So chapter seventeen has arrived! A big thanks to all your amazing comments and support. You guys rock! :D So enjoy, and don't forget to tell me what you think ;)
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Harry Potter was walking around trying to find Luna. He wasn't sure as to what he was going to do or say once he found her, but he was following his instincts.
It had been around an hour and a half since Harry had gone out the library to find Luna, and he still hadn't found her. Harry was getting anxious. He searched classrooms, corridors and even the Ravenclaw tower and still couldn't find her. Harry didn't have a clue as to where she could be. Hogwarts was huge, and trying to find her was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
So after a few minutes of wondering where Luna could be, Harry remembered he had a very useful gadget that could help him find her. Harry felt quite annoyed at himself for not coming up with it before.
Harry quickly ran up to the set of stairs and arrived to the Gryffindor common room. He went over to his dormitory and lifted his mattress slightly to take out the Marauder's Map.
Harry lighlty tapped the piece of parchement with his wand and said "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
In seconds, the map had revealed every inch of ground at hogwarts and every person in it. Harry scanned through each person trying to find the name of Luna Lovegood.
And there it was.
The name was hovering over the same spot meaning that Luna was most probably sitting down.
Harry quickly made his way out of the Gryffindor common room and down the stairs again. He was heading to the gardens when he saw a familiar figure blocking his way.
Draco Malfoy was leaning against the arched doorway looking out into the horizon with a green apple in his hand. Crabbe and Goyle were standing next to him.
Draco turnred around having heard a set of footsteps running towards him. As soon as Draco saw who it was, he bit into his apple and gave Harry an unamused look.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" Draco spat the 'p' and looked at Harry in disgust.
Draco clenched his hand into a fist as anger began to fill his thoughts. Draco wanted to destroy Harry Potter for taking his Luna away from him. He knew that he still had no proof that Luna liked Harry, but Draco was convinced it was true. Besides, Harry already knew Draco hated him so it wouldn't be a surprise seeing him this disgusted and furious.
"None of your buisness Malfoy. Now if you don't mind?" Harry gestured towards the door and gave a slight motion to the right implying that they should move out of his way.
"Don't you dare order me around, Potter." Draco growled as he stormed his way towards Harry. His green apple still in hand. But as he was getting closer, Harry raised his wand and pointed it just above Draco's nose.
Crabbe and Goyle automatically took their wands out to protect Draco. They headed towards him and stood on either side of him forming a triangle.
Draco began to laugh; a mischievous and angry sort of laugh. Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry and curled is upper lip in revulsion.
Harry remained standing strong infornt of Draco as he saw him take out his wand. However, Draco rasied his wand to Harry's throat and was millimeters away from touching it.
"What are you going to do, Potter?"
Crabbe and Goyle both took a step closer to Harry. Goyle was slightly worried about Draco making a rash move against Harry knowing his condition at the moment. Draco would want to kill Harry for taking his girl, he thought.
Eventhough Draco hasn't fully confessed his feeling for Luna to him, he knew he loved her. Goyle could tell by the way he looked at her. Goyle also knew that Luna was spending too much time with Harry, and Draco didn't like it. Either way, Goyle knew killing Harry wasn't going to solve the problem, even if he too hated him.
"Kill me?" Draco continued.
"I'm not going to kill you Malfoy, but -"
"But I might." Draco fired. Goyle flinched at the words. Draco took a breath and was praparing to cast out a spell when Goyle beat him to it.
"Expelliarmus!" Goyle forced the words as the spell suddenly had Draco falling to the floor and his wand flying out of his hand.
Crabbe gasped in complete shock as he stared at the unconsious body on the floor. He was speechless. Goyle too was surprised.
Harry couldn't beleive his eyes. He couldn't understand why Goyle would want to save him. However, Harry took this chance to leave and get to Luna.
But before he left the building he turned around and whispered "Thank you."
"It wasn't for your own good." Goyle sneered, but Harry ignored him and hurridly left the scene.
Without looking back, Harry felt no need to feel guilty over Draco. It wasn't him who cast out the spell it was his own friend. If you were even to call him that, he thought. Harry knew Draco would be taken care of and so he focused justly on Luna.
Luna was sitting under the shade of the same tree Harry had been sititng on quite a while ago. She had her head resting on the trunk of the tree and had her eyes closed.
Luna looked so peaceful, Harry felt bad to wake her up. Harry suddenly felt awed by her presence. He didn't, however, feel the butterflies Hermione was talking about. Harry decided to wait until he looked at her in the eyes.
