[IC] We carry on, wands at the ready.

[Genkai]

After Hogwarts had been rebuilt and deemed proper enough to accept students, Hermione was the first person to raise her hand and offer to return to finish her seventh year. The war brought so much change and unrest and she couldn't stand the idea of not graduating because of it. To know that she could finish her formal education and go back to a place where she felt so safe and accepted was a great help in getting over the shock that the fighting was over. Of course people were still in support of the Dark Lord but as a person, as a real threat, he was washed away and a new era could be brought to light.

Hermione was able to restore her mother and father's memories and was happy to spend time at home. She missed her friends but everyone had their own loose ends to tie up. Hermione spent time reading both muggle and magical books in her free time. When it was finally the start a new year, she was packed and ready to go, ready to put her energy back into her future as a witch. Still, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do once she officially graduated. Would she want to work in the Ministry of Magic or would she prefer doing something else? Honestly, she wasn't sure. With conflicts popping up so much, she hardly had time to think about the future when she, Harry and Ron were dealing with other issues.

Now that things were settling down, she had more time to focus on herself and figure out where her passions were. She loved to work on more rights for House Elves but she wasn't sure if she wanted a career out of it. She wanted to advocate for them but she wasn't sure if she could be happy for a lifetime in that field. Perhaps she could teach somewhere. Hermione wasn't sure but now that she was back at Hogwarts, she felt safe. And in her mind, she was almost back in the past, able to slow down and take her time. There wasn't anyone trying to kill her or her mates or take over the world. In fact, she and Luna Lovegood were making new progress at school by putting together a newspaper run by students.

She and Luna were growing close. Closer than her and Ginny anyway. Hermione was never able to really connect with the girl, and now that she and Ron had broken romantic ties, Hermione was sure that any chance of finding common ground with Ginny, was dashed. But Hermione sort of felt obligated to get to know the redhead since she and Harry were sort of together. Hermione felt weird thinking about those two so she was happy to throw her energy into the newspaper. It was simple and would be distributed the first of every month. It would have bits of everything, comics, opinions, weather, current events in and outside of the school, tutoring connections and such.

School had started three weeks ago and for the first week, she and Luna were just discussing ideas. Then they got things into motion and began to recruit people to contribute and help write and design the paper itself. They had a good turn out but they needed one or two more people to fill spots, that's when Draco showed interest though he flat out said that it was because he had to and not because he wanted to. So Hermione couldn't make too much of a fuss and welcomed him to the team. They had a week to throw their first issue together and so far people were making good progress. She and Harry were working a series of photos of those they wanted to honor who died in the battle.

While many people were able to go back to their families, Draco Malfoy didn't have anyone to turn to. After the actions of his parents, Draco was confused. He wasn't sure what path to take and he was slowly starting to see how misled he had been, how clouded his judgement was in the past. Harry had saved his life, after all the crap he gave the boy-who-lived, he still spared him. It stirred something inside Draco which had made him question his life and what he thought he had been entitled to.

He had been questioning things ever since he was given the task of killing the Headmaster. He didn't want to do it. The old man did nothing to him and yet it had to be done. To prove his worth to his father, he had to kill him, he had to earn the title of Deatheater. But when the moment came he couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it and he had Snape do it for him. Draco hated himself in that moment. He hated that he couldn't be man he was expected to be but he also hated that he had no say in what he wanted to do with his life. Due to his father's influence, Draco wasn't one to stand up for himself.

Despite his cocky attitude, Draco didn't have as much freedom. He got whatever he wanted but it came at a price and that was his freedom. Any ideas of his own were generally stamped out. And due to Draco's mask, no one suspected that his home-life was lonely and distant. All he ever knew was deception and deceit and it would take some time for him to break away from his habits. He got a hotel and lived on his own. He had enough money stashed away to not need his parents' support. Even so, he did stay in contact with his mother but he was too ashamed and angry with his father to approach him.

Draco kept the letters he exchanged with his mother close to him, they were one of his few possessions. When time came to decide whether or not to go back to school, he decided it would be better to do that than to try and get a job. He needed to figure his life out and he had a better chance with a degree from Hogwarts than to use his name to influence people, since it seemed that would be a poor move now that the smoke from the war was clearing.

