Chapter 43- Wonderwall
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"Oh, Arthur. What if it is?"
Ginny felt suspended between hope and fear. Her father's expression, usually so open and easily read was shuttered. Mum was looking for him to make the decision, to tell her how they should respond.
Bill, shrugging off the twins' restraining hands, gazed at his dad with a 'go on, tell her Slytherins are incapable of love' look on his face. Fred and George shot her encouraging smiles before turning their attention back to the man proving who wore the trousers in his family.
Draco's arms tightened around her. She glanced up. His face reminded her of an avenging angel or a Black Knight's, ready to fight all comers to claim her.
She sagged against her boyfriend in relief to hear, "Then we'd best have a talk with them, dear."
Bill's hot protest received a cool ultimatum to be quiet or leave. Ginny smiled. She could almost physically feel the load of guilt and regret she had been carrying for so long slip away. It was liberating. She kept hold of Draco's hand as they sat and faced her family.
Silence stretched out. The tick-tick of the family clock seemed abnormally loud. A whistling noise came from the kitchen. Molly jumped at the sound. She said distractedly, "Is it time for tea? I'll go make it, shall I?" Standing abruptly, the woman turned to her unexpected guest. "Do…do you have a favourite biscuit?"
Grey eyes widened at the unexpected consideration. Draco stared blankly for a moment before saying, "Chocolate chip…or ginger…er…anything is fine, thank you."
"It—it's no trouble."
Bill said, "I'll carry the tray for you, Mum."
After the two left the room, Ginny noticed that the twins were regarding Draco speculatively.
"You like chocolate chip and ginger biscuits, Malfoy? That's interesting," said George. "Reminds me of Christmas Eve, when Harry accused us of nicking his chocolate chip biscuit and replacing it with a gingerbread man."
"What had his head bit off.… Wasn't that the one with black icing hair and green eyes, George?"
"I do believe it was, Fred. Quite a coincidence, that."
If her brothers expected to fluster Draco, they were sorely disappointed. He merely smiled enigmatically. "Yes, it is."
Her father observed them without comment. Ginny smiled hesitantly when he glanced her way. The corner of his mouth turned up. Mum and Bill returned and placed the tea tray on the low centre table. Strangely, the routine of pouring, passing and offering tea appeared to relax everyone.
After several minutes of silence, Arthur placed his teacup back on the tray. He said, "I don't require Verisimilitude Potion, only your word, Mr. Malfoy. Do I have it that you will continue not to take advantage of my daughter's feelings?"
George choked on his last sip of tea. Fred pounded him on the back while Bill glared and Draco returned the older wizard's steady gaze. "Yes, sir."
Ginny knew her blush probably highlighted every freckle on her face. Why, oh why had she blurted that she was a virgin only because of her boyfriend's restraint? Her brothers were looking extremely uncomfortable with the subject matter. They weren't the only ones. She and her mother locked eyes in mutual embarrassment.
Arthur said, "Are you planning on becoming a Death Eater or serving You-Know-Who in any way?"
Bill's dragon claw earring swung when he leaned forward to hear the reply.
A muscle in Draco's jaw flexed, but otherwise he stayed calm. "No, sir"
Her father seemed reassured by the answer. After a moment's contemplation, however, a trace of worry shadowed the man's eyes once more. "How will your father react to the news of your…relationship?"
Although his fingers reflexively squeezed hers, Draco remained outwardly impassive. "I don't know. He sends messages every now and then, but we do not correspond."
Molly's face wore an expression that Ginny had seen before. The boy's stoic resignation triggered the woman's motherly nature. She was glad her mum was starting to see him as a person and not 'Malfoy's spawn.' At the same time, she hoped her mother wouldn't impulsively say, or worse do anything. If she called Draco a 'poor boy', patted him on the back, or hugged him, he would be deeply offended. Pure-blood snobbery might change, but ingrained pride remained.
She held her breath when her mother drew breath to speak. "Will you…keep hiding the relationship from others?"
Ginny couldn't decide whether her Mum wanted the answer to be yes or….
"No. We're through keeping secrets."
Arthur and Molly exchanged glances. His hand patted hers when she nodded slightly.
Her father said, "I won't pretend that I'm pleased, or that you have our blessing, but if you feel so strongly about this, we will not forbid you to see each other."
Ginny wanted to laugh in release of the tension that had been building, but smiled widely instead.
Draco smiled fleetingly. "Thank you, sir."
Her father stood and held out his hand. "A Wizard's Handshake isn't merely the friendly gesture Muggles use. It is a binding act, magically transforming word into bond. Will you shake on what you have spoken today?"
Ginny's smile faded. Would Draco be offended that his word alone wasn't good enough? Before today, she'd worried that her father wouldn't accept him, even with a Wizard's Handshake. She hoped Slytherin pragmatism would make him realise the gesture was a small price to pay for goodwill.
He did! Draco stood and took Arthur's hand in a firm clasp.
She leapt to her feet and rushed to hug her dad. "Thank you, Daddy!"
He held her close before clearing his throat. "Well, this has been quite an eventful time. Now that we have an accord, I have a few things in my workshop in need of attention. Ginny, dear, say goodbye to…Draco. He should be getting back to school. I'll have your brothers escort you back before dinner." He nodded to the boy whose expression showed the consternation he felt at the use of his first name and strode out of the room.
