The next day also passed with no word from Draco's parents.
Luna got up and had breakfast with Draco, even though he insisted she didn't have to. He called her just before lunch to see how the new issue was coming. It was going to be finished by late afternoon at the rate things were going.
He called her back later that afternoon to confirm that she had the run finished and ready for owl post pickup.
"The elves were a lot of help. We actually had everything done an hour ago." She told him.
"See?" he asked. "Aren't you glad I brought them?"
"I suppose." She smiled.
"Good. Now ask them if they'll pack a picnic basket for us, and when I get home, I want you wearing jeans and a jumper." He instructed.
"Why?"
He snickered, because even in the flames he could see her head tilt.
"Because I asked you to." He rolled his eyes. "I want to do something tonight."
Luna agreed and signed off. Draco smiled, knowing neither of the Greengrass sisters would ever agree to go on a picnic in the evening, and possibly not even in the day.
He got home that night and changed his clothes before taking Luna outside to show her what he had planned.
He had brought home another broom, one of their older models that didn't go as fast as the 2500 or 3k.
"I thought we could fly out and have a picnic." He smiled. "I brought you this broom because I got the idea you didn't fly very well. This one is much easier to control than one of the racing models."
She shook her head sadly. "Draco, I don't fly at all. I never learned. I have flown on thestrals before, but not brooms."
He frowned. "You were at Hogwarts. How did you not learn to fly?"
"I had a problem with being easily distracted." She told him with a smile. "I fell off my broom twice and crashed into another student three times before Madam Hooch finally demanded that Professor Dumbledore remove me from class for everyone's safety."
Draco laughed. "I can see that."
"I'm sorry I ruined your plans, Draco." She said contritely.
"No, it's fine." He assured. "Can you hold on to me? We'll just fly out on one broom. Then maybe one day I can try to teach you to fly again."
"I think I hold onto you pretty well." She flashed him a wicked grin.
"You keep giving me ideas like that and we'll just skip the picnic." He threatened with a smirk.
"Why don't we go on our picnic and then explore those ideas?" Luna offered, taking his hand.
He decided to take the older broom anyway, figuring it would be easier to control with two people. He flew them at a leisurely pace, not too high, not performing any of the tricks he might have done to impress other girls, trying to make Luna comfortable and trust him. At first Luna wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back, but he eventually coaxed her into looking over his shoulder and allowing the wind to blow in her face.
He took her out across the countryside to a cliff overlooking the coast, where they ate their picnic and watched the sun set into the sea.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Draco." She told him sincerely. "I'm going to miss things like this when we're divorced. I think you're probably the best friend I've ever had."
"Nah," He shook his head. "I'm sure the Weasley girl or Longbottom would have been better friends than me."
"They become rather quiet and then try to leave when I discuss certain things with them. You always listen to me. Sometimes you roll your eyes and don't take me seriously, but at least you do listen." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry." He looked away. "I don't think I know how to be a very good friend."
She scooted against his side and laid her head on his shoulder. "You've been very lonely in your life too. I'm glad we have each other for now."
He tipped his head against the top of hers, taking her hand and tracing the lines on her palm. "You've never given me a straight answer. What do you want when we divorce?"
"I don't really want anything from you." She sighed.
"You've been so wonderful about the whole situation, and you do so much for me, but you never ask anything in return. You deserve something, Luna. You need to stand up for yourself and ask for what you want." He pulled her into his lap so that she faced him.
"And you need to stop believing that you are a bad person because of things that happened to you in the past." She looked into his eyes.
"I'll make you a deal. We'll work on it together, for the rest of our three months." He gave a half smile.
"Deal." She smiled and laid her head on his chest.
"Now," He pushed her back up to face him. "What do you want as your divorce settlement?"
She shook her head. "Draco, I don't care about money. You know that."
"All right, that's fair enough, but I still feel like I should do something for you." He leaned his forehead against hers.
"You did something for me. You helped me find the snorkacks." She levered her head up to smack a kiss on his nose.
"That doesn't really count. I was getting ready to give up and go home. You were the one had the idea to climb the tree." He rolled his eyes.
"You stood up for me to your parents." She pointed out.
He sighed impatiently. "Really, Luna. Anything. Tell me what you want from me, and I will do it."
She retreated behind her eyes for a moment, and he knew there was something.
"I mean it Luna." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips. "Don't suddenly become afraid to talk to me now."
She looked away for a moment, as if summoning her courage, before she looked him in the eye and answered. "I want you to think about it long and hard, think about what it would mean for the rest of your life, before you agree."
He nodded.
