This chapter is a little longer than I'd hoped. They won't usually be. Or maybe I can't promise that... I don't know. Anyway, I hope you like! Thanks for the comments and keep reviewing.
Enough delay – here you go!
Chapter Two – Malfoy??Although Luna's love letter was the popular topic of discussion the next day, gossip died down by Wednesday, due mostly to the lack of visual reminders after Luna had Professor Flitwick donate the roses to St. Mungos. She even made an appearance at dinner, and although some students still whispered and giggled as she walked past, it wasn't enough to bother her much.
The temporary calm, however, was shattered Thursday morning when another letter arrived – and another gift. Morning chatter came to an abrupt halt and the laughing started when a gigantic teddy bear, carried by fifteen owls, swept into the hall. The poor panting birds were eager to make the delivery and dropped it too soon (unfortunately on poor Orla Quirke's head) before collapsing on the Ravenclaw table in exhaustion. They were followed by a little brown owl who gracefully landed before Luna and deposited its letter, hooting softly and looking very pleased with itself.
Luna stared at the letter – evidently in disbelief. She showed no sign of touching it, and it wasn't until one of the Ravenclaw girls made a lunge across the table that she snatched it out of the way and opened it. This time she made no attempt to conceal the letter from the girls around her who leaned forward with their mouths open. Her face was blank as she read the words.
My Love,
In time I will give you all you desire. For now, take this token of my feelings and I hope that every night as I ache for you, you will embrace it and think of me.
Eternally Yours
When she finished reading, she handed the letter to the girl next to her to stop her breathing down her neck and turned rather sadly to look at the giant teddy bear. It was a rather hideous thing (Ron's reaction summed it up perfectly: 'Ugh.'). About seven feet tall and three feet wide, the bear had wide green eyes and a rather sappy expression on its face. Its arms were flung open to embrace the world, and the soft tan of its fur was marred only by giant heart on its stomach with the words 'I love you' in fancy script. The green ribbon tied neatly around its neck made the entire thing way too cutesy.
"Oh no, not again," Hermione breathed softly, glancing at Parvati and Lavender who started another fresh bout of whispering. Ginny, too, looked annoyed as she turned around to glare at the Slytherin table where Pansy and her friends were laughing openly. Malfoy was looking delighted as he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle. Harry fought an urge to spin around and say something rude by biting his tongue.
At the Ravenclaw table, Luna silently held out her hand for the note and the girl gave it back to her, shaking with giggles. Ignoring her half-eaten breakfast, Luna stood, took the bear by the arm, and pulled it from the hall. It was tough to be discreet when dragging a seven foot teddy bear and Luna was followed by more laughter as she struggled with the bear's weight towards the door.
"This has got to stop," Hermione said firmly when Luna disappeared through the door with her bear. Harry turned to her gratefully but she wasn't looking at him – she was staring at the Ravenclaw table with narrowed eyes. "Look at them," she said with a small 'hmph.' "They'll never be able to concentrate on their homework in this state."
Only Hermione, Harry thought with a grin as he got up and followed her and Ron out the door. And as they walked together towards Potions, Luna's problems were forgotten.
O O O
But not for long. It was impossible not to be reminded of Luna and her 'secret admirer' when the entire school buzzed about it in the corridors. She couldn't walk down the hall without being bombarded by hoots and whistles from various students (mostly Slytherins). Pansy Parkinson had taken to shrieking, "Hey, look! It's lover girl! Over here, lover girl!" every time she saw her. But that particular taunt was mild compared to others. Blaise Zabini one day yelled when he saw her outside Charms, "Hey, Luna! Where's your boyfriend? He better step up, because he's got competition. I'm starting to 'ache' for you, myself!" And Luna walked right on by without looking, an expression of utter indifference on her face, although Harry knew she must be squirming inside.
He was feeling sorrier for her and angrier as the days went on. Luna continued getting almost daily letters at breakfast, but instead of opening them at the table where anyone could see, she simply stuffed them away in the pocket of her robes, her serene expression hardly flinching among renewed giggles and taunts.
