Into Your Gravity ( Luna Lovegood & Tom Riddle )

Chapter fifteen: Hindrances

"Look at all the sentences which seem true and question them."
-David Reisman
•

Tom woke up Saturday well after noon. When he glanced at the clock, he cursed loudly and leapt out of bed to hurry and get ready. He practically ran through the hallways to get to the Great Hall, hoping that he would not miss lunch.

From the smells wafting towards him, he knew that he had not missed lunch, so he slowed to a walk. Upon entering the Great Hall, his eyes immediately scanned the Ravenclaw table for a head of dirty blonde hair. They found their target and settled onto her face for a few moments before he sat at the Slytherin table to eat.

"Late night, Tom?" Malfoy asked.

"Oh, yes," he replied absent-mindedly.

Nott sniggered. "Get laid again, did you?"

Tom dropped his fork with a clang. "What? No, I didn't."

Both Malfoy and Nott looked rather disappointed, but returned their attentions to their food.

                                  •

"Luna, your friend just got here. Are you going to tell us what you two did last night?" Lucinda said, prodding Luna's arm.
Luna glanced up with a glazed look in her eyes. "Hmm?"

Cat rolled her eyes. "Tom, Luna. Honestly."

"Oh," she said, her gaze flitting over to the Slytherin table. "We really didn't do much," she replied, missing the innuendo behind their questions.

Lucinda raised her eyebrows. "Much?"

Tilting her head, Luna said, "No, not really. We just talked a little in the Forest and accidentally fell asleep."

"Outside?!" Lorraine cried.

"Ooh, you fell asleep under the stars!" Lucinda said.

Tristy sighed. "How romantic."

Luna shook her head. "No, it was really nothing like that," she said, before continuing to eat.

Lucinda and Lorraine exchanged a look that clearly said they did not believe her, but Cat seemed satisfied. "So you two are just friends, then?" she asked.

"Yes, I suppose so. He's the oddest friend I've ever had though," Luna said without looking at her.

Cat shrugged, and the girls moved on with their conversation.

                                  •

"She really is sort of good-looking, in a bizarre kind of way," Malfoy noted.
Tom looked up sharply. "Who are you talking about?"

"Lovegood," he replied. "Think she'd go for me if I made nice?"

Fighting an unexplained urge to reach across the table and punch Malfoy on the nose, Tom said fiercely, "I doubt it."

                                 •

After lunch, Luna left her friends. They had to go to the library for some homework, but Luna had finished hers already. She drifted over to the Slytherin table and leaned over Tom's shoulder. Her long hair fell forward and brushed his arm. "What are you doing today, Tom?"
He looked around at her. "I've got nothing planned."