A/N: This is a two part story with the second part coming out soon. Also, this has nothing to do with my other Harry Potter fan fiction, this is it's own, separate thing. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling.

The year was going to be different. No one could deny that, and the less than usual crowd of students and their families milling around Platform 9 3/4 only made it more apparent. The war against Voldemort is over and everyone survived is returning to Hogwarts to repeat the previous last year, but still a solemn atmosphere settles over the platform.

However, Luna Lovegood refuses to let that dampen her spirits as she hugs her father goodbye and drags her luggage onto the Hogwarts Express. She can't wait to spend the whole year surrounded by her friends. Friends, she likes that word. It makes her feel tingly, like she ate an entire pack of fizzing whizzbees at once.

She keeps these thoughts with her as she skips down the aisle looking for an empty compartment. Half way through the train, she picks one at random and slides the door open to see if anyone is inside.

The pale, blond boy calmly reading a book all alone was the last thing she was expecting. The sight of Draco Malfoy almost has her slamming the door shut and moving on (she still has nightmares about being trapped in his family's dungeon after all), but before she can, he looks up from his book and they end up locking gazes.

Well, she can't leave now without being rude and her dad taught her that only rude people don't get visited by the Christmas house elves. He also taught her to give everyone as many second chances as a phoenix has feather and the boy behind the blue grey eyes staring at her looks like he could really use a second chance right about now.

Maybe that's why Luna, against any normal person's better judgement, takes a step into the compartment and smiles at the young, former, Death Eater. "Is this seat taken?"

For the first time ever, Draco Malfoy was alone on the Hogwarts Express. In the past he always had Pansy, Goyle, Blaise, and Crabbe. Now, Goyle transferred to Drumstrang and Pansy to Beauxbatons. Blaise is finishing school at home and Crabbe, well Crabbe is dead. Draco wouldn't be here himself if he wasn't so insistent on making something out of his miserable life and needed a finished education to do it.

He was just getting used to the quiet of his compartment when the door opens, making him look up from his book to see who was unfortunate enough to stumble upon him.

Out of everyone one on the train, he certainly wasn't expecting Loony Lovegood, the girl that spent the better part of last year held prisoner in his basement. If her showing up isn't weird enough, her smiling at him like they were old friends sure was. Scowling at him in disgust or even turning around and walking out without a word makes more sense, it was the least he deserves, but that smile doesn't fit any natural law he knows of. By the time she asks if she can sit, he's completely baffled by the entire situation.

"Be my guest,"it takes him a couple tries to get the words out. He knows that letting her sit with him is sure to invoke the golden trio's distrust later, but right now he's so sick of being alone that he's willing to risk it. Luna nods, taking the seat across from him.

The first couple hours pass in silence. Draco goes back to reading his book while Luna pulls out an art book and a set of pastels. It's only when Draco finishes his reading that he feels the need to make some sort of polite conversation with the other blonde.

"What are you making?" he takes in her pastel covered hands and arms.

Her head whips up , having forgotten he was there. She looks down at her drawing then back at him then again to her art before setting her attention completely on him. Biting her lip, she considers if she wants to show him or not. Making up her mind, she flips the pad around so that he can see.

Draco instantly regrets ever asking as the feeling of being punched in the gut knocks the air out of him.

She drew the dark mark, but yet she didn't. Unlike the horrible mark on his arm, the one she drew is surrounded by an array of colourful flowers, their petals and stems weaving through the skull and snake that make up the dark lord's symbol.

"Why in the world would you draw that horrid thing?" he sneers, wanting nothing more than to get away from the mark, but shy of cutting off his arm, he can't, he never can.

However, Luna isn't bother by his biting response, she never has been, not even when he mocked her for being loony. She simple shrugs. "It helps."

"How?" he scoffs, unconsciously rubbing his inter right arm.

Again she shrugs, not really sure how to explain it. "It's like a boggart," she tries to make him understand. "I turn something scary," she flips the page to show an unbeautified mark that makes Draco flinch, "and turn it into something less scary." she turns back to the original page so that he can once again see the flower covered dark mark. "Does that make sense?"

"No," Draco lies. Her logic shouldn't work, it's still proof of all his misdeeds, yet the second time seeing her drawing he almost finds it beautiful. Based on her smile, Draco is pretty sure she knows this.

Luna wonders if she should call him out on his lie when the nice sweets lady opens the door and asks if they want anything from the trolly.

What a sight they must be to her. A loony Ravenclaw sharing a compartment with the most Slytherin snake, both with their own dark mark. One in pastels and the other in flesh and blood.

"No thank you," Luna tells her kindly while Draco shakes his head mutely.

The trolly lady quickly leaves the compartment.

The rest of the trip continued like the first half. Draco wasn't in the mood to try making more small talk and Luna was content without any. Eventually the train's speaker came to life to announce that they would be at Hogwarts in ten minute so everyone who hasn't already should put on their robes. For the first time since stepping foot in the compartment, Luna got up, grabbed her robes and left to go change somewhere else.

It isn't until she's gone that Draco realizes just how much space she was taking up. The compartment feels empty without anyone else in it.

Pushing the thought from his mind, he grabs his green and silver accented robes and hurries to put them on. He finishes as the train pulls into the station. He's about to rush out the door when he notices Luna's art book left on her seat.

Now, it's possible that she will come back for it herself or that the school will take it to her with the rest of her luggage, but he doesn't know that for certain. The hallway outside the door is starting to fill up. If he doesn't leave now he'll be doomed to being stuck in the middle of the crowd. Not really thinking, he grabs the book. He'll get it back to her somehow.