The Fourth Year

Chapter Two- Y/n

I sat with my head in my hands, poking at my chicken with my fork, my mind absolutely elsewhere. Things between my complicated friendships had been the same, but are seemingly getting worse as well. All the ranting, complaining, whining, grumbling, and just plain anger had set me more on-edge recently.
         I was getting drained because of the constant bickering, and when they weren't bickering with each other, they did it silently with me around, using every opportunity to gripe even if one of them wasn't present. Whether they knew it or not, I was their punching bag; taking every hit they had to get out when they weren't together.
         They never took their anger out on me by lashing out towards me, they just went on and on about each other, and it was exhausting. Of course I hated to see both of my best friends hate each other, but the worst part of it all was that no matter how hard I tried, I could never change one's mind about the other. They were as angry with each other as they were stubborn.
          I glanced around me, my fellow Ravenclaws happily chatting about while I just sat in a bored state. Even though it wasn't eventful, it was nice to get a break from the constant complaining that enters my ears. I was always hanging out with either Draco or Harry, so meals were really my only times to be alone and take a breath. I make it sound all bad when it's really not. It just gets so exhausting after hearing one thing after another for so long.
          I can always tell them to just shut it, and they always understand when I do, but I usually try to be a good friend and listen, no matter how much it pains me. I continued shifting my food around, eventually unconsciously running my chicken into my green beans. My ears picked up some mild snickering from kids passing through the aisles, the sound growing louder the closer they came to the spot I was sitting in.
         I glanced up between the two students walking past me to find a seat at the Slytherin table, looking at me then at each other, giggling as they passed. I looked around, seeing similar expressions pointed in my direction. As I peered at the other tables, everyone else seemed to meet my eyes, turn to the person they were sitting next to, whisper in their ear, then laugh behind their covered mouths when bringing their glance back to me.
        Self-consciousness entered my body as I began to wonder what they were snickering at. Did I have something on my face?  I whipped around, bringing the back of my hand to the front of my face only to see it as clean as before, not showing any food residue that had left a mark upon my face. I picked up a goblet and held it in front of my face, peering into it and checking over my reflection. The same as before. What is going on? 
        I took one last look around the room and seemed to notice more jeering going on than last time. I quickly averted my gaze to Draco's, trying to signal to him to see if something was wrong with me. As soon as our eyes met, he looked around, purposefully avoiding my glance. Despite how many times I tried to nonchalantly get his attention, my methods never worked. He was avoiding me, but why? What was going on?
                           . . .
       I decided to just give up and leave, not seeing any point to stay when everyone would be looking at me the whole time. Besides, I wasn't even hungry. I exited the Great Hall and made my way down the halls, wishing I could just escape the snickering bystanders once and for all instead of having to deal with them every time I passed one. I rushed to the Ravenclaw common room, not wanting to cross paths with any more chuckling students. I listened to the question the bronze eagle-shaped knocker, positioned in the middle of the door asked.. I thought for a second and then answered it, having to repeat myself because I was speaking in such a rushed tone. I was let in and I ran to my room that I shared with four other girls, slamming the door without remorse due to the fact that everyone else was at dinner. Or at least I thought they were.
         Luna Lovegood sat on her bed, her eyes averting to my presence as I loudly made it known. I walked to my bed, not even noticing she was there until I spun around, in search for one of my potions textbooks.
         "LUNA! You scared me half to death!" I sighed, moving my hand to my chest then letting it drop to my side.
         "Sorry," she spoke in an airy voice, not showing regret or pride whatsoever, but rather saying it in her normal tone. A few moments of silence passed while I looked for my books, setting them on my bed with a thud. I sighed, my arms above my head.
         "So, why aren't you at dinner?"  I asked, my back still facing her while my mind continued to be elsewhere.
         "I decided to read instead. I wasn't very famished," she softly spoke, her eyes drifting back down to her book as I turned around.
         "Ah, same here. Eating is overrated anyway," I told her, my voice trailing off as my mind drifted back over to the subject of people snickering in my presence. Given that that was something that Luna wouldn't respond to, she didn't, which created moments of quiet that my mind hated with all its being. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know.
         "Hey, so Luna, you seem to be in touch with the gossip at Hogwarts, right?" I asked, already knowing the answer was no. Luna was many things, but focusing on school drama was not one of them. She slightly tilted her head like a confused puppy, her eyes gazing at me in perplexity.
         "Well, I choose not to focus on other people's business, but sometimes things happen that you can't exactly ignore. Why do you ask?"
          I started to sweat, wondering what I should say back. It is Luna, so should I just come out with it?  My mind pondered this over and over for what seemed like hours when it was only a few awkward seconds that passed without a response.
        "Well, I noticed some, er-," I cleared my throat, hoping that what I was about to do wouldn't stab me in the back in the end.
        "People staring and laughing at me tonight at dinner and around the halls, and I have no clue as to why. It's a stupid question, but I was just wondering if you knew," I told her, taking a deep breath and letting it slowly slip out as I awaited her reply. She sat up straighter, setting her book beside her. Somehow, by doing this, I knew she knew the answer to my question, and it wasn't a good one.
        "By overhearing a conversation between you and Harry earlier this evening, someone passed around the news that you like your friend, Draco Malfoy."