IT'S MAGIC ❤︎ WHY DONT WE

fifteen

zach had stayed up all night, without even meaning to. he just kept reading and reading and suddenly, it was no longer dark outside. rather, light.

he didn't mind, he wasn't tired anyway. "did you ever go to bed last night?" christina asked as she and gabriela came out of the dorms and to the common room.

"uh... nope." he giggled, snuggling himself further into his blanket. "summer has definitely been good to you, you've been acting different and happier. spill it." gabriela sat on the couch, watching the brunette boy.

"nothing happened, i spent pretty much every day in the library. mr. wilson is the only person in the village other than my family who is nice to me, of course i'd be happy after spending time with him." zach told them.

"so you're telling me nothing happened? nothing even remotely interesting or life changing? nothing at all?" gabriela furrowed her brow, zach shook his head with a small smile.

"well then i just don't get it. how come you seem so much different this year compared to last year?"

zach shrugged, "maybe it's you that's different this year." he said. "i'm going to ask the others, i can't be the only one noticing this. chris? what about you?"

"i haven't noticed that much, he's been reading a lot, that's it." christina answered.

"i'm asking the others. something definitely happened and you just won't tell us." gabriela sat back, folding her hands in her lap.

"go right ahead, i'm not hiding anything." zach giggled. gabriela had to be his favourite person at hogwarts, she was definitely an interesting human.

that same day, during study hall, gabriela did exactly that. "has anyone noticed anything different about zach? he says nothing happened over the summer but i think he's lying."

the others looked up from whatever it was they were currently doing as directed their eye sight toward the boy who was once again reading.

"i told you gabs, nothing's happened i don't know what you're talking about." he said, not looking away from his book.

"he does seem a lot happier than he did last year." kay spoke, "not that he was sad and stuff last year, but you know what i mean."

"come on zach, spill it. what happened over the summer? what happened that was so life changing that you seem much happier?"

"nothing happened! it was the same old life for me. no money to go on a vacation anywhere, stuck in the village all summer. no friends, besides you guys but you don't live there. no one noticing me, ever. nothing happened."

"so i don't understand why you guys think that something did. if anything i think i'm sadder than i was last year, no one ever notices me." zach snapped.

"look if i don't want to talk about my life at home there's probably a good reason for it so can you please just stop?"

zach stood up from the table and began walking away. christina getting up after him.

she reached out to touch his arm and hopefully calm him and apologize but he pulled away quickly. "no, please, just don't." was all he said before leaving.

he walked to the astronomy tower, one of the few places at hogwarts he can be alone and can escape the world. let himself drown in his thoughts.

but not for long, before a sweet voice was heard. "who are you?" zach asked as kindly as he could. "my name's luna. luna lovegood. sorry, am i bothering you?"

"no, no you're not. i just... wasn't expecting anyone else to be here." zach told her. he smiled to her, she seemed like a sweet girl.

she wore her ravenclaw cloak, her pale blonde curly hair falling down to her waist area. "i saw you walking off this way, you looked upset. i didn't want you to be alone."

zach smiled again, she was nice. "zach herron." he said, "very nice to meet you."

"if you're okay with me asking, why were you upset?" she asked, "my friends were bothering me about something i didn't want to talk about." he told vaguely.

"well that's no good, i'm sorry to hear that. don't worry, i won't ask you to tell me anything you don't wish to." she smiled. "thank you luna."