The five who were with her in the Department of Mysteries the previous summer were among the few who defended her from these unfair attacks. Neville had started waiting for her outside Herbology and talked to her in a falsely cheerful voice before he had to run for his next class. Ginny had quite nearly gotten into a fist-fight with a Slytherin seventh-year girl who made a rude suggestion about Luna's sexual habits. Hermione glared at anyone who spoke ill of her in the halls, which was formidable enough, and Ron, although not as active a defender as his friends, would tell off Gryffindors who brought the letters up in the common room. And Harry... he did what he could, even though it was never enough.
"Jealous, are you?" he demanded one day, fed up with a group of Slytherin fifth years who were once again discussing the overused rumor that Luna was sending the letters to herself. "Wish you had someone that devoted to you, do you?"
The students looked taken aback at his interference, but one greasy-haired blond boy sneered. "No one would be that devoted to her unless she was providing some extra favors. She must be pretty good, actually, for him to be interested this long. Maybe I should take her for a spin."
Harry suddenly realized why Ginny had single-handedly attacked a girl twice her size. He thrust his hand angrily in his robes for his wand but was stopped by a passing Professor Sinistra who gave him a suspicious look. Deciding they weren't worth it, Harry spun around and angrily stomped away, ignoring the laughter following him.
"I'm so sick of this," Ginny said at dinner that night, grinding her fork so hard against her plate that it screeched. Hermione grimaced and looked up from her corned beef.
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do but wait it out," she said reasonably. "They can't keep this up forever. And Luna doesn't seem to mind too badly."
"Of course she doesn't. That's the way she is," Ginny said irritably and looked over at the Ravenclaw table thoughtfully. Without a word she got up and walked over to them.
"What's she doing now?" Ron demanded, looking amazed. Harry shrugged, but a minute later Ginny came back, beaming, followed by a less enthusiastic Luna Lovegood.
"Sit here," she said kindly, patting the seat next to her and Luna sat, looking wary. Ginny pushed her uneaten chocolate cake towards her, but Luna shook her head, eyes looking around the group curiously.
"So, erm, Luna," Hermione started uncertainly. "How... how's it going?"
"Oh... fine."
"It's not. You know it's not," Ginny cut in, frowning her disapproval.
Luna smiled slightly and shrugged. "Oh, that. I don't care what they say." And Harry, oddly, felt that she meant it.
"Well, I do," Ginny said hotly. "Do you have any idea who's behind it all?"
Luna hesitated, her gray eyes flickering around at Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione, who were watching interestedly. "No," she said finally, looking back at Ginny. "He never says. Just... hints. We've met before. And I think it must be someone in this school because he... he mentions certain things I do."
"Like what?"
"Well... he said he was sorry his last gift caused me such embarrassment, and that he was going to be more careful from now on about what he sends." She clamped her lips together, clearly indicating that she wasn't going to say more."Hmm." Hermione looked thoughtful. "Someone in this school who is able to watch you. Must be a student – this kind of humor is a little below the professors, I'd imagine."
Harry saw Luna's eyes flick quickly at Hermione at the word 'humor' and then back at the wall again. He himself was beginning to wonder if that's all it was. The letters had certainly been quiet enough the last week – if someone wanted to embarrass her further, this wasn't the way to do it.
"Someone with money," Neville added unexpectedly. "Those roses weren't cheap. Gran loves them. Three sickles per rose. And a bear that big must be expensive."
Ginny snorted derisively then. "Let's think... someone with money who loves seeing people miserable. Who could that be?" She looked pointedly ahead and Harry turned to follow her gaze. He saw Draco Malfoy talking animatedly with his Slytherin court, and at that instant, Draco looked over at them and smirked.
"Malfoy?" His voice sounded incredulous to his own ears.
"Why not?" Ginny said. "I wouldn't be surprised, would you? Remember the bear? Green eyes and ribbon. It was a hint. Luna, what do you think?"
