I really appreciate the reviews, everyone. This is my first Draco/Luna interaction and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

LCailan


3. Life's Not a Picnic


"We're all islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstanding."
― Rudyard Kipling


The first Quidditch game of the year dawned gray and dreary, the clouds burdened by the weight of an imminent rainstorm. The school was atwitter with excitement and the stands were bursting with students cheering and yelling over the magically magnified voice of the announcer. Just as Slytherin scored the first goal against Hufflepuff, the skies opened up and wept heavy, wet drops upon the earth. The downpour grew significant but it did not put a damper on the excitement coming from the stands. It did, however, cause the game to be rained out and as Draco flew down towards the field at the sound of Madame Hooch's whistle he saw the majority of girls from his House squealing and lamenting about the rain having soaked them to the bone.

It was an act, of course, put on for the benefit of the males around them and especially Blaise Zabini who was surrounded by a gaggle of females almost upon touching the muddy ground. Draco avoided the growing crowd, flinging mud from his Quidditch robes in disgust and stalking down the field towards the changing rooms. It wasn't like Blaise would give any of those insignificant girls a second glance anyway; they were all pathetic.

As he moved swiftly down a slight slope and passed the small brick building where the players kept their equipment, he looked up.

That's when he saw her.

Lovegood was standing under the protection of the protruding roof of the Quidditch changing rooms just past the equipment room seemingly oblivious to the rain except for a pair of ridiculous looking spectacles with tiny, charmed wipers that kept her vision clear. She had always been small but the garish, yellow slicker she wore made her look even tinier if such a thing was possible. Her ensemble was completed by a pair of orange carrot earrings that dangled almost to her shoulders. Draco couldn't make out any sort of figure beneath the mess of slicker, robes and the huge basket she was clutching to her tiny chest.

Not that he cared. He hadn't seen her since the night he had decided to focus on his life and not Blaise's. But it wasn't like anything had changed.

Gods, but she's pathetic!

Luna noticed him but said nothing, simply shifting from one foot to the other and clutching the basket even tighter. She looked around the pitch with an odd expression, as if she wasn't sure where she was. Her hair was lackluster, the rain making it almost as dull as the dishwater used at Malfoy Manor, and it hung in sheets around her thin face, accentuating her eyes which were the queerest shade of gray almost blue.

Draco hadn't even realized that he had stopped to stare at her and she didn't seem to care. As he stared, he realized Luna reminded him of a bird - a little, flittering nervous thing.

I hate birds, he decided and brushed past her without a word, head held high.

The locker room was musty but at least it was dry and he quickly used a drying charm on his robes and rubbed his hands together to warm them up. He finished packing up his Quidditch things just as Zabini and the rest of the team trailed into the room, dripping carelessly everywhere.

"Come on, mate! There's going to be a jolly good time in the common room tonight! Hurry up and join us!"

Zabini tossed his stuff carelessly to the side of one of the benches and walked back out of the changing rooms. Draco thought suffering Cruciatus was preferable to watching Zabini hold court with his many female admirers but nevertheless he gathered his rucksack and followed the wet trail out of the building reluctantly.

The rain had slowed down a bit and it now drizzled lightly from the gray sky above. As Draco came around the corner the sight that met his eyes caused him to scowl.

Bloody hell! So much for avoiding those two!

Luna stood, gazing up at Zabini with a trembling smile.

"Oh, no, that's all right," she said. "I know you're busy, it's just that I brought all this..."

She held up the basket she had been clutching and Draco wanted to smack her tiny, bird-like face as she trailed off with hesitation, clearly wanting Zabini to change his mind.

"I'll be sure to make it up to you, all right? I've got this...thing tonight with the rest of the Quidditch team...and I've got to drop off an essay for Flitwick and stop by the Owlery to send my Mum a post. You understand, yeah?"

Zabini ruffled her damp hair playfully whilst trying not to openly laugh at the strange spectacles she was wearing. It seemed to be obvious to everyone but Luna how...odd she looked.

Draco rolled his eyes at the obviously miserable look that crossed her face.

