A/N: Update! As promised, here's the new chapter on the last day of July. I'm going to try to upload as soon as I can since I have some time off right now. If anyone can tell me how to upload docs on Mac, it'd be much appreciated. I now have to email the chapter to myself and upload it via my old PC... It's frustrating to say the least.

Recollection

Luna looked frantically around as she stood on the stairs between the third and fourth floor. It was well past midnight and she still hadn't spotted Riddle. The maze was already being taken down and the number of students still roaming the hallways were dwindling. She saw Lestrange leave with Nott and Druella, but no sign of the Sixth Year Prefect. She pivoted to go up to the fourth floor, but the staircase suddenly started moving. She gripped the banister and waited and when the stairs connected with the new exit, she saw Riddle standing at the top waiting for her. She felt a beam begin to spread on her already sore face and sprinted up to meet him.

"There you are!" she exclaimed happily, her voice a bit hoarse from the shrieking she did inside the haunted maze.

"Where were you?" His expression was hard.

Her face dropped. He wasn't as happy to see her as she was him. "I was here," she started. "I went looking for you, even in the classroom. I couldn't find you anywhere, so I thought you might have been waiting for me there."

"Didn't I say you weren't to leave my side?" His face remained stern.

She glimpsed up at him and noticed he wasn't altogether livid. There was a hint of... Was it worry behind those bitter eyes? "I'm sorry." She hoped the grovelling route would prolong the calm before the storm. "I thought you had to patrol so I knew you would want me out of your way."

"Don't presume to know what I want!" he chastised. "Did you go into the maze?" he redirected with some urgency. He had a very good guess, but he had to be certain.

She paused, confused by the change of topic. "Yes, I-"

"When?" he continued.

She was thoroughly puzzled now. Why was he so concerned with the maze? "Um," she thought for a moment. "Around a quarter to midnight. What's wrong? Was I not supposed to go in?"

He groaned at her idiocy. He waited for his usual fury to envelope him, but it never came. The girl had just utterly ruined his plan to eradicate Hogwarts of mudbloods and yet he felt no need to curse her to Azkaban and back. If it were any of his followers, they would be begging at his feet to end the pain five times over already. He felt so bewildered by his lack of an urge for violence that he was speechless.

"Riddle?" Luna grabbed the end of his sleeve and pulled it gently.

His eyes snapped down to hers. Her eyes were misted over by confusion, but behind the cloud, the blue was as sharp as any he had ever seen. It told him the girl they belonged to was sure of herself, knew exactly who she was and what she wanted. He crushed a thought before it could even fully form itself. He ignored her inquisitive look and descended past her, twisting his robe out of her grip and seizing her hand. They returned back to the Slytherin dormitories together hand in hand.

~.~

Luna tossed and turned in bed. Sleep refused to come to her when it had so easily cloaked her in its spell the past month. Every night she returned to her chambers exhausted as a result of trying to keep up with the classes and, of course, him. Struggling to have the emotional capacity to be around someone with zero emotions was draining. However, all she could think of tonight was Riddle's hand in hers, how every curve of hers fit his perfectly. She felt her heart flutter at the thought. It was frustrating to say the least that Tom Riddle was the cause for both her expenditure and restlessness.

She realized she had never felt this way about anybody before. Since her mother passed, she had always clung to her father, the only person she felt familiar and at home with. She never confided with anyone at school. There were certainly those who didn't find her loony, but she never felt the need to open up to them. She felt more comfortable spending time with a thestral than having a conversation with a person, because she was terrible at it. It was simply who she was. The world out there, filled with all its possibilities, was what captivated her and she never seemed to find someone she could relate to.

Riddle was the only person besides her father that she had spent the most time alone with. At first, the Slytherin seemed arrogant and formidable, but now she was beginning to see that there was more to his hard exterior. He was still human and craved company as anyone else would. She supposed in the end no beast, however fantastical, would be able to perpetually keep her company. People innately suspired a partner in life, similar to what her father found in her mother. Perhaps it was normal for her to feel this way then. She wondered if the boy could ever be a partner for her.

~.~

Riddle sat by the fire in his favourite lush, cushioned chairs. He had stayed in the Slytherin common room and watched her go up to her room. He had wanted time alone to think. He looked down at the hand that had held Lovegood's. He couldn't recall why he had done it. Something, besides his mind, had took over him. If he had been thinking straight, he knew he wouldn't have shown her such affection. He closed his hand into a fist and flipped it over to gaze upon Slytherin's ring.

