A/N Thank you so much to everyone who's following and favoriting! It means a lot, I normally only write stuff like this for my own enjoyment so I'm surprised anybody likes it at all.
DISCLAIMER: Sadly, Harry Potter isn't mine. River is, and the plot is, but nothing else.
I rushed to the Great Hall, hoping to find Crabbe and Goyle still pigging out there. Fortunately for me (and Draco), they were. I could feel all eyes on me as I made my way to the Slytherin table. The only people not watching were Crabbe and Goyle themselves. I saw Pansy Parkinson sitting next to Crabbe, looking disgusted at the amount of food that he was inhaling, then noticed the haughty profile of Blaise Zambini next to her. I liked him rather more than Crabbe and Goyle, he was more respectful and slightly less hostile towards me, he usually seemed more bored than angry, so I decided to talk to him.
"Zambini" All four looked up at me. Pansy's rude appraisal and disgusted sneer gave a serious blow to my confidence and I looked at the floor briefly.
"Yes Trife?" He asked snottily. God, he was even more arrogant than Malfoy. But maybe I only thought that because I had seen Malfoy weak.
"Malfoy's in the hospital wing… I was in there getting a broken finger mended and he asked me to ask one of you lot to bring him the back of sweets from his trunk. I trust you know how to get it."
"Drakey's in the hospital wing?" Pansy gasped and stood up. She rushed out of the great hall. Zambini raised one eyebrow curiously in her direction, then glanced back at me.
"It will be attended to. How did you break your finger?" I was shocked at his question.
"Quidditch practice. Bludger hit." I quickly lied.
"Hmmm… well, I can only hope the same misfortune befalls you in the match against Slytherin." I was rather struck by how rude his comment was, before seeing his lips twitch, almost as though he was about to smile and recognizing his own brand of sarcasm. It seemed as though he respected my coming to speak to them on Malfoy's behalf. I smiled in return before turning around towards the Ravenclaw common room.
I answered the question at portrait hole, then entered to find Luna curled up in a large chair reading a book.
"Hello Luna!"
"River… it's so nice to see you."
"You too. How are you?"
"Oh, I'm well, I just received a letter from Daddy telling me about a new breakthrough on his Diadem of Ravenclaw." She said in her wispy voice, grinning dreamily.
"That's excellent! What was it?"
"Powdered Crumple Horned Snorlack hoof, another element of the diadem reverses the effects so that the powder actually keeps the mind aware instead of making you sleepy."
"That's really brilliant, Luna" I said as I forced back a laugh. Both Luna and her father had truly exceptional minds, but they never applied them to anything reasonable. If they sought after normal goals, they would easily achieve them. But Luna didn't want that, and that was what I loved about her. If she was normal, she wouldn't be Loony Luna Lovegood, and I wouldn't like her nearly as much.
"You seem distracted… did something happen?" I looked at Luna for a long moment. She turned her head to the side and fixed her alarmingly large eyes on me. I knew she wouldn't judge me. So I launched into the whole story, beginning with what had really happened on the train, and ending with my talk with Blaise Zambini.
"Draco Maloy? He's always been a bit cruel… but he certainly is handsome and clever. What he said about his parents seems accurate. His father was rather terrifying when I met him at the ministry last year… I couldn't see myself arguing much with him if he was my father. You're rather smart, River. I know you'll make the decision that's best for you in the end." Her total and complete honesty and confidence in me melted my heart. I stood up then leaned over to embrace her.
"Thank you so much for saying that, Luna. I'm so worried about what people will think."
"Oh, you mustn't be…those who matter won't mind and those who mind don't matter"
"Dr. Seuss," I mumbled.
"Yes, I thought I'd read that in some muggle book," She said, pulling her scraggly hair away from her face and turning her attention back to the book in her lap.
"Well, Luna, thank you. I must be getting back to Draco to deliver him some parchment and a quill."
"Do try to be on time for curfew." She said, distracted.
"Of course," I rushed up to my room and grabbed my eagle feather quill and a long roll of parchment. I hesitated before grabbing another roll. It would be better to give him too much than to give him too little. I trotted up to the hospital wing, hurrying because I was worried about missing curfew. I opened the door quietly in case anybody was sleeping in there. Draco was sitting up, his wand lit as he read a book. I smiled at the sight.
"You were in here having a broken finger mended?" He said, raising one eyebrow without ever lifting his head from the book.
"How'd you know it was me?"
"Who else would go to the hospital wing barefoot?" He looked up finally and shut his book. I looked down at my feet, surprised to find them completely bare. Had they been like this all day?
"But really, what was this about a broken finger?"
"Well, I had to tell him something!"
"And why'd you pick Blaise? He was the only one smart enough at that table to need an explanation."
"Pansy probably wanted one, though, huh?" I was annoyed by the interrogation I was facing.
"Ugh… did you have to tell her? She was an absolute nightmare. 'Oh, Drakey! That awful Potter boy! Oh, Drakey, are you okay? Can you get you anything, Drakey darling?' I had to feign sleep to get rid of her."
"She's an absolute bimbo," I said, chucking at his cruel but accurate imitation of Pansy.
