It's Too Darn Hot

Summary: Draco is forced by the Ministry to have a formal apology with everyone he hurt during the course of the War as a way to get his reputation back and the last person on his list isn't what he is expecting on a hot summer's day.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Of all of the things that the Ministry had done to him, this was bar far the worst. Since the ending of the War, Draco Malfoy had been abandoned by practically everyone and everything. His parents were locked up for the next thirty years for being Death Eaters, his home was all he had left, no one would give him a job and he himself was facing pretty bad charges by the Ministry. While this was bad, it wasn't the worst.

Not only did Draco have to go up in front of the Ministry and listen to them lecture him about his behavior, he had to stand there and endure Harry freaking Potter defend him to the Ministry. Apparently, since the end of the War, Potter had been a big player in the sayings of the Ministry and one of his charity cases was getting Draco off. Draco Malfoy didn't ask for his help, rather he would be completely shut off from the world if he didn't have to endure listening to Potter gloat. Instead, he was actually let off really easily, since none would deny Harry Potter, the savior and destroyer of the Dark Lord, this simple request of showing a bit of kindness and mercy to a young Draco Malfoy. Now eighteen, Draco was given his sentence by the Ministry on July 21, a few weeks after Harry's speech about forgiveness.

"Draco Malfoy, you are hereby sentenced to fifteen months probation. You will not be permitted to perform any high forms of magic unless in emergencies, and you must give a formal apology to every person you helped to hurt during your time as a Death Eater. If you follow these conditions, you will be free to continue your life like a normal wizard."

Draco was furious. He almost wanted to punch Potter in the face so he wouldn't have to endure the humiliation of apologizing. Malfoys did not apologize to anyone. No matter the situation.

However, Draco had no real choice. His family was disgraced by the outcome of the War, he had almost no money after having to pay for all the damaged the Death Eaters had caused to Hogwarts, he didn't actually graduate from Hogwarts at all, no real job. This was his ticket to getting back on track to at least keep his family's mansion. So, he had no real choice. Of course he was certain that the D.A. was more then glad to hear that he was going to be coming to see each of them, practically begging for their forgiveness, which he would not give them.

The first hurdle, Draco decided, would be to apologize formally to Potter himself. That way if he was going to be even more humiliated, he could do it quickly. Draco decided it was best to get it over with much like pulling off a band-aid. So, the day after his sentencing, and checking in with his "parole officer" (Tonks' father, from the Order) he made his way over to where Potter was currently living, the Weasley house. Draco found that he could kill about ten birds with one stone. Everyone and their mother seemed to be gathered at the house the day he went to go apologize.

Some sort of party was being held and so Draco made his way towards the large ridiculous looking house. Knocking he waited. God, it was hot. He was about to start fanning himself when the door opened to show a formally dressed Harry Potter. Apparently he had anticipated Draco's coming and did not seem at all surprised to see him. Draco sneered as Harry gave his a smirk.

"Well, well, well… Draco Malfoy has come to grace us with his presence," Harry said, taking advantage of his situation.

"You know full well why I'm here, Potter, so just let me get this over with," Draco said, pushing past him to find almost all of Dumbeldore's Army and more then a dozen of the Order standing in the living room. It seemed like Harry had everyone coming over to, well, it was to either help Draco or only humiliate him more, but Draco was too busy trying to think of what was the best way not to screw this up. The Ministry would know if he wasn't doing what he was supposed to, since they had the entire Order watching him right in the living room.

So, after much taunting from the "good" guys, Draco made his apology, but it ended up sounding more sarcastic and mean then regretful. The entire room had a good laugh out of it, taking the chance to make jokes and humiliate Draco as much as they could, and after a while, he was finally out of the damn hot house and on his way again.

He took out his wand, hearing laughter and shouts after him as he sneered. He made a list appear and looked at it. The list was magical, checking itself off all the people he had apologized to. Over half of his list was already done. He was grateful for that. Many of the names left he would have to go see individually, and the last name on the list made he groan.

