Only the Loony Ch.10: All the Same

The figure approached the pair of laughing teenagers, it's cloak helping it to blend in with the shadows of trees and bushes it raced under. Though Luna glanced over once or twice, as if she had heard something, she cast away those thoughts quickly and went back to helping Neville come up with a plan on where they should go. Neville was just suggesting they pay a visit to Paris or Rome when the figure began pacing up their sacred hill, it's legs moving swiftly beneath the cloak. Neville and Luna barely had time to whip out their wands when the person under the cloak yelled "Expeliarmus!" and both of their wands flew into their assailant's open left palm. The two students knew the voice was a woman's, but they had never heard the voice before.

Narcissa Malfoy pulled off the hood of her cloak, revealing her black and white streaked hair and worried eyes. Neville stood in front of Luna and stammered, "W-who are you? What're you doin' here?"

"Narcissa Malfoy."

Mrs. Malfoy didn't seem very threatening, but Neville knew her to be a Death Eater, just like her husband. He was never going to trust someone in the Malfoy family. She made to reply, but stopped herself. She cleared her throat and seemed to be thinking about what to say for a moment. "Is Draco alright?"

At the sound of her quivering voice, Nevill began looking to Luna for guidance on how to answer. Luna smiled, to the astonishment of Neville, and replied warmly, "Yes, I believe so. Though he has been spending a great deal of time by himself lately."

Neville couldn't even speak. How was Luna so calm in the face of a Death Eater? He looked to Mrs. Malfoy, who seemed similarly shocked, but he also noticed how relieved she was. He felt something connect in his mind and his mouth opened slightly. She wasn't their enemy. She was just a mother caught in the middle of this needless war. She was them, and they were her. All she wanted was for her family to be safe. She wasn't a killer. She just happened to be on Voldemort's side of the battle. Either of them could have easily been brought up like Draco. They weren't people to hate, rather they were people to pity.

"Er, Mrs. Malfoy!"

She had dropped their wands and had begun to walk back down the hill. She turned when she heard his voice, a look of shock on her face as if her name being called had never been a good thing. "You're nothing like your sister."

"What's your name?"

"Neville Longbottom."

Narcissa's face dropped solemnly. "I am very sorry, Neville. I hope our families can become friends someday, after all this war, maybe in a few generations' time."

"Me too."

Narcissa turned and walked off, but just before she reached the edge of the hill, she asked suddenly, "Shouldn't you both be in class?"

Neville's face began to blush and he muttered back, "I've already ruined that for us."

Her smile was full of motherly kindness as she replied, "Nothing's ever completely ruined. I suggest you get back to class sooner rather than later. The longer you stay out here, the greater the punishment will be."

Neville and Luna thanked Mrs. Malfoy for her advice and watched her hid her face under her ghastly Death Eater mask once more. When she reached the forest, they picked up their wands with shaky hands and looked at each other without uttering a single word, but sharing a dozen thoughts. They had both learned so much in so little time.

They lay in the grass again, absentmindedly casting small charms on drops of dew to turn them into sparkling shades of green and purple. Finally, after turning a red ladybug yellow, Luna stated casually, "Mrs. Malfoy was very kind."

"Words I never thought I'd hear."

They shared a smile before Luna continued, "I thought we were in trouble at first but...I guess not everyone is as bad as we think."

Neville was watching an ant intently. "Yeah..."

His distractedness was worrying Luna. "I know something's troubling you. What is it?"

"Well...her sister is Bellatrix. She...I mean, her sister tortured my parents. But she's...so different. How could two sisters be so different?"

Luna was watching an ant carrying a small leaf now. "Well, I suppose it's like Serius was. He and Narcissa are both the odd one's in that family, I guess. They're the only ones who didn't become bad."

Neville looked out over the treetops. "Should we go back to school, Luna?"

She didn't respond for a little while. Contemplating a thing like that took time. "If we go back, we'll see our friends again."

Neville pointed out sadly, "We might get expelled."

"We might not."

Neville looked into Luna's eyes once more. She was excited; she wanted to go back. Anyone could see that. But what if they did get in trouble? What would happen to them? Was seeing their friends again worth the risk of expulsion?

Neville made up his mind quickly. His friends meant more to him than his own life, and he was going to see to it that if there was a war coming, he'd be right there fighting beside them.