Bill stood and pointed his finger threateningly. "If you hurt my sister in any way, Malfoy."
The twins flanked their brother, rolling their eyes.
"Yes, he knows you were a big, bad curse breaker," said Fred.
George wrapped his arm around Bill's shoulder. "Malfoy understands he'll be on the receiving end of every curse you can remember if he steps out of line. Let's go down to the basement and play skittles." With a wink at Ginny, he steered his scowling brother toward the door.
Molly gazed at the couple uncertainly. "You'll want to say your farewells. I'll leave you to it. Come up to my room when you've finished, Ginny. Goodbye..." She only paused a moment before forcing out, "Draco."
When they were alone, he smiled wryly. "At least your parents are saying my name, even if they sound like they're going to spew a slug when they do it."
Ginny said, "Do you think your parents will ever accept me?"
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "My mother's too self-absorbed to care one way or the other, but my father, well...he's in Azkaban and can rot there for the rest of his miserable life for all I care."
She heard the underlying hurt in his voice, and reached up to wind her arms around his neck. She kissed him softly in comfort.
He said, "I'm glad your parents are better people, for your sake, but all I care about is being with you."
Draco kissed her as if he was trying to prove it. She was more than willing to forget about everything outside the circle of his arms. When his lips parted hers, she returned the sweet pressure and didn't hesitate to tease his tongue with hers.
"Yeah, yeah, beer and crisps, I got it!"
George's loud call to her brothers caused Draco to pull away. Her brother faltered when he entered and saw the look she was giving him.
"Oh. You're not done…saying goodbye. Sorry, I'll just nip into the kitchen for…."
"Beer and crisps. We heard," she said irritably.
Her brother pursed his lips, probably to keep from having the smirk hexed off his face. In the kitchen, he rattled around for a few minutes and returned with his arms full. Muttering, 'sorry again, be seeing you Malfoy', he all but ran through the room.
Draco's smile simultaneously made her melt inside and want to do a little melting of her own. "Amused, are you? I wonder if you'll be laughing the next time I see you." She reached up to smooth platinum strands. "Wherever you are, when I find you, I'm going to kiss you."
He stared. "What if I'm in the middle of a school corridor? The Great Hall?"
"I don't care. I'm going to walk up to you and give you a snog you'll never forget."
He had a beautiful mouth. Even smirking looked sensual. "Seems pretty bold, even for a Gryffindor—I hope you don't loose your nerve, Red."
She brushed her lips against his. "Not a chance, Slytherin."
Draco kissed her, hard, before moving away to take a pinch of Floo Powder. "I'll be waiting."
Ginny was still smiling over the heated look in his eyes and the promise in his voice, when she knocked on her parents' door. Hearing 'come in,' she opened it and went to sit beside Molly on the bed. Her mum was looking at a photograph album.
Molly pointed to a picture of a young couple in dress robes. "Your father and I had that taken before the Yule Ball. We slow danced in a corner all night, even when the music didn't match…which was most of the evening."
Ginny chuckled over the story, and at her father eating Molly up with his eyes. "You were flirting outrageously, Mum."
"I know."
The smug pleasure heard in her mother's voice made Ginny smile. She said, "Would you tell me about some more pictures, Mum?" Tell me about you and Daddy, so you'll remember what it felt like and understand how I feel.
Their eyes met. Understanding passed between them.
Molly caressed her daughter's cheek before pointing to a picture of three couples grinning in front of The Shrieking Shack. "That one involved a bottle of Butterbeer that your father charmed to land on me after he spun it."
-
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The vividness of her dream caused Blaise to awaken early Saturday morning with a pounding heart and an urgent need to kiss every millimetre of Terry's face. After trying to fall back asleep, she finally gave up and reached beneath the pillow for her Melusine Mirror. "Aaah-eee-aaah—No—I mean Terry."
After a few minutes, sleepy dark blue eyes smiled at her. "Morning, Baby"
It was funny how a term of endearment affected girls so differently. Fiona said she couldn't stand for David to call her that, found it creepy, while Blaise got a tingle down her spine every time Terry called her 'baby.' Abruptly aware her boyfriend had called her that again, with a question attached, she said, "Yes?"
He pushed back long strands of brown hair, laughing. "You really want to show me the dance of the seven veils in the Room of Requirement?"
Her heart was starting to race again. "One day, sure, but…why did you ask?" Blaise said teasingly, "What kind of dream were you having?"
"I was a sheik and you were my dancing girl." He grinned. "What kind of dream were you having?"
She tried not to blush. "Oh, an adventure one." When he asked what kind, she said airily, "The usual. I was on safari in Africa, with my dad, trekking up mountains, through jungles…."
"Me Tarzan, you Jane?"
So much for trying to play it off. "MmHmm. Want to have breakfast in our tree house?"
He gave a slow smile that reminded her of a Jungle Man reaching out to discover anatomical differences first hand. "I'll grab a shower and my cloak and meet you in thirty minutes."
