They had had no contact for well over a week and the effect was showing on Draco's face. He was exhausted, pale and looked as though he could suddenly faint at any moment. He would jump at any sudden movement and more than once he had lashed out at someone over trivial things. The first year he had hexed for standing on his toe was still in the hospital recovering and Crabbe was now sporting a massive bruise on the left side of his face from when he had made one too many stupid complaints for Draco to stand.

He felt as though he was constantly being watched and he was convinced he once saw the house elf he had lost because of Potter, peering out from behind one of the statues when he was walking past. But he was probably just seeing things, sleep deprivation did that to you.

Luna had been watching him. He had caught her staring several times at meal times but she had still made no effort to talk to him. But it was nearly the Easter holidays and Draco told himself that if he was going to be without Luna for two weeks anyway, a few extra days hardly mattered.

He had experienced a few jeers for Luna's comment but nothing he couldn't handle. Crabbe and Goyle were hardly any challenge for his natural wit.

Hermione on the other hand, had been more of a challenge for Luna. She had immediately questioned what contact Luna had ever had with Draco to make her concerned about his health and Luna had mumbled some explanation about caring for everyone, even if she didn't know them which she knew Hermione would blindly accept. She had accepted it, but she didn't look convinced.

Thankfully, when they reached the hospital, all was forgotten and Luna made a mental note to be more careful in future. She had chatted with Harry and Ron a little but for a majority of the time she had been thinking about Draco's reaction to her suggestion. Perhaps he was warning her that she was getting too close. So as hard as it was for her to do it, Luna decided that she would give him some space and not do anything unless he asked her to. At least until Easter.

But she couldn't avoid the signs, the largest of which was starting to annoy her. She knew Draco was using the room of requirement and that it was meant to be unplottable and inaccessible for everyone. Yet she had walked past the door a total of eleven times in the past few days and no matter how hard she tried to force it to disappear, it wouldn't. In fact, she had confused Cho immensely through her sudden need to rush towards a door Cho couldn't see, when they were on their way to the common room.

There were three days left until everyone went home for Easter and excitement was running high. Harry was almost becoming unbearable with his obsession with Draco and Luna had found it wiser to keep quiet about what she knew or the fact that the room of requirement was always open for her when Draco was inside, for her own safety.

She was walking aimlessly through the corridors, thinking about nothing of importance except what might be on the menu for lunch. It being towards the end of the term, she had been let out of one of her lessons early and she was enjoying the empty corridors. Her contemplation was rudely interrupted by Moaning Myrtle flying out of her bathroom, wailing as she went and she stopped, slightly stunned at the sudden volume of her squeals, just as Draco walked out of the bathroom.

Luna first thought was that she had seen pictures of corpses that looked more alive but it hardly seemed the appropriate thing to say so she kept her mouth shut.

There was a silent conversation in which Draco told Luna, without even saying a word, that he didn't need her and Luna managed to somehow, through one raise of her eyebrows, disagree. The exchange of expressions had ended with Luna grabbing Draco's hand as he walked past. He paused but pulled it free without even looking back.

And so Luna decided that giving him space hadn't been as wise as she thought and so when, later that afternoon, the room of requirement once again kept it's door open, she did not resist.

The door creaked as she entered but Draco was too preoccupied to even notice her until she was knelt next to him.

His head was bowed and his face was pulled into an expression so tortured and yet so calm, it hurt Luna to look. In his hands he clutched a small but very dead bird and Luna had a feeling that the fact that the bird was dead was upsetting for more than just sentimental reasons.

'The birds in that cage outside... they keep disappearing, don't they?'

'They don't disappear, I kill them.' There was deep anger in his voice but Luna could tell from the way his hold on the bird tightened that the only person it was directed at was Draco himself.

'You don't kill them on purpose though. You're not a killer, Draco. I don't think you're capable of that.'

'You don't know what I am, Loony. And you don't know what I'm capable of.'

Luna got to her feet, a smile hesitating to appear on her lips.

'I do know what you are.'

Draco watched her, unconvinced by her sudden burst of energy. 'Enlighten me.'

'You're a son and a nephew and a Hogwarts student and a Slytherin and a friend and an enemy and a seeker and...'

Draco slowly got to his feet, letting Luna rattle off his various labels. She paused for breath and Draco made his own addition to the list.

'Death-eater.'

Luna started to shake her head but Draco forced down his sleeve and pushed the dark tattoo into her face.

'well there's no point in hiding it any longer. Most of slytherin are already aware of it and at the rate Potter's going, the rest of the school will soon be gossiping about it.'

The bird was still clutched in his hand and so Luna gently prised open his fingers to take the dead fragile body in her own hands.

'How did the bird die?'

'I told you, I killed it.'

'Not deliberately.'

He wouldn't meet her eyes and Luna could see the argument going on inside his head. He wanted to tell her but he was too scared to.

'I used it for something and it died, that's all that matters.'

'But why did it di-'

Luna let out a gasp as Draco snatched the bird out of her hand and threw it across the expanse of junk that surrounded them.

'It died because it was weak.' He turned, his eyes blazing and glistening with tears. 'Because it couldn't do what it was meant to do. Because it failed. But you have to make sacrifices, sometimes good people have to die.'

He was talking more to himself than Luna now, and Luna gently tapped his arm to remind him of her presence.

'We were talking about the birds, Draco. Not people.'

He heard the warning and stopped, out of breath from his outburst.

'People are weak too. It's much easier to kill someone than it is to keep them alive.'

'Practically, maybe but not morally. Your conscience makes it harder.'

Tears he had been fighting back began to spill out of Draco's eyes.

'but what if someone has no conscience? If someone is no use to them it makes more sense to not have to keep them alive.'

He was crying but he wasn't breaking down. Just letting the tears fall calmly. It was as if he had already accepted his fate and given up and in Luna's opinion, he had given up too early.

'You're not useless and Voldemort knows it. If I were him and I desperately wanted a job done, I wouldn't give it to a boy with no experience and offer him no assistance. He expects you to fail.' Luna's bluntness struck again.

'Hardly comforting, given the consequences if I do fail.' They were talking as if they were discussing business, not a matter of life and death but it was a tone Draco was familiar with. Life and death were matters discussed over his dinner table quite frequently now that his aunt and Voldemort were around. There was silence and Draco walked back over to where he had been sat with his pile of books, picked one of them up and then threw it down again as Luna began to speak.

'I've told my Dad I want to stay here for Easter. There's a few things I need to do.'

'I don't need you to keep an eye on me Loony.'

'I would have thought by now you'd realise that denying something won't make it go away.'

Draco realised then where their personalities were so different. He had given up when he could see no solution but Luna had the determination he lacked. Maybe having her to himself for two weeks wouldn't be a bad thing. When he gave her no answer, Luna continued with her plans.

'Maybe, just while it's just us. We could forget about sides and missions and just be ourselves?'

Luna looked so hopeful that Draco almost felt ashamed of himself when he laughed mockingly.

'When are you anything but your annoying, stupid self, Loony?' He slumped into a conveniently placed red armchair whilst Luna sat in one next to him.

There was silence again and so Luna decided to test something she had noticed.

'Draco?' when he looked up, she smiled warmly. 'Smile?'

When he shook his head, her smile vanished. 'Please?'

Draco's eyes closed in defeat. 'I can't. I have no reason to anymore.'

And so silently, Luna decided that during Easter, no matter what, she would convince Draco that there was a reason to keep going and she would see him smile.

These chapters are getting longer and longer! Thanks again to everyone for being so patient and to the people who wished me luck on my exams.