I Begged to Be Adored

Disclaimer: JKR owns it all. I'm just having fun.

Chapter Nine

I Begged to Be Adored

Draco grimaced as Astoria's fingers tightened painfully around his forearm, her long nails digging through his heavy wool sleeve. Dragging his eyes away from Luna, he looked down at his fiancée, one eyebrow lifting in silent query; she didn't bother to respond. Her lips pursed, and she turned away to pour herself another glass of Firewhisky, then swallowed the lot, the corners of her mouth turning down into a deep frown. Draco's brow furrowed momentarily, but then he shrugged and returned his gaze to where Luna and the wizard...was that Adrian Pucey?...were greeting Neville and Susan.

His eyes narrowed as he watched Luna chat and laugh with their hosts, every now and then sneaking a glance at Pucey. Was she on a date? So soon? It had only been a few months, for Merlin's sake! He was well aware of his hypocrisy, but he didn't care. She was supposed to be at Grimmauld Place, mourning his loss and crying herself to sleep, wishing he was with her, damn it. Not that he enjoyed the idea of her being utterly bereft and heartbroken, but if she had truly loved him ... well, wouldn't she have been?

His hand moved to rake his fingers through his hair but then fell awkwardly to his side as he recalled that he'd slicked it back. Damn it all to hell. With a scowl, he clenched his hands into fists as he watched Luna and Pucey, their hands clasped together as they circuited the room to where Pansy and Weasley were standing.

Draco shook his head slightly, his forehead wrinkling in contemplation. Why would Luna be speaking with Pansy? He supposed she could be saying hello to Weasley ... but no. She was definitely speaking with Pansy.

Confused, he watched as they chatted amicably. As far he knew, Pansy and Luna weren't friends ... or at least they hadn't been. Of course, he hadn't spoken with Pansy since the day she'd shown up at the Manor after the news of his break-up had shown up in the Prophet, her face as red as her crimson silk robes. She had clapped him on the back of the head and then informed him, in no uncertain terms, that Luna had been the best thing to ever happen to him and that if he'd had any brains at all left in his head, he would go to Luna immediately, preferably on his hands and knees, and beg her to take him back. She'd been correct, of course, but Draco had not responded, merely let her rage at him all she liked. Pansy had ranted for at least an hour, until she'd realised he was serious about calling things off with Luna, called him a "daft prick," and stormed from the house in a whirlwind of silk and fury.

Draco hadn't seen her since.

His spine straightened as he considered the possible ramifications of a friendship between the two witches. Pansy did nothing without a purpose, and he had to wonder what she hoped to gain, especially since he had made himself perfectly clear as to the subject of Luna. He glanced at the couples again, and his eyes met Pansy's. Undaunted by the cool aloofness of her gaze, he nodded in acknowledgement; she tossed her head and glanced away.

He winced slightly and somehow managed to restrain his groan. That head toss could mean only one thing...she was nervous. And in Draco's experience, that was never a good thing.

Luna calmly stood beside Adrian as they chatted with Pansy and Ron, but her mind was feverishly going over her plan whilst her stomach churned. Her entire future hinged on what would happen over the next few hours, and the uncertainty of it was gnawing a hole in her stomach. But she had to believe that she would be in Draco's arms before the night was through, and that knowledge gave her both comfort and the fortitude to carry on. She listened half-heartedly to the others as they talked; she wanted to discuss how things were going to go, but Ron wasn't aware of the plan being unfurled right under his nose. Pansy had insisted that it was for the best...whilst Ron was excellent at strategy, he was apparently pants at subterfuge.

It took every ounce of strength within her not to risk a glance at Draco. She hadn't seen him in so very long, and she'd missed him desperately. It didn't help that she could feel him looking at her, and she was very curious to know what colour his eyes were. That would tell her everything. Were they cold and icy, warm and foggy, passionate and stormy, or were they liquid pools of fiery molten silver?

She wrinkled her nose; the last comparison made her wonder if perhaps she had been spending too much time with Pansy.

Ron wandered off to speak with Harry and Ginny when they arrived, leaving the three conspirators alone.

"Draco hasn't been able to take his eyes off you since you arrived," Pansy murmured under her breath as soon as Ron left, her mouth curving into a satisfied smile. "Hmm. I think it's time to push things along a bit, show him what he's missing, don't you?" Pansy waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Luna's eyes widened, and she fought the urge to squirm in her new designer shoes...they were frightfully uncomfortable. The knot in her stomach tightened; she wasn't certain she was ready for her unveiling yet.

Adrian must have sensed her discomfort, because he grasped her hand and gave her fingers a squeeze. "You look ravishing, my dear, but it's time to gild the lily, so to speak ... unless you've changed your mind about Malfoy," he goaded.

