A/N: And this is the end of Chamber of Secrets. Hopefully I can write the Prisoner of Askaban part before I post it, but we'll see!

xx.

The train seems faster than normal, or maybe it's because on this ride she isn't paying attention to her surroundings. It was so exciting back then. Now, after that busy year, Luna doesn't want to be excited. She just wants to read the stories Daddy had while she was gone.

The only untrue one so far is the one about the Chamber, but Ariana says she can't prove that it is or isn't true without asking Harry Potter. That is true, and she doesn't plan to ask, so she can believe her father if she wants to.

"Is someone else in here?"

Luna looks up, sees Ginny Weasley and her face freckles standing out on her pale face, and shakes her head in the negative. She returns to her Quibbler as Ginny shuts the compartment door behind her.

Ginny seemed to be almost vibrating. Ariana guesses it's not excitement, but anticipation. She expects something from Luna, but for the life of her, Luna can't guess what.

So she keeps reading, and then pulls out one of her spellbooks and starts to look through her summer homework.

"Aren't you going to ask?"

Ginny's voice is low and it shakes but it's also trying to be tough, tough like Aberforth during one of the fits or Albus when Papa didn't come home.

Luna shrugs. "Not unless you want me to."

Another pause. "... I don't."

"Then why would you ask?"

Ginny shrugs. "Everyone is."

"It's not exciting being nearly dead," Luna says. "You mostly sleep through anything press worthy and you probably just woke up and felt miserable and wanting your mum.' She pauses. "I hope Daddy has fresh bread baking. I want to garden this summer."

She trails off and regards Ginny for a moment more, then settles back into her homework.

For some reason, this silence feels much nicer.