Chapter Thirteen
"This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me"
Genesis 20:13
Draco met Luna in Dumbledore's office the next day. Draco had chosen his clothes with particular care. He was wearing his cream trousers and the ice blue cashmere pullover that Padma and Ron had given him for his birthday. The stylish young witch and the genial old wizard were already smiling at each other like old friends when Draco arrived.
"Ah Draco, you arrived just in time for the sorting," Dumbledore said cheerfully, fetching the Sorting Hat from its perch.
"You're going to sort Luna?" Draco asked, frowning in confusion.
"Yes, yes. No point putting her in with a lot of Slytherin girls if she's really a Gryffindor like Hermione, you know," Dumbledore said amiably.
The old wizard placed the beaten up old hat on Luna's head. Before it even touched her dark hair, it yelled, "Slytherin!" After a brief pause it added, "but aren't you a little old to be sorted, my dear?"
"Yes, quite," Luna agreed with a grin and then laughed.
"Excellent, excellent!" Dumbledore said taking the Hat away again. "No doubt there! I dare say you'll be perfect to help us, my dear," Dumbledore said with genuine pleasure. "Do you want to meet the girls now? It's nearly time for their morning break," he added.
"Yes please," Luna said, her green eyes shining with interest. Despite her misgivings, she was being swept along by Dumbledore's enthusiasm.
Most of the Slytherin girls were in the common room. Their chatter stopped the minute that Luna stepped self-confidently into the dungeon room. Her beautiful clothes, chic stylishness and self-assurance captured their interest immediately. She smiled around the room and said, "hello, I'm Luna. I used to go to Beauxbatons but if I'd come to Hogwarts, I would have been a Slytherin too. I like your common room," she commented looking around.
"Did you get your clothes in France?" one seventh year asked, coming straight up to Luna and touching the soft wool of her deep red robe.
"Yes, I did," Luna replied with a warm smile.
"Are you from France?" a second year asked.
"No, I'm English but my parents were diplomats so I went to school over there," Luna said smiling down at timid looking girl.
"So do you speak French?" a fourth year asked.
"Oui," Luna replied unperturbed.
"Why are you visiting?" one shrewd girl asked.
"To find out more about the Slytherin House that I belong in. I hear it's a very special House and I want to know more about it," she replied calmly.
The girls glanced at each other nervously. The boys had gravitated to Draco the minute he came in and weren't paying attention to the girls' conversation. "Yes, it is a special House," another seventh year said, her voice unnaturally high but her gaze defiant.
"Tell me about it," Luna said quietly and took a seat near the fire. The girls slowly gathered round and took turns to talk about their House, gaining courage from each other.
An hour passed by in this way without interruption from school bells. "Well, I'm very proud to belong to Slytherin House," Luna observed at the end of the hour. The girls gathered around her suddenly looked proud too and sat a bit straighter. Their eyes looked brighter and Luna sensed a stronger fellow feeling than had been there before.
"Well, my time is up," Luna said with honest regret. She liked the Slytherin girls.
"Are you going to come back?" one small first year asked hopefully. The other girls all looked expectantly at Luna.
"Yes, of course," she replied with a smile realising that she was already looking forward to it. "Later this week probably. I can't lose touch with my Slytherin girlfriends now that I've found them," Luna said with a wink. The girls laughed and waved as she left.
Once in the hallway Luna turned to Draco and said sincerely, "thank you for asking me" and then went back up to Dumbledore's office to accept the task with a thankful heart.
* * *
Hermione laughed and laughed when she heard Draco's account of Luna being a Slytherin. "I knew it!" Hermione said. "I'm glad you did the right thing and asked her. I know it was probably hard for you but it's worked out very well," she said more soberly.
"She barely spoke to me," Draco said gloomily.
"Give her time. She probably feels just as self-conscious as you," Hermione said archly.
"She doesn't look self-conscious," he grumbled.
"Neither do you," Hermione said pointedly.
