A/N: I'm trying to get as much going and started as I can, but I think it's going to be a tad bit difficult. Note that I didn't ask for reviews on my last chapter. I was trying desperately to restrain myself. I should be lavished with rubber duckies and skittles! I'm sorry if posting goes a bit slow for the next couple of weeks. I have finals to take…and then I'm off at the end of May. When I get back to the good old East coast however, they don't get out until middle of June, so I'll have like two weeks where I can write until I drop. That's ALWAYS fun.
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything except for the plot. I feel like a poor poet from King Henry/George days in England. Ah…oh well…carry on.
Chapter 2: Feasts and Rash Discussions
Luna was in the Great Hall now. After a rather interesting scene in which she explained to the Potter boy that she could see the horses pulling the "horseless" carriages as well, she had left them at the entrance to the school and found her perfect spot at the Ravenclaw table. The "perfect spot" rarely moved, for Malfoy usually sat in the same general area. Except for the times when he moved, then the "perfect spot" moved. Luna had to be prepared for anything.
There he was again, and Luna's dreamy eyes were drinking him in to their fullest amount. His blonde hair was slicked back, as usual, and his robes were fully on. Luna was slightly upset at the thought of this, but fully regained herself when she saw him look her way. However, as quickly as she had "seen" it, it wasn't there. His cold gray eyes were nowhere to be found.
Luna realized quickly that her own eyes were closed.
She snapped them open again, hoping oh so desperately to catch another glimpse of Malfoy before the first years showed up and the Sorting Hat had it's little bit to say. Trying to look innocent, Luna looked over at the Gryffindor table towards Potter. He and his friends kept on glancing anxiously up at the staff table. Luna wondered for a couple of seconds what the matter could be, but then turned her attention once again upon Malfoy.
However, she was rudely awoken when Professor McGonagall made a loud show of setting down the stool and placing the Sorting Hat upon it. The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students. Their faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling. The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song.
Luna Lovegood simply yawned. She was a fourth year. She had heard the same dastardly thing sing over and over again. She didn't want to hear it this year. Instead, she took another fleeting glance over at the Slytherin table. Gazing at Malfoy without constraint, she drank him in. Everything about him, his eyes, his nose, his hair, and most importantly…his lips. Luna licked her own. Then, Malfoy looked at her. Malfoy's eyes penetrated deep into the very being of Luna Lovegood. Nothing anyone said to Luna could have pulled her out of the trance that Malfoy held her in just then. Then he looked away, and the feeling was gone.
The Sorting Hat had finished its song. It became motionless once more; applause broke out. All across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors. Luna had no idea why. She listened in on Cho Chang's conversation with her friends. It appeared that the Hat had said some different things this year. That didn't matter to Luna. She stopped listening right away, and glanced reproachfully once again at the only thing that did matter.
The feast commenced, but Luna left early. She got the password for the dormitory from one of the prefects, and proceeded to make her way out of the hall. Malfoy, seeing her, got up and followed. Luna cracked open the doors to the Great Hall, and stealthily made her way out. She started up the stairs, but just as she was doing so, Malfoy also came out and shut the door behind him. Luna, hearing the noise, looked up.
Malfoy thought she had died. The look on her face was one of pure joy, delight, wonderment, amazement, terror, horrific…all of the emotions possible mixed up into one. 'Typical,' thought Malfoy. 'Only a female could manage that expression.' "Wait," Malfoy said, trying to muffle up his courage and get on with what must be done. "I didn't quite catch your name. You see, I noticed you've been staring at me all night, and I thought that we might be pretty good friends by now."
'Holy Quibblers, he's talking to me!' Luna thought. Trying to gather her emotions and thoughts, Luna cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. It was merely the fact that some…er…occurrences on the train had me interested in…your…er…um…self. Yes, that's it. I was merely interested in your thinking process and such."
"Oh, really," Malfoy said with a smirk. "Is that quite all you were thinking Ms…"
"Yes, that's all I was thinking, and the name is Lovegood." Luna didn't love him, she was only physically attracted to him. Speaking to him was quite awkward, and almost more than Luna could bear. "I'm sorry. I really must be getting to bed. Goodnight Mr. Malfoy."
"Wait," Malfoy said again, reaching his arm out dramatically. "Couldn't I walk you to your dormitory?"
"That will be quite unnecessary, thank you very much all the same," Luna said coolly, and she walked away up the staircase.
"Well, she's certainly a difficult one," Malfoy said to himself after she had gone. "She's going to be the hardest one yet I believe." Malfoy usually had no problems with girls. He could charm almost anyone in the school. That is why he'd taken the wager. He knew he could win it. At this point, however, he was starting to wonder. How could a lunatic like Looney Looney Lovegood and the Master of Slytherin ever be together, in a room, shagging. It just didn't make sense to him. However, with the money on the line, Malfoy wasn't willing to give up…yet.