After replacing her mirror and making the bed with a wave of her wand, Blaise remembered that she had sent her Invisibility Cloak to Ginny. Shrugging, she picked out denim trousers to pair with a red and blue bandana top and hurried into the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, she was pacing inside the Room of Requirement, worried about her boyfriend. When the door opened, she called, "Terry?"
He pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, prowling toward her. She backed toward the area where breakfast awaited. He scooped her into his arms and carried her, masculine lips curving when she kept her arms twined around his neck while he lowered her to a cushion. Thinking of her dream, she asked huskily, "Are you going to be a good wild man?"
Terry gently placed splayed fingers against the sides of her face, lightly holding her head in position for a kiss. He stared into her eyes, lowering his mouth so slowly that her heart began to pound in anticipation. Expecting a soft, romantic kiss, Blaise gasped when his tongue teased her lips with sensual jabs before gliding between them for a slow, deep kiss. A deliberate, thorough, unhurried series of French kisses drove her crazy. She clenched her fingers in his silky hair and kissed him passionately until he rolled away.
"Breakfast…eat…now."
Blaise trailed her fingertips down the muscular back that flexed at her touch. She knew he could hear the smile in her voice when she said, "You're a great wild man."
He gave a huff of laughter. They moved over to the picnic blanket holding an assortment of fruit and pastries. After eating a bite of éclair, he grinned. "Finger food. How appropriate."
She pretended to pout. "You're ruining my Terry, King of the Jungle, fantasy."
His fingertips trailed across the bottom edge of her leopard print halter. "Me like dress."
Blaise returned the gesture on his bare chest. "Me like everything about you."
Suddenly the door handle rattled, as though it was stuck. Terry dove for the Invisibility Cloak. Together, they ran to the side of the tree house and huddled beneath the enchanted fabric.
She whispered, "Close your eyes and concentrate on the room transforming back to its original state." When Blaise opened her eyes, the jungle home was gone and bare stone floor and walls had taken its place.
The door to the room burst open. The feared and despised Mr. Filch stood in the doorway, his cat Mrs. Norris rubbing against his ankles. "Never had the door refuse to open before, Precious." The man cautiously entered the chamber. "Suspicious is what this is."
Filch's eyes and those of his cat seeming to glow in the dim light. The caretaker, torch in hand, began to examine the far end of the space for signs of 'wrongdoers.'
The young couple took the opportunity to leave the room. Once outside, they heard the eerie feline begin to yowl. They quickly descended, halting halfway down the main staircase when the vigilant Squib and his cat appeared on the landing overhead.
"What do you see, Mrs. Norris? Is it a mischief maker?"
The grey feline padded forward. Blaise could see the creature sniff the air. She held her breath. The cat meowed in a way that sounded uncannily like 'No.' Filch bent and lifted his furry patrol partner into his arms. Mrs. Norris began to purr loudly as thin, greyish fingers stroked her fur.
"Let us go up and search the attics, my sweet."
Blaise didn't know which was more disturbing—the way the Squib talked to his pet like a human, or the way the cat leaned her small head to look directly toward the hiding place of invisibility-cloaked students.
When the spooky pair climbed out of sight, Terry said, "Why don't we find someplace Filch won't patrol for awhile?"
"Okay." She willingly followed close behind while he led her down to the dungeon corridor.
Outside dungeon seven, he said, "Wesley and I found out about this dungeon in Hogwarts, A History. No one ever uses it." He opened the door.
Blaise was shocked to discover someone was using it. A couple of fencers were sparring. The sound of steel striking against steel filled the chamber. Blades thrust and parried. The shorter person was driven inexorably back, obviously outmatched. Soon, the duel ended.
Professor Lorelei yanked off her protective mask. "You were going easy on me. How will I ever improve?"
After removing his mask in a methodical manner, Professor Snape replied coolly, "I did no such thing. You are improving, slowly but surely."
Underneath the cloak, Blaise turned her head, wide eyes meeting those of her boyfriend. He looked as astounded as she felt.
The potions professor lunged and pointed her foil at her partner's chest. "I wanted to touch your heart."
With a flick of his wrist, the Potions Master engaged Lorelei's blade and sent it clattering across the floor. He threw down his own and pulled the woman close. She reached up and freed his hair from the tie holding it back. Black strands fell forward, concealing the lean man's expression. Nothing could disguise the quiet conviction in his voice. "You already have."
Witnessing professors kissing wasn't quite as shocking as, say, one's parents, but it still wasn't something Blaise wanted to see. She eased out of the room with Terry pressed tightly to her back beneath the Invisibility Cloak. In the corridor, she whispered, "We're not the only ones who thought the dungeon would be a good place to be alone."
His arms slid around her waist. She wished the jungle outfit she had worn in the Room of Requirement hadn't transformed back into original attire when they'd stepped outside. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin.
His fingers slid underneath the bandana top hem and stroked her abdomen. That worked just as well. He murmured, "Wesley told me he heard from Malfoy that you're pretty good with a sword yourself."
She smiled. "What about you?"
"I know the basics, but I could use a few lessons. Especially if my instructor rewards my efforts with kisses."
Blaise leaned against his chest, turning her head to meet his lips.
"Down here, my precious? Aren't you clever, tracking the little wizard brats."
