In the Moon Mist

Disclaimer: JKR owns it all. I'm just having fun.

Chapter Five

In the Moon Mist

Draco stood in front of the bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection. He had never dressed so casually for a date...or anything else for that matter...in his entire life. The ensemble he'd chosen for his evening with Luna had last been worn several years before during the renovations of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. The denim jeans and grey cotton tee-shirt had been purchased specifically for that purpose, worn consistently for the entire two week period it had taken to complete the work on the house, and then unceremoniously thrust to the back of his wardrobe never to see the light of day again ... until now.

He couldn't believe he was going out in public dressed so ... commonly. Draco sighed and raked a hand through his hair, smirking as it immediately fell back into place, perfect as always. At least he was comfortable, he supposed, and it would be worth the potential humiliation of being seen in public in such casual clothing if it helped to impress Luna.

Luna.

His stomach churned. If it hadn't been so shocking, he would have laughed aloud. He was Draco Malfoy...no witch had ever made him nervous before a date.

Earlier, in the hall, he had been surprised to hear her voice from inside her room...yet another person who had decided not to work that day...and so he had stopped to inform her of the proper attire for the evening. She'd been excited about their date and had apparently been enjoying what she termed "a girls' afternoon" with Hermione. Draco supposed that meant they'd been discussing him. He wondered if Luna had said anything about the kiss they'd shared that morning. It had been her first kiss, so she would have certainly wanted to discuss it with her best friend. Had she enjoyed it as much as she had seemed? As much as he, surprisingly, had? What did she think of him now? What did she expect of their date?

He felt another wave of nausea.

Draco scowled at his reflection. He refused to ponder why he would feel anxious over a date with Luna Lovegood, especially one as farcical as this one was bound to be. Nothing good could come of such thoughts; it was best, then, to ignore them and continue on as if everything were completely normal. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly, smiling as he felt the tension leave his body. Much better.

Before his traitorous mind could return to its previous occupation, Draco exited the bathroom and walked down the hallway to his room. He went to the wardrobe, grabbed the leather jacket Pansy had insisted he purchase for his rare excursions into Muggle London, and then strode across the room to the table beside his bed. Reaching inside the drawer, he pulled out enough Muggle currency for their dinner, as well as a few Galleons in case of emergency, and then stuffed the pounds into the right pocket of his jeans and the Galleons into the left.

After one final look to ensure he had not forgotten anything, he strolled from the room, pleased with both his appearance and his plans. If all went well, the evening would be one Luna Lovegood would never forget.

---

Luna was all but giddy with anticipation...not that anyone could tell, really; she appeared on the outside to be as serene as always. The only indication of her excitement was the wriggling of her sparkly, blue varnished toes.

She couldn't remember a time she had felt such excitement; perhaps when Hermione and Severus had announced their engagement, indicating that all of her hard work had paid off in her friend's happiness. Or maybe that morning when Draco had kissed her ... no. Whilst the memory of the kiss made her want to swoon in ecstasy, it had been unexpected, and so she hadn't had time to build up a large amount of anticipation. Which was fine, because who needed that when there was kissing to be done? Immediately after the kiss, however, was very exciting, as was the moment she realised that the prophecy was beginning to come to fruition.

With everything considered all together, it had indeed been quite the exciting day! And there was still more to come.

She wriggled her toes again and smiled. Nothing could compare to how she was feeling now, about to embark on the first date she had ever been on and with none other than the man she was destined to love for all time. Despite her earlier epiphany regarding Draco's motives, she knew beyond a doubt that tonight was the beginning of their life together. What could be more exciting than that?

She stood and went to face the full-length mirror Hermione had Transfigured from a drinking glass. Draco...she sighed longingly...had come by earlier and informed her that jeans were appropriate for the evening, and that she would need to wear her dragon hide boots. She was dying of curiosity but was thoroughly enjoying the mysteriousness of his plans. So, she had elected to not ask any questions and had merely agreed to his request.

"I like this," Luna said as she eyed her dark jeans and lavender shirt. The latter had a large outline of a peacock on the front.

Hermione was lying on the bed...working, of course...and looked up. She smiled. "Yes, I like it, too. That colour is lovely on you."

"Thank you," Luna replied, beaming.

