The Talent Show

Chapter 5 - Luna Knows

Draco watched in abject terror as Luna's eyebrows lowered slightly in confusion and she said, "Dumbledore didn't mention any prize. Are you sure there is one?"

"Yes. It's, um, it's a trip to go Nargle hunting and I want to win it because my parents' don't support my creatures finding excursions so I need funding."

Huh, his brain murmured, that wasn't as bad as I thought I would be. Well done Draco. Top notch lying. Have a cookie.

Draco was beyond tired of his mind's sarcastic tone. He was just working up a good rant about it when Luna's face cleared and she said, "Well, if it's Nargle hunting you want, I could help you find some. That way you don't have to worry about the talent competition."

Haha, what kind of Slytherin are you? Of course she'd rather just help you find Nargles on your own.

"Well, I don't really want to be seen with you."

*gasp!* Cough up that cookie! You're awful and deserve to have no cookies ever! How could you be so mean?! Never mind that, how could you jeopardize any chance of her singing for you?!

To Draco's unending surprise, Luna didn't look offended in the least. Rather, she looked quite pleased. Draco was prepared to face some sort of passive aggressive comment that would make him question his reason for living when he noticed that Luna's eyes were focused past his shoulder and on the wall behind his head. With her eyes still glued there, she murmured to herself, "I could have sworn I saw a Red Grantle just there."

With that, she breezed past Draco and floated down the corridor towards the stairs that led to Ravenclaw. It was, by far, the strangest reaction to an insult that Draco had ever seen. In fact, it was so bizarre that he completely forgot to ask Luna if she would sing in the talent show for him. By the time he remembered that he was an almighty Slytherin and she was going to bloody sing whether she liked it or not, she was already gone. Draco resolved to ignore her until she came crawling back and begged for his support.

• • •

It had been three days and Draco was getting desperate. Luna hadn't even looked at him once. Not even when he told her, to her face, that her sweater looked like a small mammal had crawled into her closet and shat upon every article of clothing she possessed, then used the sweater to try and clean up after itself. It had been a magnificent insult, worthy of at least a huff, but all Luna had done was stare blankly at him and then walk away, mumbling about her little creatures. Draco wasn't sure if he was impressed with her obliviousness or annoyed hat she didn't even acknowledge his existence.

You're annoyed. Definitely annoyed.

Draco was also in the process of purchasing a new brain, so it was already a very stressful time and the least Luna could do was act insulted when he bloody well insulted her!

Either way, Draco was about ready to set aside his manly pride and ask Luna to sing. He wondered when it had become more important for her to succeed than for him to be right. Probably about the same time he realized that he and Luna would make the most adorable children who had ever lived.