Frozen Moonlight

"Ron?"

Ron jumped, and whirled around. Then he glared.

"Malfoy."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. Couldn't that Weasley at least be civil?

"Yes, obviously. You would think, Ron, that after I stopped dating your sister, you might stop being a grouch."

Ron grimaced.

"Actually, I would not think that. Maybe you would, but I would not. What do you want Malfoy?"

Draco blinked, as if he had no idea what Ron was talking about. Then he smiled.

"Ah, yes. I am on an errand from your bushy-haired sweetheart, as it were. Apparently you are supposed to be in the Library. Half an hour ago, to be precise. Granger--I mean Hermione--got impatient, and sent me of all people, to retrieve you. Now, if you would please scurry off to the Library so that I can finish my essay?"

Ron grumbled, grabbed his book bag, and walked out the classroom door. Draco, however, did not fail to notice that the Gryffindor broke into a run just as he turned the corner. And, as anyone would, Draco snickered, and walked towards the Great Hall.

***

"Hey guys. Sorry, I was doing my homework for once."

Harry snorted. Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Neville and Ginny exchanged looks of immense doubt. Ron smiled, and sat down.

Harry elbowed Ron in the ribs. Harry spoke in a low whisper.

"Writing love poetry again, huh mate?"

Ron's ears turned red. Harry snickered, and Ron glared.

"Shut up."

The group fell to studying.

***

Luna Lovegood was walking towards the lake when a snippet of talk fluttered to her ears.

"Never...library again...stupid Granger..."

Luna shook her head, radish earrings waving. That Draco Malfoy was so odd, he never seemed to do anything that made sense. If he disliked Hermione so much, why was he always following the Gryffindors around so much?

"Why...mumble mumble...house elves...mumble...stupid imbeciles..."

Luna stopped and sat down under the tall willow drooping over the lake. It was a rather nice day, with a light breeze blowing through, rather cool, just like autumn should be. Luna stared dreamily at the giant squid as he swam across the placid surface of the lake. After a moment, she picked up her divination book.

***

Draco kicked a rock. He was sick of tagging along with the Gryffindors. Well, it was easier than hanging around with the junior Death Eater squad. But that Granger was such a bossy know-it-all, and Weasley was still annoyed about him dating Ginny in their sixth year. At least it was their last year of school.

"I will never attempt to study in the library in the company of a Gryffindor ever again. Especially stupid Granger."

Draco then turned to the problem of going home after this year. His father was in Azkaban; his mother was in a torture-induced coma in Saint Mungo's. He would be all alone in an enormous mansion. Full of Dark Arts artifacts. And possibly angry Death Eaters.

"Why, I ought to kill the house elves, it'll probably be a mess when I get there. Stupid imbeciles."

Draco was drawing closer and closer to the lake. He was half a mind to drown himself rather then have to go home and deal with his Father's problems.

Suddenly, Draco walked through the branches of a willow. He turned and faced the forest, then sat down.

***

Luna's eyes were closing, she could hardly read. Her mind was swimming with the words of Malfoy's conversation with himself. He did have a rather sexy voice... she was very tired...zzzzzz...

***

Draco was fuming. Why should he, of all people, have to manage an estate full of evil, dark objects? Sure, he was raised around them--and with them--but that didn't mean he felt like being an Evil Slimy Git. Or did it? Hm... Draco pondered the idea of being an evil Death Eater. It was a thought, it truly was. He sighed, and leaned against the tree, stretching. He then decided that, as a Malfoy, it was not good for him to sit under a tree and get his arse covered in leaves and dirt. He stood, brushed himself off, and started to walk around the tree. Next thing he knew, he was lying flat on his face in the dirt. So much for not getting dirty. It took Draco a minute to realize what - or who--he had tripped over. A girl with rather scraggly hair, large eyes, and the most hideous earrings he'd ever seen in his life was lying, seemingly unconscious, on the ground. Vaguely Draco remembered having seen her sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table and tagging along with Ginny. He sighed as he realized that this had to be that insane Lovegood girl, and that he really ought to make sure he hadn't killed her, even if she was a freak. So Draco knelt down beside the girl and poked her sharply in the side. No movement. Draco poked her again. Still no signs of life. Draco grumbled and poked her harder. Still nothing. He really was getting tired of this.