"I wonder what he has planned," Hermione mused, almost as if speaking to herself, before her attention returned to her work.

"I don't know, but it's terribly exciting...don't you agree?"

Hermione set down her quill on top of her ever-present stack of parchment and said, "It is. You've waited a very long time for this, sweetie, and I hope you have glorious night."

Luna grasped Hermione's hand. "Thank you."

"Whatever for?"

"For being my best and dearest friend."

"Oh, Luna," Hermione said, suddenly sounding near tears, "you don't have to thank me. You must know how much I treasure our friendship." Hermione sniffed, then shifted until she finally clambered off the bed and stood in front of Luna, clasping her hands together. "Right. Let's get on with things, then. Are you all ready to go?"

"Yes," Luna replied dreamily.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sniggered under her breath. "Really? You plan on going out with Draco without your shoes?"

Luna cast a glance at her glittering blue toes and sighed. It seemed such a shame to cover them up...and she had been enjoying looking at them...but she did need to wear shoes.

"I suppose not," she said wistfully.

"I thought not. Draco said to wear your dragon hide boots...Merlin knows what for. Do you know where they are?"

"Yes. They're under the bed," Luna said before dropping to her knees, her entire head disappearing as she searched for her footwear.

"Why don't you just Summon them?" Hermione's muffled question could barely be heard from under the bed.

Luna felt about and found the toe of one boot. She pulled it out, tossing it behind her before returning to search for its mate. "I Charmed them not to respond to magic ... it prevents the Blibbering Humdingers from stealing them."

"What in the world is a Blibbering Humdinger, and why would it want your shoes?"

Biting her lip in concentration, Luna stretched out her arm as far as it could reach. "Well, it's a creature, obviously, and..."

Her explanation was interrupted by a loud knock and then the sound of Hermione opening the door. Luna froze, her hand on the heel of her misplaced boot.

"Good afternoon, Hermione. Have seen ... Luna, is that you?"

Oh, Merlin. It was Draco. Luna wasn't often embarrassed, but she thought perhaps now, half under her bed with her bum in the air, might be a good time to start. She attempted to rise from her position but didn't quite clear the bed before she began to stand; her head hit the bed frame with a resounding crack.

"Ouch."

"Luna!" Hermione cried, concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I think so." Strong hands helped to slide her out from beneath the bed and gently lifted her to her feet. She tilted back her head, wincing as Draco's fingers ran across her scalp, looking for any sign of injury. Yes, she was definitely embarrassed. Even so, despite her emotional discomfort and the sharp pain at the back of her head, Luna delighted in his proximity. "Thank you," she said. "I'm quite well."

Draco's brow furrowed as his fingers found a rather large knot on the back of her head; this time he noticed as she flinched at the slight pressure. "You are not," he said imperiously. "You're in pain. We are not leaving until you have taken a Headache Relieving Potion, and you will bring a phial with you in case the pain returns while we're out." He took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest, his expression almost belligerent, as if daring her to disagree.

He was concerned for her well-being! Luna couldn't have possibly been more elated. "All right."

Draco blinked several times before schooling his features into a serious, but satisfied, expression.

Unable to resist, Luna pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and all but skipped from the room to retrieve the potion.

Not wanting to take any longer than necessary...she was more than ready to leave for their date...Luna hurried to the bathroom and quickly found what she needed. She swallowed one dose, breathing a sigh of relief as the pain eased almost instantaneously, and then grabbed a second dose. She would put the phial in her bag, although she hoped she wouldn't have to use it; Nargles would be attracted even to the miniscule amount of mistletoe that was used in the potion, and she doubted that Draco had been inoculated.

With her tasks completed, and her head feeling much better, she walked back down the hall, slowing as she neared her room; she could hear Draco and Hermione discussing something, and though she didn't like to eavesdrop, the conversation sounded serious...and it would be rude to interrupt. She stood against the wall, to the side of the open door.

"... don't understand why the bloody hell you are putting up with such shoddy treatment. You and I both know why it is you have been relegated to the department's errand witch, and it has nothing to do with you or your abilities."

"It's none of your concern, Draco Malfoy," Luna heard Hermione snap. "And you're wrong...everything is fine."

"You can lie to your friends and your husband, but you cannot lie to me; I've witnessed it firsthand."