When he got back to Hogwarts, he was distant from his old mates though they seemed happy with it just as he was. He was told by the Ministry and by the Headmistress that he would need to do a lot of extra work to make up for his actions. He knew he needed to so he didn't put up a fight in the matter. The first three weeks were hard, he ate by himself and only spent time with people when he was working on the stupid Hogwarts Times. He decided to do an anonymous column to help people who needed advice. After some submissions, he was about ready to hand it to Granger and Lovegood.

It was currently a warm September Sunday evening. Most kids were hanging outside before they had to come inside, due to the curfew given to them. Draco was in the library where the team usually met to talk about their progress. He looked up and saw Hermione and Harry heading off to go somewhere, likely to get something to eat. Dinner was wrapping up but those two had been working so hard, they had almost missed. He wasn't really hungry, nor did he want to be around a lot of idiots in the Great Hall.

Looking over her shoulder, Hermione couldn't help but pity Draco. He was doing well in school but only because he was so isolated. None of his old friends were around and if they were, it seemed some rift had formed between them. While Hermione wasn't ready to trust Draco entirely, she was still hopeful that he could turn his life around. "I think our tribute to those we lost is going to turn out great." She mentioned to Harry as they headed down the stairs.

[Camille Noir]

Harry's choice to return to Hogwarts hadn't been immediate, and though he chose to return in the end, it had still been a bit muddled with some doubts. The ministry had come to him only days after the dust from the war had settled and informed him that, if he so chose, he could begin auror training without having to go back to complete his schooling. His immediate response had been enthusiastic though not exactly excited. In giving them an answer though, he hesitated, asking for more time but ultimately leaving them confident that he would accept the offer.

Confidence in the idea of hopping right into auror training began to seep away over the next few days, and the whirlwind that the summer had been saw that it was completely drained in the following weeks. Harry had been at the beck and call of many over the summer. There were trials for those that he'd been summoned to testify against, even a few that he'd testified for such as Draco Malfoy and his mother. Besides that, there were a great many events where Harry had to make appearance such as reconstruction sites, funerals, and oh, so many press conferences. By the end of the first month, he'd had to ask himself if he really wanted to go straight back into the action, or if he really wanted to live a life in which all he knew was chasing dark wizards.

By mid-Summer Harry informed the aurors, the ministry, and Headmistress McGonagall that he would be returning to Hogwarts for to finalize his education. The aurors had been disappointed, but McGonagall had complimented him in her typical tone that didn't sound like a compliment at all yet still filled him with pride that he'd made a wise decision. Hermoine had been ecstatic. Ginny had been too, much to his discomfort. Between all of his obligations, he'd found minimal time to visit the Weasley's during the summer, and even still most of that remaining time had been spent with Ron and Molly rather than Ginny. In the rare moments that Harry had been around her, he had been unfortunately unable to hide his discomfort and maintained an awkward sort of cordiality, while she had been calm though somewhat earnest. It reminded him of when they first met, which of course only made him feel awful.

Although Hogwarts was not exactly the same one from first year that Harry had been daydreaming about since those days when he, Ron, and Hermoine were hiding out in the forest and searching for Horcruxes, the Hogwarts that he returned to still provided enough familiarity that it was a relief to him. Ron wasn't there, and the rules from the ministry were difficult initially difficult to swallow only because they contradicted with what he associated Hogwarts with in his head. Ginny's presence was almost determinedly unforceful but persistently there enough to poke at his conscience. However, the routine of classes was exactly what he needed to relax his mind, and Luna and Hermoine's
newspaper provided an enjoyable use of his free time.

Harry followed Hermoine's gaze to where Draco sat, though he was unsure what about the other boy had prompted her statement. He chose not to ask, thinking that Hermoine always had a million thoughts running through her head and asking her to connect them would just make all of them come out at once. Instead, he nodded slowly in agreement as they descended the staircase, "I think so too. We've been making good progress... I'm glad that we get the chance to talk about Snape like a hero rather than an enemy or a traitor. I never got the chance to sort out my feelings and thank him for everything." He shrugged, and added, "Hopefully everyone will take it as that kind of opportunity too. McGonagall told me that some of the Slytherins have been making a stir in class."

