Never Again

Part 6: Thestrals

"... And so now father's in Azkaban for another year, but my mother's already been there for a few months. Azkaban isn't the place to be, really," Draco shuddered. He dropped his gaze from the silvery-blue eyes.

It was the day before Christmas holidays, and Luna had invited Draco outside to talk.

"How come your mother got off?" Luna asked kindly. "Don't other Death Eaters have a longer imprisonment?"

At this, he looked off into the distance, pretending to be interested in a particular oak tree.

"Potter," he muttered at last.

"Sorry? I didn't hear that."

"Potter," he said again, trying to smooth out the contempt in his voice. "Harry Potter. The Chosen One. The Boy Who Lived."

"What does Harry have to do with anything?" she asked.

He looked down. He didn't want to admit it.

"You and Harry should stop," Luna said suddenly. "The war should've stopped the world from being split into two sides. But it's still the same."

Draco snapped out of his trance and looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours," she smiled her beautiful smile. Like a beam of sunlight filling Draco with warmth.

"You go first," he said.

She took a deep breath.

"Well, I'm the single child. My father's editor of the Quibbler, and my mother passed away a while ago. Around when I was the age of nine."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really? I never knew that. I... I'm so... sorry to hear... that." he wasn't sure why it was so hard for him to utter the word 'sorry.' Draco couldn't recount the last time he said that.

She gave another smile, but sadder this time. "Yes, it is sad. But I've still got daddy with me, so I can't complain, can I? I'm lucky to have him, because some people like Harry don't have their parents with them anymore."

Luna studied Draco critically.

"But most people are really lucky, and have both."

His face burned. "Continue."

Her fingers fiddled with her Butterbeer cork necklace. The blinding sun made it look like her hair was made of gold.

"Well I had a pretty good younger life," she said vaguely. "I went to Hogwarts when I turned eleven, and in my third year I decided to study Divination and Care of Magical Creatures."

"You must know a lot about them," he said.

"I suppose so," she turned to look at him. "Hey, I like this face," the silver light in her eyes dances. "I like that smile. I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that."

Draco quickly straightened his features. "Really? I didn't realize I was smiling."

"That's good then. It means you're getting used to it, and then maybe you'll be smiling all the time.

"It's good to smile. My mother once told me that even through dark times there's still a light, but only if we can see that light. I think it's a good way of showing understanding.

"Now, there's not much to say here. In my fourth year, I met Harry, and then joined Dumbledore's army. You know all about that. Weren't you part of the Inquisitorial Squad that turned us in to Umbridge?"

He wasn't sure if it was the sun that burned his face or something else. "Well, yeah. But you and Potter were getting on some stuff that was against the rules, weren't you?"