The Letter

Luna sighed contently, a blissful little smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she stretched out along the length of Draco's body. She was nestled comfortably between his legs, her back resting against Draco's chest as his fingers drew idle patterns along her skin.

"Draco?"

"Hum?"

"Can we leave this room today?" Luna asked.

"Bored of me already are you?" Draco teased, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Definitely not," Luna insisted making him laugh, "but we've been up here for three days, can't we go outside today, Draco?"

"Yes, I think that should be ok," Draco agreed. The extra strength fertility potion he had taken would have worn off by now, so Draco saw no reason as to why they shouldn't leave their room for a little while today. "Not for too long though," he added.

"No, not for very long," Luna promised. "But I think we should have lunch downstairs today, just so that everyone knows we're alive."

"I suppose so."

Twisting in his arms to kiss the tip of his nose, Luna smiled happily. "How nice. I've missed the outside." Carefully she untangled herself from Draco, giggling when he insisted on tightening his hold on her, refusing to release her straight away.

"I seriously doubt much has changed in three days."

"You never know. Besides," Luna sat on the edge of the bed throwing her hair over her shoulder, "Perhaps your father has some news about the Dark Lord."

"Great. That's the kind of news I can't wait to hear," Draco muttered, a frown creasing his forehead.

Luna smoothed the creases out of his skin, pressing her lips lightly to his. "We'll deal with whatever is to happen when it happens. We shan't worry about anything before we have something to worry about,"

Draco just nodded, he didn't trust himself to answer her with a suitably optimistic response. Luna was so completely opposite to him, she always looked for the positives in a situation, she was always smiling and had such a natural sunny nature. Whereas he was usually worrying about what was going to happen next and could be found sitting in brooding silence, panicking about the next course of action the Death Eaters would be taking and whether he would have to be a part of it.

"I do wish you wouldn't screw up your face like that, Draco," Luna said, beginning to get dressed. "It doesn't make you very pretty to look at, and you're lovely to look at any other time."

Draco rolled his eyes and swung himself out of bed. "I'll remember that for the future. What do you want to do this morning then?"

"Have you seen the time? We don't have long until lunch will be served, its hardly still the morning," Luna observed, pulling back the curtains to reveal the brightness of the afternoon sun. "Suppose we just go for a walk in the grounds? I think I'd like to pick some flowers for the table," she gestured towards the circular table in the sitting room part of their room, that was currently covered with magazines and books. Draco smirked when he caught sight of Luna's underwear on the table as well.

"A walk it is," Draco agreed, buttoning up his shirt and smoothing his hair down. "Let's go."

Skipping up to him, Luna took his arm and half dragged him from the room. They encountered no-one as they made their way down the stairs and out into the gardens. The sun was strong and warmed Draco's skin as he strolled along with his hand in his pocket and Luna hanging onto his other arm. The light summer breeze that drifted through the garden carried with it the many different scents of the flowers that Narcissa Malfoy grew in her garden.

Narcissa took a great pride in her flowers, and her garden in general. She was constantly coming up with new designs in readiness for the next summer in order to be the envy of all her friends. Even with the garden, it was important that the Malfoy's were not to be outdone in grandeur.

Luna loved the outdoors and she especially liked to wander in the Malfoy's garden, although she supposed that technically it was her garden as well now. The garden thrilled her as much as it had the first time she had walked in it, she loved rounding the corner to see the fountain, the water flowing in and amongst the statues of fairy's and unicorns. There were shrubberies shaped to look like unicorns and mermaids and Luna was always enchanted with them.

"Draco? Would you sit for me out here one day?"

"Sit for you?" Draco glanced down at her in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

"For a portrait silly."

"I suppose," Draco agreed, "If you really want one then I can get someone in to do it, although I usually have my portraits done in the house, by the fireplace or on the stairs or something."

"Oh no," Luna shook her head, "I meant I would like to draw the portrait. I think that you would be a lovely subject to draw."

Draco looked surprised, "I didn't know that you liked to draw."

"Oh yes, I haven't drawn in quite a while, but I should like to start again, and I would love to have a picture of you," she gazed up at him dreamily.

It would have to be someone with the hardest of hearts who was able to resist that dreamy look, and Draco was quite soft hearted where Luna was concerned. Although, he preferred to think of it as humouring his wife's silly ideas rather than giving into her so speedily. Draco was a good looking young man and he knew it, but he had never before had anyone look at him the way Luna did, and he dearly wished to see himself through Luna's eyes.

"I've never been drawn by an amateur before, I suppose it might make for an interesting portrait," Draco conceded.

Luna didn't take offence over Draco's dismissal of her skill as an artist, after all, he didn't know that she could draw the way that she could. She smiled softly, releasing his arm and hugging Draco around the waist. It would be amusing to keep that little secret from him and have the pleasure of seeing his face when she did finally present Draco with a portrait of himself.

"Do you think I might have some of those orchids?" Luna asked, pointing to the flower bed where the orchids were planted, their delicate petals tilted upwards towards the sun.

