Chapter 4

Draco's Shivers

Luna sighed heavily as she trudged along the corridors on her way to the Hall for breakfast; she felt dreadful. She had woken up this morning all clammy and had spent a good ten minutes vomiting in the toilets before Cho had come looking for her and suggested that perhaps she should stay in bed today.

Luna had declined the suggestion, if she stayed in bed she would spend all her time thinking about Draco, she needed the distraction of her lessons. She didn't feel like eating but had agreed to go along to breakfast and try some dry toast which Cho had promised would make her feel much better.

Yawning widely she slid into the seat next to Cho, she moaned slightly, the aroma of all the different foods assaulting her nostrils caused a wave of nausea to wash over her. Covering her nose with her hand she breathed deeply trying to calm the squirming of her stomach.

"Here Luna, have a drink, it'll make you feel better." Cho poured her a glass of pumpkin juice placing it in front of her before striking up a conversation with a girl sitting opposite her and reaching for the scrambled eggs.

Luna sipped delicately at her drink trying her best to ignore how rough she was feeling and looked instead towards the Slytherin table and Draco. Nibbling at a piece of dried toast she observed him from her vantage point. She smiled softly when he flicked his annoying lock of hair from his face before taking a bite of his toast. He was talking to Crabbe who was in his turn gesturing wildly at Draco.

They had been back at school for a week and she had not managed to see him alone, she had not caught him looking at her and he had not come to find her. He was ignoring her completely as though she didn't even exist!

"Luna, you look awful." Ginny stated.

Luna jumped. "Where did you spring from?"

"Over there." She jerked her thumb at the Gryffindor table. "Are you ready? Do you want to walk to history of magic together?"

Luna replaced her half eaten slice of toast on her plate. "Yes I'm ready. Let's go."

"Wait just a minute, Luna." Cho's hand on her arm prevented her from getting up and making a hasty exit. "You can't leave without eating something tidy."

Luna shook her head quickly "I really don't think I could manage any more." She insisted at the raised eyebrows of Cho.

Cho considered for a few seconds. "I hope it's not catching, Luna. You do look dreadful."

Ginny frowned. "Well you don't exactly look like an oil painting yourself." She retorted.

Cho blinked in surprise. "What's your problem?"

Ginny scowled. "You. I don't like people speaking to my friends in that tone."

"I didn't use a tone." Cho snapped back.

Luna shifted uncomfortably, people were beginning to stop what they were doing to listen to the exchange between Ginny and Cho. "Never mind, Ginny. Lets just go." Luna gave Ginny an encouraging nudge away from Cho's scowl.

"If you speak to Luna like that again, Cho I'll finish this fight!" Ginny informed her nastily, before turning on her heel and storming off yanking Luna along with her.

Ginny's pace only slowed once she was out of sight of the Hall, she was breathing heavily and angry pink spots had appeared on her cheeks. Luna surveyed her for a few minutes but didn't say anything, she had a feeling that the argument with Cho had in actual fact nothing whatsoever to do with her; but ran much deeper than Ginny was willing to admit.

"Class, Ginny?" She asked quietly, when it became apparent that Ginny wasn't going to speak to her but just stand on the spot huffing and glowering at the wall.

Ginny nodded and began to stalk off down the corridor, forcing Luna to quicken from her usual meandering along to a small trot in order to keep up with her.

* * *

Draco was busy storming down the corridor after his potions lesson his robes billowing about his legs his face set in a hard scowl. Luna Lovegood was driving him crazy! He had felt her again this morning at breakfast; those eyes watching him. Why did she have to watch him? Why wouldn't she just let him be?

The voices of Goyle and Crabbe behind him drove him to quicken his pace, they were muttering on about food and the idea of food made him think of Luna, she would be in the Hall again; watching him.

He was gratified when a couple of first years jumped out of his way their eyes wide with fright at his menacing stride. He knew they knew who he was.

