A/N: My response to my own Amortentia challenge on xoxLewrahxox's forum, The Dark Lord's Most Faithful. Amount of words must be a multiple of 100. I've always loved DracoxLuna, but have never written anything about the two of them, so I tried to make this realistic as it could get.

I apologize if the ending of this chapter of the story is abrupt; I wasn't able to perfect it because my sister just broke her arm and is in the hospital in surgery and I don't have time to write anymore tonight. This is set during OOTP. I hope the writing is believable.

Words:

Disclaimer: the fact that I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters is nothing new.

Mistake, or Fate? :

It had only been a few weeks since Professor Umbridge had passed the rule that each and every class taught in Hogwarts be supervised by some sort of authority—namely Filch or a member of her Inquisitorial Squad—and already the new arrangement was a pain in the ass. At first, the announcement had caused great inconvenience; after all, it was O.W.L.s year for many of the Squad members, and they had classes to attend and studying to do. Shrewd as Hogwart's new headmistress was, however, a way for these Squad members to both obey and maintain their grades at the same time was quickly figured out. Schedules were set only for Draco to discover that he would no longer be going to the Potions class he regularly went to with the rest of his peers, but instead would basically be being forced to spend the time with a class an entire year lower than him, babysitting nitwit fourth years.

To top this all off, one still had to complete all advanced fifth year Potions work if one wanted to be able to pass all right.

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

She may have been a Ravenclaw, but this did not necessarily mean that she had to be good at everything. After Arithmancy, Potions quickly became her least favourite subject. It wasn't that she was bad at it, per say; neither so at Arithmancy, which was why she had decided not to drop it. More so, the reason for her lack of enthusiasm towards the class was that her heart just wasn't in it. This wasn't exactly surprising, considering that, besides her fellow year mates, the class was also very much occupied by Slytherins.

If there was anything that Luna disliked, it was being forced to share the class with those of that House. Even Draco, on Umbridge's orders, was now attending Fourth Year Potions, and he wasn't even in their year! Mixing whatever substances lay waiting for you on the table you and your partner shared as soon as you walked through the door of the Potions' classroom was exciting-though in her case risky businness. There was no denying, either, that Snape couldn't stand the amateurs in his class; though still grudgingly going easy on those of his own House who were in it. He would most likely purposely flunk all of Ravenclaw. This was not difficult to foretell.

Yet all the same, these weren't the reasons for Luna's resentment of the subject. Potions could be fascinating. Not that it really so much had been lately. Not with Draco, and especially Umbridge, now around. Luna would always be the same eccentric as ever, but with Dumbledore out and Umbridge now in the picture, it was getting more and more difficult to find positivity in life like she used to be able to every day.

Luna did like stirring the contents of her cauldron until the liquids were froth. Soon she found that a certain satisfaction could be had in seeing her potion changing hues (though particular shades of blue, purple, and yellow quickly proved themselves to mean disaster), but what was missing was still so painful obvious. Without Dumbledore around, quality of life in the castle simply just was not the same.

Dumbledore's Army was truly the only thing she had going for her now.

Draco watched the rest of the class, expression far from serene. For some reason. One he wasn't fully able to rationalize or explain. True, it was his job to keep an eye on the class for Umbridge. Every Inquisitorial Squad member had been assigned a class to supervise-generally a class of students that were of a year below the Squad member-for which they would still have to complete and hand in assignments being taught to other fifth years. This was his.

Why then, though, were his eyes glued to the Slytherin ogling Loony, as opposed to actually watching her, herself? The younger boy was staring at her with an expression mixed between curiosity and disdain. Draco couldn't help but scoff at the sight, though nonetheless continuing paying it lots of attention. She may have been Pureblood, but this didn't change what was common knowledge throughout the school. She was strange as anything, this one, so people would always talk.

Freak.

Potions used to be his favourite subject-even if only because of the opportunity it gave to watch Snape make fools out of the students in it who were not members of Slytherin house. The exception to this turned out, strangely, to be Lovegood. It soon became clear to Draco that no effort was needed on Snape's part for her to fail every potion assigned her. He had a feeling that sooner rather than later she would fail out of the very class, becoming even more of a laughingstock than already in the process.

The prospect was delightful.

Thank Merlin he himself had never been forcibly partnered up with the nut. Whether this be simply because Snape was, as usual, taking things easy on him or sheer dumb luck, was unknown. All right now Draco did know, was that he had good reason to feel relief.