"If you want them."

Draco watched Luna as she skipped across the neatly clipped lawn, the pale pink dress she wore fluttering around her legs, and knelt down beside the flowerbed, the breeze whispering through her long hair, lifting the stray strands into the air. Carefully, she began to select the orchids that she wanted, snapping the storks and laying the flowers out side by side on the grass.

"It's such a shame to pick the flowers like this," she sighed softly. "I really don't like it when they die," she added sorrowfully.

Rolling his eyes Draco stood behind her and refrained from commenting. Instead he let his hand wander through the silky locks of her hair, watching as they slid effortlessly through his fingers again and again.

Titling her head Luna gazed up at him and smiled softly, "Do you think it would be alright if I picked some lilies as well?"

"Yes."

In that one instance with the sun shining down on her head, casting a light glow around her face where her hair hung in lose tendrils around her shoulders, Draco felt he would have granted her any wish she wanted. To Draco, Luna looked exactly what she was, young and pretty, still innocent to the real evils of the world, someone gentle and delicate who needed sheltering from the harshness of the world she had been dragged into without any warning.

Luna smiled joyfully and Draco's breath caught in his throat. Luna had the most engaging smile that always made her look so sweet, pretty and appealing, but when Luna smiled at him, or at something he had said or done, the smile reached her eyes as well and she always seemed to be glowing with some sort of inner light and happiness that could only come from him.

It was an amazing feeling to have Luna look at him in that way, her large blue eyes bright and adoring, silently telling him how wonderful she thought he was for allowing her whatever it was that she wanted. Draco had never experienced that feeling before and somehow he knew he would only ever experience it with Luna. No-one else in the world could ever look at him that way because no-one else would ever see him as Luna saw him.

"Here," Draco dug around in his pocket and produced a navy silk handkerchief.

"Thank you," taking the handkerchief, Luna wrapped it around the stems of the orchids and took Draco's hand, allowing him to help her to her feet.

Placing her hand under his elbow, Draco began to walk towards the flowerbed which held the lilies that Luna had her heart set on. With a soft sigh, Luna leant her head on Draco's shoulder, content to be led, she couldn't believe how her life had turned out, how happy she was with choices that had been made for her when she was just a baby.

Glancing up at the sky, Luna wondered if her mother was watching her now and if she knew how tremendously happy she had made her only daughter? How could her mother know all those years ago that her daughter would love the son of Lucius Malfoy so completely? How did her mother know that she had designed a life for her daughter that had turned out to be so wonderful?

She sighed softly again, gazing up at Draco with unconcealed love shinning in her eyes, he was deep in his own thoughts and would not notice her looking. She had a handsome, rich husband who was going to give her a child to love as much as she loved him. She had a husband who would love her, of that Luna was sure, and when Draco realised that he did indeed love her, life would be perfect.

Kneeling once again on the grass to cut some flowers, Luna was surprised to find Draco lying out beside her, his grey eyes watching her every move closely. Her hands trembled as she cut the flowers and laid them out next to the orchids, Draco's intense gaze made her nervous.

Luna was startled when Draco reached out and brushed her hair from her cheek, his hand traveling to her neck, curling around her nape and drawing her towards him. Luna went willingly, leaning into Draco's chest, her arms wrapping around his neck as he kissed her gently.

Her lips readily parted against the soft demand of Draco's, a shiver running down her spine when his tongue entered her mouth slowly, caressingly. Pulling her against the hard lines of his body, Draco deepened the kiss, moving Luna onto her back, extremely pleased when her legs parted of their own accord, thereby cradling him against her hips.

She spoke his name on a breathy whisper when his lips touched to her throat, her body squirming at the slow, deliberate movements of his hands over her thighs. Through her half closed eyes, Luna saw a shadow swoop down towards her and she screamed in fright.

Draco jerked up, his eyes darting round, trying to pick out whatever it was that had frightened Luna.

"Oh, Draco, I'm sorry," Luna touched his arm, her other hand against her rapidly beating heart. "I only had my eyes half open and saw something… I'm sorry, I didn't realise that it was Pig,"

"A pig?" Draco echoed dumbfound.

"No, no, Pig," Luna pointed up and Draco followed her finger. "That's Ron's owl,"

Draco smirked at the sight of the tiny ball of feathers that was fluttering madly over his head. "You call that an owl?"

She laughed, "I think he's cute," Luna held out her hand and Pig landed in her palm with a triumphant hoot. "Hello, Pig, "she cooed, untying the letter from the tiny owl's leg. "Is this for me?" Pig hooted once more and took off from her palm, circling up into the air and swooping back the way he had come.

Frowning after the small owl, Luna opened the letter, wondering what could possibly have been written to her that didn't require a response. She gave a small cry of delight when the familiar hand writing jumped out to her, "It's from, Ginny,"

"Oh? What does she have to say?" Draco asked, lying back out on the grass and curling an arm around Luna's waist, pulling her next to him.

