Chapter Eleven: The Boy Who Played Quidditch

Ben had trouble sleeping again that night, and chose instead to slip into a deep meditative trance that was not much better. Still, he roused himself out of the trance expecting to see Luna lying on his bed, staring at him with that expectant, trusting gaze of hers. He kept catching odd whiffs of plums.

Morning finally came, and for once Ben treated himself to the luxury of a warm shower. His thoughts the previous night were not sexual at all. Rather, he felt merely lonely. He felt guilty. Luna looked so tired and lonely. Hermione and Dumbledore both told him he was doing the right thing. His own Jedi training told him he was going the right thing. And yet his heart told him he was a complete idiot.

At breakfast he noticed once again that Greengrass and Finnigan had their own corner of the sparsely populated Slytherin table. He saw that Luna was not at the Ravenclaw table, but appeared to be sitting with Ginny Weasley at the Gryffindor table. He made a note to talk to her later.

His lesson with Hermione that morning began to explore some of the more intricate spells and magical approaches, including that shielding spell that Sirius Black used so well. She gave him a third and final book on Defense Against the Dark Arts that illustrated and described many spell combinations and new spells that seemed to combine elements of both charms and transfigurations in the later stages.

For the first time since starting at Hogwarts, Ben actually felt his magic. He felt it because he was tiring it out. After lunch, he meditated and studied the power within himself. It was an expression of Force energy, of that he had no doubt. But whereas the Jedi pulled the Force from all around them, this magical incarnation of the Force seemed to come solely from within his own body.

Just out of curiosity, he called the Force to himself and attempted to channel the additional energies through his magical 'core' (as Hermione called it). He was surprised to find that he could not do it. There seemed to be some type of block separating the two expressions of the Force.

That afternoon he dueled Alastor Moody, who was still in a foul mood from the previous day's events. Ben went in expecting to make short work of the older man. He was quickly disabused of the notion.

Where Sirius fought with aplomb, like a lightsaber, Moody fought with brute force, like an old Imperial e-web. He blasted spells at Ben so fast the Jedi spent most of his energy either deflecting spells or darting about the hall. He tried shifting into the Force, only to be painfully wrenched out of it. "Told you that trick doesn't work, boy!" Moody called.

He flung objects at Moody using the Force, only to have them bounce harmlessly off the wizard's magical shield. The floor shifted under his feet. Moody sprayed the floor with water, then shot lightning bolts into it. He shot three cannon balls from his wand with lethal speed. He transfigured nearby statues into ravenous canines that rushed Ben at the same time as the auror launched another volley of spells.

In the end Ben found himself thoroughly wrapped up in rope, hanging upside down from the ceiling.

However, the ex-auror was panting at the exertion of the fight. Nearby, Professor Flitwick and a young, pink-haired Auror Ben remembered as Tonks, applauded.

They were not applauding Moody.

"Good show, Mr. Skywalker!" Flitwick was saying with open enthusiasm.

"I lost," Ben said as Moody vanished the ropes. Where another would tumble painfully to the floor two meters below, Ben flipped quickly and landed on his feet with Force-borne agility.

"Everyone loses to Mad-Eye Moody," Tonks said. "But most lose in a minute or less. I've never seen anyone make him actually pant before."

"Eye, ye did good, lad," Moody said as he limped forward. "Haven't had a work-out like that in years. If that binding spell didn't catch ya, I wasn't sure I had much else in me."

"I look forward to my turn," Flitwick said.

"Still not fighting back with magic, though," Moody said.

"My fighting style's trained pretty deep in me," Ben said. "In dangerous situations I let the Force guide me. But I'm learning."

"Maybe instead of Professor Flitwick," Tonks said, "he should fight me, magic only."

"Only if you don't get carried away, girl," Moody said. He looked at Ben. "She thinks you're cute. That means she'll either try to snog you silly, or kill you in your training."

"Or both," Tonks said with a smile all too similar to Padma Patil's.

Ben fled. At lunch he noticed once again that Luna was sitting with the Gryffindors. She seemed to be leaning on Ginny's shoulder through much of the meal. Afterward, Ben made his way through the departing students.

He noticed how the Gryffindors reflexively tensed when they saw the badge that had magically appeared on his robes once he was sorted. Then they recognized him and relaxed, however slightly.

Ginny was walking between her brother Ron and Hermione Granger, with Susan Bones and Neville Longbottom a step behind. "Ginny, Hermione, may I have a word?" Ben asked.

