Chapter four

Luna turned her head to look at the clock that she had on her night stand, five am at last. She hadn't gotten much sleep that night, she had dozed off for an hour maybe. She sat up on the bed and looked at her trunk on the floor. She had packed it last night after she'd come home from Diagon Alley. Her clothes lay on top of it, ready for her to dress in. She stood up and pulled on the blue jeans and pale pink tank top. Over it she wore a knitted green and orange sweater she had made herself. She dragged her trunk down the stairs and into the kitchen. She would be heading over to Bill and Fleur's house soon, they were all going together.

Luna picked up an apple from the basket on the table and took a big bite out of it. They had finished fixing the house. It was nice, just like it used to be. She walked into her fathers study, she wasn't surprised to see him sitting by the window. Today was the day he had to meet his new wife to be too. It was just devastating for Luna to watch her father in so much pain, he was still deeply in love with her mother. He felt like he was betraying her. But as Luna had told him the law is the law dad, mom knows that. She wouldn't want you to break the law, you know. She had told him one night.

"Morning dad" Luna greeted in a chiming voice as she floated over to the window.

Her father didn't look up, he just mumbled something that sounded like 'morning yet?' Luna leaned her head a little as she looked at him.

"Dad you have to sleep" she warned with a slightly worried expression.

He then looked up at her and gave her one of his smiles that just made you feel better about everything. "I will darling, are you off to the Weasleys now?" he asked her and stood up.

Luna nodded and gave him a smile.

"Good luck my dear child" he said and embraced her "write to me every week or so" he said and pulled away.

"I will, good luck to you too" she said in a airy voice. They left the study and got into the kitchen. Luna grabbed the handle of her trunk and walked over to the fireplace. She turned one last time to her dad "bye dad, see you soon" she said and took a handful of floopowder and stepped into the fireplace with the trunk. "The Shell Cottage" she shouted clearly and threw the floopowder. She saw her dad wave and smile at her. She could see the smile was just a mask to try and hide his pain but being Luna she tended to see through that stuff.

Luna stepped out of the fireplace in the Shell Cottage and was greeted with the smell of food. She dusted the ash of her clothes and placed her trunk with the others that stood by the door. Luna then walked into the kitchen and smiled as she was greeted with a plate of eggs and bacon and a kiss on the cheek from Fleur.

Miss Weasley was also there and of course Ron and Ginny. She took a seat besides Ginny. Luna felt like they hadn't been talking when she came in. The air was thick to say the least.

"Beautiful weather outside, lucky for us, nargles don't like nice weather" she informed the others in a detached voice.

Miss Weasley the stood up and took their plates "You should get going children, you don't want to miss the train" she told them and it didn't sound like the Molly Weasley she used to know. This one was much more sad and not at all herself. Luna, Ginny and Ron all stood up at the same time and left the kitchen. Luna heard the dishes clatter in the sink and small sobs coming from the same place. Ginny looked at the kitchen door Ron knew exactly what she was thinking and pushed her towards the front door. There wasn't much to be said, nothing to talk about except for the thing they didn't want to discuss.

They took their trunks and headed out for their portkey.

They landed behind the train station. This time everyone had a bit of trouble with their landing because of the trunks. They stood up and moved toward the entrance of the station. No one paused. They just walked quickly to the platform and through the brick wall.

Platform 4 and 3/4 was very crowded but unusually quiet. There were about thirteen deatheaters all over the platform.

Ginny looked around and turned to them "Lets get on" she said and they walked over to the train and tried to find an empty cabin. Some of them were full others were less crowded but inhabited with people that they didn't seek the company of. They finally walked past one with Nevill inside.

Luna pushed the door open and walked in. "Hello Nevill" she said and smiled airily.

Nevill looked up from his book "hi" he greeted in a rather dull voice.

They stored their trunks up on the shelves and took their seats. Ginny by the window opposite from Nevill. Ron besides him and Luna beside Ginny.

"Soo.. How was your summer Nevill" asked Ginny. She was obviously trying to start a conversation.

Nevill looked up at her "not good, not good at all… as if it wasn't enough that the deatheaters don't leave us alone but my grandmother blames me for it all. My life is literally a living hell" he told them in a pained voice.

Ginny looked mortified "I am really sorry Nevill, I didn't mean to…" she said but trailed off.

"And to top it off I have to get married to someone I might not even know or like" he continued like he hadn't heard her.

This set Ginny's faucet of tears off. Luna edged closer to her and put her hand on her shoulder. Ron Stared menacingly at Nevill and slapped the back of his head over.

"Hey!" shouted Nevill.

"Sorry, I saw a Nargle" Ron said and grinned to himself.

Luna looked at them "you can't actually see them Ron, they're invisible" she informed him and sat back into her seat. The whistle blew and a minute later they were moving.

Luna thought she must have dozed off for a while because before she knew it they were almost there and it was time to change into school clothing. She got changed and then they waited for the train to pull into the station. This time when they walked up to the carriages everyone could see the Thestrals. It was a frightening moment. They got into the carriages.

"What is that?" asked Ron in a confounded voice.

"Thestrals" answered Luna "you can't see them unless you have witnessed death" she explained further. They didn't talk all that much on their way to the castle just some small talk. As they pulled up to the castle they could see a series of cottages near the castle where there used to be nothing. These would be for them after they were married. The thought made Luna shiver slightly.

They walked into the castle and as they entered the grate hall they were given a number. The house tables were gone and instead there were small rounded tables with two chairs by each. Over each table there were numbers floating in the air.

Luna looked at her number, twenty two. She looked around and spotted the table quickly. She really had no words for what she was looking at. She looked down at her number again and then at the number above the table. No way. Draco Malfoy was seated at the table. She looked at Ginny besides her. She looked a bit frightened and Luna decided to talk to her later.

She looked back at the table and started to walk very slowly towards it. Why Draco… She literally could not think of anyone that would be worse for her. You would have thought that he would have gotten some girl from Slytherin or something. But maybe they were really serious about everyone following the rules and no exceptions. She really hated this, she really hated Voldemort. Why couldn't people have gotten along in the first place. She didn't get why everyone always wanted to dominate the world. And now she was stuck with Draco Malfoy as a husband. Luna wasn't really a sad person but now she was absolutely devastated.

As she got to the table she couldn't even look at him. She just sat down and laid her number on the table and waited for McGonacall to start the speech. She could feel his eyes on her and they felt like they were burning though her skin.

oolala teehee :D I had a question about who would be Ginny's mate… I have decided teehee but you won't get to know until next chapter :D