Chapter Seventeen

When Harry's eyes fluttered open, he was greeted by a stream of sunlight pouring in from the window adjacent to his bed. The rays fell onto his face, warming his skin and waking him up gently. The next sensation he recalled was the feeling of a large mass, eerily similar to that of an overgrown teenage boy, pouncing onto his bed and tackling him.

"Wake up you great plonker!" Harry left out an "oof" as he shoved Ron off of him.

"Bloody hell Ron! It's Saturday!" Harry groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands before reaching over to his bedside table and pulling his glasses on.

"Yeah, and it's also the first Hogsmeade trip of the school year!" Ron started to bounce on the bed, so Harry reluctantly threw the covers off of himself and sat up. He yawned widely. "Come on, get dressed so we can head down to breakfast, I'm starving!" Ron complained, tugging Harry out of bed.

"You're always starving," Harry teased, now starting to feel slightly more awake. "Why don't you head down without me? I'll join you in a few minutes, but I need a shower first."

"Alright, but if you're not down in fifteen, I'm coming to fetch you."

With that, Ron heaved himself off of Harry's bed and waltzed out the door. Harry briefly debated falling back into bed for just a few more minutes of sleep before quickly deciding against it and heading over to the showers.

When he emerged, freshly showered and dressed, from the bathroom, he ambled towards his trunk, where he rummaged around for a warm scarf. An autumn chill had fallen over the Hogwarts and Hogsmeaded grounds over the past few days, showcasing the change from summer to fall. He was looking through his various scarves when he heard hushed voices from the other side of the room. Glancing over, he saw that the sound was coming from Dean's bed, where the curtains were closed.

"-don't want to wake up," he listened to Dean groan. A laughter emitted from the bed, which Harry immediately recognized as Seamus. Harry chuckled silently and shook his head; after almost eight years of knowing the Chaser, it was impossible to forget his aversion to mornings. It was always a chore to get him out of bed for early Quidditch practices.

"What if I woke you up like this?" Seamus asked, his voice sounding odd. This was followed by a distinct lack of response. "Or this." Harry listened as Dean giggled. He'd never heard the boy giggle before. Was Seamus tickling him? "Or this." This was followed by silence: a silence that made Harry vaguely uncomfortable for reasons that he couldn't quite grasp.

"Are you sure there's no one here?" Dean said, rather breathlessly; why he was out of breath when he was laying in bed, Harry didn't know. He felt an urge to hide, to pretend like he wasn't there, but he quickly shrugged away this feeling: for all Harry knew, nothing had happened. He had as much right to be there as his friends.

So when the curtains were pulled open, Harry didn't duck or run away like he was tempted to. Instead, he shot Seamus a smile and waved. Harry's eyes drifted away from Seamus' face, which was now flushed bright red and towards the bed. With the curtains now yanked apart, he could see that Seamus was leaning over Dean, his hands placed on either side of his body. His gaze lowered to their hands, which were intertwined, tangled with the mess of sheets. Heat crept up Harry's cheeks.

"Morning," Harry said, trying to look anywhere but their interlocked hands.

"Morning Harry," Dean replied when Seamus remained frozen. "Seamus here was just… er-"

"Waking you up?" Harry suggested.

"Yeah," Seamus coughed out suddenly, quickly clamoring off Dean so he stood away from the bed.

"Alright." There was an awkward pause as all three boys avoided looking at each other. "Er- I'm going to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast now," Harry stated when the silence got to be too much.

"Right then." Dean swallowed, sitting up in his bed. "We'll probably be down in a bit."

"Right." There was another moment of tension before Harry snatched the closest available scarf out of his trunk and made for the door. He could get the rest of his things later, when Dean and Seamus were no longer in the dorm.

He scrambled down the stairs, only slowing down once he reached the door to Gryffindor tower. As he wandered the halls of Hogwarts, he let his mind wander back to the encounter: the odd roughness in Seamus' voice when he was speaking to Dean, the giggling, the hand-holding, the fact that they were practically on top of one another. The only thing he found he could compare it to was the dynamic between Sirius and Remus in the diary.

Am I missing something? Harry found himself wondering for the second time in twenty-four hours. He and Ron were best friends: they would go, and had gone, to hell and back for each other. But as far as Harry could remember, the most physical contact they'd ever shared was a hug, which was nothing like the casual touches that seemed to pass between Seamus and Dean, or Remus and Sirius.

