A/N: I know some of you have felt Luna is a little OOC or weak, and I hope Hermione's thoughts can straighten that out for you.
Also I would like to point out that it is not easy to see what is right in front of you, especially when you feel for someone the way Luna does for Draco. (& even if it was there would be no story if Luna could see what Draco was up to lol)

At this stage I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been reading this story and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to review and have stuck with this fic from the start!

Chapter 14

Confusion

Hermione looked questioningly at Luna, she would not tell Ginny her secret if Luna didn't want her to; but she needed to do something to release the pressure off her hand. Her bones were being rubbed together painfully and the ring she wore dug into her skin.

Luna breathed in shakily, "Ginny, there's more to this than you think. I didn't mean to keep you in the dark, it wasn't deliberate." Luna licked her lips nervously.

"What, Luna? What haven't you told me?" Ginny demanded.

"I haven't told you about my baby." Luna whispered, her voice shook, her eyes wide, she was afraid of Ginny's reaction.

"WHAT?" Ron yelled an astounded expression on his face, his eyes flickered from Luna to Hermione to Ginny and back again.

"Shhh," Harry hissed at him, but he knew it was too late, everyone in the Hall was watching them, most of them had been since Ginny started shouting. He wished he wasn't stuck right in the middle of it; girls fighting was the worst. They screamed and shrieked, with hair and nails flying all over the place and when you tried to intervene to help them, they somehow ended up turning on you!

He sensed an upcoming full scale argument between the three girls, he was staying well out of it. He happened to like his hair attached to his scalp.

Ginny sank down onto the bench her eyes wide with shock. Her shoulders sagged, the fight had felt her body and she felt like a deflated balloon. Now everything that had been happening made much more sense.

She wasn't mad that Luna hadn't told her, or even that Hermione knew before her, it was after all Luna's news and she could pick and choose who to tell and when. "I thought we were friends, Hermione." She snapped angrily.

Hermione looked surprised, "We are friends, Ginny."

"The hell we are. Friends don't let each other worry themselves senseless when they know what's going on. A friend would at least have had the decency to tell me that I didn't need to worry and would find out the news soon. But you couldn't do that could you? You're always too busy being Little Miss Do-Gooder aren't you? You just enjoy being the holder of a secret. Make you feel important does it?"

Hermione stared horrified at Ginny. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this really Ginny saying these things to her? Using that hard, spiteful tone? Was this what Ginny honestly thought about her?

Ginny stood up squeezing Luna's shoulder. "If it's really what you want then I'm happy for you. I'm not mad at you for not telling me sooner. I'll see you in class, Luna, I don't think I can hang around here for much longer. I can't seem to stomach the company." Shooting Hermione a nasty look she stormed from the Hall acutely aware of all eyes on her back, but Ginny didn't care.

As far as she was concerned Hermione had got what she had deserved.

* * *

Draco had sat silently throughout the exchange between Ginny and Hermione watching Luna closely. She looked upset and miserable, he figured she definitely was, she hadn't looked in his direction once and that wasn't like Luna.

He had been in two minds to go over and shut the whining Weasel up, but he had decided against it; preferring to watch Granger being knocked off her high and mighty perch instead. Besides, they were Luna's friends. For now anyway.

The arrival of Pansy worming her way between him and Goyle temporarily distracted him from Luna, who was patting Hermione's shoulder a concerned look on her face.

"What was all that about?" She asked, wiggling into a comfortable position.

Draco smirked, Pansy was smiling, Pansy didn't read the newspaper, Pansy didn't know yet. "Oh I have an idea." He said lazily.

Crabbe sniggered cocking an eyebrow at him and Goyle snorted into his goblet.

Pansy frowned looking from one to the other. "What are you lot sniggering about now?"

"Here, take a look for yourself." Goyle handed her the copy of the paper.

Making a face at him Pansy smoothed the paper out on the table. Her eyes grew wide with horror, a distinct look of dismay settled over her features and her hands shook so badly she almost ripped the paper in two.