Another thing to come under to his notice as he dutifully studied the members of the class was that sharing a classroom between any of the other Houses and Slytherin never ended well; for the other Houses, at least. The sharp scowl that was always on the Professor Snape's face seemed only to become more and prominent as the duration of his class ticked by and still nobody paid any real attention to the lesson he was in the attempt of teaching. Instead, all eyes were on her. Loony LoveGoodie-Goodie with her far away and enlightened, ghostly eyes, and that dazed smile pasted onto her idiotic face.

The fifteen year old couldn't help but ask himself why this was. It wasn't like her insanity was anything new! Then again, though, it would hardly have been possible for the Loon not to attract attention-even if the majority of it was negative and often had her on never ending searches for her shoes. Let him ponder no more on the topic.

It wasn't that she was beautiful-though yes, despite the being a year younger and curtain of childishly scraggly hair that still somehow managed to be her crown and glory, because of her heritage, she could be considered cute. People just liked to tease and harass her, play tricks on her to try to make her cry. Boys were actually, more often than not, mean toward the objects of their affections if they were unlearned in the ways of courting them. However, this wasn't the case for Luna. Some quality, probably the daydreamer grin she always wore, just had people disliking her.

Draco couldn't say he liked her much, either.

This was why he was seething when, for the first time, the two of them were paired up together for the making of a major potion. He was up, out of his chair and gaping with his mouth open in less than a second.

"No. No! No. No. No. No. No, no."

"Mind yourself, Malfoy. It is obvious that Ms. Lovegood is in need of your aid."

As he'd known he would, because Snape's word was law, Draco found himself partnered with Luna.

"You mean I don't even have a say?"

Of course he did not.

Snape turned to instruct the rest of the class, leaving Draco and his current complaint unappeased, and Loony was still gazing around her with the same exuberant cluelessness as she had been before. It looked like he was stuck with her.

"Fine, then," though from the harshness in his voice, it was apparent things were far from fine. The Ravenclaw had left her seat and walked up to him, dreamily. "Come with me. For some insane reason or other, Snape has paired us together, but let me make one thing very clear. In no way are you to meddle, handle, or try to help with the potion. Starting now."

"If you insist, Draco," was the simple, whimsical reply. He noticed she had a funny, tuneful way of talking. "What potion are we, you, making today?"

She wouldn't be contributing in the making of it, nor handling any of the ingredients. Draco wondered why she should care. Luna was most likely just curious, but even just this worried Draco. He'd so been hoping not to encounter anything explosive today! When it came to Lovegood, such a wish was fantasy.

Hesitantly, they approached a low table; great handfuls of different ingredients lying across its dark wood. Draco came to a realization, and was definitely not impressed by it. Yes, because that was a good idea; pairing up two complete opposites and having their assignment be to brew a love potion. For several moments, Draco found that he was almost completely mute, so surprised and against doing this he was. What on earth was Snape thinking?

"Draco?" Luna asked, in the same dreamy, singsong voice. "The potion we're making. What is it?"

Draco didn't bother with a response. He was too panicked about the predicament he was in to be able to. "Professor," he attempted to catch the Potions Master's eye, anxiously attempting to voice his complaint.. "Professor, you've got to be joking."

The rest of the class, the fourth years, were brewing Wit Sharpening potions. Draco remembered having made it in class the previous year. Why then, was Loony paired up with him? She was a fourth year, and more than anyone could use a little wit sharpening. Being given no reply from the Potions teacher, the blond crossed his arms, looking troubled.

Life wasn't fair, a lot of the time.

"Just my effing luck," he muttered, beginning to assemble the potion, Luna all the while hovering nearby and watching what he did over his shoulder. Subconsciously he noticed, because she was so near, that around her hung the scent of Herbal Essences (ask him not how he knew the actual name of the brand, because he didn't want to talk about it) and bubble gum, and this only caused the situation he was in to irritate him all the more.

A/N: So that was the first segment. I wanted to post this all as a one shot for my challenge, but like mentioned in my A/N, something serious came up and I wasn't able to totally complete this in time. I'll post the rest of this response as second and perhaps third chapters. I feel so sorry that I didn't get to finish it in time, but this is the best I can do at the moment.

Anyway, whether you liked this or not, please review if you read !

xox Sacha