Growing up around the Dursleys and all of Dudley's awful friends, Harry knew that such physical affection between two boys wouldn't be tolerated. But perhaps things were different in the wizarding world? After all, Harry had spent the first eleven years of his life as a Muggle, a Muggle without any friends no less; there was a chance that he simply never understood how friendship was supposed to work. Harry committed to trying to be a better friend to Ron, and Hermione, for that matter.

The Great Hall was bustling with activity by the time Harry got there. He sat down next to his friends and they scooted over, making room for him.

"Took you long enough," Hermione complained, although she was smiling. "I was about to send Ron up to fetch you."

"Yeah, I ran into Seamus and Dean while I was getting ready," Harry attempted to say casually, still puzzled by his encounter with the two boys.

"They're still up there?" Ron rolled his eyes. "If they don't get down here soon, they'll miss breakfast."

"Maybe you should go and bring them down?"

"No, I don't think that's necessary," Harry said hastily. "I think they said something about getting something from the kitchens later on." Of course, they hadn't said any such thing, but Harry had an odd feeling that the two boys would rather be left alone this morning.

"Honestly," Hermione scoffed. "You'd think they'd have learned a thing or two. I can't believe they're still taking advantage of the house elves like that! They have no right to barge in there and demand for food!" Harry looked down at his plate, not particularly wanting to admit that he'd been to the kitchens several times over the past month.

"'Mione, you don't really have to demand for food, they just give it to you," Ron said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Harry flinched when she shrugged him off. Even though they were together now, Ron and Hermione still fought regularly, leaving Harry as the intermediary party.

"Because they don't know any better!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes blazing.

Harry poked his food around his plate for a few minutes while Ron and Hermione argued. He'd never experienced it himself, but he liked to think that watching his two friends fight was a bit like watching your parents get into a tiff.

"What do you think, Harry?" Hermione asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

"I think…" He paused, thinking of a response, as he wasn't sure what exactly he was being asked to give his opinion on. "That you've both made excellent points."

"You haven't listened to a word we've said, have you?" Ron sighed.

"'Fraid not." Harry took a bite of his scrambled eggs and smiled apologetically. When Hermione turned back to Ron as if she was going to restart their argument, he interjected. "So where should we stop by today?"

Ron happily took up this new conversation, obviously eager to escape another fight with his girlfriend.

"Well, we have to go see George and Charlie." Harry nodded.

"And I need to stop by Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop," Hermione added reluctantly.

"And Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks are always a must." His friends murmured in agreement and Harry relaxed. Yet another fight carefully avoided.

"We should start heading over to the Gates if we want to get there in time," Hermione said, standing up from the table. Ron and Harry joined her and soon they were off walking down the familiar path to Hogsmeade. They eventually caught up to Ginny, and Hermione talked with her ahead of the two boys.

Ron was rambling on about a new strategy he was working on in Wizard's Chess, and Harry walked by his side. He glanced down at their hands, which brushed together occasionally while they moved. If there was any time to try being a more affectionate friend towards Ron, Harry knew now was the time. He reached down and grabbed Ron's hand as casually as he could manage.

For the first second or so, Harry didn't notice that Ron had stopped speaking; he was too busy trying to understand the appeal of holding hands with your friends. When he held hands with Cho and Ginny, there was a kind of rush to it that made it feel exciting and fun. But there was no such rush with Ron. The redhead's hand was slightly clammy and his fingers felt fat when they were locked with Harry's. Harry supposed the contact wasn't all that bad, but he still wasn't any closer to understanding why anyone would willingly do this with their friends.

"Er- Harry?" Ron's voice pulled Harry out of his thoughts, and when he looked up, his friend's face was contorted into a confused expression.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" Ron looked as stiff as Harry felt.

"Yeah."

"Then…" Ron glanced down and gestured towards their interlocked hands, raising an eyebrow. "Is there a reason why you're holding my hand?"

"... not particularly." Harry shrugged, feeling his face growing hotter with embarrassment by the second. "Why, am I doing it wrong?" He released Ron's hand and stared down blankly at his own.

"Not quite sure what you mean, mate," Ron confessed, frowning.

"I'm so confused." Harry's eyebrows knit together as he spoke.

"Yeah…" Ron rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Me too."