Luna walked into the library, stopping short when she found the room was vacant of the other members of the team for the newsletter aside from Draco. As of yet, Luna remained unsure of how to feel about Draco's relatively constant presence in her life lately. Although he was adamant in joining the newspaper staff only because he had to an for no other reason, she honestly believed that he would use the opportunity to sort himself out and perhaps start working on an image of himself that was separate from the Malfoy legacy. Still, Luna just never quite knew what to say to him or how to receive him, other than to be mildly grateful and enthusiastic about the light and entertaining contribution to the paper that his column would be.

Luna's mind was still reeling with how fast after the start of term they were managing to get the paper off of the ground. It was only a vague idea in her head when school started, something she hoped could happen but wasn't necessarily a sure thing with all of the other activity going on in the school. No sooner had she mentioned it to Hermoine, however, that it real and honest planning started happening. Luna found that she and Hermoine had been growing closer as friends as a result of it.

Actually, the friendship that Hermoine provided was something as a relief. In past years, Luna had come to see Ginny as perhaps her best friend, but she could always sense that Ginny, despite her general acceptance and supportiveness of Luna, was somewhat uncomfortable in her unsureness of what to do with Luna's "looniness." Alternitavely, in the time they had been spending together, Hermoine seemed not to see it as much of an issue if at all. Whether that was because Hermoine saw her as more of an equal thanks their working on the paper together or due to her contributions during the war, Luna wasn't sure, but she appreciated it all the same.

Luna felt, therefore, that she should give someone else the same consideration, even if many would think that Draco was one of those who would rather be ignored or left alone rather than accepted. After only a moment's hesitation, Luna casually walked over to where he sat and set her belongings on the table in front of her before taking a seat on an adjacent couch. "Evening, Malfoy. Have all of the other's gone off to dinner, then?" she greeted him cheerfully. "Well, I've got good news. I've just gotten a letter from my father. If we send the articles for the paper as we want them, he can print it off for us in the magical presses he uses for the Quibbler."

[Genkai]

Hermione's relationship with Luna Lovegood had improved. While Luna had her quirks, Hermione had begun to see bits of herself in the younger blond student. Hermione was often seen as an outcast when she was being raised at home, surrounded by muggles. The bookworm could understand Luna and she was finding it much easier to talk about personal issues and the two could even come together and help provide the school with a newsletter, it could give people comfort but also shed some new light on the new era upon them.

As they headed out, Harry mentioned Snape and how there hadn't been much closure between them. It was true, the three of them had a rocky relationship with the difficult Potions Master. Even so, his heart had been good, just as his intentions were. Hermione was sure that Harry would be alright, given time. "I know, I've heard rumors that the House is becoming divided, those who still remain loyal to Voldemort and those who want to move on." She frowned. "We can't pick a side, as much as we want to. The war is over and it's hard for some people to accept." But she had a feeling Draco wasn't having a hard time in the regard, as much of a git as he was, she didn't sense that he was a fighter.

The pair headed down to get something to eat. While she and Harry had been offered Head Boy and Head Girl positions, they accepted them with tentative regard. While the girl understood the reasoning, she knew that her work load would be pretty tough to handle. It was her last year and she wanted to make the most of it. She and the other Head Boys and Girls of the other hours, along with the Professors, would try to meet and settle and disagreements. So far things were going as expected. There were some fights breaking out but people were making progress, even if it was slow.

The Ministry was keeping an eye to ensure people behaved and while it was meant to be a positive thing, Hermione couldn't shake the feeling of eyes being on her when she walked through the halls of her school. "Have you written to Ron?" She asked, suddenly changing the subject as they entered the Great Hall. The smell of food made her think of him. "I was going to send him a letter tonight to tell him how things are going." Hermione mentioned as she took a seat. "I've been so busy, he's already sent me four letters and I have yet to get back to him. I feel awful." Though awful was overstating it, she felt guilty but it wasn't for the typical reasons.