Luna blinked and looked quite surprised at being asked her opinion. She looked over at the Slytherin table and frowned. "Draco Malfoy?" she said uncertainly. "I don't know. He doesn't have anything against me."
"She's right," Hermione said briskly. "He'd more likely do it to me than Luna. And quite honestly, I don't think he has the imagination for it."
"But she was there, in the Department of Mysteries," Ginny insisted. "Doesn't he have a reason to hate her as much as the rest of us? That was the night his father was captured and sent to Azkaban." They were all silent for a moment as they thought of this. Draco's laughter drifted over from the Slytherin table and Harry frowned. Was it Malfoy? Could he be the one behind the letters?
"Well..." Hermione said slowly. "It's a possibility, I suppose. It's a completely immature prank for a prefect. I think it's worth looking into, and if we find out it's him..." She shivered excitedly. "We'll have him."
Ron groaned. "Just please please tell me the investigation won't involve drinking more Crabbe and Goyle du jour." Hermione hushed him, looking wildly at Neville, Ginny and Luna who were suddenly looking curious. Harry cleared his throat loudly.
"Well... let's assume for a minute that it is him. How do we find out?"
"I'll ask him," Ginny said confidently, and the others turned to her in disbelief. "Not straight out, of course. But I'll talk to him, and trust me, if he knows anything, I'll find out."
"Oh, please," Luna said mildly, "don't bother. I don't mind, really." But Ginny ignored her.
"Meet me in the library in an hour," she said animatedly. "Trust me." She pushed her plate aside and stood. With a final little wave, she turned and walked quickly out of the hall.
"Why is it that I don't?" Ron asked glumly.
Hermione frowned at him. "She's your sister!"
"Exactly." He said no more. And Harry, watching Ginny's retreating figure, couldn't help agreeing.
"You too," Hermione said, nodding at Luna. "Meet us there."
Luna sighed heavily, but she nodded. And that was that.
O O O
Ginny had no trouble finding Draco Malfoy in the halls after dinner. The problem was getting him alone, since he was almost always flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, as well as miscellaneous other Slytherin admirers. She didn't know what she could do, short of asking him for a private moment. And the thought of the look on his face and the laughter of his cronies was almost enough to deter her. Almost.
The truth was that Ginny liked Luna, despite her oddities. The girl had sometimes surprising observations that made her laugh, and she had proved her loyalty to her friends on more than one occasion. Luna had saved her life in the Department of Mysteries last June, and that wasn't anything Ginny was likely to forget. So if she could do something to help Luna now, she was going to do it, no matter the personal sacrifice.
Wishing she had Harry's Invisibility Cloak, Ginny took a deep breath and started forward. She fell into step behind the Slytherins and reached out for a handful of Draco's black robes. She tugged.
"What the..." he started indignantly and flung around. "You, Weasley?"
"I need a word," Ginny said, fixing her face into a look of irritation.
He snorted and looked her up and down. "Well?" he demanded.
"Not in front of them." She indicated Crabbe and Goyle who were hovering over his shoulders, grinning at her eagerly.
Draco sneered as he looked at her and then shrugged. "Go on, then," he said to Crabbe and Goyle who looked disappointed and slouched away. When they had gone, Draco turned back to her, and said: "Again, I ask – well? What is it?"
Ginny considered her words carefully as she looked up at him. Her scrutiny seemed to make him uncomfortable for he shuffled a little before finally leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. "Cat got your tongue, Weasley?" he asked impatiently.
"I know what you're doing," she said.
He blinked, startled. It took him a minute to recover. "Is that so? And what am I doing, little red?"
"I think you know very well, Malfoy," she said, just as sarcastically. "The question is, how long will it be before the rest of the school finds out?"
Again, he looked surprised. But it wasn't long before he narrowed his eyes coldly and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you do," Ginny said sweetly and smiled. She was enjoying this much more than she should. "In time the evidence, and all the little attentions and special messages will lead back to you. What will people say about you then?"
She paused and Draco's eyes flashed anger. She knew it would have been smart to stop talking and back away, but she was feeling oddly high and felt laughter bubble up inside her chest. "It's overplayed, Malfoy. You might as well give up. Unless you really are in love."