"Sorry, it's just…" Harry trailed off, trying to think of a way to explain. "I mean, Dean and Seamus are always… touching, and in all the memories, Sirius and Remus are always touching." Ron's eyebrows shot up and his eyes went wide. Harry quickly realized he should probably clarify what he meant by 'touching.' " It's not anything like that, it's just casual… things, and I thought, I dunno, I thought maybe that was just something friends did?"

The only sound was the crunch of their shoes against the gravel as they walked. Ron stared at Harry, blinking.

"Harry, we've been friends for how long now?" Ron asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Going on eight years…"

"And have I ever complained that we don't… touch enough?" Ron spoke as if he were talking to a small child, which Harry couldn't help but be slightly annoyed by. Still, he considered Ron's question.

"No…" Harry ran his hand through his hair as the realization hit him. "Merlin, I'm a bit of an idiot, aren't I?"

"A bit, yeah," Ron said jokingly, nudging Harry with his elbow. "Look, Harry, you're my best friend." Harry was reassured by the smile on Ron's face. "But the only person I really want to hold hands with is Hermione. I'm sure there are loads of people who do that sort of stuff with their friends, but we aren't those kind of people."

"What kind of people?" Harry asked warily. Memories of the Dursleys and the slurs they threw out in conversation flooded Harry's head.

"Bloody hell, Harry, I dunno," Ron said, slightly exasperated. "Touchy-feely people? Unless, you… want that sort of thing?" He softened his tone and watched Harry.

"No, I really don't." Harry smiled. Now he knew that he was just overthinking things. "Don't get me wrong, you're my best mate, but I don't really want to… hold your hand."

"Good." They laughed and caught up with Hermione and Ginny, who were currently in an animated discussion. Once Ron and Harry joined them, however, the talking died down immediately.

"Hello boys," Ginny greeted them, her face flushed slightly pink.

"What were you two talking about?" Ron asked, squinting. As much as the red-head had improved when it came to his jealousy, he still hated feeling excluded.

"Just… girl problems," Ginny stated vaguely, glancing over at Hermione.

"You really don't want to know, Ron," Hermione reassured him. Ron still looked slightly confused before realization dawned on him.

"Oh, yeah… right. Don't really need to hear about… that."

"So, where to first?" Harry asked.

"George said that they're busiest in the afternoon, so I reckon we should go there first? Avoid the crowd?"

"Sounds good," Hermione agreed. "Are you coming with us?" She looked over at Ginny.

"Yeah, Luna's staying back at Hogwarts and Neville's got a date." She flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"Neville's got a date, huh?" Ron smirked. "I knew he had it in him."

"He's out with Hannah," Hermione confirmed.

"And why's Luna not coming today?" Harry was happy for Neville, of course, but him being on a date wasn't of any particular interest to Harry. After all, girls had been swarming around Neville since the start of term, it was only a matter of time before he had a girlfriend.

"She's taking care of the Thestrals."

"I don't think those buggers need anyone taking care of them." Ron shuddered at the thought of the large, black, skeletal horses. He understood his friend's aversion to the creatures, though Harry found a certain beauty in them.

Once they got to Hogsmeade, they set off for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, where George and Charlie greeted them enthusiastically. According to them, business had been booming, and the shop was doing quite well. No one mentioned Fred, but his absence weighed on them like a blanket. Harry couldn't imagine what George was going through: it seemed as though everywhere he looked, there was Fred. Luckily, he didn't seem too down; there were moments when his smile was slightly too shiny to be real, and times when his laughter sounded forced, but overall, he looked the best he had been in months.

After visiting George and Charlie, Hermione and Ginny split off to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop while Harry and Ron went to Honeydukes. Several chocolate frogs and sugar quills later, all four were sat at a booth in the Three Broomsticks.

"So who's going to get the butter beers?" Ron said once they had all got comfortable. Hermione glanced at Harry.

"Nose goes!" she exclaimed, pressing her finger to her nose. Harry followed suit, and Ginny quickly figured it out and joined, leaving Ron confused.

"The last person to touch their nose has to go and get the drinks," Harry explained, keeping his finger on the tip of his nose.

"How was I supposed to know that?" Ron grumbled, but he was already standing up to go over to the counter. "I can't carry all four glasses by myself."

"I'll help," Ginny said, joining Ron. "I was second to last anyways."

They walked over to the counter and Harry turned to his friend, who was currently rummaging around in her bag.

"Hermione?" Harry said.

"Mmm?" She acknowledged Harry but didn't look up from her bag until she pulled out a small coin purse and set it on the table.

"Can I ask you something?" he said once she was finished.