"I need to get rid of Roy," Draco said calculatingly, his pale grey eyes narrowed.
"No you don't," Hermione said flatly.
"Why?" he asked, surprised.
"Because they broke up two days before you contacted her about the Slytherin girls," Hermione said having only found out herself that day from Roy.
A very wide grin spread slowly over Draco's face.
* * *
Draco decided he really needed to go and see Luna about the Slytherin girls the next day. He knew her parents were based at the French Wizarding Embassy and that she lived there rather than on the University campus. He decided to arrive unannounced in a usual breach of his very formal etiquette. He didn't want to give Luna a chance to make excuses not to see him.
The French Wizarding Embassy looked rather like a slightly smaller version of Versailles. It was all gilt, silk, marble, polished wood, statues and mirrors. The Head House Elf led Draco into a small sitting room and went to fetch Luna.
She came in a short time later in black trousers and a jade knit top. She almost looked casually dressed. "Hi Draco, would you like tea or coffee?" she asked with perfect composure.
"Tea please," he replied sitting down again, having stood up when she entered the room.
Draco noted that she seemed rather subdued. "How can I help you?" she said, passing his tea over to him.
"I just... er. wanted to discuss some things we could do for the Slytherin kids. You're working with the girls and me with the boys, I thought we could organise some things for the whole House to do together," Draco improvised.
Luna nodded. "What kind of things?" she asked quietly, sipping her tea.
"I'm not really sure," he said honestly. "I thought we could throw some ideas around."
"Well, how about some field trips to places where Slytherins are making a positive difference? Or maybe to some sites that are historically important to Slytherin House in an affirmative way? How about we get some Slytherins who are out in the workforce making a constructive difference to talk to them?" she suggested thoughtfully.
Draco thought they were brilliant ideas and he forgot about the real reason he came in a rush of enthusiasm. They talked animatedly for a solid hour discussing ideas and making plans. They made some definite arrangements for the following week and Draco did up a letter to Dumbledore with parchment and a quill Luna provided for him to get permission.
After the tawny owl took off with the parchment there was an awkward silence. "Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts next week then," Luna said finally.
"Er. yes," Draco agreed but didn't get up.
"Would you like some more tea?" Luna asked after another awkward pause.
"No. thanks," Draco replied. He looked at the impassive face of the girl opposite him and caught himself staring. She was amazing to look at and he never tired of it. "Luna," he began and then paused uneasily. "I just wanted to. er. apologise for not. um. replying to that nice owl you sent me so long ago." He paused and glanced at her to see if she was going to say anything. Her face was still completely expressionless and she stayed silent. "I know I should have owled you even just to say 'thanks' or something but to be honest, I really wasn't in a good place just then," he said, mumbling the last part slightly. She was still silent. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked finally when the silence stretched.
"No. I knew you weren't in a good place at the time. That's why I sent the owl," she replied neutrally.
"Yes, well. I just wanted to apologise," he muttered.
"Fine," Luna said impassively.
"Why did you break up with Roy?" he suddenly heard himself asking. He cringed inwardly. What the hell on earth prompted him to ask something like that, he berated himself?
"The same reasons I break up with all the men I date, I guess," Luna sighed and shrugged her elegant one-shouldered shrug.
"What are those?" he asked genuinely curious.
"I don't know," she replied shortly but honestly, her tone mild. "Does it matter?"
Draco couldn't think of a reply to that so he stood up to leave. The afternoon had not gone as he had intended at all. Luna had given him no encouragement. There was not even a hint of flirtatiousness on her part and although she had been gracious, she hadn't been overly friendly either.
Draco saw a streak of movement along the back of the gilt and silk couch Luna was sitting on. Luna turned and with both hands, picked up something sleek, sinuous and pale. It took a couple of seconds for Draco to figure out that Luna was holding a white ferret. He stared at it. The creature did not only hold bad memories of an incident at Hogwarts in fourth year but his animagus if he become one was a ferret. The creature stared at him with bright eyes. Luna brought its triangular little face to hers and kissed its nose. To Draco's amazement, the animal didn't bite her and rested peacefully in her small hands.
