As the days passed he became both more scarce and frantic. He hadn't returned to the Room of Requirement either. This sparred Luna any possible confrontation with Crabb and Goyle, which some part of her appreciate. They only shared Transfiguration class and he was rarely there. When he was he arrived late and always the first to leave. To approach was to draw unnecessary attention. Luna though seemly unattached to the world around her, understood the consequences to unacceptable social contracts. The Slytherin Prince and the Ravencaw Oddity were not to acknowledge one another without the preconceived notion that one was a certain tax to pay. Just once she he decided that tax was worth paying. That she take what even burn and black lash would come of it. He was worth that gamble.
It was between classes when she made that choice. She's caught him on a winding steps that lead to divination. The body of students parted to to give her room as passed. Imagining that she must have forgotten something in the classroom. At this age most ignored her, but a few hung on their immaturity and she heard the snickering and felt them gesturing at her as she passed them. There wasn't anything too peculiar about her today, except the long and heavy necklace of sooringer antlers. An impossibly tiny creature that shed its decorative head gear in the fall. The antlers were often mistaken fro blacken twigs, they were good luck for girls that believed in such things. With all that was happening having belief in something good was a nice change.
Breathlessly she grabbed onto his shoulder.
"Draco," she between panting breath. He snapped around and his first reaction was surprise. Then he became aware of the crowd that had frozen and turned their eyes on him. They expected her to pay the tax. They expected him to extract a point of flesh.
"Don't touch me." he spat with a hard and unforgivable himself from her touch.
"Draco? I just wanted " there was apology in her words. He was searching for a way out but a crowd had gathered and she knew she had made a mistake. Draco's cruelty wasn't a choice anymore, not for boys like him.
"How dare you speak to me blood traitor." and he shoved her hard against the wall. The was a low oooo, no one stepped forward to intervene. Luna didn't fight him. She didn't draw her wand instead she braced for him. The boy had fist full of the wool collar of her school sweater and elbow that braced across her chest. When she opened her eyes she saw him with his face contorted with brutality, a red flush of palpable anger and confusion. That wand was drawn on her again. A long moment passed.
The firm steps of Professor McGonagall were unmistakable. Each step held such conviction and urgency.
"Malfoy you release that girl this instant." Her voice was somehow more dangerous than the wand she held out.
He pushed into her hard and she felt the stone dig and winced. She became the outlet of his rage and then she felt him learn on her harder.
"Draco," a ice edge to McGongall.
"Don't think you'll get away with this." seethed between bared teeth. She felt him push something into her hem of her skirt. A motion without suggestion and with clear intent.
"50 points from Slythern, detention Mr. Malfoy" she scoffed and he stepped back. She buckled and hestraightened his suit. "My office, now." Luna coughed and he stormed off. McGongall approached and touched her shoulder.
"Are you alright child?" The woman looked miffed. She also looked at her they way nearly all professors had with a certain emphatic pity.
"I am fine Professor. I think I would like to go down the great hall to see if there is any pudding left."
"Miss. Lovegood are you certain?" a cant of her head, an arch of her brow. "I"d like to you to see Madam Promphy."
"Professor, " a one sided smile. "It is okay," it was if the girl was now comforting the adult. She'd she gotten used that.
With silent disapproval the Professor let Luna go and she raced down the spiral stairs as quickly as she could. Grabbing the paper and holding it balled in her fist, safe. Students made room for her. Whispers followed her. She rushed all the ways back to them common room. No one stopped her or asked to speak to her. She'd traveled then the rumors had. She ran up the stairs to her dorm three steps at a time up and climbed her way to the top of her bed. Into a plush nest of pillows. She opened the paper. The paper that was flexible and worn as if Draco had obsessed over it, had written some time ago, and opened it again again. As if he were even considering if was worthly of the letters written on the page "Alchemy tower, 11:30"