Luna wasn't one to fall for such blatant manipulations, or even non-blatant ones, but Pansy and Adrian were right; she'd set her course, and she wouldn't back down now. She looked up at Adrian and smiled. "Thank you for agreeing to this. You know, in case I forget later."

Adrian laughed, his hazel eyes dancing with mirth. "I'd do anything to see Malfoy brought to his knees. I consider it a privilege to take part." He winked. "Now, let's get on with it."

Luna started at Adrian's words...was that why he'd agreed? Oh, dear. If that was his motivation, she might have made a devastating miscalculation. No. No, she was quite good at reading people. Everything was fine. Determination straightened her spine, and as Adrian helped her to remove her cardigan, she thanked Merlin for warming charms and hoped that she had read all the players correctly.

"Is everything all right, darling?"

Draco was able to tear his eyes away from Luna to glance briefly at Astoria before returning his gaze to the couple across the room. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

Astoria shrugged one delicate shoulder. Draco noticed that she was staring at the same couple he had been watching, and he wondered if she were upset that his former girlfriend was in attendance. He didn't find that likely; after all, it wasn't as if she were in love with him. Astoria had no illusions as to what their marriage was about: ambition and power and tradition. It had nothing to do with love. He was about to inquire as to her interest in Luna when he was brought up short. Luna had turned to face him, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked straight at him whilst Pucey helped her to remove her cardigan. The wizard's fingers lingered on the exposed skin of her shoulders and arms as the fabric slowly slid away. Draco felt his jaw clench, but then ....

Great Merlin's ghost.

When she'd arrived, he hadn't noticed what Luna was wearing...he'd been too caught up in his own miserable thoughts...but he couldn't help but notice now. The dress should be added to the list of Unforgivables...surely his heart wasn't the only one that had stopped at the sight of her. At least her long legs were covered by the floor-length skirt, the bright multi-coloured stripes standing out in stark contrast to the more staid colours favoured by most of the witches in attendance. But it was the top that had garnered his...and damn it, every other man's...attention. He glared at the room in general before returning his gaze to Luna.

Two pieces of turquoise fabric that looked like ... like knitted scarves, of all things, were attached to the front of the skirt. The pieces of fabric travelled up over her breasts, leaving in between them a tantalising sliver of skin, from navel to sternum, before crossing at the base of her neck and tying at the back of her nape. Draco shuddered; that bit of skin taunted him, daring him to run his finger along the strip of exposed flesh, followed closely by his tongue. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to control his baser instincts even as he felt himself begin to harden in response to the vision before his eyes.

Then she turned her back to him, and Draco was lost.

He swayed under the dizzying wave of lust that washed over him. Her hair, typically worn down, had been swept up, providing an unobstructed view of the elegant curve of her neck. He groaned softly; that wasn't the worst of it. Oh, no. The design of the dress left Luna's entire back and shoulders gloriously, wonderfully, sinfully bare.

Draco was amazed that he was still upright, his blood had rushed to his groin so quickly. His fingers itched to touch her, to revel in the warmth of her silky skin, to kiss every bit of flesh. As if that weren't enough, he longed to bask in her affection...he wanted her to love him, to need him, to desire him ... as he did her.

The fingernails digging into his arm, as well as the wizard who was currently resting his hand at the small of Luna's bare back, reminded him yet again that he'd already made his choice. He no longer had any right to touch Luna, no right to her affection or her love ... not any longer. And perhaps he never had.

Suddenly, it was too painful to watch her any longer, and having never been one for self-flagellation, Draco turned away, cursing his stupidity.

"Well?" Luna asked, trying desperately not to fidget under the weight of Draco's stare. She might have had her back to him, but she knew his eyes were on her.

Pansy laughed. "He noticed all right. I'd say little Draco is getting quite a rise out of your dress."

Adrian sniggered.

Luna blinked, then smiled beatifically. "Really?" Not wanting to miss out on that display, she was about to turn to take a peek when Pansy grabbed her arm.

"Don't look!" she admonished. "You don't want him to..." Pansy didn't finish her sentence; her eyes narrowed, and then she shook her head slightly. "Oh, no."

"What?" Luna asked, concentrating desperately on not giving in to her urge to turn around but concerned by Pansy's reaction to whatever she'd just seen. "What's happened?"

Pansy seemed shaken for a moment, but she recovered quickly, her eyes gleaming with determination. "He's turned away. But don't worry. He saw what we wanted him to see. Everything will be fine."

Luna idly wondered why she didn't feel reassured.

"What did I miss?" Ron said as he rejoined the group and slung an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

Pansy sighed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Draco's resolve to refrain from watching Luna lasted all of two minutes, and he angled his body so that he could see her from the corner of one eye. He couldn't seem to look away no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much it hurt. Jealousy and regret slammed into him, hitting him like a Bludger to the chest. His fingers moved of their own accord to rub at the ache just above his heart, and for the first time, Draco didn't bother to blame the feeling on indigestion or nerves or any of the other excuses he'd given himself in the past. He knew exactly what it was ... and he also knew there wasn't a blasted thing he could do about it.

