Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling
Draco tries to return Luna's art book, but every time he even looks in her direction one of her Gryffindor friends were there to glare at him and he convinces himself that it's better to wait until later. After a month, he gives up entirely. He doesn't even know if he wants to give it back anymore. The pictures in it became less unsettling and more comforting every time he looks at them. Besides, her drawings give him idea, he can't get rid of it now.
It takes a month and a very confused Professor Mcgonagall for him to compile a list of all the names he needs to put his plan in action. Another month filled with angry parents, tear stained letters, and a skeptical Mrs. Weasley passes before he gets permission to use said names. Finally everything is in place,and just in time for Christmas break too. The timing couldn't have worked out better.
Luna is the first to know what he's done.
Two days before the end of break he sends her an owl asking her to meet him in the same compartment as last time. Miraculously she accepts and this time she's expected when the compartment door slides open.
"Would you like to take a seat?" Draco offers when the Ravenclaw doesn't move from the doorway.
She takes a second to think about it, "I don't know. Last time I sat with you the nargles stole my stuff." she stares at him expectantly.
"Right," Draco mumbles to himself, already moving towards his luggage to get her art book. "I was going to give it back." he finds it and tries to hand it to her, but she's to busy looking at his arm to notice.
While going through his bags his sleeves got pushed up revealing the area where his death mark is for everyone to see. "I hope you don't mind I used your design," Draco tells her because he doesn't know what else to say at the moment. She's still staring at his new tattoo.
The ink is almost identical to her drawing, but he altered it so that the lines are formed out of the names of everyone that died during the war against Voldemort.
"It's very you," Luna finally speaks. Draco can't help but disagree. It isn't anything like him, hopefully it's better than he is.
She smiles and accepts her book back before going to set down on the bench. They end up spending the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.
The second person to know about Draco's new ink is actually multiple people at once, and then only out of inevitability. He dorm mates catch sight of it that night when they all change for bed. By breakfast the next day the whole school knows.
Draco's new not-so-dark mark is the subject of whispered conversations and common room gossip for a week before someone gathers up the nerve to ask about it. Then, when someone does no one is expecting it to be high tempered Ron Weasley.
Ron stops him in the middle of the hallway after classes on the second Monday of the term with Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and even Luna behind him. "My mum says that you have my brother's name on your arm," he blurts out, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I want to see it."
Draco wants to deny it, but he knows that goes against the whole reason for the tattoo in the first place. Instead, he tries to ignore the crowd that has gathered as he hesitantly rolls of his sleeve.
Fred Weasley's name is close to the middle of the piece, helping to make up the outline of a red flower that almost matches the colour his hair had been. When Ron notices, he gets a weird look in his eyes that has Draco preparing to be punched.
"That's my brother's name, if you ever do something to dishonor that, you're going to wish that You Know Who killed you when he had the chance." having said his piece, Ron walks away with unshed tears glittering in his eyes.
Ginny Weasley sends on last glare Draco's way before following her brother and his friends. Luna is the only one who stays behind. She catches his gaze and holds it for a moment before she gives him an encouraging nod and disappears into the dispersing mob of students.
Draco stands there for a minute more as he tries to figure out what just happen and why it feel like he hasn't breathed through the whole encounter. Composing himself, he tighten his grip on his books and hurries to his next class.
After that, other students who had lost family members in the war came up to Draco during his free period, in the common room, and during meals asking to see the name of their loved one. No longer is his dark mark a symbol of his hatred and past mistakes, but his attempt at remembering his sins while still hoping to repentance.
By the end of the year, Draco Malfoy started think that maybe his boggart isn't as scary as he thought it was if it can be defeated with a little ink.