There was something that was stirring inside him that he couldn't pinpoint. This had never happened before until she came into his life. She walked in and turned everything upside down. The feeling that he had tried so hard to ignore before was beginning to hold his attention. It was taking control of him and he was repulsed by the idea. He was always in control. Every day he lived and breathed for a purpose. Sure, he did not know this until the day Dumbledore had come to the orphanage, but it was better late than never. He knew now more than ever what he was to become and the Ravenclaw would only be a distraction. A distraction that would ultimately jeopardize everything he had worked so hard for.

"Did it work?"

Riddle didn't hear him come down. At the mention of the failed curse, he waited again for the rage to descend, but it didn't. He reined in his thoughts and replied calmly, "I have another plan."

"What?"

Riddle could tell he was upset by the news.

"The plan was flawless. We don't need another one."

"That is not for you to decide, Lestrange."Riddle's grim voice bounced off the mantle.

"I'm sorry, Riddle." He stepped around the chair to reveal himself in the firelight. "I just knew how much this meant to you."

"You know nothing," he spat scornfully.

"Riddle," Lestrange let out cautiously.

The prefect let out a long breath and finally released the fist he held. "What?" he let up.

"Something is still bothering you," Lestrange pointed out. "I can see it."

"Like I said, Raziel," he sighed. He only addressed the other by his given name when they were alone. "Nothing you can help with."

"You never know," he smirked. The orange light of the fireplace made his face eerily similar to one of those jack-'o-lanterns that was just hanging in the stairwell earlier that night. "Maybe just this once I can."

Riddle turned to look at the tall, young man. Lestrange was the first person Riddle spoke to during his first year at Hogwarts and also his first devoted follower. The devotee joked around a lot, but Riddle knew that behind the jester was a man as cruel and relentless as he was. A man after Riddle's very own heart. The prefect initially doubted the man, but Lestrange proved himself time and again to be a true Slytherin. Riddle trusted him above all the others. Lestrange was closest to a friend Riddle would ever allow anyone to be. "Good night," he dismissed. Tonight he did not feel like a discussion by the fire.

Lestrange dropped his eyes, obviously disappointed he wouldn't be allowed to do his master's bidding. "Good night," he returned and went back up to his room.

Riddle turned back to the fire and all he could see was a form of Lovegood's face arranged by the burnt logs. He scowled. He had more than enough to think about in one night. He pushed himself off the chair and followed Lestrange's footsteps to retire for the night.

~.~

Luna waited nervously in the classroom for Riddle. She hadn't been able to sleep at all the entire night. She was plagued by the events of All Hallow's Eve and was now on edge in seeing the cause of her sleepless night. She wondered if the dynamic between them would change. She was flustered just thinking about whether she should just pretend nothing had happened or that something did. She shook her head. He probably had held many a girl's hands before, perhaps more. Her face flushed at this thought. It was probably second nature to him and nothing more. Just as she resolved to pretend nothing happened, Riddle walked in. She blushed again, somehow feeling like he heard every word she thought. "Good morning," she greeted at a barely audible volume.

Riddle stared at her. He couldn't help but notice her rosy cheeks and thought she looked almost pretty today. He cursed himself. It couldn't possibly be so hard to focus on not being distracted by her. Tom Marvolo Riddle was not about to be championed by the likes of a silly girl. "Let's go," he barked, ignoring her pleasantries and marched out the door.

Luna remained where she stood. She didn't want to admit it, but she had hoped he might have treated her differently after last night. She fooled herself into thinking she had finally broken down the stone cold mask that was Tom Riddle and had made a connection with him, but she was sorely disappointed. She was surprised at how hurt she felt by his nonchalance. She tittered softly at herself for absurdly thinking that he might consider her a potential life partner. Riddle trusted her about as much as he could physically throw a full grown giant. Luna mentally rearranged her thoughts and feelings, and followed his footsteps to Defence.

When she entered into the classroom, Riddle was already seated with his friends in their usual corner. She made her way to her seat behind him, making sure she didn't bump into anyone in fear he would have another outburst. Her eyes briefly made contact with Raziel and she saw recognition in his eyes. Of course he made no move to acknowledge her presence and she was thankful for that. She didn't dare imagine what Riddle would do if he knew they had spoken at the party the night before.

