Chapter Fourteen

"Luna, I don't think this is a good idea. I don't claim to be an expert regarding magical creatures but I do recall reading that these things are incredibly aggressive and dangerous - not to mention strong enough to maim a mountain troll."

"That's only when they are provoked, Draco, and besides this one is just a baby. He's only a couple of days old."

Draco sat on the ground next to her and tried to think of an argument that might change Luna's mind but he was rapidly coming to the conclusion that it might not be possible.

Earlier that day they had stumbled across more evidence of illegal hunting. An adult female graphorn had been brutally slaughtered, her two beautiful, golden horns sawed off to be sold on the black market for use in a wide variety of potions. The poachers must have been in a rush because they had neglected to skin the beast, leaving behind the tough hide which was an equally coveted commodity due to the fact that it was even stronger than of a dragon scales.

It was this decision that had led to Draco's current predicament, for in their haste the poachers missed the fact that the animal had been covering up a newborn calf. When Draco and Luna arrived less than a day later (by Luna's reckoning) the baby was gently butting the mother's lifeless body and bleating plaintively. Luna's natural instinct was to help but each time she approached the infant it would bolt off and cower in fear.

Now Luna was fixated upon the idea that they needed to care for the beast. Draco, while feeling sorry for the creature, had been trying to make the point that they simply didn't have the time to invest in a lengthy rescue and rehabilitation effort, not to mention the fact that this was a wild, unpredictable animal with the potential to cause her significant harm.

Luna pointed out that graphorns were an endangered species and it would be morally wrong not to at least make an attempt at helping it. Draco would have argued his point more vigorously but he sensed that Luna saw herself reflected in the orphan calf unwilling to leave its deceased mother so he opted instead to change tactics.

"Is there any chance the father might return to take care of it?" he asked.

"Sadly, in this species the father is basically just a sperm donor. He plays no part in actually raising the offspring."

"That sounds familiar," sighed Draco. He picked a long blade of grass and began absent mindedly tying it into knots. "You know, it's funny but it wasn't until recently that I truly realized that they could be anything else. I have to admit that hearing all of the stories about your father has made me more than a little jealous."

"I wish you could have met Daddy. Properly, I mean."

"So do I." Draco tied a few more knots then quietly asked, "Luna - is it wrong that I don't miss my father?"

"I think you do. At least, you miss what your father might have been."

"Pardon?"

"I mean that while you may not miss the man your father actually was, you are sad about the relationship that you wish you could have experienced if Lucius had been a different sort of person."

Draco studied the blade of grass carefully then confessed, "I worry that I'll turn out like him."

"You won't, " Luna said decisively.

"How can you be so sure?"

Luna looked him in the eye. "Did your father ever feel bad about his actions?"

"He felt bad about getting caught and that things didn't turn out the way he wanted but genuine remorse for the things he did? No. I don't think that ever happened."

"That's the difference. Your father never asked the kind of questions you are asking. That's how I know you won't turn out like him. You've seen where that path leads and you are actively trying to avoid it."

"I hope you are right, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood," said Draco, flicking the blade of grass unto the ground beside him.

"I am, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. Besides, you asked about the owl."

"Excuse me?"

"The owl," repeated Luna. "After the incident with the elves, when I told you about how I had inadvertently injured the owl during my first year, you asked if it was okay. I don't think your father would have cared about that detail and yet you did. See?"

Draco was surprised that she remembered their conversations in as much detail as he did. Unsure how to process that, he turned his attention back to the scene in front of them. "Okay. If we are going to help this little guy then explain to me why can't we just go over there and pick him up?"

"That would be far too stressful on him," Luna said, shaking her head. "You have to take time with a frightened animal, Draco. Think of the world from its perspective. He's just a few days old. The being that he depended on for warmth, sustenance, love and protection was savagely killed right in front of it by things that look like us. It will take time for him to realize that not everything wants to harm him - that someone actually wants to help him, care for him and love him. That kind of trust doesn't happen instantaneously. It has to be earned with time and patience."

"But - what if he doesn't ever trust you?" asked Draco.

Luna's expression turned wistful as she said, "Then I will be very sad but at least I can at least say that I gave it my best effort."

Draco experienced a brief moment where he thought she might be talking about something other than the graphorn calf but quickly dismissed it as wishful thinking.

"Well...I suppose waiting until tomorrow can't hurt. But any longer than that and we really have to press on, Luna."

She nodded sadly. "I know. Tomorrow. I promise."

They made camp a short distance away and Draco eventually went off to bed, but only after securing a solemn vow from Luna that she would call for him at the first hint of trouble.

