"Alright boys, what have you got for me?" James Potter asked his friends later that night in the safety of their shared bedroom. It was time to add a new file to their records. They had one on every student and teacher at Hogwarts.
"They seem like they've had some sort of intense training, judging by the way they walk together and carry themselves," Remus stated, ticking off various observations he had made, "The one named Hermione seems to lead Luna and that Pansy girl. I saw her giving them silent indications throughout the whole of dinner."
"They're all smoking hot," Sirius put in helpfully, thinking back to the black haired beauty he had immediately dismissed as an option after her sorting placement, "but don't look anything alike. Plus they seemed to have a preplanned unity to their actions. Like the hairstyle."
"Durant is a muggleborn in Slytherin and announced it out loud without a care to their entire house," Peter put in, perplexed.
"Luna won't tell us their past until they all know us better, which seems to indicate there is something strange about that past," James added, twirling a quill between his fingers.
"All in all they're just plan weird," Sirius finished, causing Remus to whack him with a pillow.
"Alright guys. This is not nearly enough for a comprehensive file. From now on, each one of makes a habit to get closer to one of the new girls for the sake of eventually finding their weaknesses and pranking them," James finished. The other boys nodded in agreement, while Remus worried internally that this might not be such a good idea.
Luna, Hermione, and Pansy planned to meet in front of the Great Hall before breakfast to discuss their interactions with the people from the past. They were all used to an early morning regiment so it wasn't a particularly cumbersome plan. Luna was the first to arrive and waited patiently for her Slytherin counterparts to come marching around the corner. When they finally appeared, heals clicking decisively on the stone floor, Luna couldn't help but marvel at the fact that the last time they had all been at Hogwarts together they had not really been friends at all. Well, Hermione had said they were friends but Luna of course knew in those days Hermione had not been able to comprehend her in the least and had a hard time not contradicting every word Luna said. Pansy of course had been somewhat of a bully to all those poor souls not in her house, though Luna had always known that the poor girl was just lost and looking for someone to show her the way. At the time it had been Draco Malfoy.
Since the day they all escaped Tom Riddle's hideaway, Luna was incandescently happy to say that they had become the best of friends. Hermione had responded coldly to Pansy at first, as was her way when she was feeling awkward, and Pansy had lashed out because of her inability to express her admiration for Hermione, but Luna had soon set them straight and the three had grown together ever since, like vines twisting into one branch. They were stronger together. And Luna was happy to have some semblance of a family again.
"Luna," Pansy called out, running up to the dotty looking witch, "did you survive you're night with the Gryffindors? They weren't too stupid were they?" She finished with a sidelong glance at Hermione, who subsequently rolled her eyes at the Slytherin witch. Pansy had taken to making jokes at Luna and Hermione's expense once more awhile after their escape, but this time in a friendlier, familiar manner that more often than not just made both girls laugh at her antics. It was obvious that some Gryffindors were very intelligent. Cough, cough, Hermione.
"Putting you're ridiculousness aside," Hermione interceded, eyeing Pansy before pulling them into an alcove and casting muffliato, "How did you fair last night, Luna?"
Luna smiled and responded dreamily, "Oh it was quite lovely. I finally got to taste Hogwarts pudding again; I met Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and even Harry's parents; I tracked the wrackspurt movement amongst the students; and I had a right lovely chat with Lily Evens as we walked back to our dorm after dinner. She is such a lovely girl. A real friend, just like Harry was."
Hermione caught her breath painfully at the mention of her best friend, trying desperately to hide the raw emotion she felt at discovering any sort of similarity he had with someone that would be occupying the same room as her. Luna reached out and patted Hermione's shoulder comfortingly and met her eyes in understanding.
"Well, we got to meet someone pretty interesting as well, after Hermione was done messing with the Slytherins' minds," Pansy suddenly piped up, sensing the need for a change of subject. Luna turned to her and waited patiently for Pansy to continue.
"Snape seems kinder now then he did as our Potions professor," Hermione speculated, having come around from her momentary weakness.
"I know what you mean," Pansy put in, "it's like he doesn't want you to know it but he actually does care about people somewhere in that dark little heart of his."
"Well, we already knew he always cared about Lily," Luna said lightly, "It stands to reason that he should be capable of caring about others as well."
Hermione pondered this unusually logical statement of Luna's and said happily, "Yes, I do think we will be able to help him. After all he did as a spy for the Light, he deserves to have a do-over in this lifetime."
The three girls smiled briefly at the thought of making a difference for the future and walked confidently through the doors of the Great Hall after finishing their brief rendezvous.
Severus Snape had been puzzling his brain to death over the three new girls that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Where did they even come from and why did they act so… well, weird? Hermione Durant seemed borderline crazy, Pansy Peasegood found serious situations funny, and he hadn't talked to that Luna Summerbee at all but she seemed like a completely daft creature with no attention span whatsoever.
