Chapter Three

As promised, Draco found himself standing in front of Luna's flat at seven o'clock the following evening, feeling a bit self-conscious as he knocked. Moments later, the door swung open and an enthusiastic Luna exclaimed, "Hello, Draco! Please, come in!"

The flat was cluttered but clean, with stacks of books, papers and quills taking up most of the available flat surfaces. A smattering of unusual items, most likely souvenirs from expeditions with her father, poked out at odd angles from the bookcases which sat on either side of the fireplace.

She led him to a table and began serving up a meal of Chinese carry out ordered for the occasion. "You'll have to excuse the mess. Not a lot of room and I don't get much company so I tend to leave things right where I last used them."

"Really? I would have thought you would be entertaining loads of people all the time."

Luna shook her head. "Daddy has been away on an expedition since the war ended and what friends I do have are all busy with their careers and significant others. They come by from time to time but it's a bit difficult being the third wheel. I also travel for work a fair bit so it can be a challenge to get schedules coordinated."

"What do you do?" Draco was slightly embarrassed that he hadn't sought that information earlier. "For a living, I mean. Working at your father's paper?"

Luna reached for an egg roll. "No. I mean, I help out from time to time with the Quibbler but I work as a free lance consultant with the larger magical zoos throughout Britain and the continent on a variety of rare species. I work most closely with organizations that have programs focused on thestrals. I have observed the herd in this area for many years so I have a lot of field research that I'm able to share."

She talked about some of the other creatures and organizations that she dealt with and he found himself sharing some of his recent findings in the field of alchemy. They were so involved in the conversation he was shocked when he heard the clock striking ten.

"Sorry, Luna! Didn't realize the time. I should let you get on with your evening."

"No worries, Draco. I enjoyed it. Can we do this again sometime soon?"

To his surprise Draco heard himself answer, "Sure. How about next time back at my place?"

Luna smiled. "Perfect! How about Tuesday at six?"

Before he realized it, Draco was out in the hallway, wondering what he had agreed to. He decided that it was only logical to suggest a scheduled meal because, as he thought, "at least this way I'll know when she is going to show up rather than being ambushed. Besides, there has to be a reason behind her sudden interest in me and I need to figure out what it is."

And so the unlikely pair began eating together a few times a week, each learning a bit more about the other at every meal.

Draco found out that, while she didn't care much for games, Luna was a talented chess player as her 'out of the box' style of thinking made her an excellent tactician. He also learned that she loved pudding and that she was not quite as naive about her father's beliefs as he had assumed. She admitted that while she knew that some of the creatures Xenophilius Lovegood obsessed over almost certainly weren't real, her fierce loyalty is what caused her to defend him so diligently.

"Besides," she pointed out, "no one has proven that they DON'T exist, so who's to say that he's wrong?"

For her part Luna discovered that as a young boy Draco dreamed of being a professional quidditch player and was disappointed when he realized that, while he was good, he did not have the skill to play the sport at that level; that he had a fondness for spicy foods and chocolate and his alchemical research was primarily focused on the works of Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, more commonly known as Paracelsus.

She also learned that since the courts determined Draco and his mother had been acting under "extreme duress" during the war, they had been spared prison time and allowed to keep certain assets. Narcissa had been granted the deed to the manor and Draco retained a significant portion of his inheritance, which allowed him the financial freedom to pursue the research that he found interesting.

One day in early June Draco was surprised to find Luna at his doorstep. She was wearing a top hat and carrying a large parcel. He glanced around the hallway. "Luna? What are you doing here? I didn't think we had anything planned today."

"We didn't. I came to help you celebrate your birthday."

Taken aback, Draco blurted out, "Why?"

She handed him the large, brightly wrapped package. "Because that's what friends do."

Draco appeared utterly lost so Luna patted him on the shoulder as she strolled past him into the flat. "It's okay, Draco. I know that you don't have much experience with friends. I'll make you a list to help navigate these situations in the future."

