Dancing on the Moon
1.
"Hello!"
Draco Malfoy turned and looked at the blonde next to him. Her familiar blue eyes were wide with hope and she had possibly the biggest smile he had ever seen. The very sight of her was sickening. Surely he had to be dreaming. This couldn't possibly be happening to him! Draco closed his eyes and opened them again, in hopes that she had disappeared. Unfortunately, he had no such luck.
"Lovegood?" Draco sneered, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I just got myself hurt and the nurse insisted that I stay here for a few days."
"How did you get hurt?" Draco asked, wondering why he cared in the first place. Perhaps he was just bored or perhaps he had gone mad from the pain. No, the medicine! He must be over medicated, that was the only reasonable solution. Just too much medicine and not enough sleep.
"Oh," Luna smiled, "One of the girls in the commons put an enchantment on me. I had never seen the spell before but it caused me to run into a wall and hit my head too hard. See?" Luna pointed to a butterfly bandage on her forehead that Draco hadn't noticed before, "I do hope I don't get anyone in trouble. It wasn't really their fault; they're just ignorant."
"Wait, you're telling me that they made you run into a wall, cut your head, and you blame yourself?"
"Well, yes," Luna smiled as she nodded, her voice was light and airy and Draco regretted asking her in the first place.
"You really are loony, aren't you, Lovegood?" Draco scoffed.
"I just don't want to be a bother."
"It's a little too late for that," Draco smirked.
"I don't mean to be a bother," Luna admitted, her eyes falling to the floor, a blush seeping through her pale cheeks. Quickly, she perked up and changed the subject, "So, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, it's nothing," Draco shook his head, not wanting to discuss it.
"It surely must be something or else you wouldn't very well be here, would you?" Luna tilted her head to the side, awaiting her answer.
"I couldn't sleep and took a walk by the lake last night. I don't really remember much else," Draco lied, "Except that when I woke up, I was in here and my arm is killing me."
"Which arm?" Luna asked.
"Does it matter?" Draco demanded.
"No, I suppose not but I just wanted to know. Perhaps I could help," she pushed herself out of bed and walked over to Draco, "Now then, pull up this sleeve and let me see!"
"Should you be out of bed?" Draco asked, his brow crinkling with concern.
"Oh, I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, I am not so sure of. Now then, let's see," Luna began to push up the sleeve of Draco's blue and white infirmary stripped pajamas. What she saw, shocked her, "Draco!"
"I told you that it wasn't anything important," Draco tried to tug his sleeve down but her grip was tight.
"I-I had always suspected," Luna whispered as she traced the mark with her fingers, "But I never knew if the rumors were true…"
"Yeah well, it's old. I got it a while back. It's not the reason I'm in here."
"Then why?" Luna asked, blinking, "You say you don't remember but that's not a very good answer, now is it?"
"No," Draco shook his head, "It's not. Alright, do you want to know the truth?"
"Yes," Luna nodded, "Please?"
"Alright. See, whenever the Dark Lord needs me, he calls for me which means making this thing," Draco nodded to the mark, "Pulse."
"Does it hurt?" Luna blinked, eyes full of painful concern. Draco turned his head, not bearing to look at her.
"No," he lied.
"What did the Dark Lord want from you last night?" Luna asked.
"It's nothing," Draco shook his head, "At least…nothing you should worry about."
"But I need to worry about it," Luna blinked.
"Why?" Draco asked, not sure why the annoying little girl was so set on talking with him about this.
"Because, it concerns you. I worry about you, Draco."
"You shouldn't," Draco scoffed, "No one should."
Luna shrugged and settled back down on her bed, leaving Draco alone. She snuggled underneath her blanket and began to twist her hair around her finger. Draco had always hated awkward silences and was about to go insane from the quiet.
"Look, I'm sorry that your housemates did that to you," Draco finally said.
"It really is nothing," Luna smiled at him, "And if it's any consolation, I am sorry that your family did this to you."
"What are you talking about?" Draco demanded, "My family did nothing!"
"They made you this way," Luna answered simply, "Have you ever considered what your life would be like if you hadn't been born into the Malfoy family?"
"Don't say that!" Draco shouted, "I am a Malfoy and I am proud of that! Our family is famed, we have everything we could possibly ever want and I have them to thank for that. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be who I am today!"
