Luna Lovegood was curled up on the sofa. Enormous glasses sat on her nose as she pored through a dusty old book―The Latest Tricks to Keep Your Man Happy. She was alternatively seething and giggling. The book offered a mixture of magical and Muggle ways of satisfying and keeping a man. Luna giggled again. Magical people liked to keep a big divide between magic and everything else, but not when it came to giving men all they wanted. Some things never changed. A witch had the same kind of pressures in her romantic life as Muggle girls. A witch would read articles that were like the ones found in Muggle fashion magazines―impress your man, impress your best friend's man, keep them all happy, and show them what they want to see. Rubbish!
Her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Luna walked leisurely to the door, absent-mindedly fiddling with the corkscrew necklace she still wore at home sometimes and wondering who it could be. She rarely had any visitors.
The bell rang again as Luna was opening the door. Outside stood a ministry official with a man standing in the shadows behind him. Barely sparing a glance for either man, Luna took the pen and piece of paper the official held out to her. It didn't make too much sense when she tried to read from the start. It had too much legal jargon. So Luna opted for the next best thing…just reading the parts that were in bold letters.
"Uhh…so I bought a slave?" she asked a few seconds later, nonplussed.
"Yes," the official said, eyeing her quizzically. "You did. And he's here now," ha added, sliding to one side so that Luna could see the man behind him. Luna looked at the blonde, while the blonde glared at her with pure hatred. He had recognized her way nefore she even saw him. Trash, Draco thought, I've been bought by trash!
"Draco Malfoy," she stated needlessly. Everyone there knew his name. "I did not buy a slave," she said, turning towards the official.
"But he's been bought and paid for," the man said, looking confused, "all you have to do is sign the form and this transaction is over."
Luna had no intention of keeping a slave. First, they cost a lot. Second, they tried to run away a lot. And third, she disagreed with the concept a whole lot. But before she could make her opinion on the issue clear, Draco Malfoy decided to let his opinion be known.
"I'm not going to be a slave to this…trashy, poor,…ugly thing!" he stated loudly. The next minute he was lying on the floor in a comatose heap. On one side of the unconscious Draco stood Luna, gently hopping from one foot to another; on the other, the official who looked as if something bitter had crawled into his mouth.
Luna stared at the now peaceful Draco. She couldn't figure out what on earth was happening here. The ministry official had had a trying and tiring day. This was none of his problem. His problem was only – "how to get the crazy woman to sign the paper?" She was still holding it, but was peering at the body lying in her hallway.
"We cannot leave him here, he might be out for a bit...longer. All slaves are given the Ganjaras potion before being taken to the masters. This way, he can never harm you. Every time he feels a negative feeling towards you…he's going to experience a lot of pain. Initially they collapse a lot. Soon though, they get used to it," he said.
Luna stared at him. She did not want a slave. She especially did not want a hostile Draco Malfoy anywhere around her. Who had given him to her as a slave? No friend of course. Friends don't gift you barracudas. The official made impatient noises.
"Look, this has nothing to do with me personally, but why don't you take the slave. It's really becoming quite popular. It's already caught on as a style statement in many places," he said enthusiastically. "Besides, am sure you could use some help around here. That's probably why a friend got him for you."
"But I don't want him."
"Lady please don't make my day worse then it already is! Why wouldn't you want a slave? I want one right now!" said the obviously hassled official. "I gotta go to other owners' houses now. Just sign the paper. You can get rid of him later," he added hopefully. Luna felt guilty looking at his sweaty forehead and his worn robes. She signed the paper, propping it against the open door.
"Right," Luna said flatly. "Let's get him in then." Draco Malfoy's entry into servitude was a most unique one. He was carried into his new owner's house between a ministry official and the owner herself.