Draco trailed after her. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

Luna waved her hand towards the wall. "You had the date circled on the calendar."

"But that could have meant anything."

She shook her head. "No. If it had been something else you would have written a note next to it. A circle with no note meant that it was a personal event – most likely your birthday."

"What if you had been wrong?"

Luna shrugged. "Then I'd change the sign to read 'Happy Tuesday'." She removed the top hat and flicked her wand over it, causing a bunch of colorful balloons to appear and drift over the table. Another flick and a large banner floated out and unfurled across the mantle, proclaiming "Happy Birthday, Draco!" in bright green letters.

As Draco looked on in astonishment, Luna produced an obviously home baked cake topped with unlit candles. She placed it on the dining table and, with a final flick of her wand, a huge, scarlet Chinese style dragon roared from the top hat, flew around the room then dived down to light the candles with its fiery breath before disappearing in an impressive puff of emerald smoke.

"Ta Da!" she proclaimed with a flourish. "Well, don't just stand there - make a wish!" Draco was too overwhelmed to do anything but comply. He closed his eyes and blew out the candles. Luna clapped and cheered, "Hooray! Now open your gift!"

Draco obediently sat and unwrapped the present. He was shocked to see that it contained a very old and quite rare translation of the works of Paracelsus that he had all but given up on locating. "Luna, this is amazing. Wherever did you find this?"

"Daddy and I made some connections when we were on an expedition in Switzerland a few years ago. One of the men was the caretaker of a local archive and I found out recently that he was downsizing and moving to Tibet. I sent an owl and it so happened that he hadn't gotten rid of the book yet."

Draco turned it over thoughtfully before giving her a sideways glance. "But how did you know I had been looking for this particular edition?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Have you been inside my mind again?"

"No, Draco – I've been inside your flat. You have a tendency of leaving your research notes lying about when you have company." She once again reached into the top hat, this time retrieving a serving knife, two small china plates and two dessert forks. She cut into the cake, plated a slice and deposited it ceremoniously in front of him. "Birthday boy eats first!"

Draco raised a small piece of the cake to his mouth, apprehensive about what off the wall flavor she might have concocted. He took a nibble and stopped. It was chocolate – high quality chocolate - mixed with a hint of cinnamon, clove and allspice. It was quite possibly the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

"Luna, this is good." He took another bite. "I mean really good. You made this?"

"Draco Malfoy, I believe I am offended by your tone of surprise." Luna laughed as she served herself a slice. "But, yes - I did. Mum was very talented in the kitchen and I loved watching her bake. After she died I did most of the cooking at home. Later, when I was at school, I had a lot of time to myself during the Hogsmeade trips so Madam Puddifoot taught me some of her favorite recipes." She smiled at the memory. "She was really nice. She always made me a special cupcake for my birthday."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me - you found a spell that allowed you to share that single cupcake with everyone at your birthday party."

"Oh, I never had a birthday party when I was at school."

"Why not?"

"My birthday is the day before Valentine's Day. Everyone always had other things on their minds."

Draco's jaw dropped. "Hold on. You mean to tell me that no one in Ravenclaw tower or any of the Potterheads ever remembered your birthday?"

Luna took another bite and thought. "Well, Daddy always sent a note and a sugar quill. Oh! And Ginny made me a belated card one year. I have it framed on a shelf in my bedroom."

Draco almost choked on his cake. "That's it?!"

Luna seemed slightly confused by his tone. "Yes?"

Draco leaned forward. "Luna, I know some of the things you did for those people. It's shameful that they never put any more effort than that into repaying you."

Luna shook her head. "I don't do things for people so they will do things for me, Draco. That's not friendship. That's...commerce. I do things for people because I want to - because it makes me happy to do them. If someone chooses to reciprocate that's just an added bonus."

Draco's face indicated that he was struggling to grasp what she had said. Luna patted his hand. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to put that on the list as well." She picked up her wand and tucked it behind her ear. "Now, come on. Grab your broom. I'm taking you somewhere special for your birthday."

