I stretched as I got off of another train ride to Hogwarts. It's now my fifth year at this school. As usual I set forth to the carriages that will take me to the castle. This year I know it will be different, this summer has been too active for it not to be. My point is proven as I walk up to the carriages. There are skeletal-looking horses leading them. I have never seen anything so strange. I feel people walk pass me as if nothing was there. Then I realize that it's because they don't see them.

"Are you alright Draco?" A girl asked snapping my attention back from my thoughts. She placed a hand on my shoulders. I turned to see a blonde girl with large blue eyes looking up at me. I look at her robes and it had a Ravenclaw insignia on it.

"Who are you?" I ask stepping away from her like she was some kind of disease. She was unaffected by my action, which kind of annoyed me.

"Luna. So do you see them too?" She asked, she seemed hopeful. I wanted to feel relieved, that I wasn't crazy but I just couldn't admit to myself that those things were real.

"See what?" I asked coldly.

"Oh I thought that you saw them." Luna said, all hope was drained. At that moment I wanted to say so badly that I saw them too. What is wrong with you? Snap out of it.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." I said a little too harshly.

"Oh." She was totally deflated, I opened my mouth to say that I actually did see them, but then,

"Malfoy, go terrorize some 2nd year and leave Luna alone." Ginny Weasley said angrily.

"Hello Weasley. Don't you have some bloke to suck?"

"You Slytherin bastard." Weasley growled as she reached for her wand. I was still faster and had my pointed at her.

"Don't think about it." I said threateningly.

"Don't." Luna said in a small voice. Both of us looked at her. I started to lower my wand but I quickly raised it back up as soon as I realized what I was doing.
"Let's go Luna before they start to look for us." Weasley said before dragging Luna away, Luna never took her eyes off of me. I wanted to call to her.

"Draco, come one mate, hurry up. The carriages won't wait forever." Blaise said waving me over.

I went over to him. In our carriage was me, Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Pansy was clinging to my arm so hard that I though it would fall off due to lack of circulation. I didn't really care though. After months of no human contact, it was nice. I'm sure that Pansy was lacking on human contact as well, it was a fair trade. Everyone in the carriages chatted as I watched the horses.

We got off the carriages and went to the Great Hall. We sat in the spot nearest to the door. Theodore and our little group joined shortly after. I wasn't really paying attention, I stared at the Ravenclaw table. I found Luna within 5 minutes of me being seated.

I saw that no one talked with her, in fact no one sat near her. I actually felt bad for her and for how my lie made her feel like no one was like her. What the hell? I thought to myself. What did this Ravenclaw do to me? I should not care about her. I barely talked to her today. I am Draco bloody Malfoy! I don't care about others. I don't worry about offending anyone or hurting their feelings.

"Are you okay, mate?" Blaise whispered as he nudged me out of my thoughts.

"I'm fine."

"Are you still hung up about what happened with that muggle child?"

"You would be too if a 5 year old kid was begging you to save him, trusting you completely, and right when you are about to help him, some bastard kills him from behind." I whispered angrily, totally forgetting why I was actually upset.

"If it were me, I wouldn't even be here. I would already be in the dorm, forgetting everyone and cutting myself off from everyone. Not here trying to get over it." He said trying to make me feel better.

"Thanks Blaise."

"Anytime Draco, now eat, you look too skinny."

"Ok mother." I said and he playfully nudged me.

I finally made it through my first week of school. It was the weekend and I needed some time to myself, so I told my friends not to come looking for me. I felt a need to go to the Forbidden Forest. I saw a boy step out of the Forest. I stepped behind a tree so that he couldn't see me. I stared at him for a second before I realized it was Potter. I was curious as to why he was by himself, I was half expecting to see Weasel and Granger come out of the Forest as well. Then I could see that he was taking time to himself as well.

I walked aimlessly into the Forest. Then I stopped, I was face to face with one of the horses from earlier this week. He was looking right at me. I was worried that he might attack but he just stared at me. Then he just turned as if he wanted me to follow. So I did, as stupid as it sounds. He led me to a clearing where there were twenty horses, some of which were around a girl.

"Luna?"

"Hello Draco, how are you doing?" She asked as if I hadn't broke her heart the other day.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. How about you Luna?"

"Wonderful, thank you. What brings you here?" She asked dreamily.

"I don't really know." She nodded as if it were the most logical answer. "What are you doing here?"

"Keeping the Threshals company."

"What are Threshals?"

"You have to see them to understand." She said sadly.

"You mean the skeleton-horses?"

"You do see them." She said happily.

"Yeah, I do." I said awkwardly.

"You lied." She said.

"Yes I did, I am sorry."

"It's quite alright, you said the truth now. Why did you lie?" She asked curiously.

"Admitting I saw them…"

"Would be admitting they are real." Luna said nodding.

"How come it seems that we are the only ones that see them?"

"We're not, Harry sees them too."