"No, it's all right," she agreed clutching her damned basket tightly. "There's always next time."

"That's bloody fantastic," replied the Slytherin as he offered Luna his most charming smile. "I'll be looking forward to it," he added over his shoulder carelessly, giving her a wink.

As he disappeared into the gray mist that had clouded everything around the Quidditch field, laughter could be heard.

The silence that followed seemed almost too loud to Draco and it was odd that neither he nor Luna had moved. She stood there, looking after Zabini with a dumbfounded expression on her pale face. He noticed the long sheets of her dirty blond hair had curled in the rain.

"He's not really that brilliant."

The words slipped out before Draco could stop them, much to his surprise and Luna's as well.

Bloody Hell, Malfoy! What the piss is wrong with you!? Walk away now; she's mental.

Luna heaved a disappointed sigh that could barely be heard over the whispering drizzle.

"Right."

"He's not. I should know; he used to be one of my best mates."

Malfoy, what are you doing?! Turn around and start moving.

But Draco's feet refused to do his bidding. It was as if he was determined to prove to someone else that Zabini was a spoiled, conceited prat. He noted immediately that he had chosen the wrong person to prove that fact.

Luna bristled as she stared up at Draco. Strangely enough, it was the only time he had seen any life in her excepting the moments when she was wistfully staring after Blaise sodding Zabini. Another wave of disgust washed over him at that thought and he watched as she removed her glasses to glare up at him with huge, expressive eyes.

"I can't expect you to understand."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Its like you've got this obsession with Zabini. It's the same sort that everyone has with Potter."

He watched her grow increasingly indignant; her cheeks grew pink and her nose crinkled.

"Harry Potter is a wonderful person and one of the greatest wizards I have ever known!"

Draco remained unimpressed.

"Well, like I said…unhealthy obsessions."

Luna's face was bright pink now.

"Well, like I said, I can't expect someone like you to understand."

Then with another disappointed sigh she pushed the basket she had been holding into his hands. Draco stumbled backwards, surprised at its weight.

"What the sodding piss do you have in this thing?" he complained. "Boulders?"

Luna ignored Draco's baiting comments, turned and began walking away from him, pulling out her wand and tucking it behind her ear.

He looked down at the basket in his arms with dissatisfaction. He felt odd...almost unsatisfied. He had wanted a fight; he had wanted to see Loony cry so that he could make fun of her. He had wanted to call her a freak, a pathetic girl who was blinded by lust. He had wanted to tell her she had horrid taste in friends. But...nothing. She had just walked away from him leaving him with a basket full of-

Draco's curiosity got the best of him and he lifted the lid.

Food. A basket full of food. Draco's mouth watered at the feast before his eyes. He saw sandwiches and fruit, a bagful of treats and a plate loaded with mince pie. Further inspection also revealed carefully wrapped chocolate biscuits for dessert. Draco's mouth watered and stomach rumbled at the sight.

The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Don't you want any of this, Loony?"

From the corner of his eye he could see her stop but she didn't turn around.

"My name is Luna."

Draco ignored her comment, staring at the food some more.

"It looks bloody delicious."

"I'm not hungry."

There was a pause and the silence was filled with the whispering wind.

"Have some with me. Malfoys do not eat alone."

This time she did turn and the look in her large eyes was one of surprise. She offered a shy, uncertain look.

Draco knew he should have walked away. No company was better than Loony's company, but something stopped him.


The sky had lightened and the rain had ceased completely during their short conversation. Draco and Luna took the food laden basket up towards the Owlery and found a dry spot there to lay out the generous spread. She said nothing to him as he quickly conjured up a dry blanket and began to unload the basket, placing everything between them, his stomach growling in anticipation.

Though Draco didn't relish the idea of spending time with Lovegood, let alone having an actual conversation with her, soon enough the silence got to be too awkward. There was also the bloody fact that she kept glancing towards the Owlery every few moments and Draco knew who she was looking for.

He spoke in spite of himself though he did not look at her.

"You did this all yourself?" he asked, nodding towards the food.

