Past Demons

When Luna awoke the first rays of the sun were streaming through a crack in the heavy curtains that covered Draco's windows. She stretched out, remembering the previous night to find herself alone in Draco's large bed. She sat up and looked around, curious about where he had gone, but there was no indication. Not seeing any of her own clothes from the previous evening, she found a green silk dressing robe and slipped it on before venturing out of Draco's room and into the manor halls.

Malfoy manor was much larger than she had thought. She had been imprisoned in the basement, but that was smaller of course and she had been contained in a small cell. Her room was a fair size, but she'd never really taken the time to explore properly. This wing was large and open, however and she could tell that there were at least twelve unoccupied rooms on this side of the upstairs alone. Determined to find out more about the place later, she settled for going downstairs to search for Draco.

He wasn't in the drawing room or the kitchen and she seriously doubted that he would be in the library at such an hour, or any of the rooms his father had kept locked up to keep dark magic ceremonies contained or the BDSM materials that he had apparently been a collector of hidden from whatever company happened along. Luna sighed and put her search for Draco on halt in favor of getting herself a cup of coffee. She considered the possibility that he had gone into work very early, but dismissed it as well, noting that the doors hadn't been unlocked, nor the internal seals broken.

After filling a mug with the steamy hot substance that would rouse her more fully, she continued her search for her lover. She finally spotted him when she returned upstairs, sitting on the roof outside of a tiny window. She banished the coffee to the kitchen and climbed out after him, curious about his actions. "Morning, sunshine," she said brightly, settling herself beside him. He looked over at her then back out at the view of the valley.

"Isn't it beautiful?" he asked, nodding toward the view.

"Yes," Luna agreed, taking in the sight of the world before them. She also realized that they were very high up and wondered why it didn't seem so high when she was inside. Draco put an arm around Luna's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"My father wouldn't agree with anything I've done since the war," he said quietly. "Not that I mind…I've just been thinking about things like that for a while. I suppose I've changed my opinions of him in the last few years."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Luna replied. "You've the right to change your mind."

"I feel sort of like a traitor," Draco admitted. "Because I've strayed so far away from my father's teachings. Dismissed the elf staff and sold off most of his darker possessions."

"Elves don't exactly want to be our slaves, do they?" she asked. "Hermione Granger was right about that."

"Perhaps she was right about a few more things," Draco conceded. "But don't tell her I said that. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Have you talked to anyone from school since the war?" Luna asked.

"No. I saw Balise in the Alley once, but didn't really want to speak to him. Lousy git probably would have wanted to get a discount on my father's prized possessions."

"I got an owl or two from Ginny Weasley in the beginning, and a few from Harry, but they're off being famous. Harry's too busy for much, these days."

"Fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. I suppose he's getting what he deserves for being such a show off for all those years," Draco said with a hint of a sneer. "He's not all that bad; I suppose…not great, though, by a long shot."

"He did save the world," Luna commented.

"You saved my world," Draco told her, changing the subject altogether. He was tired of talking about things that had happened in the past. Sitting on the roof had given him time to think. "I love you, Luna."

She beamed back at him. "Do you think we'll be able to settle into normalcy again?" she asked. "The Wizarding world, I mean."

"Yes," he replied. "And in the mean time I want you to help me rebuild this world. I've got to carry on the Malfoy name, father would have wanted that, at least."

"I'll help you," she agreed with a serene smile. "But not because of the name. I want to help you feel better about yourself…you can recreate the name."

"I suppose I will." They sat entwined until the sun rose fully and hotly overhead. Draco was the first to move, needing to satisfy his growling stomach. "Breakfast?" he asked. She promptly agreed and they went inside.

The next two months were difficult for Draco, Luna could tell. She didn't know if it was because of the demands on him from work, or if he was just trying to get his father's ghost off his back, but she tried to ease his mind in the evenings with their chats and lovemaking. He told her of his desire to start work in the Ministry of Magic as Head of Magical Games and Sports and they celebrated, but not before Kingsley Shacklebolt checked them both out at home for dark intentions. Draco sold the shop and his hours soon became regulated.

Luna was pleased that Draco was starting to get back into society, but she wondered if she should worry about power going to his head. He proved her worries silly by taking her out and being distant from most others, though not in an overpowering way. Their relationship continued to grow until she welcomed him home one evening and was informed that he was ready to officially make her a Malfoy.

She found it strange that after so many years of awkwardness around him; she suddenly felt so at home and thanked Merlin for the change. "You should invite the Weasley girl and Potter," he told her over dinner one evening. She could only smile at him in return…Draco Malfoy seemed to have made a definite turn for the better and Luna couldn't help but be excited to join him in finding a new place in their community.