Before he could think of a reason to say no, Draco found himself standing on the roof of the Tomes and Scrolls. Luna said, "Right. Do you want me to sit in front of you or in back?"

Draco nearly dropped the broom. "Excuse me?"

"It will be easier for me to show you the way if we are on the same broom and I assumed you would prefer to be the pilot, however I can summon mine if you would prefer to be the passenger..."

"No," Draco cut in quickly, not wanting to imagine that scenario. "No. We can take mine." He considered his options. "I suppose since I am taller it would make more sense for you to be in front. That way you can see where we are going and give me proper directions."

"Excellent!" Without hesitation Luna threw one leg over the broomstick and pointed north of their current position. "Start off that way. Keep flying straight until I tell you otherwise."

Not seeing any other alternative, Draco did as he was told. They took off and he quickly learned that Luna had absolutely no fear of flying. The few girls that had flown with him when he was younger had held tight to the broom or to the pilot but Luna seemed to have complete faith that he would not let her fall, oftentimes using both hands to point out landmarks or bring his attention to interesting birds they passed along the way.

She led him to an abandoned phoenix aerie situated high atop a cliff side and directed him to land in the remains of an enormous nest. She dismounted the broom with a huge grin on her face. "Thank you, Draco! I suppose we could have apparated but I've missed flying with another person."

"No problem. I haven't had much opportunity to fly at all since I stopped playing quidditch. I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed it."

"That's a shame. You were a talented player."

"You saw me play?"

"Of course. I attended most of the games at school. I even did some commentary my fourth year."

Draco struggled to keep a straight face. "Ah. Yes. I remember now. That was...colorful."

Luna unleashed a giggle that turned into a snort. "Thank you, Draco. That is possibly the most diplomatic assessment of my broadcasting skills anyone has ever offered." She shook her head. "Most people say it was rubbish and I would be hard pressed to disagree with them."

He set the broom down then asked, "Luna? If you knew it was bad why did you do it?"

"Because they asked me, I suppose." She twisted a bit of hair thoughtfully. "To say that I had done it." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "To see the look on Professor McGonagall's face when I described cloud formations."

Draco found himself smiling at the memory of the normally stoic Scottish professor trying to make sense of Luna's ramblings. "But...didn't it bother you to know that people were making fun of you?"

She rolled her eyes and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, like that was a new experience for me?" Her expression turned wistful. "No, it gave people something to laugh at when laughter was getting harder to come by. My dignity, such as it was, seemed a small price to pay."

Draco once again found himself reassessing his assumptions about her. She hadn't been oblivious to the way others had ridiculed her. She knew she was being mocked and made the choice to continue because she thought it would provide some relief from the growing darkness. For someone raised in a family where what other people thought of you was of the utmost importance, it was almost impossible for him to imagine making that kind of decision.

He joined her at the side of the nest. "These views are amazing. How did you find this place?"

"I was following the thestrals on my broom when a bad storm blew up. I needed to find a quick spot to land and thankfully this was nearby. After the rain passed I realized how beautiful it was. It has been sort of a refuge for me ever since."

"I can see why. It's a wonder I've never heard about it before."

Luna leaned forward onto the edge. "Probably because I'm the only who knows about it and you are the only person I've ever shared it with."

Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm honored but why me?"

"Because you need it. Consider it a temporary pardon from that personal little Azkaban you have constructed for yourself."

"I beg your pardon?"

She looked at him sadly. "You've done your penance, Draco. It's time to rejoin the real world."

He moved slightly away from her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? You had the financial resources to go anywhere after the war yet you chose not only to remain in this area but to take up residence in the shadows of a place that holds dark memories for you, surrounded by people that you believe hate you."

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's the only completely magical community in Britain. Better the devil you know..."

"Maybe...Doesn't explain the anonymous acts of restitution though."

Draco feigned ignorance. "Excuse me?"

