cloud walker • druna

Twenty Nine

Luna pressed her forehead against the window, watching large snowflakes falling lazily from the gray sky. There was already a blanket of snow that made the countryside look pristine and fresh, and they were supposed to get another inch or two by that night.

"Are you sure about this, Luna? I mean really, truly sure?" Dad asked for probably the tenth time that morning.

"I am."

"But he's a Death Eater. You know that."

"He was a Death Eater."

"You know all the horrible things he did, and yet you still insist on this?"

She had hidden their relationship as long as she could for fear of upsetting her father, but there had never been secrets between them and she didn't want to start now, so she had confessed that she was seeing Draco Malfoy. Her father wasn't thrilled about the idea, and she could hardly blame him. Like most parents, he just wanted her to be safe and happy.

"Is it so much to ask that I get to spend Christmas with two people I care about this year?" Luna asked, turning to face her father, who clenched his jaw against the question.

"If it means that much to you, sweetie, then I'd be happy to have him, and I promise I'll behave myself."

He took the last few steps to close the gap between them and pulled her into a tight hug. When he finally released her, he stepped back and studied her face for a moment.

"Well, I suppose if he's going to be here, we'll have to put up some extra decorations. Plus, with all that negative energy, for sure we'll have to have more protection against nargles. They're drawn to that stuff, you know. Nothing they love more."

Dad was still mumbling to himself as he left the room, presumably to collect more things. He was in such a good mood, especially after having had the idea of Draco spending Christmas with them sprung on him, but Luna couldn't help but feel her Christmas spirit plummet at the mention of nargles.

She had already begun her apprenticeship training with a magizoologist that she liked and respected, so when he had originally laughed off her belief in the creatures her father had always talked about, she figured he wasn't as good at his job as he claimed to be. But as time went on and she had started traveling and studying herself, something inside her shifted. Was it possible that it was Dad who had been wrong all these years? Was it all really lies, everything she'd grown to believe in?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a whoosh from the fireplace as the flames turned green and a platinum-blond man stepped out from them, shaking off his robes.

"Am I late?" he asked. As Dad walked back into the room with a small box of things, he added, "Or am I too early?"

"No, no, you're right on time. We're just putting up some finishing touches," Dad said, holding up a small wreath made of mistletoe, Dirigible plums, and a few decorative flowers.

"For the nargles, right?"

Dad hesitated, but Luna could tell that he was impressed. It wasn't exactly a response he would've expected, especially the way it was delivered with no taunting or malice.

"Indeed."

Dad handed the wreath to him and motioned to a corner of the room. Draco glanced at her as if she was supposed to save him, but Luna merely shrugged. Resigned to his fate, Draco drew his wand and went to hang the wreath where he was told.

"Do you remember this, sweetie?" Dad asked as he pulled a small statue from the box. It looked like a horse mid-gallop except its mane and feet were on fire.