Draco looked up when Luna approached. Many of the students were clearing out for the night but Draco felt no haste to follow suit so he stayed where he was. He alias was Hogwarts Muse, he wanted something cooler, more exciting but it was quickly evident as to who would be writing to students if he used a name like Blond Snake or Silver Tongued King or something of that nature. Draco was trying to make the best of a weird situation. It wasn't easy for him by any means, but he knew it wasn't easy for anyone around him.

Normally he'd shrug his shoulders and say that how other people felt, wasn't really his concern or problem. But now that things had changed, he couldn't rely on the same old outlook on life. People actually mattered and so did their opinions, as boring as some of them could be. Luna set her things down and gave him a simple greeting. "Yeah, most of them just left." He replied to her question. He found it was obvious and that she needed to ask but he was doing his best to be polite and not say the first things that popped into his head. It would take time to shed the many masks he wore, mostly for his own sake.

The blond carried on and mentioned that they could not only use the articles for the paper at the school, but that her father could produce them as he might for the Quibbler. That was interesting. The school was still trying to get supplies and machines for them but the first paper may not be as polished as they'd like. Many of them were under the impression that they would have to use normal paper until they were given supplies. This was good news, it would make the paper look more well-put together and Draco did think that appearances did matter. "That's great to hear, Luna." He told her flatly.

He realized his tone was a bit poor so he attempted a smile to make up for his response. He had friends, Crabbe and Goyle but they were more pawns, than friends. They didn't have long talks into the night about goals and future. They didn't loan each other clothing or whatever it was that mates did for one another. Making friends wasn't something he was good at, if he was, he and Harry would have been close in their first year, and not bitter rivals. "I guess we should finalize everything and get them to him. Does he need sort of money...?" He began to ask. While his funds were limited, he did want to help and he was sure most expected his help to be in monetary form.

[Camille Noir]

Harry grimaced when Hermoine mentioned the still passionate Voldemort supporters in Slytherin. If they at least were aware that the war was over and were simply bitter rather than even more fired up, Harry would have truly been unable to care less about them. However, most of them were from rich pureblood families and so seemed to believe that it was their duty to step up in the war while their relatives were being sent off to Azkaban by the shipload. They seemed to see the Battle of Hogwarts as a tragic loss, but not the Final Battle that everyone else viewed it as. That level of delusional would be sad if it weren't so potentially dangerous.

"Picking a side would only result in a complete mess even if we weren't who we are," Harry agreed after a moment of thinking it over. There was a small part of him that was simultaneously anticipating and hating the day when those same Slytherin's did something big enough that it would catch press attention and have them swarming around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade like vultures. When that happened, Harry would be pressured into avoiding them until it was impossible, but eventually one of them would get him to blurt out something that would put him in a role in the subject that he wouldn't want, even if it painted him in a positive light with the press. He was already sure of it. "This whole school has enough to worry about as it is."

He walked alongside Hermoine into the Great Hall, nodding back to some of the Ministry Officials standing guard by the door and around the room. His eyes scanned the Gryffindor table as they approached it, and he smiled at the greetings that some people gave them as they sat down. He noticed that Ginny wasn't at the table, and that he hadn't seen her even in passing the entire day. Harry felt bad for the fact that he just didn't know what to do with Ginny lately, and even worse for reacting to this by avoiding her even though she had done nothing wrong and that it was clearly pissing her off. His thoughts were redirected when Hermoine's mention of Ron set multiple feelings rolling around in his gut.

"We sent a few back and forth earlier in the term, but it's been weeks since I've replied to one. We've been so busy," Harry answered. "To be honest, it was like we were talking but not saying anything too. I kept wanting to mention everything, but then feeling like it would be selfish to bring up anything that matters." He wasn't sure how Ron would feel if Harry brought up parts of Hogwarts that Ron might miss, but he knew that Ron tended to present sadness as passive aggression. While that used to make Harry respond in anger, which result in some kind of unnecessary fight, Harry thought that it would now just make him feel the most unpleasant mixture of guilty and tired, which Harry wanted to avoid at all costs.

