THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: Please note that this is Chapter Four, not Chapter Two. If you haven't already read two and three, please go back and read them. Otherwise this probably won't make any sense. I thought I should mention this because a lot of people gave some really nice comments on Chapter One, but not 2 or 3. Those chapters might have just been really bad, but I thought I should clarify.
I don't own anything! Enjoy.
Luna walked over to Seamus Finnagin and smiled at him. Today she had worn her best shirt and skirt, without the tie, hoping that someone would see how good she looked. Parvati had given her some makeup, and had expertly applied it only a few seconds ago, in the privacy of the Prefect's Bathroom.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey, Luna," Seamus replied, surprised to see her looking… well, good. Luna usually was unconcerned with how she looked, but today was a special occasion. Today, Luna was getting a date to the Yule Ball. "You look great."
Luna laughed and flipped her hair. "Thanks. You too."
Seamus blushed. "How are you?"
"I'm okay," Luna sighed, thinking of the ball and Neville.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
Seamus really was sweet, and Luna felt bad for using him. But she was only going to ask him as friends. "Well… I don't have a date to the Yule Ball," she confessed. "I only want to go as friends with someone—I'm not interested in dating." Dating anyone but Neville. "But no one's asked me."
"Oh." Seamus was uncomfortable. After a pause, he said, "Well, would you like to go with me? You know—as friends."
Luna lit up. "Really?"
"Sure," Seamus agreed. "It'll be more fun to go with a friend and not have to worry about it being awkward, right?"
Luna grinned. This was exactly what she wanted. "Right. Thank you!" She hugged him, and then pulled back, blushing. "I'll see you there, then."
"Right," Seamus responded. "Bye, Luna."
Draco Malfoy watched the whole exchange with a sinking heart from a shady corner. His throat felt dry as she walked happily away. It felt like his heart had stopped beating. Draco turned and hurried back to the Slytherin table. Pansy sat next to Blaise, flirting with him. Draco knew she planned to ask him if Draco didn't ask her first. But he had to have a date.
"Pansy," he began.
She looked up and smiled flirtatiously. "Yes, Draco?"
"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" The words were ripped from his mouth.
She stood up. "I would love to. Took you long enough," she sneered as an afterthought and walked away.
Draco rolled his eyes and sat down next to Blaise.
"Lucky man," Blaise told him. "She's hot. If you weren't going to ask her, I would have." He smirked and bent back over his Potions homework.
I wish you could have had her, Draco thought bitterly as he watched Luna bending over her homework, studiously taking notes at the Ravenclaw table. I wish I could have Luna.
* * *
"You've spoiled everything!" Hermione shouted at Ron.
"What's going on?" asked Harry, arriving at the scene just in time to see Hermione raise her hand, ready to slap Ron across the face. But her lower lip trembled for a half a second, and then she slowly lowered it. A tear rolled down her cheek and she blew by them, determined not to let either of her best friends see her cry.
Luna watched Hermione burst into tears before she even rounded the corner. She turned to see Seamus also watching. "Do you mind if—?"
"Go," Seamus nodded with a smile.
Luna hurried after her, and found Hermione sitting on the floor crying. "Oh, Hermione," Luna whispered, crouching next to her friend. "I'm sorry."
"He's… he's ruined everything," she choked out.
Luna patted Hermione's back. "I know. I know."
"He only asked me because he didn't have anyone else as a date…." Hermione shook her head. "And then he throws a fit like a child when I show up with someone more handsome and more kind than he is!" She wiped her tears away roughly and kicked off her heals. "And Harry will side with Ron, as he always does." 'She lowered her face into her hands.
"I'm sorry," Luna sighed. "I really am."
Ginny appeared and knelt on her other side. "It's okay. It's going to be okay, I promise you." She wiped away a tear. "He's an idiot…"
She smiled tearfully, just as Parvati approached. She took Hermione's hand and held it tightly. "Ginny, I'm sorry," she said, her eyes pleading for forgiveness.
* * *
"Aren't you going to ask me to dance?" Pansy asked, annoyed.
"No," snapped Draco, sitting next to Blaise with his arms crossed. He glared across the room. He was really looking at Seamus, glaring at him. He had come with Luna, and already Draco hated him. He had never really noticed Seamus before, and he knew that they had agreed to come as friends, but they had danced all night.
Were they together?
No. No, they couldn't be.
Pansy stared down at him. "Fine, then." She turned and stormed off to flirt with the Durmstrang students.
Blaise watched her go. "Well, I did warn you," he said. He stood up and followed. "Hey, Pansy, wait up!" She turned to him.
"Yes?"
"Dance with me?"
The two of them went off to the dance floor, and Draco remained, looking for Luna. She wasn't with Seamus, her date, or Ginny Weasley, her best friend. Sometimes Draco saw her with Granger, and Parvati Patil, too, but today she wasn't with them either.