She looked intently at Draco, searching his face for any hint of amusement, for a sign that this was all a ludicrous mistake. She found none.

"But….. But….. But you said the rumours were all lies, that they weren't true." She stammered finally.

"I lied." He replied easily. He had forgotten that Luna would automatically get Pansy off his back. She couldn't want him when he had a wife and child clinging to him could she? The thought of Luna clinging to him didn't depress him this morning as it had yesterday. But Pansy's stuttering sentences didn't give him time to dwell on it.

"But, but you said she was loony." Pansy ventured again, trying desperately to find some solid ground in the vast sea of confusion and disappointment she was drowning in.

"I lied." He answered, his eyes wandered around the room letting her know that she was not only irritating him but boring him as well.

"But... you told me that you didn't like her."

"I lied. Look Pansy, let me save us all a lot of time. Everything I told you about Luna was a lie. I lied. Are you following me or do you want me to draw you a picture?" He asked sarcastically.

Gaping at him she only managed to produce a strangled sounding "Um…"

"Good. Come on you two, I know you want to see the rock." He stood up with Crabbe and Goyle following suit.

Pansy sat and stared after him rooted to the spot as they crossed the Hall to the Gryffindor table where Luna sat with Hermione who was examining her bruised hand.

She felt ill when she saw Draco leaning over Luna his arm resting across her shoulder; she watched in agony as Luna held her hand up to Crabbe and Goyle her face alight with happiness and love for Draco.

This couldn't be happening to her could it? Not really. Draco with Loony Lovegood? She refused to believe it. She had always wanted Draco for herself. Even though he had never in all their years at Hogwarts crossed the line of friendship with her; or ever hinted that there could be something between them; Pansy had always believed that there would be eventually. That she would get Draco Malfoy in the end.

But now she saw him smiling up at her from the paper all her dreams seemed to be sliding through her fingers like water in a sieve.

She wouldn't lose him to Loony Lovegood, no way! She wouldn't lose him to anyone!

It never entered Pansy's head that she could not lose what she had never had.

* * *

Luna found Hermione hours later hiding in the library. It was the first chance she'd had to go looking for her; Ginny had pretty much stuck herself to her arm all day, blanking Hermione or walking in the opposite direction whenever she saw her.

Luna didn't like Hermione and Ginny not talking. Although nothing she said could persuade Ginny to change her mind and speak to Hermione.

Hermione smiled at Luna's hello and thought how odd it was that whenever you spent a good deal of time thinking about someone they usually appeared. She listened patiently as Luna launched into an apology of not seeing and speaking to her all day.

Hermione wasn't concerned with Ginny's behaviour at the moment. She was more annoyed and confused than sad at the fact they weren't speaking; and she had no intention of apologising to Ginny. She was more concerned with her recent thoughts about Malfoy.

Earlier in charms class Harry had been harping on about how he understood Luna's decision, but as her friends they should band together to try to talk her out of it. Malfoy did not deserve someone like Luna, she was way too good for him. And Luna was a good person, she hadn't done anything that was so bad that she deserved the punishment of Malfoy!

She wondered how long Malfoy could keep up the charade to Luna? Would he slip before Christmas? If he did then Luna would have the chance to back out of the wedding. It was only Malfoy who could let Luna out of this whole thing. She loved him too much to listen to anything bad she, Ron, Harry or Ginny would tell her about him.

It sickened Hermione to see Luna's face whenever Malfoy was around, she would fix him with a glassy eyed look that spoke of complete and utter adoration; which Hermione knew Malfoy did not deserve and would not only never return; but he would be hard pushed to even be nice to her. The jewellery Luna was now so proud of and kept touching all the time was all part of his charade, but Luna didn't see it.

It wasn't that Luna was stupid Hermione realised, or that she was Loony as everyone called her. Luna Lovegood was a believer. She believed in her father and The Quibbler, and she believed in Draco Malfoy.

Hermione figured it must be nice to live in Luna's world sometimes, where everything was good and all you had to do was have a strong belief in things and people and everything would work out for the best. But Hermione had no doubt that Luna's world would shatter around her ears. Draco Malfoy would devastate her make believe world, destroy her faith and leave her broken.

