Glasses
Luna Lovegood - Serperet Gaudi observational notes
9th September ‘98 — 23:20
Took SG into the bathroom with me again tonight. As previously observed (see notes 6th Sept.) SG unfurled all (13) tendrils and appeared to visibly ‘relax’ once I was in the tub. Will continue to monitor but am confident SG is responding positively to ‘bath time’ which may prove beneficial for stabilizing him (her?). Am considering getting a small stand with wheels to make it easier to
At her desk Luna paused, her quill in midair. She could hear muffled voices coming from… Hermione’s room? No… the corridor? But if that were the case whoever it was would have to be really shout— A loud bang cracked from the direction of the lounge jolting Luna from her train of thought. What was—?! Ah. The dormitory doors. The shouting was now rather less muffled.
“-down! Good Gods, is the wall intact?”
“Oh don’t tell me to calm down. Merlin Malfoy you are insufferable!”
“Fine. At least consider lowering your voice.”
At that the volume dropped so that Luna could no longer hear the conversation, at least not well. It appeared that Draco and Hermione were back from the Inn.
Initially, Luna had thought it almost too convenient that her roommates would be forced to spend a little more time together; a workplace would require that they interact with some level of civility and perhaps they would find enough mutual respect to lay the foundation for a polite, potentially even amicable relationship. After three shifts together she was realizing it was probable that their working relationship would instead be the death of her Herbology project. If she was to have a chance at success she needed them to stop bickering.
Luna left her desk and moved closer to the door. She couldn’t hear much more than before but they were still talking. She quietly turned the handle and eased it open, putting her ear to the crack.
“-glasses.”
“Oh Gods give over Granger. Not the bloody glasses again.”
“It’s alright for you Mr. Six-foot-tall. Not all of us have long stepladder legs.”
“There were plenty of glasses on the first shelf.”
“For the last time there were not! Gods Malfoy. You need glasses.”
“I’m not the one rant—”
“Glasses as in spectacles. Do you need some?”
“No, Granger, I do not need spectacles.”
“Well there weren’t plenty on the first shelf and just like last time with the broom-”
“No, not the broom Granger! Please, in the name of all that is sacred, don’t start with the broom again!”
Luna looked down at SG, gently quivering and beginning to slowly re-furl one of its tendrils. She took her dressing gown from the back of her door and slipped it over her pyjamas, then gave the sapling a soft little pat and stepped out into the lounge, closing her door behind her.
“Good evening.” Luna said, taking in the scene. Hermione was pacing the rug while Draco sat sprawled on the far sofa, his right foot balanced on his left knee, his left hand idly twirling his wand. He acknowledged Luna with a brief two-finger salute. Despite having spent all night at the pub, she mused, he looks like he could use a drink.
“Hey Luna.” Hermione said. She seemed to be both weary and fired up: Luna couldn’t quite decide whether she was ready to collapse or to pounce.
“Are you two alright?” Luna asked.
“Separately or together?” Draco asked, pointing his wand at Hermione as she rounded the coffee table once more. “She is not alright.”
“Don’t say ‘she is not alright’ like that, as if you’re fine but I’m being difficult.” Hermione looked at him and narrowed her eyes, then added, “And don’t point your wand at me.”
Luna leaned against the back of the empty sofa opposite Draco, watching as he massaged his temple with his right hand, his left twirling again. She turned her attention to Hermione. “Are you alright?” she asked.
“No. Yes.” Hermione stopped her pacing to look at Luna. “Sorry I’m just…” She closed her eyes and gave a little sigh. “I should go to bed probably. I’ve got Potions first thing. Gods Luna, did we wake you?”
“No no, I was just taking some notes. And then… I thought I heard you come back.” Luna replied, glancing at the dormitory doors.
“Ah,” Draco said, smiling at Luna. “Do you mean when Granger tried to take three thousand pounds of ancient oak off its hinges?”
“Stop it, Malfoy.” Hermione pointed her finger at him. “Stop winding me up or I won’t sleep. I’ll be rubbish in the morning and I’ll tell Slughorn that Draco Malfoy kept me up all night.”
