Friday's Child // Draco Malfoy

23

Harry couldn't quite believe it. He'd noted a change in her. Not just in her capabilities, in her strength and her performance, but in her demeanour. It was almost as though she was more there, more grounded. She'd lost that nonsensical and airy element that was so rife in the Lovegood blood. It unsettled him. No one else had noticed. She was still the same, really. Her tone of voice, and the things she would say, the way she'd get lost in a daze and talk about things no one ever really understood - it just felt a little less.

At the end of their DA meeting, he called her over, letting everyone leave before he broached the subject. They tidied the room quietly, until it was empty apart from Juno and the Golden Trio.

"You guys go, I'll see you in a bit," Harry dismissed his friends, who exchanged knowing glances between one another and quickly exited the room. "Hey, Juno,"

"Hi Harry Potter," She breathed, though she sounded the same, her face wasn't lit up with that earth-shattering grin, and she'd hardly even lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Is- is everything okay?"

She stopped what she was doing and eyed him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Juno, your magic. It's- it's incredible, don't get me wrong, but it's fiery. It's angry, Juno. It's- it's not like you."

Her eyes trailed the length of his face, digesting his words and contemplating her response carefully. Her brow dropped into a slight frown, creating creases in her forehead. "Oh. You know. Just war," She shrugged, hoping the answer would satisfy him. It seemed to. He dropped his shoulders and approached her carefully, placing his hand on her arm and giving it a squeeze.

"I know," He sighed. "I know how you feel. Everyone's feeling it. It's- it's so hard, but we're doing the right thing. If not us, then who, right?" She nodded. "We have something they don't have, Juno-" She met his gaze, eyes bright, curious, urging him to continue. "We have each other. We have love, and friendship - that's something Voldemort doesn't- God, I sound like Dumbledore right now, I promise I don't always buy into his 'love' theory, but - what I'm trying to say is; it makes it easier knowing you're not alone, that we're all feeling it. It helps- it helps to talk," She thought that was rich coming from him, but she kept her mouth shut, nodding along. "Why don't you come and sit with us? At mealtimes, in class - any time you want? I know you don't always want to, I get you like to be alone sometimes, but, if you ever fancy it, you have friends in us, Juno."

"Thanks, Harry,"

"Why don't we go and get lunch, in the Great Hall? You can sit with us on the Gryffindor table - Luna sits with us all the time-"

Her immediate reaction was to say no. Her mind immediately wandered to Draco and what his reaction to seeing her sat with Harry would be. She instantly considered how that would make him feel, how that would be betrayal, and another slap in the face. Then reality set in - she hadn't spoken to him for some weeks now, he hadn't bothered to look at her, to even try and communicate any sort of apology or explanation. Why would she accept isolation to appease a boy who couldn't even glance in her direction?

"That would be lovely, thank you,"

A moment of shock flashed over Harry's features before they were flooded with relief. The skin of his cheeks blushed slightly and a smile crept up on his lips.

"Come on then," He ushered, pulling her out of the Room of Requirement.

She felt nervous as they approached the Great Hall. She presumed nobody would pay any attention to where she sat or who she sat with. She was certain nobody at the Gryffindor table would mind her presence, either. She thought it would be quite nice to eat in company, for once. But still, she felt sick with nerves as they entered.