Chapter 5

Luna didn’t mind when people called her crazy, she laughed when they made fun of all the creatures that she believed in, but this was too much! Luna had walked up to her dormitory one day, and everyone she saw stared and whispered. She didn’t think much of it until she arrived at the common room and a second year girl approached her timidly. She had asked Luna if she was really pregnant. Pregnant! Luna snapped; she couldn’t take it anymore, her and Malfoy talk once and all of the sudden she’s carrying his baby!? It was so unrealistic she could’ve laughed if she weren’t so angry.

“Who told you that!?” She demanded.

The girl cowered away from her, “just a girl in my dormitory!”

It explained why people had been staring... especially the ones who had been gawking at her belly. This couldn’t be happening, how could the whole school think that she was pregnant? Half of her wanted to claw someone’s eyes out and the other half wanted to find a quiet spot and cry.

She abruptly stomped out of the common room, heading straight for her tree with tears welling up in her eyes.

Draco sat in the Slytherin common room, playing with some little wizard gadget his father had bought him. He wasn’t sure what it did but he was trying to find out. Just then Blaise Zabini entered the common room and sat next to him eagerly.

“What is it Blaise?” Draco asked warily, popping a chocoball into his mouth. He was used to Blaise asking him for things, such as help with homework.

“Is it true that you slept with Loony Lovegood and got her pregnant?”

Draco nearly choked on his chocoball. When he finally swallowed it and could breathe again, he stared at Blaise as if he were crazy, “What!?”

“Erm, I’m guessing that’s a no...?”

“Of course I didn’t sleep with Loony! Who told you that!?” Draco asked incredulously.

Blaise watched him anxiously, as if he would explode at any second, “well... everyone. It’s a huge rumour, its spread across the whole school.”

Draco felt like screaming. Why would anyone think he slept with Loony!? And what was this about getting her pregnant? He briefly wondered if Luna knew about this but was quickly centered around himself again, wondering what he was going to do if everyone thought he’d stoop so low as to sleep with some sixth year girl... especially Loony Lovegood!

Luna sat in her tree, tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away, new ones just came anyway. She heard a noise and quickly turned around, ready to attack whoever decided to interrupt her. It was Malfoy. She sniffled and turned away from him, hiding her face. She wanted to strangle him for being too self-conscious to talk to her in the corridor. If he would have just talked to her there, no one would think they slept together!

He climbed up the tree and sat next to her, “hey Luna,” he said softly.

She ignored him, blaming him for these cruel rumours.

“Did you... hear the rumours?”

She nodded, still refusing to look at him.

Draco looked at her sadly. She wouldn’t even look at him and it was killing him. He had a sudden urge to hug her but resisted, wondering where the hell that came from. He felt the need to say something, anything, to make this better. It was his fault and he knew it, but how could he apologise?

“Luna?” He asked, wishing she’d at least say something.

She finally looked at him, her hair parting to reveal her face. What he saw made him feel ten times worse; tears were still streaming down her face and her bottom lip was quivering as if she was trying to stop crying but couldn’t.

“Don’t cry,” He said softly, feeling as if someone had taken a hammer to his heart.

She wiped the tears away, biting her lip.

“Luna,” he asked quietly, “do you hate me?”

She stared at him for a long time and the suspense nearly drove him to insanity but finally she shook her head, “I don’t hate you,” she said softly.

A wave of relief washed over Draco. He hadn’t known just how much her answer meant to him until he got it.

“I-I’m sorry,” he said not looking her in the eye.

New tears fell from her face but this time she didn’t attempt to hide it, she gave him a shaky smile, “for what? I’m not really pregnant.”

Draco smiled sadly, glad that she wasn’t too depressed to joke, “I shouldn’t have had to talk to you in private... that’s probably what started this whole rumour.”

She shrugged, “Can I ask you something?”

“Depends,” he said.

“Why did you come to this tree?”

He didn’t answer at first but eventually said, “Because I knew you’d be here.”

“Why did you want to see me?”

“I-I don’t know,” he said truthfully.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Draco suddenly said, “I have to go.” Without another word he climbed down from the tree and walked off in the direction of his dormitory. He grabbed his gadget as he passed it and examined it, trying to get his mind off of Luna. Suddenly the little wizard ball turned bright pink and he almost dropped it in surprise. He’d have to send an owl to his father asking him what it did later but for now, he needed to get some rest.