"Luna will you pass the salt please." Luna Lovegood looked up from the plate of food in front of her and smiled at Ginny.
"Yes, of course." She picked up the shaker and handed it to her friend."Thank you, Luna."
"Mmm," She mumbled, nodding her head slowly, "Ginny, would you happen to know what falling in love feels like?"
Ginny raised a brow, "Excuse me?"
"You know," Luna pressed, frowning a little, "Finding your prince in shining armour and marrying your soulmate."
Ginny laughed at her friends peculiar nature and scrunched up her nose."That's all stupid Luna."
"Stupid?" Luna was shocked, "What are you talking about?"
"I mean finding a prince and marrying your soulmate…that's not what falling in love is all about." Ginny spoke like someone who knew what she was saying. Luna couldn't help but feel envious of the feisty redhead. She knew Ginny had long ago fallen in love with Harry Potter, and she knew that his heart belonged to her, too.
Still, Luna was curious.
"Does it feel like falling?" Luna questioned, "Like falling down a hole?"
Ginny giggled, "Not quite Luna."
"Mmm. Interesting." She turned back to her food and realised that it was all gone, "Oh dear. The Nargles must have gotten it."
"Nargles?"
"You know, they live in mistletoe," Luna pointed at the little sprigs that hung off the ceiling, "My father and I almost spotted a colony of them once but-"
"Alright Luna," Ginny nodded, "I get it. Maybe you just ate your food without realising it?"
"Oh, well maybe. I suppose." Luna shrugged, before she stood up and swung her satchel across her shoulders, "I'm going to leave now, Ginny. I will see you later on at the Quidditch match."
"See you."
It was only when Luna was almost at the entrance to the Grand Hall, that she finally turned towards the Slytherin table, and caught a a glimpse of the boy who had wedged himself into the forefront of her mind, lately.
Draco Malfoy had one arm around Pansy Parkinson, and the other shovelling food into his hungry mouth. Luna knew that he couldn't see her, wouldn't look her way anyway. So she kept staring at him, at the way his silver eyes crinkled at the sides when he smiled. And the way he ran his hand through his platinum hair whenever somebody said anything remotely interesting, or challenging. She watched as he threw his head back and laughed at something Blaise Zabini was saying. And then grinned when he licked his lips and began to answer back with something no doubt incredibly witty.
Luna shook her head.
She knew she was being silly. Draco and her barely even spoke to each other…why on Earth did she have this strange obsession with him?
She glanced at Ginny quickly, and was relieved to see that the redhead was too engrossed in a conversation with Cho Chang to notice how Luna had been blatantly staring at Malfoy.
"Luna." She turned to see Hermione Granger staring at her curiously, "What are you looking at?"
"Draco Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" Hermione sputtered, "What in Merlin's name possessed you to stare at him?"
"I don't know," Luna replied truthfully, "He's interesting."
"He's a git."
"Maybe," Luna smiled and tightened her grip on her satchel, "I'll see you later, Hermione."
The witch shook her head at Luna and smiled, "Alright. Bye Luna."
Luna turned to look at Draco one more time, and was surprised to that see his grey eyes had latched onto her. Oh dear. He had caught her staring.
A deep blush stained her cheeks as she hurried away from the Grand Hall, wanting to get as far away from the Slytherin Prince as possible.
Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes as he watched Luna Lovegood's retreating back.
"God, she really is loony."
"What was that, Drakey?" Pansy tugged on his arm roughly, and Draco felt his teeth grit together. Pansy was hot, but god was she annoying.
"Nothing." He pulled out of her grasp, "I'm just tired."
"Oh!" Pansy widened her eyes in what Draco could only assume was a pathetic attempt at being cute, "You'd better rest up for the Quidditch match later on."
"I thought you'd never ask," He muttered, swinging his legs over the bench and standing, straightening out his robes.
Blaise looked up at him, a dark brow raised."Is there something you'd like to say, Zabini?" Draco questioned, pursing his lips.
"Just…." Blaise sighed and stood himself, "I'll walk with you."
Draco narrowed his eyes for a moment, before nodding, resigned. He wasn't in the mood for an argument.
"I'll see you later on, Drakey." Pansy waved him off with an enthusiastic grin and Draco rolled his eyes. It was cute at first, the way she followed him around like a puppy dog. But now, he was starting to find Pansy Parkinson extremely aggravating.
"Lovegood," Blaise stated blandly, as they stepped out into the cool corridors of Hogwarts, "She likes you."
Malfoy scrunched his brow up in confusion, "Excuse me?"
"She's been staring at you a lot lately," Blaise continued, "Don't think I haven't noticed."
Draco smirked despite himself, "Are you jealous Zabini? Do you want the loon for yourself?"
"God no," Blaise mirrored Draco's expression, "I was wondering if you'd like to partake in a little…bet, if you will."
Malfoy raised a brow and tilted his head to one side, "What sort of bet?"
"You're always claiming how you can deflower any girl you set your eyes on, right?"
Draco nodded slowly.
"Well, why not Lovegood?"
"Why not Lovegood?" Malfoy sputtered, staring at his friend as if he'd just lost his head. Which Draco thought my his actions, he had, "Are you serious, Zabini?"
"Quite."
"She is a lunatic," Draco replied, harshly, "That's why not."
"So what you're saying is that you can't deflower any girl you set your eyes on?" Blaise questioned, a smirk covering his lips.
Draco pushed a hand through his hair. He was torn.
On the one hand, he knew refusing to bed Luna would mean admitting defeat in Zabini's eyes.
But he also knew that Lovegood was…well to put it bluntly, a nutcase. And he wasn't sure if he was willing to sleep with that, just to prove himself.
"I'm just saying-"
"You're just saying," Blaise interrupted, "That you don't want to have sex with Luna Lovegood. But my dear friend is it that you don't want to…or that you can't?"
Draco scoffed, "I would have her grovelling at my feet within a month."
"Alright then, prove it." Zabini smiled at him slowly, "Unless you're too afraid of rejection?"
"That's ridiculous," Malfoy shook his head harshly, "What are the terms?"
"I'll give you a month to bed Luna Lovegood," Blaise grinned gleefully, "If you do I'll give you this." Zabini pointed at the gold band sitting on his ring finger, a huge blue sapphire mounted at the top.
"Your family heirloom?" Draco gasped. He knew that ring meant more to Blaise than air to most people. Did he have that little faith in Draco's ability to bed Luna?
"Yeah." Blaise smirked.
"And if I lose?"
"You give me that," Zabini pointed at Draco's own most prized possession, a sapphire encrusted silver ring. "This is my father's favourite ring."
"And this is my family heirloom," Blaise levelled Draco's glare.
Ultimately Draco knew what this was really about. It was about power. It wasn't about whether or not Draco could bed Luna, or why Blaise even thought of the bet in the first place.
It was about Zabini defying Draco's clear authority over everybody else in their house.
Specifically, over Blaise himself.
Draco cleared his throat and looked around the cold corridor once, just to make sure that they were completely alone.
"Fine." Malfoy nodded curtly, "A month to bed Luna Lovegood."
"Mmm, this is going to be fun," Blaise stuck his hand out and they shook on it, "Let the best man will."
"Don't worry Zabini," Draco smirked, "I will."