He was surprised to hear that Hermoine hadn't contacted Ron back yet at all. He barely thought about it because it made him uncomfortable to think of the two of them together, but the last time he had checked, the two of them had been approaching couple’s status. At least, they had been something more than just friends, and Ron had seemed fairly certain in the months in between the final battle and the start of term that even more would develop. Of course, he had never asked Hermoine what her own expectations and plans were, and that was probably a mistake. “How are things between the two of you right now?”

Luna took notice of Draco’s initial tone, but she was unsure if he was annoyed that he had interrupted his peace, simply uninterested in anything she could have to say, or both. Then again, she also thought that he was just being Malfoy, and none of the above would have to apply for him to talk to her like that. Therefore, she didn’t let it become an issue, and was careful to make sure that she didn’t act as if there was one either. She always took a smile through it approach, and even if that method seemed to make people more confused by her, it seemed to allow them to eventually become accustomed to her presence.

It still probably showed when she was thrown off by his offer of monetary contribution. She wasn’t surprised necessarily by his offer to help so much as taken off guard at the mention of money. Since her father owned the presses, the cost of printing them was eliminated, but she realized now that however he got the paper itself, that was most likely at a cost to him. It couldn’t be cheap, either, but it would be just like her father not to mention the cost, or forget it all together. “I didn’t even think about the cost. How silly,” Luna contemplatively said aloud. “Well then, perhaps a little fundraising is in order.”

She thought about it for a moment. There were a lot of ways they could do it, but they also needed something that could happen in time for the first issue, or at least not long after it came out. “Well, maybe we could sell advertising space to some of the businesses in Hogsmeade, or at least ask for donations. The bigger ones would be happy to help, I think, and the smaller ones might like the chance to get their names out to students,” suggested Luna. For that idea, Draco obviously would not be able to talk to the shop owners face-to-face, or even use his real name in a letter, but Luna thought he could still help, especially if he had picked up any “businessman” skills from his father before the return of Voldemort. “What do you think? Any ideas?”

[Genkai]

She had a flutter of feelings when Harry said he had been talking with Ron. As his sort-of girlfriend, Hermione felt like she should be more attentive to hm and his going-ons back home. It was hard to remember he wasn't around. In class, she was busy with notes ans if she wasn't doing homework, she was helping Luna or other students. She had a lot on her plate but she knew she couldn't keep Ron out of the loop for much longer. Part of her wondered if he could come and visit them at some point. That wouldn't be a big hassle for the school and the Ministry would it?

"It was Ron's choice to not finish school, it's a disappointing decision but just because he isn't here, doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about what's going with us. What else are we going to talk about?" She pointed out. "I get what you're saying though. It's hard without him." She sighed. "And school was the biggest thing we had in common, with him at home and us here, it's hard to keep our bond as strong as it was in say, our third year." She almost mentioned their fourth but that had been a rough year. When Harry asked how she and said redhead were, she swallowed what was in her mouth and glanced off, not sure what to tell her best friend. It felt weird, the three of them were so close, part of Hermione felt like she somehow betrayed Harry when she and Ron sort of hooked up out of nowhere.

Never did she intend to make Harry uncomfortable or feel bad. "Oh um we're alright...I mean..." She was unconvincing and she knew it. "I mean not really." She corrected herself as she poured some more pumpkin juice into her cup. "I think since everything has settled, it's been hard to figure out how we feel about each other." When Ron left, Hermione took it personally. Sure, maybe his words were fueled by the horcrux but he still left and it hurt her as it had Harry. "So it's hard, being here without him and...not feeling as sad as maybe I should be."

Coming from a wealthy family, Draco never had to do fundraising before. It was a very strange and unfamiliar concept for him to grasp. He hoped his confusion didn't show too much as Luna began to suggest ways to come up with a little funding. He tried not to take it too personally when she didn't take him up on his offer. If she had, he'd find a way to contribute, despite his own funds not being as hefty as they normally would be. He was on his own and making due, change wasn't an easy thing to adjust to, not for the blond anyway.

