"Malfoy, you're acting like a headless chicken." Luna said, in that unwaveringly calm voice (sometimes stern) that Malfoy hated. Well, okay, normally it was fine, but when he was ... emotional, it was not.

"The Dark Mark!" Malfoy said, throwing his hands up into the air, "Surely that's sign enough for you?"

"The old boy's club is acting like a chicken with it's head cut off, spurting blood all around the yard as it runs in circles." Luna said, her amiable tone quite at odds with her gory imagery. Not that I've ever murdered a chicken. "You cannot act like them - you'd ruin everything."

"I know you're right, Di," Draco Malfoy said.

"They're safe here at Hogwarts," Luna said softly, her hand grabbing Malfoy's.

"I know," Draco Malfoy said, "But there's Christmas."

Luna smiled brightly, "No monsters this year."

Draco Malfoy said, "No, just Potter showboating again."

Luna sighed, "You think Potter's able to get around Dumbledore's magic?"

Draco Malfoy let out a loud sigh, "Of course not. Doesn't stop the fact that he's making himself a target, does it?"

"Speaking of targets, just what were you saying to Ronald?" Luna said, the use of Weasley's first name reminding Malfoy just where Luna stood.

"Ribbing him about living in squalor." Malfoy said, smirking.

"You know that's going to come back to bite you," Luna said softly.

"Course I know. Don't care," Malfoy said, smirking, "Folks have got to know where I stand." He looked smug.

"And that's why you're going to wait. What do you think might happen if you do this without someone to cower behind." Luna said sternly.

Draco frowned deeply, "I know, I get it. I'm just a fourth year, no match for a seventh year."

Luna said, "No match for Dumbledore, if it comes right down to it."

"That's for sure." Draco said.

"He might expel you, you realize?" Luna said.

"He won't. Bit of a soft touch for people who can be ... reformed." Draco said confidently.

"Make sure you show that, then," Luna said.

"I've stepped in dozens of times for my Head of House." Draco said stoutly, then smirked, "For some reason, he has trouble being nice to homesick firsties."

"Just bad for his image," Luna said, starting to stare out the window.

"Can't have that, now can we?" Draco Malfoy said, "Luckily, my image in House Slytherin is as secure as the fact that Ronald's clothes don't fit."

Luna giggled at that.

[a/n: This isn't the first time they've had this argument. Malfoy's worried - it was one thing to have a Stupid Monster petrifying people - those DE were for realsies. Leave a review.

Got a comment about Luna being more the person Malfoy should fall in love with. Will be underlining parts of the reason why that's not the case.]