I just want to thank everyone again for reviewing. I've never received so many reviews for a story before, and knowing that people are reading regularly and enjoying my fic makes it worth writing. I've already written up to the next ten chapters, so you can expect quick updates. I don't think I'm rushing through it, but my story is a lot longer than I originally intended. As promised, here's another update. This time I'm posting the next two chapters at once as a special treat ^_^ Enjoy!

Fourteen: To Take a Risk

From the moment Draco had asked her out to lunch, Luna had known that he hadn't been thinking of a hot dog stall or something of that sort. She hadn't, however, anticipated being brought to a place like this.

"It's a pleasant, quaint sort of place," he had told her. Pleasant it most certainly was, but "quaint" was definitely not the word Luna would have used to describe it.

Located a few blocks away from Diagon Alley on Hellebore Avenue, the Flutterby Bush was a spacious and elegant restaurant with a relaxed, airy atmosphere. As soon as Luna set her eyes on it, she knew that this was the type of restaurant she could never dream of eating in.

"Draco, I can't!" she flustered, holding his arm back.

"Why not? I told you I'm paying."

"This is just too much. I can't let you pay that much for me," Luna insisted. "Besides, I wouldn't be welcomed in a place like this..."

Draco ignored her. He grabbed her hand, which sent shivers up Luna's spine, and gently pulled her into the restaurant. "Table for two, sir," he said to the wizard at the door. The wizard looked at Luna in disbelief, but then nodded and led them to a small table in front of a large glass window.

Luna gulped as she surveyed the room. The walls were painted in a soft sky blue hue, and soft ivory drapes hung from the windows. Chandeliers lined the ceiling and the room was embellished with enormous plants, colourful flowers, paintings of wealthy wizards as well as sceneries of the lush English countryside, and numerous white candles. In the far corner, there was a magical harp playing on its own. As soon as Luna entered, the quiet chatter quickly died down as everybody stopped to stare at the strange, dishevelled girl in the atrocious striped green frock and dangling carrot earrings.

"Draco, nobody wants me here," Luna mumbled. "Let's go, please? We can grab a hot dog or maybe get some fish and chips."

"You'll like this place, I promise," Draco insisted, holding a chair out for Luna.

Luna sat nervously. Draco seated himself across from her. Two menus appeared out of nowhere as soon as they were seated and lingered in the air. Luna hastily picked hers off and began to read. Her eyes widened in shock; she had expected the meals here to be pricey, but she had not dreamed that dishes would cost around forty Galleons a piece! She had never spent that much money on a single thing before. "I'm still not sure about this..."

"Don't be silly, Luna, people are staring. It'll look even more awkward if we get up and leave," Draco pointed out.

Luna sighed and skimmed through the menu. Not only was everything pricey, but she had no idea what anything even meant. Draco evidently had no trouble figuring it out, as he then pulled out his wand and tapped gently on what he had chosen. The menu vanished as soon as he did this, and a glass plate and a silver goblet appeared in front of him. Luna gulped again, trying to recognize anything on the menu.

"I don't think I want to eat anything," she said. "I'm not really hungry."

"We're not leaving until you eat," Draco warned her.

She sighed. "Okay, I'll eat, but only if you let me buy us desert after."

"Deal," Draco agreed.

Luna skimmed the menu again. She tapped on the least pricey item she could find, which looked like a very simple salad, and the menu vanished, just as Draco's had. Her plate and goblet appeared in front of her, and her knife and fork unwrapped themselves from her napkin and neatly set themselves in place.

Within seconds, a vial of red wine appeared on the table and automatically poured into Luna's and Draco's goblets. Similarly, a small basket appeared, filling itself with rolls.

"Do you always come here?" Luna asked.

"I used to, but Pansy grew sick of it. She finds it too plain, so we dine elsewhere now."

"You're getting married..."

Draco frowned. "How do you know that?"

Luna shrugged, her fluffy green sleeve falling off her should as she did so. "I heard Pansy and her mother discussing it when they were in the shop the other day."

