Chapter 10

Telling Draco

Draco sat in the Slytherin common room finishing off his Defence Against The Dark Arts essay. They now had a new teacher who had decided that after each lesson every student should submit a two foot long essay on the lesson outlining what they had been discussing, what they had learned during the lesson and how to put it into practice. They would be graded on the papers they handed in as practice for their NEWT examinations, if the work they did was up to standard then they would only have to re-read over their own essays ready for their written exams.

Draco grudgingly admitted it was a good idea but it took up so much time! Time that could be better spent playing Quidditch, bossing Crabbe and Goyle around or just doing nothing but being an irritating prefect; a part he liked to play as often as possible. Now he was a prefect he had that extra little bit of authority over everyone else in the school and didn't just have to maintain his superiority to those in Slytherin.

He re-read the last paragraph he had written. He had written it out five times and it still didn't make much sense, mostly because his class notes didn't make any sense. He hadn't been able to concentrate on anything all day. Everywhere he went SHE had been trailing behind him, following him, watching him. Everywhere he went he felt her.

She was so infuriating! And stupid! Did she really think just because she put half a corridor between them that he didn't know she was following him? Didn't she have anything better to do? She bothered him. No matter what he did or where he went he couldn't seem to shake her.

He had thought that totally ignoring her would do the trick this time, that she would bugger off and leave him alone. But he wasn't that lucky; and he also had the sneaky feeling that she bothered him much more than he bothered her.

She drove him to utter distraction! Drove him to the point where he couldn't concentrate; where he was constantly on edge just waiting to feel her eyes on his back. He didn't even taste his food any more because he was in such a hurry to get out of the Hall.

Draco scowled into the fire, he was afraid to go anywhere on his own these days in case he ran into her. He sent Pansy to the library for him to collect any books he wanted, he sent Crabbe and Goyle to do his bidding around the castle while he stayed in the common room where it was safe!

He was Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sake! And he was hiding out in the common room from Loony Lovegood!

She was Loony, there was no two ways about it.

Draco jumped when he heard the porthole swing open, he sighed with relief it was Crabbe and Goyle. Well of course it was! There was no way she would be able to get into the Slytherin common room! He ran his hand distractedly through his hair, was this what he had been reduced to! Jumping at any slight sound! He had never been prone to irrational thoughts before she had come into his life.

It was his own fault. He had allowed himself to get too carried away. He had been the one to ignore the voice of reason in his head. He must have been out of his mind.

Now he had Pansy on his back night and day trying to wiggle out of him the reason he was so distracted these day. Like he could tell her, or anyone what had happened. What he had allowed to happen. What he had badly wanted to happen. He had wanted Luna again after he had left the party; she had been like a drug to him and he had fed his addiction easily.

In his rare moments of total honesty with himself he admitted it would still be going on right now if Snape hadn't found them in the corridor. But Snape was too close to home, too close for comfort. He'd had to stop it.

Draco tried to keep Luna out of his head as much a possible, but it was difficult when he could feel her everywhere he went. She would be there behind him, watching him, in his head. She made him jumpy and feel a little guilty. But he still couldn't explain why, when he was in bed trying to force himself to sleep and telling himself tomorrow would be different, she would have given up by then; that his thoughts strayed to her, to them together.

He shuddered, he was doing it now! He was staring into the fire and not even seeing the bright orange flames, but the fire of desire in Luna's eyes. Remembering the fire of her lips, the fire she ignited in him when she touched him.

Shaking his head violently he blinked rapidly. This sort of thing had to stop. He didn't dwell on any other girl, there was no need to dwell on Loony either. It was all her fault! She would insist on stalking him, stood to reason he would think about her all the time if she was always there.

"Malfoy, this is for you." Goyle held out a piece of parchment to him.

"Oh?" Draco brought his thoughts back to the present eyeing the parchment suspiciously. He wouldn't dismiss the idea that it was from her.

"Granger gave it to us." Crabbe informed him.

Draco breathed a small sigh of relief. Granger he could handle. She might be a know-it-all mud blood but at least she wasn't stalking him. Taking the parchment he unrolled it, sighing again he rolled his eyes. "This prefect thing would be easy if it wasn't for Granger."

"What's she done now?" Goyle asked, plonking himself on the sofa next to Crabbe.

"She's calling a prefects meeting tomorrow morning before breakfast! Male prefects only, apparently there are sensitive issues that need to be discussed." He mimicked in a voice not totally unlike Hermione's.

"What does she mean? Sensitive issues?"

"Oh how do I know, Goyle? She's probably going to complain that there's no paper in the toilets. She probably wants to put me on toilet paper duty or something,"

Crabbe snickered at the idea of Draco Malfoy on toilet paper duty. "What do you suppose you'd have to do if she did?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Strangle her with it!"

The three laughed. "She's annoying isn't she?" Golye commented, when he had finally stopped laughing.

"No kidding! I'll have to be having words with Snape if she thinks she can tell me what to do. Why is she throwing a meeting for men only and she's going to be there?"

