That had been a rather interesting ride.

Well, that's what had happened earlier.

Sitting with people, just makes me feel so happy. So, well, complete, I suppose the word is. Harry had been acting rather oddly in the carriage. He kept biting his tongue and cracking his jaw and rotating his shoulders in an irritated way. His shoulders had gotten… broader over the summer. His arms had gotten more muscled, as had the rest of him. His jaw had squared off. His eyes were still the same blinding green. Framed by those long, black eyelashes. Long for a boy. Oh damn. Please don't tell me that I'm starting to like the boy who lived. How bloody typical of a teenage girl. Well, I assure you, there is no way in Yipsy Land that I'm going to allow this to happen.

Hm, I really should be off to dinner. I'll just need to say good-bye to Myrtle. She gets rather upset when I don't. First though, to attend to my shoes.

"Myrtle?" I called out tentatively. I walked over to her stall, my shoes making a soft tapping sound against the marble. I knocked on her stall door. She flew out of her toilet.

"What, Luna? What could possibly be so important that you'd have to disturb me during my wallowing time!" Tears came to her eyes. "Maybe you simply don't care about me anymore."

"Of course I care about you Myrtle." I assured her in my normal serene voice. "I just wanted to tell you I was going to dinner."

"Oh." She sniffed. "I forgot all about dinner…" She broke off and her voice rose up a notch, "As I can't eat anymore."

"Must save a lot of time." I mused.

She considered this point and nodded. She shook her head and her voice took on an annoyed quality, something I was quite used to hearing in people. It doesn't bother me much anymore. Once you've heard the first 38 annoyed voices, they all seem to blend together. "Your shoes are obnoxious."

A full grin pushed through to my features. "I know!" I began excitedly. "I put a charm on them. The tapping is very high pitched to Kas Kornas, I just did it a moment ago. Speaking of which, you haven't happened to see any around here lately, have you?"' Myrtle shook her head and stared at me. Then she flew dramatically up into the air and back into her U-bend. I shrugged, and turned and walked out of the restroom.

I was a little late to dinner, but I didn't speed up my pace as I walked the corridors. They were dimly lit, and that coupled with the slightly medieval looking stone would normally have an eerie effect over a place, but not Hogwarts. My footsteps echoed, and I thought of my earlier conversation with Draco Malfoy.

I had no idea what Draco wanted to speak to me about. He'd spoken to me before, but only to taunt me. Normally he wouldn't bother pulling me away from other's to do it privately. Perhaps he was taking a turn for the better. I stood and followed him out of the compartment, silently closing the door behind me.

"Hello, Lovegood." He said quietly, with a smirk on his features. He leaned casually against the wall and cocked his head. He ran his gaze over me, and I had the oddest feeling of being examined by a Pullywalus, little microscopic creatures that lived in walls of young children's play rooms and examine their thoughts and daydreams.

Not showing my discomfort, I replied with a, "Hello, Draco. If it gives you pleasure, you may continue calling me Loony. I really don't mind." He looked a little repentant, though not in the traditional sense I was used to seeing. More in a way like he was hoping I wouldn't remember that.

He paused, as though considering his words carefully "That's alright." I didn't bother responding to him. There was a silence that most would have considered awkward. To me, it just seemed unavoidable. "Well," He continued, breaking the quiet that had come between us, "I see summer has been good to you." He raked his eyes over my body again, and at the back of my head, little tiny warning bells started to chime almost inaudibly, though I didn't see why. I shook it off.

"Oh yes. Traveling with my father is quite exciting. For me, that is. Others would probably hate it." He looked a little uneasy, unsure of what to say.

"Yeah…" He looked like he thought my father was in incompetent twit. " Lovegood, I confess that me coming over here was more than to make small talk.

"Oh?" I didn't sound surprised, though I normally don't, because I didn't expect him to have just come to talk.

"Well, the thing is, you and I are similar creatures." I furrowed my brow at this. I hadn't the faintest idea what this boy was talking about. "I mean, neither of us care what other's think of us, we're both smart," At this point I wondered how he knew I had O's in most of my classes. "And we are both well, gifted with our appearances." He waited for me to say something, but I remained quiet and watched him. "So it would make sense if you ditched Potty, Weasel, the Mudblood, the littlest Weasel and that squib for more desirable company." He smiled at me again.

"Who's company, precisely?" I asked coldly.

"Mine of course." He looked like he had just given me a very happy treat.

"Tempting, as it is to join the company of a peroxide blonde who has idiotic, childish nicknames for whomever he comes into contact with, I'll have to pass. Because, in all honesty, Draco, all of the people in the compartment have more talent, brains and compassion in their little toe's nail than three of you." I expected this to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face like dragon blood on a polished surface, but he continued that little sneer.

"That's quite fine." He cocked his head at me. "I like a challenge." Anger bubbled up inside me, but I kept a blank face.

