Disclaimer: I don't own and can't profit off of any of these characters. That would be the incredible lot of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers.

A/N: The second chapter is just an author's note. The complete story is here.

-}{ (*) }{ (*) }{ (*)}{- denotes time break, the lines denote change in whose thoughts the reader has access to. It starts with Hermione.

Hermione Granger. Back for another year at Hogwarts. Who would have thought I'd be back after a year of hunting down horcruxes and being imprisoned. It's even stranger to be here without any of the regulars. True, some of them died, that my brain's been able to wrap around…well, the logical half. The emotional half hasn't been handling that too well. But most of my class had just moved on after being offered jobs, even if they were absent for the last year. I can't blame them, even I thought about taking the offers. I still feel a little odd about hiding them in the end. Although, I don't think Harry or Ron would have understood. I couldn't leave Hogwarts. I guess it's that I just love learning so much. Or… maybe it'll somehow right the ineffable wrong I've felt ever since Voldemort died. Whatever. Maybe I can just study until there's no room left for existential crisis. Just like the good old days.

Hermione was thankfully wakened from her reverie by the sound of the compartment door opening. She had expected most students to be intimidated by her or exile her. Luna, of course, defied all expectations.

"Hello Hermione. Mind if I sit?" her voice seemed to echo out of her body rather than emerge from her mouth.

"Not at all. Where were you sitting for the first part of the train ride?"

"I try to move between cars before the new students catch on that they don't actually know me."

"Oh… I deal with a similar problem just by taking the compartment at the very end of the train."

"I noticed. I thought maybe both of our problems could disappear if I came here."

Just as Hermione was about to thank her, the train whistle sounded.

"Want to come say hi to the thestrals with me before everyone gets off the train? I always get ready and stand at the door."

"Actually, Luna, last time I checked I couldn't see the thestrals, even after I saw people die," Hermione reluctantly admitted.

"A lot's changed Hermione. You don't need to see them anyway." She seemed to float out, her gait keeping her head at the same level. The only way you could tell she was moving was the change in background and the slight backwards swoop to her hair.

Hermione took a moment to snap out of another hypnotic state, and decided she had nothing better to do.

Hermione stood in an odd mix of disbelief and déjà vu as she saw a thestral for the first time. It had an emotional aura that seemed to make her sad, but only by filling up all the missing bits in her being. Complete and on the verge of tears.

"I had the same reaction the first time. The people you've lost seem to exist in them. That's why I spend so much time around them."

"It's terribly depressing in a way."

"Not really. They've finally fulfilled life's meaning. Preparation for death."

"That sounds even worse."

"Terribly freeing though," Luna emanated as she floated towards the horse like creatures.

That girl confounds me in a terribly refreshing way.

Hermione was lost in lack of thought until Luna seemed to appear at her side. Hermione was hardly surprised, she had grown to expect random things popping up with muggle boys sneaking around and magic coupled together. Plus this was Luna.

"Are you quite alright Hermione? Your sound's red today, instead of the usual lilac."

Of course she had synestesia. It fits her perfectly. A more complete view of the world, but one she has a hard time sharing with others.

"Actually more like the world's colors sound wrong with me."

Hermione was immediately enveloped in a hug, far too long to be as comfortable and lacking of awkwardness as it was. She found her head melting off into the nothingness which was intermingled with air.

After a sobering separation, Hermione queried, "Not that I mind, but what did I do to deserve that?"

"Hugs are meant to shut out the world and envelope the person in yourself and your affections."

Hermione was dumbfounded about the amount of thinking Luna seemed to do. She found herself wondering what other secrets to life the blonde had found with a simple but isolating shift of consciousness.

Luna continued after a brief pause, "and I thought since you didn't like the sound of the world, you might like being closed off from it better. I hope my aura wasn't as profoundly and inherently out of place as you feel the world is."

She anticipated the flood of students by drifting off towards a carriage, pausing to nuzzle the thestral before getting in. Hermione couldn't help but follow.

Once inside the carriage, Luna wasted no time in making academic small talk. She asked Hermione what classes she was taking that year, only to find out she was an aide in her potions and defense against the dark arts classes.

"Maybe I can keep them from getting killed, leaving, or killing any headmasters."

Luna smiled so silently and distantly that you could not help but think some part of her was laughing terribly hard.

"If anyone can do that, Hermione can. You kept Harry alive all these years."

"I suppose I helped. But then so did you. And pretty much everyone, given they weren't out trying to kill him."

"You're much too modest Hermione. But then I suppose Harry being alive thanks to the inherent good in people isn't so different from him being alive thanks to you."

Hermione blushed at the convoluted compliment. "Even less different from you helping him."

"Hermione does flatter me so."

"Well you have had an awful lot to deal with Luna. I can't say I'm particularly happy about the way the world's treated you all this time."

"I always went back and forth between hating the world, being grateful for the adversity that gave me strength, and being grateful that I was the one to deal with it."

"Why would you want to deal with it?"

