Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling except the plot and Joachim de Grasse.
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Joachim looked over his schedule while eating breakfast, it went along as follows:
Monday- two hours of Transfiguration, two of Arithmancy, an hour for lunch break, an hour of herbology, one free period, and one hour of Defense.
Tuesday- two hours of Potions, two of Defense, lunch, a free hour, and one hour that would be used to test them in one of their classes.
Wednesday- two hours of Potions, two of Transfiguration, lunch, an hour of Charms.
Thursday- two hours of Potions, one of Arithmancy, one free period, lunch, two hours of Herbology.
Friday- two hours of Charms, two of Transfiguration, lunch, a free hour, and three hours that would be used for an exam in one of their classes other than the one they were tested on.
Knowing that Ravenclaw would have Transfiguration and Defense classes with the Gryffindors, Charms, Potions and Herbology with the Slytherins, and that his Arithmancy class included students from all four of the houses.
He took a deep breath when he set his spoon down, a day that started out with McGonagall's class would surely be a long one. The institution's new principal had not stopped teaching her course, and he was pretty sure that what she expected from her students had not dwindled over the summer.
'Well, I better hurry and go grab my school bad.'
Joachim left the Great Hall while most other students were just barely starting to eat their breakfast, but they already had their bags and they had people to talk to. He therefore headed to Ravenclaw tower, breathed the password to the painting and rushed in his dormitory to get his school bag together. Each year since he had been in the schooling system Joachim had enjoyed putting his first day back school bag together with care, thinking that it would be like a trail that would keep him on track and organized over the year. But each year he ended up having broken quills and scribbled over parchment littering the bottom of his bag, and having way more stuff than needed packed in it.
He shoved in his bag two quills, a bottle of ink, a stack of rolls of parchment, a ruler, and of course the two books he would be needing this morning: Transfiguration-Year 7, and Arithmancy, the magic of numbers at advanced levels. Then he put over his Ravenclaw uniform a matching robe, took his wand in his left hand and hurried out of the dormitory to get to class.
When he made it to McGonagall's classroom he slid in the last row of tables next to the window, his favorite spot. He could see that Hermione was sitting at the front row, with Harry and Ron behind her in the second one. He did not notice straight away that a young woman form his own house had just taken the seat on his right, but a strange feeling made him look up and turn his head in her direction. He was surprised to see Luna Lovegood sending him a hazy look and a faint but warm smile, he answered with a shy smile of his own before focusing on the front of the classroom. But during the two hours, which they used to go over transfigurations they had learned the year prior, he noticed numerous times that the girl sharing his table kept sending him glances out of the corner of her eye.
'She is a Ravenclaw just like you; it would not have hurt you to talk to her a bit.' Joachim was now headed to his Arithmancy class while following Luna with his gaze, she was involved in a discussion with Hermione who was the only Gryffindor who took that course with them. When he entered the classroom he noticed that Luna had taken a spot similar to the one they had shared earlier and she waved at him to join her.
"Here Joachim I saved you a seat, this is where you like to sit isn't it?"
"Yes it is…uh…perfect. Thank you." He smiled weakly to his classmate. "Uh…why are you not sitting with Hermione?"
He saw a flash of sadness in Luna's expressive eyes.
"If you'd rather I can move…" Said Luna with a stricken face. "I just wanted to be friendly that's all, I…I can tell the situation isn't easy for you. But I guess sitting with Loony Lovegood won't help you make friends either, sorry."
"No, not at all. I am quite pleased to have you sitting next to me." Said Joachim with haste, while flashing to her a warm smile he hoped was convincing. "It is just a bit random…and….Well…you know I do not have any friends here so I do not want you to feel obligated."
Luna smiled back at him, and was about to answer when Draco's drawling voice was heard.
"Well, Loony Lovegood and Jojo, what will the rumors say? So what is this? The gathering of the castle's unwanted?" He taunted while sitting right in front of them. "A word of advice, be quiet. I would like to be able to follow this lecture in peace."
And that's actually on these words that the lecture began. Joachim tried his best to follow and take notes but he could not stop himself from glancing discreetly at his table neighbor. In the end it was a promising start, it just seemed odd that Luna would start talking to him this year but he decided to accept things as they came along. The only dark spot of this morning had been Draco's comments, but Joachim had heard a lot more when he was at that Manor.
It made him a bit sad when he found himself alone at one end of the Ravenclaw table when lunch began. Luna was in a deep conversation with Ginny at the Gryffindor table; he looked down at his empty plate, took one last sip of pumpkin juice and headed to switch the contents of his bag with what he would need over the afternoon.
"You left the table very quickly Joachim," sighed Luna while taking a spot on his left this time in one of the greenhouses used for Herbology lessons. "Could I talk to you during our break before Defense?"
Joachim nodded and focused on Mrs. Sprout. 'Why does she want to talk to me? Her behavior is kind of off, what happened since last year?'
When that short hour was over, Luna and he headed towards the shore of the lake. Luna settled aginst the trunk of a weeping willow, safe under its thin, long and drooping branches and its leaves.
"Joachim…I…it might seem weird but I would like to apologize."
"What for?"
"Well, I know what it is like to lose a parent; and I know perfectly well what it's like to have no friends at Hogwarts. But even then I didn't do anything to try to help you last year. It was selfish of me. I don't know why…it was easier to tell myself that you wouldn't want a burden like me, that you'd refuse my friendship."
"Well then, what made you change your mind?"
"One of Dad's articles, about Screolipthates. The weak ones gather to band against the group that rejects them. And since neither of us was really socially accepted I figured it might be worth taking the chance, we both need a friend in Ravenclaw don't we?"
"Thank you."
Joachim was touched by Luna's frank and simple words. Emotion knotted his throat, and he smiled at her. And that is how they forged their agreement to be table buddies, and friends. One and the other talked about their respective summer, a light conversation during which they avoided any issue that could make have pained the other. It was with pleasure that Joachim headed to his last hour of class for the day.
'In the end it really has been the best first day I could have imagined.'
And their friendship was truly established over the afternoon, which they spent doing homework together, and in the evening during a dinner that they did eat at one of Ravenclaw table's ends but together again. Joachim introduced Luna to Ariane during the evening, after sniffing Luna and observing her Ariane released a short purr and curled up on her master's lap. That Ariane accepted Luna relieved Joachim of a weight he did not know he was carrying, his pet had become quite important in his eyes and subconsciously he wanted Ariane to accept Luna.
It was a very happy Joachim that slid under his bed sheets after showering. And he fell asleep in a peaceful night.
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