This is being cross-posted from Ao3. it was originally posted on 18 February 2022.
This was written for Love Fest 2022, Draco's Den Roll-a-Drabble, and Melting Pot Fanfiction's Tropes & Fandoms. The prompt came from KatamariJ , who I can't thank enough for inspiring me to write a new pairing. I hope that you love this! Happy reading! xxDustNight88
Thank you to starrnobella & SquarePeg72 for reading this over and to GaeilgeRua for allowing me to use her Grammarly! Any other mistakes are definitely my own..
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prompt: KatamariJ request for Draco/Luna + Forgiveness
DD RaD January 2022 Draco/Luna/time Travel
#TropesAndFandoms22 Dystopian
Luna knew that there were many versions of the same timeline. There had to be. She'd taken Professor Twelarney's classes and learned all about time travel and alternate timelines. That's what led her to believe that there was a way to go back and save everything. Unfortunately, Harry didn't know a lot of things.
Harry had never known about Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Sighing, Luna knew it was all her fault. She'd been on the verge of telling Harry when they were interrupted. Someone had pulled him away, and then he was gone. Dead. There was no saving any of them after Harry Potter's fall. The Order had fallen, and with it, so many lives were lost in the struggle to free the wizarding world of darkness.
In the end, Voldemort had died too, but at what cost? The Death Eaters took power, with Lucius Malfoy at the head. Professor Snape should have been in charge, but Bellatrix killed him for even considering playing both sides. She'd killed Molly Weasley too, and Tonks and Professor Lupin. Again, many people were gone that shouldn't have been.
Luna knew in her heart there had to be another way. If she'd told Harry about the Diadem, then maybe he could have destroyed it in time. Then, he could have adequately defeated Voldemort, for there was still the risk he could rise again someday. The rumour was there was another horcrux out there, something close to Voldemort, but no one knew what it was or where to find it.
Harry probably knew, but he was gone.
Hermione and Ron had fled to the States, as had many others, so Luna was all alone. One thing Luna prided herself on was her brilliance. She wasn't placed in Ravenclaw for no reason. No, she had one of the most brilliant minds in all of the wizarding community. That is what the Sorting Hat had told her all those years ago. Now she was putting it to good use.
Reaching as much as she could without causing suspicion, Luna was able to construct a Time-Turner. This special Time-Turner would allow her to go back to the final battle and make sure that Harry found out Ravenclaw's Diadem. If she could save Harry, then maybe the war would, and all would be right because this didn't feel right.
This felt like hell.
There was only one person who could help her with this, and she was pretty confident that he probably wanted nothing to do with her. She was a mudblood-lover, a traitor. Her father had been carted off to the new Azkaban right after the war, and she… Well, she had been labelled a traitor and ostracized like many of the other Purebloods who didn't side with Voldemort.
Honestly, she was lucky to still be alive, but some days that was more of a burden than a blessing. Nevertheless, she knew that Draco would acknowledge her if he ran into her. It had happened before, actually. She'd seen him in Diagon Alley, and he had given her a faintest head nod. She just needed that to happen again. If Luna could bump into Draco, she could possibly talk him into helping her.
It took three weeks, but finally, Luna stumbled into Draco in Diagon Alley. A quick charm, and he was left having to say behind his mates to lace his shoe back up correctly. It wasn't until he'd finished and stood that Luna slipped out of the shadows and blocked his path.
"Bloody hell, Lovegood," he grumbled, stumbling back a bit with surprise. "Watch where you're going, won't you?"
"Draco," she said with all seriousness, "I need you to come with me before anyone notices us talking."
If anything, Draco went paler than usual. He glanced toward where Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini had wandered. "Why? What are you going to do to me? You know my father will kill both you and your father if you try anything strange."
"No one needs to die," she said sadly, her eyes falling to her feet. "I just want to talk to you for five minutes. Then, if you don't like what I have to say, you never have to see me again."
Draco stared at Luna for a good moment, taking in her slightly dishevelled appearance. Finally, he grabbed her roughly by the forearm and dragged her into a side alley where they wouldn't be seen or heard. Luna let him lead her without complaining about his roughness. If he had to make it look like he was punishing her for anyone who may be watching, then so be it.
Once alone, Draco said, "Five minutes. That's all I can spare."
Bracing herself, Luna didn't waste any time. "I have built a Time-Turner that will take us back to the Battle of Hogwarts. Once there, I can tell Harry where to find the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. If I had been able to tell him that day, all of this would have panned out definitely. I need your help because I think you have a role in this. I've seen it in the tea leaves, Draco. Please, say you'll come with me. We have to do this together."
She'd rushed to say it all, and now she was slightly out of breath. If ever she looked crazy, indeed, this was it. Her bright blue eyes were wide with panic, and her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Draco was her only hope…
"You really are crazy," Draco said in a hushed voice, backing slowly away from her. "You sounded saner back when you were blathering on about Nargles and all that."
"I promise I am just as sane as you are, Draco," Luna said, her heartbreaking knowing if he left now, her chance was lost. "Please, you have to believe me."
