Chapter 11: Courtyard

Luna sat in the courtyard, listening to the birds singing a duet with the wind. It was quiet sheltered where she was sitting; she stared at the overcast sky in wonderment. She decided the birds were trying to convince themselves that it was a nice day, not the dreary, windy weather of reality. It was a good idea really, Luna thought smiling beatifically. The day is what you make it after all.

Luna tipped her head back, blonde waves hanging loose. Her hands pressed against the cold stone of the bench she sat on. She looked at the forming clouds above her. A dragon swirled in cloudy wisps, surrounded by roaring lions.A sudden crack of thunder silenced the warble of unseen birds. The nearby trees began dancing violently. Luna's smile grew wider.

Rain began to fall in gentle drops, anointing the girls forehead in what she felt was a blessing. Refreshed and inspired she began to sing, her voice uniting with the roaring wind and the whistling trees, in a crescendo of nature.

Draco, walking to his next class was lost in thought. Weaving through a group of second years, who he normally would have taken time to glare at, he hurried along, ignoring their looks of apprehension. He had an hour or so before his Ancient Runes class, those year mates who were not in his Ancient Runes class would be heading in the other direction, to their Muggle Studies class. He snorted, why anyone would actually choose that class was beyond him. He was heading to his class early, intending to go over his text book, and think about what to say to Granger.

He stepped outside and realised that a storm was beginning. He loved spring storms, the sheer unpredictability of them. They were contradictable in ways which he also saw himself to be; violent and gentle, beautiful and destructive, temperate and cold, nature at its finest. He grinned maniacally, knowing he was a vain bastard.

He stepped into the courtyard, feeling the needles of rain on his face. He breathed deeply, the air tasted heavier, more alive. The day was beginning to darken, but he saw clearly, the odd little fifth year sitting on the bench in front of him. She was one of Potters friends, sort of. He knew she had been in that stupid group the year before, knew she had been at the department of mysteries; that she had seen his father more recently than he himself had. He smiled grimly at that thought, deciding, on an impulse, to go sit with her.

He strode towards her, a glint of heat in his icy eyes. Luna gave him the barest of glances, her face still turned up to the sky. Her fluffy hair, so similar in colour to his own, was raised in a halo, static heavy in the air. He realised suddenly that she was actually singing. He couldn't really hear her; the wind was so gusty, drowning her out with its bellowing. Last few times he had heard her singing, in the Great Hall, he had thrown his muffin at her in frustration, had she realised that her singing had carried all the way to the Slytherin table? He swore she had been looking at him when he threw it!

Not having any muffins to throw at her, he sat next to her on the cold stone, with a devil-may-care grin; he raised his voice to join hers. They weren't singing the same song, neither could hear the other, but then it didn't matter.

Draco felt a little crazy, but it didn't seem to matter. He figured you could be crazy with crazy people, they didn't mind as much as everyone else.

A sudden flash of lightening, splitting a nearby tree shocked the two out of their reverie. Luna shrieked, then startled at her own reaction, turned to stare owlishly at the Malfoy next to her. The tree burst into joyous flames, Malfoy grabbed her hand and the two ran pell-mell to the cover of the walkways. Breathing heavily, elated at their defiance in the face of the storm, the two eyed each other.

"I have Ancient Runes now." Draco ventured.

"Potions." Luna nodded once in agreement.

"Alright then."

Hesitantly Draco turned away walking towards his class, his wet robes sticking to him in dark sheets.

Luna watched him go, curiously.

It was only when Draco turned the corner stepping into the dry corridor that he realised that Luna hadn't been wet at all.

"Malfoy!" Hermione stared in alarm at the Slytherin when he stepped into the near empty Ancient Runes classroom.

Not having expected to be confronted with her so quickly, Draco merely stared at her, blinking.

"Are you an idiot? You are soaking wet!" Granger looked at him demandingly.

Not knowing what she expected of him he merely shrugged, unsure why she wasn't being a horrible bitch, considering everything. Exasperated Hermione rolled her eyes, performing a quick drying spell on the slightly crazed looking Malfoy standing in front of her. Draco blinked, seemingly coming back to himself.

"Ah-" he fumbled, "thank you, Hermione."

Hermione widened her eyes in response.

"I mean, Granger."

"You are welcome, Draco," she said deliberately, narrowing her eyes at him, adding calmly, "I mean Malfoy."

He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. She turned back to her open text book, equally as uncomfortable.

"When should we do the Patronus assignment?" Draco blurted out hurriedly, cursing his lack of tact, but realising it was easier than making small talk with a girl like her.

Raising an eyebrow Hermione shut her book with a snap, and turned to him, her unfathomable dark eyes on the tall Slytherin in front of her.

"Is tomorrow alright with you, in the library after dinner?"

"Yes. I mean, I don't know his schedule, but assuming Ron is free."

Hermione snorted inelegantly. Sitting himself in the desk behind her Draco raised an eyebrow at that.

"Ronald Weasley doesn't partake in any extra curricular activities apart from Quidditch." She turned in her seat and looked at the blond behind her, "that is the day after tomorrow, assuming the weather isn't like this."

Draco nodded, hiding how offended he was at her insinuation that Quidditch didn't count for much.

"And Friday is Slug Club anyway, so I can't do it then." She continued, "And I assume you won't want to waste a Hogsmeade weekend that you could be spending with your girlfriendwith a couple of Gryffindors."

Frowning at the mention of the Slug Club, Draco nearly missed the rest of her answer.

"Girlfriend? Oh you mean Pansy!" Draco waved his hand dismissively, at the thought, "Besides, Ron is my friend; it wouldn't bother me terribly to spend time with him on the weekend."

She snorted again.

"You are welcome to him, Draco Malfoy."

They glared at each other in silence.

"Fine, Thursday after dinner, it is then."

"Good," Hermione turned back to her book. Oh, and Draco?"

Startled at the use of his first name again, this time spoken unintentionally, he responded without any trace of Malfoyishness whatsoever.

"Yes?"

"Tell the Weasel, will you?"