ALL OF THESE FAVES, FOLLOWS, AND REVEIWS ARE NO T GOOD FOR MY HEALTH.

Thank you all so, SO much!

"So...he didn't try to hurt you or anything?" said Harry.

"Not even a little?" prodded Ron.

"No," said Luna simply. "Why would he?"

Harry wasn't the only one who saw Luna Lovegood talking to Draco Malfoy as if it wasn't out of the ordinary. But then again, that's what Luna was. Those characteristics made her special.

Everyone who was in Harry's, well, "group"-this includes Harry himself, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville-saw all what they needed, even if they were just glimpses. Harry knew Luna could take care of herself; they all could. But he had a strange protectiveness over the petite blonde; she had been, in fact, his only friend for a period of time the previous Year, when he isolated himself from everyone. Luna just gets him, in a way that no one else does.

At her nonchalant statement, the Golden Trio exchanged glances, Ginny's eyes narrowed, and Neville appeared genuinely worried.

"Er, no offense, Luna," said Ron finally, "but what the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"Draco asked me something along those lines too," Luna replied, tucking a golden strand of hair behind her ear. "He seemed upset about something."

"You don't say."

"What Ronald's trying to say is," said Hermione, giving Ron a dark look before facing the other girl, "we're just wondering why you would talk to him. Please don't take any offense to this, I know you mean well, Luna. It's just that...-"

"All day the Slytherins have been acting weird around us," Ginny finished, and Neville nodded.

"Weird how?" said Harry.

"Malfoy and Luna are suddenly talking, Parkinson yelled at Daphne Greengrass for talking bad about Neville, and Zabini had the nerve to ask me about the weather," Ginny ticked off her fingers as she ranted, fixing up her face as Blaise's name fell from her lips, as if she tasted a sour lemon.

"Wait, wait, slow down," said Ron. "Zabini?"

"Zabini," Ginny grumbled, nodding her head.

"Parkinson defended you?" said Hermione, and Neville nodded as if he still couldn't believe it either.

"She did," Neville said to her. "I guess she was close enough to hear what they were saying. I would've kept walking. I'm used to it, but...she just surprised me, is all. And before she left, she...she smiled at me."

"Smiled?"

"Yeah, like an actual little smile. I got an odd feeling in my stomach and I walked away from her. Was that rude?"

Hermione smiled at her friend, giving his hand a reassuring pat. "I don't think so. It's understandable that you got nervous."

Harry watched each conversation unfold, taking each into consideration. Ginny was uncomfortable, Hermione was uncomfortable, and Luna was debatable. He already had defensive feelings over each of them as it is, but with all of them together had his mind reeling.

"Harry?" said Hermione. His gaze gradually drifted up from the table to meet hers. "Are you alright?"

"That's your thinking face," said Ron, pointing at him with a spreading grin plastering across his freckly face. "I like where this is going, mate. What are you thinking?"

"No," said Hermione before Harry could speak, the latter now fighting a smile of his own. "No. Absolutely not."

"But you didn't even know what I was going to say, Hermione," said Harry.

"I don't have to," said Hermione, giving him a look, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Of course she did. Harry may say one thing, but she knew what he was thinking. "Ginny. Luna, and I can take care of ourselves."

"That's right!" Ginny piped up, nose pointed up in the air.

"I think it's nice that Harry is concerned, but she is right," said Luna, staring into space, wondering now about whether or not Draco had gotten rid of the wrackspurts.

"You lot are no fun," Ron huffed, crossing his arms.

"H-Hey, I don't want any trouble..." Neville held up his hands innocently.

"Harry," Hermione enunciated.

"Hermione," mocked Harry, loving the way her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed, cheeks flushed and lips pressed in a thin line. He wasn't worried, because he knows that she can't stay mad at him forever.

Before Hermione could open her mouth for a retort, a soft, timid voice had the group silent.

"Er, hi...I couldn't help but overhear..."

Tensing up a bit, Harry turned in his seat to look up into the beautiful face that belonged to Cho Chang. He hadn't talked to her at all since their disaster date the previous Year, and their relationship became so awkward that they didn't talk anymore. Cho was also one of many who thought that he and Hermione were an item.