"So. er. are we back to being friends again?" Draco asked hopefully as a last stab attempt to break through Luna's reserve.
"We never were friends, Draco. We only dated for two weeks," Luna said, putting the animal in her lap and stroking its glossy fur.
"Oh," Draco said, now completely nonplussed. "You're still angry with me, aren't you?" he said with resignation, pushing his hands into his trouser pockets as he stood looking down at the girl.
"No," Luna said truthfully.
"Then why are you so different? I mean, why are you so distant?" he said with a frown.
"You mean, why aren't I flirting with you if I'm not angry with you?" Luna said directly.
"Yeah, I guess so," he shrugged.
A smile without warmth flickered across her face. "Draco, if you were really interested in me there is no way you would have ignored my owl for six weeks no matter what else was happening in your life. Why would I flirt with you now knowing that?" she said softly, still stroking the ferret.
"Luna, that's not true," he began, his cheekbones flushing slightly.
"Yes, it is," she interrupted him calmly.
"Luna, if we had been going out longer. well, then. it would have been different but. it was just bad timing, that's all," he said a trifle helplessly, not sure how to extricate himself. She didn't say anything, just lowered her dark head as she watched her ferret lie in her lap. He looked at the silky, down bent head with frustration. "I don't know what else to say," he said finally.
"You don't have to say anything. Actions speak louder than words anyway. The bottom line is, you didn't like me enough for it to be worth my while," she said, picking up her ferret and standing up. Draco recognised the unmistakable signal for him to go.
Draco was gob-smacked. He'd never had a girl tell him that he wasn't worth her while before. His heart started pounding. "So, that's it?" he said disbelievingly.
"Don't blame me, Draco. You made that decision yourself weeks and weeks ago," she said coolly and taking her ferret, she left the room - a pointed breach of etiquette that sent a clear message to him.
Compressing his thin lips, he apparated from the empty room.
Draco met Luna in Dumbledore's office the next day. Draco had chosen his clothes with particular care. He was wearing his cream trousers and the ice blue cashmere pullover that Padma and Ron had given him for his birthday. The stylish young witch and the genial old wizard were already smiling at each other like old friends when Draco arrived.
"Ah Draco, you arrived just in time for the sorting," Dumbledore said cheerfully, fetching the Sorting Hat from its perch.
"You're going to sort Luna?" Draco asked, frowning in confusion.
"Yes, yes. No point putting her in with a lot of Slytherin girls if she's really a Gryffindor like Hermione, you know," Dumbledore said amiably.
The old wizard placed the beaten up old hat on Luna's head. Before it even touched her dark hair, it yelled, "Slytherin!" After a brief pause it added, "but aren't you a little old to be sorted, my dear?"
"Yes, quite," Luna agreed with a grin and then laughed.
"Excellent, excellent!" Dumbledore said taking the Hat away again. "No doubt there! I dare say you'll be perfect to help us, my dear," Dumbledore said with genuine pleasure. "Do you want to meet the girls now? It's nearly time for their morning break," he added.
"Yes please," Luna said, her green eyes shining with interest. Despite her misgivings, she was being swept along by Dumbledore's enthusiasm.
Most of the Slytherin girls were in the common room. Their chatter stopped the minute that Luna stepped self-confidently into the dungeon room. Her beautiful clothes, chic stylishness and self-assurance captured their interest immediately. She smiled around the room and said, "hello, I'm Luna. I used to go to Beauxbatons but if I'd come to Hogwarts, I would have been a Slytherin too. I like your common room," she commented looking around.
"Did you get your clothes in France?" one seventh year asked, coming straight up to Luna and touching the soft wool of her deep red robe.
"Yes, I did," Luna replied with a warm smile.
"Are you from France?" a second year asked.
"No, I'm English but my parents were diplomats so I went to school over there," Luna said smiling down at timid looking girl.