They both froze when the oily tones of Filch echoed in the corridor. The man's phlegmatic chuckle made them shudder with distaste. He crowed at the sight of the not quite shut chamber door and rushed forward, Mrs. Norris leading the way. "Come out of there at once, you randy little miscreants!" When Professor Snape stalked out of the room, Filch looked ready to faint. "I…I am so sorry, Professor. Mrs. Norris here, she was so sure we'd tracked down…."
"Randy little miscreants?" The wizard's curled lip and sardonically raised brow made the icy tone more threatening.
"An honest mistake, sir." Filch gave Mrs. Norris an angry look. "She..."
Snape held up his hand. "A man who blames a cat for his poor judgment is sorry indeed. I suggest you patrol the grounds or somewhere else far from my sight. Go."
Bowing and apologising profusely, Filch picked up Mrs. Norris and hurried off.
Lorelei stepped out of the doorway, gear in hand. "How lowering for the youngest, most brilliant Potions Master in the world to be called a randy miscreant."
A gleam of humour lit dark eyes. "I suppose your response of 'that nasty little man needs a hex' meant you were flattered to be termed such?"
"Of course not. Now, if he'd said 'amorous lovers'…."
The pair continued their banter while they made their way to the corridor leading to private quarters.
Once they were alone in the dim passageway, the unseen couple emerged from beneath the cloak Terry said, "If Snape and Lorelei hadn't been in dungeon seven, we might've been the 'randy little miscreants' dragged out by Filch."
"I prefer 'amorous lovers', since I love you, and you definitely make me feel amorous."
He kissed her. "Let your amorous lover escort you to Slytherin before he sneaks back into House arrest."
Blaise sighed. Beneath the Invisibility Cloak, they clung tightly as they walked slowly toward the dungeon stairs.
-
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The library was such a lovely place. Padded window seat in the Restricted Section notwithstanding, just looking around at shelves upon shelves of books lifted Luna's spirits—not that they needed it.
Earlier this morning, she and Wesley along with the rest of the newly christened 'Scooby Gang' had done some sleuthing and found out that Hook was busy doing some snooping of his own on his day off. After their little group had dispersed, Wesley had remained to talk a little and kiss a lot before he had to go meet Terry.
The boys were working out with the Quidditch team, so she had decided to finish a few assignments before beginning to study for her OWL exams. Pleased to complete an Ancient Runes essay, she rolled up the parchment and stored it in her carryall.
"Hello, Luna."
Meeting emerald green eyes, she wondered why hearing those two words still made her stomach clench. Must be old habits dying hard. Giving him an absent-minded half-smile, she said, "Hello, Harry."
"May I sit down?"
"If you'd like."
He nodded and sat across from her, unruly black hair and round glasses reminding her of the days when this tête-à-tête would have been a dream come true.
"How've you been?"
"Fine. You?"
"Oh…good, I guess." Pointing to his scar, he made a face. "Aside from the usual worries."
Luna heard the self-deprecation in his voice and smiled. This was the Harry Potter that she had always liked, even before her unrequited infatuation. "A day without You-Know-Who is a good day?"
He chuckled. "Yeah. It's ace."
They chatted about inconsequential things. His face still lit up at the mention of Quidditch.
Her amusement caused him to pretend offence. "Are you daring to laugh at the Cannons' record this year?"
She nodded, although she was laughing at herself, actually. The way she had drifted around mooning after him was amusing, in hindsight.
They were still smiling, albeit due to different reasons when Harry asked, "Are you and Roberts still going together?"
The smile on her face dimmed. Why was he asking? Didn't he see them sitting together during every meal at the Ravenclaw table? She refused to speculate. "Yes," she said. "What about you and Morrigan?"
"Yeah, yeah we are." After looking down to drum his fingers on the tabletop, Harry glanced up. "I like her a lot. It's just that sometimes I wonder if she'd be better off with someone a little more uncomplicated." Harry looked into Luna's eyes. "Or if I'd be better off with someone who takes complications in stride."
Instantly, an old daydream replayed in her mind.
She and Harry were standing together on the rock-strewn edge of the lake. He bent down and picked up a stone, skipping it across the dark water with a flick of his wrist. Picking up another stone, he said, "I'm sick and tired of being Harry-Bloody-Potter! I wish everyone would stop staring and whispering, and looking to me to save the ruddy world."
"I'm not looking to you to save the world, although I know you will. I stare for a different reason."
Hearing her soft words, a smile transformed the boy's snarl into something that made her heart leap. He dropped the stone to pull her close and say huskily before his lips captured hers. "What reason could that be? This?"
The image of her in Harry's arms became another vision...
They were strolling down the main corridor toward the Great Hall. A girl's laugh rang out. "Wesley, stop! You can't snog me in the middle of the corridor!"
Pulling her hand out of Harry's, she turned and saw a Slytherin girl pressing herself against a Ravenclaw boy while pretending to protest. Fiona used her hold in golden-blond hair to draw her partner's smiling mouth down to hers. The sight made Luna physically ill.
A cold chill ran down her spine. Luna realised she had been staring off for several moments while her mind had been elsewhere. She released the breath she had been holding, leaning forward to say, "Think about Morrigan going with someone else. Would you be okay with it?"
