temper calm, something he'd never been able to control before. Usually, he would have exploded, but he instead took a deep breath and began to speak, ignoring Luna's pleas for him to disregard her father and Xenophilius' orders for Harry to leave the house. He couldn't bear the thought of Luna ever being so upset - he hated it. It seemed like a sin for someone to be the cause of a tear dropping from her eye.
"Mr. Lovegood," Harry began in a confident voice, not knowing what his next words would be, but letting them spill out from somewhere unknown inside of him, "I met your daughter when I was fifteen. She was fourteen. We were on the Hogwarts Express and she was sitting near me. She seemed odd at first. I'm not going to lie. I promise you that I won't lie to you, ever. It would be an insult to Luna and to her intelligence, and to yours as well. I know you're a smart man and I know she's a smart girl. Anyways, she was one of the only ones who believed me - you and her and a handful of my other friends. No one else. They thought I was crazy. They thought Luna was crazy. It's funny, how we had that in common. She understood me from the beginning. She knew death like I knew death and she was so calm and thoughtful all the time. She was the opposite of me. She let things happen while I was - I am - impatient, and hot tempered, and rash. She's helped me so much, though. She's something else, Luna is. She's funny, and fiercely loyal, and one of the bravest people I know. At the end of my fifth year, she chose to come with me to the Ministry and fight against Death Eaters, and she escaped without any serious injuries. Do you know how amazing that is? A girl, a beautiful, innocent girl of fourteen, who got away from Death Eaters, who fought them. In my sixth year, she did the same when we fought in the Astronomy Tower. Did you know that I'd probably never have defeated Voldemort if it weren't for her? She helped me realize where I could find one of the last Horcruxes. I'm eternally grateful to her - the whole world should be. And has she ever asked for credit for any of the amazing things she's done? No, never. Instead, Ron, Hermione, and I are the famous ones. But Luna deserves it, too, even more than I do. She chose to do the right thing. She chose her side. I had no choice. It was thrust upon me. I was born great, but she achieved it, and that's what makes her perhaps the most amazing woman I've ever met. You don't know, Mr. Lovegood, how I pray to God every day, thanking Him for letting me spend time with your daughter, asking Him to let me have more hours in each day to spend with her. You don't know how it feels when she talks. Just when she talks, or when she holds my hand. You're the luckiest man in the world to call such a great person your daughter, and you should let her be happy. If she wants to be happy with me, I think you should accept that. If she wants to be happy without me, I think you should accept that, too. And I think you should know that she never was and never will be and isn't a replacement for anyone or anything. She was my friend. She is my friend. She's been my friend for about five years, Mr. Lovegood, and I don't want that to change. She's not only a great friend of mine, but something more, and I'd really appreciate it if - if you let it stay that way. She wants your approval for this relationship, and so do I. And look at her. She's upset. I know it hurts you to see her upset. It hurts me, too. Because you just want to see her be happy, right? You don't want to see her get hurt. I just want you to know that I - I want the same."
He's going to kill me, Harry thought in his mind, absolutely and positively sure. He hadn't realized the potency of the words he'd just said. He didn't really remember what he'd said at all - they came out naturally, yet felt so weird to him. He wasn't used to spilling out all of his emotions like that. He stood up, getting ready to leave, looking at his sneakers. Finally, he looked up to say goodbye to Luna. When he did, he saw that she was standing next to her father, and they were both crying. Harry felt a different aura about these tears, though - they were tears of joy.