We All Go to Hell

The loud squeaking of a chair being pulled out brought me out of my schoolwork. I looked up, and a small smile graced my features.

“Hello Luna.”

She didn’t say anything, just stared dreamily at a something behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, but only the bookcase was there.

“Luna?”

Her eyes came back to me and she smiled.

“Oh hello, Addrena. I didn’t see you there. I was following the nargles.” She pointed at the shelves behind me and I looked again. Nothing was there. “All of my quills have gone missing. I suspect they took them.”

“Right, of course. You can, uh, borrow one of mine until they give yours back.”

I pulled one out of my bag and handed it to her. She stroked the tip of it like it was a pet and tilted her head at me. The radishes hanging from her ears tipped with the movement and entangled in her blonde hair. I rose an eyebrow in question.

“You’ve changed,” she stated.

“I have?” I closed the book in front of me and folded my arms on top of it. “What do you mean?”

“Yes, you’re more….you. More like how I think you really are and not what you were.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

Luna’s eyes drifted away from me again to the bookcase. She squinted at them and stood up from the table. Without a word she walked away.

“Luna?” I called. She didn’t answer and I clambered out of my seat. “Luna, wait!”

I slung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed the heavy book off the table. I shoved the book back onto it’s shelf when I passed it. The sound of footsteps reached my ears and I ran passed a few book aisles until I found Luna twirling down one.

“What are you doing?” I puffed out.

“Trying to get their attention. Seems not to be working through,” she huffed. Her blue skirt stopped twirling around her legs when she stilled.

“What were you talking about? I’m more like how you think I am? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Of course it does. You were hiding before. You’re not anymore.”

“Hiding? I wasn’t hiding - Luna, wait!”

She skipped off around a corner and I followed her.

“I was merely commenting on the fact that you’re more open this year. School has been going on for over a month, and you haven’t once retreated into your shell. I find it fascinating.” She tilted her at me again, and some of her bangs fell into her eyes. “Why is that?”

“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, annoyed. I hefted my bag back onto my shoulder and crossed my arms. “You sound like you’re talking in riddles.”

“And aren’t riddles meant to be solved?”

She smiled one more time before doing a little curtsy and leaving. I started after extremely confused. Although Luna never really made sense to anybody, with her odd wardrobe and superstitions, I never though of her as crazy. In fact, we had always gotten along pretty well. But she sure sounded a little off her rocker today.

“Mind telling me what you’re staring at that’s so interesting?”

I jumped and spun around in a flash. Harry laughed and pushed off from the bookcase he had been leaning against.

“Did I scare you?”

“No, I’m just a tad confused. I swear, Luna is getting stranger by the day.”

“Loony Luna? What are you doing talking to her?” Harry asked skeptically, though I could see the amusement glinting in his eyes.

“Well, we’re friends. Sort of. Ish. I don’t know, we get along,” I shrugged. I walked past him and he fell in step beside me. “What are you doing skulking around the library on a Saturday?”

Harry shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and shrugged.

“Dunno. I was bored, and figured I’d run into you.”

I glanced over at him and saw the pink tinge on his cheeks.

“So you automatically look in the library?”

“You were bound to be here. I think you spend more time between these book stacks than Hermione does.”

“Well excuse me for wanting to keep my grades up,” I huffed.

We left the library together and started walking down the hallway. I didn’t know what to say and scuffed my feet awkwardly against the stone floor.

“I actually wanted to ask you something…”

I stopped walking and turned toward him expectantly. He glanced at me once before quickly looking down at his feet.

“Halloween’s coming up, and there’s that ball-”

“Oi! Harry!”

His head snapped up and he looked at something over my shoulder, clearly annoyed.

“What?” he snapped.

Ron and Hermione pushed past me and started tugging him down the hallway.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we really need to talk to you mate,” Ron muttered.

Harry dug his feet into the ground and tried yanking his arms away.

“Can’t it wait guys?!”

“Nope,” Hermione looked over at me and smiled sweetly. “Sorry Addrena. Talk to you later.”

They dragged him around a corner and Harry’s protests echoed off the walls before dying. I stared after them, wondering if everybody was acting strange today.

--------

The late October wind whipped my hair around my face, but I did nothing to stop it. It wasn’t necessarily cold outside, but the breeze coming off the Black Lake was chilly. The calm, dark water glistened under the afternoon sun. I sighed and dropped my head onto my knees.

I had tried to find Harry after Ron and Hermione had dragged him away, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. I could only guess that they were in the Gryffindor common room, which I obviously couldn’t get in to. I finally had to give up and came to sit out by the Black Lake. I figured out a few years back that the still water calmed me. And if one sat still long enough, a mermaid tail would splash up through the surface.

An hour had passed and no mermaid tails were to be seen. I was just about to give up when somebody sat down to the right of me. A few seconds later another one sat down on the left. I turned my head and saw Connor staring at me.

“Hey, Addy.”

I turned my face back into my knees and groaned.

“What is it with everyone today? I can’t get a moment’s peace.”

“Am I not allowed to talk to my baby sister?”

“Go away Connor,” I mumbled.

“No. I figured something was up when I saw you heading out here. What’s wrong?”

“Since when do you care?”

“I’ve always cared Addy,” he said desperately.

I snorted in disbelief.

“Let’s just go Rust. She obviously doesn’t want to be bothered.”

The crisp voice went straight down to my bones and sent a chill over me that had nothing to do with the lake. Very slowly, I cocked my head to the left and looked through my bangs. There was no mistaking the shocking white hair and icy eyes. There were prominent bags under Draco’s eyes and he looked exhausted. But the corners of his mouth tipped up when he noticed my staring. My heart went into overdrive and I tucked my face back into my knees.

“What are you doing here Malfoy?”

“Your brother insisted I come along.”

“Oh, Connor,” a high-pitched, sing-songy voice said.

I heard him groan and get up from the grass.

“Hey Tabbie.”

There was some scuffles and the distinct sound of them walking away. I leveled my gaze back at the water, thinking I was alone.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on him.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin and looked at Draco accusingly.

“What?” He leaned backwards on his hands and looked up at the gray sky. “I’m just saying, I know how your parents are. They mustn’t like that you’re a Ravenclaw and it has to create some problems from Connor. He’s expected to be perfect.”

Just hearing his voice raised goosebumps on my arms. I breathed in a few deep breaths before speaking.

“You think it’s okay that my family pretends like I was never born?”

I could see his confidence falter for a second, much to my surprise.

“That’s not what I meant. I just think you forgot how hard it is for him,” he paused and huffed out a breath. “Your brother loves you Addrena.”

I had to stop myself from squeaking at the sound of Draco saying my name. The way he said it, made it sound almost beautiful. Did other girls react this way around him? Is this how a normal girl felt around a boy? I thought back to every time I was near Harry, and how I felt nothing but amusement or comfort. He didn’t set me on edge like Draco did. I didn’t dream about peeling off his clothes and touching him like I did about Draco.

“Why are you being so nice?” I whispered.

“You’re my best friend’s sister. I figure we better learn to get along, ya know?”

“Sure,” I scoffed. I unfolded my body and stretched. “Like I’m going to believe that. Just the other day you were insulting me, remember?”

His nostril’s flared and his eyes hardened into little shards of ice.

“Fine.”

Draco got up and stalked off. He went over to wear Connor was snogging some girl, and started gesturing wildly. The girl looked mad and started tugging on Connor’s coat sleeve. He brushed her off and walked away with Draco, but not before casting me one questioning look. I shrugged.

“What is with everyone today?” I mumbled.