Vacancy24: Thank you so much for your review! It's the first and it was terrific to read which is actually why this chapter is out so soon. I have no idea still if it'll be Draco or Viktor just yet, mainly because Viktor hasn't even appeared in depth yet!


"Um, sure. I'm about to leave though." I motioned back to the doors with my thumb and a doughnut still in my mouth. I didn't know who this guy was but he was nice...ish. Just a little terrifying and I did actually need to leave for Charms, we had it with the Hufflepuffs and I was hoping to get a seat that was a little closer to Filtwick this year...he wasn't the biggest person, it was hard to see him when your eyes aren't terrific.

"Oh of course, I shall keep your...sister? Company." He peered at Luna who looked up from her work long enough to give him a small smile.

"That would be lovely." She seemed okay with him around so I took it as my time to bail on her.

I hurried out of the Great Hall and back to the common rooms, I needed to grab my Standard Book of Spells for class. I was moving quickly, quickly enough that I smacked into someone on my way up from the first floor on the stairs.

"Sorry!" I yelled over my shoulder at them as I continued on.

"Its fine." I heard a masculine voice but I didn't bother checking who it was as I went. I was more focused on just getting the book and getting a seat in class. I found our door and banged the enchanted knocker three times.

"What gets wetter as it dries?" It took a moment but the ancient voice finally sounded off. I pondered it for a quick second.

"A towel." I sighed, starting to get impatient. A second later the door swung open and I pushed my way through running down the stairs to the girls dormitory and grabbed my book.

I ran back up the stairs only to stop and look out the window. I loved the view from the Ravenclaw tower the arched windows set into the walls of our circular common room looked down at the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. No other house in the school had such stunning views and I absolutely loved it all. Okay, time to get back to running around like a banshee.

It took me about 15 minutes to actually get to the Charms classroom and when I did, I practically collapsed into my seat. I was huffing as my peers watched my red face hit the desk. I don't think I've ever ran this fast for something, I did't think I ever would unless I was literally running from something trying to eat and/or maim me.

"You okay?" It sounded like Kathryn patting me on the shoulder right now but my heart was beating so loud, I couldn't quite tell.

"I'm just a little knackered." I mumbled into the desk. I heard a girlish chuckle and ignored it to focus on controlling my breathing before I passed out.

"Good morning class! Welcome back to Charms." I heard Filtwick and picked my head up of the desk to look at him. He was standing on the same gigantic pile of books he'd stood on for the last three years.

"Morning Professor Filtwick." I chorused with the rest of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.

"Today, we shall focus on the Summoning Charm! Quite useful for the average witch or wizard, so please open your books and turn to page 234." Filtwick announced, waving his wand to bring the chalk board closer to the center of the room.

I opened up my book and began putting all of my focus onto what was ahead. I was hoping this year would be easier but I doubted it. Somehow, I got more work as the years went on in Hogwarts.

I was in and out in Charms, a hit and miss per-say, it was normal for my wand to be moody but I was really hoping it wouldn't be like that today. Really, the only class I've ever excelled at consistently was Divination but I'm pretty sure that's just because Trelawny thought I'd be some top-notch seer thanks to my wand being Silver Lime. Didn't mean shite, instead I got a moody wand that liked to sing it's own tune.

I collapsed into my seat for Transfiguaration and waited for McGonagall to start our lesson, seemed like I'd be out of breath a lot this year. I'd sat down next to a redhead, like a flaming red head which led me to assume this was a Weasley.

"Hey. Selene right?" He held out a hand which I took warily, I was more just wondering how he knew what my name was.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I shook his hand steadily while staring him dead on in the eye.

"Ron Weasley. Uh, your sister talks about you a lot." He nodded, letting go of my hand. I didn't know that Luna actually spoke to this guy, she'd never mentioned him before which was odd. I remembered she spoke about Harry once before, something about them being similar enough that they might actually be friends.

"All good things?" I smiled, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere considering he'd likely be my desk-mate for the rest of the year. Maybe this was how I got Luna to come out of her shell a bit, she wasn't as odd as everyone made her out to be. In fact she was more emotionally intelligent than I was, she was able to put her finger on the heart of the issue with little thought.

"Oh yeah, definitely." He laughed lightly, cracking a smile at me. Checkmate. This could work out splendidly for both Luna and I.

"So... today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L." McGonagall's voice was crisp today, making me pay attention. I did want to have some kind of future after Hogwarts and those tests were coming up next year.

"I have placed a silver cup on each of your desks, pull out your wand and wave it as so." I watched her intently, glancing at the cup on our desk quickly to make sure I hadn't somehow missed it.

"Now recite the incantation, Evanesco." I stared in morbid fascination as the snail that was on her desk vanished entirely. She pulled her wand away, and looked around expectantly at us.

"Questions?" Her eyes jumped around to land somewhere in the back.

"Where do the vanished things go?" I head a feminine voice in the back and glanced over my shoulder to find a bushy haired girl that I recognized as Hermione Granger. Sometimes I seriously wondered why she hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw with a head like hers.

"Well Miss Granger, Vanished objects go into non-being, which is to say, everything." Mcgonagall tilted her head down slightly, waiting for any other questions that Granger might have had. She generally had quite a bit.