That night brought about a different sort of dream all together. In it, Draco watched as Luna approached another injured dragon. This one was in obvious pain, snarling and snapping each time she got close to it. At one point it brutally tore into her arm with its razor sharp claws, knocking her off her feet and causing her considerable injury. Time after time it attacked and time after time Luna persisted. Eventually her resolve paid off and she was able to draw near enough to touch the dragon. At that point the beast began to whimper, violently scratching at its own scales, trying desperately to pry them off.

Draco heard her say, "The outer layer is suffocating you. I can help but it will be painful and it may take some time. Will you trust me?"

The beast shed a tear as it nodded its massive head. With that Luna began the excruciating process of helping the poor creature remove the scales that were the cause of its agony. The procedure drug on and on but as more and more of the scales dropped away, a completely different creature started to emerge.

This new being was roughly the size of a human - not too much larger than Luna herself - and was curled up in a fetal position on the ground. When the last of the outer shell had fallen away, Luna knelt down and Draco was shocked to see that the shivering, defenseless thing trapped under all those painful layers was none other than himself.

He watched as Luna helped him to his feet, wrapped him in a blanket and embraced him as she whispered, "I knew you were under there somewhere."

As dream Draco began to weep, the man himself woke to find tears running down his face. He lay there for a long time reflecting on the dream and its potential meaning. After a while he noticed that it was abnormally quiet outside and he began to worry for Luna's safety. He pulled himself together, got dressed and was just slipping out of the tent when he stopped and smiled at the sight before him.

The baby graphorn had finally given in and was now curled up in Luna's lap. Draco ducked inside, emerging a moment later with his rucksack. He eased in beside Luna and whispered, "Seems time and patience won out, eh?"

Luna nodded and the smile on her face warmed Draco more than the campfire. "About an hour ago," she said.

Draco leaned in to get a closer look at the creature. "How is he doing?"

"He's fast asleep but I'll need to get up soon so I can brew some formula. He hasn't eaten since his mother died. If we don't get some nourishment in him soon he may not make it."

Draco began pulling ingredients from his bag. "You stay there. I think I have everything we need." Seeing her expression he chuckled, "What? I have been listening to you as we've gone along, you know. I made it a point to collect a sample of any plants you pointed out that sounded like they might come in handy. I may not have tested in Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures but I did quite well in Potions, thank you very much. I know the importance of having the proper ingredients on hand."

"All this time I thought I was boring you," said Luna.

"I can say many things about you, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, but boring will never be one of them."

Following her instructions, Draco quickly brewed up some formula and transfigured a canteen into a large baby bottle. As Luna began to feed the creature Draco noticed her eyelids begin to droop.

Draco reached for the calf. "Here. Let me do that. You need to get some sleep. You must be exhausted."

"No, thank you. I want to stay awake a while longer to make sure that he doesn't have a reaction to the potion."

"Fine. Then I'll sit up with you. We can help each other stay awake."

As he shifted about trying to find a comfortable position, Luna said, "You know, during the war we used to ask each other questions to try and stay alert while on patrol or guard duty."

"Really? Another reason I should have joined you lot. The Death Eaters just punched you or hit you with a nasty hex." Draco made a face at the memory. "So, what kind of questions did you ask?"

"Silly things. You know, like... What is your favorite color?"

Draco settled in and crossed his legs in front of him. "Easy enough. Green."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Typical Slytherin."

"It's not that, although I suspect it may be a component. No, I've always found green to be peaceful and soothing. When I was little and my father would go on one of his tirades I would hide inside the bushes behind the manor. The green canopy felt like a protective barrier and made me feel safe."

"That's lovely...and sad."

"It is what it is," Draco shrugged. "What about you?"

"When I was a little girl I loved pinks and purples but recently I find myself drawn to the color blue."

Draco imitated her eye roll. "Typical Ravenclaw."

Luna laughed. "I didn't even think of that. No, the shade I was thinking of is more of a stormy grey blue."

"Why that color?"

Luna started to say something then thought better of it. "That's - a bit complicated. Perhaps I'll tell you when this is all over."

Not knowing quite how to respond to that Draco simply said, "Fair enough."

There was an brief pause then Luna said, "All right. Now it's your turn to think of a question."

"Uh, Okay... What is your favorite magical creature?"

Luna answered immediately, "The Crumple Horned Snorkack."

"That was quick. Why that one?"

"Because of the look on Hermione Granger's face when I finally brought one into her office for categorization. She had insisted for so long that they were a figment of my father's imagination that it gave me great satisfaction to deposit one on her desk."

Draco was unable to hold back his laughter. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood."

Luna grinned. "So - Malfoy Draco Malfoy, what is your favorite magical creature?"

"I don't think I had one before, but now? Definitely Ukrainian Iron Bellies - particularly Elliott."