“Well,” Draco began, attempting to suppress a smile, “I wouldn’t suggest wording it exactly like that, Granger.”
Hermione emitted an frustrated groan and snatched her jacket and bag up off the floor. “Listen Malfoy, just admit that you were a selfish prick earlier and we can call it a night.”
Draco’s half smile disappeared as his jaw tightened. “Tempting as that is Granger, I think not.”
Hermione’s nostrils flared. “Why? Why won’t you admit it?”
“Because it’s not true. I didn’t do anything; in fact, at no point did anything actually happen, you just began catastrophizing over glasses.”
“I was about to run out!”
“You were not, there were plenty left!”
“You shouldn’t have used mine!”
“Oh for the love— Granger I did not use your glasses.”
“Except you did.”
“I did not.”
Hermione was now stood in front of Draco, gesturing with the belongings she clutched as she argued. Maybe I should get my wand? Luna considered. A brief Aguamenti might cool them off?
“Malfoy, you were selfish and—”
“Granger.”
“You were.”
“I didn’t use the damned glasses.”
“You did!”
“I did not.”
“I know I’m right.”
“Ah, but you’re not right.”
Luna raised both eyebrows as she looked between the two, snarling and huffing at one another. “I hate to interrupt this… debate,” she began, “but what exactly are you two fighting about?”
“I’m buggered if I know, Luna.” Draco replied, briskly sweeping his hair back off his face and resting his head on the back of the sofa.
“Don’t be so ridiculous, of course you know.” Hermione jabbed her finger towards him. “You started it.”
Draco’s head snapped back upright. “I started this?” he asked, his voice all incredulity.
“Yes you, you told me I should really relax a bit because, and I quote, ‘It’s barkeeping not Acromantula wrangling.’”
Draco’s eye caught Luna’s. “You can see my point.” Luna gave him half a smile as Hermione continued.
“Just because you don’t want to take it seriously—”
“I never said—”
“I don’t have the time or energy to go over the rules every shift—”
“I know the rules—”
“Well then you should know that the glasses—”
“Oh Merlin’s balls Granger, why are you so obsessed with the glasses?”
“You keep making out I’m crazy, but I’m right!”
“Are you?”
“I did what I was supposed to do and you didn’t.”
“Ughhh,” Draco moaned, “What does it even matter?”
“Of course it matters!” Hermione loomed over Draco, once again pointing her finger at his face to better punctuate her argument. “It matters that you don’t follow the rules and I do. It matters that I do what I’m supposed to do and I still get shafted!”
This argument, Luna realized, had nothing at all to do with glasses.
“I think I’d remember shafting you, Granger.” Draco attempted a smirk, but it quickly evaporated in the fire of Hermione’s outrage. Hermione had slung her bag over her shoulder and resumed pacing around the coffee table.
“Don’t be vulgar, Malfoy. You’re so used to doing exactly what you want and bugger the consequences.”
Draco’s brows lowered, narrowing his eyes. “Excuse me?”
Oh Gods, Luna thought. This won’t end well.
“Let silly Granger follow the rules, I’ll just do what I want.”
“Granger—”
“I’m Draco Malfoy, I can do whatever I like, someone else will clear up my mess.”
“Are you—”
“And worst case,” Hermione stopped again in front of Draco to better see the impact of her words as they fell, “I’ll just call Daddy.”
A deep line had appeared between Draco’s brows. Luna watched as the corner of his mouth twitched, his lips thin. “Is that what you think of me?” Draco asked.
Hermione bent down a little, closing the distance between them. She looked him in the eye as she replied, “That’s what I know of you.”
“Fuck me Granger. Well how can I disagree with the girl who’s always fucking right.”
Hermione scoffed. “It just kills you that I call you out on your bullshit.”
“Does it now?”
“You know I’m right, you—”
“You’re not right.”
“Ughhh why won’t you just admit it? You used those glasses.”
“Granger.”
“You couldn’t be bothered to inconvenience yourself, so you thought I know, I’ll inconvenience Hermione instead.”
“Granger.”