Damn it. It looked as though his plan had been a resounding success after all. But instead of the thrill of triumph, there was only the bitter taste of defeat.

Which made no sense whatsoever. After all, this was what he'd wanted, what he'd planned all along. He had found a witch who would satisfy the requirements of a Malfoy wife, and Luna had found ....

Coward that he was, he couldn't bring himself finish the thought, even with the evidence right in front of him.

Luna laughed at something Pucey said, the full, rich sound carrying across the room, and Draco felt as if something inside him withered and died. She'd often laughed that way with him...with such uninhibited joy...and he longed for her to do so again. To laugh with him, to look at him with that dreamy smile and those deceptively unfocussed eyes. He wanted to be the one to hold her hand, to entwine his fingers with hers, to kiss the lush mouth that had driven him mad with desire since he had first met her.

But he couldn't. He no longer had the privilege; he'd given it all up.

Because he was an idiot.

Draco was about to pour himself another glass of much-needed Firewhisky when Luna's laughter rang out again. He couldn't keep himself from glancing in her direction, but this time, what he saw confused the daylights out of him.

Luna was now standing a good distance away from Pucey, her posture unusually stiff, as if she were nervous or uncomfortable. Pucey, on the hand appeared bewildered; he edged closer to Luna and then once again took her hand in his. She jumped, obviously startled, and within seconds had managed to escape Pucey's grasp and moved away from him yet again.

Bemused, Draco watched carefully as the same scene played out again and again, until it seemed as if they were doing some bizarre sort of ritualistic dance. Before too long, they'd completed a circular pattern around Pansy and Weasley. It was the oddest thing Draco had ever seen.

What in Merlin's name was going on?

Luna was having doubts about her plan. Adrian was acting oddly, Pansy was tossing her head nervously every few minutes, and Hermione had yet to arrive. Not that Hermione was essential to the plan, but Luna simply needed her friend's support. Without Hermione there to ground her, she felt a tad adrift.

"Don't you think that's funny, Luna?" Pansy said suddenly, her pointedly asked question freeing Luna from her thoughts.

Luna laughed instantly, playing her part, the sound a bit too loud even by her standards. She was terribly nervous, though, a feeling with which she was utterly unfamiliar. Usually she was quite calm and not easily flustered. She felt her lips quirk into a small smile...only Draco could draw out such emotions in her, and she loved him for it. Still, her nervousness only caused her to worry, something that was also new to her. She didn't think she was a very good actress, even under the best of circumstances...she had no idea how on earth she'd ever managed to convince everyone that she was a Seer...and she just knew that Draco was going see right through her, and the plan would be ruined.

She glanced at the doorway, but Hermione and Severus had still not arrived.

Adding to her somewhat distressed state was Adrian's insistence on holding her hand. Luna hoped he wasn't attracted to her...that would certainly throw a Bundimun in her plans! Pansy had assured her that she had told him everything, so Luna was perplexed by his actions. Unable to simply ask him to explain himself, due to Ron's presence, she settled for simply moving away ... over and over and over again. Merlin, but the man was determined!

"Would you care for a glass?" she heard Adrian say, his hand once again reaching for hers.

"I'm sorry...a glass of what?" Luna asked as she carefully moved out of range yet again. She really needed to pay more attention to the conversation. Of course, that was quite difficult when trying to avoid her date's advances; she certainly didn't want Draco to think that she'd moved on already. What a disaster that would be!

"Mulled wine, dear," Adrian murmured, looking at her oddly. "Would you care for some? Perhaps a canapé?"

"Oh." Luna contemplated the wisdom of imbibing when she had such important business to which she needed to attend, but she supposed one glass couldn't hurt. The food would help, as well. "Yes, please. Thank you."

Ron and Adrian excused themselves, leaving Luna and Pansy alone.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Pansy whispered harshly, pulling Luna into a far corner of the room. "This isn't going to work if you won't even stay within three feet of him!" She flung her hand in the general direction of Adrian's retreating form.

Luna blinked, her already protuberant eyes widening at Pansy's rebuke. "But the plan..."

"Exactly! You must remember the plan, Luna. This is important!"

Tilting her head to the side, Luna studied Pansy's perturbed but earnest expression. "I'm not quite certain how holding Adrian's hand will be of help, but if you think it's truly necessary ...."

Pansy stared at her blankly for a moment, then shook her head. "You're either very naïve or .... Never mind. Just stick to the plan, and everything will be fine."

Luna's forehead wrinkled in confusion, but she nodded anyway.

A flash of black near the door caused her to turn her head, and she sighed in relief; Severus and Hermione had arrived. Luna waved her hand wildly to garner their attention...she really needed Hermione to stay close by to help keep her calm and focussed ... and perhaps Severus would be able to keep Adrian occupied...dodging his incessant attentions was proving to be quite exhausting!