The rumours hadn't been as bad as he had thought, a few people made jokes about it but most people had left it alone and not even mentioned it. He was informed by Pansy that hardly anyone was talking about it anymore expect to laugh at the incredulity of it all. That had calmed his fears somewhat, but he was still a little panicked that some people were only pretending not to believe it and they were secretly whispering about him behind his back.

Irritably he pushed his hair out of his eyes. What was wrong with him? He was getting paranoid! It was all HER fault! Her and those bloody eyes! She was the one who forced him to behave like an irrational fool! Anytime he sensed her near to him, he had to run and hide from her. He found himself sliding into throngs of students, merging into the shadows and jumping into empty classrooms. Anything to get away from those eyes.

So far he had managed to avoid her successfully; but the odds on him keeping it up were slim. It was just his luck to see her no matter where he went during the day. Sooner or later she would catch him unawares. He wondered if she had always been there and if it was only now he was noticing? He had never thought about her before. Had she always been there? Was he just being paranoid thinking she was stalking him around the castle?

Either way she was still bloody crazy, batty, a fruit cake, a total loon! Complaining bitterly to himself he rounded the corner forcefully crashing into someone coming the other way. He blinked, it was her. He saw the surprised look on her face as she stumbled backwards. His arms went to reach to steady her but he stopped himself, balling his hands into fists at his side.

Draco watched as Luna's free arm shot out towards him to keep herself from falling, but he took a slight step backwards away from her. As if in slow motion she fell backwards landing hard on the floor The Quibbler bouncing from her other hand.

He could hear Crabbe and Golye guffawing loudly behind him. But he didn't laugh, instead he took his chance to get rid of those eyes. He stood where he was, looked down at her, looked through her, stepped over her fallen bag and continued on his thundering way down the corridor; trying to tell himself that the hurt look in her eyes was due to her behind colliding with the stone floor and not from him walking away from her.

Luna pulled her belongings to her, stuffing them back in her bag trying to blink away the hot tears that smarted behind her eye lids. Her hands were shaking so badly she dropped a bottle of ink and it sprayed everywhere. She reached for her wand to try to repair the damage but she found she couldn't remember the spell; she couldn't remember why she had wanted the spell. Her vision blurred quickly.

Biting hard on her bottom lip she hurriedly wiped away her tears, she couldn't let anyone see her crying, they would think she was such a baby crying because she had been knocked over. They wouldn't know the real reason for her tears; they would never even suspect that beneath the loony façade, beneath her school robes her heart was slowly cracking in two.

No-one could ever know that! She couldn't bear the humiliation, the whispering, the pitying looks, it would be too much for her to handle. Besides, she told herself she was handling it ok on her own. There was no need to involve anyone in her heart break or misery, she was fine all by herself.

"Hi Luna, are you alright?" Harry's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Yes, just a little accident." Luna muttered, keeping her head down.

Harry knelt next to her. "Let me help you." Glancing across at her he noticed immediately that she was upset about something. "Are you sure your ok?"

"Yes, I'm alright, Harry. Thank you." She stood clumsily dragging her bag from his grip.
"Do you want to come with me to the Court Yard? I expect Ginny will be out there." He offered.

Luna just shook her head, the sudden movement of jumping up had caused a fresh wave of sickness to sweep her. "No, I think I'm going to go to the library where it's quiet and do some work. I don't feel very well."

Harry looked at her closely, she was trying to keep her face hidden from him, but he could see the wetness of her cheeks, cheeks that looked paler than usual. She did look unwell. "Do you want me to tell someone?"

"No. I'm alright. Bye, Harry." She turned quickly and hurried off down the corridor in the direction of the library.

She had to get away from him. Harry was so nice, he had always been nice to her; but right now Harry being nice was the last thing she needed with the new, fresh pain of Draco's dismissal of her as though she was nothing sitting hot and heavy in her chest. She felt fragile enough without Harry making her feel worse.

Scurrying down the corridor she glanced out at the Court Yard when she passed the window, what she saw had her stopping and doubling back to the window to get a better look. Draco was out there, leaning against a tree his arms folded across his chest, the sunlight gleaming through the leafy boughs onto his hair making it shine silver like a brightly polished helmet. She felt her breath leave her lungs and her heart flip over at the sight of him. Was it really possible for one boy to be so handsome? To have that physical effect on someone?