Strange, that she would ask him to consider what she'd just finished experiencing herself. The slight thrill she had experienced from the first image of Harry kissing her had been nothing compared to the anguish of watching Wesley kiss someone else. A similar evolution of expressions flitted across the face she had thought the most handsome in the whole world until a boyish pirate had come along.
"No, I wouldn't."
All of a sudden, she was no longer ashamed of having crushed on Harry. He wasn't dark or bitter anymore and she was happy for him. Luna smiled when he raked his hand over his hair in that familiar, futile gesture. He said, "I hadn't thought about things that deep. Thanks for being a friend." Green eyes turned apologetic. "I'm sorry I haven't always been one to you."
She smiled. "We're still friends." Looking up, she saw a dark-haired girl approaching. "Hello, Morrigan."
The girl glanced from her to Harry and back again before smiling uncertainly. "Hello, Luna. How are you? Did you have a good holiday?"
"The best…you?"
The girl's dark eyes flew to Harry. "It was wonderful."
After a few minutes of chatting, Luna hefted her bag and said, "I've got to get back to Ravenclaw." She smiled at the couple and left the library with a light heart.
Approaching her House, she saw Wesley walking toward her. Even knowing that her vision was the result of imagination only, Luna couldn't stop herself from running forward, dropping her bag, and reaching up to kiss her boyfriend. Around them, giggles, snickers, and a 'get a room!' sounded. Her lips clung to his when Wesley came up for air.
"What brought on this enjoyable display of public affection?" he asked smilingly.
Luna absently twined a strand of hair around her finger while she answered, "Well, I wanted to be the girl you kissed in the middle of the corridor. Does that make sense?"
Looking thoughtful, he nodded, and then shook his head. Gently capturing her hand and releasing her purple finger, Wesley's dimples appeared. "Yes and no, but I'm glad, whatever the reason." Glancing sideways, he called, "Cindy, could you do your roommate a favour and take her bag to her room?"
Cindy, who appeared to be returning to the common room with her boyfriend, said brightly, "I'd be happy to. I was just about to go up and do a little re-organising before dinner. My desk is so untidy."
Thanking the girl with only a trace of laughter in his voice, Wesley waited until the other couple had moved out of hearing range to ask, "Is her desk really untidy?"
Luna traced his arched eyebrow with her fingertip. "No. Cindy's just gone on a perfectionist streak. I'd try and talk her out of it, but she's promised to organise my trunk."
His unrestrained laughter made her giggle. A thought struck. She said, "Were you looking for me when I…uhm…saw you?"
He grinned roguishly. "Yes, I was. While we were lifting weights, Terry told me that he and Blaise were chased by Filch and Mrs. Norris this morning and almost got caught in dungeon seven." He looked at her expectantly.
She said, "Dungeon seven?"
"Yes! The dungeon said to contain a secret passageway to the Room of Records. Since Hook went to Hogwarts, his file would be in those records and ours for the reading if we could find it."
She was impressed. "I hadn't thought of that. Where is the Room of Records?"
He leaned down to whisper in a gripping voice, "It's deep beneath the dungeons, in a secret passageway that few enter, and fewer still successfully navigate."
The shiver that made her way down her spine now was the kind that usually followed his lips trailing down her neck. Resisting the urge to pull her hair to one side and hope for more shivers, Luna said while they quickly made their way to the dungeons, "If the passageway is secret, then how do you know about it?"
"Bella Luna, I am not the average student looking for a lark." Irrepressible, he confessed laughingly while guiding her into the dungeon, "I'm exceptional at asking friends for help. Terry and I took the clues from Hogwarts, A History and put them together." He looked up at the ceiling. "First, we need to find a splotch in the shape of an opened book."
The globs of frogs' brains and other, even less appetising items were very interesting to view. One clump looked like flowers, sort of, and another was in the shape of a Snorkack, if she squinted so its horn would crumple.
"Look at this!"
Apparently, scanning the splotches for one particular shape instead of analysing each one was the most effective search method. Luna agreed with Wesley's opinion and smiled when he counted off four paces, stepped on a flagstone, and whooped in excitement when the stone slid back.
A stairway leading to an underground corridor was revealed. Holding hands and using softly glowing wands to illumine their way, the couple climbed down into darkness.
"Do you think we should go back?"
Luna had been off in another daydream. In this one, she and Wesley were intrepid explorers, out to find lost treasure. Shaken out of her reverie, the girl heard an almost unintelligible voice calling, "Go back…gooo…baaccckkkk…."
Aware of the compulsion behind the command, she said, "Wesley, it's a trap. Don't listen. Think of us, using gillyweed to explore the reef in Spain, and nothing else, okay?"
Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he opened them and nodded. They moved forward. Luna easily slipped into fantasy.
She lifted a colourful shell for Wesley's inspection. Why did they look so much brighter underwater? His hair looked darker, like a gold coin from a Spanish treasure ship. Luna leaned forward and kissed him. His lips curved before pressing hers in return. They floated together with the gentle current. Masculine fingers stroked the small of her back before circling upwards. When his hands encountered no tie at the middle of her back, Wesley's eyes opened. He stared down incredulously.
"You took your top off!"
Blinking, Luna met Wesley's accusing stare. "Are you saying you're upset that in a daydream, I took my bikini top off?"
