UnExpected

Chapter 23

It was the first Quidditch match of the year and the excitement was everywhere. And all of the nervousness in existence was currently residing inside Ronald Weasley as he dreaded every second before the game.

"I must've been mental to do this," he croaked out as he sat for breakfast, and, for the first time in his life, was definitely not hungry.

"You're just nervous. You're going to be fine," Harry tried to console him.

"I'm rubbish. I can't play to save my life. What was I thinking?"

"Get a grip. You'll do great."

Hermione and Ginny came in and took a seat in front of the boys. Decorated in scarlet and gold, concerned looks and all.

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked Ron.

"He's just nervous," Harry answered, when it looked like Ron wasn't going to.

"Well, that's a good sign. I never feel you perform as well in exams if you're not a bit nervous," Hermione said confidently.

"Hello," Luna's dreamy voice interrupted them.

The quartet looked up, and their eyes widened in disbelief. Sitting on top of the Ravenclaw's head was a hat shaped like a life-sized lion's head.

"I'm supporting Gryffindor," she said, indicating to her head-ware. "Look what it does."

Tapping the hat with her wand, all those around her jumped in surprise when the hat opened up its jaws and roared. Loudly.

"It's good isn't it?! I wanted to have it chewing on a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn't any time. Anyway...good luck, Ronald!" she encouraged, and then wafted her gaze down the table. "Buffy! Have you seen my hat?"

They watched as Luna moved down, part of them waiting for Buffy to tease it, but were taken aback when she only smiled happily.

"Excuse me," Ginny said, and moved her way over to where Buffy and Neville were currently sitting.

The lion roared again, and those around Luna smiled and clapped. It was one of those surreal moments again.

"Where were you?" Pansy demanded. Ignoring the noise coming from the Gryffindor table where a certain hateful blonde, she wished would disappear, sat.

"I already told you. I was in my room," Draco bit out.

He had been acting very strange lately. Disappearing at odd moments; behaving coldly towards her. And Pansy didn't like it.

"You were not. I asked Theodore if you were up there, and he said you were gone even before he woke up." Draco, had in fact, spent the morning before breakfast with Buffy, in a never used third floor classroom. One of their many recent secret meetings. Not like he'd tell Pansy of course. "Daphne said she saw you leaving the common room early in the morning," she pressed on.

"Well than I guess I wasn't in my room," he said, his patience wearing thin.

"Draco –"

"Will you just be quiet? If I don't want you to know where I was then it means you don't get to know," he told her coldly.

Pansy flinched back and began to pout. But it didn't work. Instead, Draco continued with his breakfast and consorting with his teammates about today's match.

Nope, Pansy definitely didn't like it at all.

"When you're ready, we're going to go straight down the pitch, check out conditions and change," Angelina told Ron and Harry.