The two girls nodded at the others and stepped aside. Without preamble, Ginny said, "What have you done to Luna?"

Ben sputtered, but Hermione put a hand on the younger girl's shoulders. "Ginny, it's not Ben's fault. She should not have been sneaking into the Slytherin dorms. Professor Dumbledore strengthened the wards, so now she can't get in."

Ginny did not appear mollified, though she kept her lips pursed tightly together.

"I came to check on her," Ben said.

"She's doing awful," Ginny said. "She went for more dreamless draught today, but that won't last. Madam Pomphrey won't let her take it three days in a row since it's addictive. She's not talking to anybody. She's not taking notes in class…even Professor Flitwick is worried about her."

"I'm sorry," Ben said. "I really don't know what to do, though. It's not like I can sleep with her like she wants."

Ginny leaned forward and said, very clearly, "Why not?"

"Ginny!" Hermione said disapprovingly.

"Oh please, you're only a year old than her and your shagging a man five years younger than my father." She turned back to Ben. "You're thinking about your own self. Maybe, just maybe a good shagging is what she needs."

"You're wrong," Ben said. "She needs more than physical distraction. She needs real help. I've offered. My father's even told me to start training her a little in Jedi meditation. But since the wards went up…I think she hates me."

Ginny shook her head. Her expression softened, if only a little. "She doesn't hate you, Ben. She's heartbroken and alone."

"I know," Ben said. He looked sadly at the two girls. "Please, take care of her. I really…I don't want her hurting."

Ginny harrumphed and walked away.

"You're doing the right thing, Ben," Hermione added softly.

"It doesn't feel that way," Ben said.

The weekend finally arrived, and Ben climbed down the stairs to find much of the Slytherin house gathered in the commons room. Some were reading, others talking. Many were still in pajamas or sleeping attire. Ben saw Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini in one corner with a pair of sixth years and two fifth years. They were having a very heated conversation.

"What's up?" Ben asked as he took a seat uninvited.

The seven glared at him a moment, before Daphne shrugged. "We're discussing Quidditch. And the fact that you managed to get the majority of our team thrown out."

Ben played with the idea of telling them about what happened to Malfoy, but seeing how dispirited they were, chose not to. "So, how many do you need to play?"

They stared at him as if he were daft. "You don't know how to play quidditch?" Zabini finally asked.

"Nor will I, if you don't tell me," Ben said patiently. "So, how many to field a team?"

"Seven players, and seven reservists" Greengrass said with a shake of her head. "Three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and one seeker. Chasers go up and down trying to get the quaffle into one of the three goals on either side of the pitch. The beaters use bats to keep the bludgers from killing our players. The keeper tries to protect the goals from the other team, and the seeker tries to catch the golden snitch. The Golden snitch is worth fifteen goals and ends the game. The seeker is the most important position. Pucey here," one of the sixth years nodded, "is our only chaser. Girls have never played on the Slytherin team, and the rest were either reserves or not playing at all."

Ben looked around the room. Other students had stopped their own conversations to listen. "So do girls play on the other teams?"

"Yes."

"But not on Slytherin?"

"No."

"Why?"

"It's just the way it is," Zabini asked.

"And who enforces the way it is?"

"The Team Captain," Pucey said.

"And who is that?"

"Malfoy," Zabini said.

"He's gone now," Ben said. "And anyone else left who could enforce it. So, if you want to field a team, you need to open it up to your best people, not just the best boys."

"I'm not even sure how many good flyers we have."

Ben blinked. "Flyers?"

Again, they all stared at him. "Quidditch is played on brooms," Greengrass said. "You've really never heard of quidditch? I know they have quidditch in Australia."

"I'm sure they do," Ben said, unconsciously mimicking Luna again. "So, how do we go about having open try-outs?"

"You mean you…want to try and field a team?" Pucey asked.

Ben shrugged. "It's my fault most of your team was gone. I'm a Slytherin. I owe it to you to try and help. So yeah, let's field a team. Pucey here can teach me."

Just then Professor Slughorn walked through the Commons room nodding genially to the students. "Professor," Ben asked, "what would be involved in holding quidditch try-outs?"

"They are normally in October, since the first game is not played until November," Slughorn said. He studied Ben closely. "Are you interested in playing, then?"

"I feel I owe it to my house," Ben said.

"An odd time for loyalty, isn't it?" Slughorn said.

The others watched, but Ben merely shrugged. "Loyalty is shown in many forms, Professor. I fail to see how dedicating yourself to a psychotic murderer should be equated with loyalty to Slytherin."

