Chapter One

The astronomy tower had always been a place Draco Malfoy loved. He loved the way the sun hit the lake in the morning and how the cool breeze could only be felt from so high up. He would spend hours after hours, reading the large, thick books he found in the school library, or simply watching the setting sun over the castle in the evening.

The thing he loved about it most of all was how he could escape from everything down below. The wind that grazed his pale, pointed face and blew wisps of white blond hair over his eyes did not hate him for the things he had said or done like everyone else at Hogwarts. Whilst he was there he felt as if he were rid of his blood status and his reputation.

Draco wished he could stay there forever, but he knew that he had to go back down the long spiral staircase to the people down below. He knew that he had to walk through the school corridors with his chin up, looking as though he didn't hate himself, as if he hadn't the slightest care in the world. So he sat, reading, with his legs dangling over the edge of the tower, cool wind filling his lungs with every breath.

Even though it was well past midnight when Draco returned to the Slytherin common room, Draco could hear the muffled sound of voices and laughter coming from the direction of his dormitory. He strode, barefoot, across the cold stone floor and up the stairs to the dormitory where the seventh year boys slept.

When Draco opened the creaking wooden door into the dormitory, he found his three roommates sitting on their beds, talking loudly about a supposedly hilarious event that had occurred that day.

"Oi, Draco!" called Gregory Goyle, "Where have you been? Did you hear about that Hufflepuff who was sick during lunch today?"

Draco had taken his place, lying upon the emerald green, silk covers of his four-poster bed.

"No, I did not." Draco replied coolly, his gray eyes fixed on the dark roof of the dormitory. "But I am sure you will tell me about it."

"What's got you all wound up, Malfoy?" asked Blaise Zabini, furrowing his brow.

"Nothing, Blaise, I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all." said Draco, trying to make up a convincing smile. Sitting up against the headboard of his bed he looked at his third roommate, Vincent Crabbe.

"So, Crabbe, tell me about this sick Hufflepuff." He said trying to sound intrigued.

"Well," Crabbe said happily, "One of the Weasley twins put some of their Puking Pastels in his sandwich. It was hilarious, Draco, he started to vomit all over his table! It went on for a while…when the Weasleys had had their laughs, they gave him the antidote and he was fine."

"Too bad they gave him the antidote, that kid deserved it. The stupid mudblood." Said Goyle darkly, chuckling with the others.

Draco, however, had to force his laugh. He was known as the mudblood-hating Slytherin bad boy, but that was not who he was. That was his father and his family. He was raised to believe that purebloods, such as himself, were superior to all, that teaching magic should be kept in all magic families. But Draco saw through that. He did not hate mudbloods and he did not feel any superior to them. He was miserable and he felt trapped in his own skin.

Draco was up long after his roommates had fallen asleep. He always had trouble sleeping, even as a child.

He looked over at the clock, ticking away on his side table. It was 5:30 in the morning, and he found no reason to sleep until 7:00, when he usually woke up. Draco slid out of the silk covers and pulled on a pair of trousers. He put his knit green sweater on over his head, tousling his hair, and slipped on his trainers.

He tiptoed soundlessly out of the dormitory and down the staircase to the common room. He sauntered across the carpet in front of the hearth, which was now filled with ash, faintly glowing with the embers of the fire that had burned brightly hours before.

The castle was dark, lit only by the few small candles placed between the moving paintings hung on the stone brick walls. As Draco walked carefully through the corridor, the tip of his wand lit, he made his way to the astronomy tower. He hurried up the steps, anxious to get to the one place he felt free.

As he stepped over the threshold onto the upper level of the tower, he came to a sudden halt. Directly in front of him stood a girl, with waist-length wavy blond hair. She seemed to be fixed on something in the distance. Draco stood, watching her. Slowly, he crept silently backward and down the stairs that led to the bottom level, below the wooden floor of the tower. He sat on the ground looking up at her from the hole in the center of the tower floor.

Finally, she turned around, her pale blue eyes glowing in the moonlight. She was beautiful, no doubt. He had never seen her before. Her face was pale and her features soft. She was still wearing her robes, which told Draco she was in Ravenclaw house.

She leaned against the railing of the tower and tilted her head to the side, biting her lip, obviously deep in thought. Then she walked to the spiral staircase and slowly descended. Draco followed behind.

He followed her to her common room and she spoke to the door to let her in, only she did not speak to the door, but to him.

"Hello, Draco Malfoy. May I ask why you have been following me?" she said smoothly, his name rolling off her tongue.

Draco was taken aback. How did she know his name? How did she know he was following her?

"Who are you?" he asked, curiously.

She turned around, her eyes sparkling.

"My name is Luna Lovegood," She smiled kindly at him then wrinkled her nose. "But you didn't answer my question, why were you following me?"

"I was intrigued by you." Draco said flatly, looking at the ground. "Why were you up there so late?"

"I might ask you the same question." Luna said, smiling dully.

"I like the view from up there, especially at night." Draco replied. He found himself smiling, something he felt he hadn't done, unless forced, in weeks. He peered up at her through his eyelashes. She was searching for his gaze.

"Will you meet me at the tower this Friday at midnight, Luna?" he asked. "I want to know more about you"

She shivered. Then she turned on her heel to face the door and said

"Goodnight, Draco. It was a pleasure meeting you." And walked into the common room.