-A/N- Sorry guys, it did it again, uploaded in a weird format so I had to re-upload the chapter. If you got two update notifications that's why. Anyways, here is chapter 6. just let me know if y'all see any mistakes, still working on my own and trying to find a good beta lol. I'll work it out eventually.
Luna sat with her legs folded neatly underneath her as she watched Draco working in his kitchen.
She brought the glass of wine up to her lips sipping it sparingly listening halfheartedly to his banter about a difficult client who had come in with an exceptionally large amount of what turned out to be fake muggle money.
Draco called out to Luna capturing her attention
What has you so distracted tonight?
Luna shook her head, "Just work, sorry, what were you saying?"
Draco smiled before going back to chopping carrots for the roast and continuing on with his story.
Luna tried to keep her mind blank and her focus on the young wizard, but it was so hard when his hair fell in his eyes like that making him flip it to the side.
Or when he smirked when he talked about something he found interesting, not a smile, a smirk.
Or when his arms flexed in his fitted shirt and it clung to his bicep like that, and her eyes couldn't be ripped away from them if the house were to suddenly combust around her.
And if she thought it was fitted to his arms, it was just simply tight around his waist, and oh Gods was she ever so happy for the fact that quidditch existed and Draco was still so involved in such an active sport that kept him looking like that.
She noticed Draco had stopped moving and she looked up to meet his eyes.
He was watching her with a concerned look on his face, "Would you like to talk about work? Something obviously has your mind elsewhere tonight."
Oh dear, he wanted to know what was distracting her and she couldn't admit it was him!
"It's just.." She stalled, Just what? What was she supposed to say?
"Just, I'm worried, we had a slow week, nothing good to report on, I'm afraid sales are going to be low." She lied smoothly.
Draco's smile returned, "You worry too much, even a slow week for the magazine is a "top ten best seller" week for a normal magazine, the witches and wizards around here love your editorials, haven't you even had a publisher interested from the states?"
Luna nodded with a smile, happy Draco paid so much attention to her when she talked about her magazine.
They had only been on a handful of dates and she was worried she would bore him with how much she talked about her work, but he had reassured her he loved listening to her talk about that which she was passionate about.
Unfortunately, she was coming up with less and less to talk about as far as her magazine was concerned, because all of her passions were getting tied up with thinking about him.
He hadn't so much as given her a proper kiss yet, settling for a peck on the hand or cheek when he dropped her off at her doorstep.
She knew her father would appreciate the gentleman he was being, but Luna was less than impressed with the lack of passion.
Draco walked over to Luna taking a seat beside her on the couch, lazily draping his hand across the couch behind her shoulders.
He was always so careful not to touch her, even though she could tell he enjoyed being close, he would wait for her to initiate the contact.
Luna's spine stiffened and she refused to lean into him like she normally would, she wanted him to pull her in.
He leaned over picking up his glass of wine and turned his body towards her keeping his arm in it's place.
As he continued talking about the mishap at the bank Luna's grip tightened around the stem of her wine glass.
Why was he so difficult?
Why couldn't he just pull her into him.
Why couldn't he just finally kiss her, what man still refused to kiss someone goodnight on their fifth date!
Draco tugged on a strand of her hair that had come loose from her ponytail.
Luna met his gaze again and noticed this time that he was beginning to look irritated.
Well she was irritated too!
She returned his gaze and his look changed to one of shock.
"Am I bothering you Luna?" He looked extremely offended.
"I am becoming a bit bothered as a matter of fact," she stated very blatantly.
Draco's features shifted again to show his surprise.
She loved the fact that he took down his mask with her and allowed her to actually see his emotions, there were so few people who realized how many things Draco was actually capable of feeling.
He was always so stoic in public, everyone just assumed he was like his father walking around mad at the world for not being good enough.
It was so much more than that though, he just refused to let many people see it.
She had lost her train of thought again, why was he so distracting?
"I'm bothered by the fact that you are never willing to initiate intimacy." she huffed.
Draco blushed deeply.
"What do you mean." He asked backing away from her slightly.
Luna grabbed his arm pulling him back towards her.
"Draco, you won't even hold my hand unless I initiate it, I'm starting to feel like you aren't interested in me!" She was mad again.
Why did he always make her mad, Luna was not the angry type, she was very rarely angry actually, but with Draco it came so easily sometimes.
She didn't expect to look at Draco and find him angry as well though.
"I'm trying to be respectful!" He snapped at her.
"It's not common that I really give a rats ass what a woman thinks of me, so forgive me if I'm going about trying to impress you in the wrong bloody way!"
Now Draco was just as angry as Luna was, however Luna was becoming less angry and more regretful by the second.
She thought he was trying to be a gentleman, when in reality Draco had little experience actually having to try and impress anyone.
As Luna thought about it, it made more sense.
Most young witches found him insanely attractive, and top that with his name and money, they basically threw themselves at his feet.
He was a natural in his studies, his teachers always praised him, she remembered from seventh year.
He never really had to work hard for respect either, not that he was disrespectful to anyone, but his father was respected thus the younger Malfoy often got it without question from the older witches and wizards.
He was always handed everything, and with Luna not throwing herself at him Draco was out of his element.
Luna felt her anger dissipate completely as she leaned forward touching his cheek gently.
"Thank you Draco." her cool breath ghosted over his face and a pained look appeared.
Luna pulled back looking at him quizzically.
"What's wrong?" she quirked her head to the side.
"You confuse me Lovegood, you're angry one minute, then you're thanking me the next. I just don't know how to read you and it drives me insane." He admitted.
