The Crash

Part 12

We gave Luna a bit of food wrapped in one of Pansy's shirts in case she got hungry on the way. It shouldn't be a long journey, but in case something happened, we wanted her to be prepared. After all, we hadn't been and look how we turned out.

"I'll be back soon!" Luna said cheerily as she mounted the thestral, whom she has christened Anthony, and flew off.

Pansy grumbled as she sat down next to Hermione, saying that it should have been her.

I grabbed the empty water bottles and walked to the stream to fill them. Luna had been right. The banks really were overflowing.

When I returned, Malfoy was siting on the floor, sketching something, and Pansy and Hermione were talking.

"I know. They are totally oblivious, but-" Pansy cut off when she saw me.

"Thirsty?" I asked as I tossed a water bottle to her. I handed one to Hermione, then sat down where I had slept last night, beside Malfoy.

"Why were you so sure about her?" He asked as I took a bite of a pear. I hated the taste, but, like I said, it was all we had now.

"Who? Luna?" He nodded.

"When we went to the Ministry last year, she was so calm with the thestrals. Very relaxed. They trusted her easily. I think they trust her more than any of us because they're like horses and can sense if we are scared. She's so calm about everything, they would know she's alright."

Malfoy thought about what I said. "How did you meet her?" He asked, still drawing in one of Pansy's notebooks.

"In one of the carriages in fifth year. She was talking about Nargles or Wrackspurts or something." Malfoy chuckled.

"What about you?" I asked curiously.

"In the library in fourth year. I was studying and she came over and started swatting around my head. I thought she was mental, but she said it was keeping the Nargles away. I still think she's kind of mad, but it doesn't bother me so much anymore. She's actually pretty cool." I nodded.

"And she gives surprisingly good advice." Malfoy chuckled again.

"True. I don't understand how her mind works. It's very strange."

"That's for sure."

****

Luna didn't return before we went to bed. She had only just left a few hours previous and she still had to find Hogwarts and find her way back. Well, the thestrals would do that part, but we had no idea how bad the weather was or where we even were.

Hermione and Pansy curled up together to stay warm, but I just laid down, doing my best not to shiver.

"It's a miracle you haven't gotten pneumonia yet, Potter. Truly remarkable." Malfoy said with humor in his voice. I rolled over and sat up so I was facing him.

"Guess I'm just warm blooded. What about you? You haven't shivered since we arrived." He chuckled.

"I've had worse. I've been to the mountains with Mother and Father. That was cold. This is chilly, but not too bad." I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"What have you been drawing all this time?" I asked and Malfoy immediately shut the sketchbook with a snap.

"Nothing. Just...nature."

"If it's just nature, then why can't I see?" I asked with a smirk.

"Because I don't want you to." He said, an edge in his voice.

"And why is that?" I asked curiously.

"Merlin, Potter. You're so nosy." I chuckled.

"You're just figuring that out now?" He rolled his eyes.

I crawled over him and grabbed the sketchbook from where it was laying beside him. "What the hell-Potter!" I laughed as I flipped open the book.

"I took matters into my own hands. Since you're so unwilling. Seemed like the right thing to-" I flipped onto a page and shock registered onto my face.

"This is...me." Malfoy snatched the book back.

"No. It's your doppelgänger. Of course it's you, you twit."

I looked up at him, confusion all over my face. "But why would you draw me?"

Malfoy sighed and ran a hand through his uncharacteristically messy hair.

"Why wouldn't I? You tell anyone and I'll deny it in court, but you're hot as hell, so why wouldn't I?" Damn. Hermione was right. Of course she was, why am I surprised?

"You think I'm hot?" Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Are you deaf? Or blind? Hell yeah you're hot. You're just too oblivious to see it."

"I'm not oblivious!" I said indignantly and Malfoy gave me a look that was clear even in the darkness.

"Fine. Sometimes I'm oblivious. But you've never said-"

"That I think you're attractive? It wouldn't make any difference. We are destined to hate one another. No matter what either of us do, we can't be friends."

"I thought that's what we were now?" I asked and Malfoy sighed.

"You know I can't be friends with you. Not with my Father being who he is. Not with my life being what it is."

I scratched the back of my neck. "What if we were friends in secret? I'd rather be a friend than an enemy. It's very tiring, you know." Malfoy thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"No. It just...it's not... It can't happen, Potter." I studied his face in the moonlight and saw how much he wished it could though.

My eyes trailed down to his lips and I hated that it took until I knew that it was impossible for me to realize I liked him, just as Hermione had said.

I don't know what came over me but I leaned forward slightly, so that the already small gap between us was nearly closed.

Before I could get any closer however, I heard sounds above us. Sounds that sounded like a rescue.