'Something amusing he said.' Draco was glaring at the wall, fuming whilst Luna created patterns of swirling mist with a new spell she had learnt earlier that morning.

'Perhaps he just wanted to lift the tension. Everyone's feeling it at the moment.'

They were back in the empty bathroom. With so many students away for the apparitions test it was as safe as anywhere. Draco was ranting to Luna about the trials of his latest potions lesson to which Luna was listening with her careful patience and calming words.

'But it's hardly the time for amusement. I'm sure the Montgomery sisters would not have appreciated old Slugface's time wasting.'

Draco was having what Luna had dubbed 'one of his calm days'. Days when his voice would barely raise beyond a whisper and his eyes would burn with so many trapped emotions they fought for a chance to be expressed. They were the days Draco was hardest to reach. He would shut himself off from her, only using her as someone to vent his frustrations to.

'It's very sad to lose a family member. You never really stop hurting.'

Luna paused to move herself into Draco's eye line so she could make sure he was listening.

'But you can still laugh.'

'He. Was. A. Child.' His eyes flashed at hers and Luna saw that the anger and pain were winning the battle for expression.

'No-one should kill children.'

Luna's perceptiveness told her there was something missing from the story.

'No. No-one should kill children. It's a terrible and-'

'The families never stop hurting.'

The pain had won. Draco's eyes were haunted and the shadows falling on his features made them look more angular than ever before. He was thin and tired, even Harry had noticed.

Luna's hand rested gently on Draco's arm. A comforting but hesitant gesture that had its desired effect. The Slytherin was calmed. So when Luna's question came, he answered it without the trembling in his voice.

'It's not just the Montgomery boy, is it?'

Draco cleared his voice.

'My brother. I was too young to remember him. It was just after my Father's trial. They'd kept him a secret so he couldn't be used in the war but someone found out. There were still death-eaters on the lose, any one of them could have killed him. It was my parent's punishment for not being loyal until the end. My mother still cries.'

With a sudden ring the bell sounded and the halls began to fill with students going back to lessons. Luna met Draco's eyes. Their meeting had been short and unplanned enough to be seen as coincidence even when both parties had known instinctively where to go but it had served its purpose. Draco was less agitated, Luna was no longer lonely and the two blondes parted ways without even a nod of thanks. There was no need for formalities any more.

I know it's a very short chapter but I was reading through the half blood prince looking for ideas and I just liked this scene. The next chapter will probably be up by the end of this week. Thank you again for reviews!