A/N: Hey! I'm sorry it's been a while since my last update, I've been trying to update several times every day but I kept getting an error message! I sent them emails trying to get them to fix it but they didn't love me :( Thank you for your lovely reviews! I hope you enjoy the rest :)

Chapter 5

"Hello everyone," Luna said, joining Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville in the great hall.

"Hey Luna," Harry replied, nodding at her. "I haven't seen you much since term started."

"I've been busy searching for Hinkypunk's."

Hermione chocked on her goblet of Pumpkin Juice. "You were searching for... Hinkypunk's?"

"I haven't had much luck though," Luna said sadly. Hermione still seemed stunned that Luna went looking for a creature she knew actually exists. "Daddy says they're known to turn pink this time of year. It's something not many people get to see."

"Well there's why," Ron said, clearing everyone's wonder as to why Luna would go looking for what in her terms was a common creature. She wasn't stupid; Luna was quite aware that even her friends found her a little too strange sometimes, but held them close to her heart and so couldn't get mad about it.

"I hope you all had a nice summer," Luna smiled. "Daddy and I went travelling for a while. It was nice experience."

"Mine was alright. Same old really," Ron said, doodling aimlessly on his homework under the scornful eye of Hermione.

"How about you, Harry?"

"Fine thanks, Luna," Harry nodded. "Well, up until we saw Malfoy going-"

"Harry!" Hermione hissed warningly, glaring at him. Harry's mouth immediately snapped shut, terrified of his friend.

"I think he's very misunderstood, you know. Draco," Luna said breezily. The whole table looked at her dumbly, simultaneously wondering if they had heard her right.

"Did you just call him Draco?" Ron asked.

"I don't think that the reason we're all shocked..." Neville replied, still gawking unsurely at Luna. "You do realise who you're talking about... right, Luna?"

"Of course. I expected you'd react this way, I think I would probably feel the same if I were you. But if you think about it, he's really not all that bad."

"Not all that bad?" Harry repeated. "Luna, this is the guy that bullies and cheats all the time, not to mention playing a part in basically destroying Dumbledore's Army."

"I guess you really need to put yourself in his shoes to understand. He's surrounded by the same proud people who believe bullying and cheating is the way they must act in order to seem superior, and so Draco must act the same way whether he likes it or not, or the bullying and hatred will turn on him. And he can't have that, because not only will it hurt his pride, but it will also hurt the pride of his family, making them turn against him as well as his friends."

"Doesn't change the fact he stopped Dumbledore's Army though," Ron grumbled.

"We would've done the same if the tables were turned."

"What? Hardly! Malfoy's a spiteful little git! If any of us turned out like that I'd think they were cursed or something!" Ron said.

"That's not really what I mean... If Draco and his friends had made Dumbledore's Army-" Luna ignored the joint laugh of disbelief from Harry and Ron, "-and we were on the side of Umbridge, then we would've done exactly the same as what they did to us. If you think about it," Luna said, smiling as if to encourage them to think. The table was silent, and Luna was sure for a second she had gotten through to them.

"He's still a git," Ron mumbled. Harry nodded in agreement, but Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look of reason, as if they acknowledge Luna made a good point. However, Luna knew the chances of them really believing her to a point they would show it was minimal, unlike the chance that they thought she was a little more crazy than they did before she had spoken.

Draco approached Pansy in the common room, quite confident that although she may be working weirdly hard for her, she must've noticed Draco come in, and so she must be pissed off at him. Luna had shed a new light on Draco's life, and the Slytherin almost felt bad for hurting Pansy's feelings. Almost.

"Pansy?" Draco said, standing next to the sofa but not sitting down in case she decided to throw something at him.

"Draco," Pansy acknowledged, not looking up from her work. Sure he was safe from any sort of violent act Pansy might pursue, Draco sat next to her. She was violently writing her essay, but he was unsure whether it was her determination to finish or if she was simply angry at him.

"How're the essays going?" Draco dared to ask, immediately receiving a death glare.

"'How are the essays going?'? Have you had to research two completely different subjects without one of the most important books you need and then written two many-worded essays on them within less than 12 hours? With no help? And absolutely zero breaks? I haven't eaten at all day. This hunger and stress is enough to send me insane."

Draco, who was sure he would have to win back Pansy somehow, put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a pumpkin pasty in a paper bag. He offered it to Pansy, who looked completely dumbstruck.

"What have you done to it?" she asked. Draco laughed; he realised this was a little out of character for him and part of him was looking forward to see Pansy's reaction when he seemed to be giving out acts of generosity. It was a typical Slytherin thing not to trust such kindness.

"Nothing, I swear on your life," Draco smirked. Pansy deliberated for a moment, before deciding she'd go in favour of her stomach and not her conscience, snatching the snack from Draco and tearing a huge bite from it. Her face filled with contentment, and Draco knew that was the closest he'd probably get to a thank you.

"Do you need any help?" Draco offered.

"Ok now you're just acting weird. Are you feeling ok?" Pansy asked with a mouthful of pasty.

"Just felt like I was being a bit meaner to you than usual, so I thought I'd give you a little break by being the opposite."

"Nice?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Draco smirked. Pansy giggled, taking another bite.

"Well your payback's been accepted," she said, smiling with satisfaction at her food. "I was going to stay mad at you though. You really humiliated me earlier."

"I just thought we were past bullying people we hadn't actually talked to, not to mention that were younger than us. It was more saving you from humiliation," Draco said, fearing he was treading thin ice but still wanting to make a point. Yes, he wanted her back as a ...friend, but he didn't want her to think it was ok to make fun of Luna.

"You really have changed, Draco. I don't know what's gotten into you," Pansy said. Draco rolled his eyes, realising she hadn't really absorbed what he had said. "But the pumpkin pasty was nice. I have to get back to work now, so..."

Draco nodded, taking the hint that she wanted him to leave and walking up to the boy's dormitory. Knowing the dreams that were almost certainly awaiting him, he would rather have stayed with Pansy the whole night, but it seemed that was no longer an option.

At least his dreams couldn't get any worse now, right?