"So do you speak French?" a fourth year asked.
"Oui," Luna replied unperturbed.
"Why are you visiting?" one shrewd girl asked.
"To find out more about the Slytherin House that I belong in. I hear it's a very special House and I want to know more about it," she replied calmly.
The girls glanced at each other nervously. The boys had gravitated to Draco the minute he came in and weren't paying attention to the girls' conversation. "Yes, it is a special House," another seventh year said, her voice unnaturally high but her gaze defiant.
"Tell me about it," Luna said quietly and took a seat near the fire. The girls slowly gathered round and took turns to talk about their House, gaining courage from each other.
An hour passed by in this way without interruption from school bells. "Well, I'm very proud to belong to Slytherin House," Luna observed at the end of the hour. The girls gathered around her suddenly looked proud too and sat a bit straighter. Their eyes looked brighter and Luna sensed a stronger fellow feeling than had been there before.
"Well, my time is up," Luna said with honest regret. She liked the Slytherin girls.
"Are you going to come back?" one small first year asked hopefully. The other girls all looked expectantly at Luna.
"Yes, of course," she replied with a smile realising that she was already looking forward to it. "Later this week probably. I can't lose touch with my Slytherin girlfriends now that I've found them," Luna said with a wink. The girls laughed and waved as she left.
Once in the hallway Luna turned to Draco and said sincerely, "thank you for asking me" and then went back up to Dumbledore's office to accept the task with a thankful heart.
* * *
Hermione laughed and laughed when she heard Draco's account of Luna being a Slytherin. "I knew it!" Hermione said. "I'm glad you did the right thing and asked her. I know it was probably hard for you but it's worked out very well," she said more soberly.
"She barely spoke to me," Draco said gloomily.
"Give her time. She probably feels just as self-conscious as you," Hermione said archly.
"She doesn't look self-conscious," he grumbled.
"Neither do you," Hermione said pointedly.
"I need to get rid of Roy," Draco said calculatingly, his pale grey eyes narrowed.
"No you don't," Hermione said flatly.
"Why?" he asked, surprised.
"Because they broke up two days before you contacted her about the Slytherin girls," Hermione said having only found out herself that day from Roy.
A very wide grin spread slowly over Draco's face.
* * *
Draco decided he really needed to go and see Luna about the Slytherin girls the next day. He knew her parents were based at the French Wizarding Embassy and that she lived there rather than on the University campus. He decided to arrive unannounced in a usual breach of his very formal etiquette. He didn't want to give Luna a chance to make excuses not to see him.
The French Wizarding Embassy looked rather like a slightly smaller version of Versailles. It was all gilt, silk, marble, polished wood, statues and mirrors. The Head House Elf led Draco into a small sitting room and went to fetch Luna.
She came in a short time later in black trousers and a jade knit top. She almost looked casually dressed. "Hi Draco, would you like tea or coffee?" she asked with perfect composure.
"Tea please," he replied sitting down again, having stood up when she entered the room.
Draco noted that she seemed rather subdued. "How can I help you?" she said, passing his tea over to him.
"I just... er. wanted to discuss some things we could do for the Slytherin kids. You're working with the girls and me with the boys, I thought we could organise some things for the whole House to do together," Draco improvised.
Luna nodded. "What kind of things?" she asked quietly, sipping her tea.
"I'm not really sure," he said honestly. "I thought we could throw some ideas around."
"Well, how about some field trips to places where Slytherins are making a positive difference? Or maybe to some sites that are historically important to Slytherin House in an affirmative way? How about we get some Slytherins who are out in the workforce making a constructive difference to talk to them?" she suggested thoughtfully.
Draco thought they were brilliant ideas and he forgot about the real reason he came in a rush of enthusiasm. They talked animatedly for a solid hour discussing ideas and making plans. They made some definite arrangements for the following week and Draco did up a letter to Dumbledore with parchment and a quill Luna provided for him to get permission.
