Harry put the finishing touches on his report for the day, dropping it in his out-tray and watching it disappear with a faint snap. As he was gathering his auror robes a memo airplane gently drifted into his arm and waited patiently until he plucked it from the air.

Harry's brow furrowed as he read it, muttering to himself, "Visitor?" He crumpled the memo and vanished it, making his way down to the atrium.

Luna was standing next to the desk and waved excitedly when she saw Harry, "Hi!" She was wearing a thestral print dress, the thin dark figures stamped and stretched their wings on a vivid plum background.

"Luna?" Harry quirked a lopsided smile, "What's this all about?"

"Are you busy after work?" she asked.

"This is after work," Harry said.

"I know," Luna said, "So yes or no?"

Harry opened his mouth to say yes and hesitated as suspicion crept through the back of his mind, "What do you need?"

"A friend. An animal friend to be precise," Luna said.

"I thought so," Harry sighed, "Who did you talk to?"

"I was staying over with Ginny." Luna cocked her head slightly to the side, "Why? Is that important?"

Harry said warily, "Depends. What else did she tell you? Any secrets?"

Luna's brow furrowed faintly, "Secrets? No, I don't think so."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck absently and then loosely slung his auror robes over his shoulders, "Alright-"

"Yay!" Luna hopped excitedly.

"-but I'm only going to show you and then leave." Harry finished firmly.

"Ok," Luna nodded.

They flooed to Diagon alley and walked the rest of the way down the narrow winding cobblestone street to Magical Menagerie.

"There's an apparition point right beside the shop, you know?" Harry said, shortening his stride to match Luna's.

Luna smiled and linked her hands behind her back, "Yes, but if we walk together the Prophet will take a picture and then they will run a story about us being madly in love and then I will run a counter story that you were, in fact, telling me all about the Ministry's moon frogs conspiracy."

"I see," Harry quirked a smile, "What is the moon frog conspiracy anyway?"

"Well, the Ministry wants to keep them all to themselves. Moon frogs are very beautiful," Luna said idly.

Harry nodded and hummed in agreement, his mind wandering, though certainly not to a tall blond bloke with piercing grey eyes. "You know, the shop closes in an hour, we could have done this another time."

Luna turned on her heel, walking backward, "We could have but then Draco wouldn't see you in your auror uniform," she reached up to fasten the top clasps and straighten the deep red fabric, "You look very handsome in it."

Harry stopped dead, pulling Luna to a stop with him, "I thought you said Ginny didn't tell you any secrets!"

"Was it a secret?" Luna asked as she finished arranging his robe and stood back, brushing her hands off with satisfaction. "Ginny said you were very cute with Draco. I've always thought the two of you would be a good match."

"He doesn't-" Harry shook his head, looking over at the corner of a nearby building, "He doesn't want anything to do with me, Luna. I tried asking him out to dinner, lunch, coffee and then tea and he turned me down every time."

Luna linked her hands behind her back again, "Well, maybe you ought to take the tea to him then." She spun on her heel and headed straight into a little cafe, Harry chasing helplessly behind her. At the counter, he only had enough time to hear her order three teas to go.

"Luna," Harry said somewhere between a plea and hopeless sigh.

Luna took his hand and gently pulled him along the counter to where they could pick up their teas once they were finished, "I think you might have to be more plain about your meaning, Harry."

Harry sighed, "What?"

Luna leaned over the counter, her yellow blond hair tumbling over her shoulders, "Before you give up, you need to tell him-," she cleared her throat theatrically, "-'I fancy you, would you go on a date with me?' That way you'll know for sure."

Harry brow furrowed, "You think he didn't understand the first three times I asked him out?"

Luna looked at him solemnly, "I visited Draco after the war a few times. He prefers to believe the safest things, the things that won't hurt him. He's been hurt a lot, so he's very careful."

"Ok-" Harry took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut briefly, "Say he is doing what you said. Then the safest thing would be just a friendly meal wouldn't it? And in that case, if he isn't interested in friendship, he certainly isn't interested in- in anything more."