"What do all of us have in common?" I asked wondering what could connect me, Harry, and Luna.

"We've all seen a person die."

"Is that what makes them visible?"

"Yes."

"If it's not too personal, who did you see die?"

"I saw my mother die when I was nine."

"I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright, she liked to experiment and one went wrong."

"I truly am sorry about your mother Luna." I said sincerely.

"Thank you Draco." Luna said. Her blue eyes filled with tears. Suddenly she hugged me. I stiffened immediately. I wasn't used to hugs from anyone other than Pansy. Sooner than I thought, I was hugging her back.

"Can I ask you a question Draco?"

"Sure."

"Who did you see die?" I know she could feel my body language change. "You don't have to tell me." She said slacking her hold on my waist.

"Wait." I said grabbing onto her harder. I took a deep breath. We stood there for what felt like hours.

"Draco, it's ok." Luna said soothingly.

"My dad had taken me to see if I had what it takes to be a Death Eater. It was like some kind of training camp. The more experienced Death Eaters had abducted a muggle family of seven. Trainees were ordered to kill them. A little boy, about five, ran up to me. I raised my wand to kill him but I couldn't, he didn't deserve this, muggle or not.

"Just as I was thinking of a way to get him away from this camp, someone killed him. Just like that, no hesitation at all." Luna look up at me and reached up a hand to wipe away a tear I hadn't even felt.

I felt one of the Threshals push my back hard. It made us fall over with Luna landing underneath me.

"Are you alright Luna?" I asked groaning as I rolled off of her.

"I'm fine."

We didn't move. She was cuddled next to me. One of my arms was trapped underneath her. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed just someone's presence.

"Draco are we friends?"

It was such an innocently, loaded question. If I say yes she could be in more danger than is imaginable. If I say no she would be more hurt than she has ever been.

"Yes Luna, we are friends."

"Thank you."

"We should head back." I said after some time had passed.

"Perhaps." She said not moving.

"Come on, we can come back tomorrow."

"Alright." She said and we got up.

We walked back in comfortable silence.

A month or so before the school year is out. We have managed to keep our friendship a secret. We had a long talk about it, Luna wasn't happy about it but she understood why no one could know. I wish sometimes that she wasn't so understanding, it makes me feel horrible.

Luna and I were in the library studying and talking.

"Luna, what's going on here?" Hermione Granger asked stepping towards up slowly.

"I am studying with Draco." Luna said simply.

"I can see that. Are you two dating?"

"No." Luna and I said simply. I saw Granger's body relax.

"Have you told Ginny about this friendship?" Granger asked sitting down at our table.

"Are you joking? Weaslet wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut for more than an hour."

"You have a point there Malfoy."

"I never thought that I'd hear that from you Granger."

"Neither did I. So no one knows about this, right?"

"Why do you ask?" Luna asked.

"No offense to Malfoy, your crowd aren't exactly unicorns."

"No offense taken. And no one but us three know."

"Oh and the nargles, they get in your head and know your thoughts." Luna added. Granger and I looked at her.

"How could I forget them?" I said giving Granger a let-it-go-look.

"I'm going to bed." Luna said. " Goodnight Draco." She gave me a hug. "Goodnight Hermione." She left.

"Are you going to tell Potter or Weasel?" I asked.

"Of course not, as long as you promise not to hurt her."

"I promise you, Granger. I am not going to hurt her." I said putting my hand on her shoulder and getting closer to look into her eyes.

"Draco?" Blaise whispered. I paled and looked at him.

"Blaise, um…I um…"

"Don't even try it. I can't believe you didn't trust me enough to tell me that you and Granger are dating."

"Hold your hippogriffs Zabini. I am not under any circumstances dating Draco."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but you called him Draco. I didn't know you two were on a first name basis."

"Look Zabini "

"No call me Blaise."

"Whatever Blaise, don't jump to conclusions with no base to land on. Draco and I were discussing a matter, we are not, I repeat, not, dating."

"Alright Hermione, I believe you." Blaise said. "Can I be let in on the matter a Gryffindor and a Slytherin had to discuss?"

"It really has nothing to do with me. Goodnight boys." Hermione said getting up.

"Goodnight Hermione." We said as she left.

"So…" Blaise said looking at me.

I spilled my bag of beans. I told him everything. He listened intently to everything I said.

"Now was that so hard?" He asked when I finished.

"Not really." I said smiling. It felt good to tell people, even telling Hermione felt right.

"So are you and Luna dating?"

"No."

"Do you want to?"

"I don't know. Really." I added when Blaise looked at me skeptically.

"You know you can't keep it a secret forever."

"I know. Can you imagine how much trouble I caused her for saying that I was her friend? This is not going to end well." I said lightly banging my head on the table.

"Then why didn't you lie?"

"I couldn't loose her."

"You have my support Draco."

"Thank you."

"Just to tell you, you're telling Pansy."