I ran down the steps to the dungeon. My long platinum wavy blond hair streamed down behind me. I was now taking the steps two at a time. I knew Professor Snape would not take it lightly if I was late to his detention on top of my "crime."

I was even sure if what I did was a crime. During Potions class that the Ravenclaws shared with the Slytherins I was adding the Figgle Root to my mixture when out a nowhere a paper dragon flew and it my right above my eye. It startled me making me spill my potions which released most unfortunate smell into the confined insulated space of the dungeon. The smell reminded me slightly of Ron Weasly's Quidditch gear, dung bombs, and garlic. Just to say in the least Professor Snape was not pleased. It couldn't be helped if I was assaulted. In the chaos of the spill the real culprit got away.

I was almost always known as "Loony" Lovegood. I'm sure most didn't even know my name was Luna. Luna Gwendolyn Selene Lovegood. Yes I did have a loony stage back in my first 3 years but now I had matured beyond that. I still believe in Nargles and always had my cork necklace on me, but I wasn't as strange as I used to be. I liked being unique which some took as a bad thing and ridiculed me daily. Only after 5th year did I make friends. A few Gryffindors, Harry Potter, Ron Weasly, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasly, and Neville Longbottom had been the first to see beyond my quirks to my real person. I never really had a group to belong to before. Even though I do like my solitude I enjoyed having friends to laugh with.

I hit the bottom of the step and stumbled ungracefully into the classroom. My glance fell on Snape's unhappy face and then to the other student in room. A very attractive and disgruntled face looked back at me. It was none other than Draco Malfoy. I wondered why he was here.

"Thank you for joining us Miss Lovegood. Please take a seat next to Mr. Malfoy." Snape voice held a hint of contempt and annoyance. I glanced at my wrist. My watch read 5 minutes past the time I was supposed to report. I glanced at Malfoy, he rolled his eyes and sighed.

I pulled out a chair and sat down next to Malfoy. This made me nervous. Being a grade behind Malfoy I never really was subjected to his ridicule other than a passing sneer in the hallway. Everything I knew was hear say from my Griffindor group, but what I heard wasn't good. I hated judging people without knowing but with Draco I might have to make an exception.

"Now you too. You both are here because of the incident from class today. You Miss Lovegood for spilling the potion and you Draco for making the contraption that made her do so."

I whipped my head around and glared at Draco. So he was the one who made the dragon.

He looked at me his eyebrow raised in surprise. He probably was surprised that Loony Lovegood could hold a coherent thought in her head.

"You punishment will be to clean all of these tables that still hold potion, the caldrons, and reorganize the cabinet. It should take you and hour or so. I'll come back and see how you are doing."

I stiffened a bit. Snape was going to leave me alone with him. There I was judging again, but still I couldn't help it.

I watched Snape walk out the door and then I looked a Draco.

I was waiting for him to say something, but instead he rose from his seat grabbed a rag and started washing down tables. He grabbed the other and tossed it at me. I swiftly grabbed it and followed his lead.

We worked this way for possibly 20 minutes and every minute made me more and more intrigued by Malfoy.

I sly looked up from my job to look at him. Why did he not say anything? He didn't call me Loony or snipe at me for causing him to get detention. He looked up from his work he must have felt my eyes on him. He looked at me with his silvery eyes that seemed to look right into my soul. He gazed made my heart jump a little. I silently scolded myself. Why did I do that.

"What?" He questioned me.

For a second it didn't register that he was talking to me. He really must think Im loony. Why was I worried what he thought? He was possibly a death eater and if he wasn't then he was just a jerk. He should be worried what I thought about him. There I was again. I was starting to sound like Lavender Brown. The Christmas break couldn't come fast enough. I looked back at Malfoy and realized I still haven't answered him.

"Oh um. I was wondering if we. . . .ahhh I frantically racked my mind trying to think of something. I looked the room and my eyes fell on the cauldrons.

"Oh are we allowed to use magic to clean the cauldrons." I mentally congratulated myself of my quick thinking.

"No we have to clean them by hand. Character building you know. Surprised you didn't know that. Is this your first detention?" He asked. His words dripping with irony

"Um actually yes it is."

"You are a seventh year and you have never had detention." He said incredulously.

"Well I am only a sixth year."

"Then why are you in our potions class?"

"I was advanced for my class so Snape let me join the seventh years for some classes." I explained.

"Really? Mud-blood Granger has never moved up any years for anything."

Hermione Granger. I loved her dearly, but she happened to flaunt her abilities and that bothered me.

"I love Hermione but she tends me be a bit of a show off without showing her magical skills." I gasped had I actually shared that with someone and that someone being Draco "Muggle-hating" Malfoy.

Malfoy gave me a roguish grin. Making him even more attractive then he already was. I never really noticed him before. He was a good 6'5 with a lean body hinting of powerful strength most likely from Quidditch. He had long ago abandoned his slicked back hair for a ruffled bed head look. He had masculine features with strong jaw and silvery eyes. Not grey, silver. I could feel my throat tightening and heat rushed to my cheeks. Malfoy made me very uncomfortable but for very different reasons then before.

"You think Granger is a know-it all." He laughed. I had never heard his laugh without hits of malice or scorn. I was a sound I would like to hear again.

We sat down and talked while we cleaned it started off slow but then we started to laugh. The space was small so only one of could fit comfortably at a time. He handed me vial after vial and we organized, and every time his hand brushed my hand tiny shocks of electricity traveled up my arm and I started to feel sick again every time he looked at me with that intense gaze it sent chills up my spine.

I started backing up into the closet trying to escape what I was feeling. Draco started following me in. I kept going until my back hit the last shelf backing the bottle shake. I looked up at him and bit my lip. Something I did when I was nervous. Draco slowly moved his face down to mine. His lips were inches away from mine, but then the vial I had in my hand dropped shattering across the ground. At that exact moment Snape came walking back into the room. Draco jumped back. Snape inspected our work and released us from our punishment.

I grabbed my bag and ran out of the room my head swirling with what just happened or rather what almost happened.