"No…It's just that the shock jolted me out of it, and I never got to enjoy the view!"
She returned his smile while inwardly musing how odd it was that their daydreams matched. After she pointed out that the compulsion had ceased, they continued down the corridor. It looked magically carved from the rock beneath the castle.
Luna's thoughts returned to the daydream. She said, "Out of curiosity, what colour bikini was I wearing?"
Her eyes grew round when her boyfriend said, "Green with pink polka dots." He saw her expression and stopped in his tracks. "Are you saying you wore the same bikini in your daydream?"
His tone was a bit spooked. She pointed to distract him. "Look. There's a fork in the passageway."
He lifted his wand. "Odd place for someone to drop cutlery."
She giggled. "The passageway splits."
Luna and Wesley peered down the corridor branching off to the left. A light twinkled, doused, and then flickered again further toward the end as though trying to lead them. They agreed it was a trap and took the other corridor.
She smiled when he joked, "When it's right, its right."
After several more turns and twists, they came to a section of rock decorated with a moth eaten tapestry of a wizard, sitting at a large stone dinner table with trolls. They pelted him with cutlery. Luna said, "I think we can safely assume that's Barnabas the Barmy, so the Room should be…."
"Right here." Wesley had extrapolated the door's coordinates and walked back and forth. When it appeared, he opened the door with a chivalrous wave of his hand. "After you, Cherie."
"Merci beaucoup."
They entered the chamber. The walls of file cabinets too wide and tall to begin to search awed Luna. The sound of someone turning the door handle echoed in the vast chamber. Wesley tugged her over to a huge librarian-styled desk surrounded by piles of books. Scrambling to hide behind it, they clung to each other.
"I require immediate assistance!" an imperious voice demanded. It was Hook.
Another voice answered coolly, "I am Mushu, entrusted with facilitating all visitor searches. What file do you wish to access?"
"Professor Lorelei's."
Luna bent down and crooked her neck sideways to peer up from the narrow space at the bottom of the desk. Hook, dressed in black that matched his scowl, took a file floated to him by the spirit guarding the records. He began to read.
The spectral Chinese dragon was breathtaking. Luna wished he were alive, so she could touch his scales. As if sensing her regard, the large, Chrysanthemum-like head turned in her direction. She froze. Reptilian eyes behind half moon spectacles seemed to twinkle. Transparent, sharp-looking teeth glinted.
The professor snarled, "What is the meaning of this?"
One ghostly claw waved the folder out of the man's hand. The spirit read in a melodious voice, "Sing, siren, for thyself, and I will dote. Spread o'er the silver waves thy golden hairs, and as a bed I'll take them, and there lie..."
"That's not information about Lorelei!"
Peering over his spectacles, the dragon demurred, "Shakespeare may have written A Comedy of Errors, but a Lorelei is indeed a siren, so I must beg to differ." A rumbling sound emitted from the spectre. "Perhaps you were unaware of Records policy, Professor. Any person without express permission from the Headmaster receives only misinformation." The dragon blew an ethereal smoke ring into the man's face. "No exceptions."
Professor Hook slammed the door on the way out. Wesley looked reluctantly admiring. When he saw his girlfriend raise her eyebrows, he shrugged. "Hey, that door is heavy."
The red dragon peered over the edge of the enormous desk. "Do you require assistance, children?"
They shook their heads.
The rumbling sound that Luna now recognised as laughter sounded again. "Perchance, then, you would care for a cup of tea?"
A teapot and two cups materialised on the desk along with plates of sandwiches and biscuits.
Wesley's stomach rumbled. He said while lifting a strand of her hair, "We should probably wait before heading back…and I really liked his quote, Buttercup."
"Me too." Luna happily accepted Mushu's invitation, asking him if he had read any good books lately.
She and Wesley thoroughly enjoyed their tea with the dragon.
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Upon his return to the Hog's Head tavern, Draco walked to a corner and released the concealment charm he'd placed on his Firebolt. After a quick inspection assured him no one had tampered with the broomstick, he strode quickly out of the room. Amid the odorous grime of the main chamber, several bleary alcoholics with charmed livers slumped over mugs of beer. The barkeep appeared the same as ever, surly and unattractive.
The grizzled man looked up from wiping a mug with a stained cloth to demand, "Where have you been?"
The boy's reaction caused one patron to lose his balance in his tipped back chair and crash to the floor. Another sprayed a mouthful of beer across the table into his companion's face. The proprietor reached for his wand. Draco's smile widened. He threw a small bag onto the scarred surface of bar. "Next round's on me."
The barman picked up the moneybag. "It's the end of the world as we know it."
Draco snickered on his way out the door. "And I feel fine."
He strolled across the lawn of Hogwarts after storing his broom back in the shed. His mood was so good; he began to whistle. The sight of a group of students dressed in black lounging on the front steps was intriguing. He left off whistling 'Weasley is our Queen.' A girl in black leather waved him over.
She stood to greet him. "Did you talk to her parents? Are they okay with you two?" The look on his face gave her the answer. She shrieked, "Yes! Oh Merlin, I was so worried for you, and now I'm so happy!"