"I have not lied to my friends," Hermione countered hotly.

Luna noticed that Hermione had neglected to include Severus in her denial.

Draco sighed. "Look, you and I both know what's really going on...you're trying to protect him. You have to know he's going to find out eventually. These things have a way of getting out."

"Are you threatening me?"

Still standing in the hall, Luna's eyes widened at the menace in Hermione's tone.

"Don't be absurd. I have no intention of interfering, so I won't say anything to Severus...but only because he should hear it from you. He's your husband, and I don't think it's a good idea to keep secrets from the person you love."

Luna gulped. She agreed that Hermione needed to talk to Severus...she had borne the brunt of the Ministry's idiocy for far too long...and Luna berated herself for not having done more for her friend. Draco's words, however, frightened her. She was keeping an absolutely enormous secret from the person she loved. If Draco were to ever find out, would he be able to forgive her, or would he be so angry that he would cut her out of his life forever? The mere thought sent a shockwave of pain through her from head to toe.

Even as her heart ached, her mind continued to process. Draco had a rather large secret of his own. She was certain he had never intended her to learn of his plan for finding a wife and the role he had relegated to her. And it wasn't as if he would ever find out about the prophecy unless she decided to tell him. Luna decided that, all things considered, their respective secrets balanced nicely.

Happy with her rationalisations, Luna decided it was time to interrupt and entered the room. "All done," she said cheerfully. "Are we ready to go?"

Draco glanced at Hermione and then nodded. "More than ready," he murmured.

Hermione gathered her belongings whilst Luna hurriedly put on her socks and boots. "Have a lovely evening," she said stiffly, but as she left the room, she stopped and hugged Luna. "Use the Floo to let me know when you get back, all right? I want to hear about everything," she whispered into Luna's ear.

Luna nodded, and Hermione released her before quickly exiting the room. The sound of the front door opening and closing soon followed.

"Shall we?" Draco asked, offering Luna his arm.

She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and smiled. "Yes, please."

Luna was absolutely certain she was about to have the most wonderful evening of her entire life.

---

Draco could not remember ever being so horrified in his entire life. He was sitting...only after he had surreptitiously cast a cleaning charm...in a horrendously bright yellow plastic chair, attempting to ignore the screaming children at the adjacent table and staring at his ... well, he supposed it was meant to be dinner, but he'd never seen a meal served in such an unusual fashion.

Luna had been thrilled beyond belief when they had arrived at the...he used the word loosely...restaurant, whilst Draco had been wary; he'd been expecting something more along the lines of a Scottish pub, given the name of the establishment. However, despite his reservations at the sight of the garishly coloured building, it was obvious from Luna's brilliant smile that her father had given him sound advice.

Draco had been astonished by the ease of his conversation with the eccentric wizard. Xenophilius Lovegood was even dottier than his daughter, but Draco had found him to be quite congenial and very helpful. The man obviously adored Luna. Mr Lovegood had been pleasantly surprised when Draco had asked him for his advice on where to take her for dinner, as well as for directions to their final destination for the evening, and had happily told him everything he needed to know ... and a few things he didn't.

According to her father, Luna enjoyed eating at a certain restaurant whenever she ventured into Muggle London and frequently commented that she didn't have the opportunity to go as often as she would like. At the time, it had sounded like the perfect place to begin their evening. Now, as he took in the cheap, tacky interior and fussing children, Draco wasn't at all convinced it met the requirements for what could be considered a romantic first date.

However, the lack of elegant furnishings, candlelight, and champagne did not seem to bother Luna in the slightest. In fact, she appeared quite pleased with his dining choice. How peculiar. Ah, well. As long as she was happy, nothing else mattered. He needed to make an impression, and if this would do it, then he was willing to try anything once.

Draco poked a finger at his food warily. "Are you sure this is safe to eat?" he asked Luna, who was blissfully chewing on what he thought perhaps had been, at one time, part of a chicken.

She swallowed and then smiled happily. "Yes," she replied simply. Then, she tilted her head to one side, her expression curious. "Haven't you eaten here before?"

He bit his tongue to keep from scoffing as he so desperately wanted. As if a Malfoy would ever be caught dead in such an establishment.

