You're the sound of redemption
"I will admit I'm surprised at your choice, Draco." Lucius purred, helping his son into his formal robes.
"Father," Draco sighed. "I love her."
"I never said you didn't," Lucius replied. "I just never expected Luna Lovegood."
"What did you expect? Pansy Parkinson?" Draco asked, bitterness leaking into his tone.
"Well, yes." Lucius admitted. "I know you're marrying her no matter what I say, and trust me, I'm not trying to talk you out of marrying her. Just allow me to ask, why Luna Lovegood?"
"She makes me more than myself," Draco answered honestly. "Without her, I'm not the son of Lucius Malfoy. I'm not the youngest Death Eater. I'm not any of that. I'm myself. And she makes me strive to do better every single day. She makes me see beauty where I didn't think any existed. She's my other half."
Lucius clapped a hand on Draco's shoulder. "You made a good choice."
Draco smirked. His father would never understand that Luna was never a choice. If Luna was a choice, he could have walked away. But he couldn't have. From the first moment she skipped into his sight, talking to the giant squid, when she first proved that she already knew him, he was gone. Though he resisted it – of course he did, he was Draco Malfoy and she was Looney Lovegood – but there had been no resisting her smile, her laugh, and dreams of nargles (though he still wasn't completely sure what a nargle even was).
"You like her?" Draco asked, searching his father's eyes. Growing up, his father's approval had always been something he yearned after. Now that he was an adult and knew that Lucius wasn't a god, he looked for that approval less and less. Still, marrying Luna was, arguably, the most important step he would ever take in his life. And his father was still one of the people he looked to for guidance.
It was important Lucius liked her.
"I do," Lucius confirmed. "I think she's good for you. And you know your mother adores her."
Draco nodded. His mother took to Luna much quicker than he had anticipated. In fact, Narcissa had practically adopted Luna into the family the first night he formerly took her home – after the awkward 'sorry you were in our basement' bit they'd stumbled through.
"Could you tell Mother I'd like to see her?" Draco looked to his father. "I know guests are arriving and we'll be starting soon, but I want to speak with her before it begins."
"Of course." Lucius made for the door, but paused. "Draco, you know I'm proud of you. I always have been. I couldn't have asked for a better son, and I'm sorry I put you in the position I did simply by being your father. I love you."
"I love you too, Father." Draco told the aging man, embracing him for the first time since he was very young.
"I'll get your mother," Lucius said, sweeping from the room.
Draco didn't have long to wait before Narcissa hustled in. "Oh!" She gasped, a hand going to her heart. "You look so grown up!"
"Don't cry, Mother," Draco implored, seeing the tears beginning to well in her eyes.
"No, no, I won't." Narcissa dabbed at her eyes. "I'll save all that for the ceremony." She drew her eyes across him. "So grown up," she repeated softly to herself.
Draco hugged her, not knowing what else to do. "Thank you," he whispered, "for doing all of this."
"I enjoyed it. I'll only get to plan a wedding once, and seeing as how her mother is gone, it was the least I could do. Besides, I love Luna. She's a joy."
Draco smiled. "I'm glad you get along."
"It's impossible not to get along with her," Narcissa said good-naturedly with an eye-roll. "Before I forget, she asked you to sign this."
"A glove?" Draco asked, plucking the long, white thing from his mother's grasp.
"On the palm," Narcissa added with a nod.
Draco shrugged, scrawling his name across the palm of the glove.
"I love you, Draco." Narcissa said, pulling him in for another hug. "It's hard to believe we're here. You're so young, and so handsome. I'm so glad you're happy."
Draco's smile widened. How could he be anything but happy?
The faith that I've lost the answers
I'm seeking no matter the cost
Draco was a bundle of nerves as he paced his room. He could see the gardens from his room and the chairs set up were slowly filling with people – not many people, they had wanted a private affair – but still, people. He watched the bodies take their seats. There were not many left. It was almost time to begin the ceremony.
There was a knock at his door, and Draco jumped. He was expecting his mother, coming to call him down to the alter so he didn't accidentally run into Luna before he was supposed to see her.
"Come in!" He called, standing straight.
The person who entered was not his mother. It was someone Draco had never expected to be here.
"Goyle," he said softly.
"Draco," Goyle replied just as softly. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Draco acknowledged, moving to shake his old friend's hand. "How have you been?"
Goyle shrugged. "Not the same." He admitted. "Been missing Crabbe."
"All of us have," Draco assured him. "I think about him a lot."
Goyle nodded in understanding. "That blasted room," he muttered. "Bu' I been workin'. Got a job rebuilding – I can do magic and I can lift and do muggle work so I get more money."
"That's great."
"An' I'm married," Goyle added quickly.
"Married?" Draco repeated, baffled. He couldn't remember Goyle ever taking more interest in a woman than casual leering.
Goyle nodded. "Shotgun. I got a boy now."
"Wow," Draco breathed. "Congratulations . . . If I had known I would have –"
"Been flyin' under the radar. Tough getting' work with the Goyle name. They all know what my dad was."