Draco looked at her for a long moment and then took a menacing step forward. Ginny was so surprised that she instinctively moved backwards until her back pressed against the cool stone wall. Draco darted forward and placed his palms on either side of her, trapping her.
"Hey!" Ginny squeaked indignantly, looking wildly around. The corridor was empty. She was alone.
"Now," Draco said, snarling, his face only inches from hers. "You're going to tell me what the bloody hell you're babbling about before I get seriously annoyed." Ginny looked at him helplessly, her heart beating uncomfortably. Either he was the best actor Hogwarts had ever seen... or he genuinely didn't know what she meant.
"Well?" he demanded again.
She sighed.
O O O
"No."
"No?" Hermione looked disappointed.
"It's not him," Ginny admitted unhappily. The six of them were gathered in the library half an hour later, and the answer wasn't what they'd hoped.
"What did you find out?" Harry asked and Ginny smiled sardonically.
"Nothing, except that Malfoy is an even bigger jerk than I thought."
"What?" Ron said sharply. "What did he do?"
"Nothing, Ron. Leave it alone."
"I swear, if he so much as looked at you the wrong way..."
"You'd what?" Ginny snapped and then shook her head. "Oh, forget it. I'm sorry. Look, the point is that we're back to square one."
"So now what do we do?" Neville asked in a muted voice. Luna had been staring across the library at a group of studying Hufflepuffs, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, but at that she started and blinked.
"Nothing," she said earnestly. "Really, I appreciate your help, but I can handle this myself."
"Well, then," Harry said politely. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Ask," she said simply. And refused to say more.
O O O
The next morning, another letter came with the morning mail. Instead of opening it, she reached a tentative hand to the owl who delivered it and stroked its feathers. The owl hooted and spread its wings appreciatively. Luna smiled and retrieved a letter from the pocket of her robes and gave it to the owl, whispering a few words in request to bring it to the person who had sent her the letter. The owl butted its head against her hand in acknowledgement and took off, the new letter clamped in its beak.
What she had written was simple enough: 'Who are you? Are you Draco Malfoy or one of the other Slytherins?' And then she signed her name on the bottom.
When the little owl returned the next day with a response, Luna gave it a piece of her bacon and a pat on the head in thanks before getting up and going over the Gryffindor table. Whatever the response, she appreciated their concern for her and thought they deserved to know.
"Hi," she said briefly, squeezing in between Neville and Harry. "I asked," she said, and that explained it all.
Luna opened the letter and spread it on the table. Six bodies leaned forward to look and promptly six pairs of eyebrows jutted upwards in surprise.
Angel,
I am not a Slytherin. (The 'not' was underlined heavily several times). How could you think that? Haven't I given you enough to show you who I am? I would have thought it obvious, but apparently I haven't been clear enough. My love for you is not schoolboy attraction. It runs deeper than the oceans, deeper than the bowels of the earth itself. It is only fair that you should know me, and I will show you in time, rest assured. I watched you brush your hair last night, gazing into the mirror, and you looked so lost, so helpless. Together we will find a purpose. I promise you.
Eternally Yours
"Bowels?" Ron snickered. "Not exactly my idea of romantic poetry." He was the only one to find the letter amusing. Neville frowned at the script, itching his nose, and Harry and Hermione exchanged a worried look.
"He watched her brush her hair?" he said in a hushed voice, and she nodded, her eyes wide.
"But... how is it possible?" she asked in a small voice. He knew what she meant. Boys weren't allowed in the girls' dormitory. He and Ron had found that out a few years ago when they tried to visit Hermione. Which left them with an entirely new question.
"Look..." Ginny picked up the envelope and shook it upside-down. Several long strands of wavy blonde hair fell out and curled gracefully on the table. Luna stared at the strands, her face neutral, and then reached a hand up to touch her own matching hair. Her forehead creased slightly. No one spoke.
The situation had suddenly become a great deal more serious.