"Good choice. My turn...favorite childhood memory," said Luna.

"I... don't really have many good childhood memories."

Luna's gaze dropped. "I'm sorry, Draco. That was terribly insensitive of me."

"Not your fault," Draco reassured her. "I suppose if I had to choose one it would be my mother reading me bedtime stories when I was a little boy."

Luna perked up. "Mine too! I mean, not your mother reading to me, obviously, but my Mum reading from the Tales of Beedle the Bard. We did that almost every night until..." Her voice trailed off as she adjusted the calf in her arms.

Draco scooted closer. "Tell me more about her."

"Mum? She was amazing. She was incredibly gifted at earth magic and was always trying to teach me about the natural world. She loved to laugh and sing and dance. She was funny and kind and creatures of all sorts were just instinctively drawn to her."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She was." Luna hesitated then asked, "Would you like to see a picture of her?"

"Yes. Very much."

She leaned forward and a locket slipped from under her shirt. She fumbled with the calf then said, "Sorry. My hands are full. Could you open it for me?"

Draco had to move in quite close to unfasten the locket. Her breath on his neck sent tingles down his spine and he worked to keep his gaze on the necklace and not the neckline of her blouse.

The latch opened to reveal small photos of Luna's parents. Draco vaguely remembered Xenophilius but was startled to see how much Pandora resembled her daughter.

"She's beautiful," said Draco, glancing up at Luna. "You look like her."

Luna's eyes grew wide. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely. Can't you see the likeness?"

"No, but...thank you."

Draco cleared his throat and shifted back to a more respectable distance. "Lovely necklace as well. Antique?"

Luna nodded. "It belonged to my Mum's grandmother. Our house was destroyed during the war so the locket and the pictures inside are all I have left of Mum and her family."

Draco placed his hand on Luna's shoulder and squeezed. "I never met her but I think she would be incredibly proud of you."

"Honestly?"

"No question about it."

"Thank you." Luna blinked back a tear then said, "Sorry - I've lost track of whose turn it is so can you ask another question, please?"

Draco pulled his hand back and adjusted the collar on his shirt. "Right...um...What was your favorite story from Beedle the Bard?"

Luna considered this carefully then answered, "Babbity Rabbity."

"Why that one?"

"People underestimated the main character because of her appearance. She also turned into a rabbit at one point in the story. I often think that is why my patronus took the shape of a hare." She paused then asked, "What about you? Which story is your favorite?"

Draco answered without hesitation. "The Fountain of Fair Fortune."

"Why?"

"Mother wasn't allowed to read it to me. Father hated it so much he even tried to get it banned from the school library. The whole 'pure blood falling in love with a muggle' aspect of the story, you know. Apparently he went on an utter rampage in Dumbledore's office about it. Of course if your parents don't want you exposed to something, what's the first thing you want to do? So once I learned to read I would sneak down to the Manor library at night and devour all of the stories Mother wasn't permitted to share with me." He shook his head. "I honestly couldn't see what all the fuss was about but it enraged my father so it became my favorite of the lot."

"Clandestine and cunning. Very Slytherin," Luna grinned. "Okay then. My turn. Favorite class at school."

"Potions."

" Why?" asked Luna.

"It was clear cut and defined. You follow an exact formula and you achieve a desired result. I liked the clarity of it," Draco said. "The murkier things became in my personal life the more I craved order and certainty wherever I could find it."

"That makes sense."

"What about you?"

Luna snuggled the animal in her arms. "Guess."

Draco pulled an exaggerated face as he pretended to mull over the question. "Umm...Care of Magical Creatures?"

Luna smiled broadly. "Right in one."

"Dare I ask why?"

"Simple. Because in there, who I was didn't matter. The creatures didn't mind being held by Loony Lovegood. They didn't call me names or hide my belongings. They didn't care that I was odd or different. All they cared about was how I treated them. It was the one place I was sure something would love me back."

The memory of how she had been treated at school, and his participation in it, once more caused Draco's heart to ache.

Luna's voice called him back from those thoughts and forced him to focus. "Your turn again."

"Right. Favorite teacher in school."

"Trelawney," Luna said.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? The crazy lady who taught Divination? Why?"

"The truth? When I was in that class everyone was so busy making fun of her that they forgot about me for an hour." Luna chin trembled slightly. "I'm not proud of it but there you go."

"Hey. Don't feel bad about that. It makes sense. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you admitting it," Draco said, nudging her arm. "Besides, if she was half as psychic as she said she was then she should have seen it coming, right?"

"Stop!" Luna tried to stifle a giggle and gave him a playful shove with her foot. "What about you?"

"Favorite teacher at school? Definitely Snape. And not just because of his inclination to reward Slytherin and punish Gryffindor. Although, I'll grant you - that was a bonus."