"Probably just to boss." Crabbe offered.

Draco nodded. That would be most likely with Granger. She was such a pain in the ass!

It looked to him as though tomorrow wasn't going to be any better than today had been. He would be up well before breakfast for Grangers stupid meeting and that idiot Weasley would be there! Plus he would most likely have to run the gauntlet that was Luna Lovegood all day as well.

Crabbe and Goyle exchanged surprised looks as Draco glared ferociously at the fire, his hands hanging limply over the arm of the chair suddenly balling into tight fists.

Draco had been acting weird lately. He hardly went anywhere but stayed cooped up in the common room making odd faces at nothing and no-one.

Something was definitely up, he hadn't been his usual self since they had come back to school. He was jittery and distant with everyone, his eyes continually darting around as though he was looking for something. And he had acquired the habit of breaking off in mid-sentence to scan the area around him as if he expected to see something out of place.

They had managed to discuss things between themselves on numerous occasions as Draco was hardly with them when they were out of class; preferring to hide away from people. Even Pansy had been nagging at them to see if they knew the source of Draco's strange behaviour as she couldn't get anything out of him either.

Neither of them had the courage to ask Draco what was wrong with him. He could be scary when he flew into a temper. And he really hated people sticking their noses into his business.

Pansy of course didn't take the hint and bugged him about it every chance she got, which wasn't all that often due to Draco's permanent residency in the arm chair he was occupying at the moment.

They both mentally prepared themselves for "Dastardly Draco" as they secretly called him when he was in a bad mood, which he undoubtedly would be after Granger's meeting tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning Draco woke early yawning and stretching lazily in his bed. He didn't want to get up he wanted to lie there all day and not worry about anything. But Granger had called a meeting hadn't she, about sensitive issues. He rolled his eyes and hopped out of bed the stone floor cold against his bare feet. He decided a nice warm shower would be just the thing to relax him before having to deal with the mud blood.

Grabbing a towel from his trunk he made a face in Goyle's direction, he sounded like an earthquake when he snored, he liked to try to get to sleep before Goyle did otherwise his snoring would keep him awake for ages. Goyle frequently woke him up in the mornings, he seemed to get worse as time went on as though he was desperately trying to stay asleep and thought louder snores would do the trick.

Draco yawned again as he stepped into the shower turning up the heat so that steam curled around him fogging up the mirrors. It was always the same when Goyle woke him up, he would be tired for ages. As he lathered bubbles across his chest the realisation hit him that Goyle hadn't woke him up at all. He hadn't taken in the snores until he was out of bed.

Someone had woken him, but it wasn't Goyle.

He groaned loudly, she was even invading his dreams now! Damn Luna Lovegood!

There was nothing special about her, not really, she was loony. She wasn't even the prettiest girl in school, or even in Ravenclaw for that matter. She wasn't popular, or one of the smartest people he knew. Luna was distinctly average he decided. And average girls were no good for him! After all, there was nothing average about him was there? He was Draco Malfoy! That said it all!

Luna Lovegood! What had possessed him? He already knew the answer to that; although he rarely admitted it to himself. It was her who had possessed him. Everything about her had seemed to seep through his skin into his blood possessing his senses.

His back touching the cold tiles of the wall alerted him to the fact that he had been stood under the shower for ages just daydreaming. About nothing! He told himself determinedly. Oh, and now his hands were all wrinkly as well, he looked like a dried up old prune!

Muttering to himself he dried off and dressed hurriedly. The sooner he got to the meeting the sooner he could leave and Granger could go about her own business for a change. Quickly he strode from the common room and up the corridor towards the empty class room which Granger's note had told him the meeting would be held in.

The castle was slightly eerie when it was quiet and still like now, with no ghosts floating about and no Peeves causing trouble in the hallways. All the shadows looked blacker and more menacing than they did during the day.

It was the day now, he told himself shaking the eerie feeling away. It was just early. Really early in fact! What the hell was Granger playing at calling a meeting at this hour of the morning? Making him wander the castle when he should still be tucked up nice and warm in bed!

He was definitely going to let her have a piece of his mind today. Next time she wanted to give orders she could do it at a reasonable time of the day! Bloody mud blood!

Scowling he yanked open the door of the class room and stormed through it. He stopped in his tracks and started stupidly. Sat at the table watching the door, obviously waiting for him was Luna Lovegood.

What the hell was she doing here? Where was Granger and the other prefects? Why was he stood there staring like an idiot?

"I've been waiting for you." She said quietly.

Draco hadn't been this close to her since he had left her in the Room of Requirement a few days ago. Had she looked this awful then? Her face was pale, her eyes that he remember as sparkling were dull with deep, dark circles beneath them.

"What are you doing here? I'm supposed to be at a meeting right now. I don't have time for you." Draco snapped sharply.

He figured he had probably read the note wrong or walked into the wrong room. He wasn't really interested in what Granger had to say but he'd take the mud blood over Luna right now. Quickly he turned and grabbed the door handle.

