Luna Lovegood stormed through the halls, her usual wistfulness and above-care attitude replaced by the anger and fear of going to detention with Umbridge. Luna hadn't meant to get in trouble when she suggested that Umbridge teach the class how to defeat Blibbering Humdingers, of course, she thought it was very valuable information! Umbridge had strongly disagreed and declared that Luna was speaking nonsense and must report for detention that night.

"Where's the fire, Loony?" Draco Malfoy reached out and grabbed Luna's wrist from a dark corridor that was rarely used, pulling her back. Luna looked at him tartly, one of the only times she was fully aware of her surroundings. She pulled away from him and started to walk towards Umbridge's office again, but she hadn't gone two steps before Draco pulled her back, this time by her shoulders.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She turned to him, furious rage written across all of her features. Her normally high and dreamy voice was filled with anger and hurt and she wanted nothing more than get Umbridge's stupid and highly unnecessary detention over with.

Draco looked at her, and for the first time Luna saw a real emotion in his eyes, and it was hurt. "What's wrong, Loony?" Draco said quietly.

Luna felt her temper cool down and she sniffed, surprised that she was on the verge of tears. "Detention with Umbridge because she said that me talking about 'imaginary' creatures was foolish and worthy of punishment. But Blibbering Humdingers ARE real! Daddy's magazine has done at least three stories on them, and they were some of his top sellers." Luna wiped her eyes and caught sight of the back of her hand. A shiver ran up her spine. She had seen what Umbridge's detentions did to people; she had seen Harry's hand when he hadn't noticed. New tears spilled from her eyes and she reached to wipe them away, but Draco beat her to it by gently kissing one away.

They looked up at each other, stunned. A warm flush crept up Draco's cheeks, and Luna surprised both of them by taking Draco's hand.

Draco smiled at her sadly. "I'll be waiting right here until you come out Umbridge's office. I'll treat your scars." His thumb brushed the back of her hand and Luna shivered again. She nodded and Draco kissed away the last tear on her cheek before dropping her hand. Luna resolutely walked to Umbridge's office. No longer scared and no longer angry, but still wanting to get it over with so she could return to the Slytherin waiting in the dark corridor.

. . .

Luna politely knocked on Umbridge's door, still filled the bubbling memory of Draco lips on her cheeks and his hand in hers. Umbridge opened the door, still cloyingly cordial as ever. "Hello, Miss Lovegood. Won't you come in?" Umbridge acknowledged Luna with a smile she probably thought looked caring, but Luna saw it as something mocking. Luna met her professor's eyes for a moment before regaining her air of day-dreaminess and wistful innocence. Luna walked past Umbridge, into her office, and had to stop herself from walking right back out. The pink walls seemed to close her in a coffin of lace and annoying cat noises from the decorative plates on the wall. Umbridge closed the door behind Luna and walked over to her desk where she picked up a quill and a piece of parchment. Luna felt her nostrils flare and her chin tilted up slightly, but other than that she gave no reaction.

"You will be doing lines for me tonight, Miss Lovegood." Umbridge placed the quill and parchment on a desk that was facing the corner of the office. Luna sat down in the chair, her bag falling to the floor with a clunk. Umbridge seemed to be waiting for a response, but finding none, continued. "You will write 'I will stop spreading stories.'"

Luna looked down at the quill and felt a shiver skate across her skin. "How many times?" Luna couldn't keep herself from asking, and she was ashamed to hear the fear in her voice.

"Oh!" Umbridge giggled the giggle that made all students' toes curl. "I think you know the answer to that, Miss Lovegood. Mister Potter has told you, I presume." Luna didn't give the old toad the satisfactory of a response; she just picked up the quill and started writing.

The pain ripped across her hand like fire and she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips. She knew it would hurt, but there's only so much self-preparation a person can do it. She thought she heard Umbridge giggle again and considered throwing the quill at her, but decided against it because it would only land her more detention. The words disappeared from the back of her hand, and she took a deep breath, ready to start the next line. It was even worse than the first, but she managed to keep silent this time. She needed something, anything to get her mind off the pain. Her mind flipped through past articles in the Quibbler, and how to do a charm Professor Flitwick had taught them that day, but they didn't hold her attention past the third line. Then the thought of Draco popped into her head and she clung to him like a life preserver. His hair curling down over his eyebrows, and the way he tightened his hand in hers like the last thing he wanted to do was to let go. She continued writing, her blood flowing on the paper and her hand healing after each line. Draco helped her though every second.

She imagined him whispering encouraging words to her as she laboriously wrote line after line and murmuring that he would fix everything just as soon as she was released. "It'll be better, Loony," the Draco in her imagination whispered. "Just get through the next line."