A brown-haired girl with a smug smile approached them. Luna recognized her as one of the prefects Riddle was speaking to last night.

"Hey Riddle," she called. "You never showed us what you were laughing to yourself about. I was getting all worked up expecting something mind-blowing, but I can't help but say I was left disappointed." There was a hint of ridicule in her chirpy voice.

"Shod off, Parkinson," Lestrange rolled his eyes, not taking them away from twirling his wand between his fingers.

Riddle smirked and held up a hand to silence his comrade. "No, no, Lestrange. Let her speak."

Luna felt a shiver dance down her spine at the sound of his silky voice. If ever there was a voice you heard before your soul was sucked from your body, that was it.

The girl was too ludicrous to hear the clear warning in his voice or just plain ignorant, thus continued, "I was looking forward to a spectacle. Maybe transfiguring all the First Years into leprechauns? I would've thought you could walk the talk." There was now a definitive smirk on her face. Luna wanted to jump up and cover the girl's mouth up before she dug herself a bigger grave.

Druella clucked her tongue loudly. "Oh Parky, I thought you would be smarter than you make yourself out to be. I would shut that mouth of yours while you still had lips," she leered.

The girl named Parkinson was beginning to look a bit uneasy. "Druella you shouldn't make threats you don't plan on following through." Her courageous words were betrayed by her quivering voice.

"Don't worry," Nott chipped in. "We always do."

There was a silence so heavy Luna thought she was about to be crushed to death. She swivelled her eyes to Riddle again and the shadow of the smirk that was once there could have stopped her heart. However, it was pounding now for fear of what they might do to the stubborn Slytherin prefect. She watched as Parkinson walked away uneasily.

Lestrange bursted out laughing, followed by Nott and Drogon. Abraxis managed to muster a half sneer. "I think I'm free tonight. Anyone care to go hunting?" Abraxis mocked.

"Yes!" they all replied laughing except for Riddle. His face was arranged sombre and his eyes as cold as ever. He cast a glance back at Luna and then turned back to the front as the professor walked into the classroom.

Luna couldn't get his face out of her mind the whole day. It was as if he meant to say that her fate would match Parkinson's if she ever dared defy him. What she once thought was beginning to be a tolerable situation was soon turning back into a death trap. The hand holding might just be Riddle slipping up and not because he felt any leniency towards her. It was becoming very obvious that the whole display in Defence class was simply a reminder for her that she is never safe around him. She was stupid for letting her guard down, albeit for a night and half a day. This explained his behaviour earlier that morning and previously in Defence. He was never going to let her off the hook.

Luna looked up from her desk to stare at the back of Riddle's head. She had to take action or her fate was determined by him. Her original plan of playing the vulnerable card hadn't proved to be effective. Of course, even if she took any action at all it might still be his call given he was much more powerful than her. But if she really stood there and did nothing, her fate may be worse than Parkinson's. It was quite transparent she wasn't about to fight her way out of this. Sure the last time she faced him she only ended up with a bruise on her knee, but she would never by her own will choose to duel him again. No, this situation relied solely on her mind and she was not housed a Ravenclaw for no reason.

She again retraced her steps from that fateful morning. She was sure now that she did indeed go into Dumbledore's office. She remembered she was waiting for him to return from some pressing matter before she went back in time and saw the young professor. Unless the Headmaster's office was a portal of some sort, something out of the ordinary must have happened. She mulled it over and over in her head, what did she do after the Headmaster left? She vaguely remember the brightness of the room. The room was glowing of yellow due to the items in the room! Yes, she was beginning to recall the tables littered with trinkets. All the objects had that in common. The candles made everything seem to pulse, as if it were alive. There was something odd though. Something that didn't quite fit. Something black.

Luna's whole body jerked as her memories came flooding back, squeaking her chair against the floor. A few heads turned back at the unexplained movement of the chair, including Riddle and his friends. She smiled apologetically at Riddle, though she might as well just snarled at him. He didn't look happy at all. As Riddle turned back around, she looked at Raziel and he gave her a lopsided smile. It helped calm her nerves and she turned back to her thoughts. Indeed there was a black cabinet and within it she had found a basin filled with a silvery liquid. The basin must be the answer to her troubles as it was the last thing she remembered touching before falling head first into the past. As the professor dismissed Arithmacy, she resolved to visit the library to find out more about the basin that night.