"We'll keep that in mind for the future, then," Slughorn said before continuing his ponderous way through the commons.

"You are a very strange boy, Skywalker," Greengrass said.

"So I've been told," Ben said.

That day, he sought out the Room of Requirement and, rather than practice magic, instead went through every Jedi kata he knew. Merging as he did with the Force, he couldn't help but feel a strange portent in the air, as if trouble was brewing just on the edge of his perception. He worked all the harder for it. He meditated, exercised, and went through all the sword dances he could think off.

He left the room with a glistening sheen of sweat and a pleasant ache in his thighs from all the leaps he performed. He ran almost directly into Luna. "Luna!" he said without thinking.

"Why, yes I am, thank you," she said absently as she stepped around him.

With a grunt of frustration, he rushed forward and grabbed her arm. "Luna, wait. Don't just run off."

She stopped and turned to stare at him. The dark rings under her eyes were even more pronounced. She appeared to have lost weight, which in someone already thin was alarming. He noticed more lines of red around her hands. He took one while she stood impassible. "Luna, what is happening to your hands?"

"I'm sure I don't know," she said.

Ben held her hands in his and let healing Force energy flow into her cuts. They closed slowly. Luna stood and closed her eyes, swaying a little as the energy entered her hands.

"Luna," Ben said, "I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure I'm just fine, but I thank you for your concern," Luna said. She pulled her hands from his and continued down the third floor hall.

He watched as she went, looking very small and alone in the large hall.

The following Monday had more lessons with Hermione, which were increasingly challenging as they moved info fifth and sixth year territory. "These are OWL and even some early NEWT level spells," she said. "Don't worry if you don't get them right the first time." And even with perfect memory, he didn't. He still had lingering issues with transfiguration, so many of the more advanced spells still vexed him, but even he could not deny the progress he made.

However, he was doubtful of his ability to duel with a professional magical law enforcement agent using only magic.

Still, Tonks was waiting in the Room of Requirement with Moody. Black and Flitwick were both there, and Hermione came that day as well.

"New rules," Moody said. "No light sword. No wandless magic unless it's actually magic. Use spells and your own body. Go now."

The moment his lips formed the second syllable, Tonks launched a full barrage of spells almost as rapidly as Moody himself. Ben dove out of the way, but then had to continue dancing about as he dodged spell after spell. He tried a protego spell with good results, but it limited his offense choices, which were still small compared to the dazzling array of magic being thrown in his direction.

Though his offense was weak, his Force-borne speed made up for a great deal since Tonks literally exhausted herself trying to hit him. Finally her casting slowed down as she tired and Ben started firing spells back. She was able to dodge many of his simple hexes, but then he tried a focused lumus spell that blinded her long enough for him to get a binding spell off.

"Outstanding!" Moody finally said. "Tonks, girl, if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times. If you can't knock him out in the first five minutes you've already lost! You need to get that stamina up!" He cancelled Ben's binding spell with a flick of his wrist.

"I know one way to build stamina," Tonks replied. "Right, Hermione?"

Hermione had the grace to blush and Sirius grinned. He appeared completely over his breakdown the previous week.

"All right, tomorrow it'll be Filius," Moody said. "Man's a former dueling professional. Should be fun."

With the advent of a new week, Thomas and Finnigan were both released from their required attendance at the Slytherin table. That evening, Ben looked around at the remaining students. There were perhaps thirty students total in Slytherin, barely half that of the other houses. The first year class alone barely numbered five, whereas Hufflepuff had fifteen first years.

Because of the smaller number, Ben was able to talk to the whole lot during their evening meal. "So, now that the Gryffs are back at their table, have any of you noticed a difference?"

"No, the Gryffindors still smell unpleasant," Zabini said to the laughter of the others.

A third year girl with thick glasses, however, nodded. "I made friends with a girl from Hufflepuff in Care of Magical Creatures. She helped me with my homework."

That revelation made others stare. "We could have helped you too," Greengrass said.

The girl shrugged. "She helped me because she wanted me to be her friend," the girl said.

"Good," Ben said. "And you, Greengrass. Have you made any friends outside of Slytherin?"

Her cheeks turned an interesting shade of crimson. "Oh shut up," she finally said, while beside her Tracey Davis giggled helplessly.

"I don't understand the 'them or us' attitude with the houses," Ben said. "The Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs, they're still your classmates. The real enemy is out there. I'm not saying you have to love them. But you definitely should not hate them."

