opposites attract (druna)

02. seeing malfoy

"Sorry, I uh... I didn't think anyone was in here." He says, clearly uncomfortable with my presence. "I can just go find another place to sit."

"No, it's fine," I reply. "You can stay if you want. McGonagall won't be happy seeing you in the hall again."

Draco nods and gives me a tiny smile before pushing his trunk in and sitting down directly across from me. He sets his toad, who I'm assuming is Bax, next to him. Looking at it can't help me from remembering Neville and his dumb toad, who he always seemed to lose at the worst possible times.

No. Don't think about him Luna. He's not worth it.

Draco sits there, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with me and looking anywhere but my face. Suddenly I'm very aware that it's just us alone, and suddenly I'm very aware that this is Draco Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy, the boy who had always teased me, always called me Loony Lovegood. Draco Malfoy, the boy who was set to kill Albus Dumbledore. Draco Malfoy, the boy who fought for Voldemort. Draco Malfoy, a former death eater.

Chills run down my spine, and I suddenly have vivid flashbacks of the Battle of Hogwarts and my time spent in the dungeons of the Malfoy Manor. I was imprisoned in Draco's house, and there he was, sitting right before me.

What was he doing, going back to Hogwarts? After everything he and his family has done, why is McGonagall letting him back now? Shouldn't he be punished for being a death eater?

"Um so... how have you been?" He asks me. I look up and his eyes meet mine. For a brief second, I don't say anything. I look deep into his gorgeous grey eyes, looking for something, anything, that indicated hatred or disgust towards me.

But I couldn't find anything.

I clear my throat and reply, "Fine... how about you?" My voice cracks, and I think that it's blatantly obvious that I'm growing more and more uncomfortable in this compartment because Draco's face shifts.

"I've been alright..." he trails off awkwardly. It goes silent and we don't say anything to each other for nearly 3 minutes before footsteps approach and the sliding door slides open.

"Luna! Oh my goodness, I've missed you so much." A very familiar, feminine voice calls out. I look up to find a gorgeous Hermione Granger standing tall in the doorway, behind her Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

"Hermione!" I jump up and give her a big hug. We pull away and suddenly her smile is gone. She's looking behind me, directly at Draco.

Ron pushes his way in and speaks up toward Draco. "What are you doing in here? Don't you belong in Azkaban, along with the rest of your traitor family?" He spits at him. I look back, expecting to see Draco pulling his wand out, ready for a fight. But he's just sitting there, and for some reason, he looked sad. Hurt.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. Don't have the guts to say anything now do ya? Now that Voldemort's gone and your coward family doesn't have anything protecting them," Ron yells. "Go back to Malfoy Manor, scum." He rushes out and storms away.

Hermione and Harry pull me off, further away from Draco. "Luna, you can come sit with us if you want. You don't have to sit here." Harry tells me. It's true that I may be a lot more comfortable sitting with the three, but once I look back and see the hurt look on Draco's face, I can't push myself to do it. He looks so distraught.

"I think I'll be fine here." I tell Harry and Hermione, giving them one last assuring smile before stepping back into the compartment and closing the sliding door.

I take my seat, and look up to see Draco looking at me like I had just killed someone. He had the most surprised expression. I cocked my head to the side and asked, "Why the look?"

He cocked his head to the side, mimicking me. The stunned expression remained on his face as he replied, "You didn't have to stay. I don't understand why you would stay, after all that... my family's done to you."

I lower my head and clear my throat. I heave a deep breath, suppressing a rising feeling of sadness & anger mixed together. I look back up at Draco, who is staring intently at me. "I know I didn't have to. I have went through a lot, mostly because of you're family. But I sense that you're not like your family. I sense you're different." I stop and look deep into his eyes for a moment. And then I see it. A glimmer of love. Not toward me, but towards the world. "I sense that you've changed." I finish. And I truly believe it.

Looking at him, I can see it in the way he carries himself. In the way he didn't fight back at Ron, or in the way he hasn't called me "Loony Lovegood" yet. In the way he looks at me. He's changed.

You may think I'm crazy for this. I'm known for being "crazy". But I can see things no other normal person can't. Call me crazy, but I swear, Draco is a new man.

"Erm, well, yes." Draco says, shifting in his seat. "I am trying to change. I'm trying to become... better." I nod, and give him a small smile, to show him that I understand. Draco smiles back at me.

"The trolley should be by soon, I can buy us some candy floss or fizzing whizbees." I offer, trying to be my politest. Mother always taught me to be kind to everyone, regardless of ex death eater status.

Draco shakes his head, "No, that wouldn't be very... gentleman like of me." He refuses. He pulls out coins from his robes pockets and holds them up. "I'll pay."

I smile at him again, and he smiles back. This feels weird. The whole conversation feels weird. Draco Malfoy being nice to Loony Lovegood? It's unnatural. Then again, it's obvious he's changed.

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omg it's been like 8 months since my last update. i stopped writing but i might start again hehe :) so here's the next chapter!!!! love y'all