Luna picked a twig off the sleeve of her jumper. "You see, Draco, since Daddy has been gone I am occasionally consulted by the staff at the Quibbler when they have questions regarding editorial content. Last week the paper was contacted by a source from inside Gringotts offering sensitive documents on certain members of their clientele. We were presented with a file containing account information on random customers, which happened to include people whose surname began with the letters "MA"."

She checked for a reaction and noticed a slight twitch in Draco's jaw. "Knowing we had no interest in printing a story of that nature, I prepared to return everything to Gringotts but as I was closing the file a number jumped off the page at me. It was the exact amount that had been anonymously donated to the Quibbler two days prior - the exact amount needed to repair some of the printing equipment. Without that money they would be unable to publish the next edition."

Draco kept staring into the distance as she continued. "When I looked more closely at that particular account I saw withdrawals in amounts that have recently been bestowed to people like Mr. Ollivander, Madame Rosmerta and the family of Katie Bell - all done in secret using untraceable methods."

"Fascinating," Draco said flatly.

"I thought so as well. I mean, if someone went to all of that trouble to remain unidentified, I was certain that they wouldn't want these documents brought to light."

Draco sighed. Here it was - the angle. She was preparing to blackmail him. He could kick himself for almost falling into the ruse of a 'friendship'. He was concentrating so intently on how much it was going to take to buy her off that he almost missed what she said next.

"So when I brought the papers back to Gringotts I made sure to replace that page with a revised version." She reached into her pocket and withdrew a single piece of parchment. "The account balance remained the same, of course. I simply added all of the suspicious amounts together and divided it evenly so they would look like a payment plan for a large purchase."

She offered the paper to him. "And I spoke with Mister Griphook. I told him he needed to increase their security immediately or the only story The Quibbler would be printing would be how the wizarding community could not place its trust in his institution. While many people don't take Daddy's paper seriously, in light of the dragon incident during the war, the mere idea that further questions could be raised about the bank's integrity was enough to get his attention." She smiled triumphantly. "No one will be getting their hands on anything from that establishment for quite a long time, I should think."

Her eyes twinkled as she added, "And the Daily Prophet has a lot to answer for since they were still in possession of the file they were offered - it contained Kingsley Shacklebolt's information."

Draco glared at her. "Why would you think any of this interests me in the slightest?"

Luna crumbled the page into a ball and tossed it up and down a couple of times. "No reason. Just thought you might like the chance to practice your Incendio." With that she launched it high into the air. In one quick motion Draco drew his wand and vaporized it into nothingness.

She nodded her approval. "Well done." She turned back to him. "That was the original. I made sure that no copies were made so that only leaves one thing." She produced her wand and moved towards him. Draco assumed a defensive position and gripped his wand tightly.

Luna shook her head, extended her wand towards him and urged, "Go ahead. Take it." He considered her cautiously then snatched it from her hand. "Right," she said, squaring her shoulders. "It should work better if you are holding my wand as well."

"What should work better?"

"Erasing my memory of the event."

Draco narrowed his gaze. "Come again?"

"You were always very good with spells, Draco, so I'm certain you won't cause me any permanent damage." She took the hand holding the wand and placed it next to her forehead.

Draco edged closer and growled, "What kind of game are you playing at, Lovegood?"

Luna held her ground. "No games, Draco. I've told you I don't particularly like playing them - too many rules and too many losers. I have information that you find dangerous. That scares you and I don't want my friend to be afraid anymore."

She bit her lip. "I do have one favor to ask, though. I have quite enjoyed getting to know you over these last few weeks. If possible, I would like to keep as many of those memories as I can. Good friends are ever so hard to come by..." She closed her eyes tightly. "Go on then. Your skills are quite advanced so you should have no trouble finding what you need. I won't fight you on it."

Draco was dumbfounded as he sensed her internal defenses falling away. For a witch or wizard to make themselves this vulnerable to anyone, friend or foe, was completely unheard of. He would have been less shocked if she had suddenly stripped naked and strolled down Diagon Alley in the middle of a busy shopping day.