Draco gazed into the distance and turned serious. "But, honestly, it was because he kept me from making the biggest mistake of my life. If I had gone through with killing..."

Draco was unable to finish the sentence so Luna reached for his hand and said, "In that case then perhaps he's my favorite as well."

There was a long silence before Luna squeezed his hand and attempted to lighten her voice. "So - my turn again. Tell me the truth, Malfoy Draco Malfoy," She edged closer and asked in a loud whisper, "Did the sorting hat ever consider placing you in another house?"

Draco gave a furtive glance around. "If you repeat this to anyone, I will proclaim you a liar but...yes. For a brief second it considered putting me in Ravenclaw."

Luna let out a rather unladylike snort. "No! Really?! Ravenclaw? We could have been housemates?"

"And what's so funny about that? Don't think I'm clever enough?" Draco huffed indignantly.

"What? No. I didn't mean that at all. You are incredibly clever. I was just imagining the fun you and I could have had planning tricks on the Slytherin quidditch team."

"Merlin help us." Draco chuckled. "What about you? I'm guessing you gave the hat absolute fits."

"And what exactly do you mean by that, Malfoy Draco Malfoy?" Luna teased.

"What I mean, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, is that while you obviously have enough wit for a Ravenclaw, you also possess the outrageously impulsive tendencies of a Gryffindor, the cunning mind of a Slytherin and..." Draco looked at the creature sleeping in her arms, "the heart and patience of a Hufflepuff. I'm surprised you still aren't sitting on that blasted stool waiting for the hat to make up its mind."

Luna smiled nostalgically. "You know, Rolf said almost the exact same thing about me once."

Draco was unsure about how he felt about that comparison and countered simply, "Well, you know. Great minds and all that..."

At that moment a cool breeze blew through causing Luna to shiver. Draco summoned a blanket and draped it gently around her. "Come here. Can't let you freeze to death." Before he could move away she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Draco," Luna murmured. "That feels nice."

And with those words Luna promptly fell asleep leaving Draco to wonder how someone that was trying so diligently to avoid prolonged physical contact with another person could fail as abysmally and as often as he did.

Unsure how to extricate himself without waking her, Draco reasoned there would be no harm in staying in that position for a few more minutes and soon he was fast asleep as well.

xoxox

The dream he had while holding Luna affected Draco more than any of the others. In it he and Luna were curled up in the same position but instead of the graphorn calf, Luna was now cradling a newborn baby girl and instead of outdoors beside a campfire they were now seated on a divan inside a cozy sitting room. Rays of bright sunlight poured through large picture windows, spilling pools of light across polished wooden floors.

Suddenly, a little boy with platinum blonde hair and pale grey eyes burst into the room and came charging towards them.

"Mummy! Daddy! Is this her? Is this my new little sister?"

"Whoa! Hold up there, big man!" laughed Draco, scooping the child in his arms and placing him gently beside Luna and the baby. "Yes, this is her but remember what we talked about? Babies are fragile so you need to be very careful around her, okay?"

"Sorry, Daddy. I'm just really excited to meet her!" The boy bent down to inspect the new addition to the family. "She's so tiny. Was I ever that tiny? What's her name, Mummy?"

"Yes," said Luna. "You were that tiny once and Daddy and I still trying to decide on her name. Do you have any ideas, Scorpius?"

The child screwed up his face in concentration then said, "Well - I remember Daddy told me that your name meant "moon" and Draco and Scorpius are both consil...conster..."

"Constellations," prompted Draco.

"Yeah - that," said Scorpius. "I know that means a bunch of stars. Can she be named after stars too?"

"That's a lovely thought," said Luna, "There is a constellation known as Lyra. She was a musician. There is also a phenomenon known as a Nova."

"What's that?" asked Scorpius.

Draco answered, "A nova is a new star - one that releases a tremendous burst of energy and light when it is created."

The boy nodded firmly as he looked around the room, "That's it then. She's new and it's awfully bright in here today."

"I certainly can't argue with that logic," Draco smiled, wrapping one arm around the boy and the other around Luna and the baby. "Nova Pandora Malfoy. Sounds good to me. What do you think, love?"

"I think it's perfect," said Luna. She was kissing the baby on the forehead when Draco woke up.

The joy and intimacy of the moment Draco had just experienced came very close to overwhelming him. As he watched Luna and the calf sleeping peacefully beside him, he was forced to finally admit the truth to himself. He hadn't been fantasizing about Luna simply because they had been thrown together for an extended period of time or because he was lonely for female companionship. The truth was he had fallen head over heels in love with this woman and wanted nothing more than a future with her - but he'd be damned if he had any idea how to make that happen.