"What about you, Skywalker?" Tracey asked. "You make any special friends?"

"Any crazy friends?" Zabini asked.

"Perhaps," Ben said.

Daphne stared at him for the longest time. "You are strange. Lovegood's strange. Together…"

"You're even stranger," Tracey said. "Luna Lovegood. Really? I mean, she's pretty enough, but have you actually tried talking to her? I've seen girls across the school following you with their eyes. And you pick Luna Lovegood?"

"I haven't picked anyone," Ben assured her. "It's a very long story and I've got work to do."

"What work are you doing?" Zabini asked. "We've never seen you in any class. What are you doing every day?"

"This and that," Ben said vaguely.

The days of that second week blended into routine as Ben continued to learn spells in the morning with Hermione, and dueled in the afternoon. Professor Flitwick proved to be as challenging an opponent as Moody. Barred from using his lightsaber or the Force, Ben was able to dodge and throw a few spells back for perhaps ten minutes before the professor's skills overwhelmed him.

Nights were spent in meditation, pondering why everything seemed to feel wrong in his room.

By the time Friday arrived, he and Hermione had gone through the entire seven-year curriculum of Hogwarts. She sighed as they closed the books. "Well, I would never believe it," she said. "I finally meet someone as smart as me. He's cute, he's powerful, and has an eidetic memory. And I'm not available to seduce him," she said laughingly.

Ben flushed. "I've had enough of that, thank you. Now what?"

"Well, I've been watching you duel and I think we need to switch from just knowing spells, to how to really use them well. You have the knowledge in your head, but no real practical ability. I think you're past me, there. I'm reasonably powerful and I've had a few fights, but Defense was never my strongest area. I think it's about time to hand you off to the professors."

Ben accepted her judgment. In the two weeks of their training, he realized that she was truly one of the most intelligent people he had ever met. Her observations were pertinent and precise. Her wit was biting at times, but never cruel. She was, in general, a wonderful person. Despite the hideous scar on her face, she was also very attractive.

Even knowing she was taken, some part of Ben thought he should have been at least a little attracted to her. Instead, "How is Luna?"

Hermione shrugged. "We're getting a little worried."

"I've tried to talk to her," Ben said, "but she acts as if I don't exist."

"Actually, that's the way she normally acts," Hermione said. "She was very different around you, Ben. I know you've never seen this side of her, but for the last five years of school she drove everyone nuts, talking about Nargles and crumple-horned snorkacks and other beasties that never existed. Her father's paper was filled with just sheer idiocy that made no sense at all. And yet, and the same time, Lovegood's paper was the first to declare that Voldemort had returned, and ran articles that, in their own way, helped us get Fudge out of office."

She piled her own books into her bag. "I don't know what to tell you about Luna, Ben. I believe that, because you were new and different, she was going through a brief phase. But I think that phase is gone now. She's broken, and a good snogging isn't going to fix that."

With a sad look at Ben, she walked out of the room.

Ben stayed, playing with Hermione's words. Then he remembered how he found Luna in the astronomy tower, staring at the ghost of her dead mother. I think I might be broken, the girl whispered to him. At that moment, it was not the absent-minded or oblivious Luna everyone knew. It was the terrified girl behind the mask, pleading for help.

Instead, he just shoved her away and had Dumbledore put up wards.

The days blurred by faster. Ben's instruction during the following week switched in a rotation with the professors. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, but each also had some dueling ability. McGonagall was a talented witch, but was geared more toward defense than attack. Sirius was all about attack with almost no thought for defense. Flitwick provided a good balance of the two and proved to be the best of Ben's dueling instructors.

Still, by the time his third week at Hogwarts ended, Ben felt oddly empty. He knew more spells now that even most NEWT candidates, and was actually able to hold his own now against anyone but Flitwick and Moody using nothing but magic, but nothing seemed right.

He still wasn't sleeping very well. He took to meditating and sleeping on and off through the night as he desperately tried to get some rest. But his room seemed wrong. Everything seemed wrong, though neither his mind nor the Force could tell him why.

"Skywalker?"

Ben looked up from the book on dueling Flitwick had loaned to him to see Tracey Davis standing in front of him. She stood brimming with nervous anticipation. Her dark eyes almost burned with it.

For a brief moment, Ben wondered if he was about to get propositioned.

"We need to hold the Quidditch try outs."

Ben could not decide if he was more relieved or disappointed. Obsessed as he had been with Luna, the idea of an attractive witch asking him out seemed like a welcome relief. Quidditch, on the other hand, was something he never even considered.

