Flower Petals

-10-

The same night Alstroemeria slept in Ron's arms, Draco awoke again. He felt abandoned by Alli, his honeybadger was his partner in fear just as much as he was hers. He woke alone and cold. He decided to go for a walk, no shoes, no robe, just pajama pants, and a black tank top. It was freezing, but Draco trailed on, through the halls of Hogwarts in the silence until he ended up at the back corridor. A small door led to the edge of the forbidden forest, which Draco walked at night quite frequently. He wasn't scared of death, he never had been. Whatever the forbidden forest threw at him, he could take.

The cold began to catch up with him, he shivered as he walked the edge of the trees farther and farther from Hogwarts until his feet began to blister from the rocks and gravel underneath. he saw in the distance a girl and beautiful black horses. But as he became closer he saw that the horses were bones, with leather skin tight around them, and elegant strong wings that spanned his whole body twice over, and the girl was Luna Lovegood. Luna was in her element, her skin glowed and her eyes were vibrant even in the darkness.

"Oh Hello Draco!" she hummed as he approached. She was petting the horses tenderly with love and the horses purred. Her hands were so small in comparison, he wondered why she wasn't scared.

"What are those?" Draco said with amazement. Staring at the horses as he became even closer, in awe. His eyes squinted to get a better look, and his lips turned upward. He heard a beautiful piano melody playing in his ears as they moved, and wondered if he'd ever play something so beautiful.

"Thestrals!" said Luna happily "Beautiful but so greatly underappreciated!" She giggled. "I'm so sorry Draco that you can see them tonight" she whispered.

"Why? They're gorgeous!" Draco smiled a true smile. Luna had never seen that on him before, she looked down at her shoes and blushed. Better to not explain to him that only people who have experienced true loss could see them, better let him smile, Luna thought.

"You're shivering!" Luna said looking down. "Where are your shoes!" She slid off one of her slippers (far too small) and her robe (even smaller) shoving them upon Draco. "you must be freezing!" Draco held her single shoe and robe in his hands.

"What am I supposed to do with this? Why are you even awake and in the cold?" he asked.

"Put them on silly! And they call me the crazy one! I could ask you the same thing! I just find sleep to be so dreadfully boring! Such a waste when one could be on a wonderful walk."

"But don't you need them? It's so very cold."

"Well, I do have one shoe you see?" She wiggled her toes giggling, "we can trade the robe back and forth on the walk back. Comradery!" she smiled. Draco smiled too.

Together they walked backed to Hogwarts, trading the robe, (hiding the ripping sounds best he could as it was much too small for Draco though he tried to hide it,) halfway through they even changed shoes because Luna hated imbalance. The slipper hung off Draco's toes, but he found Luna too kind to turn down.

Many robes were exchanged that night, and Draco corrected something in his mind, Luna was not loony, and even if she was, he quite liked her.

When the morning came Alstroemeria tried to unravel herself from Ron, as painful as it was to leave him, before any of the boys (especially Harry) woke. Ron opened his eyes as soon as he was absent from her, feeling around the bed for her missing body. He opened his eyes to see her opening the curtain

"Flower," he said. 'Stay just a bit longer" He pleaded with her, his eyes went wide and his mouth slack. "We have to talk."

"No, we do not!" Alstroemeria said skating out the door. She picked up Draco's robe and left Ron's on his bedside table in one swoop. She ran down the stairs leaving Ron alone and confused. He thought perhaps she was going to see her Slytherin. Sneaky snake! it was his mission now to find out who he was. Though Ron hadn't quite figured out why he was so affected. He felt so hollow in bed after she had left, so cold like the life had left him. The thought of seeing Lavender after all this time, laying next to his Flower was nauseating. But the idea of Alstroemeria being held by another man, being kissed, rose blood from Ron's heart into his face, his fists balled up and his knuckles turned white.

he had no claim on her. He had no claim on any girl not even Lavender he reminded himself because women had minds, they had choices, but why this choice? Why a Slytherin why not, why not me.

Like a tsunami, it crashed upon Ron. Because you absolute numbskull. You want her. You burn for Alstroemeria Potter. Her presence is comfort, it is love, it is happiness and wholeness. She smells like amortia and looks like a flower. She is your Flower, you hunger for her, you'd kill for her. You'd die for her Ronald Weasley. How stupid are you.

It bothered him to think of her kissing somebody because he yearned so to kiss her. He did he wanted it more than anything to kiss her in front of the whole school, to prove to her, if she wanted him, that he would be her partner in comfort any day, every day. That s exactly what he would do! He would win the game this morning, he'd fly down and kiss her! His heart raced and a smile grew humungous on his face. Oh Merlin how wonderful it would feel to be hers, to be only hers. Ron squealed in glee like a little girl waking Harry.

"The Hell is wrong with you?" he groaned

"Harry brother, I hate to admit but I'm in love with your sister!" he almost yelled.

"Well, Jesus it's about time." Harry said, rolling over, getting his beauty sleep to prepare for the match.

Alstroemeria arrived in her room after her night, clutching Draco's robe. she was terrified of what Ron was thinking, terrified of the conversation where she'd have to admit to spending time with Draco, but she was giddy, shaking, hopeful. She was so built up from not seeing Ron that the feelings that were blocked up came down as he held her. She was going to hide Draco's robe under her pillow so Paula would have no suspicions when she returned from her bender with Ginny, but when she lifted it up there was a note. It read;

Honey Badger,

There really should be better security in the Hufflepuff realm, I could've killed you and nobody would've been the wiser.

I won't, but I could've.

I would like my robe back please like the one I have now does NOT fit. It was very diabolical of you to leave me in the middle of the night! I am awestruck by your rudeness young lady!

Now, if you so wish. Meet me in the stands for the Gryffindor vs Slytherin match?

I would SO appreciate having your royal highness's company

Ps: I am awful at sewing, should've listened to mother more, I ripped a robe last night and stitched it up with this absolutely dreadful yellow thread, ugly and yellow, just like you!!!

But in all sincerity! See you soon.

-The Sexiest Man on Campus

She giggled. Draco Malfoy did know how to make an entrance even when he was not present. She threw on her robes and stuffed his into her backpack. She tied a yellow ribbon into her curly ponytail, which had eaten the other ribbon. It was somewhere in there, though she didn't know where. Hufflepuff scarf, Hufflepuff hat, robes, and gloves all dawned she made her way to the quidditch fields to meet her best friend.