Draco Malfoy had woken the next day, grateful his parents thought he was at Nott's place. Nott loathed visitors, but would play along if given enough reading material. Draco Malfoy had always been able to secure better books than his friend, and even now, when Nott's interest turned more prurient, he was able to give him a good run for his money (or favor, in this case).
Draco had gotten dressed, and now stared in the mirror. Slowly, he tried to smile. It looked more awkward than Snape smiling at his father. "I'm not ready for this." he growled to himself.
"Yes, you are," a small voice said. Draco whirled, looking at the small girl in pigtails, facing him with flinty eyes, "You'd better be." Draco could swear he saw sparks flying off her pupils. "You're all we've got."
Damn the witch, she was right. Draco straightened himself, calling upon years of mimickry and yet more training. Before he could stroll out of the room, the girl said, "Better. I'm Ursula Cooper." Then she curtseyed, and offered him her hand.
Draco gratefully slid into manners that had been drilled into him since he was half her age, taking her hand, bowing over it and kissing it, "A pleasure. My name is Draco Malfoy."
"I know," She said, quirking an eyebrow. "Let's go, they're either waiting, eating, or should be shook out of bed."
"Shaken." Draco Malfoy said, as he escorted the girl downstairs. He wasn't sure if she was a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff - he was fairly certain she wasn't a Gryffindor, and she was certainly not a Slytherin.
Luna was downstairs, effortlessly flipping pancakes onto plates, and corralling children into eating them. Draco swallowed as he descended, before speaking. "Thank you Luna, for tending to these children's earthly needs."
"My pleasure," she said, in that smooth airy tone of hers.
"Children, gather round," Draco Malfoy said, "If anyone's still abed, wake them pronto." He still stood two steps above, but he caught the other children glancing just as much at the girl who stood beside him - one step up, for height alone. She'd done more good than he'd realized at first. Draco could have come across as some sort of Tyrant (see Snape), but holding a child's hand - with her looking fearless above? That was the action of a caring person.
Draco was better at caring for bigger things than people. He had a tendency to be unfeeling, and his parents hadn't helped. "Get along, you," he said to the girl, dropping his hand. She smirked at him, lining up in the front row.
[a/n: What do you think Draco is going to say? Leave a review?]