He had been turning over thoughts such as these while eating his toast and jam when he heard a loud bang from the direction of the doors. Looking up, he realized that the three girls he had previously been pondering had just glided into the room, marching in much the same manner they had last night. Did they always have to enter a room in such an intimidating way? He had been expecting the two Slytherins to part from the dotty Gryffindor as they approached the tables, but to his surprise the springy girl followed behind the other two right up to their table.
Pansy turned and spotted that the blonde-haired girl had not yet separated from them and raised an aristocratic eyebrow. "Don't you belong over there Summerbee?" She asked slyly.
Luna grinned in return, "I belong everywhere. As do we all. I am, however, approaching the Slytherin table because I wanted to meet this new friend you both told me about." Luna then turned and stared directly at Severus, making a chill crawl up his spine. This one was weird all right.
"Of course!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed in an obviously over dramatic manner that didn't suit her disposition, "where are my manners? Luna this is Severus Snape, petulant hero with concerns for damsels in distress. Severus, this is Luna Summerbee, seer of all things and healer extraordinaire." Hermione exclaimed lavishly while Severus's cheeks tinged pink at being referred to in such a strange manner. Luna however just seemed to smile at him with what appeared to be sincere happiness and stated quite bluntly, "I am very pleased to meet a petulant hero. You seem like a very complex person Mr. Snape and I am sure I will enjoy trying to become you're friend."
Severus stared at the bulbous eyed girl and noted that she had actually been aware that she would have to put in effort to be around him. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with the way she was staring at him so he responded just to try to and make the grudgingly pretty girl go away.
"Yes, yes, now go back to the Gryffindor dogs before you're seen at the Slytherin table," he all but snarled out.
Luna seemed to beam at this statement, an action that baffled Severus to no end, before turning around and skipping over to her table.
That did it, Snape decided, there was definitely something wrong with the transfer students… especially the Summerbee girl. She'd turned out to be even weirder than the other two if that were possible. And what was with Hermione's description of her? Seer of all things and healer extraordinaire, was it? What in the world was that supposed to mean? He watched her skip all the way back to her table with a dazed sort of expression on his face.
"What's up Sev? You look like you've just seen a nargle," Pansy seemed to ask slyly while Hermione smirked at something to which he had no knowledge. The strange word caught his attention though.
"What in the world is a nargle?" He asked wearily, as if just having a conversation with any of these girls was physically exhausting for him.
"That, my friend, would be a good question for Luna, if you ever get the chance," Hermione suddenly jumped in. Severus looked between the two girls and wondered if they were all just taking the mickey out of him.
He once again let the topic drop though, as he was beginning to feel a serious tension headache coming on.
Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table, Sirius Black was watching the exchange taking place over at the Slytherin table. Why in the world would such lovely girls spend their time talking to Snivillus? Luna was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! That bushy haired girl named Hermione was a muggleborn so it certainly didn't make sense for her to want to associate with the dark-arts-loving sleazeball. As for that beautiful, dark-haired girl with the attitude, well, she was at the very least too pretty to associate with a git like that. Then again, Evens had been friends with him for years and she was a muggleborn and pretty, as James repeatedly informed him a hundred times a day. But that was beside the point. She had just hung out with him because they were childhood friends; she'd wizened up over the summer and wasn't getting on with him these days. These girls had only been here a day and they were already spending time with that wannabe Death Eater. Oh. Luna was turning away from the table now. It really was a shame her two friends had ended up in Slytherin. On principal he did not associate with Slytherins and therefore would not engage in any sort of contact with the other two girls. Most especially that black-haired one with the slightly up turned nose, she looked like the aristocratic type. He abhorred people who came from the sort of life he had abandoned. So even if she was pretty and looked lovely when she smiled, she was absolutely off limits. He wouldn't even utter her name, let alone –
"Hello Sirius Black," Luna said happily as she sat down in front of him, "James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew." She continued down the line. Lily smile at the blonde girl who instantly turned and said, "And of course Lily my newest friend!"
"What about us?" Sirius put in grumpily, "you said it would be weeks before we would even be you're acquaintances and you're referring to all of us by our full names. Why can't we be you're friends?"
Luna's eyes seemed to widen at this as if her perpetually surprised look was turning into actual surprise. Lily quickly interceded and told the group, "I also had that problem at first until I resolutely told Luna that we already are friends. I think she harbors misconceptions when it comes to herself." Lily paused as if realizing she had just spoken civilly to the Marauders. "Not that I'm saying she should be friends with you lot in any case.
Luna's cheeks colored a bit, as she began, "I was not aware that you all wished to become friends with me. I've never been very good at making friends you see. It usually comes about quite unnaturally for me I'm afraid."
The Marauders looked at one another before James resolutely told her, "Luna, if you'll have us, we would most definitely like for you to acknowledge us as you're friends." Luna seemed uncertain for a moment, as if she wasn't used to becoming friends with people so fast but eventually smiled serenely at them and replied, "It would seem that I still have something to learn when it comes to my own interactions with people. Thank you for making such a kind offer. I would be honored to have you as friends."
Sirius and James cheered as if they had just won a Quidditch match while Remus smiled gently and Peter grinned at the antics of his friends. Lily shook her head sadly.