And she's changed a lot since he had last seen her...which might have been that day? The Seventh Year student sported a layered haircut with brown highlights, and her eyes were actually tearless. Her hesitation was easy to note first as she approached their table, twiddling her fingers.

Harry didn't have to turn to tell that Hermione looked as tense as he felt. But what surprised him was the unexpected action of Hermione subtly brushing his hand with her own. He relaxed at her touch, but it didn't stop the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Don't you think you should mind your own-?" Ron began before Hermione kicked him in the shin, and hard. He yelped, grasping at the injured skin, and hung his head in silent agony.

"Er, Cho. Hi." Harry mentally kicked himself. "How are you?"

Cho appreciatively smiled in his direction. "Better. Did you all have a good holiday?"

Harry nodded for the group since no one bothered to say anything.

"Can we help you with something?" said Hermione warily.

"Cho tends to overhear a lot of things," Luna explained lightly, smiling in her friend's direction. "You mustn't blame her for just being curious or even wanting to be involved. I would, if I were her, and I heard people talking about interesting things."

A sudden look came over Hermione that Harry was the first to notice, their eyes meeting in the briefest of moments before she met Ron's gaze as well. Luna's statement reminded Harry of...well, Hermione. She had no friends and only wanted to fit in.

And now it seemed like Cho had the same life now. She was friendless, since her so-called 'friends' ditched her because she never really did 'get over' Cedric's death and was emotional about everything. The only person who ever genuinely talked to her was Luna Lovegood herself.

"Cho, a word?" said Hermione suddenly, getting to her feet.

"Sure," Cho stammered, and Harry watched the two girls leave the library with a worried look on his face.

"I bet you ten Galleons that they're not going to have just 'a word'," said Ron, holding up air-quotations with his fingers.

"Since when do you have 'ten Galleons'?" Ginny retorted, holding up her own fingers, and the gang laughed.

.

Harry was anxious. Hermione, now gone for almost a full hour, hadn't returned yet. Under the table, he drummed his fingers on his knees in a miscellaneous pattern. What was keeping her? He hoped everything was alright...

"Don't worry. They'll be here in a minute," said Ron, engulfing a huge spoonful of red jello.

Harry's eyes narrowed blankly. "If Hermione were here, she would smack you with one of her books."

"Good thing you're not Hermione, eh mate?" Ron joked.

Harry slowly revealed the book that she had let him borrow, maintaining a poker face while Ron's eyes widened. "Want to bet?"

Just then, Hermione and Cho finally appeared at the Great Hall entrance, saving Ron from a potential beating. To the boys' shock, Hermione gave Cho's arm a gentle squeeze, and the two shared a conservative smile before parting ways.

"I don't understand you women," said Ron as Hermione sat down across from them. "One minute you bloody hate each other, and the next you're all...girly and..."

"First of all, I never hated her. And second of all, what Cho and I do is not up to you," Hermione corrected him.

"Hermione?" Harry leaned closer. "Have you been...crying?"

"What?" Hermione grabbed the nearest spoon to look at her reflection. Her skin was blotchy around her cheeks, eyes red-rimmed. "O-oh! That's nothing. Nothing at all..."

Harry didn't buy it. "Hermione..."

"Er, Harry?" Ron pointed. "Should we be concerned?"

Both Harry and Hermione whipped their heads around just in time to see Luna approach the Slytherin table.

.

"Hello, Draco."

Draco, his back to her, looked to Pansy and Blaise helplessly. All they did was snigger in their plates.

"Were you able to get rid of the wrackspurts?"

Draco gritted his teeth. "Mhm."

"That's nice."

"Mhm."

"Draco!" Pansy slapped his arm, then turned around to look at the blonde. "Won't you sit down?"

"Certainly," Luna replied, and Draco was forced to make room for her next to him. He got uncomfortable rather quickly. He didn't like the closer proximities her new seat provided, and he really didn't like the way she was looking at him...

.

"This can't be good..." murmured Harry.

"What do we do?" muttered Ron.

"...Nothing," said Hermione, receiving judging looks for that one. "We do nothing."

"Nothing?" said Harry.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

At least not yet.