Draco nodded. He could understand that perfectly. "What's your wife and son's names?"
"Annie and Vincent." Goyle replied.
"Sounds like you have a good life," Draco said.
"Yeah. Can't complain." Goyle looked out to the gardens. "They're here – we can catch up after the ceremony."
"For sure," Draco agreed quickly. He and Goyle had not been apart for very long, but as everyone knew, the entire world can change in an instant. "That will be great. And we must keep in touch after today. I don't know how we drifted so far apart."
Goyle shrugged. "Life," he replied.
Draco recognized the truth. Goyle had never been bright, never had been a forward thinker, but his rare flashes of insight often spilled over in simple one-word replies, overlooked by any who had heard them. Draco was ashamed to say that he had also overlooked Goyle's words, thinking them nonsense or stupidity. He wondered if Goyle had ever said anything brilliant and no one realized, because no one listened to what came out of his mouth.
"See you down there," Goyle said, gesturing to the gardens.
Draco shook his hand again.
He watched Goyle leave. He dropped onto the window seat, his head going into his hands. Goyle was married. Goyle had a child. And Crabbe never would. He had barely spoken of his lost friend since his death – only to Luna, when he was angry or crying over the war. He had never spoken of him in casual conversation without breaking down. He wondered if Goyle had nightmares about the fire like he did; wondered if Goyle ever thought about how the three of them could have gotten out of there alive. He shook his head of such thoughts. They had laid their friend to rest. They wouldn't see him again for many decades, but it was something Draco was sure of; he would see Crabbe again.
Another knock came to his door.
"Draco?" Narcissa poked her head around the door frame. "Time to come downstairs."
Draco followed his mother. It was time for a new chapter.
You opened the window now I can see
And you taught me forgiveness
By giving your love back to me
Draco locked his hands together and tried not to fidget. The music was playing and Luna was on her way out. His father, standing next to him, tried to catch his eye and tell him to breathe, but Draco didn't see how he could possibly be expected to breathe.
Xenophilius popped out of the door first, dressed in ridiculously bright yellow robes. Draco blinked twice, finding it difficult to focus on his soon-to-be father-in-law. Xenophilius turned at the waist, offering his arm to a person standing just in side of the door. Draco's breath caught in his throat as Luna stepped outside. He couldn't stop his jaw from dropping; she looked like a dream.
Her gown was white; the top was sleeveless and tight against her, shimmering like the new fallen snow around them. Her skirts were layered and lacy, swishing around her as she walked. Her long hair lay freely around her shoulders, a long veil cloaked around her. Her darkly lined eyes – making them stand out even more on her delicate face – met his.
Xenophilius stood between Draco and Luna a moment. He took his daughter's hand from the crook of her elbow, taking Draco's hand in his other one. "Love one another," he said with a smile. "Love one another all of your lives." He looked Draco directly in the eye. "I'm trusting you with her heart."
"I won't let you down, sir," Draco managed, throat dry.
Xenophilius shook his head. "It won't be me you'll be letting down, son."
Draco reached for Luna. He would never let her down. He took her gloved hand in his, and looked down curiously at the fabric. He recognized it as the glove he had signed the palm of. And all over the rest of the glove were the names of their guests. When he looked at her other arm, the other glove, he saw her name on the palm and on the rest of the arm the names of those who hadn't been able to make it.
"I do," Draco murmured at the prompting of the minister.
"I do!" Luna giggled when it came her turn.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Draco needed no other cue. He swept Luna into his arms. "You look beautiful, darling," he whispered before dropping her into a dip. He met her lips in a passionate embrace, feeling the folds of her wedding dress shift against his legs.
When they finally straightened, Luna was flushed a beautiful shade of pink and the crowd applauded them. The crowd began to head into Malfoy Manor for the reception and dinner. Draco and Luna, along with Lucius, paused next to the minister for a brief moment to sign the marriage documents. When that was done, Lucius and the minister exited, leaving the young couple alone for a moment before they joined their friends.
"You look . . ." Draco didn't have enough words to describe her.
"You have lipstick on your mouth," Luna laughed, kissing him again.
Draco hugged her tightly. "You're Mrs. Malfoy now." He reminded her.
"I like the sound of that," Luna admitted, arms around his waist.
Draco looked down at her. "Want to explain the gloves to me?" He asked.
"I wanted everyone to be honoured." She unraveled herself from him and offered her arms to him so he could get a better look. "Want to see something interesting?"
Draco nodded. "I did up the other glove while the guests were signing their glove. Goyle signed his and his family's names in the same place I put Crabbe's name."
Draco gently touched Goyle and Crabbe's names – right in the space above her thumb.
"You truly are the most amazing woman I've ever had the honor of meeting," Draco breathed, hugging her so hard Luna thought her lungs would pop.
Yet, he held her as tightly as she held him.
I don't own anything recognizable. The song is All That You Are by Goo Goo Dolls. Thanks to my beta: Noble6.
~TLL~