"Hellooo? Anybody home?"

Draco shouted in her ear, attempting to avoid the tacky orange earrings. Were they some kind of turnip? No movement, still.

Draco poked her in the stomach. Still nothing. Poke, poke, poke. Nothing. Finally, Draco gave up with the poking. Either the girl was dead, or a very sound sleeper, he decided. He pinched her arm. Nothing, still. Another pinch. Hell, this girl had to be dead, or an incredibly sound sleeper. Finally, Draco slapped her. Nothing. He groaned, and flopped over. Then, getting an idea, he sat up. He picked up the girl. She still showed no signs of life. Grinning, Draco walked to the edge of the lake. Pointless, rather evil pranks were just the Malfoy style. He dropped her in the water. And amazingly, the girl only twitched as she floated away. Draco gulped. He was dead if she froze to death, or got eaten by the squid. Just as he thought it, Potter walked across the lake. The boy stopped, and squinted at the lake. As comprehension dawned, Harry glanced at Draco. The blonde shrugged, and then, sighing at his non-evilness, dove into the water. He dragged the girl back to shore, and Harry kept walking by. Apparently, Golden Boy had no interest in Draco's doings, or he just hadn't noticed precisely what was occurring. The latter seemed more likely.

"Lovegood, you had better not be dead, or I'll kill you."

Draco then gave up, sat on the grass, and watched the lake.

"You know, that was incredibly redundant."

Draco jumped. It was that Lovegood girl. Finally, she was awake.

"And do you by chance have any idea how I got so wet?"

Draco let out an exasperated sigh, and strode off towards the castle without another word.

***

Luna was quite bemused. She had obviously fallen asleep, and had woken not that long after, judging by the sun, to find herself soaked to the skin. And that Malfoy had the impertinence not to reply. Well, she would fix that, as sure as the Crumple-Horned Snorkack liked pesto cheese dip!

***

"You! Malfoy!"

Draco groaned inwardly. What did that freakish pest want now? Wasn't it enough that she had informed him of his redundancy?

"I said you! Come back here! You were incredibly rude just now you know..."

Draco stopped. He looked at the girl, who was puffing slightly from her run to catch up with him.

"What do you want now?"

Luna's face had resumed it's normal dreamy, rather mad look, and Draco was wondering if he should have let the squid eat her.

"Well...you see, I was rather curious as to how I ended up soaked. And as you were sitting next to me, I though perhaps you might have noticed what occurred. Did Ginny dump another bucket of butterbeer on me again?"

Draco could hardly suppress an indignant snort. Why would Ginny, his Ginny, do something so juvenile? After a moment Draco realized that she was Potter's Ginny now, not his. He frowned.

"Well?"

Draco smiled sympathetically.

"Actually, Lovegood, Ronald and Harry came by and dumped you in the lake. I, being a prestigious and generous Malfoy, rescued you."

Luna smiled dreamily. Draco suddenly wished he hadn't said that.

"Well then...I will have to go and ask them why they did so. Thank you for saving me, I suppose. And, before you go, would you mind pointing out the cabin of Professor Hagrid? I am rather anxious to meet with him."

Draco rolled his eyes, but quickly walked towards the other side of the lake. Luna was drifting slowly behind him, and he had to stop frequently. Once, he stopped very suddenly, and she barreled into him. Once more, the prestigious Malfoy had dirtied his pampered arse.

"You really should be more careful you know...stopping like that could lead to accidents one day."

Luna was patiently standing up and brushing herself off. Draco however, was grumpy.

"See that path over there? Good. Follow it, make a left, and you'll see the cabin. Ok, see you later. Or not."

He brushed the dirt off his robes and stomped back towards the castle. But of course, Luna had to give him a last piece of corny advice.

"You know, if you stomp around too much, you'll attract a Blibbering Humdinger, and she'll probably..."

But whatever the Slobbering Buble-himer would do, Draco would not find out. Because he had raced back into the castle, through the Great Hall, and fled away from this freakish weirdo into the dungeons. Even in his thoughts, he could hear Luna pointing out that 'freakish weirdo' was rather redundant as well.

***