The worst part about it for Hermione was that there was nothing she could do to even try to stop it. Luna would not listen to her and Hermione couldn't risk a fight with Luna. She had to be there to help her when it all crumbled around her.

"Do you want to see my new living quarters, Hermione? Ginny's been to see it this morning, but I thought perhaps we could go along separately seeming as things aren't very good between you right now."

"I'd love to come and see it. Are you sure that Mal…. I mean Draco won't mind?" It was going to be difficult to remember to call Malfoy by his first name, but she could always add little ferret on to it in her head. He would always be a ferret to her. She also had a sneaky feeling that he wouldn't like a mud blood snooping around his new quarters and she was under no illusions that he would tell her so in no uncertain terms.

"He's at Quidditch practise at the moment." Luna replied, touching a finger to her lips.

"You've been living with him for one day and the Slytherin in you is coming out already." Hermione laughed as Luna helped her gather her books together.

Luna slipped her arm companionably through Hermione's as they strolled down the chilly corridors together. Luna chatted on aimlessly, informing Hermione that hardly anyone had questioned her all day, which she was glad about.

"Well, it's because of Ma…Draco isn't it? No -one is going to question him are they? But we've had it all morning, Ron, Harry and me. Everyone suddenly wants to talk to us."

"Are Ron and Harry alright about it?" Luna asked worriedly.

"Of course they are. They don't like him, and he's not ever going to like them. But Harry said he's willing to be civil." Hermione told her, a note of pride in her voice at Harry being the bigger man.

"Harry's lovely isn't he? I can understand why you like him so much." Luna told her, stopping in front of the portrait of the serene lady. "Huffledrups."

"I wish I could same the same about Draco," Hermione muttered grinning at the image of Draco Malfoy stating his password. She'd bet everything she owned that he didn't even know what a Huffledrup was. Not that she knew either, but it wouldn't bother her to ask and fake interest to please Luna. Malfoy she was sure would do no such thing.

"Well, what do you think?" Luna threw her arms wide spinning in a small circle.

Hermione wandered around the room passing comments on everything, but choosing to ignore the smirking, arrogant picture of Malfoy which took pride of place in the room. "I love it. It's very tastefully done."

Luna seemed please and she perched herself on the sofa with Hermione beside her. "Can I ask you something about Harry?" She asked after a few moments.

"Sure, what do you want to know?" She asked, settling down comfortably.

"Did you ask him about Ginny yet? Did you tell him how you feel?"

"I did ask him about Ginny. He doesn't think of her in a girlfriend way. I meant to tell Ginny but I found out the same day I that I found out about you and it slipped my mind. Feel free to tell her though, she shouldn't have to keep on wondering. I haven't told him how I feel yet. But I will do, definitely. When I think of the guts it took for you to face Draco, well, I think I can tell Harry."

Luna frowned, she wasn't sure what to say to that. Ginny had told her today how Harry was acting as go-between for Ron. Would he do that if he liked Hermione? He could do of course, he could put Ron's feeling before his own, that was the kind of guy Harry was. He was offering to do it for her wasn't he? He had said he would be civil to Draco, because he was her friend.

The last thing Luna wanted was for Hermione to get hurt, it was probably best that she was told about Ron; Luna now knew that Hermione had no idea how he really felt about her.

Sighing, she began to clue Hermione in on what was actually happening around her.

Draco stormed down the corridor his face set in a malicious scowl. His Quidditch practise had not gone according to plan. Mostly because he had a full audience who had come to gawp and whisper about him, to share their theories on his life and the decisions he made. Who the hell did they think they were? He could do what he wanted to do! How dare they all stand around discussing him as though he was some sort of freak!

The harder he stormed the more he thought, the more he thought the madder he became. It was all Luna's fault! If she had not been there that night none of this would be happening! If she wasn't so erotic, if she hadn't made him want her then he wouldn't be in this position in the first place!