Draco stopped eating his roll and let it drop to his plate. "What? You mean even Pansy knows?" He looked so angry all of a sudden that Luna wished she hadn't said anything.

"I'm quite sure of it."

"Well, isn't this just marvellous," Draco snarled. "It looks like I'm the only one who wasn't in on this."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Fortunately, their meals appeared at this moment and Luna busied herself in her lunch. Draco still looked angry, but he began eating nonetheless. Luna was surprised to find her food so tiny and bland. It was merely just a bunch of leaves and herbs in a light dressing with a few chunks of cheese. For fifteen Galleons she could've bought enough flavourful food to last a week.

"So what is with you?" Draco asked, interrupting the awkward silence which had filled their table. "I mean with Longbottom. Are you, you know...?"

Luna didn't answer. She picked up the small vase of fresh lilies which lay in front of her and took a deep sniff. "Delicious," she said dreamily. She gently traced the petal of the largest lily with her finger, soaking in the coolness of the sweet flower. "Aren't they magnificent?" she pondered aloud. "I just love flowers, though I like them a lot better when they're still in nature."

"Yeah, I guess they are pretty nice." Luna could tell that Draco wasn't at all interested in the lilies and was still thinking about something else.

"I guess that means you don't want to answer that question," Draco said, grinning sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked something so personal."

Luna gazed at his illuminating face, absorbing in the brilliance of his yellow hair and his gleaming fair eyes. "You look beautiful when you smile. When you're happy, you look so radiant and blissful that it's like you're in perfect harmony with the whole world."

Draco's fork slipped his fingers at this strange compliment, and he blushed furiously. "Er, thanks," he mumbled, unsure of what to make of this remark. "Er, anyway, you into Quidditch or anything like that?"

Luna ignored his question and instead continued gazing into Draco's soft features. Draco looked embarrassed and was avoiding meeting her eyes, so Luna finally averted her gaze to the tapestries and decors on the wall. "Is Pansy's mother still angry with you for sticking up for me?"

Draco took a sip of his wine. "I'm assuming so. I haven't heard from the Parkinsons since then."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any conflict."

Draco shrugged. "They brought it on, anyway. Don't worry. It's been nice being away from Pansy these few days. They'll get over it soon anyway."

Luna was silent. "Are you still going to get married?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

Luna knew at once that this was a question Draco didn't want to answer, as he then began to fiddle with his napkin. "It's not really my choice," he answered finally, a dejected grimace crossing over his previously tranquil features.

"I understand," Luna said softly. There was an awkward pause, then she added, "It's like you're just obliged to marry someone just because he or she is there; just because it's the practical option. You know that things will work predictably if you're with that person, so you justify the relationship even if there's nothing else there. It's easier than taking a risk. But before you realize it, you're stuck in something that has never reaped any pleasure, but by then you've buried yourself in it for so long that there's no hope left for escaping."

Draco's fork once again slid off his fingers, and he stared at Luna in awe. "I can relate to that exactly," he admitted, still surprised that Luna Lovegood of all people was the one who understood his feelings toward Pansy.

This time the dejectedness crossed over both Luna and Draco, and they sat in silence brooding over their troubles. Finally, Draco looked up. "We'd better go," he said. "We've been in here for quite a while."

Luna nodded in agreement. Their table cleared in an instant, and a small piece of paper now lay where their plates had been. Draco pulled out some gold from his pocket and set it on the table. The bill and the money vanished at once and a tiny glass bowl filled with mints took their place. Luna couldn't help but feel delighted at this magic. "Despite the food, this place has a very pretty ambiance," she said as she took a few mints.

Draco plucked a lily from the vase and offered it to her. "I know you wanted to keep it," he said, blushing shyly.

Luna happily accepted it from his hand and fastened it to her hair. The pair walked out of the restaurant, both feeling somewhat less miserable than they had been feeling before. "That was a pleasant lunch, Draco," Luna admitted. "I'm glad you convinced me to change my mind. Though I can't really say that I'm full... Those mints were even more filling than that handful of leaves."

Draco chuckled. "We still have that ice cream you're treating us to," he reminded her.