Draco and Luna / Mystery meets Secrecy

14 - shattered glass

A few hours later, I am still sitting on a bench in front of the Museum. I did not want to go in there because my mind is running, thoughts are floating and I needed to get them down on paper in order to calm.

"– It's been a while. Love, Luna." Finished. It feels like I'm taking a risk by writing a letter to him but I am not one to keep such ernormous feelings to myself. They consume me and I feel like he needs to know that he is capable of being loved. Loved? Liked. Cared about. "I don't love him", I say out loud.

I neatly fold the paper and put it in an envelope. Shall I write my name on it? No, better not. I hide the letter in my bag. Some of the students have left the museum by now, but I didn't pay enough attention to spot someone I know.

I am patiently waiting for Ginny until I hear whispers close to me. I turn around only to see a group of girls. I assume they are Slytherins considering their scarfs. I can't quite make out what they're saying but they shoot me a glare once they have noticed me looking at them. I turn away as I hear my name. I need to get away from here. I get up and turn around to face two girls, none of them familiar to me.

"What?", I ask them. They share a smirk before looking back at me. "Oh nothing, Looney", one of them sarcastically says. "It's just really funny, you know? How someone like you–", she eyes me, "– thinks she has somewhat of a chance with him" she points at Draco who sits with a few people. He must have just come out. I knit my brows together, looking at the girl. "Why would you spend your time judging me?", I try to sound confident but my voice betrays me, coming out as a whisper.

The girls smirk again before responding, "He belongs to to no one, sweetie. Yet everyone gets a taste. And you are an easy target, and ridiculously funny to toy with" They burst out in laughter and walk away, leaving me standing there, with tears in the corners of my eyes.

"Everyone gets a taste" ? I feel my heart sink at the thought of Draco pretending to be interested in me. Did he, though? What has he done that leads me to the belief of him liking me? He has never said so. Except for his whispered confessions in the early morning. That was probably not even true, none of it was. All he ever did was visiting me in the dungeon at Malfoy Manor, whenever the absence of his aunt Bellatrix allowed him to. That was the time I have grown to like him. He provided me with food, water and healing potions. And conversations, deep and thoughtful conversations. No one ever knew about any of that. I did not want to risk his life by telling others. If Bellatrix or his father found out, he would have been stuck in there with me. Probably.

I grab the letter out of my bag, and look at it. No. I won't give this to him. I can't. As I shove it back into my bag, Ginny runs over to me. "Luna! I was looking for you, everywhere. Where have you been?" she starts to lose her worried expression. "I was worried sick about you"

"I was out here, sitting on a bench and thinking, waiting. The usual", I try to fake a smile. "Let's go look for Hermione?, I suggest to escape her agnostic expression. She nods and leads us, as I sigh in sadness.