This chapter just seemed to write itself. I had very little idea of what I actually wanted to happen in it but here it is. Enjoy!

Her voice seemed to be getting louder every time she called his name. She would catch up with him soon and Draco was trying in vain to think of a valid explanation for her actions in case anyone saw. Perhaps a sudden obsession with him? She had suddenly started following him round and he couldn't shake her off? None of his excuses seemed very Luna-ish or remotely believable.

As Draco had learned to accept, things never went the way he wished they would go when Luna was involved and so of course, the sound of Crabbe and Goyle galumphing down the corridors soon met his ears. Draco was good at thinking on his feet and so before Luna had chance to call his name at an unearthly volume again, he clamped his hand over her mouth just as she stumbled into him, and pulled her into the nearest doorway, holding his breath as his two 'assistants' walked past. For once, their lack of observational skills came in useful. One hand still keeping her quiet, Draco used the other one to open the door they were leaning against. The classroom seemed empty so he opened the door further, ignoring the fact that Luna was actually leaning on it. He hurried into the room, stepping over Luna who was now sat on the floor looking confused after her tumbling entrance into the room.

'I didn't poison Weasel and no-one forced that Bell girl to touch that necklace so don't try to pin that on me either. They just... got in the way of something.'

'Draco, you're telling me things again.' Luna got to her feet and picked up a feather left on the desk from the previous lesson and stroked it absent-mindedly. 'And if you keep telling me things I will have to tell them to Harry.'

'You wouldn't dare, Loony. And even if you did they wouldn't believe you.'

Luna had been inspecting the feather but she placed it back down on the desk as she replied.

'Wouldn't I? Because we do have to defeat voldemort and the sooner it happens, the better. Wouldn't you agree?'

Luna had got Draco trapped and he knew it. To say that Voldemort should not be stopped was as good as saying he supported him in most people's eyes and agreeing with her gave her permission to tell all that she knew to Harry.

There was a silence when the two blondes just watched each other as they moved. Luna mirrored Draco's movements as he walked through the desks, until he stopped next to one and stared at it. Luna walked up behind Draco, finally figuring out what she wanted to say.

'I'm not afraid of you Draco, but I am afraid for you.'

Not looking up, Draco traced some of the graffiti on the desk in front of him with his fingers.

'You don't know what fear is, Lovegood.'

His voice was hoarse although it was unclear whether anger or grief was the reason.

'Fear is seeing your father sent to Azkaban and realising you're suddenly the man of the house and the only person left to look after your mother. It's being given a task that the greatest of wizards could not achieve and having only a year to do it in. It's knowing that if you fail...'

Draco's eyes looked up to the window where the sun was setting.

'I'm not scared of death. I don't want to die but sometimes not existing at all is a welcome idea. Life is a whole lot scarier than death.'

He seemed to have forgotten who he was speaking to because he jumped as Luna took his hand in her own. She was having trouble keeping up with his sudden mood changes and for some reason something had told her that contact could maybe bring him back to reality.

'I lied, I won't tell Harry.'

As he turned, he pulled his hand out of hers, looking slightly disgusted.

'How do I know I can trust you?'

'You don't. But I want to help you, Draco. We could be..'

'Friends?' Draco cut in smirking harshly. 'Merlin, Luna. You really are delusional.'

'No, more like confidants. I've never really had a friend. I suppose it could be nice.'

'Another thing we have in common.'

Luna seemed to look alarmed at this, her eyes growing wider.

'What else do we have in common?'

Draco regretted ever saying anything. Luna stepped towards him, one hand touching his arm.

'Tell me.'

Draco felt as though the place where she was touching was burning. It had been the reason he'd pulled his hand out of hers earlier. He had been completely starved of physical contact. Even Pansy refused to come anywhere near him at the moment. She said he was 'no fun'. Yet here was Luna, unhesitating and oblivious to what she was doing.

'Well let's start with where we are, Lovegood. We both have friends, of sorts. Our own group. Yet here we are, on our own, quite willingly I might add. Is that really normal?'

Luna opened her mouth to speak but Draco placed a finger on her lips stopping her short as he continued with his list.

'Of course there is also the insanity. It's amazing what living can do to you isn't it? Experiences can turn you weak and make you believe in stupid things and believe that you can do the impossible. Isn't that right, Loony?'

His eyebrows raised and Luna was reminded of when Draco used to bully the Weasleys. Those days of petty malice were gone. Something much more sinister had taken hold of Draco and Luna was determined that it would not win.

'And then there's this.' He had been wandering around the room as he spoke, occasionally turning to address a question directly to her.

Now he stopped in front of her. 'This strange attraction we seem to have developed. This...'

He slipped one hand around the back of her head, forcing her to look at him. '...reliance on each other.' She was uncomfortable, just as he intended her to be. 'Now then, Lovegood. Prove I can trust you and perhaps I'll tell you more.'

He was playing with words, making her head spin and it was working. Draco knew the effect he could have on girls and how to play it exactly right. He hadn't expected it to work so easily on Luna though and he was almost disappointed at how willingly she followed his lead. She sat on the desk just as he directed her to and watched him with her interested expression as he slid one hand around her waist and the other back behind her head. Up until now Loony had disappointed him. There was nothing about her different from any other girl he had seduced in the same way.

Whilst he had kissed her before, Draco didn't count them since he concluded he hadn't been himself either times. He couldn't remember much of their first kiss, the knock on the head had seen to that and as for the valentine's day one. It was so quick it barely counted. Now with a Draco who was stressed, miserable and starved of any action, it was the perfect test for working out how much Luna was worth keeping. He must have been thinking for too long because to his surprise it was Luna who kissed him first. A simple brush of her lips against his but it was enough because Draco caught her before she could pull back, forcing their lips back together. It was then that he found the part of Luna different from other girls. All the other girls he had kissed were fuelled by passion and lust, he was a form of entertainment in their eyes and they wanted the most enjoyment out of him. Not that Draco had ever complained. Luna was different in that her kisses were controlled and gentle. They lacked the hunger of other girls but it felt as though each time her lips met Draco's they were calming him. He felt the anger and fears leave him as she seemed to consume his thoughts.

As he tasted the tears he knew straight away they were his. Luna, seemingly without a pause for thought, kissed both his cheeks where the tears had fallen, cupping his face and stroking away the remains of the tears with her thumbs.

'Things seem clearer when you look through tears, don't you think?'

Draco's head was much clearer, he knew that much and he knew the reason wasn't his tears. But there was no way on earth he was about to confess to Loony Lovegood that she was stopping him from going insane.

'I've not eaten all day, I wonder if the house elves will make me pudding if I ask them?'

Luna was back to her not so normal self and everything probably would have gone on as normal, unnoticed, if at that moment the door hadn't opened.

'Miss Lovegood?, Mr Malfoy? Why, may I ask, are you in my classroom at this time on a saturday?'

Draco looked from Luna to Miss McGonagall and without a word, he marched from the classroom.

I hope I haven't moved them too fast.. I just felt they'd been building up to this for a while and then it just seemed to happen. Anyways, almost 50 reviews huzzah! Review if you liked it!