Draco left the restaurant quite quickly after witnessing the conversation between Luna and Neville. He said a quick goodbye to the group before walking out onto the cold, busy street. A taxi screeched its horn at him as he walked out across the road, Draco's mind was all over the place and he could not focus. He felt intoxicated but only by the voice of Luna, constantly replaying within his mind. The look in her eyes when Neville was willing to accept and live a life of magic. The look of utter content.
"Gin, can I talk to you in private please?" Luna asked politely, as Harry and Ron become more and more drunk. Hermione didn't look best pleased as she was now to be left alone with the drunken two as Neville had already gone home due to an early start in the morning.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, once they were away from the table.
"You spoke to Neville, didn't you?"
"What?"
"Don't lie, I can tell when you're lying," Luna glared, crossing her arms broadly in front of her.
"Fine, I did. But I didn't mention Malfoy did I? I just showed him a photo album of us all from Hogwarts, and I made him realise how much easier life is without magic and how we've all learnt to cope-"
"-Why did you do that?" Luna interrupted.
"So you wouldn't leave him, Lu. You two are perfect for each other," Ginny replied, a tone of disappointment in her voice.
"No, you just don't like Draco! At least tell me the truth, Gin,"
"Fine! I don't like him! Is that a crime? I just don't want to watch my best friend make the worse decision of her life just because some sleaze ball has charmed his way into her pants!"
Luna gasped at what Ginny had said; Ginny too looked slightly shocked at what had just come out of her mouth.
"Gin, you're my best friend. You should notice that the past month I've been the happiest I've ever been?"
"Yeah…"
"And it's thanks to Draco. He has changed. Marrying Neville was the worst decision of my life because he has forced me to hide who I am for so long. Regardless to the fact that he now wants to embrace magic, how long will that last? One month? Two months? You're making this harder for me than it has to be. If I arrange a lunch with Draco, just us three, will you come and at least get to know him?" Luna replied, as if pleading with Ginny to reconsider her opinion on Draco. Ginny looked at her blonde friend for a good minute before replying,
"I suppose so…" she muttered under her breath. Luna beamed a smile before embracing her friend into a suffocating hug.
Draco sat in the lounge, starring at the fire burning slowly. He twirled his wand in between his fingers, looking at each little groove with great detail.
"Accio drink," Draco muttered under his breath, bringing his glass closer to himself.
"Master Malfoy?" Dixie asked, creeping beside Draco.
"What?" Draco slurred, not looking up from his glass.
"You have been home two hours. D-D-Dixie was just wondering if Master Malfoy would like some dinner?"
"No, I went to a restaurant I obviously ate there," Draco spat. Dixie bowed her head and went to walk out the room before Draco raised his head and looked at her, "Come sit with me, Dixie. I need advice." Dixie tilted her head in slight confusion but walked over to Draco carefully, as if afraid that at any second he would strike her.
"W-w-what is wrong, Master Mafloy?" Dixie asked, treating the sofa which she was sat on as if it was the most precious object in the world.
"Have you ever been in love?" Draco asked, a slight slur in his voice.
"In love?" Dixie repeated, Draco nodded his head in approval, "How does one define what love is? Dixie has never experienced love," she replied. Draco rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand, making Dixie cower in fear.
"Accio glass," Draco muttered, making a glass appear before them. He poured Dixie a drink, offering it to her.
"I'm not like that anymore, Dixie, I wont hurt you," Draco commented as she took the glass. Dixie took a sip of the drink, instantly making her ears spring up.
"Dixie was in love once at her previous master's house. They had a house elf called Punto, we used to do everything together. Dixie and Punto would clean, Dixie and Punto would cook, Dixie and Punto would sing for our masters. Punto made Dixie feel complete."
"What happened to Punto?" Draco questioned, taking a sip of his drink. Dixie did the same, but her ears lowered as her eyes filled with tears,
"Punto left Dixie for Sparkle, younger house elf. Dixie was left heart broken," she replied.
"Well Punto was mad to give up such a beautiful house elf like you, Dixie," Draco commented. Dixie looked up at Draco and gave a genuine smile which he had never witnessed before,
"Thank you, Master Malfoy. May I ask why you asked Dixie if you had ever been in love?"
"Well I'm afraid, Dixie, I am a lot like 'Sparkle' in this story. For the 'Punto' I love already has a 'Dixie'," Draco replied as simple as he could.
"Well, if your 'Punto' already has a 'Dixie' then why do you want to ruin it?"
"Because my 'Punto' would be happier with me," Draco replied.
Dixie scratched her head, unsure of how to respond,
"But would 'Punto' be safer with you?" she finally replied after two minutes of concentration.
"Excuse me?" Draco replied in a slightly harsh tone which took Dixie back a bit.
"W-W-What Dixie means, M-Master Malfoy, you're a dangerous man, you're an aurora. You travel a lot. It's your nature. What Dixie is asking, would your 'Punto' be living a safer life with you compared to that with 'Dixie'? Because what Dixie loved most about her Punto is how he made her feel safe after beatings," she replied, and with those final words Dixie got off the sofa and left to go to bed.
Draco stared at his empty glass and the words which replayed again and again within in his. Perhaps Luna was not safe with him, yes he made her happy but maybe that was due to excitement not joy?