Apparently it was, Draco did it to her. Although at this moment in time she was glad he was unaware of it. She didn't want him to know that his dismissal of her wounded her so much, that every time he ignored her she hurt that little bit more.

It would be too much for her to cope with, seeing that look in his eyes that told her she was crazy. Or even worse; a totally disinterested look, proving that he didn't care in the slightest.

But he had to care! Even just a little bit! He had to care. No-one could be that….. That…. She searched her mind for the right words, that…. Loving, tender and passionate without caring a little bit!

Could they?

Turning from the window she made her slow way to the library, she would welcome the peace and quiet right now. She moaned slightly and quickened her pace flinging herself through the doorway to the girls toilets hurtling herself into a cubicle she retched violently. Raising herself off her knees she staggered towards the sink wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She needed a cool drink of water, she'd be alright then.

Gazing at her reflection in the mirror above the sink she made a face, she looked awfully pale today, this stomach bug she had was draining her of all colour and energy. At least these type of things didn't last long, she should be ok by tomorrow.

* * *

Leaning against the tree half listening to Pansy's prattling Draco had felt her. Startled he had scanned the Court Yard but he couldn't find her, that didn't mean she wasn't watching him though, he knew she was. He shivered, it was creepy; he couldn't see her but she was watching him! Crazy, freaky girl!

"Draco, are you listening to me?" Pansy prodded him in the arm.

"No I'm not bloody listening to you! Why should I care that Katie's new hair do doesn't suit her? Like I even know who she is! Why don't you shut up for five minutes?" He snapped, his eyes still scanning the crowds of students for the familiar blonde head or dreamy eyes. But he couldn't see her, she was definitely not in the Court Yard, but she was definitely watching him.

Pansy frowned. "Draco, is something wrong? You've been acting wired all week."

"Nothing's wrong." Why did women always manage to sniff out gossip?

"I think there…"

"Don't think to much Pansy, we wouldn't want you to over exert yourself would we?" He cut her off his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Pansy scowled. "There's something wrong with you, but whatever it is you don't need to take it out on me!" She snapped, spinning on her heel and stalking off across the yard.

He didn't go after her or try to stop her, she wanted him to he knew that but he had never chased after her before and he wasn't going to start now. It just wasn't going to happen, why wouldn't she accept that?

Draco shivered again, Luna had gone. Wherever she was she wasn't watching him anymore. It freaked him out that he could tell so easily. He half wished he had no idea when she watched him it made him nervous and jumpy. But the egotistical part of him still managed to bask in the female attention.

"Hey, Malfoy." Blaise broke into his thoughts when he appeared beside him at the tree. "What's going on?"

Draco shrugged beginning to tear up a spare piece of parchment he had come across in the pockets of his robe. "Nothing much."

"Oooh, that doesn't look good my friend." Blaise said, giving him a worried look.

"What?" Draco frowned at his friend raising his eyebrows quizzically.

Blaise indicated the tiny bits of parchment falling from Draco's fingers. "All that tearing. You know what they say don't you?"

Draco shook his head and replied dryly. "No, Blaise I don't know what they say, but I have a feeling I'm about to find out."

"Frustration my friend." Blaise leaned in closer to him and hissed in a mocking tone "Sexual frustration."

Draco laughed easily, "What are you going on about now? Just because I'm tearing up bits of parchment does not mean I'm sexually frustrated, it means I'm bored out of my mind!"

"Yeah sure, Malfoy. You keep telling yourself that, me, well I don't really care. You see, I'm getting some." Indicating Draco's hands again he grinned. "Your obviously not."

Laughing he ducked the blow Draco aimed at his head and waved happily as he took off across the court yard.