"Luna Lovegood? Dammit…" he mumbled, knowing that she would be the hardest. He could easily pretend to care when it came to everyone he wish he had "accidentally" killed during the war, but she was the one person he had had most contact with. While she was locked up in his parent's dungeon, he could remember hearing her talk to herself, sing, and even laugh at some strange joke she would tell herself.

He actually felt a little guilty knowing she was down there for so long and found himself secretly relieved when he discovered Potter coming to get her. He wasn't strong enough to do it himself, he couldn't find himself defying the Dark Lord like he wished he could.

"Well… I guess I better go to her first then…" he convinced himself tugging at his robes as the sun seemed to get hotter.

Draco appeared outside of Luna's home, looking around to see if her father was around. While he was also on the list, Draco was certain he would not be as kind as Harry had been. He quickly hurried to the door, pulling off his top robe, getting really hot. The weather was terribly dry and nothing seemed to help Draco a bit. He ended up taking the other robe he was wearing off too and making them disappear with a flick of his wand as he stood in a white button up shirt and black pants.

Knocking impatiently, he waited for a response and before he could get ready the door suddenly opened he coughed loudly at the sight of her. Looney Luna Lovegood was standing in rolled up shorts, and a t-shirt that was rolled up to show her stomach. Her house seemed almost as hot on the inside as the outside, and so she had her long blonde hair tied back, exposing her neck and she was eating a Popsicle.

"L-Luna…" Draco choked. She made it so easy, she smiled at him and pulled out the Popsicle.

"Hello, Draco!" she said, letting him in. Suddenly it was even hotter as Draco tried to ignore the shivers going up and down his spine.

"Please, sit," she said, showing him her living room, well, at least he thought it was. There were clothes everywhere, along with tons clocks, chairs, a single couch and magazines all over the floor. She walked off towards the kitchen, Draco not being able to help but stare after her until she disappeared.

"D-Dammit," he said, his face beginning to redden. The heat was getting to him, he swore. The Weasley house had been at least cool when he had gone to see them, but why did it seem worse at the Lovegood home?

"I-Is your d-dad home?" Draco managed, sitting in a large armchair, staring at a broken magnifying glass on the floor in front of him.

"Oh, no, he's out of the country on business. He is going to come back in a few days. Would you like something to drink?" Luna called, a mechanical sound coming from her messy kitchen.

"Y-Yes, please," Draco managed, "Why is it so hot in here?"

"I accidentally blew a hole in the wall yesterday. I decided that it would be better to just leave it be and wait until Daddy comes home to take care of it," Luna said, coming back with what looked like a cold drink, one Draco was pleased to see. She came closer, and he seemed to get a little hotter.

"T-Thanks," he whispered, taking the drink. It was nice and cold and before he could take a drink, she sat down on the couch directly across from him. He looked up to see she was holding an ice cube and using it to rub her neck.

"W-What are you doing?" he demanded, his face getting redder, if it were possible.

"It's really hot, Draco," she said, as if it were obvious. She laid down on the couch, stretching and Draco watched silently as she breathed evenly, not even asking why he was even there.

"I-I…" he began, unable to take his eyes off her exposed stomach, her long legs up as she mumbled to herself about the weather.

"Whatever is it, Draco?" she asked, looking over at him, smiling. He couldn't seem to focus, he was beginning to forget why he had come at all.

"Uh…" he managed, suddenly placing the cold glass to his face, trying to wake himself up. "I-I came because of the Ministry."

"The Ministry?" Luna asked, looking over at him with a smile.

"Y-Yes," he said, trying to find something else to look at as she pulled herself up a little, looking at him intently. "I-I was sentenced yesterday, for all the stuff I did… you know, during the War. I-I have to apologize to everyone… a-and…"

She smiled at him and swung her long slender legs over the side of the couch and walked over to him, leaning in close as he dropped his glass on his lap, the cold feeling making him almost jump.