"Of course."

"Do you know if-" He stopped himself, unsure exactly how to ask his question. "I mean, is there a word for… is there a term for someone who likes both boys and girls?"

"I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Harry." She narrowed her eyes at Harry and he began to fidget with his collar.

"Er-" Harry said incoherently. He paused, thinking for a moment. "Well," he began. "If you're a boy who likes boys, then you're, you know, gay. So if you like both then-"

"Oh! You mean like as in…" Hermione didn't finish her sentence, but Harry nodded, knowing what she meant. When she stayed quiet, he rephrased his earlier question.
"So you've never heard of a word for it."

"No." She shook her head. "I can research it, if you'd-"

"Bisexual," A voice interrupted from behind Harry. He turned around to see Ginny holding two butterbeers. She slid into the booth next to Hermione and placed one of the glasses in front of her. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," she explained.

"So there is a word for it?" Harry clarified.

"Yeah, bisexual." For some reason, Hermione gave Ginny a very strange, sort of approving look before turning to Harry.

"Why do you ask, Harry?" she asked gently, her brown eyes brimming with curiosity and compassion.

"It's just something I read in…" He debated whether or not he should reveal where he got his information. Eventually, he decided there was no reason to hide it. "In Sirius' diary."

"Oh, was he-"

"No, not him." Harry cut Hermione off, shaking his head. "But…" He fell silent. Even though Remus was no longer alive, it felt wrong somehow to reveal his secret. Harry decided it was best to keep that part of the past to himself for now. "Sorry, I just don't know if it's something I should really be telling you. Not that I don't trust you, it's just, I don't know, it does seem rather private."

"It's alright," Ginny reassured him, placing a hand on his arm. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"Tell us what?" Ron appeared and handed Harry a glass of butterbeer.

"Just something I read in Sirius' diary is all." He shrugged and took the glass. He took a sip of his butterbeer, ignoring the looks Hermione was shooting him from across the table.

The conversation moved on, and the four of them discussed Quidditch (Hermione mostly sorted through her new parchment during this time), their speculations on Neville's date, and their thoughts on the new professors. After about an hour, Harry found himself yawning every few minutes. The day was so full of activity that he forgot he only got a few hours of sleep the previous night. The rest of his friends were still full of energy, and were currently discussing heading over to the Shrieking Shack.

"I think I'm going to walk back to Hogwarts," Harry announced, starting to gather his things.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked. He waved his hands, dismissing her concern.

"No, I'm fine. Just tired is all. I want to get in a nap before dinner and detention." He slipped his bag onto his shoulder.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Ron offered.

"No, no, don't worry about me. You lot have fun. I just didn't get much sleep last night."

"Alright. See you at dinner?" Ginny smiled.

"Course."

With that, Harry waved goodbye and began walking back to Hogwarts, the ground crunching beneath his feet and the cool wind chilling his face. Although it was only a few weeks into October, the air already had a distinct wintery chill to it. It reminded him of Christmas and the fact that he'd get to see Teddy and Andromeda over the holidays.

He reached the Hogwarts grounds, and as he walked by the forest, he heard a familiar sing-song voice floating above the trees. Without thinking, he started moving towards the forest, forgetting about his nap; after all, spending time with Luna could often be just as relaxing as actually resting.

He spotted a flash of her blonde hair amongst the brush and opened his mouth to greet her before a second voice shocked him into silence. He froze and stayed where he was, hiding behind a thick cluster of bushes and peered ahead.

"Shouldn't we give them names?" Malfoy asked, stroking one of the Thestrals. Luna handed him a bucket and he took it from her without question.

"I don't think we should." She watched the creatures trot over to the Slytherin boy as he offered them raw meat in his outstretched hand. "They might already have names of their own."

"So?" Malfoy snorted, and Harry felt the urge to punch him. What on Earth was Luna doing in the middle of the forest with Draco Malfoy?

"So imagine if some strange creature started calling you Rolf," she suggested. Malfoy wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Rolf is a bloody awful name."

"Really?" she mused. "I think it's quite charming."

"You would, you're named after the moon." While clearly an insult, his words had no fire to them. If it wasn't Malfoy speaking, Harry might've even thought he was joking around.

"And you're named after the stars," Luna stated.

"Everyone in my family is," he said, shrugging and turning back to face the Thestrals. One of the foals trotted up to him and nudged its head against his knee. He reached down and gave it a gentle pat on the head before throwing a chunk of raw flesh into the clearing, letting the young Thestral run after it.