A battle was now raging within himself. One flick of his wand would wipe all memory of the last few weeks from her mind. He could then cast a sleeping spell on her, fly away and go back to the safe, ordered, predictable, lonely existence he had lived for over a year. It would be so simple...

But then he looked at her face and saw the absolute trust she was placing in him. He cautiously probed her mind looking for any sign of deceit or malice, but what he discovered instead was overwhelming compassion and genuine concern for his well being. The feeling was so unexpected that it nearly took the breath out of him and brought him close to tears.

He hurriedly composed himself, placed his wand back in his jacket and set hers on the edge of the nest in front of her. He turned and peered into the sunset.

After few moments Luna opened her eyes and said, "Draco?"

He gave her a blank look. "Hmm?" He cleared his throat. "Sorry. You started prattling on about a topic I had no interest in so I stopped listening. Rude of me, to be sure. What were you saying?"

Luna gave an understanding nod. "My apologies. I do have a tendency to go on a bit. I was saying how much I have enjoyed spending time with you on your birthday."

"Well, considering the inferior company you usually keep I can see how this would be an occasion for you." He tried to sound condescending but found it was becoming increasingly difficult around her.

Luna smiled and the expression on her face assured him that the subject was now closed between them. She scanned the sky and announced, "Right. It's almost time. We better get comfortable." She pulled a small piece of cloth and a couple of cotton balls from her back pocket. In a flash she transfigured them into a large blanket and two pillows which she arranged on the bottom of the nest. She lay on her back and gestured towards the spot next to her. "Come on then."

She laughed at his shocked expression and quickly reassured him. "Don't worry, Draco Malfoy. Your honor is safe with me. I give you my word as a lady." She interlaced her fingers over her stomach. "See? Hands to myself."

Draco joined her on the blanket but made sure to leave a respectable distance between them. He stared up at the sky. "Well? What are we looking at?"

"Hush….be patient and watch."

They stayed there for a few minutes, observing the stars that were beginning to making their appearance. Draco felt himself nodding off when Luna reached over and nudged him. "Now." Just then a meteor sailed past. It was soon joined by another and another until the sky was ablaze in a magnificent display. The spectacle went on for almost three quarters of an hour before coming to an end.

When it was finally over, all Draco could do was murmur, "Wow."

Luna smiled in response then checked the stars as if she were consulting a clock. She hopped up and stated, "Well, we need to get started. I have an appointment in the morning."

As they flew in comfortable silence back to his flat, Draco thought how nice it was to not have to constantly fill the air with words. It was good to know that Luna didn't mind the quiet. When she leaned back against him, he also realized that it had been a very long time since he had any prolonged physical contact with another person. He noticed that she smelled like a blend of citrus, cinnamon and plums. It was nice. It occurred to him that if contentment had a fragrance it would probably smell like Luna Lovegood. He felt slightly disappointed when his own rooftop came into view.

After they landed, Luna hopped off the broom, turned gracefully and curtseyed. "Thank you, Draco Malfoy. You are an excellent pilot."

Draco bowed formally. "You're most welcome, Luna Lovegood. You are an excellent passenger."

Luna raised her wand to apparate away. "Happy Birthday, Draco. See you soon?"

Draco nodded and before she disappeared he called out, "Luna? Thank you. I haven't enjoyed a birthday this much since...well, since I don't know when."

She gave him a smile and a wink then in a flash she was gone.

Draco made his way back down to his flat and noticed that she had left behind the top hat. He peeked inside and saw a note with his name on it. He unfolded it and grinned. It read simply, "You're welcome." He tucked the note into the brim then placed the hat on the mantle. He sat at the kitchen table, wondering at the birthday decorations and mulling over the events of the evening. It took a while but he eventually arrived at a surprising realization.

It would seem that he had actually made a friend.

He went to bed pondering that notion and, for the first time in recent memory, he slept peacefully.