Chapter 2

Luna was on her way to class. She’d washed her hair for hours the previous night but she was still finding odd bits of mucus in her golden locks. It was disgusting. She walked past a suit of armour and noticed that one of her Dirigible Plum earrings was missing. She scanned the empty corridor, to see if she dropped it but didn’t see it anywhere. Luna didn’t mind being a tad late for class and those earrings were important to her so she retraced her steps looking for the missing earring. She was walking up a staircase, focused solely on the ground when she banged into someone.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there,” she said, looking up to see who it was.

“Are you looking for something?” Draco asked.

“Actually, yes,” she smiled, pointing to her ear with the missing earring, “Have you seen my Dirigible Plum earring anywhere? I seem to have lost it.”

He smirked, “really? What a shame, I’m sure Donec Vruce loved your radish earrings.”

Luna flushed, hearing the sarcasm in his voice, “and what does he have to do with anything?” She asked. Her voice made her sound angry yet forgiving at the same time; Draco loved it, although he wasn’t sure why.

He shrugged still smirking, “I couldn’t help but notice how much more embarrassed you were when he showed up... does Loony have a thing for Vruce?”

Luna hands curled into tiny fists, “No, and even if I did, it would be none of your business!”

“Maybe I want it to be my business.”

Luna blinked. Malfoy had seemed almost... jealous.

Draco noticed her looking at him and realized that might of come out wrong, “I don’t care anyway, so keep your little secret,” he said, continuing down the stairs, “oh, and your earring is on the next flight of stairs.”

Luna watched him until he was out of sight. What an odd person, she thought as she walked up the next flight of stairs to retrieve her Dirigible Plum earring.

By the time she finally made it to class, the period was almost over. She decided to just head to her next class and make up an excuse for why she wasn’t at the first one later. Next class was Transfiguration, which just happened to be with the Slytherins. Luna got there early and wasn’t too surprised to see Malfoy already leaning against the wall next to the door. They’d both skipped first period so she wasn’t overly shocked to see him there already. He nodded to her and she ignored him. They stood like that for quite a long while before Malfoy finally said something.

“So you skipped class just for your earring? I thought you were the goodie-two-shoes type,” he sneered.

Luna hand flew to her earring, “these earrings are important,” she told him, her voice airy and light as usual, “and who said I was the goodie-two-shoes type?”

“I did, just now. Why are they so important? Can’t you make new radish earrings?” He asked.

She looked at him, “why do you care?”

He didn’t answer for a while because, truthfully, he didn’t know the answer himself. Finally he just said bluntly, “I don’t.”

“Well, if you don’t care then I won’t tell you,” She said with a slight smile.

Draco tried to just let it go, for his dignity’s sake, but now he was curious. He was itching to ask about her damn earrings but he knew if he did she’d know he really did care. He kept quiet until he just couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out, “I do care.”

Luna looked at him in satisfaction, “I knew it!” She exclaimed happily, “but I’m still not going to tell you.”

“What!? Why?” He asked, startled.

“Two reasons,” She said in that light voice of hers, “one because I don’t want you to know and two because not knowing is bugging you.”

“You won’t tell me because you enjoy bugging me?” He asked incredulously.

She nodded with a slight smile.

Draco couldn’t believe that Loony Lovegood would get amusement from bugging people. She laughed at his expression; her delicate laughter sending shivers down his spine.

“Not everything is as it appears, Malfoy,” she said mysteriously. He was going to ask her what she meant but students began arriving at the class.

“Malfoy?” He heard the rough voice of Crabbe asked, “What are you doing with her?”

He quickly stood up straight, “just warning her that she better watch out, because our next prank is going to be way worse than the first one.”

The two idiots started guffawing loudly and he rolled his eyes at them. He gave Luna a menacing stare and marched into the classroom. Luna just shook her head sadly. She walked into the classroom and sat on the opposite side of the room as Malfoy. She couldn’t help but wonder why she was sort of upset that Crabbe and Goyle had interrupted them.