SAROS BARELY GOT ANY SLEEP AFTER DRACO LEFT. It was difficult to even think about sleep considering what he had discovered, not only because it was surprising, but it meant more work added onto his plate. As much as he didn't want to admit it before, part of him had given up on the idea of convincing Draco that he was standing on the wrong side of the battlefield. Saros didn't believe there was anything he could say or do to convince his family to think outside of their beliefs.

Sirius had been one of the first to point it out, claiming that there wasn't any point in wasting time. But it seemed like Saros' persistence paid off in some respects, at least Draco had an understanding that their parents were in the wrong somewhat. However, it was a fragile line that Draco was walking at the time, his loyalty to their parents ran strong and if he didn't feel safe or comfortable around Saros, they would be the first person that Draco turned to.

The pressure was on, Saros had to show Draco that his side outweighed with benefits versus the side that their parents were on. It wasn't going to be easy, at the first sign of Draco wavering, Narcissa and Lucius would try anything to convince Draco to come back to them. They wouldn't be able to handle the idea of losing two sons. But at the same time, Saros was counting on that, he wanted his parents to believe that it was possible to lose both of them, hoping it would serve as an eye-opener.

Perhaps if they risked the idea of losing both of their children that they loved so dearly, they would finally realise what Saros, Andromeda, and even Sirius were saying all along. No good came from Voldemort, his promises were empty and all he did was create fear, not a better world for his loyal followers. If Saros and Draco could show their parents that there was a better world, one where they were safer and happier, Narcissa and Lucius wouldn't be able to fight them, unless they were willing to lose them.

But that brought on more stress for Saros, who was willing to do anything to protect his little brother, even if it meant sending his father to Azkaban. It was something he would never want to do, but if Lucius continued to have a negative impact on Draco, would it be for the best to remove him from the equation entirely?

"No," Saros groaned as he covered his face with his hands, " Draco would never forgive me if Father ended up in Azkaban."

It was clear, he couldn't make all these decisions by himself, especially without any advice. He needed to talk to someone, but it was unfortunate that everyone in the castle was asleep and it was way past curfew hours, even for the Head Boy.

He had to tell himself that tomorrow was a new day, the start of new beginnings for Draco and he hoped that everyone he considered a friend would be on board with helping him. Saros wasn't asking them to forgive Draco; but he was hoping that they would give him a second chance, similar to how they had given Saros one.

All he could do as he laid in the darkness of the room was pray that everything would have a smooth start and wait until exhaustion took him back to sleep.

The next morning, the Malfoy brothers agreed to meet in the Common Room, bright and early, in hopes to avoid the crowd of Slytherin students. It was the day that bold statements were going to be made. Once the children of other families within their circle saw what was taking place, it wouldn't be long before word got back to Lucius and Narcissa. And probably by nightfall, there would be an owl for Draco telling him to reconsider everything he was thinking about doing.

It gave Saros a short window to get anything done and part of him wasn't even sure if Draco was going to show up that morning. He had a few hours in between to reconsider his actions even if he had been outed as A.S.

Saros had been up early, giving up on any idea of getting real sleep as he waited nervously in the Common Room. He ignored the passing of the Giant Squid by the windows, the morning basking of the merfolk of the Black Lake, and everything else that would have surely captured the attention of many. Pain was throbbing in the leg that wasn't there, the more is nerves were acting up, it seemed to be having a negative effect all over.

However, he was able to release the breath he had been holding once Draco appeared just about twenty minutes later. He shuffled into the Common Room quietly, not daring to make eye contact right away. Saros rose to his feet slowly, ignoring the pain the best he could as he straightened himself to stand tall.

"I'm scared," Draco suddenly admitted out in the open, "I don't...I don't know about this, Saros."

"It's going to be alright, Draco," Saros told him quickly, " let's just go to the Great Hall and have some breakfast. We can talk things over there."

"But as soon as they see me with you...as soon as my friends see me with you, they won't be my friends anymore."

"Maybe," Saros couldn't argue that point, " but they're in similar situations, Draco. Maybe they need someone to set the example for them that what they were taught was wrong. They're probably scared to do anything, just like how you are now. It's alright, I was frightened too. It's hard to leave comfort behind. But who knows, they might follow your leadership and if they don't, I promise you there will be new friends to take their places. Friends that will support a better and happier you."

He could still see the hesitation on Draco's face and rather than standing around and trying to uplift his brother's spirits with encouraging words, Saros insisted that they go to breakfast. There would be someone there, who would be more than willing to accept Draco's attempt at a new path, rather than question it.

As expected, Luna was seated at the Ravenclaw table that morning with no one in her company. In fact, the majority of the Great Hall was empty, with the exception of a couple of professors. It was the perfect timing, but as soon as Saros started making his way over towards the table, Draco grabbed him by the sleeve of his robe, holding in place.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked him in a low whisper. "I'm not going over there to sit with her."

"Draco, if you're willing to start life anew, then you have to be open to meeting new people outside of the original circle that our family forced us to interact with our whole lives. There are plenty of people to meet. Luna is one of the kindest souls in this castle, you don't have to be nervous about her. If you're willing to start changing your views, she's not going to judge you. She's the one who helped me in the beginning and she's been there for me ever since-"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about," Draco huffed as he rolled his eyes, only seconds later, did his expression softened. " I just meant that... I'm not good with talking to new people, you above all people should know this."

