It had taken Draco four days to catch Kate alone. Part of that was the admittedly novel (if quite painful) experience of being hunted through Hogwarts. The rest was Kate, in Gryffindor Regalia, actively avoiding him.

Draco actually hadn't caught Kate himself - Luna had interceeded, as if understanding that perhaps now was not the time for Draco to be seen physically abducting a first year Gryffindor.

Draco had just been minding his own business - which was watching Ashley descend on some 'affable' Hufflepuffs like a Vengeful Fury. That they were smarting already was due entirely to Pansy's sister, who'd made it quite clear to her housemates (and anyone she'd found taking a strike to Malfoy), that she was just doing this because her sister 'considered Draco family.' The undercurrent was clear - she'd do twice as mean and triple as nasty if someone dared to touch her family. Hufflepuffs were considered the house that put loyalty first, so, even when the more goodnatured of them would steer clear of her, they couldn't exactly say she wasn't a good Hufflepuff.

Draco had bribed Just Finch to inform on the Hufflepuffs (chocolate frogs were wonderful things, particularly in quantity), so he'd heard all about several abortive attempts to convince Pansy's sister to not care about Draco Malfoy, the Bad Bad Boy.

They hadn't worked, of course. She'd just gotten mulish, and then had half-casually stuck people to the Common Room floor.

Draco was practically in stitches from that fact alone - and nevermind that Just had booted him in the kidney not five hours earlier. Information was priceless, and Draco didn't need an open ally.

Luna, with her airy gaze and gentle, dancelike gait, was deceptively strong. Draco could see just how strong she was, as she dragged Kate into the room.

Draco paced when he was angry, when his thoughts swirled red and black in his head. "What were you thinking?" Draco snarled at Kate, before whirling and taking the two paces away from her.

She waited until he was facing her before speaking, "You need me there."

"What?" Draco Malfoy said, stomping closer, "What in hell is a first year going to do to Team Gryffindor?"

The former Ravenclaw laced her hands together, pouting primly, "Precisely nothing. I'm just there to listen."

And there's Luna, smiling approvingly. Draco could just kill her.

"We agreed you were going to get into Slytherin!" Draco said, "I can do precisely nothing if this goes sour, you know."

"Good thing Gryffindor's already got a hero, isn't it?" Kate says, with a blinding smile.

"You mean Potter?" Draco says, stunned - not speechless, but certainly into losing his decorum.

"Ravenclaws remember him helping a poor little firstie, whose housemates kept stealing her shoes."

Luna nods, "That was me."

Draco frowned, as he turned and paced away, "He's been less showy about that particular brand of heroism."

"Doesn't mean he doesn't treasure it." Kate said, "I'll use anything that comes to hand. Turn anything to my advantage."

Draco threw up his hands, and looked at Luna, "How is she not in Slytherin?"

Luna smiled, sweetly, and said, "She had a better plan."

Kate, very quietly, jumped into the air at that.

[a/n: Draco being a bit of a control freak. Leave a review?]