The Alley

Chapter 3

An old, crumbling house stood where a once beautiful and glorious mansion had been. The gates were rusted, the walkway grassed over, and the once perfectly cut hedges,that never grew out of shape,were now growing wild. Leaves and branches sprung up out of every side,and the square now was a wild green mold. As Luna stared up at the huge house,it brought back so many memories. Memories such as the time she was kidnapped and held in the cellar. She had heard that Draco was turning to the good side, if there even is a good and bad side anymore. Everyone was fighting for themselves, not really for anyone else or a certain side. Just for themselves and fighting for their life, not for a cause and not because anyone thought it was fun fighting anymore. When the war first began,most Death Eaters enjoyed the thrill of the fight and enjoyed watching others see pain. Now, most fight because they don't know what else to do. If they left,the Dark Lord he would kill them in the Alley or even worse torture them to insanity.

Luna started to walk down the long, beaten walk way, dodging the over growth of the hedges and being careful not to trip in one of the many holes that were worn into the path. With every step,she questioned her decision more and more. What if Draco hadn't changed, maybe he was still the same slimy, cowardly, spoiled, no good kid that grew into the same kind of man. It was too late to turn back now, she had already reached the door,and her hand had already struck the big, old, gloomy door. Luna waited a few moments before the door slowly opened  and there stood a tall, thin man with bleach blonde hair. His grey eyes standing out against the black robe that fit snug against his thin frame. 

"Hello, Luna." The man said slowly. His voice cold, hard and it sent chills running down her spine.

"Hello, Draco." She replied. 

"What brings you here? I thought you were running a rebel newspaper, not searching for long lost....friends." A smug smile fell across Draco's face when he said friends.

"Well, you see always being on the run from Death Eaters takes a lot out of you. Sometimes,all I really want is a friend to talk to." Luna was now wearing the same smirk as Draco.

"What happened to Potter?" Luna's eyes gazed at the ground with sorrow. How dare he bring up Harry.

"Oh I forgot, he got himself killed. What about Weasley? Granger? Where are they at? I heard that they are working for the Dark Lord now? Funny how people change during these times...very funny." Draco's smirk now turned into a hateful smile.

"Yeah...funny" Luna's voice trailed off. "Speaking of people changing, I heard that your Death Eater days were done. Why?"

"Yes, they are. I couldn't do it anymore. I had been with them since I was 16, I was born into it, expected to be just like my parents. So I did, and if I wouldn't have it would have killed me."

"It? Don't you mean they would have killed you?" Luna questioned.

"No, I don't mean they." Draco spit the word "they" out like it was poison. "I mean "it" because the stress of constantly having to watch your back and the pressure to not screw up is enough to kill someone. I'm more afraid of the punishment than the people giving it to me." Draco's face was a hard as stone. He didn't even blink, just stared at Luna.

"I never knew it was that bad. I just thought that the Death Eaters went around killing people and then reported back to Voldemort how many you killed." Luna said confused.

"No, being a Death Eater is so much more than just killing people." Draco's face didn't change one bit.  Now, why are you here? Surely it isn't to hear my life story."

"I'm here because  want to find my friends. I want to get more involved in this fight. I hate just sitting around, locked up in my room, writing in a beat up journal about things that are happening, but I don't do anything about them. I just write, and I'm tired of writing." Luna ranted, her words speeding up with every phrase.

"And what do you think I can do about this? My fighting days are over."

"Well, mine aren't,and I want you to help me get started again. You know... where is everyone at? Who is still alive. What armies are there?" Luna's eyes were pleading. She knew that she could stay tucked away in her home out in the country safely and live out the rest of her life that way. But the fight was calling her, and she wasn't going to ignore that.

"And why do you think that I know?" Draco questioned.

"I think that you know because you were in the middle of all of it, and you  still are. You have to face it, Draco. Even though you're not fighting you're still in the fight. You still have the tattoo." Draco looked down at his arm. The skull and snake tattoo was burning,like usual. "Which side I don't know, but never the less you are important to each cause. You knew things about both sides that nobody else knew, but I want to know them. I want to know what you do, so please-" Luna paused and took a deep breathe. "Tell me everything."