"I hope you like losing." I told him sweetly. Then I turned around and went back into the compartment. Back to my friends.

I arrived at the Great Hall's open doors, took one look and spun around. Draco Malfoy was waiting at the door. I doubted he was waiting for me, but I didn't want to walk by him. I was starving, but I'd manage for a while. I walked back up the corridor looking down determinedly. Then, I felt it.

"OH!" I shouted shuddering. It felt like I'd walked through snow starkers. I stumbled forward but caught myself.

"Lunatic, watch where you're going!" Called an annoying voice. I glanced up to see Peeves, the resident poltergeist leering down at me.

"Sorry, Peeves." I told him as politely as I could and tried to keep walking.

"Loopy, Loony, Lunatic Luna." He said, looping and trying to pass through me to give me that horrible sensation. I ducked frantically. Suddenly, Peeves cursed and flew upward. Cautiously I straightened and turned around. Harry Potter stood behind me, a soft smile on his face. His wand was hanging at his side.

"Hey Luna." He said. "Alright?"

"Oh yes." I didn't want him to worry about me. "That was actually quite mild. Thanks so much Harry." I paused. "But how did you do it?"

"Eraser up the nose." Was his simple answer. "Lupin taught it to me." I smiled at him. "You weren't at dinner… did something happen."

"Oh, no… I just wasn't very hungry." A dreadful lie, as my stomach growled audibly. He smirked.

"Follow me," He laughed. I did, without question. "You missed the Sorting, and the new DADA teacher."

"Oh?" In all honesty, I was a tad surprised that there was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. But not much surprises me.

"Mhm. Some American bloke. In his thirties, I'd presume. Seems like a decent enough guy." We'd reached a pear painting, and he reached forward to tickle it.

"Harry," I grinned uneasily and looked around. "Pear puppies do live in paintings… but they do resemble dogs." Harry laughed again, and the painting slid open.

"Here." He grabbed my hand and led me through. An odd, very warm feeling shivered through me. When he dropped my hand, we were in the kitchens. I looked around, surprised.

"Harry! How did you find this place?" A house elf rushed up to us and bowed deeply. Hermione would have been appalled.

He grinned sheepishly. "A few friends."

"Would Sir and Miss like something to eat?" The house elf squeaked out, straightening the sheet around her body.

"That would be great." Harry said easily. He looked at me expectantly. I told the elf what I would like, as did Harry. She grinned so hard I thought her face would split into two when we both said please. She made a move to dash off, but Harry stopped her. "Winky?"

Winky jumped and said "Sir remembers me! How delightful! Yes, it is I, Winky."

He looked confused. "But… I thought you'd been fr— I mean" He rethought his words. "Allowed to wear clothing." She looked sad for a brief moment.

"Professor Dumbly-dore has taken me in as I requested." Her smile returned. "No longer a…" she shuddered. "Freed elf. Just Winky." Harry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well, as long as that makes you happy. Where is Dobby?" He looked around cautiously, as to be able to spot the elf opposed to the elf surprising him.

"Dobby is cleaning the Gryffindor common room. Shall Winky tell him hello?"

"That would be great. Thanks Winky." She nodded and scampered off, pausing only to whisper 'Make Kreacher go away' audibly to another house elf. Harry acted as though he hadn't heard, but I noticed his fists clenching. I couldn't help but reach out and touch his arm gently. It was an involuntary response, and I automatically regretted it. I didn't want to scare him off. He didn't stare at me with his eyes wide in horror and he didn't shake me off. He looked at me, slightly embarrassed and gave me a small grin, which I returned.

"So, Potter. If you went into the feast, how did you happen to find me?" I said this in a joking way, but I was curious. He shrugged.

"Left early."

"Why?" I didn't mean to keep pressing, but I wanted to be a reporter when I graduated Hogwarts, and my inner investigator was begging for a response. Harry smiled cheekily at me.

"Felt like it." I whapped him lightly on the back of the head. He pretended to look shocked. Then he reached out, and faster than I could see it, he had me in a headlock.

"Harry!" I giggled out, delighted at his good humor. "Let go!"

"No." I struggled.

"Come on. If we keep up this playfulness, blue fuzz-bolats will want to join in! And they'll just tickle us." He laughed at me.

"Then let them come." Winky walked back to us with a tray full of food wobbling dangerously above her head.

"Would Sir and Miss like their food now?" We nodded. Thinking of something, I turned back to Harry.

"You went to the feast… are you still hungry?"

"Always am."

There we go, a new chapter. I hope it's not too late for everyone, I'm trying to update at the VERY least twice a month. This story is the only one I'm actually having fun writing… but it won't all be as fluffy. I hope not. I'd like to thank the broken up band of Blink 182, without their music to listen to, my writer's block would have taken over.

One review that wants me to keep going, a new chapter. You know the drill... Please? Any feedback is great. Thanks!