To The Pitch

Luna found that the sticky-looking stuff dripping from the cauldrons was also smelly. And it stung her hands. She resorted to taking off her socks and putting them over her hands to protect them. Still, she counted herself lucky to be free of Professor Snape's glare. And she wasn't writing lines, which she hated more than any other school punishment. Her thoughts stayed with Draco, but she was picturing him tucked, as she was, in the bowels of the castle, never knowing he was actually far from it, trudging into the Forbidden Forest and preparing to leave the school grounds altogether.

Luna decided that scrubbing cauldrons was a lot like doing the dishes at her home. Except bigger, and there were more of them, and she had certainly never cooked anything so offensive-looking. Although she could remember a few meals when her dad was learning to cook that could probably have rivaled this goop. The memory made her giggle, and with her spirits light, she dug into the task with a song on her lips and a sway in her hips.

That was how Draco found her hours later: barefoot, sock-handed, humming and swaying as she scrubbed horrid stuff out of a dwindling pile of cauldrons. He couldn't resist watching her, she looked so carefree. He felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but coming back to Hogwarts and seeing her scattered the dark clouds that had been over his head since he had seen his father disheveled and disgraced in the smelly pub.

Professor Snape had been called away when the Dark Mark that tethered him to Voldemort had flared. He had provided Draco with a Portkey that would return him to the school grounds. Then he vanished into black smoke that reminded Draco of the acrid odor of the darkened pub. There was no telling when Snape would return, and Draco had a plan; he and Luna would go out to the pitch tonight and breathe some night air after all. It might be some of the last free time he would have.

Draco started soundlessly towards Luna, who was utterly absorbed in what she was doing. When he was barely a foot from her he started humming along with her, his clear baritone rumbling behind her.

She froze for a moment to concentrate on his presence. She felt the energy radiating from him and inhaled his unique smell of musk and a hint of cologne. She recognized him without ever looking at him and smiled.

He stepped up to press against her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"My hands are soaked in sap and witch hazel."

"What an opportunity for me, then," he drawled in her ear.

"Oh!" she squeaked.

Draco took advantage of the situation by lifting a hand to sweep the hair back and away from the side of her neck so he could lean in and whisper wordlessly against her skin. He kissed her on the gooseflesh that answered his hot breath, teasing her with his tongue. She made a sort of strangled sound, and he chuckled. Wickedly, he nipped at her, and she sucked in a breath. She remained stone-still with her dripping mittened hands over the sink so as not to make a mess on Professor Snape's classroom floor. Draco decided that if he was going to tease, he would make it memorable, and he opened his mouth to enclose the entire bridge of her shoulder, dragging his tongue across her skin. She sighed audibly.

Chuckling again, he leaned back and looked down at her, still as a sculpture with her eyes closed and her head tipped back on his chest. He kissed her on the cheek and stepped away to remove himself from temptation.

"So, are you about done with your cauldrons? I'm done with my detention."

"Snape likes you better. In fact, you were probably playing wizard chess with him while I scrubbed away down here," she teased.

"Not quite. But hey, let's go try to steal some time outside. Let's walk to the pitch. I think practice will be over, but . . . you'll get your wish and get to go outside."

"I have to finish cleaning these before Professor Snape gets back."

Draco smiled wickedly and snapped his fingers. Two pops sounded in the room behind him. He had needed to go to the Manor and handle some family business, but he had concocted a way to reap some rewards from his task. He had arranged for two of his house-elves to come and finish up Luna's work.

"Trust me?"

"You should never trust anyone who asks you to trust them."

That sounded like some convoluted logic, and he couldn't keep his eyes from rolling, but he shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't ask you to trust me; I asked whether you do trust me. No matter. I have asked my elves to take over for you. Professor Snape will be gone for hours. We can take back the rest of our evening."

"My hero," she cooed, batting her eyelashes dramatically. "But how do you know he will be gone for hours? I think I'd better finish these before I leave."

Luna had only a dozen cauldrons left to be scrubbed, and the elves had started immediately and efficiently tidying them up.

"There'll be nothing left to do after you get your shoes on, birdie. It's cold out there. You can't go outside barefoot."

Seeing the truth in his statement, Luna thanked the startled elves and peeled the socks off her hands. They were a lost cause, so she threw them away and started searching for her shoes. She couldn't quite remember where she had set them down. Draco Accio'd them for her, and by the time she was put together, the elves had all but finished. When she said she was ready to go, Draco grabbed her hand, and away they went to try to capture the last bit of evening.

Pansy was sauntering down the corridor towards them when they started out.

"I'm here to escort our newest Slytherin to the common room."

"Your services won't be needed this evening," Draco said.

"Shall I start submitting my homework to you as well, Professor Malfoy? I was instructed to show her around. You don't have the authority to change that."

"Belt it, Pansy! I'll have her back to the common room soon enough."

"I hope so. Even though you can get her into our House, it doesn't mean you can get her into her room. She'll have to sleep on the girls' side tonight." Pansy's eyes shone with challenge.

"Well, well. The whispers are rampant in the common room, are they? What story is going around, then? Have I had my evil way with her? How'd I get her to come with me...placed her under the Imperius Curse, maybe?"

"Relax, Draco. No one is going to run tattling to Snape. I heard talk this morning about that lousy prank the girls pulled on her. They were bragging that Luna probably wandered the dungeons all night since they didn't see her on her way back to the common room. So that means it's just two little old Housemates who know she stayed. Me and Blaise, that is."

"Well, thank you for telling us that you knew. That saves us some confusion, yes?" Luna added calmly.

The other two seemed surprised that she had spoken, as if so engrossed in their dialogue that they had forgotten she was there.

Looking at Luna, Draco seemed to remember his purpose and the bluster went out of him.

"Sod it all, Pansy. After the day I've had, I have more on my mind than schoolyard rumors."

"You sound like my father...a day in the life of an overworked Death Eater."

Draco looked a little stricken. Her comment was born of years of growing up together while their fathers plotted the end of mixed-blood wizarding, but it still struck too close to home.

"Buy me some time," Draco bargained, "and I'll get your House chores reassigned to Liselle and Mary all the way until the hols."

"There's the Draco I know and love. Practical and philanthropic."

Draco snorted. "Go on, then. We'll be along."

"Right, but Draco, be careful. If you spend too much time with the Lovegood girl, there will be schoolyard whispers that even a Malfoy can't silence."

"Luna and I will be along," Draco said, his clenched jaw emphasizing that he referred to Luna intimately.

Pansy raised her eyebrows and nodded. She understood his inference; he was acknowledging the girl. "I'll cover for you. And Luna." Pansy faced the blonde girl and motioned towards Luna's forehead. "Things happened quickly tonight, and people don't scrutinize you very closely, so I think it went unnoticed. Your fringe mostly covers it, but it might be . . . prudent . . . to cover up that bruise before you come into the common room." With that she turned and walked back the way she'd come.

"Merlin's teeth, she is observant, isn't she?" breathed Luna.

"Annoyingly so."

"I don't know, I rather appreciate the insight."

"Fine, she's helped us this time. But enough of her. The stars are waiting to shine on you, Luna. Let's go."