After the tawny owl took off with the parchment there was an awkward silence. "Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts next week then," Luna said finally.
"Er. yes," Draco agreed but didn't get up.
"Would you like some more tea?" Luna asked after another awkward pause.
"No. thanks," Draco replied. He looked at the impassive face of the girl opposite him and caught himself staring. She was amazing to look at and he never tired of it. "Luna," he began and then paused uneasily. "I just wanted to. er. apologise for not. um. replying to that nice owl you sent me so long ago." He paused and glanced at her to see if she was going to say anything. Her face was still completely expressionless and she stayed silent. "I know I should have owled you even just to say 'thanks' or something but to be honest, I really wasn't in a good place just then," he said, mumbling the last part slightly. She was still silent. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked finally when the silence stretched.
"No. I knew you weren't in a good place at the time. That's why I sent the owl," she replied neutrally.
"Yes, well. I just wanted to apologise," he muttered.
"Fine," Luna said impassively.
"Why did you break up with Roy?" he suddenly heard himself asking. He cringed inwardly. What the hell on earth prompted him to ask something like that, he berated himself?
"The same reasons I break up with all the men I date, I guess," Luna sighed and shrugged her elegant one-shouldered shrug.
"What are those?" he asked genuinely curious.
"I don't know," she replied shortly but honestly, her tone mild. "Does it matter?"
Draco couldn't think of a reply to that so he stood up to leave. The afternoon had not gone as he had intended at all. Luna had given him no encouragement. There was not even a hint of flirtatiousness on her part and although she had been gracious, she hadn't been overly friendly either.
Draco saw a streak of movement along the back of the gilt and silk couch Luna was sitting on. Luna turned and with both hands, picked up something sleek, sinuous and pale. It took a couple of seconds for Draco to figure out that Luna was holding a white ferret. He stared at it. The creature did not only hold bad memories of an incident at Hogwarts in fourth year but his animagus if he become one was a ferret. The creature stared at him with bright eyes. Luna brought its triangular little face to hers and kissed its nose. To Draco's amazement, the animal didn't bite her and rested peacefully in her small hands.
"So. er. are we back to being friends again?" Draco asked hopefully as a last stab attempt to break through Luna's reserve.
"We never were friends, Draco. We only dated for two weeks," Luna said, putting the animal in her lap and stroking its glossy fur.
"Oh," Draco said, now completely nonplussed. "You're still angry with me, aren't you?" he said with resignation, pushing his hands into his trouser pockets as he stood looking down at the girl.
"No," Luna said truthfully.
"Then why are you so different? I mean, why are you so distant?" he said with a frown.
"You mean, why aren't I flirting with you if I'm not angry with you?" Luna said directly.
"Yeah, I guess so," he shrugged.
A smile without warmth flickered across her face. "Draco, if you were really interested in me there is no way you would have ignored my owl for six weeks no matter what else was happening in your life. Why would I flirt with you now knowing that?" she said softly, still stroking the ferret.
"Luna, that's not true," he began, his cheekbones flushing slightly.
"Yes, it is," she interrupted him calmly.
"Luna, if we had been going out longer. well, then. it would have been different but. it was just bad timing, that's all," he said a trifle helplessly, not sure how to extricate himself. She didn't say anything, just lowered her dark head as she watched her ferret lie in her lap. He looked at the silky, down bent head with frustration. "I don't know what else to say," he said finally.
"You don't have to say anything. Actions speak louder than words anyway. The bottom line is, you didn't like me enough for it to be worth my while," she said, picking up her ferret and standing up. Draco recognised the unmistakable signal for him to go.
Draco was gob-smacked. He'd never had a girl tell him that he wasn't worth her while before. His heart started pounding. "So, that's it?" he said disbelievingly.
"Don't blame me, Draco. You made that decision yourself weeks and weeks ago," she said coolly and taking her ferret, she left the room - a pointed breach of etiquette that sent a clear message to him.
Compressing his thin lips, he apparated from the empty room.