"I have to go," he said and started back the way they came.
Draco was walking away, but Luna called out to him. "I know it was you."
He stopped, took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly before turning to face her again. "You know what was me?"
"You were the one who always took my shoes."
Frowning, Draco seemed to pause. "I don't know what you mean."
"You would steal them from the Prefect's bathroom," Luna explained.
Draco huffed and crossed his arms. "You don't have any proof it was me."
"I know that," Luna said, her old loopy smile forming on her features. "Many people liked to pick on me because I was different. I know it was you, though."
After a quiet, contemplative moment, Draco asked, "You really created a Time-Turner?"
"I did…" Luna trailed off, suddenly a bit afraid he might turn her in rather than aiding her with this insane mission of hers. "It was quite difficult, but I've tried it out, and it works."
"You're different than you used to be," Draco said slowly, eyeing up the blonde. "What happened?"
"I lost everything I knew and loved," Luna said in a whisper. "I just want to try and fix it, but I need your help. It's okay if you don't want to. I'm okay living the life I live… I just know there is so much more for you and me if we could change the past. Don't you wish your life was different?"
Draco ran a hand through his blond hair and then sighed heavily. He closed his eyes and shook his head before meeting her gaze once more. "I've never admitted it aloud, Lovegood, but- Fuck. Yeah, I wish things were a lot different."
Luna smiled. She knew that she had his help.
They'd wasted absolutely no time in preparing to travel back in time. Draco had left her with the promise of coming out to her house later that night. But, as darkness fell and the clock ticked closer to midnight, Luna worried. What if he didn't come? Or worse… What if he told someone about the Time-Turner, and they were going to go and lock her away like they did her father and so many others?
Just as her imagination was starting to get the better of her, there was a swift knock on the door. One knock, to be precise. Exactly what they'd agreed to. Tentatively, Luna opened the door and peered out into the darkness. When she saw only one wizard standing there, she breathed a sigh of relief and extended it further.
"You came," she whispered, hope soaring in her chest.
"Against my better judgment," Draco muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But, yeah, I came."
Luna wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and then went over to the closet where she'd stashed her precious Time-Turner. "Are you certain you want to go through with this?"
"Yes."
Turning to look back at the SLytherin, Luna was surprised to see him look so nervous. "Everything alright?"
"I'm tired of having to submit to my father," Draco admitted, his shoulders caving. He looked so forlorn that Luna dropped the closet door handle and waited for him to say more. "This is not the world I wanted to live in… I want to help change the past, Lovegood. We have to, or we're all going to be miserable for the rest of our lives."
"When we get back there, we're going to have to separate," Luna explained. "I've planned it all out in my head time and time again. You have to go follow your other self around, but be discreet. Make sure that he does the right thing, whatever that may be."
"What will you be doing?" Draco asked, still staring at the Time-Turner.
"I have to fund Harry and do whatever I can so he knows what Horcrux he is looking for," Luna said carefully. "He has to find The Grey Ghost. She knows where it will be."
"This is bloody insane." Draco began to pace. "Do you know how many things could go wrong?'
"Yes," Luna said, standing her ground. "But like you said, nothing is worse than this life that we are living."
That stopped him. He swallowed audibly, stared at her for what felt like an eternity, and then nodded. "Fine. Let's go now… Before I change my mind."
Luna didn't need to be told twice. She threw the chain for the Time-Turner around both their necks and twisted it precisely the number of times required to send them back. Her sitting room vanished, and suddenly they were standing in the courtyard at Hogwarts. Luna removed the Time-Turner and tucked it away.
If all went well, it would disappear as the timeline was repaired.
"Are you ready to begin? I'm not certain how much time we have," Luna said to Draco, staring into his grey eyes.
"If we do this, if we protect Potter and make sure he finds the last Horcrux, will we really be able to alter the timeline?" This was probably the tenth time Draco had asked this question.
"Yes," Luna replied, patiently, already trying to figure out the best way to sneak into the castle without being seen by her other-self. Then, to herself, she thought, "At least I hope…."
"But these versions of ourselves will be gone forever?" he asked, turning slightly toward her and gesturing at their bodies.
Luna sighed, but not in frustration. "Yes. Us. The versions of us right here and now will be gone, but hopefully, happier ones will be left in their place. Ones that survive a war where the light has won, and Voldemort is gone for good."
"I really am sorry about the way I treated you in the past. I shouldn't have taken your shoes. You're brilliant, you know that." Draco apologized, a genuine smile on his face. He turned his head back toward the castle where the battle began. "Far more clever than anyone ever gave you credit for."
Despite the fear and worry that this wasn't going to work, Luna felt calm. Draco's words meant a lot to her. Luna and Draco stared out at Hogwarts before them, their friends and classmates already preparing for what might be their very last day alive. Luna took hold of Draco's hand without saying a word and gave it a squeeze. They would do this together and save the future for everyone.
"Draco?"
"Yeah?"
"I forgive you."