"Simple. Someone has to keep the world in balance by having a less than stellar life. Better me who already knows how to deal with it than yo—others. That's what got to me about Voldemort. He just let everything eat him away, and hurt people that didn't need to learn to deal with it. Also he rather struck me as the type of person to hunt crumple-horned snorkacks to extinction."

"Hopefully we've paid our less-than-stellar dues for a while. I'm not sure I could handle another world wide wizard war."

Luna smiled and Hermione gave her a probing look. "I like alliterations. They're rhymes, but not too obvious or annoying…and you shouldn't have to handle another one. If I had my way with the world, you wouldn't have dealt with the first either."

"I couldn't accept that pardon from you. I vowed to myself when I was a child I would always value knowledge over safety. I guess that's what got me into Griffindor house as opposed to Ravenclaw. Plus I think a lot of people would be terribly confused if you had your way with the world."

"But every moment of confusion is an adventure. And if you're completely confused, it's like being lost in a labyrinth of bookcases. Anywhere you turn you find a treasure. It's much better than having read most of the books in a well organized library."

"I think I'd quite like your world."

"That's because part of what makes it my world is that it has to be Hermione friendly. See you at dinner!" Luna hugged Hermione again, and not losing a beat in the landing, started off with her perpetual balance.

-}{ (*) }{ (*) }{ (*) }{-

Hermione and Luna somehow managed to situate themselves perfectly across the dining hall, facing each other head-on several tables apart.

And Draco managed to plant himself between the two. Apparently he had failed to get a job based on his horrid personality and spurned lineage. So instead of plaguing the workplace for a year, he was plaguing Hogwarts. Who were too honorable and fair to turn him down.

Joy.

Joy.

Hermione's thought was echoed in her head by Luna's voice, and Luna's by Hermione's. The oddest part about the experience, Hermione decided, was to hear Luna sarcastic.

Draco, after seeing Hermione's hatred filled stare, turned around to see a similar, if less intense, expression on Luna's face. He looked back to his table with a smug smirk on his face.

After a welcome back feast where Hermione and Luna partook in small portions, they met up on the way out.

"Hermione" Luna emitted in her usual ethereal voice.

"Luna! Hey, I was wondering, I heard your voice in my head during dinner… maybe we could talk about it or something?"

"It's not long before we have to be inside our common rooms."

"Oh. Harry loaned me his invisibility cloak. I guess he wanted to keep me adventurous. Anyhow, we can use it if we get caught out late."

Hermione couldn't imagine why she was so nervous making this simple request for the life of her.

"I suppose. It's quite cold, and somehow dim and light at the same time. Can we walk?"

"Which direction?"

"I do enjoy going by Hagrid's cabin. He has the most interesting creatures gathered about."

Hermione cracked a smile and started off in that direction. "I have the cloak with me, so unless you need to get a coat, we should be fine."

"No, I have my wand. What's this about hearing voices in your head?"

"Not just any voices. Your voice. It just repeated what I thought. The strangest thing was, it was sarcastic."

"Why is that strange?"

"Well, I'm just used to you being so sincere. And I usually don't hear voices other than my own in my head. But then I do suppose the whole magic element and my numerous potentially scarring adventures could either make me schizophrenic or telepathic or both. Oh, I seem to have strayed from my original point. I tend to do that a lot. Mainly because I say everything I think once I start talking."

So your thoughts have more valediction.

"Exactly."

"I didn't say anything."

"Right. Note to self. Check for moving lips."

But Hermione's thought web is so logical and disorderly at the same time.

"Disorderly, bu—oh. Lips. Sorry."

"It's quite alright. Feel free to respond to my thoughts."

"Wait, can you hear my thoughts?"

"The wonderful thing about Hermione is that her thoughts are what she says. Look, Hermione, Buckbeak's here for a visit"

Hermione watched as Luna bowed as would a prince asking for a dance. Then Buckbeak lowered her head and for a moment it looked like they were dancing, but it was just Luna spinning around to see Hermione.

"I think Buckbeak would enjoy a flight with Hermione and Luna."

Not having to be told twice, but still a bit scared, Hermione forced a bow, and Luna whisked her forward by the hand once Buckbeak responded. She quickly mounted him and helped Hermione up.

"Buckbeak says to hold on tight Hermione."

Hermione did a quick scan of the hippogriff, and deciding that the wings would move too much to hold on to, she settled her grip around Luna's mid-section. This comforted Hermione a good deal until she realized Luna wasn't holding on. And she wasn't entirely sure why she would have expected Luna to hold on in the first place.

Luna's lips curled up on the left to form a half smile at these thoughts.

Schizophrenic or telepathic…or both. Hermione… The blonde shook her head just a bit. What does that make me if she's going crazy? Or do I just have a bit closer of a friend?

She heard "yes" whispered into her ear.

"Alright then, Hermione. Let us be crazy together. It's always more fun, if more tiring, with someone else to share it with."

She had to imagine Hermione's brow terribly furrowed at the next thought. Her curiosity always was endearing. It…craziness?