Wait. He was a Malfoy, and he currently was in such an establishment. Perhaps he was dead. One can only hope, he thought as he eyed his meal. If he wasn't currently dead, he might be after he finished eating.

"Certainly," he lied. "I merely don't recall the food looking so ..."

"Delicious?" Luna offered, her eyes wide as she took another bite of her meal.

"Erm ... yes." Draco sniffed at the ... whatever it was he had ordered and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat at the greasy aroma. He suppressed a shudder.

He heard a giggle escape Luna's mouth and looked up to see her attempting to hide her laughter behind her slender fingers, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You weren't telling the truth. You've never been here before, have you?"

He was startled by the sly gleam in her eyes, but then, once again, it was gone as quickly as it had arrived. He sighed and then, unable to help himself, offered her a small smile. "All right. You caught me. I've never been to ..." He grimaced. "... McDonald's."

She nodded knowingly. "Now you have," she said before popping another chip...no wait, a fry, she'd called it...into her mouth.

Shaking his head, Draco sighed. Gathering his courage with both hands, he picked up the ... he paused to read the side of the box ... Big Mac, closed his eyes, and took a bite.

And then he chewed.

And chewed.

And chewed a bit more.

"What do you think?" Luna asked.

Draco swallowed, his brow furrowing as he considered her question. "I think ... well, I think it's absolutely revolting." Then he smirked and took another bite.

Luna laughed...a bit too loudly but joyfully nonetheless...and the rest of the meal was eaten as they chatted idly about their jobs, their friends, and their respective days. Luna was not surprised at all by Draco's revelation regarding Pansy and Ron, claiming that the attraction had been clearly obvious to those who were paying attention to such things. He was sceptical but hummed his agreement.

After a few more bites, Draco decided that the food wasn't completely awful and found that he was almost enjoying it. It was by no means on par with, say, boeuf bourguignon, but it was edible ... barely. He considered Luna's contented expression as she ate the last of her fries and then discussed her latest Charms research. Perhaps the company more than made up for the lack of romantic ambiance.

---

When they were both finished eating, Luna showed Draco where to dispose of the rubbish..."Don't they have house-elf sorts for this?"...and then they were off.

As they left the restaurant, Draco once again offered his arm, and they walked toward the ill-lit alley that served as an Apparition point. Luna was already thrilled beyond measure with the evening. She couldn't imagine that it could get much better...unless kissing were involved, and then it could get infinitely better, especially if he did that bit with his tongue...but as they walked along the pavement, Draco assured her that there was more to their date than just dinner; he refused to tell her anything further.

Luna was tickled pink.

One of her favourite things in the world was to be surprised. She loved the suspense of knowing something exciting was about to happen. She revelled in the moments before a surprise was revealed. She was odd that way, she supposed, but she truly enjoyed the anticipation more than the surprise itself. Even so, she couldn't help but wonder what else Draco had planned for the evening, especially given the clothing he had chosen to wear. She had instantly recognised the jeans and shirt he was wearing...she had spent enough time ogling him in those jeans when she was supposed to have been repairing the wallpaper...and her inquisitive nature was piqued. On this occasion, her curiosity won.

"Are we going to be renovating someone's house?" she asked as they entered the alley. Not that she minded if that was what he had planned; a date with Draco was a date with Draco, no matter what they did or where they went. She wondered whose house they were going to be fixing up.

He seemed to be puzzled by her reaction and asked, "Why would you think that we were?"

"Those are the clothes you wore when we helped Harry renovate his house. You haven't worn them since, so it seemed to be a logical conclusion."

His eyebrows lifted slightly; he seemed surprised that she had remembered his clothing. As if she could ever forget the way the shirt had stretched across his chest, accentuating his broad shoulders. Or the way his arse had looked in those Muggle jeans when he had bent over to grab some sort of tool or something ....

Luna sighed wistfully. Such lovely memories she had of renovating Harry's house.

"I see," he said, staring at her as if she had grown a second head. "But no, we won't be doing any renovating this evening."

Luna was a bit disappointed, having warmed to the idea. "Where are we going, then?" she asked even as she relished the final moments of anticipation.

Draco smirked and shook his head. "That is my little secret. You'll find out in just a moment. Hold on to me, and I'll Apparate us to our destination."