Draco scowled after him, he was most definitely not sexually frustrated there was no need for him to be, he had his pick of the girls in Slytherin. Although, since he had been back at school he grudgingly admitted that he had only thought about one girl in particular. Mostly because she kept stalking him everywhere he went, but the other reason being he couldn't shake the memories of their game of truth or dare. Luna Lovegood might be batty but she was also much more stimulating than he had ever given her credit for; and that alone excited him.

He found himself thinking about her whenever he was bored. After he felt her eyes on him he would allow his mind to travel back and remember intimate details about her body that no-one else in the world knew about. Blaise's comments had him wondering how much persuading she would need to give him a repeat performance.

He glanced up automatically when Crabbe hissed, "Potter," in his ear. There he was, bloody Potter and his do-gooder mud blood friend. He had a good comment for Granger, he had come up with it a few days ago and had been saving it for just the right occasion. As he was bored and wanted to get Luna out of his mind he figured now was the best time to use it.

Before he could open his mouth however he heard Potter talking about Luna, for some unfathomable reason he wanted to hear what Potter had to say.

"Was she alright, Harry?" Do-gooder Granger poking about in other people lives again.

"I don't know, she had dropped all her stuff and was obviously really upset about something, she wouldn't look at me directly. She said thanks and went to the library."

"If anyone's been picking on her they'll get the bat bogey hex as soon as I find out who it is." Ginny vowed, her face scrunched up with annoyance.

"That's a good look for you, Weaselette." Draco drawled from his leaning position on the tree. "When you scrunch your face up like that the rest of us don't have to see so much of it. We appreciate your consideration. Don't we boys?" He asked Crabbe and Goyle who laughed uproariously.

Ginny bit back the urge to hex him, instead she smiled sweetly and said, "I'm glad you appreciate my efforts, I like to do my good deed for the day. Pity you don't isn't it, Malfoy? We'd all be better off not looking at your ugly mug wouldn't we?"

Draco glared after her as she flounced off with her friends. He pushed himself off the tree forcefully, "I have things to do. Your on your own for a bit, just don't think too much and you should be fine." He told Crabbe and Goyle before sauntering off, he found he was walking the path to the library.

He ignored the questions floating in his head as to why he was leaning on the wall outside the library waiting for Luna to come out. He told himself that he wasn't waiting for her, he was just leaning on the wall by the library, he liked to lean. If Luna happened to come out of the library in the meantime before he was finished leaning then fine. If she didn't, well, he'd just lean a bit longer.

Draco sighed with frustration, he had been waiting for over ten minutes. What was she doing in there? Making out her will? Writing a damn book from scratch? Hunting for Flingingflangs? He wasn't sure what one of those was but it sounded like something Luna would go hunting for.

The door opened, and a familiar blonde head came out bent over a book of charms totally oblivious to anyone or anything around her. She took off down the corridor, Draco shoved himself off the wall and followed her. He wondered if she felt him following her the way he felt her when she watched him? It didn't look like it, she was so absorbed in what she was reading she didn't seem to notice anything.

Draco frowned, he wasn't used to being ignored. He remembered her being so absorbed in him that she wouldn't have noticed if Voldemort himself had appeared in the room!

He quickened his pace until he was right behind her. "So, what colour are they today? Red lace again?"

He smirked when she stopped dead in her tracks her body stiff with sudden shock.

Slowly she turned towards him, keeping her head low she glanced warily up at him through her lashes. It had been over a week and he hadn't spoken to her, and when she had seen him earlier he had knocked her over and walked away without even trying to help her! But, all that seemed to fade into the background. He was here now, making references to their night. That was what mattered.

Draco tilted his head to the side and gave her a thoughtful look. "Or is today perhaps no underwear day?"

Luna bit her bottom lip as she felt her face flush red. She shot a look over her shoulder.

"What's the matter with you? You've gone as red as your lacy knickers." Draco was dying to laugh at the total mortification she was suffering, he had never seen anyone look like they actually wished to die right there on the spot so much as Luna did at that moment. He smirked, Luna was fun! Or more to the point teasing Luna was fun! For him anyway.

"Shh! Someone might hear you!" She hissed at him, fearfully scanning the empty hallway.