Dinner was served in the dining room. It seemed to Draco that most of the Order was in attendance: the Snapes, the Potters, a plethora of Weasleys, the Lupins, Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and of course, their hosts, Neville and Susan. Neville's grandmother had been feeling under the weather and had opted not to attend. Neville had been quite relieved, as no one...save perhaps Severus Snape...could make Neville as nervous as Augusta Longbottom. In any event, it was quite a large group, so the dining room and table had been magically enlarged for the evening. Neville had explained earlier that his grandmother had insisted on sending a few house-elves to prepare and serve the meal since she would be unable to "supervise." The eager-to-please creatures were all but trembling with glee at the chance to be of service, popping in and out with various dishes and refilling glasses with a very nice burgundy.

Draco and Astoria had been seated opposite Severus and Hermione; perhaps the undoubtedly stimulating conversation would help to keep things from becoming too awkward, given that Luna and Pucey were seated to Hermione's immediate right. Draco was glad, however, that Luna was close; something strange was going on between her and Pucey, and it was a mystery he felt compelled to unravel.

The tinkling of a small bell pierced through the chatter, and dinner appeared on the plates, much in the same manner as dinner at Hogwarts. The fragrant smell filled the air, and Draco breathed it in, his body stiffening as he recognised the scent. Boeuf Bourguignon. Memories of his first date with Luna flooded his mind.

"What do you think?" Luna asked.

After a few more bites, Draco decided that the food wasn't completely awful and found that he was almost enjoying it. It was by no means on par with, say, Boeuf Bourguignon, but it was edible ... barely. He considered Luna's contented expression as she ate the last of her fries and then discussed her latest Charms research. Perhaps the company more than made up for the lack of romantic ambiance.

A lump formed his throat, but he swallowed it down with a sip of his wine. Sliding a brief glance at his fiancée, who was delicately picking at her meal, he wondered if he would always feel this aching regret and longing or if it would dissipate over time. Part of him hoped it would go away, but an even bigger part wanted to cling to his love for Luna with everything he had in him.

His fork paused midair at that last thought. Wasn't that exactly why he'd chosen duty to family over love...because he had wanted to hang on to the final remnant of his life as a Malfoy? He'd planned and schemed and manipulated, and now that he had achieved his goal, he yet again wanted the very thing he had given up.

What the hell was wrong with him? He had been unhappy when he'd chosen honour over duty, and now he was unhappy when he'd chosen duty over love. Was he purposefully sabotaging himself, and if so, why? Did he not think he deserved happiness? Was he doomed to this melancholic state no matter what decisions he might make?

He snorted softly at his maudlin thoughts, though the doubts lingered. He glanced at Luna and sighed. What was done was done. He'd made his bed; now he had to lie in it ... no matter how uncomfortable it was.

As he'd anticipated, the conversation was both stimulating and distracting; thanks to the Snapes, a wide variety of topics were covered. His initial ire at seeing Luna with Pucey had calmed considerably...in all likelihood due to the fact that the witch certainly wasn't acting as if she were on a date. She spoke with Pucey sparingly and instead chose to chat with either Hermione or Pansy, who was seated beside Draco and opposite Luna.

Pansy, he noted, was also acting oddly. She continued to be visibly nervous, that telltale head toss of hers occurring more often than not, which was utterly bizarre; his friend was rarely anxious. Even odder was the way her eyes seemed to bore into Luna, as if attempting to cast a nonverbal Imperius or some such thing. Luna, however, seemed blissfully unaware of the other witch's stare.

There was something strange brewing between the two witches, and between that and the odd behaviour Luna had exhibited towards Pucey, Draco was brimming with curiosity. The situation bore watching ... and that was precisely what he planned to do. That it provided an excuse...a reason, he corrected himself...to watch Luna was merely a pleasant side-effect.

Conversation continued unabated as he finished off the last of his dinner. Blessedly, Astoria had opted to remain silent throughout the course of the meal, her attention fully focussed on her plate. As soon as all the guests had finished their dinners, the plates disappeared, and the air was suddenly heavy with the scents of brown sugar and tart apple as bowls of apple pie and custard appeared. The room was silent for a few moments, save the scrape of silver against china, as the first bites of pie were taken, but soon enough, conversation began to flow once more.

"If Johnson would stop worrying about the Bludgers and let the Beaters do their job, maybe he could see the Snitch."

Draco snorted in agreement with Pucey's words, sniggering under his breath as Hermione rolled her eyes at the new topic of conversation.

Severus sneered. "Perhaps if the Beaters were more consistent in their efforts, Johnson could stop worrying about the Bludgers, thereby allowing him to focus on the finding the Snitch."

"That reminds me of my parents," Luna interrupted suddenly.