Luna nodded and allowed Draco to draw her to his side. She looked up at him and smiled.

His lips curled into a smirk. "Right. Let's be on our way, then." As if they were about to dance, he turned on his heel, and they Disapparated.

With a soft pop, they appeared in a familiar clearing. Luna's eyes widened as she turned in a circle, taking in the forested area that she had hiked through the previous summer. She spun around to face Draco, her face alight with pleasure. "We're going to look for the herd of Griffleback Snorflunks?"

Draco appeared quite pleased with her reaction, a smug smile firmly fixed in place. "We are."

Luna grinned wider than she had previously thought was possible. That he would do something so beyond the norm...so beyond his norm...had her head spinning and her heart swelling with emotion. First McDonald's and now this ... but how had he known?

Tilting her head to one side, she asked, "How did you learn about this place? I'm the only person who knows about it."

Draco arched one pale eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "Not the only person."

Luna gasped as the implication of his words became clear. The restaurant, the forest .... "Daddy!" she exclaimed. "You talked with my father!"

He smirked. "I did."

Luna could not have stopped herself if she had tried...not that she had. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank you," she murmured. That he had spoken with her father, a man that few cared to be bothered with, meant the world to her. Uncharacteristic tears pricked her eyelids, and she blinked them back, breathing in the familiar scent of the wizard in her arms. "Thank you."

Draco returned her embrace, pulling her even closer as he laughed softly, his warm breath tickling her ear. Luna shuddered, her arms tightening reflexively about his neck.

"You're welcome," he murmured, then pressed a kiss to her temple.

Luna sighed contentedly. She would have happily stayed there, in his arms, for the remainder of the evening, but Draco had other plans.

Drat it.

He released her but kept one of her hands in his, linking their fingers together. "Shall we get started? I know that we're quite far north, so sunset is not for several hours yet, but your father only gave me the directions to this clearing. I'm not certain how long it will take us to reach the last known location of the herd."

She smiled serenely; it was obvious that Draco knew absolutely nothing about the Griffleback Snorflunk, and he was trying so very hard to keep his scepticism to a minimum. She adored him even more in that moment. "Yes, we should get started."

Draco nodded. "Right. You lead, and I'll follow."

Luna suspected very few people had heard that phrase from Draco Malfoy's mouth; the amount of trust behind those words was quite enlightening. Turning her focus to the task at hand, she looked around for a nice place to begin their hike. She spotted a small patch of pretty blue flowers growing at the base of one of the trees near the edge of the forest. The shade of blue reminded her of her nail varnish. "Let's start over here," she said, tugging his hand and guiding him into the forest.

Something told her they were about to find what they were looking for ... in more ways than one.

---

Draco was pleased with how the evening was playing out so thus far. Luna appeared to be having a grand time, which was of paramount importance. Although they had been walking for much longer than he had anticipated, he was surprised to find that he was actually enjoying the evening, as well.

He walked along, listening to Luna discuss the migration patterns of the ever-elusive Griffleback Snorflunk. Though he was loath to admit it, the nonexistent creature was fascinating, and he found himself mesmerised by her breadth of knowledge on the subject.

The best part, however, of their little jaunt through the forest was the feel of Luna's hand in his. Her skin was warm and soft, and Draco liked how her long fingers twined with his in a perfect fit. He glanced at her surreptitiously. She looked lovely in lavender. He wondered if she knew that the peacock had represented the Malfoy family since the Middle Ages. It was as if she had marked herself as his. Feelings of possessiveness and satisfaction overwhelmed him, but he quickly pushed them away. She was not his ... would never be his ... a fact he had to remember. His chest tightened.

Damned indigestion.

He rubbed at his sternum until the tightness eased a bit. His mind, however, could not be eased so quickly. Something was telling him that he was in over his head, that this was bound to turn out badly for one, if not both, of them. His lips thinned into a grim line. No. That would not happen; everything would go according to The Plan. In any event, it was too late now. The Plan had already been set into motion, and he was determined to see it through to the end. Luna would have her pick of suitors...he rubbed the already tender spot on his chest again...and he would have the wife and family he wanted. He would make the Malfoy name something to be proud of again. Once that was done, he could easily deal with any possible repercussions. Everything was going to work out perfectly...he would see to that.

