The Last Horcrux

Eltanin Von Wold

If you totted up all the shitty Death Eater things the Malfoy family had done, they came out about even with all the shitty Death Eater things the Zabini family had done. Which helped Draco feel comfortable around Blaise. He was just about the only person Draco would bother to go out with for a pint and just talk.

Blaise had fallen hard for Luna Lovegood after the war, fallen in a way that, in Draco's opinion, showed a distinct lack of caution. It was one thing to fall in love with someone inappropriate. Draco himself had done that.

It was another thing to make a public display of it.

One windy Wednesday evening, the week before Christmas, Draco met Blaise for a beer at the Leaky Cauldron. The place was busy with the after work crowd, and Draco and Blaise sat at the far end of the bar. Their conversation felt private with the buzz of chatter all about them. They were into their second pint and Blaise was talking about Luna.

"Why don't you just ... you know... declare yourself?" said Draco, at last. He was growing a bit impatient with Blaise's obsessive dissection of his relationship with Luna. "Get on one knee? Give her a ring?"

"I've thought about it," said Blaise, staring into his beer glumly. "Believe me, I have, but ... I don't think Luna's ready for that. I'd probably just scare her off......" He looked at Draco. "What about you and Dudley then? Getting ready to pop the question?"

"No." Draco squirmed uncomfortably.

"Why not? You two seem.....pretty happy."

"We are. Well to tell you the truth, he wants to."

"Wants to what?"

"Get married.... " said Draco. He felt the heat on his stupid pale face and looked into his beer. "But I.....Don't feel ready for that."

"Why not? You love him, yeah?"

"Yeah. I do. I love him.....a lot."

"How's the sex?"

Draco smirked. "It's amazing, actually."

"Okay then, great sex and you love him, and he wants to get hitched. What's holding you back? Worried your family won't like it?"

"Well.....they won't, but I don't give a nargle's nut about that."

"What then?"

"I guess.....I'm worried.....If we got married we'd start to take each other for granted. I mean, in a way, Dudley's all I've got. He's been through a lot of shite with me, and he's stuck by me. He's good about it too. He knows when to shut up and just listen, he doesn't give me a lot of phony advice or encouragement. I depend on him.... Emotionally, I mean. I don't want to bung it up. I.....I never thought I could really feel.....this way about anyone. It happened.....during the war and I think it surprised both of us. I fought it for a long time."

"What do you mean?"

"Well....I didn't want to be queer, for one thing, although honestly, it was pretty obvious, but I had a hard time accepting it. I know my parents would hate it if they knew. And then Dudley's .....Muggle born.....and.....I mean, everyone thought he was Muggle, actually, for the longest time.....until the final battle when his magic just kind of......came pouring out."

"So that's why he didn't go to Hogwarts."

"Yeah."

"And now?"

"Well, he doesn't have any training, but.....he uses my wand sometimes and his magic is definitely there. I've been teaching him a few things. He's pretty cute about it actually."

"Cute," said Blaise, and Draco blushed.

"I think I'm drunk."

"Yeah," said Blaise. "We both are. Let's have another. He signaled Tom the barman and ordered another round.