"You can get hurt in friendships too," Luna said as the teas arrived and she took one that smelled like cinnamon, leaving two for Harry, "I ordered one green tea and one black tea, that way Draco will surely like one of them."

Harry picked up the two cups and followed along behind Luna a few store fronts down to Draco's shop and through the door and it's chiming bell. An older man was at the counter, a sack full of supplies for an enormous purple toad he had just bought. A mother and her daughter were looking into the tanks on the side of the room and whispering to one another about the creatures within.

Luna flitted about the room, getting into a deep conversation with the little girl about nargles. While Harry stood to the side holding two cups of tea, doing his best not to feel like a complete berk. Draco was wearing a white waistcoat with a green silk shirt, with a hair ribbon to match, that was just shy of Slytherin colours and looked stunning on him as usual.

The old man finally finished his purchase and Harry edged his way up to the counter, setting the cups of tea down.

"Potter, again," Draco said, raising an eyebrow, "and what is this?" he gestured to the cups.

"Err... tea, one black, one green, I don't know which you prefer," Harry said, sliding the two cups across the polished wooden surface.

Draco paused longer than was entirely comfortable, staring at the two cups like it was a test, before taking both cups, popping the plastic tops off them both and smelling them. He took the black tea with a quiet, "Thank you."

Harry nodded and took the green tea, pressing the top back on and taking a tiny sip of the hot liquid, tasting of jasmine and honey.

"Another cat for Miss Lovegood?" Draco asked, absently tracing the top of his cup with on finger.

Harry shook his head, "No, the black and white crow."

"Blanchefleur? Really?" Draco's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What about Blanchefleur makes you think they would be a good pet for Miss Lovegood?"

"I don't know really. Just a feeling," Harry said, still completely unable to explain it himself.

"Hm." Draco said shortly.

"You know you can call me Luna, right Draco?" Luna said as she came up to the counter.

"Yes, Miss Lovegood," Draco said solemnly.

"Lu-na."

"As you wish, Miss Lovegood," Draco's voice remained stoic but the corner of his mouth twitched up just slightly.

Luna smiled, "You're silly."

The bell over the door rang and Draco leaned around them to call to the departing mother and daughter, "Thank you, do come again." As soon as the door was shut Draco turned to the aviary, putting hand on the door, and waiting for Harry and Luna to join him before opening it.

Inside, a myriad of hoots and caws rose up to greet Draco, more than a few owls flying down to see him, Merlin included. Merlin's head perch was thwarted when Draco spotted him instantly, pointing a stern finger at the little owl and said, "Merlin. Do not."

Merlin pulled up short and settled for perching on Draco's shoulder instead, looking entirely put out about the whole thing.

Harry closed the door as Luna slowly walked around the periphery of the room. Harry hadn't even pointed Blanchefleur out before Luna zeroed in on the strange pretty bird.

Blanchefleur was on one of the higher branches of a hollowed out trunk and ruffled their feathers when Luna stopped to stare at them. They both cocked their heads at one another. Luna patted her dress, reaching into a large hand sewn pocket on the side and pulling out a blueberry that she offered up to Blanchefleur and asked, "Would you like a blueberry?"

Blanchefleur flew down a little closer, although still a bit out of reach so Luna had to stretch to give them the berry.

"Luna, why do you have blueberries in your pocket?" Harry asked.

"To have for later," Luna said matter-of-factly, taking another berry out and holding it up for Blanchefleur. "What do you call them?" she asked.

"Blanchefleur," Draco said.

Luna blinked thoughtfully, "Blanchefleur and Merlin... Do you name them all after characters from the Arthurian legend?"

"Just the birds," Draco said looking pleased that someone had worked it out.

Luna turned half towards him, "And the rest?"

Draco nodded, "I use the Volsung saga for the cats. I don't tend to name the animals in the tanks."