Blaise proceeded to try to squeeze him to death while crying. He hugged her back before saying gruffly, "I know I told you to contain your Hufflepuff tendencies to me, but, mate, please, hold it together."
She laughed shakily and kissed his cheek before punching him in the arm. "That's what you get when your best mate's a girl, so learn how to deal."
About to reply, he noticed that their conversation was being watched with more concentration than a Quidditch match was.
Blaise smiled and pulled him forward. "Draco, these are some friends of mine. You may have seen them around the common room." One by one, she introduced a group that he had always considered weird. He shook hands with blokes named Lexx and Edge, and amiably greeted Scarlett and Cassandra, girls who wore black makeup to match their clothing.
Idly curious, he asked after taking a seat beside his mate on the front steps, "What brings you out here before lunch?"
Cassandra, the one rumoured to call herself a prophet, intoned, "I saw it in a vision." She held out her hand to the others. "Pay up, unbelievers."
Only one person didn't place a sickle in the strange girl's hand. When dark eyes ringed in black stared, Blaise confessed, "I'll have to owe you. This outfit's too form-fitting for pockets."
Draco smirked.
Lexx waggled his eyebrows. Scarlett promptly smacked him across the top of his head. The spiky-haired bloke grinned as if it was a love tap. Considering the way the girl smiled back, maybe it was.
"Sing me a song," Scarlett ordered.
Lexx obediently strummed his guitar, singing, "Today is gonna be…"
Listening to the lyrics of the song, Draco thought they fit his situation. He didn't believe anybody felt the way he did about Ginny. The roads, paths of life, whatever, that had led him to her had been winding. There were so many things he wanted to say that he didn't know how to express. If Luna and Blaise had never tried their hand at matchmaking, if he had never hooked up with Ginny, he still would refuse to be his father's pawn—but he wouldn't know love. Hell, maybe she did save him, after all. Clapping along with the others, he asked, "What's a Wonderwall?"
Lexx said, "It means an object of fascination."
Scarlett tugged the boy's earring. "I heard it means the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, your only reason for life."
"Oh, yeah, you're right, absolutely," Lexx agreed.
Draco said, "So, you people have a little sing-a-long often?"
On the other side of Blaise, Cassandra said, "We greet the sunrise on Mondays." A mysterious smile curved black painted lips. "Why, are you going to join us? You dress the part."
He wore black a lot. That didn't mean he was interested in hanging out with a bunch of Slytherin misfits. Draco opened his mouth to say 'no' and surprised himself by saying, "I might."
The girl smiled knowingly. "You will."
He rose, pulling Blaise to her feet. She frowned at the other girl. "Don't you dare bet him even a knut!"
The small group stood around in awkward silence. Draco said, "I'm going back to the common room. Anybody else?"
Lexx gave him a sceptical look. "You saying you'd walk through the main corridor with us? The Prince of Slytherin's willing to be seen with the little people?"
He couldn't help smirking. "You'd be surprised who I'm willing to be seen with."
Cassandra stared. "Yes. I am surprised."
Impatient with the psychic act, he snapped, "Come on, Blaise, you need to change. Boot could choke if he saw you in that outfit."
The impudent wench hooked her arm in his. The rest followed. Inside the Entry, she whispered, "He's already seen it…and he likes it."
Draco curled his lip. "I bet." Thinking of how a redhead would look in black leather, he smiled persuasively. "Why don't you order another outfit—in the wrong size?"
His mate winked. "I'll send an owl today."
Students in the corridors sent curious glances the Slytherin group's way. Nosy idiots stared in the common room, too, but no one was foolish enough to comment. After he grabbed a shower and a change of clothes, Draco escorted Blaise to the Great Hall.
During lunch, Crabbe and Goyle kept looking at each other, as though wondering why he didn't berate them for execrable table manners, bad taste in jokes, or breathing too loud. Listening to the pair earnestly ask Blaise if she had to use magic to get her trousers on, he grinned.
Across the table, a pair of beady eyes narrowed into slits. "You've been acting very oddly, Draco." Pansy looked at her hag friend Millicent. The girl only a troll would find dainty nodded her agreement. Feeling vindicated, he supposed, Parkinson turned back and accused, "You've got a secret girlfriend!"
Usually, the pug-faced twit irritated him. Today, he found her amusing. She looked stunned when he smiled inexplicably. His mate leaned against his shoulder to look directly at the other girl. "Won't be secret for much longer." With a tinge of malicious enjoyment that he couldn't help but share, she said, "I do hope some pathetic, delusional girls won't be too devastated to know their dream will never come true."
Remembering a similar conversation, he replied, "Ha. Good one, Blaise."
She giggled. "Thanks, Draco."
Pansy stared at them with dawning horror. "No. Not you two…together…. I couldn't stand it. Anyone is better than Zabini, Draco!"
Blaise said through helpless giggles, "Remember you said that…later…."
Unable to help it, he laughed aloud.
His cronies started chuckling. Crabbe asked with a smile that showed his large teeth, "What're we laughing at, boss?"
Draco pointed to Pansy and laughed again, which set Blaise off. Hearing her peal of laughter, the boys beside her succumbed to mirth. All around them, students watched, mystified.
Goyle leaned out to ask hopefully, "Hey Malfoy, want to go play Exploding Snap?"
