A/N: I'd just like to apologize for any awkwardness or grammar problems. This isn't beta'd or edited or anything. I'm in between classes right now so I'm just trying to bang these out.

June 29th

Ginny was home from vacation and had owld Luna to meet for lunch.

They met in the afternoon at a small café. Ginny was tall and statuesque as always, wearing a green sheath dress and brown flats. Her face had been lightly browned from flying so often. Luna admired her nicely toned arms.

"Tell me everything!" Ginny smiled at her friend. "We haven't seen each other in ages."

"About what?" Luna smiled back. "All I do is my rehabilitation work. I barely see anyone."

"Well, look… I know there's all that talk about confidentiality but…" Ginny's eyes shifted around and she leaned in close. "I heard you're rehabilitating Draco Malfoy." She hissed his name like she was saying I love watching children cry.

Luna frowned. "I can neither confirm nor deny that-"

"I have six brothers I know what that means."

Luna sighed. She was never any good at lying. In fact, it was a skill she never put any merit in when she was growing up.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Hermione of course!"

Luna paused. "Hermione told you?" She had known Hermione was on the board of the rehabilitation program – had basically pioneered it – but never had she thought she would go against her own confidentiality clause.

"Well she didn't say it outright…" Ginny looked as if she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "She told me you're working with a dangerous wizard that we all knew from school and I mean, I'm smarter than people think I am. And you've just confirmed my suspicions. She said you've been going on… outings? Luna I'm – we're just worried about you."

Luna nodded. "I understand. Thank you." She was tired of this conversation already. Part of the reason she enjoyed her work is that she didn't have to talk about it with anyone.

"Stay safe please," Ginny kept on. "Remember all the shit he pulled in school. Terrible little –"

"I don't talk about my clients with anyone but my supervisor."

Ginny looked a little miffed but she nodded and ordered another bloody mary.

July 2nd

Draco didn't want to wear his same grey suit again so he opted for a simple button up and slacks. It was too hot for a jacket anyway. He found himself walking just a little too fast to her office. As sad as it was, he had to admit that seeing Luna was the highlight of his week. Of course he would never admit this to anyone.

Before leaving his flat, he went into his kitchen and bent down eye-level with his plant. It was doing better these days. Seemed happier, more content. Draco had stopped watering it every hour and instead gave it a healthy drink in the morning and perhaps a light spritzing at night. It seemed to break up the monotony.

"Tell me, tell me, smiling child, what the past is like to thee? An autumn evening soft and mild with a wind that sighs mournfully." (1) Satisfied with his poem and his happy plant, Draco stood up and removed imaginary dust from his trousers. If only they could see you know Draco…

He left his flat and made his way to Luna's building.

Draco bounded up the steps of her building taking the stairs by two. He could smell some type of curry and hear more than one child crying. His building was so quiet compared to this shack of an apartment building.

She was waiting for him just last like time. This time she was in a white organza shift and wearing bright yellow heels. Orange bangles jingled on her thin wrists. She looked as if she were on vacation in the Caribbean. Didn't she know she was in the middle of a wizarding city? Didn't she want to blend in just like everyone else?

The small owl figurine was on the windowsill again and she smiled as he walked towards her. He could have apologized for his behavior from last time. He should have. Should have run his hands through her hair and -

"Ready?" she asked sweetly. Her eyes were unblinking as always. The light from the window made them appear translucent. Draco could see his reflection in them and it unnerved him. He used to spend hours fixing his hair and his otherwise appearance. Nowadays he wasn't one for looking in reflective surfaces.

He nodded and she counted to three. They were whisked away to center city right outside the memorial. The ministry building stood tall and ominous before it. Witches and wizards hurried to and fro up and down the steps and around the memorial.

It was a weekday in the morning so it wasn't too crowded but there were still plenty of people milling about. Children ducked in between the stone slabs that breached out of the granite. People took photos together. Some just stood quiet and still.

Draco felt tense. He felt like he was intruding – like he had no right to be here.

"Mal-?"

How many deaths had his family (his whole family) caused?

"-foy?"

Were people looking at him? Could they tell?

"Malfoy?"

"What?" Like waking from a dream, Draco blinked. He could feel his nails digging into his palms and awkwardly pulled them out. Flexed his hands. He turned to see who had been calling his name.

"It's been a while." Theodore Nott smiled a not unfriendly at him. He was wearing a blue linen shirt and grey slacks and appeared completely unaffected by the heat. Draco could tell it had been tailored even though it was such a casual look. His dark hair twisted into his eyes. He stood lean and tall and just a little tanned. He'd probably been in Italy for vacation. Or perhaps Greece. They hadn't seen each other since the war.