Dear Luna,

I know I haven't written for a long time, but we have all been really busy here getting everything ready for the wedding. Mum is running around like a headless chicken and nothing can please Phlem. She's really irritating, I don't know what Bill sees in her. Then again, I don't know what you see in your new husband either.

I did wonder why you hadn't written, but since my conversation with Neville a few weeks ago I now know why. It has taken me this long to convince myself to write to you at all, as I wasn't sure that I could say what needs to be said without keeping my personal feelings in check.

I have no idea what has possessed you to do such a thing as to marry Malfoy, Luna. How could you not tell me about it? How could you have kept your relationship a secret for so long? None of us had any idea there was anything between you, I feel betrayed in more ways than one, Luna. I always thought that we were friends, but that does not seem to be the case. I'm sure you understand that we cannot be friends any longer, not that I think for a moment that you would want to continue our friendship, your actions have made that quite clear.

I am told that we are all entitled to make our own choices in life, I have made mine, your husband has made his and I feel that you have followed him to a side where your former friends would never go. Even if you say that you have not abandoned your belief in Harry, your loyalty will not lie with Harry any longer. I don't like that, but I understand it. You have a new life with new priorities and our friendship does not belong in it.

I am sorry to loose your friendship as I believe Harry will be too, but it cannot be helped. You are a Malfoy now, your husband brought Death Eaters into Hogwarts, disfigured my brother Bill and had Dumbledore murdered. I don't understand how you can ignore these facts Luna, how can you love someone who has done these terrible things? His own father, your father-in-law tried to kill us once before, and his aunt, well, the less said about Bellatrix Lestrange the better!

The Malfoy's, the Black's, the Lestrange's, they bring nothing but pain and misery to everyone, and I see that your husband has gone the same way as the rest of his family. How can you forget all he has done? Not just in his last year at school, but all the vile comments and all the hurt he has caused us over the course of our school life.

You choose to forget all that he has said and done, you choose to be his wife, to love him and to live a life with him, and these are choices I cannot understand and do not agree with. It is through these choices that you have chosen your side and it is not the side I consider to be the right one. It seems, Luna, that we, and by we, I mean myself, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and all those you considered friends have come to a parting of the ways. We all have to choose a side to fight for, and you have chosen to throw yourself in with the enemy.

You will understand of course that I have to withdraw your invitation to Bill's wedding, but I do send my sympathies and hope your father will recover soon.

As you will have seen, Pig left the moment he delivered this letter, I do not want a response, Luna. I do not need to know your reasons for doing what you have done, they will make no difference in the long run, and so this, Luna must be the last time we make contact with each other. There will be no future correspondence and no conversation. I do not know if you intend to go back to Hogwarts, or if your Death Eater husband will have other duties to perform, but should you go back to school there will be no need for us to speak and when we next see each other we shall pass each other by as if there has never been a friendship between us.

Ginny Weasley

Luna couldn't speak when she had finished the letter, tears sparkled in her eyes and her hands dropped into her lap, still loosely holding on to the letter. Ginny, her best friend, had cut her out of her life as though she were nothing and there wasn't a thing Luna could do about it.

She supposed she could understand where Ginny was coming from, she would want to do everything in her power to protect Harry and even though Luna knew she would never betray Harry willingly, there was always a way in which information could be taken from her even if she did not wish to give it up.

"I never expected things to be easy when my friends found out about our marriage, but I didn't expect Ginny to react like this," Luna said forlornly. "I didn't expect to lose my friends, Draco."

Draco didn't like to see Luna looking so sad, but he was extremely pleased that Ginny Weasley had made the break for him. Now he didn't need to be the bad guy in demanding that Luna stay from the blood traitors.

"You don't need them, Luna, you have me," Draco told her gently, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. When she didn't respond he frowned, "Aren't I enough for you?" he demanded.

"Of course you are," Luna assured him dreamily, her hand stroking his face tenderly. "There's never been anyone in my life like you before, Draco. I shouldn't ever want to give you up."

As she hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek, Draco reminded her, "And you'll have my son soon,"

Luna's entire face brightened at the reminder of a baby of her very own. "Yes," she breathed, her eyes glowing.

"What else will you possibly need, Luna?" Draco asked.

"Nothing," she said, "Nothing else, only you and our baby, that's all I'll ever need,"

Draco was quietly confident that her statement was true, after all, she had been without friends before Potter and his little band of blood traitors had come along hadn't she? Hadn't he shown her already what a life she could have with him? He was the one she really wanted, Draco felt certain about it, Luna would always chose him because she loved him, even though she tried to keep those feelings from him Draco knew they lived in her, he saw them in every single look Luna gave him.

It was Luna's love for him that would keep her with him, and Draco was rather glad that he wasn't going to have to exploit her love in order to keep her from the blood traitors. But should Weasley show signs of yielding on the conditions set out in her letter, Draco was fully prepared to take Luna out of Hogwarts and use her love for him against her in order to keep her safe from the wrath of the Dark Lord who would consider such an association a blatant betrayal.