Demetria Oakres has been stood up so many times.

She's been forced to wait in the library for hours, resigned to the fact her study partner isn't coming.

Not today.

Ron is at the library before her, and he waves. "Hi."

"Hi. Ready to learn how to prime factor, multiply rationals, find recipricals, etcetera?" asked Demetria, swinging into a seat next to him.

"Okay?" said Ron.

Demetria didn't think he got any of what she said for the next half hour, but he managed to do a equation almost flawlessly.

"Thanks for teaching me," said Ron.

"Thanks for listening," said Demetria. "See you at the first task?"

"See you."

Demetria walked out of the library and almost instantly ran into Luna Lovegood.

"Wrackspurts got you?" asked Luna dreamily.

"Yeah," said Demetria.

"Oh. That's sad." sighed Luna. "I was hoping to talk to someone."

"In that case, I'll try to rid myself of the infestation," said Demetria, and both of them grinned.

"Do you ever feel like responding to taunts would make them go away?" asked Luna.

"No, not really."

"That's what I thought."

"That's what you do, Luna."

"People still tease me."

"It'll be alright, I promise."

Luna slung a arm around Demetria's shoulders. This was no mean feat, as Demetria was at least ten centimeters taller than her.

"Why can't I just take my own advice?" wondered Luna aloud.

"Because logic," said Demetria, and they both laughed. This was her response to most questions she couldn't answer.

The girls began to walk upstairs to the Ravenclaw dorms, keeping up a steady flow of quiet conversation.

"Did you hear that Cedric Diggory has a secret army of heliopaths ready to kill Harry, Viktor, and Fleur so he can win the Triwizard Tournament?" asked Luna, her grey eyes blazing.

"Yeah, Luna, no." said Demetria. "I am pretty sure he doesn't."

"That's what he wants you to think."

Demetria didn't sigh, but she changed the subject. "Are you doing anything this weekend?"

"I'm actually going on a date with Cormac McLaggen."

Demetria choked on her own spit. "WHAT?"

"I'm not actually-"

"This is a recipe for disaster."

"It'll be fun."

"I'll be the reassuring shoulder to cry on later."

"Weren't you just on a date with Ron Weasley?" asked Luna innocently.

"That was me teaching him math," said Demetria. "That wasn't a date!"

"Sure it wasn't."

"Be quiet."

"See you later," said Luna. They'd reached the Ravenclaw knocker.

"I can only live where there is light, but I die if the light shines on me. What am I?" asked the knocker.

"A... Shadow," decided Demetria.

The door swung open.

A/N: Sorry it's not as long as the one before! I'll publish a extra long chapter to make up for it tomorrow. And Happy Halloween!