Luna, who had been staring away from him, glanced in his direction oddly.

"It's just sandwiches, fruit, cheese, pie and some of Blaise's favorite sweets."

For whatever reason, Luna's nonchalance was irritating to Draco and he scowled.

"Pity, I wasn't aware Ravenclaw House had a kitchen," he retorted.

Luna nibbled on some cheese, a very serious look on her pale face.

"Nothing like that." she assured him, missing his obvious sarcasm. "I snuck down to the kitchens with the house elves."

Draco gaped at her.

"You can't do that!" he exclaimed, forgetting that he was hungry and that he didn't want to be having a conversation with her.

"Why not? The elves are my friends."

Draco snorted.

"Elves aren't anyone's friends! They're hired help!"

Luna bristled.

"They are too my friends! After all, I'm the one that can sneak down into the kitchen for food anytime I want, right? You can't do that and neither can any of the other students! And elves aren't just hired help! They have feelings just like you and I!"

Draco found it amusing that Luna's defense of a creature as lowly and creepy as a house elf elicited passion. He couldn't help but smirk as he began to stuff his face full of the delicious food before them.

He spoke between voracious bites.

"What are you going to tell me next, Lovegood? That those vile creatures deserve rights? That they aren't being treated fairly? Isn't that the sort of crazy stuff Granger goes on about?"

Luna's face turned pink.

"They're not vile. And I am very much for elfish welfare. Maybe if you were then they'd let you sneak into the kitchens too."

Draco swallowed, frowning.

"Why would I want to do a bloody thing like that?"

"Well, you certainly enjoy stuffing your face with their offerings, don't you?"

Draco stopped mid-bite and stared down offensively at his second, half-eaten sandwich.

"No, I-"

Luna watched him solemnly and Draco put down his sandwich, gazing down at it with longing. He wanted the food but he didn't want to prove Luna right.

For a while there was nothing but the sound of the breeze and Draco watched as Luna silently arranged a few pieces of fruit and cheese on her plate.

"You eat like a bird," he criticized even though he didn't know what it was about this girl that made him want to even bother.

Luna gave him another strange look.

"As opposed to eating like a wild beast?" she offered pointedly at the mess he had left on his plate.

Draco turned red. Who was this girl - a younger girl and Ravenclaw at that - to say anything scathing about him? It was preposterous and it made Draco shove his plate away abruptly.

"I'm finished."

Luna watched his plate thoughtfully while she took tiny bites of her cheese.

"You left the crusts."

The words indicated quite the obvious and Draco blinked in confusion.

"Come again?"

"The crusts," she said more slowly as if talking to a small child. "You left them on your plate."

Draco stared down at the mess on his plate.

"Who are you to tell me how I'm to eat?"

"I was just pointing out that if you were really finished-"

Draco got to his feet, towering over Luna who stared up at him with a mildly interested look in her eyes.

"You enjoy telling other people what they should do and not do? You want to teach me how to eat, Lovegood? Or try to make me feel bad because I'm not friends with the creepy house elves? Why don't you look in the mirror? Don't you realize that you're the laughing stock of Slytherin House because of your pathetic and very much obvious crush on someone who doesn't know you exist?"

Once more a dark, terrible part of Draco wanted to see her crumble beneath his angry gaze. He liked having control and if people hated or feared him he would always have it.

Luna stared up at him without emotion for a few moments. The fresh breeze ruffled her long hair.

"I realize a lot of things. It's you who won't ever understand."

"I don't want to!"

"So why are you still here?"

There was a cold silence and Draco finally flung up his hand.

"I have no bloody clue but don't worry; I'm about to leave."

He glared at her and even then she did not flinch.

"You're a nut job, Lovegood. A veritable crazy person. Enjoy spending the rest of your sodding life with the house elves."

He whirled around with the swish of his robes and moved away from the Owlery, his heart beating queerly inside of his chest. When he turned around to glance back in her direction Luna was staring curiously up at the sky as if nothing had happened at all.

Zabini deserves that barmy bint. Good luck to both of them.

Then he hurried towards the castle in the distance, head held high.