Draco instantly slid his gaze to Luna, only to find her eyes to be uncharacteristically sharp as she looked first at Astoria and then Severus.

"I believe you knew my mother, didn't you, Severus?"

Unflappable as always, Severus' arched eyebrow was the only sign of his confusion as to the abrupt change in topic. "Solange?" He gave a small shrug. "I didn't know her well. She was a few years ahead of me at school."

"Mm," Luna hummed around her spoonful of apple pie and custard. She finished chewing and swallowed before continuing. "She was a wonderful person, wasn't she? My father doesn't like to talk about her often...he still loves her dearly, you know, so it's quite difficult for him to speak of her. Their story is so lovely...are you aware of it?" Luna asked, her eyes wide.

Severus glanced at Astoria, and Draco, who knew his former Head of House quite well, saw something click into place in the older wizard's mind. His mouth curved into a small smirk. "I heard rumours and such, yes. They were quite the talk of Hogwarts during my fourth year, their seventh."

"Because of their families," Luna explained to no one in particular as she lifted another spoonful of custard to her mouth.

Draco was paying close attention now. He knew Luna, and the witch wasn't as loony as she appeared. This conversation hadn't come out of nowhere...there was a purpose to it ... he needed only to wait for that purpose to become clear. He listened closely.

Severus gave a deferential nod. "Partially, yes. But also because of their Houses." Severus smirked at Draco's questioning look. "Xenophilius, as you know, was a Hufflepuff, and Solange ... a Slytherin."

"No fucking way."

Hermione cast Draco a withering glance. Luna merely chewed another bite of her pudding.

Severus scowled. "Language, Draco." He sniffed and then began again. "Obviously you were not aware of that fact, but yes, Solange was a member of our esteemed House. Once she decided that Xenophilius Lovegood was the wizard she wanted, like any good Slytherin, she set out to make him hers. I seem to recall she had some sort of ten-step plan."

Draco choked on a sip of wine, coughing until Pansy began to beat him on the back. He waved off the witch. "I'm fine," he said before redirecting his attention to Severus. "A plan, you say?"

"That was the rumour, yes. Her family was livid, as you can imagine. Not only was he a Hufflepuff, but his family connections were nonexistent, despite his pure-blood heritage. The Lovegoods weren't exactly poor, but they certainly were not wealthy and had little interest in the typical pure-blood forays into high society or politics. They were naturalists and practiced the traditions of the Old Magic. One would think pure-bloods would not have found fault with that, but as we all know, pure-blood society is nothing if not progressive."

There were several sniggers around the table at that statement, and Severus hid his smile behind his wineglass before continuing. "In any event, rumour had it that her family disavowed her when she married Xenophilius."

"Disavowed?"

Draco turned his head to look at his fiancée, surprised that she was paying attention to the conversation, not to mention that she had deigned to participate. He looked at Astoria more closely; she was pale, and her fingers were trembling as she brought her glass to her lips. He glanced at Luna, but she was focussed on Astoria, her eyes soft and filled with some sort of understanding.

"Yes," Luna said, her tone dreamy, as always. "My father doesn't like to speak of it, but she was disavowed."

Draco was stunned by this revelation; he and Xenophilius had discussed his marriage, but the wizard had said nothing about disavowal. Disowning a son or daughter for behaviour deemed unacceptable by the family was a common occurrence. It simply indicated that the child would not inherit. Disownment could be...and often was...enacted and withdrawn at the whim of the head of the family. But disavowal meant that the family denied any connection or responsibility for the child...it was as if that child had never been born ... never existed. Once disavowal was invoked, it could not be taken back, and as such, its use was extremely rare. More commonly, families threatened disavowal in order to scare a wayward child back into the family fold.

Surely Solange's family would have informed her of the consequences of continuing her relationship with Xenophilius. That she had been willing to accept disavowal to be with the wizard she loved spoke volumes. Draco could not think of single instance when disavowal had been chosen when the option was given. It was simply unheard of. If Severus had not just proclaimed Solange to have been a Slytherin, Draco would have been even more certain than ever that she had been a Gryffindor; what she had done had required a great deal of bravery.

"Are you certain?" he heard Astoria say, her voice shaking. He frowned; what was wrong with the witch? And why did she care about Xenophilius and Solange Lovegood?

Luna nodded, her large, grey eyes staring directly into Astoria's ice blue ones.

Astoria's face had paled considerably, and she wrung her trembling hands, then hid them in her lap. "But how could she have accepted that...to be cast aside? She sacrificed her family...she sacrificed everything."

"Some people believe that love is worth any sacrifice."

All eyes flew to Adrian Pucey; his gaze was focussed on his pudding, his knuckles turning white as they gripped his spoon, his entire body seemingly frozen.