Definitely all Luna's fault! She was just so….. so…..so what? What was she exactly? Luna, she was so Luna.

Draco frowned, what the hell was that supposed to mean? How could he figure anything out from that? He was going as loony as she was, his thoughts didn't even make sense any more!

Try as he might however, Draco could not find another word to end his sentence; he wasn't sure that he wanted to know what, if anything that meant.

Stomping to the portrait he snapped the password and stalked inside. She would be in there waiting for him, he knew she would, she wouldn't be anywhere else. He was determined to start a fight with her. Yelling at her, taking everything out on her would ease his frustration.

He opened his mouth to start shouting but instead found himself frozen to the spot, his mouth hanging open limply as he surveyed the two girls before him from the shadows.

Luna was sitting on the sofa leaning back against the arm with her school shirt unbuttoned at her waist, Hermione was leaning over her with her hand pressed lightly to Luna's stomach.

"How long until it starts to move?"

"Narcissa says it won't be long, I'm four months along, she says it's not weird that I don't have a bump yet and it will probably appear overnight when I least expect it."

"It's really exciting when you think about it isn't it? Has Draco said anything to you?" She wondered, while rubbing Luna's stomach affectionately.

Vaguely Hermione thought the baby was bound to be a boy, the spawn of Satan himself!

"No, nothing yet. But I expect he will once the bump comes and it starts to move. It'll feel more real then won't it?" Luna replied, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Hermione nodded her agreement, she didn't trust herself to answer. The faith that throbbed in Luna's words upset her more than she had thought it would. Luna believed every word she uttered when it came to Draco. When she spoke about him her usually soft face turned even more sentimental and her voice filled with love for him.

"I know you don't like him, but he can be really sweet when he wants to be." Luna said after a few minutes thought.

Hermione gave her disbelieving look, "Malfoy? I mean Draco, sweet? Those two words don't go in the same book let alone the same sentence."

Luna giggled. "Yes they do. He just doesn't like to show people that he's nice really." Her eyes took on their usual dreamy far-away look. "Draco isn't always cold you know, sometimes he can be warm and soft and gentle and…."

"And I don't think I need to hear any more." Hermione interrupted, laughing at Luna's flushed cheeks.

"Sorry, Hermione." Luna gave her a worried look, "You won't tell him I told you will you? He won't like it if he thinks that people think he's like that."

"I promise. In fact I'd like to totally forget about it if that's alright with you. Your secrets safe with me." Hermione promised, squeezing her friends hand.

Draco felt his hands shaking so badly he had to ram them in his pockets to try to still them. Although he could do nothing to stop the feeling of confusion and the shaking of his insides. That familiar prickle of guilt he had been feeling a lot lately stabbed at him again.

What was wrong with him? Granger was sat on his sofa as though she had every right to be there and he couldn't think of a nasty thing to say to her. How dare she come here to his quarters and make him feel guilty!

He had nothing to feel guilty about, he told himself stubbornly, and this confusion that insisted on flowing over him could go away as well. He wasn't really that person Luna was describing, that was just typical of Luna to see something that wasn't even there! That was the type of person that she was. She was loony wasn't she?

Squaring his shoulders he emerged from the shadows. "What do you think your doing here, mud blood?"

Harry stood in a deserted corridor with his elbows on the widow sill looking out over the grounds of Hogwarts. He had felt like being alone, he didn't want to stay in the common room where he now had both Ginny and Ron jabbering on at him about Hermione.

He wondered how much longer this argument between the two girls would last? Ginny had been blanking Hermione all day and if he was still going to ask Hermione if she liked Ron and she said yes then everything would be ten times worse. He would well and truly be stuck in the middle of the whole thing.

He tried to ignore it and concentrate on Luna instead. Malfoy! It was unbelievable, he had thought he was in the middle of a very horrendous dream when he had read the paper. He understood the reason for it though, but he still failed to see what Luna had seen in Malfoy in the first place.