"If you have children, will you name them after the constellations?" Luna asked, taking the bucket back from Malfoy. He nodded as he handed it to her.

"Aquila if it's a girl and Scorpius if it's a boy."

"I like them," she said thoughtfully, gazing up at the sky as if she could see the constellations in the daylight.

"Not that I'll likely have children, though," he murmured. Harry barely caught his words, and he was sure Luna hadn't heard him at all until she spoke.

"You've put a lot of thought into their names for someone who doesn't want children." Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"It's not that I don't want them, it's…" Malfoy trailed off, looking down at his shoes. "I just don't think I'd be a very good father, alright?" When he looked back up, his expression was hard. Luna seemed unfazed, and regarded him with her vague, dream-like smile.

"Why not?"

"Haven't exactly had the best example," he spat, crossing his arms over his chest. It was a different kind of anger than Harry usually saw in Malfoy. This wasn't him being mean or petty. Underneath his distinct snarl, he was hurt.

"You could always use him as a cautionary tale." When Malfoy lifted an eyebrow, Luna clarified. "An example of what not to be."

"I suppose you have a point," he conceded. They fed the Thestrals in silence for a few moments.

"I don't think I want kids," Luna said suddenly. "I like children, but I think I'd rather travel the world. Maybe I'll go searching for Crumple Horned Snorkacks."

"Luna, for the last time, they don't exist." Again, his tone lacked its usual menace.

"You really ought to have more faith, Draco, it makes life a lot more interesting." She set the bucket down on the ground and took a seat on the forest floor. Oddly enough, Malfoy followed suit, sitting down a few feet away. He didn't seem entirely pleased with the idea of getting dirt on his trousers, but didn't say anything. Once he was settled, he responded.

"I don't know about you, but I could certainly do with my life being a little less interesting." Luna watched him for a few seconds before her eyes went wide and she reached into her jacket pocket.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Here." She extended her arm towards Malfoy. In the palm of her hand was a small jewel pendant. From where Harry was standing, it looked like an emerald gemstone with a silver dragon circling around it.

"What's that?" Malfoy tentatively picked it up and dangled it in front of his face, examining the necklace from every angle.

"I made it for you." Luna smiled. "Green is your favorite color, right?"

"No actually, it's not." He shot her a sharp look. "Just because I'm a Slytherin doesn't mean that my favorite color is automatically green."

"Well then," Luna thought for a moment. "I suppose I should take it back." She reached for the pendant but Malfoy quickly snatched it out of her grasp, clutching it against his chest.

"No!" he protested. He realized he was almost shouting and calmed down. "No, it's- I'd rather keep it." His voice was soft as he ran his thumb over the dragon carving and smiled. "Even if it is the wrong color," he added, making sure to sound as haughty as possible.

"What is your favorite color?" Luna asked.

"Red."

"Hmm," she pondered. "That's odd, since red is the color of-"

"Gryffindor, I know." Malfoy rolled his eyes and slipped the necklace over his head. He tucked it into the collar of his shirt, so all that was visible was the thin, silver chain around his neck.

"It's also the color of blood," Luna said dreamily. Harry turned in the Slytherin's direction in shock as Malfoy began to chuckle. It was nothing like the jeering laughter Harry was used to. This kind of laughter was low and soft. Harry couldn't help but admit that it was a rather nice laugh.

"You're a lot darker than people think, Luna," he said, smirking.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." He smiled: a real, genuine, non-threatening smile. "I like it."

A few minutes passed in oddly comfortable silence. Harry watched Malfoy fiddle with his necklace. It seemed as though he couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face while he ran his fingers over the emerald. As he regarded the Slytherin boy, Harry noticed his clothes: he was out of uniform. In fact, he was wearing what looked like Muggle clothing.

It wasn't that Harry hadn't seen Malfoy wear something other than the Hogwarts uniform before, but he couldn't recall ever seeing the boy in something so casual. On the rare occasion that Harry encountered Malfoy outside of school, he wore dark, sharp, formal outfits, meant to impress and intimidate.

Now, he sat on the forest floor wearing a white button up that was loosely tucked into his dark blue jeans, which were belted with a dark brown belt, and cuffed at the ankle to show off his matching mahogany shoes. Granted, even while dressing down, Malfoy looked like he had stepped out of a style magazine, but seeing the blonde boy in jeans was not something Harry thought he would ever experience.