No, silly. Craziness is fun because you know you're making someone's day by acting how they wish they could. Life is fun when you share it with people.
Buckbeak landed them on a balcony outside the Ravenclaw housing. Luna got off and nuzzled her as thanks, bid well to Hermione, and went off to float to her bed.
Hermione, of course, decided to go to the library.

-}{ (*) }{ (*) }{ (*) }{-

Luna woke up to a disappointing lack of someone else's thoughts. All alone today. Again.

Her thoughts had a sense of defeat about them.

She went to class after spending half an hour searching for her books. Can't it be divination already? No one has to pay attention in that class. Well, here goes nothing with everyone's new potions teacher. I just hope he doesn't kill anyone, even if it is to help someone. Death is never nice. At least Hermione's there.
As it turned out, considering how new the potions teacher was, all he used Hermione for was fetching things. Idiot can't see how much talent and intelligence that girl has. At least he could have her help the students. Fetching didn't take that long, so she did end up going around, but only helping students when the professor's back was turned. Sneaky, helpful Hermione. Luna got so distracted watching how expert the brunette was at everything that she necessitated her help. Worse things had come from negligence.
Practically in a whisper, as she took over her stirring, "Hey Luna. I went to the library last night and looked up involuntary magics. It's funny, usually only beginning wizards have them, but I put a stop to all the thought sharing. Not that I didn't enjoy it. I just thought it might wake you up at odd times. Or distract one of us from class."
Luna's face fell slightly. I was already distracted. OH, it's a quarter turn clockwise, then three counterclockwise.

Hermione saw Luna's face, and decided to make a joke, "Besides, it's not as if I could have you hearing all my thoughts, now could I? Some of those are private." That was the closest Hermione ever came to a wink in her life, and as a result she did an odd shuffle/run over to a potion pot on the other side of the room.

I'm going to have to remember that…

Crap. Just go over to the other side of the room. Neither of you have to figure out what you meant. Wait, what? These students need help. I'll deal with it later.

As always.

At the end of class Luna asked Hermione if she wanted to grab some breakfast. Seeing as neither of them had eaten, and how she really should take a break every now and then, they went off to the dining hall.

Hermione grabbed a cranberry muffin and milk, and Luna got waffles.

Shoot, how is she not getting any syrup on anything but her tongue? And why am I thinking on her tongue and not in her mouth? And why am I so fixated on what phrase I use?

Luna waved a hand in front of Hermione's face and smiled a genuinely-happy-not-annoyed-at-all smile. "Hermione? I just asked you twice what you have next."
"Oh. I have my potions class next. But not for another hour."
"I have two hours before my next class!"

Never mind locking myself in my room to figure this out, I guess I have to learn to work in the field someday.

"So what do you want to do for an hour then? Er… that is if you want to hang out."

"Of course I do! That was the whole point in the excitement of my last statement." She said this as she playfully hit Hermione on the arm. "We could just stay here and talk. Or we could go near your next class. Or mine."

Wait, is she flirting with me? Whatever, girls do that all the time. Not with me generally, but they flirt with each other without meaning it.
"What do you have next then?"
"Herbology."
"Going outside sounds like more fun than waiting practically in the dungeon."

After finishing their food, they made their way from the dining hall to the outside near the greenhouse, picked a hill with dry grass, and situated themselves on it. Luna explained she had a terrible night's sleep, even though she slept quite a while, so she was going to lie down. Naturally, being a polite friend, Hermione offered her lap as a pillow.

They talked about the new potions professor for a while, and why the portraits of old headmasters never really got to make any decisions on policies just because their bodies were dead. Hermione started absentmindedly stroking Luna's hair.
Crap.

She hesitated, but realized stopping abruptly would be more obviously awkward than waiting a while and tapering off.

God, listen to me. I'm planning how to play with hair. And they say war matures people.

Hmmmmmmm. Hermione.

At least it doesn't look like she's bothered by it. She looks more peaceful than I've ever seen her. I wonder if she's fallen asleep. People tend to look more peaceful in their sleep.
"Luna?" I say quietly, testing my suspicions.

Her eyes flutter open. Wrong.

"Mmph?"

"Nothing, just checking if you're awake." Hermione changed her focus to the forest on the left.

Luna saw the look of contentment on her face. She must really like trees. Or me. A smile had inadvertently curled across her face as she was thinking these things. Slowly, just like the smile and the thoughts, she lifted herself up and checked the time. Forty minutes had passed. She should leave for class soon. She was about to warn her when Hermione noticed the lack of hair in her hands and looked over at Luna. Their faces were close. Irresistibly close. I've been alone before. And I would still have Ginny as a friend, even if Hermione practically disowned me.
"You should leave for class soon." This was in an even more airy tone than usual. It seemed extra-worldly this time.

"Yeah…"
Now or never Luna. Well, not never. But preferably now. She leaned forward and kissed Hermione. Not a peck, not a lip lock, just to where their faces and lips perfectly fit together.

Luna.

Hermione smiled into the kiss, and decided she would run to potions class for a few extra minutes here.