"Take off your pants, Draco," she said simply and he jumped out of the chair.

"W-What?!" he asked, almost tripping over a broken chair behind him. He hadn't ever heard a girl tell that to him, it was usually the other way around.

"You spilled," Luna said, pointing, and he saw that his water had cooled off one part of him that needed cooling. She smiled and walked over to him, standing far too close for his comfort and pulling him back to the couch, sitting him down.

"Stay here," she said, Draco obeying silently. She walked off, reappearing in a second with a pair of old black pants. She handed them to him and he took them without a word. For a moment he was about to change when he realized she was still standing there.

"G-Go away!" he said, looking away from her. Since the time he had been there, it seemed that she had sweated a little more and it was making her look almost irresistible. He was beginning to go insane.

"It's okay," she said with a dreamy smile and he couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, originally going to run the hell out of the house, when instead he grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the couch, getting a good look at her from above. Luna had seemed surprised but did not resist.

"W-Woman… y-you are a girl… and I-I am a man, and if y-you go around d-dressed like that…" he managed, her smile only making him more annoyed. She didn't move or attempt to escape, just laid there on the couch looking up at him, waiting.

"A-And I d-don't know what to d-do…" he said, getting really close to her, forgetting all his senses. It was all the heat's doing, it was making him nuts, making him forget why he was here, why he should not come anywhere near her, forgetting that he was a Malfoy and he shouldn't be doing all this. She continued to smile and he didn't know what to say.

"Draco?" she asked, looking at his mouth, which was quivering for a moment as shivers ran up and down his spine again, his heart pounding in his chest.

"W-What?" he asked stupidly, as she reached up and pulled on his shirt.

"Aren't you hot?" she asked, smiling and before he could stop her, she pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it over her head and pulling him down to kiss him. Draco couldn't think, all he did was kiss her back, beginning to kiss her neck as she moaned lightly, pressing her hands into his back.

The heat was really getting to Draco it seemed, he couldn't stop himself, and Luna was gladly letting him. That's what he got, he supposed when he came to apologize. Perhaps this was a way he could get his forgiveness.

"Luna," he said afterwards, her head on his chest on the couch.

"Draco?" she asked, her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry…" he said, playing with her long blonde hair.

"For what?"

"Everything… That's what I came here for… the Ministry is making me apologize to everyone for my actions in the War. But, I think you are the person I needed to apologize the most to… My family did horrible things to you…"

"Oh, Draco, I could have escaped if I had really wanted to… Strange as it sounds, I felt safer at your home then I did out in the world. And you were so nice…"

Draco only looked at the tall ceiling above him, wondering why she was so easily forgiving.

"Can I see you again?" he asked, looking down at her again, hoping she would say yes.

"Of course, Draco… as long as you promise to marry me," Luna said, smiling at him.

"Huh?" he asked, surprised.

"You said you wanted to apologize. You can marry me," Luna said, Draco not really sure where her logic was coming from.

"Luna, I don't understand how marrying you will be a good apology, it actually sounds a little unfair and a bit like I would be pitying you," Draco said truthfully, not letting her go, however.

"Not!" she said, poking his chest with a long index finger. "You will marry me because you love me."

"I do?" Draco asked, blushing a little.

"Yes, you just can't tell because it's too darn hot outside today," Luna said, nodding in confirmation of her theory.

"I-I…" Draco tried, unable to form a sentence.

"Then it's settled, when Daddy gets back, we'll get married."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," Luna said, closing her eyes and for some unknown reason, Draco did not argue.

- Wrote this when I really had nothing better to do. I was bored, and staring at my couch for almost an hour and got this idea. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be December, but all week it's been about 60 (I know, cold!) and I have been enjoying my house wishing it were summer. Oh, there is a little joke hidden in this piece, the date of Draco's court hearing is actually my birthday, lol. Thought that would be fun to put in there. Anywho, I am going to enjoy lying around some more and enjoying the rest of my holiday break. Thanks for reading!

Invader Hog