"Yes, and Solange did sacrifice much," Severus replied, redrawing the attention of the room. "From what I recall, her disavowal was not something she took lightly. Those of you familiar with the practice know how difficult a decision that must have been for her."

"Yes, of course," Astoria said softly, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "I was taught that family supersedes all else. I suppose that's why I find it so incredible that she would have chosen to go against her family's wishes."

Draco nodded in agreement; after all, he had been brought up in a very similar household, and the decisions he had recently made had been based on those very beliefs.

Luna lifted her head, her gaze fixed upon Draco...he couldn't help but look at her...but her words were aimed at his fiancée. "I suppose one could look it at that way. But really, Mum didn't see her sacrifice ... only her gain. She often said that she never regretted her decision for a single moment ... because she knew she would have never been truly happy without Daddy."

And with that, Luna returned to her pudding, but her words echoed in Draco's mind.

"I'm curious," Neville said from the end of the table. "Who was her family?"

Severus' glanced at Luna, but she seemed disinclined to answer as her mouth was filled with pie and custard. "I believe you know the family well, Mr Longbottom. When I met her, she was known as Solange LeStrange."

Astoria's gasp was so loud it echoed throughout the room. Draco agreed with the sentiment; Solange Lovegood had been lucky that her family had allowed her to live...the LeStranges were the sort of pure-blood family that was likely to permanently rid themselves of a disobedient child rather than merely disavow.

Low murmurs filled the room as the guests discussed this latest bit of information, but Draco remained silent, his thoughts in disarray. He and Luna's mother had so much in common that it was almost frightening: they were both Slytherins from wealthy, powerful, pure-blood families and probably had been raised with a very similar set of beliefs, only to find themselves at odds with those beliefs as they grew into adulthood. To her credit, Solange had overcome much more difficult obstacles in her quest for love and happiness than Draco would have needed, had he chosen to forgo The Plan. Whilst the Malfoy family was in shambles, the LeStranges had still been a powerful force when Solange had made her decision to live her life as she'd seen fit. But she had done it. She had lived and loved ... and been happy, even if it had been for such a short time. Recalling the way her portrait had reached out for her husband, Draco knew that had he been able to ask her if it had been worth it, Solange Lovegood would have given an unequivocal "yes."

And wouldn't he have, if he'd chosen Luna? He glanced at the witch who was still eating her pudding as if nothing of import had just occurred. Twenty years from now, wouldn't he have looked back and regretted nothing? Wasn't she worth every sacrifice?

He didn't even have to ponder the answer to that question...of course she was worth it. She was worth everything.

Pucey had been correct: love was worth every sacrifice.

And if he were honest with himself, was it that big a sacrifice to give up that which would confine him to a miserable existence? If nothing else, the past few months had shown him that he no longer fit into the Malfoy mould set down by his ancestors and learnt at his father's knee. Yet he'd put on the mask every day, loathing every moment, and for what? The approval of an imprisoned, embittered man who was all but certain to ridicule and revile him no matter what he did? Why couldn't he build a new legacy for the Malfoy name? One that would invoke respect and honour instead of fear and hatred. He was the heir, the last Malfoy standing...with Luna at his side, they could create a new era.

And what of Luna? Regardless of her ... stranger than usual behaviour that evening, he knew that she loved him and that she did so with the same exuberance, the same zeal with which she did everything. Perhaps he was unworthy of her, perhaps he didn't deserve her, but by Merlin, he was selfish enough to want her despite his shortcomings. If his father or anyone else had a problem with it ... well, he didn't give a flying fuck!

He smirked; perhaps there was a bit of Malfoy left him in him after all.

Draco dropped his spoon in his pudding and was about to proclaim his revelations to all and sundry when a loud sob emitted from with the witch sitting beside him...his fiancée. He supposed he should speak to her first ....

"I'm so sorry, Adrian!" Astoria wailed suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. She pushed away from the table and stood, the chair teetering on its back legs before righting itself. "It was all my parents' idea ... I didn't see any other way. I love you! Please, I'm so sorry ...."

To say that Draco was shocked was a vast understatement. He'd never seen Astoria display any emotion but disdain and boredom. And then her words registered. "You're in love with Pucey?"

Astoria nodded, tears trailing down her cheeks as she looked pleadingly at the wizard, who remained seated, his eyes seemingly focussed on the table. "My parents forbade us from marrying, and when Draco ... became available, they threatened to disavow me if I didn't stop seeing ...." Another sob escaped her throat, and Pucey closed in his eyes as if pained by her words. "I didn't want to do it, Adrian, I swear it! My father said..."

Pucey's hand hit the table with a loud thud, garnering more than a few startled gasps, and then he leapt his feet before leaning over the table, his expression thunderous. "Enough! I have been a very patient man, but this has gone on for far too long. I've sat by and watched for months as you pursued another man, and I am done! You say you love me? Prove it!"