Draco tried to keep his face neutral and impassive. This was one of the reasons he never went uptown.

"I won't patronize and ask how you've been," Nott looked sideways at the memorial. "But you're looking well."

"You as well," Draco answered. He ran a hand through his hair, instantly regretting it. He didn't want to look as uncomfortable as he felt.

"Do I know you?"

It took Draco a moment to realize that Nott was talking to the small blonde girl beside him. He had forgotten she was there.

"We went to school together," she said, her voice bringing an instant calm. Her presence was reassurance. "I was a year below you."

"Ah yes," Nott smiled and held out his hand to her. "Lovegood right? Of Dumbledore's Army fame. I'm honored." He didn't seem insincere. He brought her hand to his mouth and Draco had to fight the urge to punch him in his mug.

"Nott of the Death Eater fame," Luna didn't miss a beat. She looked into his eyes and held no malice, like she was just stating a fact.

"I left for Italy during the war," Nott flicked a bit of hair out of his eye casually. "As I'm sure you understand," he said looking pointedly at Draco – "I am not my father's son."

"What are your feelings about muggle borns?"

Draco almost slapped her. Was she trying to get in a fight? Let the earth open and swallow him whole.

But Nott just smiled and gazed down at her small frame. "I believe the more contemporary beliefs are to be inclusive of all human types – including squibs, half bloods, mugglebornes and muggles alike." Smooth. Practiced. He didn't really answer the question but he stated a fact that was hard to argue with. Lately civil rights had moved onto intersectionality rather than simply muggles and muggle borns.

"I'm not interrupting am I? Although, I must say this is an odd choice for a date."

"We're not dating," Luna said calmly.

"I see," Nott nodded, in understanding though Draco was pretty sure he knew nothing of what was going on. "Well, I have to run. Meetings to attend." Jackass. "But Malfoy – it'd nice to see you on the scene again. I'm having a party soon-" Draco raised a hand and tried to protest but Nott clapped him on his back. "I'm back on mainland mate! Time to get the gang back together. I'll owl you. Oh and Miss Lovegood," Nott inclined his head in a slight bow. "It was a pleasure. You of course are always invited. A friend of Draco's is a friend of mine." He strode backwards confidently grinning at them. He cupped his hands to his mouth and called out, "Bring her mate! She seems entertaining!"

And with that he pivoted and walked down the main street in a satisfied stroll.

"Were you friends in school?" Luna asked.

They stood still together watching him walk away.

"Something like that," Draco shrugged. "Why didn't you tell him you're my specialist?"

"That would be a breach of confidentiality. I wouldn't do that to do. If you and I ever saw each other outside of one of our sessions I wouldn't say hello unless you did first."

Draco nodded in understanding. Good to know.

"I won't go to the party, I know you probably don't want me there." She didn't seem too sad. Draco thought of Marigold and how she would often use a baby voice in attempt of fake despondence. Manipulation.

"I don't know if I'll be going myself," he said. But he knew that now that Nott knew he was in the city, if he didn't show up it would look shameful.

"Well you make that decision when you're ready," Luna said. Come on, I want to find Remus and Tonks."

They spent about an hour at the memorial. Draco watched Luna as she caressed the names of her fallen friends. Watched her lay a hand upon the slab of white stone and press her forehead against it. Watched her long eyelashes rest against her soft cheeks.

Every now and then she would ask him a question that made him want to vomit.

"How were you punished as a child?" "Were you closer to your mother or your father?" "How would you describe your up bringing?" "How would you want to raise your own children?" "Do you wish to stay in England or move abroad?"

He would try to answer as best he could and as concisely as he could.

"Thoroughly." "My mother." "Average." "Different." "I don't know."

He would have been more annoyed at her constant pestering as it reminded him that this was not just an average outing. This was his weekly check up. When she wasn't probing into his past she was asking him about his daily life.

"How many meals do you have a day?" "What do you do during your free time?" "Who are your friends?" "What is your goal for this week?"

"Two maybe three." "I take walks." "I don't have any." "Get through this head-healing shit."

They had coffee and lunch at a nearby café. Once again Luna took out her quill and notebook and asked him about muggles and muggle borns and his willingness to complete rehabilitation. Once again he frowned and spat.

They walked down the boulevard and window-shopped. Draco watched the garments Luna eyed and wished that he were back in his old life – he could have bought her anything. Bought her ten spangled dresses and twenty necklaces with large gaudy pendants hanging off them. Gave her enchanted beetles to stick in her hair. Perfume that smelled like sunlight.

They spent the day walking back to his building and this time she didn't walk him up to his flat. He wished she had.