"Sure sure." Draco replied. "We can try to do local networking, I'm sure we can make a deal happen fairly quickly." He replied. For a moment, he had thought she would have suggested something silly like selling baked goods or something. That was what came to mind when someone mentioned fundraising. That's what he had been told happened at those sort of things. Of course it was something his father told him as a joke, which he heard from some muggle while at the Ministry a long time ago. The blond checked the time in the library. It seemed that supper was about half way over, he wondered why Luna wouldn't be off eating with her friends.

Or doing whatever it was she did. Throughout his time at Hogwarts, he wasn't around her very often so he had no idea what she did. What her habits were or who she hung out with. From what he gathered though, she wasn't very popular and didn't have a group of people like Potter had. She was a nice girl, odd, but nice. "I can write some letters and send them out tonight if you'd like." He told her. "Maybe once we have the final product, you could give copies to those who have donated or agreed to make a deal with us, if things go well, we could sell them to the public in the area to sort of keep profit going and help do something for the students..." He suggested with a shrug as he began to pack up. "I might sneak down and get a snack before dinner is over, you want to come?"

[Camille Noir]

Harry only shrugged in response to Hermione, though he knew she only aimed to make him feel better. He knew that the way he had been avoiding talking about the more important parts of school was not sensible, especially considering how he seemed to be suffering a bit of guilt for the lack of substance in his letters to Ron anyway. Honestly, the main issue he was having was just that he was too tired to for any kind of confrontation, whether it be one that resulted from Ron's irrational anger or understandable sadness. As it stood, the result was that Harry simply tried to keep from mentioning any aspect that was important or even just familiar about Hogwarts. Harry didn't worry too much about it, if only because it was ridiculous enough that he wouldn't be able to keep it up regardless.

He was glad that Hermione ended up coming clean about the fact that everything was not alright between her and Ron, because she had started off so unconvincingly that Harry would not have been able to let it pass without calling her out for it. She listened to her explain a bit of how she was struggling with her feelings for Ron, and he didn't ask her for more even though he could tell there was still something she wasn't bringing up. When she finished, Harry nodded, chewing his food and using the pumpkin juice to help swallow down what he had in his mouth before speaking. It came to his attention that what he was describing reminded him very much of how he was feeling about Ginny lately, only Ginny was realistically never more than 30 minutes' walk away from him.

"Well, I won't pretend to be an expert on relationship problems and all that because we both know I'm basically the opposite except maybe when it comes to causing the problems," Harry tried to lighten Hermione's spirits with the little self-deprecating joke. "But... Well, to be completely honest with you, what you're saying sounds a lot like how I feel about it - as in, how someone would feel knowing they wouldn't get to see their close friend for a while. It doesn't really sound like how someone would feel being away from their boyfriend or girlfriend, you know? And now I guess that you’ve noticed the difference on some level and it’s making you wonder what's happening to your feelings for him."

"If I were you, I'd still write to him as soon as you can manage," Harry added, shrugging his shoulders a little. He wanted to make her feel better by taking a little of the responsibility she might be feeling off of her shoulders. “I mean, don’t strain yourself trying to be all romantic if you’re worried about it; he’ll be plenty happy to hear from you no matter what you say or how you say it. Just keep it simple and then you’ll at least stop feeling bad about not contacting him back yet. Then maybe you’ll just naturally have it all figured out by the next time you see him.”

Luna gave him a bright smile that showed how happy she was that her idea seemed acceptable to him. This meant that she could have a viable solution to the cost issue already available when she told Hermione about the printing presses. Plus, she preferred this route over the way that Draco had assumed that the paper would require financial contribution from him, or that Luna and the others would want that from him regardless. If the idea really did take off, then it would be a win-win because it would help produce the paper as well as show Draco that there were people who were capable of seeing him for more than the benefits that most would assume that were attached to the Malfoy name, and might possibly even feel entitled to partake in since the entire Malfoy family was on the losing side of the war.