"... and oftentimes they will have travelled over 300 kilometres in a single season. I know that doesn't sound like all that much, but considering how short their legs are, it's really quite impressive! Oh, I do hope we'll get to see the herd. They're simply lovely creatures, and if you hear one calling to its mate, you're certain never to forget it. Have you heard one before? Of course you haven't; you've never seen one. They make quite the distinctive noise ... like this: WACKAWOO! WACKAWOO!" she cried loudly, startling Draco and causing him to trip over the uneven ground.

Draco managed to steady himself and chuckled under his breath as she prattled on, oblivious to his misstep.

"I've only seen them once, but an unusually bushy tree was obstructing my view, so I only caught a glimpse. I don't know what kind of tree it was, but it had the most unusual leaves I've ever seen .... Oh, dear!" Luna suddenly exclaimed before bring them both to an abrupt stop. "You're limping...are you all right?"

Draco frowned. He had been so caught up in what Luna had been saying that he hadn't noticed he was favouring one leg. "I must have twisted my ankle."

He looked around and saw a fallen tree a few metres from where they were standing. He hobbled over and sat down, quickly removing his boot and sock. His ankle was an angry red and already beginning to swell.

"Ouch," Luna said sympathetically as she came to stand in front of him, the grass and leaves crunching beneath her feet.

"Lucky for me, I'm a wizard," Draco said. After a quick healing spell, he was almost as good as new. "Did you bring the extra phial of Headache Relieving Potion?"

Luna nodded and rummaged around in her bag, her eyes unfocussed as she felt around for the small phial. "Do you have a headache, then?"

"No, but if used topically ..."

"... it works as a pain-relieving agent!" Luna finished as she produced the phial from her bag.

Draco smiled and nodded, dipping his finger in the potion and rubbing it over the exposed skin of his ankle. He was surprised to hear Luna inhale sympathetically as he touched the bruised flesh; or perhaps she had a foot fetish? He suppressed a groan. I would certainly love to find out.

He immediately chastised himself. He could not allow his thoughts to wander down that path; that way lay nothing but heartache and pain for Luna, and he would not do that to her. It would be all too easy to throw caution to the wind and seduce her into his bed. In his mind's eye, he purposely envisioned a heartbroken Luna and then imagined his own guilt at being the source of her pain. He would not let that happen, no matter how tempting she might be. Strengthening his resolve, he replaced his sock and boot and then looked up at her.

At least he would get to kiss her again...he had quite enjoyed that. His eyes drifted to her mouth, and he recalled the feel of it beneath his own, how pliant her lips had been, how warm and accepting ... just as she was. Vaguely, he wondered what other parts of her might be warm and accepting ....

Damn. It was going to be more difficult than he'd thought.

He sighed and rose to his feet. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out to retake Luna's hand.

"Everything all right?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

---

Luna was having a fabulous time. It was unlikely that they would actually find the herd...they were notoriously shy creatures, which was why they had never been photographed...but that Draco had chosen to make an attempt at locating them for their first date meant more to her than any fancy dinner ever could. That, in fact, had been what she'd fully expected from him: an expensive meal in a trendy little bistro in an exotic location...Paris, perhaps. She would have been fine with that, but she had certainly never imagined Draco taking her to dinner at McDonald's and then hiking through the forest, looking for mythological creatures.

Her cheeks ached from her constant smile, but she couldn't stop; the ache was worth every lovely moment she spent in Draco's company. Surely, he must have already been harbouring some sort of affection for her if he had been willing to do all this just for her.

She sneaked a peek at him out of the corner of her eye. He'd been such a gentleman as they hiked through the forest, never once releasing her hand, the only exception being when he had needed to heal his ankle. He claimed it was because he did not want to her to trip, but Luna was certain that it had more to do with how much he liked the feel of her hand in his.

She liked it, too.

Luna was broken from her reverie when Draco squeezed her hand lightly, drawing her attention. "Is it much farther?" he asked. "We've been walking for some time, and the sun will set in another hour or so. Perhaps you should Apparate us to ...." He trailed off at the horrified expression on her face. "What is it?"

"Even if I knew their location, we couldn't Apparate there...it might cause them to stampede!"

Draco shook his head lightly. "Wait a moment. What do you mean...if you knew their location? You don't know where they are?"

