Because Sometimes Opposites Attract - Draco Malfoy Fanfic

Chapter 3

After the first years had gotten sorted into their houses and Professor Dumbledore had given a little speech about what was going to be different this year, the new teacher for Defense Against The Dark Arts, Dolores Umbridge, introduced herself and held a speech as well. It was clear in the whole crowd of students that no one liked her and she was definitely not welcome. And you could also see it on Professor Dumbledore's face that he didn't have a choice.

I got distracted from those thoughts though when a ton of food appeared on the plates in front of us. My jaw dropped and I couldn't believe it, just staring at the amazing-looking food with fascination. "It's pretty cool, right?" Luna asked next to me. I could only nod and started to load food onto my plate like there was no tomorrow.

I noticed that a girl sitting opposite me was watching me so I looked back at her and smiled. "You're new?" she wondered. She had dark hair and a cute smile. "Yeah, I'm really excited for this year." She kept smiling. "Well, you'll love Hogwarts. Even though it seems a little dark and kind of depressing at the moment. I'm Cho, by the way." Behind her smile, she looked sad and I wondered why. But she wanted to make me feel welcome and I appreciated that so I didn't want to bother her with questions. "I'm Samantha but call me Sam, please." "That's actually an interesting name" Luna said. "Thanks" I replied. "Do you know what it means?" she asked. Her eyes seemed strange, like she wasn't looking at me but at something far in the distance or at something only she could see in front of her inner eye. "No..." I admitted. "It means: good listener." "How do you know that?" "I read it. It's a nice name. Are you a good listener?" "I ... I guess." Her voice was so high but at the same time so calm. There was something extraordinary about her but I couldn't figure out what it was. But seeing Cho look over at us and seeming unimpressed made me assume that this was Luna's usual behaviour.

After dinner in the Great Hall, I followed Luna to the Ravenclaw common room but on the first staircase, Neville suddenly appeared next to me. "Hey, sucks that you didn't get sorted into Gryffindor. I should've told you what house I was in so you could've at least tried wishing for it." "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. But hey, I can't change my personality, can I?" "Well, Ravenclaw's a great house. I think you'll fit in perfectly." I smiled. "I hope so." "So, it's almost curfew but let's have breakfast together tomorrow, alright?" "Definitely." He made an awkward step forward but then moved back again. I understood what he was trying to do so I took a step forward and hugged him tightly. He smiled as we drew away. I smiled back. "See you tomorrow, goodnight" he said and I swear that as I walked up and turned around again, I saw him blush. Then he saw a girl he seemed to know walking by and walked into a different direction than me with her, probably to the Gryffindor common room because they were following another huge crowd of people.

Luna had waited for me at the end of the staircase and I quickly ran up to her. "You know Neville?" she asked. I nodded. "I sat with him on the train." "Oh, okay. He's lovely, right?" "Yeah, he is" I agreed. We reached the end of the staircase which suddenly moved behind us! "Where's it going?" I asked, slightly in shock. Luna laughed quietly. "It's changing its way but I figured out how they work around here." We walked up another spiral staircase that didn't move and then we stood in front of a door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. Suddenly, it started to talk. Luna answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "What the hell was that?" I asked as she opened the door and entered the common room. "It gives you a riddle and you have to solve it to open the door" she explained. "Oh..." I said and decided right there and then to never go to the common room by myself, simply afraid that I wouldn't be able to answer the question. "So, considering that we have an empty bed in our dorm, I guess you'll sleep in our room" Luna said. I smiled, happy that I didn't have to share a room with strangers. "Your suitcase must be up there already." I followed her up a few more stairs and we stood in a room with three beds. "Hey, Cho" Luna said, Cho was already in bed. "Please hurry, I'm tired" she asked so I quickly went into the bathroom and changed. As I got back, Luna was looking at the cage next to my bed. "She's beautiful. What's her name?" "Poppy" I replied. "Don't you wanna bring her up to the owlery?" "I'll do that tomorrow, don't worry, she won't make any noise, she's always in my room over night at home." "Alright." I crawled into bed as well. "Goodnight" I said and Luna turned off the lights. "Goodnight."

-

"Sam! Sam, you're going to miss breakfast, wake up!" was what woke up the next morning. I blinked several times, then opened my eyes to see Luna stand in front of me, gesturing wildly. "Good morning to you too..." I mumbled and made my way out of bed, put my clothes and a little make-up on and then followed Luna and Cho down to the Great Hall where Neville waved at me as soon as I stepped in. Luna followed me over to him but Cho went to sit with two Ravenclaw girls she had already sat next to yesterday. "Hi, Neville" Luna greeted him as we both sat down. "Hey, good morning" he replied, smiling at the both of us. "Slept well during your first night here?" he asked me. I nodded. "Yeah." "Did you bring Poppy up to the tower?" Luna asked, already knowing the answer though. I shook my head. "No..." "By the way, here's your schedule, it was on your bed this morning." I took the paper from her. "I don't have class for another two hours" I noticed. "Me neither, I could show you where to bring your owl" Neville offered. "That'd be nice, thanks." "Oh, no! I have to hurry up though!" Luna called with her sing-sang voice. "I've got divination in ten minutes" she added and tried to eat faster.

With Luna having left after a few minutes because she didn't want to be late, me and Neville were left at our part of the table by ourselves and finished breakfast. When we were about to leave, someone behind us called for him. "Hey, Longbottom!" We both turned around. A boy with bleach blonde hair was standing there, flanked by two pretty big guys behind him. Neville bit his lip but didn't say anything. Who was this kid? "Maybe you can use your brain a little this year. Oh, wait. I forgot you don't have one." "Go away, Malfoy."

So that was the boy Neville had warned me about. I looked back at him with pure disgust. "How're your parents, Longbottom?" Malfoy asked and Neville looked down at the table and I swear I saw a tear rolling from his eye. He wiped it away quickly so Malfoy wouldn't see. What had happened to his parents? I looked back up at Malfoy. "Leave him alone, dammit" I exclaimed. Now Malfoy looked at me with the same mockery in his eyes that he had eyed Neville with before. "And who are you, ginger?" he scoffed, eyeing me up and down. Then he rolled his eyes. "Not another Weasley, are you?" "Get lost, Malfoy" I heard a girl shout behind me. I turned around and recognized the girl with brown hair that had walked back to the common room with Neville the previous night. "You're right, mudblood, she's way too pretty to be another poor Weasley." A boy with red hair next to the girl stood up. "Bloody hell, Malfoy, just shut up!" "Let's go, Crabbe, Goyle" Malfoy sighed as if he had gotten bored and the three of them exited the Great Hall.

Now I knew what Neville had been talking about on the train. "What did he just call me?" I asked. "Oh, he's always making fun of Ron and his family" the girl with the brown hair explained, pointing at the guy with the red hair next to her. "Because him and his siblings all have red hair, Malfoy finds that incredibly funny for some unknown reason." "Oh ... okay" I said, not feeling very offended because Ron seemed perfectly normal to me and the fact that we shared the same commonly disliked hair colour didn't make me like him any less. "I'm Hermione, by the way" the girl introduced herself. "You're new, right? How do you like Hogwarts so far? And what's your name?" she asked, the words rushing out of her mouth quickly. I smiled. "I'm Sam. And yeah, I'm new, I really like it already though." "Neville, you just have to counter next time Malfoy insults you" Harry told Neville who was sitting next to Ron. I put my arm around Neville and realised he had actually been crying a little. "What's wrong, love?" I asked him but he just shook his head, staring at the table.