The Whimsical and the Worried

Chapter 7

Luna had placed some water, in a patterned bowl that she usually used for keeping her rings in, outside her window that night so it could soak up the moon light. As she did so she softly spoke affirming words to it so it would work better.
She also couldn't help while doing this to think of Draco and how he would think she was silly for speaking to the water, it made her smile.
The day slipped away from her quickly. She'd woken up, bottled the water and then rushed to her first class. It didn't help that halfway there she realised she'd forgotten her Charms book (which was the class) and she had been given a rather difficult riddle at the door to the Ravenclaw common room making her even more late. The riddle was 'take away the whole and still some remains" the answer Luna had finally found was the word wholesome.
Once in the class she was slightly distracted for some reason by the thought that she'd sat two seats in front of Malfoy. Perhaps it was that feeling that someones eyes are on you.
She didn't talk to him after class because she knew they had agreed on midday... but he didn't have to storm away past her quite so quickly, she thought a little annoyed, after all they were partners now, a little hello wouldn't have gone unappreciated.
After charms she had potions, which she rather enjoyed because she got to sit with Ginny as she shared the class with Gryffindor.
The new potions master wasn't as good as snape. It made her sad. Of course she'd never been one of his favourite students, in fact the truth might have been closer to being the opposite of this as she often let potions bubble over due to her easily distracted nature.
But even with this being the case Luna had always had a respect for the man, of course even more so after his good deeds during the war had been told.
Luna wondered how potions class must feel for Draco. After all Snape was his god parent. She'd learned that from Harry. It wasn't common knowledge to everyone.
What a heart breaking absence that must feel for him, if even for Luna it seemed strange to have some other wizard standing at the front of the potions classroom.
A lot of things about being back at Hogwarts must be hard for Draco.
Luna had been thinking about him a lot, and these thoughts had rather distracted her from what Ginny was talking about in the class.
Finally while walking to lunch together Luna casually mentioned her assignment and pairing with Draco. Ginny looked as though she was going to blow a fuse.
"Luna what in Merlin's name were you thinking?" she asked stopping them a little bit before getting to the doors of the great hall.
"Well I wasn't really" Luna said trying to avoid the confrontation and lecture she knew she was about to experience. "He was a death eater Luna. He should be in bloody Askaban! and here you are trying to show him kindness?" Ginny stated more than asked. She knew Luna well and knew she would be doing it because she has a kind heart, but this was too much.
"Ginny he's just a boy" Luna tried to argue but she hardly got a word in. "A boy? Luna he's a year older than you. And I didn't see you going off to be a death eater. He's not a good guy" Ginny said putting her hand on Luna's shoulder as if that would somehow act as an aid in communicating her (what she saw as obvious) point. "It's just like you Luna to do something like this. You're lucky Harry isn't here, he'd probably go straight up to Malfoy and give him a good what's for" Ginny added, liking to bring up Harry into conversations was something Luna had noticed about her friend since they had started 'officially' dating. It made her smile a little bit. "What's that look for?" Ginny asked distracted by the wrong facial expression that Luna was pulling. She wanted her to look serious as that's what Ginny was trying to communicate to her seriousness. But Luna never really listened to her. She was a lot more stubborn than people thought, Ginny knew.
"Look Gin, he was brought up in a very bad situation, he can't help who his parents are. That situation may have led many into precarious and morally questionable results" Luna tried to explain calmly, ignoring the question about her facial expression. "A bad situation!?" Ginny guffawed. "He grew up in a bloody manor Luna" Ginny remarked loudly, almost amusedly. "You know what I mean" Luna said rolling her eyes. "Anyway Gin, I can handle myself" she said steadfastly. "Haven't I proven that to you?" Luna added pulling the 'don't you trust me?' card.