"Hello Harry." Harry nearly jumped when he realized that Luna was speaking to, and looking directly at, him. While he wasn't entirely sure how she knew he was there, he knew he couldn't hide anymore.

"Hi Luna," he said, nodding at her. When he turned around to face the Slytherin, he was standing and regarding Harry with an expression like stone. "Malfoy."

"Potter," he said curtly.

"What are you doing here?" Harry looked back at Luna.

"Draco and I are feeding the Thestrals." She gestured towards Malfoy. It did not escape Harry's notice that Luna, once again, used Malfoy's first name. "Would you like to help?" He glanced between the two blondes, deciding that the only way to figure out exactly why Luna and Malfoy were together feeding Thestrals was to stick around.

"... sure."

"I should head back to the castle," Malfoy said abruptly, picking up a small, silver bag that was sitting at the base of a large tree and slinging it over his shoulder.

"So soon?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Yes Potter, sorry if hanging out with you and Loony Lovegood isn't exactly my cup of tea." Harry's hands balled into fists at the sound of Luna's cruel nickname. Luna, on the other hand, wasn't at all offended. If anything, she seemed amused by the insult. "Goodbye Luna."

"Goodbye Draco. It was nice talking to you," she said, but Malfoy was already moving away. Harry frowned. The entire reason he agreed to stay was to figure out what was going on between the Slytherin boy and his friend.

"Well, it's a shame to see you go," Harry said, hoping that if Malfoy was just going to leave, he could at least mess with him first. Sure enough, the blonde boy whipped around, confused. "But I love to watch you walk away." Harry made sure to make a point of looking Malfoy up and down. The Slytherin boy turned pink and continued towards the castle, practically running away. With that out of the way, Harry turned to Luna. "What was-"

"You know, you really shouldn't toy with Draco like that." Luna was frowning slightly as she gazed at Harry with her pale blue eyes.

"You call him Draco?" Harry asked, ignoring her comment.

"It is his name." Harry felt the urge to face-palm, but he resisted.

"Why were you with Dra-Malfoy?" he corrected.

"Well, I was coming out to feed the Thestrals and-"

"Wait," Harry said suddenly, registering what Luna had said earlier. "What do you mean 'toy with him?'"

"You're trying to mess with him," Luna explained. "You should stop, it isn't very nice."

"Me. Nice. Draco Malfoy?" Harry stared at his friend, blinking rapidly. "Luna, do you hear yourself?"

"I can hear quite well actually." She smiled.

"Are you…" Harry nearly shuddered at the possibility. "Friends with him?"

"I like to think so," she said, nodding.

"Why? How?"

"He's not as bad as you think."

"He's Draco Malfoy!" Harry threw his hands in the air exasperatedly.

"And you're Harry Potter." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Luna blinked. "Sorry, I thought we were stating the obvious." She cocked her head to the side slightly.

"Luna," Harry began, trying to appeal to Luna's rationality. She was, after all, a Ravenclaw. "Do you think that Malfoy might be trying to manipulate you? Or maybe he's trying to get something from you?" She seemed to consider this for a moment before giving just the slightest shake of her head.

"I don't think so. I don't have anything he'd want." A Thestral approached the pair and Luna absentmindedly began to pet the beast. As he watched her stroke the skeletal creature, Harry realized that even if Malfoy was trying to take advantage of her somehow, Luna could take care of herself. After all, this was a girl who had seen death, fought in war, and was now practically cuddling with one of the most terrifying creatures known to wizards. As much as he might want to, she didn't need protecting.

"Just… be careful, alright?" He gave her a small smile.

"What's the fun in that?" Luna said, glancing up at him. Harry laughed and shook his head. His eyes flitted back to the castle, and he realized the sun had already started to set, which meant that it was nearly dinner. So much for his nap.

"I should also go back to Hogwarts." He looked back at Luna. "I want to grab something to eat before detention."

"Oh right." The Thestral wandered away from her and she gazed after it. "Draco's told me all about your detentions together."

"Has he?" Harry asked.

"Mmhm," she confirmed.

"What does he say?" Luna turned back to face Harry, her periwinkle eyes gazing into his emerald ones.

"I don't think he'd like it if I told you," she said simply. Harry waited for her to explain, but she didn't. Instead, she said: "Weren't you going to head back to the castle?"

"Right." Harry nodded and waved as he began to walk towards the school. "Bye Luna."

"Goodbye Harry."