“I know I’m right, you know I’m right, you just—”
“Granger!”
Luna started at Draco’s tone. He was sitting forwards now, both feet on the floor, his wand clenched in his fist, his eyes fixed on Hermione. “I am really trying to be patient, but—”
“Patient?!” Hermione repeated, her tone an octave higher than before.
“Patient. But you are like a dog with a bone at the moment, it doesn’t matter what—”
“Like a dog?! Isn’t it a bit rich for you to call me a dog, Malfoy?” Hermione’s eyes flashed, but that only seemed to ignite a spark in Draco’s.
Luna bit her lip as she saw his calm expression crack, his chin rising in defiance. As he straightened his spine his countenance shifted, taking on those wonderful, awful sharp angles that so beautifully incorporated the arrogant cruelty of the Malfoy line. She hadn’t seen this Draco since the war, had hoped he had shed that terrible skin once and for all. His lip curled back as he replied.
“Gods Granger, is it so impossible to think you might have simply been wrong? I know you’re the greatest and brightest and the rest of us should just stay in your fucking shadow, but you are not beyond fucking things up on occasion.”
Hermione was now watching Draco with caution; she too had seen something shift in him and taken a step back, but now she held her ground, determined not to yield. “Don’t—”
“I’m not finished.” Draco snapped as he rose up off the sofa, his eyes still locked with Hermione’s. “Why can you never be fucking wrong? What are you so afraid of?”
Drawn to his full height, Draco was formidable but moved with cold grace. His voice got quieter, softer, but no less sinister as he stepped closer to Hermione. She stood still, her chest rising and falling as he closed in on her. “I know you’re trying so fucking hard, Granger. I can see it. Do you know what I think? I think anyone who is that afraid of being wrong must have a lot riding on being right.”
Hermione’s face betrayed her emotions just barely, tiny cracks of emotion flickering across her facade of indifference. Luna tried to catch Draco’s eye but he was still focused on Hermione as he continued. “Do you think that if you can just keep holding the pieces of yourself tightly enough, no one will ever find out that actually you’re not perfect? That in fact… you’re in over your head?”
Hermione’s nose twitched involuntarily, her eyes still trained on his. Draco stepped forwards, now standing so close to Hermione that she had to tilt her head back to hold his gaze. It’s calculated, Luna realized. He’s getting her off balance, physically too. “But I’ve seen it, Granger. I’ve seen what you’re trying to hide. And do you know what I saw?”
Draco’s voice dropped almost to a whisper, the ghosts of his words tumbling into Hermione’s ear as he tilted his face closer to hers. “You’re terrified that you’ve already fucked up and now you are destined to be bitter and lonely: not exceptional, not special, just a fool who sacrificed herself to a cause that will never repay the debt.”
Hermione flared her nostrils and raised her chin, her face now only inches from Draco’s, their eyes still locked. Luna could see the lantern light catching and flashing on her unshed tears.
“Fuck you, Malfoy.” Hermione said, her voice too only a whisper. For a heartbeat they held their positions. Then Hermione broke away, turning and walking into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Luna looked up at Draco, who was still staring at the space where Hermione had been.
“Draco?” Luna ventured.
He didn’t reply at first, then closed his eyes. “I know, Luna. But she was provoking me all night.”
“Draco.” Luna waited until Draco looked at her before she continued. “That was uncalled for.”
He looked down and sighed, the tension beginning to ebb from his body as he sank down onto the edge of the sofa. Luna watched his face soften, his dark mask dissolving like smoke.
“Fuck.” He said.
“Indeed.” Luna agreed, putting her hand on his shoulder and giving it a sharp squeeze. They stayed that way for a few moments. We should all get some rest, Luna decided. “Time for bed.” She stood up then added, “Good night Draco,” patting his shoulder before padding over to her bedroom.
As she opened her door her eyes fell to SG, its fronds curled inwards, as if for safety or comfort or both, its head bowed. She stepped inside her room but as she turned to close the door she stopped, just for a moment, when her eye caught on Draco and she recognized that same shape, that same curvature, in him, still motionless on the edge of the sofa, his head now in his hands.