"Okay," he said. "What do we do?"

"You're the captain, aren't you?"

"I've never played a day in my life," Ben said.

"Pucey won't do it, he's only a fifth year. Zabinin would rather buff his nails than actually play a sport. If not you, then who?"

Ben noticed that nearly the entire house was watching the conversation—all thirty of them. "Okay, but I can't promise I'm any good."

"The pitch is available this morning," Davis said again.

"Are you going to try out?"

She nodded so vigorously her hair popped out of the severe braid she wore it in.

"I guess we should go, then."

The whole House of Slytherin marched out to the quidditch pitch with the still powerful brooms bought years ago by Draco Malfoy's father when the then third-year became seeker. They had the quaffle, bludgers and even a snitch.

"I guess first things first," Ben said when they reached the pitch. "How do we make these brooms fly?"

The whole house groaned. "You mean you've never even flown?" Pucey said with large eyes.

"I've flown faster than light itself," Ben said a might defensively. "Just never on a broom."

While many of his classmates tried to figure out just what that meant, Greengrass blew a strand of hair from her face, ripped a broom from the hands of the sixth-year beside her, and threw it onto the grass at Ben's feet. "Hold out you dominant hand and say 'Up!'"

Ben did as instructed, and was surprised when the broom snapped into his palm. "Now mount the thing and push off," Daphne said, still in the tone of voice a teacher would use with a young child.

Ben mounted the broom and was surprised by the invisible cushion that quickly did away with his fear of splinters. He pushed off, and found himself floating a meter off the ground.

"You will the broom forward or to stop," Greengrass continued to explain as she also mounted a broom and rose easily to his level. He noted she wore black slacks for the occasion, rather than the skirt uniform she normally wore.

Ben leaned forward and willed himself to move. The broom responded immediately, and through the Force he could feel the power inherent in the magical device. "It's almost like a small swoop bike," he muttered to himself. He looked up at Daphne. "How fast can they go?"

"Fast enough," she said. "We'll have the fastest brooms. Problem is finding people to ride them."

He nodded once, and then willed himself to go fast. The sudden acceleration whipped Greengrass in a full circle as he burst into motion. He clung tight to the shaft of the broom as the wind whipped around him. Jedi reflexes took over and he soared between the elevated stands and flagpoles. He went as high as he could, skirting the clouds until breathing became troublesome, and then let himself freefall until just a hundred meters off the ground.

By the time he returned to his classmates, they were all staring. "What?" he said. "I told you I've flown before. Just not on a broom."

"Well," Adrian Pucey said, "no need to try out for seeker."

Each person in the class tried their hand, even some of the first years. The house was so small that it would take half their numbers to field a full team and a reserve. By the end of their first day on the pitch, they had the beginnings of a team.

Pucey and a fourth year named Matthew Giddings took the two beater positions, while Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis and a third year boy almost as tall as Ben named Findigus Brent took the three chaser positions. Their keeper was a very large third year named Graham Pritchard. Ben made up the seventh member as seeker.

The tryouts also gave Ben a feel for the game and what it would require. Immediately following, his classmates also gave him something to think about. At least one of them did.

"The first Hogsmeade weekend is coming up Saturday," Tracey Davis said as they all trudged back toward the dungeons. "I couldn't help but notice you haven't been speaking with Lovegood lately. If you wanted to, you could take me."

For the second time since arriving at Hogwarts, Ben found himself looking at a beautiful young woman, and thinking of someone completely different. "Thank you, Tracey," Ben said carefully. "I'm no sure that would be a good idea, though. I suspect after what happened on my first day I have a rather large target painted on my back."

A barrage of emotions flashed across her face, from anger and rejection to understanding and even a little fear. "Oh, well, that's all right then. But what about Lovegood?"

"She's already a target, I suspect," Ben said.

Davis finally nodded, then sighed. "I am such a fool. It's your fault, you know. This 'kinder, gentler' thing you have going on. Things were much simpler when we all hated each other."

"You hated your classmates?"

"I was scared of them," Davis admitted. "Even admitting that was suicide—you couldn't admit you were afraid of them. And I hated it."

"You're admitting it to me."

"There's something about you I trust, I guess," she said at last. "Look, everyone can see the way you watch Lovegood. Yeah, she's looney, but you obviously have something for her. Maybe you should ask her."

Ben glanced around and noticed that the rest of the students had continued walking toward the castle while the two of them spoke. "It's kind of complicated."

