Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I like borrowing the characters. :P.
A/N: I'm really not sure about this one, it's definitely not my BEST work, but i came up with it at 4 in the morning (it's still summer people) so bear with me. I never intended to write anything with Crabbe or Goyle as a main character. But oh well. Read and Review.
Greg
Life as a bodyguard was pretty boring. And that was pretty much what we were.
Vincent Crabbe and I, Gregory Goyle, are basically Draco Malfoy's personal bodyguards and henchmen. I really don't like it much, but there isn't really anything I can do about it. Malfoy always assumed that Crabbe and I are idiots. Well I'm not vouching for Crabbe, but I'm not dumb. I'm just quiet. I don't feel the need to fill silence with endless talk, so Malfoy assumes just because I don't say anything, that I don't have anything to say. And that just because I don't brag endlessly about my grades like him, they must be terrible. He's a whiney brat, really, but he's a Malfoy. So we all treat him well, that's what we're supposed to. We're not idiots. We're all Slytherins and we understand better than anyone how influential the Malfoy family is. So we're obedient to the idiot. I couldn't even tell you if Pansy Parkinson actually likes him in her stupid, superficial way, or if it's just an act, seeing as he's a Malfoy. Either one is plausible.
I suppose I never really had a problem with being Malfoy's bodyguard until my fifth year. It started one night when I was wandering the corridors. It was about an hour until curfew and I decided to head out onto the grounds. I was just bored, wandering when I saw a figure sitting in the grass, her golden hair shimmering in the misty light of twilight.
Luna Lovegood sat peacefully, all alone. This was not unusual, she was usually alone. People thought she was weird because of all the strange things she believed. But I kind of thought it was funny and … cute.
She actually looked very pretty, her face shockingly pale, and her hair seeming to glitter as though it was strung up with fairy lights. Her enormous, round blue eyes were on the sky, watching as the first stars came out. She was always peaceful, tranquil, and it was nice, that she seemed sure of herself, and also that she was confident enough to always sit alone, and be alone. She handled it shockingly well. And no matter how mean someone was to her, she was always polite and kind to him or her, still chatting charmingly in her airy, dreamy voice. People even took her belongings and hid them all over the school. They were really cruel to her. What had she done to them?
Not looking away from the sky she spoke. "Gregory Goyle."
I cleared my throat nervously. "Luna Lovegood."
"Call me, Luna. It's much more personal, don't you think?"
I nodded. "Okay, then call me Greg." Nobody called me that anymore. My 'friends' were Slytherin, so we all used our last names. And all the other houses used our last names, too.
"Alright," she uttered dreamily.
I sat down next to her. She was now lying on her back, watching the sky. I just sat there watching her for a minute when she started talking. She talked about a ton of different things, none of which really fit with each other. But she flowed easily from random topic to topic. She told me about her father, and what she remembered of her mother. I hadn't known her mother was dead. After that night I realized that I had known almost nothing about her. But I learned a lot that night.
She told me about all of the funny creatures she believed in. I wasn't sure about their existence, but I just listened to her tales. She told me things about herself – likes and dislikes. She told me about the Ravenclaws. She told me about how no one liked her, how she was always alone. She didn't mind, but it was just something the others did. She talked about those who were nice to her, too. I was surprised that the youngest Weasley, the girl, was her closest friend. She was a Gryffindor and her and Luna seemed different. Luna seemed airy, dreamy and carefree while Weasley seemed fiery, feisty and almost mischievous. But Luna really liked her, talking about how kind she was. I listened for a while and then found myself talking. I told her about my entire life, my family, the Slytherins, Malfoy.
She told me to stick up for myself. I didn't have to do anything for him. I didn't have to be his bodyguard or his henchman. Quite a few of Slytherin's weren't directly his friends or servants. I didn't have to be one. I could just be Gregory Goyle. I could be Greg.
I came back the next night and she was in the same spot, sprawled out on the grass, gazing at the sky. We talked late, until I was sure it was past curfew, but I couldn't make myself care.
I kept seeing her like that, every night for a week. It was strange the hope that filled me when it was time for me to go find her again. I really liked being around her. She didn't make me feel stupid or insignificant. She made me feel happy and content. She made me feel, not like Goyle. She made me feel like Greg.
So throughout that week, when I saw her, she would smile in a dreamy, airy manner and I would smile back. Few people noticed; nobody looked at her or me anymore. But the people who did just exchanged startled looks and continued with their lives.
But I knew the secret meetings with her couldn't last. All good things come to an end right? So I wasn't altogether surprised when Malfoy asked me after a week of going out to see her every night, "Where were you last night?"
"Around," I said evasively, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Goyle," he said, exasperated. "You've been out every night this week. Where the hell have you been?"
"I like to wander around at night."
"That's hardly reasonable, Goyle. I was looking for you last night. You're supposed to be there when I need you there."
He was waiting for an apology. An apology that would never come. Because in that moment, I saw Luna Lovegood down the hall and remembered how she'd told me to stand up to him. How I was better than that. I remembered how I could be Greg with her. Just Greg.
"Screw off Malfoy."
There was a collective gasp, and Malfoy froze. "What did you just say to me?"
"I said screw off. I don't have to do everything you say, and I'm sick of it. I'm not your bodyguard; I'm supposed to be your friend. But I don't think I want friends like you, Malfoy. So goodbye."
Everyone gaped as I walked away, and up to her. She smiled a radiant smile, though and I felt happy. As happy as I had been in her presence every night. "That was brilliant Greg!" she said joyfully, and hugged me. I don't know why, but I nearly started to cry. I was so happy. I'd never been hugged before. And it was wonderful.
I was so happy that when she released me, I kissed her. And she smiled.
I was so happy that I could be Greg, just Greg, for as long as I liked.
