Hate me. Go ahead. I'm stupid and unworthy of you… but I need your encouragement! Please review. I'm sorry. Free cookies for everyone… Sorry.

Harry's POV

"So you didn't ask her out?" Ron asked me incredulously when Ginny told him the news.

"I couldn't!" I tried to defend myself. "She was, well, there, and I just couldn't." There? I mentally berated myself. That was the only word for it. I couldn't just ask her out like a normal girl. I mean, she was, well, special.

And not in a "stop playing with the fire" kind of special.

"Well, here's the thing about asking girls out Harry," Ginny began sweetly. "They do have to be there."

"I know…." I trailed off and shoved my hands through my hair. "I just couldn't, okay?" Ron rolled his eyes at me. I whacked him with the quill pen that was lying in front of me.

"Very mature, Harry." Ginny said sarcastically.

"Look, Harry," Ron started, "We've all adjusted to the whole you liking Loony… I mean," I tensed and glared at him. He paused and continued with, "Luna. So you can't just do nothing like you did with Ginny. I mean, I had to watch her slobbering all over all those other guys." I shifted a little. It was uncomfortable for me to talk about last year when I was with Ginny. We were friends now and things weren't weird between us, but still. It was just… weird.

Ginny, on her behalf looked angry. "Ron." Her nostrils flared. "I did not, as you so eloquently put it 'slobber' on anyone. At least not in public where you could see." She finished with a smirk. I snorted, but Ron looked furious, so I covered it with a (what I thought was very convincing) cough.

"What do you mean 'not in public?' Where were you doing this slobbering!? And with who?" He demanded.

"Don't worry about it." Ginny replied smugly. Ron glared back at her angrily. Personally, I was thrilled to have the both of them distracted. I didn't know why I couldn't ask Luna out. I was being dumb. She wouldn't say no… she was too sweet.

But she's also very honest. A stupid voice countered back in my head.

And very nice. I argued back.

But maybe she'd find it nicer not to lead you on.

If I could glare at my own brain, I'd have done it right then.

Luna's POV

The next day around 11 pm I kept thinking about the ghost's conversation I'd overheard. It was worrying me. Not that many things don't worry me. I tend to over think things, so I worry about many things. Muggle's political situations, the extinction of Crumple Horned Snorkacks. But this was a worry that I couldn't avoid. This worry grabbed me by the throat, shoved me up against a wall and rooted itself into my head.

I sat down in the library and went into my distress mode. I put my thumb and middle finger on either side of the bridge of my nose and stuck my index finger in the middle of my forehead, where everyone's supposed "third eye" is located. I heard footsteps coming and my very brief peace was shattered. I didn't move from my position though.

"Hello, Luna." Draco Malfoy drawled. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I smiled very slightly up at him.

"Hello, Draco. I never knew you were one to go to the library. I thought you just bullied people into doing your homework or got out of doing the assignment." I told him the first thing that popped into my mind, and he looked a little surprised. He didn't miss a beat though.

"There are some things here I want to check out." He said, and for the oddest reason smirking. Maybe a Nodel whispered a funny joke into his ear. I shook my head a little; just to make sure none were coming near me. It would be dreadful if the both of us started laughing helplessly.

"Oh! Well, then I'm sorry to keep you waiting here. Go ahead and check out the things you'd like. Don't let me hold you up."

Malfoy sat down in the chair across from mine. And simply stared at me.

I waited politely a moment. He didn't say anything, just looked at me intently. I blinked at him and furrowed my eyebrows. "Did you want something?" I asked curiously.

He didn't take his eyes off me and shook his head no. I looked around, puzzled. "Aren't you going to check something out?"

"I am." He answered me without stopping his persistent stare. I shifted a little in my seat, confused.

"The books are over there." I said, jerking my head toward them.

"I know. I'm not checking out books." Then it all clicked into place. He meant he was checking me out. Very, very odd.

"You know?" Suddenly I was snappy with him, "If you're going for the gold in the world's most annoying stare contest, I think you've got it in a dragon skin bag." I gathered up my books and left the library, wondering what in the wizarding world had gotten into him.