Luna didn't know how long it was until Umbridge finally stood and looked over Luna's work. It felt like she had spent a lifetime or two in that pink, lacey coffin. She imagined herself emerging from the office and seeing the rest of the school in ruins that had long been forgotten, and all of her friends dead for centuries. Umbridge placed a pudgy hand on Luna's shoulder and Luna just barely resisted shrugging it off. "Do you think you have learned your lesson, Miss Lovegood?"

Luna avoided Umbridge's eyes and looked stoically at the wall. "May I go now, Professor Umbridge?" Her voice came out weak and tired.

Umbridge grinned and patted Luna's back. "Yes, I think you've had enough."

Luna stood and grabbed her bag from the floor, swinging it onto her shoulder. She crossed to the door and had it open halfway before Umbridge spoke again. "I hope you think before mentioning your imaginary creatures in my class again."

Luna turned to her, her cornflower blue eyes electric with her hatred. "Professor, those animals aren't imaginary, and learning to defend ourselves against them will be ten times more useful than the stuff you are teaching us from that book."

Umbridge was still smiling, but it became considerably crueler. "You will return to detention tomorrow night, Miss Lovegood."

Luna held up the unmarked back of her hand for Umbridge to see. "You're detentions don't hurt me!" She nearly shouted, she felt tears coming on and knew she had to get out of there. "And they never will." She slipped out of the open door.

. . .

Luna staggered down Hogwarts's stone corridors, her tears creating twin rivers down her face, and her hair completely disheveled from continually running her hands through it. She tripped over something- a bag or maybe a dropped book- and automatically reached her hands out to soften the blow, but she didn't hit the floor. Someone had caught her. She looked up and met the grey eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy.

He had one of his arms wrapped around her waist, and the other wrapped around her shoulders, clearly in the hope of steadying her. They stared at each other for a moment, Luna memorizing the different shades of grey in his eyes, and Draco marveling at how even with tears streaming down her face, she was still the most beautiful girl he ever saw, and that tears somehow enhanced her big eyes and blond hair and made them even more breath-taking. Finally Draco said very quietly, "Where's the fire, Loony?"

This broke her down and she let out a sob before burying her face in Draco's chest and locked him in a tight embrace. Draco was surprised for a single moment before he pulled her deeper into the dark, rarely-used corridor and sat with her against the wall. "Why... are you ... doing ...this?" Luna gasped out between her sobs, and she tried to pull away, but Draco reached up and held her to him. They sat there for a moment, in a silent tussle, before Luna relaxed against him.

Draco kissed the top of her head and slowly rubbed circles on her back. It was so different from the way that Umbridge had patted Luna's back with her pudgy fingers just minutes before, Draco's gesture was full of adoration and kindness, Umbridge's full of obligation and malice. "I've always liked you, Luna. You have a confidence that's natural. You don't care what other people think, and you have those blue eyes that stare into your soul. If you ever come down to Earth, that is."

Luna sat up and looked at him. "You have confidence too, Draco. You're practically the Slytherin house leader, and you're only in your fifth year." She took the cork necklace out of the neck of her robes and started worrying on it.

Draco gave a cold laugh that reminded Luna suddenly that Draco wasn't always this heartfelt guy that kissed away her tears and embraced her as she cried. In fact, she could name three times in the past week that he had made fun of her on the way to classes. "I have confidence that comes from my money and bloodline. Nobody appreciates it except the other Slytherins and Umbridge." Luna pulled away as if slapped. "Oh, Luna." Draco realized his mistake. "Please don't... I'm sorry."

She smiled at him sadly and shook her head. "You didn't do anything. I just get to spend another stimulating detention with her tomorrow night." She told him the story, only omitting that she had focused on the idea of him to get through the torture. She expected him to look horrified or even triumphant that Umbridge had to her but she didn't expect him to look absolutely gleeful by the time she was finished.

"I knew I picked a good one!" He practically hooted. He kissed her forehead. "Almost no girl would stand up to a Ministry official like that." He seemed to be almost hopping in excitement. Luna laughed and took his hand. This seemed to calm him down and he looked down at their hands. "Is your hand okay?" Luna nodded slowly and Malfoy nodded thoughtfully as well. "It'll hurt tomorrow. I'll fix something before though, to help it."

Luna jerked and looked up at him. "What?"

Draco looked at her in horror. "You didn't think I'd let you go to another detention with Umbridge without me at least being nearby! I'll wait right here, just like I did tonight." He settled himself like her was settling himself there until Luna came out of detention again tomorrow night. Luna couldn't stop herself, she kissed Draco Malfoy softly on the mouth. They were both shocked, but Draco recovered first when he kissed her again. "Yeah," he whispered against her lips. "I am definitely waiting for you tomorrow night."