He allowed himself a quick smirk before regaining his composure. "What?" He asked her innocently. "You don't want people knowing you don't wear underwear?"

"I do so wear underwear!" She hissed madly at him. "And for Merlin's sake keep your voice down."

Draco grinned wickedly at her. "As I recall, you look good without underwear."

He hadn't thought it was possible for her to turn a deeper shade of red, his last comment proved him wrong. She was extremely embarrassed and highly uncomfortable and he was enjoying himself immensely.

Luna gripped the open charms book tight against her chest willing him to shut up and be nice. What if someone over heard him? She'd never live it down! She could see him out of the corner of her eye; he was still giving her his wicked grin, he was teasing her and she knew it.

The uncomfortable part of her was wishing he would stop and allow her to return to normal colour, while the other part of her; the Luna who had been pining for him to speak to her was desperate for him to stay and keep talking to her.

"Shhh!" She hissed again, her knuckles turning white at her tight grip on her book; while she shot another worried look over her shoulder. Turning back to face him she was surprised to find him so close to her she had to tilt her head back to look at him. When had he moved?

Draco stepped towards her again to close the gap between them and was surprised to find her backing away from him, a distinct look of fright in her eyes. So she was still afraid of him was she? He wasn't sure exactly why she would be afraid of him, but perhaps it wasn't all about him. Maybe he wasn't even the one she was afraid of? He could have some fun with this.

He continued to advance on her and she continued to back away from him. "What are you afraid of, Luna? Not me surely? Shouldn't it be me whose afraid of you? You can get pretty wild you know."

"Stop it." She murmured, closing her eyes in distress as her back hit the stone wall. Her eyes popped open when she felt the very tips of his fingers brushing her hips "What are you doing?" She gasped.

"Checking."

"What on earth for?" She demanded, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

Draco raised his eyebrows slowly, allowing an innocent look to cross his face before he casually replied, "for a knicker line."

Luna's jaw dropped, she stared at him incredulously. He was unbelievable! But she knew that already. He had been ignoring her for a week and now he was here pinning her against the wall his fingers poking around her hips and he was informing her he was checking for a knicker line!

And what was worse, she was letting him! What was wrong with her?

Luna squirmed trying to move away from his hands. She couldn't have him touching her, she couldn't cope with it, her body was crying out for him already.

"What's the matter, Luna? We've been a lot closer than this before." His voice was deep in her ear, his breath tickling her skin, his hands now firmly planted on her hips.

She couldn't think, she could barely breathe .His presence overwhelmed her, the sheer force of him being so close to her made her tremble with excitement. She wished he would kiss her and hold her closer.

Draco was enjoying himself, now he knew the power he had over Luna and it thrilled him. This kind of power was better than blackmail or humiliation. This wasn't about what he knew about her, this was all about him. He had been in many situations where he heldthe power; but never in a situation where hewas the power. It was new, and he liked it.

It didn't totally surprise him that the repeat performance his body seemed to crave from her wouldn't be that difficult to establish; although he hadn't expected it to be this easy. Luna would give in to him much quicker than he had first realised; although he didn't want to push it too quickly just in case it all backfired on him. Who could tell what Loony Lovegood would think of next?

Luna needed him to release her, she was trapped between him and the wall with his body pressing closer to her all the time. She couldn't cope being this close to him, it was too much. "D…Draco." She managed to stammer before losing her nerve completely when his hands began to make circler motions over her hip.

"Hmm?" He murmured in her ear. "Something you want, Luna?" He smirked again at the low groan of despair that escaped her.

Draco scowled when he head footsteps echoing along the nearby corridor. He was going to have to put the rest of his plan off until later. Moving away from her slightly he looked down at her confused face tilted up at him. Bending swiftly he placed a hard kiss against her mouth. "I'll be seeing more of you very soon, Luna."

She adverted her eyes from his face and he walked off. He didn't need to turn around to know she was watching him, he felt her again. Draco smirked victoriously he had Luna Lovegood right where he wanted her.