He watched her skip away from his window until she turned down an avenue. An owl perched at his sill. He undid the letter and read it. It was from Nott. Reminding him of his party. It was to be that Friday around 9. Other old classmates would be there. Some wizards from Notts company. Draco didn't want to go. But more importantly, he didn't want to go alone. He thought briefly of Marigold but realized that perhaps bringing an ex-Dumbledore's Army soldier would be better than bringing a poor person. He cringed. It was sad but true.

He sent his RSVP to Nott and began composing a letter to Luna.

July 6th

He had to admit that something was changing in him. If only did he more regularly clean his flat and wash his hair. The oddest of sorts was that when Marigold showed up inebriated he laid her down on his bed and left her there to sleep it off rather than engage in her play. For whatever reason, he just didn't feel like it lately. There was always only room for one woman in his life. When it wasn't his mother it was a girlfriend. When it wasn't a girlfriend it was a fuck buddy. And when it wasn't that… well right now it was a Luna. Whatever she was.

After saying a brief good bye to his plant Draco left his flat about half past nine. What was this? A date? And who was using whom here. Technically, she had all the power. Draco felt unsure of what he was to her. He was her client. And yet… she was going to a party with him. Surely this breached that blasted code of ethics she had been prattling on about earlier.

Still, as he drew nearer to her building, he couldn't stop a sense of excitement. He hadn't been to a party in ages. Years! Would things be different now? And how would that change things?

He had bought a new suit (using a considerable amount of his savings) that included a shirt, vest, tie, cufflinks, shoes and socks. All charcoal. Not finely tailored and not cut from the best silks but it would pass. His old cape was glamored to look cleaner and sleeker. It would have to do. He hadn't given Luna any specific instruction as far as what to wear and he was nervous to see what contraption she had decided on.

She was waiting for him at the top of the stairs and brought him up to her flat, which was in the attic. It was the opposite of his barren apartment. Every corner seemed to be covered with a wall hanging or a tapestry, or a photo or painting. Oriental rugs covered her floors. Plants took up every extra inch. An easel sat in the corner surrounded by paints and half finished canvases. It was all terribly bohemian. Everything clashed.

"I figured," she said as she led him into her kitchen nook. "That this is not a work call. I wish we could floo. It was hard to get a portkey downtown on such short notice."

Draco twitched. His automatic response was that she was trying to use this to make him feel bad. That she would ask him for something in the future like a fancy dinner or a piece of jewelry, and remind him of how hard this was for her. But he reminded himself that this wasn't one of his ex girlfriends. This was a girl who believed in nargles.

In the dim light of her kitchen he was pleased to see that her choice of dress wasn't as bad as he thought it might be. She was wearing a mid length satiny type shift that seemed to appear silver or red depending on where the light hit. It was held up by thin straps and accentuated her sylphlike frame. A simple silver chain hung around her neck with a hollow circle at the end. Her ears held large hoops that seemed to spark whenever she moved her head. This seemed to be her minimalistic look.

This is not a work call.

Right. This was a date. Or something like it. He was so pathetic – so isolated – so alone that he had asked his damned head-healer to accompany him to a party. How depressing.

"Ready?" She looked up at him. He nodded. She counted to three and they both grasped the small owl figurine.

Nott lived in a town house along the river down town on the edge of a park that required owning a key to enter. He was old money but seemed to be making his own these days. The house was lit up with yellow golden light. They landed right outside his gate and when they walked towards the house the gates opened as if on cue. They could hear music and laughter from inside the house. Draco wasn't accustomed to feeling nervous about parties. Luna looked as serene as ever. She almost seemed to float as they made their way towards the door. Perhaps she enjoyed parties. She certainly seemed odd enough.

The door opened with a flourish before they could knock. Nott's bright face, already ruddy with drink, beamed down at them. "You made it!" He exclaimed and brought them both in for a hug. "It's been too long. And Miss Lovegood," he kissed her hand again. Draco felt the urge to punch him again. "I'm honored you decided to come."

"I haven't been to a party in a while," she said in her sing-song voice. "I thought it may be fun."

"Well you both look smashing. I'm sure good old Draco told you all about our old parties," Nott punched Draco playfully on the shoulder. Draco winced – he hadn't told Luna about their old parties. In fact, he hadn't prepared her at all. A sudden pang of guilt resonated through his body.

"Come in, come in," Nott ushered them in through the entrance hall and into a parlor full of people.

1. Past, Present, Future by Emily Bronte

A/N: And that's where we'll leave it for today friends. I always like to have a few good parties in my fics I don't know why. Maybe because it gives me an excuse to have the characters behave badly. Till next time.