With a small pop, Adrian Apparated from one side of the table to the other, reappearing behind Astoria. She gave a little jump as she turned in surprise to face the agitated wizard who immediately took her in his arms, clutching her to him as if his very life depended on it.

"Come with me, Astoria," Adrian pleaded, then pressed a kiss to the witch's temple. "We'll go to Gretna Green tonight and get married. By the time your parents find out, there will be nothing they can do. You and I both know they love you too much to actually go through with the disavowal. But even if they do, wouldn't you rather be with the man you love than one you don't? We'll be all right as long as we're together, darling, but I can't...I won't...live without you."

Astoria peered up at him through damp lashes, and then a miracle happened ... or at least Draco thought it was miraculous. The ice queen seemed to melt before his very eyes, and in her place was a lovely, young witch whose smile lit up the room. Pucey grinned and pulled her even closer before turning on his heel and Disapparating them both ... ostensibly to Gretna Green.

The entire room sat in stunned silence, and all eyes were on Draco, waiting for his reaction to the scene that had just played out in front of all them. No doubt they were waiting for him to display his infamous temper, or perhaps they expected him to be saddened by the loss of his fiancée. If so, they would be sorely disappointed.

"Well, that was ...." Neville snapped his mouth closed and scratched the back of his head, his eyes drifting from Luna, who had finished her dessert and was now licking her spoon as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, to Draco. "That was definitely ... erm ... unexpected?"

Draco couldn't have stopped it if he'd tried; he burst into riotous laughter.

Luna breathed a sigh of relief as dinner finally concluded and the party moved back into the sitting room. She quickly excused herself, needing a few minutes to breathe. Her plan had gone without a hitch; Adrian and Astoria were now together, and Draco had taken everything in stride, thank Merlin. She had been quite worried that he might be upset with her for interfering and would think he'd been right to end things with her. Luna smiled at her reflection; he hadn't been angry at all. He'd laughed...quite enthusiastically, actually...and then devoured his pudding.

And Severus! She hadn't planned on using him in such a fashion...she had intended to relate her parents' story herself...but she'd realised that Astoria would have been much more likely to listen to her former Head of House than a loony witch from Ravenclaw. Thank Merlin he'd caught on quickly. She would have to send him a basket of Nargle-resistant mistletoe for his potions work to show him how grateful she was for his help. Given all the things that could have gone wrong, she was very relieved that everything had worked out in the end.

Turning on the water, she quickly washed her hands and smiled at her reflection. Now she could concentrate on convincing Draco that they were meant to be together. It might take some work on her part, but she was certain that she was up to the task. As she turned off the tap, she recalled her decision the morning Draco had taught her to play Heart and Soul; she had planned to do whatever was necessary to win Draco's heart. However, once his motives had become clear, she'd been so happy that the prophecy was finally coming to pass...albeit in an unusual way...that she'd been too caught up in watching things play out to interfere. Whilst she knew Draco loved her, it was now painfully obvious that she had needed to take a more active role. Even then, things might have gone down the same path; after all, she could lead a ferret to a Hippogriff, but she couldn't make him be eaten. But that no longer mattered, because now she was taking the Hippogriff by the beak. Prophecy or no, she loved Draco, and she couldn't be without him any longer.

Happy with her intentions, Luna exited the loo, only to run into Hermione and Pansy, who had obviously been waiting for her in the hallway.

She rushed to the two women who were her dearest friends and threw her arms around both of them, squeezing tightly before releasing them. "Thank you so much, both of you. It worked perfectly, didn't it? I'm so relieved. I know you thought it would help, Pansy, but Adrian kept trying to hold my hand, and I was so worried that he was already over Astoria, and that would have been just awful. They're quite a lovely couple, don't you think?"

Pansy shook her head slightly, as if attempting to clear her head, and opened her mouth, then closed it. She tried again but then looked questioningly at Hermione.

Hermione sighed and turned to Luna. "Dearest, I believe what Pansy would like to know is ... what the hell are you talking about?"

Luna blinked and tilted her head to one side. "The plan. It worked just as I'd hoped. Now that Astoria is with Adrian...as she should, because she really does love him, you know...Draco won't feel beholden to his engagement." The two witches merely stared at her, their expressions blank. "That was the idea ... wasn't it?"

It was Hermione's turn to imitate a fish, her mouth opening and closing as she searched for something to say. Luna was at a loss; had she missed something?

Finally, Hermione found the words, though they were slowly spoken. "We thought you were going to make Draco jealous. Adrian agreed to help ... to make Draco think you were dating again."

"Oh. Oh! Well, that explains the hand-holding, I suppose." Luna smiled widely. "Thankfully it all worked out."

"Did it?" Pansy asked, finally finding her voice. "Adrian and Astoria are happy, that's true, but what about you and Draco?"

"Oh, I was about to go speak with him..."