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Luna woke up the next morning, groggy, and in need of a shower. After showering, she dressed in her robes, and was about to leave the room, when she dashed over to her bedside table. She yanked open the door and ripped open her diary, just to make sure that last night hadn't been a complete waste. She always forgot what happened after about 5:30 every night. Luna read the diary to herself.
Dear Diary,
Last night was one of the most exquisite I have yet experienced. Draco Malfoy conversed with me as if we were old lovers. I shall dream of this night often. I shall never forget it. I must sleep now. Let this entry remind me forever of this wonderful night, and may I not forget it in the morning. Good night Dear Diary.
Realizing she was going to miss breakfast if she didn't get going, Luna rushed out of the dormitory and into the Great Hall. It did not take her long to sit in the usual spot, shove some toast down her throat, and receive her course schedule. Taking the schedule outside to scrutinize instead of trying to read it over the din in the Great Hall, she was once again followed by Malfoy.
"Well, Ms. Lovegood, up bright and early this morning are we," Malfoy said with a slight, sly smile on his face. Luna whipped around.
"I did not expect to see you again so soon," Luna noted, her tone of voice as crisp as the outside air.
"Oh, I come and go as I please. How are your courses looking this term?" he asked cordially.
"I have not had a chance yet to find out. Your distractions are most unwelcome Mr. Malfoy."
"Tut tut. It looks like rain. I am sorry to inconvenience you in any way Ms. Lovegood. I hope to speak to you again, and soon." Malfoy made to walk away.
"Wait," Luna gasped out. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding in. Every cell in her body was yearning with want to touch his body, to feel his hard abdomen, to just look at him…anything. As long as it meant he didn't leave, she would be okay.
"Yes, Ms. Lovegood? Is there something more you would like to say to me?" Malfoy asked, without turning around. He chuckled to himself. He had her right where he wanted her. He could feel her reaching out to him with her body. He could smell the want inside of her. He could sense everything.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. I was wondering where you wished to meet again. Perhaps something more than rudeness could possibly come out of one of our conversations, do you not believe so?"
"Ms. Lovegood, how well do you know the place in which you live?"
"I'm not quite sure I know what you mean, Mr. Malfoy." Luna was apprehensive now. She had no idea what he was planning. She just knew that she wanted to shag him, and it quite certainly had to be soon.
"I mean, Ms. Lovegood, and not meaning to be rude, how often have you ventured into the unknown recesses of Hogwarts castle? How many hidden passageways do you know, and do you know how to get back into the common room of your dormitory without waking the portrait, or suit of armor clanking nearby? How much of trickery do you know? Ms. Lovegood, what I am trying to say is…if I asked you to meet me somewhere late tonight, could I trust you to get there without getting caught?"
"I…I…" Luna was stunned. She'd never thought about half of the questions he had asked.
"Ms. Lovegood, if the answer is a 'no', then I will have to train you properly in such things until I am quite certain that the answer has changed to a 'yes'. If the answer is 'yes', it was in my greatest interests to shag you senseless tonight."
"My, my Mr. Malfoy. Are we always so bold?" Luna was not taken aback. She had been thinking the exact same thing.
"Only when I know if the partaking person wants exactly what I want." Malfoy answered with a smug smirk.
"Interesting answer. I would desperately love to shag you senseless tonight as well Mr. Malfoy, but I believe that some training would be in order. I'm afraid I have only snuck out of the dormitory once after hours, and the result was not…shall we say…copasetic. Perhaps we should begin training tomorrow?"
"Yes, perhaps. Good day Ms. Lovegood. I will speak with you again sometime soon."
"Wait," Luna said again. "When? I need to know when you will speak to me. I need to know this is…" Luna stopped herself just in time. She did not need embarrassment when talking to the hottest guy in Hogwarts.
"…real? Not a dream? Is that how you were going to finish that question? Ah…well…no matter. You are not dreaming, and I will speak to you some time tonight or tomorrow. When you leave the Great Hall, I will always follow. Now, I really must get to my next class. Good day Ms. Lovegood."
Luna stood there, shell-shocked as she watched him walk away from her. "Good day, Draco Malfoy," Luna whispered to herself. She sighed dreamily. As soon as he was out of sight, she jumped up and punched the air with her fists. She had done it. She had finally not only spoken to her love now, but she had also spoken quite rashly about shagging him senseless, and he had agreed! This was going perfectly.
Crabbe was lurking in a corner. It was going almost too perfectly for his liking. He really did not want to waste the galleons on a stupid wager that he had made. It wasn't his fault though. How was he to know that Lovegood had already fancied Malfoy before the wager had even begun? As far as he knew, Looney Looney Lovegood was a lesbian. That would explain her never being interested in the guys. However, this morning had proven him wrong.
'I'll just have to…even out the score a bit mate,' Crabbe thought to himself. He had to throw in some other coins. He had to even it out. It just wasn't fair when it went like this.
