"It's unusual, don't you think? That now everything is so ordinary again." Luna looked up from her cauldron, to face her friends, patiently awaiting an answer. There was a slight hesitation in the air. "I mean, here we are, back at school completing our NEWT preparations for Professor Slughorn, when so much happened last year. All those people who fought and died, and how much damage we created; remarkable really." Luna explained, added her last leaf of deadly nightshade and smiled.

"Bloody hell Luna, don't sugar-coat it..." Ron muttered bitterly without looking up from Hermione's copy of Jinxes for the Jinxed, who shot him a look from across the table that was both apologetic and silencing. He knew Luna didn't mean it like that.

"You know, Luna, I mean it's great that you're so eager and all, but don't you think you should study Potions theoretically in the library, as opposed to practical?" Ginny peeked over the edge of her potions book, exchanging worried looks with Hermione.

"Ginny's right, Luna, Madam Pince won't be happy at all if she catches you!" She had been quietly observing her for the past ten minutes, watching anxiously the slow simmer of the liquid in her Cauldron grow into a furious bubble.

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing" Harry attempted to reassure his friends, although his smile did waver slightly before he shrugged his shoulders. Luna returned his smile, before returning her full attention to stirring her brew in an anti-clockwise motion.

"Hey guys, it's about time to head down the Quidditch pitch, probably not the best idea if the team captain is late for his own practise," Ginny glanced at the big clock across the room. "...which, may I add, is stupidly late. Your team will not be happy with you at all if we miss dinner; and that includes me." She added playfully nudging Harry and throwing a ball of screwed up parchment at Ron. Reluctantly he rose to his feet, pulling at Hermione's hand with pathetic puppy-dog eyes and a crooked smile on his face. With a huff she also rose to her feet and traipsed behind her red-haired boyfriend. Ginny just rolled her eyes, and waved goodbye to Luna as she followed her teammates.

Luna, who had just finished bottling her bizarre potion smiled after them, and began packing up her things. "Reducio" she murmured quietly, pointing her wand at the cauldron, shrinking it down to the size of a snitch. She picked up the books she'd collected and began distributing them back to their original shelves.

Just as she turned to the first shelf on the left in the restricted section, she spotted a hunched, blond-haired figure sitting alone at a table in the corner.

"Oh, hello Draco, I didn't see you there. How are you?" Luna politely smiled at him. Startled, Malfoy jumped out of his daydreaming. When he recognized Luna, he quickly dropped his bloodshot gaze to the empty piece of parchment in front of him, the common wave of guilt washing over him.

"H-hello Luna. Fine thanks ... how are you?" He mumbled, daring a quick glance at her large, pale eyes. He suddenly found himself not being able to break her gaze out of utter bewilderment. Her eyes showed not a single glimmer of hate or vengeance, or disgust; they simply radiated kindness.

"Yes I'm quite well too. I've been very busy studying though, so that hasn't been all too enjoyable." He felt another gigantic wave of guilt wash over him as she held her petite smile, tilting her head slightly to the side. He broke their eye contact abruptly, frantically scrambling for quill and parchment and quickly shoving them into his bag, before mumbling a barely audible goodbye and briskly walking past her. Luna's gaze remained on the door a moment longer as he left the library, before she shrugged and turned on her heel. After returning the last few books to their original place, she smiled at Madam Pince, who simply gave her a hard stare.

On her way through the corridors Luna's thoughts drifted off, and she hadn't noticed that she'd almost walked straight through Nearly Headless Nick, who -after having an overly detailed description from Dean and Seamus on walking through a ghost- elegantly swooped out of her way. "Good evening, Miss Lovegood. What brings you so far away from the Great Hall at this time?"

"Oh my, pardon me! Good evening, Sir Nicholas." Luna curtseyed as she realised who had unintentionally interrupted her daydreaming. "I'm just on the way to the Owlery. I've made a fascinating discovery during potions class that I think my father would find rather intriguing." Nick bowed his head in response and smiled, and Luna did the same for a goodbye, before resuming on her way.

Shit. Draco thought, as he flung his bag violently onto the black leather sofa across from him, before letting himself drop onto the other. The handful of wide-eyed first years sitting on and around the armchairs froze, before leaping up and scuttling away towards the dormitories, whispering excitedly, leaving him alone in the common room.

Everyone else will be in the great hall for dinner by now, Draco concluded. Including ... He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

The last year hadn't been easy. He missed the easy life he'd had, his friends ... and his mother. Oh God how he missed her. There wasn't a waking hour in the day that passed without Draco thinking of how his mother was. Was she alright? He hoped his father was with her. She needed him. Not that he deserved her company.

Loathing rose from the pit of Draco's stomach like an unstoppable wave of nausea. He couldn't bear to think how his mother had always been caught in the middle, no control of the happenings around her. Always being the loyal wife; the supportive, following sister. And now she was paying for their mistakes.

It seemed like only seconds had passed, as Blaise and Goyle came crashing into the dungeons, in fits of cruel laughter about some prank they'd obviously accomplished during dinner time or on the way to the Slytherin common room. Their hysterical behaviour ripped Draco from his tormenting daydreams, and his gaze followed them as they staggered towards him, holding their sides in an attempt to withhold their stitches.

Great, just what I needed. Draco's face remained a blank canvas, silently waiting for his friends to quiet down. Expectantly, he cocked his left eyebrow.

A smirk crept over Goyle's chubby face.

"Blaise had this hilarious idea to mix some crushed up Puking Pastilles into Bullstrodes' bangers and mash when she wasn't looking; the fat whale chucked up chunks of sausages all over the floor before she even knew what had hit her! The Weasels might be a disgrace, but their products are bloody brilliant!" Goyle doubled over himself again, slapping Blaise on his back with his meaty hand, whose satisfied grin spread across his face. The corners of Draco's mouth curled up slightly as a congratulations, before excusing himself and pushing himself up from the cushioned leather.

"What's up, Draco? You can't tell me you're going to bed already?" Blaise looked at him quizzically. Goyle snorted in disbelief, raising an eyebrow at his blond friend.

"Yeah right," Draco scoffed, a little too enthusiastically. "Just gonna grab some dessert from the kitchen, I'm starved." he nodded in their direction before sauntering towards the large, common room doors.

Well aren't you two bloody hilarious.

The Black Lake's surface reflected he moonlight like a cracked mirror, calm and broken at the same time. Draco stared down at his bare feet, letting the soles mould around the pebbles as minuscule waves lapped against his toes. He let out a profound sigh and took a few steps into the shallow water, soaking the cuffs of his black trouser legs. The combination of the icy water and bitter wind of early spring made him shiver and wrap his robe around himself, hugging his waist tightly. As he closed his eyes, he listened to the wildlife around him. In the distance, an owl let out a shy hoot, then another. The wind whispered through the bare treetops, rodents scurried over he twisted roots. Large rodents. Footsteps.