"He's gone," Pansy interrupted sharply, but then softened her tone as she reached for Luna's hand. "He left a few minutes ago. I'm so sorry."

The party wasn't nearly as much fun once Luna learned that Draco had left, but she stayed to celebrate the engagement of her friends. It was after midnight when she finally said goodbye. After giving her best wishes to Neville and Susan, she Disapparated directly to number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Opening the gate, Luna slowly walked up the pavement to the front steps. She disliked being the sole resident...she was ever so lonely...but the house reminded her of her time with Draco, and she'd been unable to bear the thought of leaving.

She entered the house with a disappointed sigh; she'd wanted to resolve things with Draco that evening, and now she would have to wait. She supposed she could go to his house, but maybe he needed a bit of time to process things, too. That would be understandable...it had been quite an evening, after all. She'd give him a bit of time to himself, but first thing the following morning, she was going to Malfoy Manor. She refused to spend another minute without him.

Or perhaps she ought to wait until after breakfast...it was the most important meal of the day.

Tired from the long, emotion-filled evening, she closed the front door and headed towards the stairs, intent on getting a full night's sleep before...

She paused, one foot still on the floor, the other on the bottom step; someone was in the house ... and he was playing the piano.

Her mouth curved into a wide smile as she listened to the familiar chords repeat again and again, as if waiting for her to complete them. With her tummy swooping in excitement and anticipation, she raced up the stairs to the drawing room.

Coming to halt just outside the room, Luna lingered in the doorway as she watched him play. His back was to her, but she could see that he'd been busy whilst she had been at the party. The room was filled with candles, their warm glow casting flickering shadows against the walls. He had changed his clothes, ridding himself of the formal dress robes and slicked hair that had once so defined him. Now, he wore the Muggle jeans and jumper he'd worn on their first date; his feet, she noted, were bare, and his hair swung loosely about his face. This wasn't the Malfoy heir or the pure-blood prat or the womanising aristocrat; no, this was her Draco...the man she loved.

Luna entered the room, haphazardly dropping her cardigan along the back of a chair before walking to the piano, ignoring it when it slid onto the floor. She smiled as she noticed that he was seated to the far left of the bench...leaving room for her to join him. Standing behind him, she was temporarily mesmerised by the movement of his hands as they pressed and released the keys. She knew that she could happily watch him play for hours, but the missing melody called to her, and she couldn't help but move around the bench, sliding into place beside him. She didn't play...not yet...but merely sat next to him, their arms touching as he continued the repetitive pattern of chords.

"You looked beautiful this evening," Draco murmured, his eyes focussed on the keyboard.

Luna smiled. "Thank you. You were quite handsome, as well...although I really didn't care for your hair. I much prefer it this way."

He snorted, his lips twitching into a small, amused smirk, but said nothing.

"Are you very pleased? Your plan turned out quite well," Luna said after a few moments.

His hands faltered on the keys, but then he caught himself and continued playing. After clearing his throat, he asked, "Plan?"

"Mm, yes. You know, the one where you dated me for awhile to improve your image so you could marry someone worthy of the Malfoy name. That plan."

The music stopped, and he angled his body to face her. His expression...eyes wide, mouth hanging open...clearly registered his surprise. "Luna..."

"Please, don't stop."

He stared at her and then turned back to the keyboard and resumed playing. "How long have you known?"

"Almost from the beginning. It did work out well, don't you agree? It was a very clever plan."

His brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the keyboard. "Why did you ... how could you ... and you still ...?" Shaking his head, Draco muttered, "I don't deserve you."

"Probably not," she agreed, her heart swelling when he chuckled softly.

"I love you," he said, turning to face her, his eyes dark with longing, with love, his fingers never pausing as the harmony of the four repeating chords continued to fill the room.

There was much more that needed to be said, but for now, his heart-felt words were enough to be going on with. Smiling, Luna lifted her hands to the keyboard and began to add the familiar melody, and at long last, the song was finally whole.

"I love you, too."

Heart and soul, I fell in love with you

Held all my heart and soul

A/N: All that's left is a short epilogue, which should be out later this week. Thank you so much to all of you who have read and reviewed and PM'd me about this story. Writing a pairing other than my OTP, not to mention such a rare one, has been a daunting task, and I am so grateful for your patience in waiting for updates to this story.

A huge thank you to my fabulous betas, DeeMichelle and Subversa, and to my lovely Brit picker, LettyBird. I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to my friend, GinnyW, who put up with a lot of whinging on my part. I love you all!

You can find pictures of Luna's dress at my LiveJournal. The link is in my profile.

Finally, an explanation for one of Luna's sayings, "... throw a Bundimun in her plans." According to HP Lexicon, an infestation of Bundimuns can destroy a house, as their secretions can rot the foundation. So when Luna uses this phrase, she is worried that Adrian's flirtations could ruin the very foundation of her plan.