"Once we're divorced and you're remarried, if I don't find someone else to marry by the time I'm 40, would you donate sperm to so I could have a child?" She asked softly. "I'm not asking you to cheat on your wife. Muggles have a way of creating a child without the parents actually having intercourse, as long as they have a cup of the man's sperm. No one would have to know except us. I wouldn't want to create problems with your marriage or mess up things with the family inheritance."
"Why would they do that? That would take all the fun out of it." He frowned.
"Well, there are lots of reasons. If a couple wasn't physically able to have sex for some reason, or if the couple wasn't actually together but wanted a child. Or in some cases, single women want to have a child, and there are men who donate sperm to be given to them anonymously." She laid her head against his shoulder again. "I could do it that way, I suppose, but it just feels wrong to me to have a child and not have any idea who the other parent is."
"You think having a child you know is half Malfoy would be better?" he snorted.
"Draco, you're tearing yourself down again." She raised her head to chastise him. "There's nothing wrong with being a Malfoy. There was something wrong with the way you were raised."
"Why are you worrying about this now?" He asked. "You're a beautiful woman. You're kind and brilliant and can be rather funny at times. Men are going to be lined up to date you once you're back on the market. Especially if they think you've gotten a generous monetary settlement from me."
She shook her head. "Why would I want to marry someone if I believed they were marrying me for your money?"
He shrugged. "That's another difference in the way we were raised. I always knew someone would marry me for the Malfoy and Black fortunes. That's just the way it is."
"Wouldn't you rather she married you for the person you are in here?" Luna asked, tapping his chest.
"You're the only one who knows that person." He made a face of resignation.
"I'm so sorry." She kissed him.
He pulled her closer and kissed back. She made her funny little sigh that was only sexy because he knew it meant she liked whatever he was doing. He shifted them so that she was on her back on the blanket and he was over her, his lips moving to her neck.
"Draco."
"Hmmm." He answered, working his way up toward her ear.
"You know, it's still the wrong time of the month and this could get rather messy." She sighed.
He raised his head and grinned wickedly. "Let's go home and get in the shower, then."
He scrambled to his feet, pulling her up with him.
"Really?" she asked, slightly bemused.
"The last two hours have been nothing but foreplay." He kissed her again and smirked. "I'm going to make you finish what you started."
"What I started?" Her eyes widened.
"You didn't ride your own broom, you plastered yourself up against me on mine so I would think about other things we could be doing while this close. Then you dragged me out here to watch the sunset. Rather romantic, right?" He arched an eyebrow at her. "Then you've been kissing me and touching me the whole time we've been here."
"I don't think that's exactly how it happened." Luna's shoulders shook in amusement.
"It's your word against mine." He smirked, pulling her on to the broom behind him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on, as he flew them home at a much faster speed.
Unfortunately, the reprieve couldn't last long.
Lucius was waiting at Draco's office the following morning.
"Father." Draco sighed, opening the door and gesturing for the man to enter.
"Draco, I did not come to have another argument with you." Lucius informed his son, declining to take the sear Draco offered. "I just want you to think about your future. I realize that you have no desire to head Malfoy Industries. However, your ancestors from Armand Malfoy who founded the dynasty in 1068 all the way up to myself have worked too hard to bring the company to the level where it is now. You cannot, as a Malfoy, simply throw away everything to ride brooms and play in the forest with unsuitable women, no matter how pleasing they may be in bed." He held up his hand as Draco started to speak. "I will allow you the remainder of the three months to indulge yourself. Sow your wild oats, so to speak. Fuck the blood traitor on every horizontal surface you can find. Get it out of your system. Your mother and I will not say a word. But on September 17, you will present yourself before the Wizengamot to seek a divorce. Our solicitors have already scheduled your court time. You will then marry one of the Greengrass daughters, so we can merge the companies. You will provide at least one suitable heir. If you choose to continue to work for your broom factory," Lucius made a face of disgust. "I shall run Malfoy Industries until your son is old enough to take over."
"I can't live apart from Luna right now." Draco shook his head. "The day before yesterday, I was starting to feel ill by the end of the workday, having been away from her all day. You have to understand, how you treat her affects me. If you upset her, I have to live with that."
"I do apologize for any unpleasantness I may have caused you, and I will be civil to her in the future. But you will marry a suitable wife after this ... situation ... is concluded." Lucius sighed. "Keep Luna as a mistress if she pleases you that much. The Malfoy and Black families have plenty of unoccupied properties where you could set her up. Pureblood wives, for the most part, are cold and distant. I didn't say you can't be happy, son. You just have obligations to fulfill."
Draco nodded.
His father turned toward the door, before he turned back to address Draco again. "We're going to have a ball for your mother's birthday, of course. You will be expected to attend. Bring your wife, if you must."