"There isn't a meeting, Draco."

He frowned turning back to look at her. "What?"

"There isn't a meeting. Hermione sent the note to help me out. I've been trying to get a moment alone with you for days but I haven't had the chance." She replied hurriedly, she wanted to get everything out before he could interrupt and confuse her.

"What?" Draco glared at her. She was madder than he had given her credit for. She had Granger sending him fake notes! Wait, did that mean that Granger knew everything? He felt panic grip him, what if she told everyone?

Luna wrung her hands together nervously, now that he was here she was too scared to say anything. She could feel the words sticking in her throat, feel her heart beating madly while she tried to calm her breathing. She wanted to feel his arms around her again, feel him next to her.

She was making him uncomfortable, he could see the fear in every line of her, see the longing in her eyes. He didn't know what she wanted to say to him but he did know that he didn't want to hear it. If he could just get out of there before she started talking he would be ok. He began to edge towards the door his eyes never leaving her face, as her eyes were glued to him.

"Please don't go." She begged softly "I need to tell you something. Its very important. Please, Draco."

He groaned inwardly, he didn't want to listen to anything she had to say. If he played this right perhaps he could get rid of her for good. "Look Loony, there's nothing you can say that I'm interested in hearing."

"But…"

"But nothing. You are crazy do you know that? You've been stalking me since we got back to school and now you've dragged Granger into it. Not that there's anything to drag her into." He added quickly.

She had been trying to interrupt him but he had just rushed on, he couldn't let her speak, couldn't let her bring up their time together. He knew she'd look at him with that pained expression she was so good at giving him and he didn't want to deal with that. "That filthy little mud blood you call a friend had better keep her big mouth shut! I'm warning you, Luna! If she starts talking so help me I won't be responsible for my actions!"

"Draco…" Luna tried again, her voice cracking.

"No, Luna! Let it go. Leave it be. It's in the past, let it alone. Stop following me around! Stop staring at me all the time! Your driving me crazy!" He yelled angrily his face beginning to flush red. "Leave me alone you Loony, insane, crazy idiot!"

Turning quickly he pulled the door open trying desperately to get away from those blue eyes that were now huge and round, seeming to fill the pale, sickly looking face that stared open mouthed at him.

Luna's strained voice came at him again. "Please, just for a minute, please wait, Draco. I really need to tell you something."

He could hear the tremor of anxiety in her voice, he had seen her nerves showing, the way her hands alternately clung to each other and picked at the hem of her skirt. She was sat bolt up right like a statue staring at him. All dreaminess was gone from her; now she seemed petrified of him and it annoyed him slightly. After all he was the one who had been suffering stuck in the common room just to avoid her, she was the one who had been causing him all the stress.

Draco sighed heavily. "I don't think I want to hear it. What's the point in telling me something that I'm not going to say back? Just leave it."

He had figured it out ages ago. She had feelings for him and now she wanted to tell him. She thought that everything between them had meant more than it actually did. Normally it wouldn't bother him to shatter her world into tiny fragments, but she looked so ill and lost that he didn't feel right about doing it. After all, it was partly his fault for being him wasn't it?

Grudgingly he admitted it was in fact all his fault, he had known what she was thinking and he had let her think it.

Once again he reached for the door turning his back on her.

"Draco, you don't understand…."

He rolled his eyes but didn't look at her when he replied. "Yes I do. You're an idiot! You read too much into things! I have stuff to do." He knew that comment was unfair and he had been the one to steer her thinking down a certain track to make life easier for him at the time; but now she was irritating him! Now he needed to get rid of her and he didn't care how he did it.

Luna bit her lip. He was walking away, he was walking out. She couldn't let him leave, not yet. But he wasn't giving her the opportunity to say anything, he was arguing and shouting at her too much to let her get a word in.

She had wondered about the best way to tell him. She and Hermione had gone over and over it, she had a speech all worked out in her head with all the right words, but he wasn't giving her a chance to speak.

Luna had to throw the speech aside if she was going to tell him before he could get fully out of the door and disappear.

"I'm having a baby, Draco."

Her voice was barely above a whisper but he heard her. Heard every syllable she uttered. He froze on the threshold of the door his hand gripping tightly to the door handle, her words pounding around inside his head. He could barely breathe, this wasn't happening to him! She couldn't mean it, not really it had to be some kind of joke! Didn't it?

Somewhere deep inside him he knew she was telling the truth. It explained a lot of the weird things she had been doing lately, and he had heard about her vomiting all over McGonagall.

Luna sat where she was not moving, hardly daring to breathe, just waiting for him to say something; anything to take this terror from her heart and still the crazy swirling of her stomach.

He turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder. Draco saw the distraught look on her face, the hope in her eyes that he would make it all better. He couldn't make it better could he? What did she expect him to do about it?

Throwing her the dirtiest look he could muster he stormed from the room and slammed the door behind him.

Draco closed his eyes tightly; he hadn't been quick enough to drown out the muffled sob that escaped her throat.