Luna had been right, he did feel out of his element.
"Draco, I want you to treat me how you would any other girl you showed interest in, just maybe a tiny bit more respectfully." She poked him in his side giggling at the face he made at the last remark.
"Oh just a tiny bit huh?" He poked her in her side making her giggle harder, then he smiled evilly.
He leaned over pushing her onto her back as he crawled over top of her. Placing his hands on either side of her head and his knees straddling her waist he was perched directly over her causing Luna to swallow deeply.
Draco noticed how flustered she was becoming and he simply held his smile. He brought his hand slowly down the outside of her hip, Lunas eyes fluttered closed as his hand began to roam carefully back up and over her stomach.
Tingles spread over her body as his hand came to a halt at her side and she lifted her eyelids lazily looking at him through hooded eyes.
Suddenly his hand began to contract at her side and she couldn't help the laughter and wide eyed stare that came.
Draco was attacking her side with tickles and Luna could hardly breathe from laughing so hard.
This carried on until Luna was crying uncle and begging him to stop.
Draco sat back on the couch pulling Luna up into a sitting position with him.
She smiled and smacked him on the arm, but he was quick and grabbed her hand, pulling her in closely he wrapped his arm around her midsection as she leaned lazily against him.
"Better?" he smirked at her.
A flutter took off in her chest as she smiled at him.
"Better." she agreed.
They stayed in that position sharing conversation, Luna actually paying attention this time, until a noise sounded from the kitchen.
Draco unwound himself from Luna and made his way towards the wonderful aroma wafting in from the kitchen. Luna stood up following with both glasses of wine assuming dinner was almost finished.
She sat down on one of the stools beneath the small island in the center of the kitchen watching as Draco placed the finishing touches on their meal.
Remembering how much he had mentioned he loved cooking, Luna watched as he prepared their plates with an air of certainty. He was at ease in the kitchen, but what made Luna smile was how at ease he was in front of her.
She remembered how closed off he was when they had returned to Hogwarts seventh year, none of his friends had decided to return, there were only a handful of Slytherins who did return since they had been given the choice.
None of them wanted to face the ridicule.
Luna made it her mission to befriend the stubborn boy, to make sure that he knew no one held him responsible for the actions that had been forced upon his shoulders.
She knew no one else would reach out to him because of the way he had always carried himself.
No one besides Luna realized though, he was no longer a proud Malfoy, a death eater, nor Voldemort's puppet. He was simply a broken, lost, scared young wizard who was all alone.
A smile crept over Luna's face as she remembered walking over to him for the first time in the library.
He had tensed up, waiting for her to be cruel, to say something vile to him. When she asked to sit with him he simply nodded unwilling to speak.
It had taken her two weeks of bumping into him to get him to speak to her. Two months before he would acknowledge her in front of Ginny. until the Yule Ball to convince them to stop calling each other weasel and ferret.
Although, sometimes they still did that to each other presently, it was more in poking fun at the old rivalry than to be hateful.
Draco sat her plate in front of her then went to refill her wine.
Luna looked up meeting his eyes, "I'm so glad we became friends." She smiled at him.
"Me too." He returned her smile and leaned down kissing the top of her head.
Luna hummed slightly in happiness before digging into her dinner.
Once both plates were empty and their bellies full they stood at the sink, Draco washing while Luna dried.
Luna kept bumping her elbow into his, enjoying the tiny bit of contact.
She couldn't understand how someone who was as intimate as she was, could be so attracted to someone like him.
He wouldn't even touch her when they were standing side by side. He always made sure there was just the tiniest space between them until she decided to close it herself.
She knew it wasn't because he didn't want the contact, she could feel him relax when she finally leaned into him, he was just too...
Too something. Something she couldn't place.
Draco looked down to Luna when he started to hand her a pan and they both paused looking at one another.
He was contemplating something, she could see it in his face.
Whatever it was he shook it off and smiled at her before going back to the dishes.
Luna bit her tongue, unwilling to rehash the same argument they had had only a couple hours earlier.
When he was ready to make a move, he would, otherwise they would simply stay stuck in this rut. She was not going to break this time.
Luna wiped her hands on a dish towel once they were finished, looking at the clock she noticed the time.
"Well I should be going, I have an early interview and I'd hate to sleep in." she laid the towel on the counter and turned to Draco but was surprised to find him right beside her, so close she could feel his breath on her face.
"Luna," he began.
"Draco," she realized how breathless she sounded causing a blush to heat her face.
"When can I see you again?" He mumbled reaching out and taking her hand, he laced his fingers through hers interlocking their hands.
"When would you like to see me again?" her eyes became heavy for the second time that night drooping into little slits. He was so close, if she just leaned in a bit his mouth would be on hers.
Leaning in, his body pressed into hers. Just another inch and he would be kissing her.
"I'm free Friday if you're available?" His thumb began drawing lazy circles against her hand.
Her mind was so fuzzy she couldn't think clearly.
"I'll have to check, but I think I'm free." Her words were almost unintelligible. It was becoming so hard to form sentences.
"Owl me tomorrow?" How was he still talking?
Draco brought Luna's hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it sweetly. "I'll go get your coat." He said before turning and walking down the hall.
Luna felt like she had ice water dumped over her head.
Was he serious!
Malfoys!
She could understand going slow, but at this rate she would be an old lady before she got to second base!
Draco brought in her cloak and Luna allowed him to help her into it.
This was it. This was her last straw. She was upping the game.
This boy would kiss her if it was the last thing he did!
She was going to make sure of it.