She wasn't anywhere. Draco started to worry. He stood up and left the ballroom, looking left and right for her. Usually she was skipping down the hallway, humming. Not tonight.
"Thanks, you guys," he heard Granger mumble. Parvati and Ginny were helping her up and holding her hands, walking her back to the Gryffindor Common room. Luna waved as they walked off. Draco concealed himself in the shadows and followed her as she walked off.
Luna opened her purse and pulled out a huge stack of posters. She waved her wand and stuck on to the wall she was passing. She didn't appear to going anywhere in particular. The signs read:
MISSING
A pair of blue sandals, a Coke-bottle necklace, a pair of flip flops, three Ravenclaw ties, and a diamond necklace*
If found, please return to Luna Lovegood.
*This diamond necklace is very valuable and has great sentimental valuable to Luna. If found, please return immediately.
Draco felt a spark of anger. Luna obviously had not misplaced all these things. Who could lose a diamond necklace, shoes, and ties? Where would they all go? These things had been stolen. Maybe the other things were a little bit okay… maybe. But a diamond necklace? And obviously someone very special had given it to Luna.
"Do you need any help?" Draco asked suddenly.
Luna turned around and smiled. "I wondered if you'd ask."
Draco blinked. "How did you—?"
"You're not very quiet, you know," Luna laughed. But she wasn't teasing him—she was laughing like it was a joke.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew I was there?"
"You didn't want me to know," Luna replied simply.
Draco processed this. "Oh. Well, do you need help?"
"That would be nice," Luna said in her dreamy fashion. She handed him a stack of posters and put one up on the wall as they passed it.
"So, they really stole all of this?"
Luna looked up at him in surprise. "No, of course not."
Draco stopped walking. "You mean you just misplaced it all?"
"No," Luna explained. "They didn't steal it, they just… borrowed it."
"Do they plan on giving it back? Do you know who 'borrowed' it?" The air quotes were clear in his voice. Luna turned around, stopped walking, and faced him. She smiled.
"No, but these things always turn up."
"What about the diamond necklace?" he demanded.
Luna's eyes darkened. "Well… I'm a bit nervous about that." She began walking faster, putting more posters up as she walked. "I don't know if someone would give it back. It's very beautiful, you see. And… well, I just think that whoever borrowed it might have… Intended on not giving it back."
* * *
When Draco got into the Common Room that night, Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all sitting by the fire talking. When they saw him, Pansy sat up straight and Blaise made a face.
"Draco! Where have you been?" Pansy called, scooting over and making room for him between her and Blaise.
"Around," Draco replied distantly. Instead of sitting next to her, he opted for the armchair in between Crabbe and Goyle. "I didn't feel well," he lied, "so I left early."
"How do you feel now?"
"Fine," Draco snapped. "Do you think I would be here if I still felt sick?"
Pansy fell silent and leaned back on the couch. Blaise reached into his pockets with a grin. "Check this out, you all," he said, and pulled out a gorgeous necklace. It had a diamond in a heart shape hanging on a silver chain. "It's for you," Blaise told Pansy. "I stole it from Loony."
Draco felt his stomach drop uncomfortably.
Pansy examined it. "It's gorgeous, Blaise." She held up her hair and turned her back to him. "Put it on for me?"
Draco snatched it from Blaise's hand.
"A little jealous, are we, Draco?" Pansy asked.
"Jealous? Of him? You're an annoying, whiny, desperate, bratty flirt, Parkinson. Why in the world would I be jealous of Blaise—he's got put up with you now like I had to for years!"
Pansy's face contorted.
"What's you problem, Malfoy?" she snapped. He didn't have a response. He knew he couldn't tell them he liked Luna.
"Give the necklace back, man," Blaise said. He held out his hand.
"No! It's hers," Draco refused angrily.
"Who's? Loony's?"
Draco stood up. "You have no right to take it from her! You don't even know her!" he yelled at his friend. He dropped the necklace in his robe pockets. "I'm not giving it back."
"What the hell, Draco? A week ago you would have found this hilarious. What's wrong with you?" Blaise stood too. "And it's not like you know her either! What're you, standing up for the losers now?"
"She's not a loser," he defended her automatically.
"Really? I guess soon you'll be pals with Potter?"
"Shut up! Shut up," Draco snapped at him.
"What, so now you like him? What is going on with you? So you're friends with Potter and Weasley? Are you dating the Mudblood Granger now, too?"
Draco drew his wand and pointed it at Blaise. "I'm warning you, Blaise, shut up. Shut up right now."
"Are you part of their gang?" he jeered. "Are you going out for the Loser Squad?" Blaise drew his wand too. "Are you threatening me? You're not the only one who knows how to play with spells, Malfoy." He scoffed. "Has the Mudblood been giving you lessons?"
"Stupefy!" Draco stuffed his wand back into his pockets. I don't need lessons," he said coldly.