Saros couldn't help but think back to the time that Draco had met Harry Potter for the first time without realising that it was Harry. He had done a terrible job when it came to introductions and afterwards, he knew it had been his fault as to why he failed to make any friends. The way their parents had set them up, they were only to make friends with families that were approved within their social circle and that was limited.

All the children really didn't have much of a choice but to interact with one another, leading them to form friendships if one wanted to call them that.

"Luna will understand," Saros reassured him, "you just have to give her a chance and she'll give you a chance."

There was still plenty of hesitation on Draco's behalf, it was written all over his face. No matter what Saros said, things were always easier said than done. Draco was terrified about falling from grace the way his brother did, he was afraid of losing his family and everything that was familiar to him from the time he was young. But Saros was also his family and he had seen all the pain that Saros had gone through to prove a point.

He had seen what their parents had done to Saros, the majority unjustified even if they were claiming that it was to help. He knew what they were doing was wrong, it was the reason why he woke up in the middle of the night, sending messages and trying to get the truth out there. Had he been braver, he could have saved Saros so many troubles just been telling him everything to his face.

But Draco wasn't brave, he knew that very well. He was a sheltered rich boy that had been protected by his father's money and the names tied to his family. He never had to deal with any real struggles, unlike Saros who had faced terrible things early on in his life. And once he sat down to Luna, Draco knew he was going to be making himself vulnerable and his father's money or the family names wouldn't be able to protect him anymore.

It was his decision to make and he had to make it rather quickly as Saros was already moving towards the Ravenclaw table again. Draco swallowed nervously, glancing behind him, knowing the life that awaited him if he chose to return to it.

He closed his eyes and shook his head before whispering under his breath.

"I'm so sorry."

Luna was mid-peel with her orange, seated at her house table as she hummed a little tune to herself. She was thoroughly enjoying her quiet morning time until someone sat across from her, but she wasn't bothered at all by the interruption; Saros was always welcomed in her company. He settled on the bench, taking a moment to adjust himself to get comfortable before he greeted her with a good morning.

Judging by the sleepy grin he offered paired with the dark bags under his eyes, she could tell that he had gone another night without getting any proper sleep. She was hoping to convince him to allow her to clean his aura to clear any negative vibes that had attached themselves to him. However, before she could make the offer, she watched as Saros turned his head and looked in the direction of the Great Hall entrance.

Luna had to admit, she was rather puzzled by the sight of Draco standing there, but she was even more confused as he started making his way over towards where they were sitting. She said nothing though, especially as Saros remained silent. It wasn't until Draco was standing next to his older brother that she could see that he was visibly shaking in place. He wouldn't look up from the floor, and he wouldn't sit down either.

Saros attempted to coax him to take the spot next to him on the bench, telling him over and over that everything was alright.

For a moment, Luna didn't understand what was happening until she put it all together. It seemed Draco was taking his first steps away from the life Saros had left behind and trying to join his brother. But he was terrified and it was obvious, Saros pulling on his sleeve wasn't helping him either. Eventually, Saros decided to let go, appearing to be slightly frustrated as he didn't know what to do to settle his brother's nerves.

Draco became red in the face, knowing that he probably looked silly in front of Luna, even though she wasn't taking time out of her day to judge him. Instead, she could only think back to the time where she had been sitting on the Hogwarts Express the year before and Saros had appeared in her compartment. He was equally as awkward as Draco was currently, standing in place, almost waiting for an invitation to join in so he didn't have to sit anywhere else.

It brought a smile to her face to see the similarities between the siblings.

"Hello," she called out to Draco, " would you like to sit?"

Although she didn't demand him to sit, Draco quickly sat down like an obedient puppy, taking a spot next to Saros. It definitely brought a smile of relief to Saros' face, thankful that Draco had not run off as he anticipated. The silence returned as Saros was helping himself to some food, knowing that if he didn't, there was practically a small army that waited to force feed him. Luna continued working on her orange, while Draco watched her, wondering why she didn't just use her wand to do it?

He tried to ignore her, looking all around uncomfortably as Saros started to eat. However, just after a few minutes, he lifted up his wand and snatched the orange away from Luna's hand. In just a few seconds after muttering the incantation, the orange was perfectly peeled and Draco handed it back to Luna.

Saros had a mouthful of eggs in his mouth, watching the interaction between the two. Luna peered down at the orange peel, while Draco waited for her to take the orange from his hand. He glanced back and forth, Draco turning redder in the face as Luna continued to look at him.

Finally, she took it but then proceeded to do the unexpected as she split it in half and offered it to Draco, almost as if he was being rewarded for his "hard work." Instead of taking it, Draco looked to Saros as if he was looking for approval before taking it. Saros gestured with his head that he better take it.

Draco didn't even like oranges but Luna continued to hold it out to him and he didn't want to ruin another opportunity, especially with his brother sitting there. He took the fruit in his hand and planned on just letting it sit there for a bit, but he could see that Luna was still watching him, waiting for him to take a bite.

He took a slice and shoved it into his mouth, making all sorts of faces as he attempted to bite it and quickly swallow it.

Suddenly, Saros started laughing at all of his faces, and it was enough that Draco couldn't help but join in on it as well. There was always something contagious about the laughter between the brothers, once one of them got started that was it. Luna watched as they couldn't bring themselves to stop laughing and she realised that she had never heard Draco Malfoy genuinely laugh.

It was a wonderful sound.