But as Harry tried to quietly tip toe towards Luna, she woke up.
Luna's cheeks flushed instantly as she saw Harry standing infront of her. She lowered her head feeling quite embarrassed and was biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to control the butterflies in her stomach.
Harry then felt a rush of tingles shoot across his body making him shiver slightly. As he watched Luna he began to feel his heart beat faster. But Harry blamed it on the nerves he was feeling.
Harry tried to find the words to speak, but he couldn't find any. He tried to force himself to say something, but his mind was completely blank.
As Harry noticed Luna's red cheeks he couldn't help but smile at her. He was mesmerized by her simple nature.
Luna then felt awkward by the silence having noticed that Harry hasn't said a word. So she braved to raise her head and look at Harry in the eyes.
His presence began to make Luna quite dizzy. She still couldn't confess her feelings and so she didn't understand the sudden rush of emotions.
As Luna was swimming in Harry's eyes and trying to control her breathing, Harry's heart rate increased further.
Harry wasn't sure if what he was feeling were indeed nerves. He still didn't feel any butterflies, but he did feel his palms getting slightly sticky.
He then thought back of what he assumed to be the 'symptoms' of love and remembered saying that your heart would beat faster. As Harry was staring at Luna, his heart was indeed beating faster.
Harry just didn't know how to interpret that. These feelings were too sudden, he thought. It couldn't possibly be love.
Luna caughed lightly as she braught Harry back to his senses.
"Yes, Harry?" Luna whispered. The silence made Luna take slight control of her breathing and was therefore able to speak.
"Sorry Luna." Harry replied.
Luna blushed again at the sound of his voice but remained stuck in Harry's gaze.
"You look beautiful." Harry blurted out. His eyes widened in surprise but he didn't regret saying it. He thought that by saying that his feelings would probably become clearer.
His head was spinning as the words hit him. Luna did look beautiful. The redness at the tip of her cheeks suited her and the vulnerabilty of her reaction completely took Harry's breath away.
"Thank you Harry." Luna's whipser was even lower as she muttered the words. Her stomach turned and the tingles shot all across her body.
"No need to thank me, it's the truth." Harry gave Luna a sincere smile which Luna equally returned.
"I'm not sure as to what this is, Luna." Harry began to explain himself. He wasn't sure that what he was feeling was truly love, but he was eager to give it a try. "But I hope it would lead to something wonderful. Becasue you deserve it."
Luna understood everyword. She couldn't stop smiling as Harry continued to speak.
"I don't know about what you're feelings towards me are," Harry took a deep breath. "I'm not even sure on how I feel, but maybe if we gave it a try."
Luna began to giggle. "Harry, you are so sweet. You don't have to do something you don't have to you know. You are an extraordinary friend."
"You too."
Luna suddenly felt normal again. Saying the word "friend" instantly controlled her breathing and she decided to hold on to it. Suddenly, Harry began to feel the same way.
"A friend then." Harry muttered under his breath, but Luna caught every word.
"Let's hold on that Harry. We don't want to sabotage our friendship." Luna added and held his hand.
Luna felt a shot of tingles run aross her skin, but decided to ignore it. Harry too felt the electricity from her touch, but ignored it.
~
After several minutes of calling out his name, Draco woke up.
Both Crabbe and Goyle stepped back. Crabbe kept a distance away from Goyle knowing Draco would want to fight him.
Draco fired to his feet ignoring the sudden pain in his head and the blurred surroundings.
"Draco, I can explain." Goyle pleeded noticing the rage and anguish in Draco's eyes.
Draco ingored his words and began to head towards him. Goyle stumbled down the stairs getting quite nervous. But Draco followed.
Goyle was outside finding it difficult to get to his feet as Draco towered over him.
Draco suddenly yanked Goyle by the collar and fired a punch across his face sending Goyle rolling to the floor again.
Crabbe gasped and hid behind the corner of the archway avoiding contact with Draco.
"Get up!" Draco fired. But Goyle was on his knees. His nose was bleeding as well as his lower lip.
Draco stormed towards Goyle, kicking him in the back making Goyle yell for mercy. But as Draco prepared to lash another kick at him he noticed two figures at the bottom of the hill.
Harry and Luna were hugging.
Draco stared at the scene and then felt a sudden pain in his chest as if he had just received a punch. He stumbled backwards in shock never leaving contact from the two bodies.
His head was suddenly killing with the pain, and his lungs felt compressed again.
This is the proof Draco was waiting for.