"I like it," Luna said, her smile growing as Blanchefleur flew down to a lower perch. She spared them a moment of her smile, "I have to get to know Blanchefleur now, so you can wait outside."

Harry suppressed a sigh.

Luna smiled knowingly and waved at him, "Go on, Harry. I know you can do it."

Draco looked from Harry to Luna curiously, "Very well... I shall be outside. If Blanchefleur decides they likes you, you may buy them."

Luna nodded.

Harry followed Draco back out the main shop. He suppressed a groan when he saw that Draco was wearing knee high boots made of a thin black leather that was practically molded to his calves. And his trousers, they were just as tightly fitted, clinging to Draco's amazing arse like a second skin. Harry clutched the front of his auror robes together, suddenly, desperately grateful for their obscuring length. Harry looked desperately at the floor, thinking of paperwork and pickled beets to try and calm himself down.

"In consideration for the fact that you may actually have some sort of bizarre talent," Draco said, slowly making his way to his counter, sliding onto his tall stool and leaning over to rest his elbows on the counter top, looking every bit like a pinup model, "can you think of anyone that would be a match for Merlin?"

"Merlin?" Harry repeated feeling dazed and barely holding onto the conversation.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Small annoying owl, has an obsession with landing on heads?"

Harry closed his eyes, "Right, right, Merlin..." he couldn't focus and shook his head to try and clear it.

"Well, never mind," Draco said, "It was just an idea."

Harry forced his eyes open, walking round the counter as he thought of anything other than trousers fit for a god. In fact, thinking about Merlin was quite good in that respect.

"There's actually something I've been meaning to speak to you about, Potter," Draco said carefully, sitting up straight, tapping his finger nervously on the counter top without seeming to be fully aware that he was doing so, "I would appreciate if you would hear me out fully before speaking," he sighed and pinned Harry down with his eyes, "You must understand, this is not easy for me."

Harry felt a nervous thrill go up his spine, as his heart rate shot up alarmingly, "Right," he said faintly.

"I..." Draco closed his eyes briefly, "would like to apologize."

"Apologize?" Harry repeated faintly.

He got a brief glare for his interruption. Draco continued, "Yes. For saying you lacked self-awareness the first time you came to the store. It was not my intention to chastise you nor evoke any sort of reparations on your part."

Harry stared at him blankly, his last traces of hope shriveling at the bottom of his gut into something that felt like a lead weight.

Draco, apparently interpreting his look for lack of understanding, simplified, "My shop wasn't doing well, and while I appreciate the business brought by you and yours, do not think I-" he hesitated, struggling for the right words, "-I... I do appreciate it but you don't have to keep doing it, is all," he finished with a faint flush.

"Your shop wasn't doing well?" Harry said feeling numb.

Draco's brow furrowed, "Obviously. Before you started coming, I was getting maybe two customers a day and one would turn around and leave as soon as they recognized me." His voice began rising in growing anger, "What did you think when you came into an empty shop? Was this just an elaborate prank? Show all your little minions how far the death-eater has fallen?"

Harry took a step back like he had been slapped. "Oh fuck you," he breathed in dismay. He clenched his jaw, his palms itching to curl into fists and solve his frustration and disappointment all in one go. He shook his head roughly and took another step backward, "I really must lack self-awareness. But you, you take the cake."

Draco snarled, "I do not-!"

"You do!" Harry snapped back, "And I did it because I wanted to! I did it-" his words faltered as he remembered he had mainly done it because he was being smitten moron with well-meaning but delusional friends. He turned on his heel and stormed to the door, stopping with his hand on the handle, "Tell Luna I had to go," he said briefly, his voice rougher than he would have liked, "Say goodbye to Brynhildr for me." He opened the door and was halfway out when one last thing occurred to him. He glanced back and the confused expression on Draco's face almost pulled him back in, almost.

Harry told him, "I think Pansy might like Merlin."

 He pulled the door shut, stepping away with a deep breath, the sound of the bell still chiming in his ear.