They were so different. Malfoy was harsh, unfeeling and spiteful, Luna on the other hand was a soft, simple and open person. Harry worried about Luna, she was always so far away and dreamy. She hardly ever seemed to actually be there with you, she was always off in another place somewhere far away.

Harry ran his hand through his already messy hair, he would not fight with Malfoy over this. Luna was his friend at the end of the day; and she would need other people to talk to after living with Malfoy, he was such a foul git!

"Hi Harry, what are you doing down here all by yourself?"

Harry jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion of Hermione. "Oh, nothing, I'm just thinking. Nothing much."

"I've just had a nice little run in with Malfoy." She informed him launching into an account of Luna's quarters and Malfoy's ejection of her from the sofa. "He's just the worst isn't he? He can't speak to anyone without insulting them. I swear if he call's me a mud blood one more time. It's not that he bothers me, but he's like an echo! Can't he think of anything else to say? No imagination that's his problem."

Harry glanced over at her, "Did he hurt you?"

"No. But if he yanks Luna the way he yanked my arm I might have to do something drastic." She replied, absently rubbing at her arm. He hadn't hurt her but he had taken her by surprise by his forceful discharge of her from the room, he had practically kicked her out of the portrait hole. Poor Luna having to deal with him twenty four hours a day.

They stood in silence for a while each lost in their own thoughts. The day was cold with a biting wind, the sky was clear but a funny colour, not quite grey and not quite blue either. The clouds were heavy with the promise of snow, reminding Harry that winter was on the way and with it came Luna's day of reckoning.

Turning thoughtfully to Hermione he opened his mouth to ask her if she really and honestly thought that Luna would go through with the whole thing, but he was taken off guard with the look she was giving him.

He hadn't noticed her watching him. He couldn't quite decipher the look either, did her eyes always sparkle that way when she usually looked at him? His forehead creased a little, "Something wrong, Hermione?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just need to tell you something, it's important and I've been meaning to tell you for ages but I haven't had the nerve and…."

"Hermione, slow down. Breath will you? What's the matter?" Harry had found himself blinked madly at her in the spaces where she should have been taking breaths as she rushed on. He wouldn't be able to follow what she was saying if she kept babbling at him like that.

Hermione shook her head wildly, she couldn't let him start talking or she'd lose her nerve completely. She had been watching him while he was deep in thought and the urge to hug him, to take away that worried look had alerted her to the fact that her feelings for him were running deeper than she had first admitted to herself. Even knowing everything about Ron now that Luna had told her, she still had to tell Harry how she felt, it would just eat away at her if she didn't.

It was bad timing what with everything else going on as well, but your heart had nothing to do with the calendar did it? You couldn't control the way you were feeling could you?

Her fingers gripping tightly to her scarf she plunged on, she couldn't stop now or she'd never get thorough it, she would never have another opportunity like this one.

"Harry, I need you to be quiet and not interrupt me when I'm talking or I won't be able to finish." Ignoring his nod of agreement she continued. "Um, well, lately, well, when I say lately it's not exactly lately, it's been for a while actually, but I figured I'd better not saying due to Ginny and everything. But I think I need to tell you, it's driving me mad not knowing you see and I don't like keeping things from you either."

Harry stared stupidly at her. He hadn't ever seen Hermione so nervous and awkward in all his time of knowing her. Whatever it was that was bothering her must be really big to get her worked up to this degree. He tried to give her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, but she didn't really seem to be taking in anything he was doing. She was talking away at him, her words spilling out one on top of the other while her eyes held a weird frightened look.

"Um, really what I want to say is that lately, well like I said not lately really, for quite a long time now; I've sort of had feelings for you. As more than a friend I mean." Hermione finished with a deep breath, acutely aware of the flaming colour of her cheeks and how much better she could have handled the whole thing.

Harry was looking at her as though she had just sprouted wings, his mouth formed a perfect O. He was at a loss of anything to say to her. This he had definitely not been expecting!

Before he had time to fully recover from her outburst Hermione mumbled something that sounded like "sorry Harry." and ran off down the corridor leaving him to gawp after her in a state of total astonishment and confusion.