Tracey shrugged. "Hogwarts is a big castle, but there aren't a lot of people filling it up. The rumors are going crazy. Right now the rumors say that Lovegood somehow snuck past the wards to your room, and that Dumbledore put a stop to it. Now Lovegood is heartbroken and you're confused over the whole issue. How close am I?"

She was frighteningly close. Ben shrugged. "Like I said, it's complicated."

"Do you like her?" The question escaped her lips before even she seemed aware of it. Just as quickly, she stammered, "I'm sorry. I have no right to ask."

They started walking again in silence.

That evening, Ben kept a sharp eye out for Luna. When she came, she once again sat at the Gryffindor table. He wolfed his dinner down and simply waited until she stood to leave. That time came quickly, and with a curt nod to his classmates Ben left the hall.

He never heard Davis lean over to Greengrass and say, "About damned time."

Luna moved surprisingly fast, but eventually Ben caught up with her near the library. "Hello," he said. She turned to face him, and he had to catch himself from sucking in an angry breath. "Luna, what's wrong?"

She was pale and terribly thin. Her silvery eyes had an unfocused look, and the dark smudges under her eyes spoke of many sleepless nights. However, her voice was just as dispassionate as before. "I'm sure there is nothing wrong," she said. "But I thank you for asking."

She turned to go, but this time Ben stopped her by taking her hand. As he did so, he noticed more of the cuts on her hands. She pulled against him, showing a hint of will for the first time since Dumbledore established the wards, but Ben did not let go.

Finally she stopped, and merely stood staring into space. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" he finally said into the awkward smile.

"Why ever would I want to do that?" Luna asked with just the hint of surprise.

"I miss you," Ben admitted.

Her head bowed down. He felt just the slightest ghost of pressure from her fingers.

"I wonder what it feels like to miss somebody," she whispered.

Slowly, Ben pulled. At first she resisted, but the resistance lasted only a second before she allowed herself to be pulled into a gentle hug. Ben could feel her shoulders shaking as he put an arm around them. He rested his chin on the top of her white-blonde hair. Instinctively, he immersed himself in a Jedi meditation, and felt as her shaking slowly subsided.

Finally, he stepped back. She was looking at him, an expression of surprise and wonder on her face. "Ben…"

"I would like you to come to Hogsmeade with me as my date," he said. "I…Tracey Davis just asked me to go with her, and the only person I could think of was you. I know this isn't what you want, Luna, but it's all I can give right now. Will you come with me?"

Very slowly, as if she were waking up, Luna nodded. "I will," she said.

Ben smiled in open relief. They stood there staring at each other for the longest time, seemingly frozen. His eyes absorbed every feature of her perfect face, dwelling at last on her lips. He wasn't even aware of drawing closer to her, until their lips touched tenderly.

It was a hesitant kiss; the kiss two complete novices would give to each other. In that moment, despite her racy talk, Ben knew for certain that she was as inexperienced as he was. And yet it was all the sweeter for it. They parted, and Luna still had that beautiful, surprised look on her face. "I do believe that was my first kiss," she finally said. "It tastes rather like sheppard's pie. That is your favorite, so that would make sense."

Ben did not try to hide his smile. "I'll freshen up more next time," he said. He looked down and saw he was still holding her hand, and the hand still had cuts on it. He closed her eyes and sent healing to her through their touch. When he opened his eyes, he saw hers were closed and she swayed lightly, caught up in the power.

Those silvery eyes popped open. "I'm hungry," she announced. "I hope they are still serving dinner. I shall see you tomorrow, I suppose," she added over her shoulder as she walked away.

Ben watched her go with a large, slightly goofy grin on his face. If his uncle Han had been there, he would have recognized the look as the same worn by his father upon returning from Nirauan, shortly before he married Ben's mother.

When he reached the Slytherin common room, he found Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass blocking his entrance just past the barbaric painting. "Well?" Tracey asked.

"Well what?"

"Did you ask Lovegood to Hogsmeade?" Greengrass demanded.

Ben stared at one face to another. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Just answer the question, Skywalker," Greengrass said.

"I…yes, I suppose I did."

"Did she say yes?"

"I…think so," Ben said. "She said she would see me tomorrow."

The two girls nodded. "Good," Greengrass said at last. Without a further word, the two witches turned and walked up the stairs toward their dormitories.

In their wake, Blaise Zabini shook his head. "I'd never thought to see a pair of Slytherin witches looking after a classmate like those two are looking after you." He eyes narrowed. "I don't know whether to be jealous, or thankful."