"Now then. Begin and do not be discouraged if you cannot cast it upon your first try." I enjoyed Mcgonagall, she was a Indianapolis but she was fair about it which was a welcome breath of fresh air from Snape's authoritarian attitude.

I pursed my lips, pulling out my wand to focus on it entirely. It took me a couple of deep breaths and a couple of tries but something did happen eventually, when I focused hard enough. I mean something vanished...it just wasn't the cup.

CLACK-WHUMPH

"Bloody hell." Ron mumbled under his breath as the desk simply vanished from in front of us, leaving our cups, books, and quills to clatter to the ground. I let out a long breath as the professor strode up to where we were and took in the scene.

"While I admire your proclivity to go above and beyond Miss Lovegood, it might do you some good to merely allow your magic channel through your wand at it's pace." I couldn't actually tell if she was amused or scolding me and it seemed like she couldn't decide either.

"Sorry, Professor." I mumbled bending down to pick up my books and quill.

"I would also appreciate if you'd learn the conjuring charm before I am forced to conjure up set of new desks for your classmates." She sounded a bit more upset now, motion to where our desk had been once upon a time. This wasn't the first time I'd done something to the desks in her classroom, but at least this time it didn't have sentience or a tail.

"Right. Sorry." I kept my head down and nodded. I don't know if she was harder on me because she was trying to help me, or if it was just because I'd never be as good as Hermione without seriously struggling. Sometimes I flew off the handle at the slightest bit of irritation, but other times (such as now) I was terrific and looking awfully sorry.

"Class dismissed, I expect everyone to practise this spell tonight...except for you Miss Lovegood. I expect you to practise a conjuring spell of your choice, preferably a table." She declared as the bell rung, signalling our class period had ended and I needed to start heading to Potions. I felt a sigh cloak my entire body as I stood with my things in my arms.

"Mcgonagall teared your arse a new one." Ron's voice wasn't as nearly as quiet as he seemed to think it was when we left the classroom, making me want to smack my head into my books over and over again.

"It was a bit..." A new male voice started up on the other side of me, startling me lightly. "Rough to watch." My head spun to see a boy with ruffled black hair and circular glasses. Harry Potter.

Lovely. I'd been roped into the Golden Trio thanks to my idiotic transfiguration skills, but it might work out if I could some how match Potter and Luna up. I know it's meddling, I do. Its just...they could be terrific together, and I knew a lot about Luna and her tendencies. Potter could do well with her, but only time would tell.

"If you want some help practising, I would be happy to help." Granger chirped, suddenly appearing as well on the other side of Potter. Good grief.

"Sure. That'd be deadly." I nodded quickly, taking a sharp turn for the staircase as the trio continued straight.

"See you tonight at the library, 8pm!" She yelled down to me as I just threw up a thumbs up while I attempted to not tumble down the stairs in a mess.

I literally almost missed the gap of time before Snape closed the door in your face and you were left outside to wait for your detention. Of course this meant all the back row seats were taken I had to awkwardly travel up the rows of Slytherin jeers and wary Ravenclaws. I kinda felt like I was marching to my death right now. I spotted an open seat in the second row and quickly sat down, taking it in a rush.

"I will not bother with pleasantries, you had them your first year. I might remind you, however, I do not condone any foolish wand waving in my classroom and anyone found of this will be escorted to Filch for a weekend in detention." Snape was dramatic as ever after he'd slammed the dungeon door shut, almost tromping down the stairs with his cape flowing behind him.

"With that said, today some of you will benefit from today's assignment: Wit-Sharpening Potion. Perhaps you should begin immediately." Snape's hands were steepled as his eyes scanned across the room, eyeing me for a moment before he turned and went to his desk in the front of the class.

I turned to my desk-mate and almost regretted my hasty choice immediately. Draco Malfoy was just sitting there, his notebook was open but empty. Instead he was just watching me for some kind of reaction, I was feeling warm but it could be the fact that I was about to have a hole stared right through my cheek.

"Um, so...shall we nab some ingredients?" I raised a brow, nodding towards the shelves surrounding Snape's desk. Was he always this odd? Was it just me?

"Of course." He finally turned his gaze away from me to the shelves and stood. As soon as he left the desk, I let out a big whoosh of air that I didn't realise I was holding in. The ease did not last long considering how quickly he reappeared holding jars of scarab beetles, ginger roots and a vial of Armadillo bile, good thing he was my partner, I guess. I did not know these things went in here.

I pulled the scarab beetles over to my side and opened the jar, ignoring the awful smell that it emitted. I almost gagged but forced myself to calm down as I grabbed a knife and went to cut one of the beetles I'd dumped out.

"Stop." Malfoy's voice was gravelly as he put his hand over mine, stilling my movements. I glanced up at him, waiting for an explanation at the half in my possible progress. My attitude for potions was to chop everything else and stick it all in a cauldron.

"You ground these." He didn't let go of my hand, choosing to move it instead to the mortar and pestle.

"Righto." I quickly pulled my hand out from under his, ignoring the odd sparking sensation and scooped up the disgusting beetles, dropping them into the bowl. This was odd and made me want to write my father about it but I'd likely hold off. He got a little emotional sometimes.