Not particularly, but he was feeling charitable, so Draco shrugged. "All right." Blaise stared, slack-jawed. He put a finger beneath her chin and pushed up gently. "Stop gaping like a Hufflepuff. You're playing too." The dense but likeable pair looked as though their dream had come true. They immediately surged off the bench while he assisted Blaise to her feet. Giving the lummoxes a steely look when they started to move ahead of him in eagerness, Draco escorted his friend out of the Hall, nodding to the three Ravenclaws viewing the by-play interestedly. Crabbe and Goyle, in their proper place, followed behind.
In the Entry Hall, he turned when Ron Weasley called, "Hey, Malfoy, hold on!"
Blaise said, "Why don't the boys and I go on ahead? We'll grab the cards and I'll try again to explain why they got their eyebrows singed off last time."
"Buena idea, Mamacita"
She smiled at Weasley before slipping her hands into the crooks of Crabbe and Goyle's beefy arms. The three continued toward Slytherin House. Watching without comment, Draco waited for Ginny's brother to say whatever it was he had to say. He didn't wait long.
The moment the others moved from sight, the lanky redhead said, "Do my parents know about you and Ginny?"
"Yes."
"Are they making her transfer to a school in America and change her name to Mary Sue?"
"No. Why would you think that?"
Weasley muttered, "I had a nightmare," before saying, "They can't have been happy about it. Tell me what happened."
"I went to see Ginny, ended up talking to your brothers, your parents, and in the end, I promised your father a few things and your parents aren't going to forbid your sister to see me."
"How…which brothers…why…no, I don't want to know!" Rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms, Weasley finally said, almost calmly, "These promises—why'd my dad believe you?"
"I gave him a Wizard's Handshake."
"Oh."
Granger and Potter exited the Hall and stood looking from one boy to the other. "Is everything okay?" Granger asked.
Weasley laughed shortly. "Not by me, but my opinion doesn't count, so it's good as it's going to get." He said, "When is Ginny coming back?"
"Before dinner."
Nodding, the taller boy left with his friends. Draco returned to Slytherin House, feeling as though he'd survived a gauntlet. Following a game of Exploding Snap, he and Blaise watched the boys try to build a castle out of the cards. Only three levels went up before the thing exploded.
Vincent smiled triumphantly. "We've still got our eyebrows!"
"Actually, you've got most of them," Draco said. "Half the left eyebrow is gone."
That was good for a laugh, but otherwise, the afternoon seemed to drag. He did a few assignments, organised his already painstakingly arranged desk, worked out and took a long, hot bath. Drying his hair with a charm, Draco combed platinum strands and pulled on a fitted black silk tee and trousers. Refusing to stare in the mirror wondering how to improve on perfection any longer, he left the chamber.
He would go to dinner, and Ginny would arrive when she arrived. The mirror in his pocket warmed. Snatching it out, he looked down into a smiling face and barked, "Where?"
"I'm climbing the front steps. Hurry"
Draco shoved the mirror back into his pocket, striding briskly to the stairs. Once he descended to the main corridor, he began to jog.
A Hufflepuff prefect yelled, "Slow down! No running in the… Oh my, is that any kind of gesture for a prefect to make?"
In the Entry, students were milling around, inter-house couples talking and spending time together before they had to separate for dinner. Draco shouldered his way through, halting when he caught sight of a bright haired girl standing just inside the front doors. She was scanning the room. When their eyes met, she smiled almost shyly.
Gasps and furious whispers made it plain that others had noticed the direction of her gaze and steps. Standing in front of him, blushing, she said, "When I said I'd kiss you, I didn't realise we'd have such a large audience."
An unnatural hush descended over the room. Unable to take his eyes off Ginny, Draco said, "Lost your nerve, Red?"
"Never." Her lips lifted.
Draco bent and lowered his mouth to hers. Their lips met and melded together. He felt the need to connect, to claim, flare inside and gave into the feelings he had kept restrained. She leaned closer and parted her lips, inviting him in. His hands buried in her hair. His Gryffindor stroked her tongue along his, playing boldly with fire. It made him go hot and cold at the same time. He loved it. He loved her.
Through the crowd of stunned witnesses, Blaise pushed through to cry, "Parkinson ran to tell Snape you're snogging out here. Better break it up or go somewhere else!"
Draco lowered his voice to ask Ginny, "What do you want to do?"
A beguiling smile crossed her face. "I want to go somewhere else."
Impulsively, because he had always wanted to, Draco swept Ginny up into his arms and carried her through the crowd. When he reached the main corridor, he set his girlfriend down. Romantic gestures were good, but not being caught was better. He pulled her into a run.
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A/N: Wonderwall was a 1995 (and ever after) hit for Oasis, a band that seems very Slytherin to me, heh. I had a REM moment (the band, not the sleep stage) in Draco's pov, although I'm sure they weren't the first persons ever to use those lines! Mushu, the half Mulan/half R.A. MacAvoy's wonderful Tea with the Black Dragon inspired misinformation specialist, was originally used in a story that parallels this one. I was so fond of the dragon and his warped enjoyment of others' frustration that I had to use him and the Room of Records again. If you were fond of any bits this chap, Review and let me know. :D