The high white sun brightened the day, but did little to warm it. Trees crowded around the edge of the forbidden forest. Trees that were penny colored and half naked. The dead leaf mat below her feet turned the floor brilliant shades of gold and red from the first fall of leaves from elms and oaks. She stood just outside of the open green house. In pale blue Mary Janes with a double strap, white stockings that stopped just two inches above her knee. A dark plaid skirt with a modest hem that hung just below her knee and clinched at her waist with a long zipper and single button. Her blouse was tucked in and exaggerated narrowness of her waist and sloped from a feminine bust line. Full length sleeves and long flaxen hair that washed down the curve of her low back. A long Ravenclaw scarf was lazily wrapped around her neck.

"Viverrium, " she said again, between clenched teeth. A wand that was held before her and tapped with each frustrated syllable. Purple smoke came and nothing more "Vi-verium," again smoke. A dramatic flick of her wrist. "Viver-rum." and from her wand came solid satin ribbon in carmine red. Luna scowl turned into a welcoming smile, silent praise. She turned to look at the class. To find her Professor that must be as delighted as she, but they were dispersing. Walking up the slope of the lawn. A few stragglers and she turned back to the green house with half open soulless windows. Voices around her faded, as the students migrated toward the school.

Luna's eyes turned back on the empty green house. Shriveled dead vines held to the claim they had made in life and turned half the building into an umber unfeeling thing. Then she looked down to the ribbon, winding in the grass like a delicate and vivid snake. Her accomplishment, her hard work, faded with her will to let it survive. It was absorbed into nothing, from which it came. Luna wandered away. Away the class, away from Hogwarts to that green house. It was better to be alone, people were kinder when she could not hear or see them.

The door was ajar and she walked into to see the white sun pouring through open ceiling windows. It was cold in here too. Fingers drug along the counter top. Most of the plants had died during the first frost, but a few flourish in the environment. A thing spidery thing in a clay pot reached for her as she waked by, just a small tendril that moved to curl around fingers and she stopped to watch it and then continued her path.

She pushed open the heavy swing back door and the room will filled with a gray dark. She heard the sounds of heavy but slow breath. Luna a fearless and bold thing did not raise her wand. Instead she searched the room. She let her eyes adjust to low light. The windows were neglected and heavy dusty film filtered out the light, but she saw him. The angular and slight build of Draco Malfoy. Just a gleam of shoking light hair and dark robes. Half leaned back on a metal table and head dipped down, he hadn't noticed her. His lips moved as if he were speaking, but she no words could be heard. Hard lines set on his face as he was moving through emotions that didn't dare share outside of shadow.

Luna walked over to him only when she was in few feet of him did he hear her. He turned to her.

"What are you doing here?" Those words were colder than air around them. Luna replied a soft smile.

"Class is over, " she replied frankly. The girl turned her head, length of blond hair falling off her shoulder. A breath of cool air. "I like in here. I hunt for fomax. They come in to get out of. ."

"Do you really believe in all that?" that was accusation in his words, but he wasn't banishing her. He wasn't sending her away.

"You have to believe in something. " she told him looking up the dark tin ceiling. "Sometimes it is better to believe in something that might not be there, then to " he cut her off again.

"No wonder they call yo Loony Lovegood."

"Do you what they call you?" He looked confused and found he wasn't sure how to reply. "Depends on who you talk to. Death Eater, Traitor, Prince, Pureblood, Coward, Savior. "she said without prompting. Without invitation. Without expecting him to care. Draco seemed careless, it was a characteristic of pride for the Malfoys. She smiled again. The blond outsider stood beside her, and he looked at her with cool blue eyes. Draco was different this year, she could feel it. It was like a cold and quiet brewing storm. Luna did not make a spectacle of him, she was kinder than that. "I don't believe any of it."

"Whatever," he was quick to snap up his pride.

Luna didn't reply she reached to out to him to take his hand. To brush her thumb over the row of his knuckles so he didn't have to say anything either. For a moment he allowed. He allowed long enough for her know he allowed it and then drew his hand back. He righted himself, she could the glint of the white of his eyes. He was taller than her. He turned and walked away.

"Draco?"

"What," when he turned around his wand was held low but aimed towards her.

"Thank you, "

In her fingers twirl around the gort wand. She knew the boy wasn't social, he almost as much of an outcast as she was. It made some strange and unfamiliar kinship between them.