"That's my point. Draco, I like you but I don't like the things you do because of your family. I don't like that you've become a death eater."
"Hey, it's not so bad," Draco tried to sound encouraging.
"So being a slave to the Dark Lord isn't so bad?" Luna raised a curious eyebrow.
"Don't do this," Draco pleaded with her, "Don't bring Him or my family into this."
"As you wish," Luna shrugged.
"So, when do you get to get out of this place?" Draco asked, glad that the subject was off of him.
"I don't know. I am hoping tomorrow. They told me they wanted to monitor me to make sure I didn't have a concussion or something. I really hope I don't. Brain damage sounds terribly inconvenient."
"You'd know," Draco smirked.
"I do not have brain damage! No matter what you hear about me from the others!"
"Hey, take it easy there, Lovegood. I was just kidding. I don't think you have brain damage."
"Really?" Luna's face brightened.
"Really. You might be a little off your rocker but…"
Draco was cut off by a pillow hitting him square in the face.
"Did you really just do that?" Draco asked, a smirk, "Seriously?"
"Mmhmm," Luna grinned.
"Alright, Loony, this means war!" Draco tossed the pillow back to her sending them into an all-out pillow-fight-war. The infirmary was filled with giggles and laughter as one of the nurses walked in.
"My goodness!" Cried the nurse, "Both of you! Settle down this instant! You two are injured and we can't risk further harm to you! Next time you two even so much as move, I am separating you!"
On that note, the nurse stormed out of the infirmary. Luna sunk down into her bed, a smile crossing her face.
"Way to go, Lovegood! Getting me in trouble!" Draco scoffed.
"How exactly is this my fault?" Luna asked.
"You started it."
"You finished it," she pointed out, "And if I am not mistaken, I think I even saw you smile – laugh even!"
"Now, I really am starting to think you have brain damage."
"Ha," Luna laughed, "I know what I saw and I saw you, Draco Malfoy, laugh!"
"Impossible!"
"Nothing is ever impossible."
"Of course things are impossible," Draco disputed.
"No," Luna shook his head, "I didn't think it was possible for you to be kind, but I found that it was."
"Kind? Me?" Draco smirked, "Never."
"What will you do?" Luna asked suddenly.
"With what?" Draco asked, suspiciously.
"With your life after Hogwarts. What will you do?"
"I don't know," Draco shrugged, "I'm supposed to take over for my father."
"Is that what you want?" Luna blinking again, knowingly.
"No," Draco sighed, "I'd…oh bloody hell I can't believe I am about to tell you this…but I'd much rather travel."
"Travel?" Luna's eyes widened, "Where?"
"Anywhere but here."
"Really."
"Yeah," Draco nodded.
"Won't it be hard, leaving everything behind?"
"No," Draco said, "I'll take my chances. What about you?"
"Me?"
"Yes. What will you do after Hogwarts?"
"I don't know," Luna smiled dreamily, "I guess go with my father."
"Oh," Draco's eyes fell.
"What's wrong?" Luna asked.
"Nothing," Draco shrugged, "Where will you go?"
"Well, it's always been a dream of my father's to find the Peruvian purple pellyroo."
"The Peruvian purple who?" Draco's brow furrowed.
"Pellyroo. So I suppose I shall travel to Peru with him."
"Is that what you want?" Draco asked.
"Sure," Luna answered quietly, "What else is there for a girl like me?"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Draco demanded, concern lacing his voice, "There's a lot going for you, Lovegood. You just got to grab it and run."
"I like that," Luna smiled dreamily, "Grab it and run."
Draco smiled to himself, pleased that he had said something nice to someone. When was the last time that had happened? Thinking back that far caused his head to hurt.
"Draco?"
"Lovegood?"
"If I had to be stuck in an infirmary for a few days, I'm glad you're the person I'm stuck with."
Wow. Draco blinking in amazement. No one had ever admitted that they enjoyed his company and her compliment was welcomed and unexpected.
"I can't say I'm totally tortured by having you next to me for the next few days either," Draco smirked.
Should I continue with the next chapters? Oh, Harry Potter does not belong to me and for my fellow Feltbeats fans, hopefully you caught the nod!