Frappies change people's behavior, but only if the person has been bathed in moonlight for 20 years. And Draco was only 17. Suddenly, I got a weird tingly feeling in my back, like someone was watching me. I felt a quiver run up my spine, and slowly I turned to see if Draco was watching me. I only saw the Grey Lady, floating along silently beside Nearly Headless Nick. I flushed and remembered the conversation I'd overheard. She came toward me.

"Hello, Luna." She said in a quiet voice.

"Hello." I told her politely.

"You shouldn't be wandering the corridors out by yourself." She said. I smiled at her and nodded. "Really, Luna. It's a bad idea."

"I won't do it again." I said… but unless I became miraculously magnetic to people, I'd be alone a lot.

"Nicholas." The Grey Lady called to Nearly Headless Nick, who came toward us. He looked more withdrawn than I'd ever seen him. He smiled tightly at me. "Are any of your students still out? Older students, I mean." I started to break in.

"I'm one of the older students at Hogwarts." I contradicted. "I'm a sixth year."

"And there are seventh years." Nick left, presumably in search of an older, trustworthy student. I looked at her, completely puzzled.

"I'm sorry." She told me. "But I'd do it for any other student in my house. I've done it to two other students, not just you." I knew that she was worried about me being alone in the halls more than any one. I was by myself more than anyone else in Ravenclaw.

"Got two!" Nick said, turning around the corridor, looking considerably more cheerful. He waved two students in my direction, and my heart sank a little. Not because I was unhappy with the two people who would be accompanying me. Because I knew I'd interrupted something. At least, their rumpled hair indicated that I had.

Ron and Hermione were the two students. Hermione looked embarrassed and a little angry (most likely with Ron laughing hysterically) and a little sad (probably because I was alone). We weren't friends per say, but she was a compassionate person. I looked down and blushed. Yes, I'd most definitely interrupted something. Nick's constant laughter didn't help.

"I already told them where to go." Nick said, at the Grey Lady's look of surprise and irritation he continued, "I meant I told them where to take her so she could get back to her common room. I didn't tell them where the Ravenclaw common room is. I don't know, for heaven's sake." She narrowed her eyes at him, and he adjusted his neck ruff.

"Goodnight, Luna." The Grey Lady told me.

"Goodnight."

Hermione came to stand by me. She smiled, a little embarrassed obviously.

"Sorry, Hermione," I muttered. Ron ran his hand through his hair awkwardly.

"You're fine, Luna." She said, apparently beginning to get over her discomfiture and starting to slip back into her 'I'm a Hogwarts prefect' role. She started walking briskly down the hall, with me following her, and Ron bringing up the tow.

"So, uh, Luna." Ron started. I looked at him, and he scratched his head. "What were you doing out so late?"

"It didn't seem that late." I told him earnestly. At his confused look I sad, "I mean, I was at the library." Hermione turned her head and unexpectedly grinned at me.

"Oh," was all he said. I would have asked him what they were doing out so late. But, well, I think I already knew. We lapsed into a silence. "I'm glad none of us got caught by Snape."

I nodded furtively. "That man." I said, "He must have been bitten by a Notrix Vir fairy."

"I do hate that man." Hermione said angrily.

"Yeah," Ron laughed, "That man's got a stick up his a—"

"I'd think it wise if you did not finish that sentence, Mr. Weasley." A smooth, cold voice cut in. We turned simultaneously. Severus Snape, with his tall form and greasy black hair was staring at us. "Now what would three young students like yourselves be doing this time of night?"

"I'm Head Girl! Patrolling!" Hermione squeaked out.

"Prefect." Ron said, raising his hand slightly.

Oh, blast. I was supposed to have an excuse now. I'd never been particularly good at lying. I was an honest, say what you think person. "I'm," I paused, not sure of what to say. Defeated, I finished, "… in detention tomorrow." Snape looked pleased.

"Eight o' clock, sharp, Ms. Lovegood." He turned and slinked into the darkness.

"He can say love!" Ron muttered to me, under his breath. He feigned shock. "I'm speechless." I giggled, and we continued our journey.

Okay, that last bit was NOT pointless. I promise :). I'm so sorry this was late once again, and not very plot packed. I'll do better next time… Scout's Honor (by the way, I was never a girl scout, so the next chapter might not be better. I'm not the strongest writer in the world, I just like it.)