Ginny knew exactly what she was doing and looked annoyed at her doing it, but still she resignedly said "yes, Luna, I know you can... but... but... oh whatever I say isn't going to change your mind, just do something for me won't you?" Ginny said frustratingly accepting defeat. Luna smiled happily at her friend "What Ginny?" she asked rather pleased with her friends acceptance of the situation. "Just be careful ok?" Ginny said looking at Luna seriously. "Yes Ginny I promise I'll be careful" Luna said laughing, but happy to concede this, although she really didn't think she needed to be careful with Draco. He was changed. Like she was, although she doubted Ginny could really see it in her. Of course Ginny was changed too, she'd lost a brother. But she was resilient as anything and her personality had only been strengthened and character become more formed and true. She was a real woman now, strong, independent and able to get through anything. Luna was different, she'd never been as strong, or at least not in the same way as Ginny was. She was sensitive, just like her mother had been and her father was. She couldn't remain her same positive and unaffected self. The war had affected her. She'd been captured and tortured by the death eaters, her father had betrayed Harry to help her and had become even more batty by his time in Askaban. She had to grow up and realise not everything her loving father said was real, not all of the animals he'd made up. Luna didn't have a whole host of family to lean on, or somebody special like Harry was for Ginny. Sure she had her friends, and she did love them, but the truth was she couldn't really open up to them, she wasn't truly family, she always felt one step removed from that, and the only family she really had needed more looking after than she did. She was like Draco in that respect. Alone in all this in a way. Maybe that was partially why she had formed this strange connection with him in her head, maybe it was misplaced but it was there for her. Ginny would never understand that.
However, for the moment being Luna was just trying to be happy with Ginny letting her off with a warning about the whole partnering with Draco thing. They walked into the hall and went to their separate house tables.
Luna looked for Draco but she could only really see the back of his platinum blonde head. She wondered if he would approach her after lunch to give her the plan he'd said he would set out. She wondered about it pretty much all meal, along with a few other thoughts about where to find some cool, lesser known, growing spells for the moondew, and also wondering why the kid she had sat next to (who looked like a first year) was every now and again looking up at her. She was going to ask but she got lost in her thoughts and forgot.
After lunch Luna tried to skip out of the hall but it just seemed a bit silly to her now. Disingenuous. But she tried any way. Sometimes if one pretends enough it actually begins to feel real.
She didn't wait for Ginny as she saw she was having fun with the other Gryffindors at her table and was still eating. Luna could be a bit of a lone wolf sometimes anyway. She didn't really mind it, although sometimes it was nice to be with other people. Especially when your thoughts are dark, as they were disobediently being now.
She made it all the way down the first two corridors when she head an exasperated "can you slow down? I've been bloody well trying to catch up with you since you left the great hall". It was Draco. She hadn't noticed him behind her at all, having just thought the footsteps were other students coincidentally going in the same direction.
She turned around with a smile on her face, happy to see him. She had no idea why the sight of him comforted her these days, but it did. Again it must have been the crazy connection she'd somehow forged between her happiness and his in her mind.
"Oh Draco, I didn't realise you were there" she said feeling a little more genuine in her light tone than she had been all day.
Draco looked uncomfortable under her gaze so she looked to the ground for a second to help him out. She had been told before her constant eye contact could be construed as disconcerting. She was working on it. In the moment of her looking down Draco took the time to look at her properly. She was a strange girl. He looked for her earrings of the day, wondering what strange choice she would have made for this day and wasn't disappointed finding a blue crescent moon in one ear and a hanging bunch of stars on the other. He wasn't sure if they went together. Was it really a fashion choice to have them at different lengths? he wondered.
He took a deep breath. The girl could really walk fast, or rather skip. Even with his long legs it had taken quite a bit of catching up to the petite girl.
"Look just come with me" he said not replying to her comments. He put his hand out and grabbed the sleeve of her cloak and started pulling her in the opposite direction to the way she had been walking. It was only halfway to his tree that he started feeling ultra aware of the feeling of his hand against the warmth of her skin... even if it was through the cloak fabric.
He let go then, trusting she would follow him the rest of the way. He didn't look back at her to check though because he was slightly frightened that there might be some redness in his cheeks from being so embarrassed to be so aware of such a thing.
Once at the tree he signalled for Luna to sit on the ground while he shuffled through his bag for the planned schedule he'd worked out for them for the Moondew assignment.