His ideas pleased Luna, and she had more to say in response. She stopped herself from saying any more to him, though, when she saw him start to pack up his belongings, assuming right away that he was finished with the conversation and either had no more to say or wanted to hear no more from her. The thought didn’t necessarily bother or upset her, but she was a little disappointed in thinking that the little talk was over so soon, which is why she was pleasantly surprised when he invited her to come sneak a little food with him. Nodding, she stood and grabbed her own belongings, which she never actually started using and so were still assembled neatly enough for her to just grab.

Following him out the door, Luna noticed, although she tried not to, that a couple of witches standing outside of the library doors gave them looks when the two of them walked out together. She was used to it, and she figured Malfoy was as well in the weeks since the start of term. That certainly didn’t mean that they should like it. Of course, she ignored them like always, and continued the pleasant conversation they were having. "Giving them some copies of the papers is a great idea. What would you say in the letters?"

[Genkai]

Harry did have a point, she wasn't really pining for Ron like he was a romantic interest. She felt bad about that. He was a good friend, most of the time. She did enjoy his company and his humor but in terms of romance, she wasn't entirely sure. Hermione wasn't used to feeling so uncertain and it was hard to handle. She glanced to Harry when he advised her to just write to hm soon and to not over-think things. "Well Ron isn't very romantic." Then again, she didn't really have experience in that field either. Anything she knew came from fictional books she read to give her brain a break. She decided she'd send Ron something, as it was better than nothing.

"You're right, he deserves something. I'd hate for him to worry." She just said and went back to the plate in front of her. She would of course send him and his family a copy of the newsletter once it was polished, finalized and published. But for now, she knew she had to do something to try and mend whatever was broken between them. "I think I'll go get a jump start actually." With her mind weighed down, she found herself no longer hungry or talkative. The woman got up and picked up her messenger bag. "I'll be in the Common Room." She told Harry though her voice was louder and carried to the other fellow Gryffindors around her.

With that little announcement which also served as a bit of self encouragement, Hermione headed off. She exited the Great Hall and looked around. She spotted Draco and Luna walking and talking. It was an odd sight for many spectators but she just gave them a gentle smile. Both were a bit lonely and she was sure they both could use another friend. Hermione headed up to the usual portrait and gave the password. Once she stepped through, she made her way over to the couch and sat down. It was good to be home again. The girl pulled out her quill, ink and some parchment and went about writing a letter to Ron.

It wasn't his intention to block Luna from saying what she wanted to. He just wanted to get out of the library and have a change of scenery. Luna still seemed like she wouldn't mind the continuation of his company and so the two headed out of the library. It was no surprise that people gave them looks. Most of them were people in their third year and beyond. Thankfully the younger students didn't know too much of the school's shady history to question why he'd be out and about without his usual idiots trotting behind him. As they walked, Luna asked about the letter's he'd make. He wasn't sure if she meant the ones he'd send now or the ones he'd send later.

"I'm not sure." He said. The ones he'd send tonight would have to be prompt and to the point. He could butter people up but there wasn't a lot of time for such things. The two blondes made their way to the main part of the school where students were entering and exiting the Great Hall at their own leisure. "I'll probably just talk about trying to build a brighter future, building ties, that sort of rubbish." He shrugged a little. Most people could eat up anything if it made them feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. He wasn't very skeptical that those they reached out to, would turn them away. Of course it was a pact which made everyone winners, he'd phrase it a bit better though.

While he wasn't the best wordsmith, it was better he signed the letter from the entire group of writers behind the paper itself. Everyone did their part right? As they headed into the Great Hall, it seemed over half the students were already done which made him relax a little easier. "I can show you a copy before I send them off, if you'd like." Draco offered Luna as they moved off to the side to let people through the large double doors without any trouble. If he could snag a sandwich or something, he'd be happy to take off and get back to work. It was becoming a faithful distraction for the boy. He spotted some old Slytherin mates looking over at him and Luna, Draco just rolled his eyes at their sneers and looked back to Luna. "I've already done my homework," Unlike most students were waiting until tonight to even begin. "so it's no trouble." He said. "What about you?"