Chapter Six:
Severus had gone as far as he could with the potion. He would need a few more ingredients from Knockturn Alley. Of course, it wouldn't be safe to just go out in the world, undisguised and completely without companion or bodyguard. So he went to his Master, who sent him to Malfoy. Malfoy put on glasses and layered his shirts to make it look as if he were more fat than muscle. Severus gelled his hair back, put on green robes, and wore large square spectacles. They filled their bags with money, both muggle and magical, and refreshed their minds of transfiguration and stealth charms in case they needed it. They left for the Alley at ten o' clock that very morning.
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Luna woke to a solid knock at the door. She rolled out of bed and ran her hands over her hair and borrowed robes as she walked groggily to the door. She yawned as her hand grasped the knob and pulled.
"Hello, sleepyhead," a bright, cheery, and certainly annoying voice sang out at her. She groaned, but the owner of the voice paid no mind. "I thought I'd bring you some brunch. What do you say?"
"Thank you. Go away. I am very tired."
"Oh, you are, are you? It is TEN in the morning, Brenda Boshawk's sake! Go take a shower! Freshen up! I'll have brunch ready when you come out," he said happily. She mumbled angry little nothings but did as she was told and came out about fifteen minutes later feeling quite better. On the table lay a two-person feast. Eggs, toast, all flavours of jams, jellies, marmalades, and preserves. Ham, biscuits, tea, coffee, juices of a great variety.
"Oh, Draco. Really, you've outdone yourse--" She stopped dead, remembering and panicking. "Get out, Draco! Go on, get! You can't be here! I'll get in trouble with Snape."
"Oh no you won't, Luna, because I know something you don't," he said, taking her hand into his and raising to his lips.
"And what, might I ask, is that?" Luna asked angrily.
"Snape," he said, then paused to kiss her hand, "is not," pause. kiss. "here." kiss.
"And why is that, Draco?" Luna asked, a little less panicky, but still worried.
"Because, Lovely Luna, my father escorted him, in great disguise, to Knockturn alley, where they will spend most of the day haggling over the price of unicorn hide and bezoar stones. Apparently Snape has been asked to make a very important little potion for Lord Voldemort," Draco murmered. His mouth was rather close to her, as was the rest of his body. She planted her hands on his chest and pushed, causeing him to stumble slightly while she settled into the hard, cold wood of the chairs at the table and began filling her plate. Looking slightly miffed but still very dignified and collected, Draco sat opposite her and placed a few items on his plate to pick at while she ate.
"Are you quite sure?" she asked. He nodded boredly.
"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked impatiently a few minutes later.
"It is not a question of whether I want to or not. It is my ability to. And at the moment, I have no ability at all to get out of here," she answered. He sighed and went back to picking at his plate. Then he resignedly sat up straight... Or, rather, straighter, and smiled.
"Fine. I'll simply stay here with you. We will have lots of fun, I'm sure."
----
One Hour Later
"So what do you want to do?"
"I dunno. What do you want to do?"
"I want to ask you a question," Luna said after about ten exhausting minutes of that. She and Draco lay on the floor near the fireside, sprawled out like cats in the sun.
"Alright. Chute."
"Chute? What does that mean? What are you talking about?"
"Never mind. Geez. What is your question?"
"It's about a spell."
"Yeah, alright, but what is your question?" Draco asked impatiently.
"What does the incantation 'facio praegnas' mean?" she asked, his aggitation sliding right over her head.
"Where in the world did you hear that particular incantation?" Draco asked, a bit nervously.
"Snape said it and a spell hit me... Answer me!" she said, pulling a strand of his hair just hard enough for him to feel it. He gave a theatrical yowl.
"That hurt, you wench! And you messed up my hair," he yelled, smoothing the strand back easily into the rest of his hair. He looked around a bit anxiously and spotted something slightly interesting...At least, it was configured as interesting in his rather desperate state. He leapt off te rug in front of the fire and walked over to a series of bookshelves lining the wall near the potions counter. On the shelves were all manner of potions books, some books with foreign titles, and a few random books of magic. He pulled out a promising one and flipped through a few pages.
"Draco," Luna said whinily, pulling herself up and walking over to him. "You are stalling. What is it?" Draco looked at her, blushed, looked down at the book in his hand. After flipping a bit more, he sat the book on the counter and smacked a finger down beside a passage. Luna gazed at the page for a few moments and Draco became hypnotized by the back and forth movement of her eyes. He was knocked from his reverie by the sudden jerk of her eyes from the page to his face.
"No. Surely not. He wouldn't do something like that. Would he?"
"Well, Luna, as you see, it is old magic, a favourite subject of your groom, and he has probably read this book many times, not to mention gone back for reference, since he owns it. Why else would he have it? And, as you see, it was used mostly in ancient Rome, hence the Latin-based incantation, for men trapped in arranged marriages that held only political value, no emotional or physical base. Of course, you have read this already. It is a rather unfortunate predicament, but...Well, it can be remedied, you know..."
"You think I would do something like that, Draco? Something that cruel, something that would tamper with fate so boldly? No. Absolutely not. Don't even mention it again. He obviously wanted this, so who am I to object?"
"You have every right to object, Luna! You are his wife!"
"Oh, Draco. Just leave. I can't do this anymore. It has grown tiresome. Just leave. And don't come back. Please, if not for your sake, for mine. Now go." And Draco left like a beaten dog.
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A/N: Short, yes, but you have to admit, engaging. By the way, that feeling you have right now? Yeah, that one. It's called anticipation and frustration. Sorry. And updating from hence forth is going to be slow since I am trying to write a full length novel instead of fanfiction. You see, I want to be published by sixteen, so I gotta get crackin'. I hope you are enjoying this story as much as I am.