"You're telling me." He rolled those lovely silver eyes. They used to look like cold, impersonal steel to me, but when he was happy they turned all shades of silver, glinting with tiny flecks of blue. A smile was on his face now, a real smile (though still with the hint of the trademark Malfoy sneer). And his expression softened as he looked at my face. I gave him a subtle grin in response before quickly standing.
"Right. Well, when you're done with that letter, just let me know. I'm going to read a little while you're writing it."
"Alright," he was still smiling as he turned his attention to the parchment. I pulled out my wand and lit it with a non verbal incantation of lumos.
"Did you just do that nonverbally?"
"Yes."
"I'm impressed, River."
"Don't tell me that little pureblood Draco can't do non verbals" I teased.
"Of course I can. But I know I'm one of few."
"And so am I"
"Should have known, insufferable, know it all mudblood." He said, but the insult had a teasing hilt to it and I knew he didn't mean it to be cruel.
"Yeah, you should have, especially because I'm ahead of you in the class, you cocky, son of a bitch, pureblood"
"Son of a pure blood bitch is more accurate."
"Your mom at least seems better than your dad."
"I was talking about my dad, actually. I love my mom, really. I love her for her weaknesses and in spite of her weaknesses. And she makes going home tolerable. And I can tell her anything."
"Could you tell her about me?" I asked him.
"Maybe. If I asked her to, she wouldn't tell me father… but anybody else who knows about us… whatever we are…. Is just a liability and possible danger."
"What if I didn't mind if you told her?"
"I would tell her."
"I don't mind."
"Then this letter will have the full story, and be addressed only to my mother. Can you put a spell on it so that she can wipe it clean?"
"Can't you do it? I thought you were supposed to be clever."
"I'm not allowed to perform complex magic until tomorrow afternoon."
"Is that when you're getting out of the hospital wing?"
"Yes. Will you be here?"
"Yes. I'll come over before Ancient Runes and we can walk over together"
"Okay. Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Yes. It puts a time limit on when I have to talk to my friends. Or else I'd never get it done."
"If you're sure," he turned back to his letter and began writing away with an amused smile on his face. I turned back to my book, a complex study on some Arithmacy equations. About twenty minutes later he handed me the rolled up parchment.
"I'm done," He said. I tapped it and muttered an incantation under my breath.
"There, now she can wipe it clean. Would you like to write another one to your father?" He frowned, the ripped a small piece of the parchment off.
"Father- I was attacked with Sectumsempra. I don't think my attacker knew what it would do. I'll be fine. Madame Pomfrey said there shouldn't even be any scarring. All the best, Draco." I looked at the brief note, feeling sad at his relationship with his father, before standing up.
"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Draco."
"Good night, River. Sleep well."
"You, too," I turned on my heel.
"River?" His voice called in the black silence.
"Yes Draco?"
"Thank you. For everything," I smiled to myself.
"You're welcome Draco," I continued out the door and rushed up to the owlery. I only had a few minutes before curfew. At least I didn't have patrolling duty tonight as part of my prefect responsibility.
"Adonis," I called, raising my right arm. My owl fluttered down and landed on my arm. He was a handsome owl, his feathers were creamy white and fiery red and his eyes were huge and yellow. I began tying Draco's letter onto his leg. Hedwig fluttered down as I worked and affectionately nibbled my ear. I stroked her feathers a few times before sending her off.
"Now, boy, take this to Malfoy Manor and do make sure that Narcissa Malfoy gets it. Rather tall, very blonde woman." I raised my arm higher and he flew through the window.
"Hedwig!" She flew back down to my extended arm. I tied Draco's letter to his father on to her extended leg.
"Take this to Malfoy Manor, just follow Adonis, but make sure that Lucius Malfoy gets it, tall, blonde man, long hair, carries a black walking stick," She hooted dolefully before flapping through the window after Adonis. I hoped Harry wouldn't mind that I used her. I would tell him tomorrow at breakfast. But right now, I really needed to get back to the common room. I was already missing curfew. I sprinted down the stairs and into Ravenclaw tower. Terry was sitting in the armchair that Luna had occupied earlier, and Padma Patil was across from him. They were studying antidotes for Potions class tomorrow, I settled into the blue armchair near them and set to work on some arithmacy equations. After I finished those, I had an Ancient Runes translation to finish up, then a transfiguration paper to write on the risks of non verbal human transfiguration. I was up long after Terry had gone to bed. He still wasn't really speaking to me, but he gave me a slight nod before heading up to the boy's dormitories and I felt a vague sense of relief. Padma went up a few minutes after him, bidding me a good night. I finally finished my paper at around midnight and rolled it up with an easy flick of my wand. I put the paper in my leather school bag then went up into the girl's dormitories.
In my dream that night, I was dancing on a muggle stage. The only person in the audience was a pale, blonde boy with silver eyes in the middle of the front row. He was carrying a huge bouquet of blue flowers, with one large orange rose in the center. He was leaning forward, watching me intently and he was smiling sincerely. But I wasn't dancing to music. I was dancing to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Terry's voices saying "Malfoy?... Prick?... Traitor… Slytherin… death eater…" over and over again.
I woke with a start the next morning, knowing that this morning I'd have to talk to Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Terry and this afternoon I'd have to brave the masses about my friendship with Draco as I walked him to class after his stay in the hospital wing.