Luna stared at him, puzzled. "No. Don't you remember? They're migratory animals...they could be anywhere in the area ... or not at all."

He froze, bringing them both to an abrupt halt. "What you're saying is that we've been wandering about the forest for the better part of two hours, with no clear destination in mind, on the off-chance that we might possibly come across a herd of mythological creatures?"

"Precisely!" she replied, pleased that he was so clever, and then patiently waited for his reaction.

She wondered if he would be angry; she couldn't remember a time when Draco had "wandered" anywhere. Everything he did was planned and thought out to an exacting standard; he preferred things neat and tidy. There was no meandering from his determined path; he always went directly from Point A to Point B.

In fact, now that she thought it over, he was probably already miserable, and knowing that they had no set destination was all but certain to drive him insane. The thought saddened her.

She watched as his lips began to twitch and his body grew rigid. If not for the warmth in his silvery-grey eyes, she might have worried that he was about to lose his temper. Instead, she rather thought he seemed...

He exploded in laughter.

...amused.

Luna smiled.

---

His loud guffaws echoed through the forest as he bent over at the waist, his hands on his knees. She had him on some wild goose chase, randomly walking about and...and he was enjoying it. Who but Luna Lovegood could accomplish such a thing?

Draco wiped at his eyes with his palms. Merlin, he hadn't laughed so hard in ages. She probably thought he was a lunatic.

The absurdity of that thought almost sent him over the edge again, but he somehow was able to rein in his emotions. He eventually managed to get his laughter under control, but he couldn't erase the grin from his face.

"Well," he said once he could finally speak again, "I don't see any reason to stop now. We might as well continue on until the sun goes down...there's always a chance we could come across the herd."

Rather than the happy smile he had expected, her brow furrowed, and she looked at him with serious eyes. "Do you really want to keep going? Perhaps we should go home."

The smile that had been hovering about his lips disappeared, and he frowned. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed a lock of her hair from her forehead. "I thought you were having fun."

"I am!" she said, taking a step toward him, her expression earnest. She laid a hand on his arm. "I'm having a wonderful time."

"But you want to go home." He cringed at his petulant tone, but he was confused and, though he would never admit it, a bit hurt, as well. He had tried his damnedest to make their date something she would enjoy, and despite his reticence, he'd thought he had succeeded. Obviously he had not.

Where had he gone wrong? The restaurant was her favourite, and her father had assured him that hunting for the herd of Griffleback Snorflunks would be perfect. That only left one detail...him. Perhaps he was the problem. Did she not enjoy his company? Why the hell not?

"I don't want to go home, Draco," she assured him softly, interrupting his descent into further petulance. "It's only that I know this isn't the sort of thing you like. I'm very appreciative that you went to so much effort to ensure that I had a lovely first date...and it has been so very lovely...but it's not fun for me, if you're not having fun, too. If you'd rather we go home, I'll understand."

Draco's ire vanished in an instant, and that uncomfortable tightness returned to his chest. She was worried that he wasn't enjoying her company. Once again, he acted without thinking and took her hands in his. He stepped closer, until they were a hairsbreadth apart, and then looked directly into her eyes; he wanted to be certain that she heard the sincerity and truth behind what he was about to say.

"Luna," he said, "I am having the most fun on a date that I've ever had."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Really." It was true. Most of his previous dates...if one-offs could be referred to as such...had been focussed on making sure the evening ended with the witch in his bed. They had been more calculated than fun. "I like being with you."

"Oh." She seemed happy with that revelation.

Draco, on the other hand, was confused. He hadn't meant to say that. Uncomfortable and a bit embarrassed, he stepped back and cleared his throat, releasing one of her hands. Jerking his head in the direction they had been heading, he said, "Shall we continue on, then?"

Luna smiled in that dreamy way of hers and nodded.

He squeezed her hand, and they resumed their hike.

"Did my father say if he thought the herd was in the area?" Luna asked after a few minutes of walking in silence.

"Ah, no, he didn't."

"Oh."

"Your father is a fascinating wizard. I enjoyed speaking with him this afternoon."

"Really?" she asked, her grey eyes filled with hope and scepticism.

"Yes, I did. It surprised me, given his ... ah ... reputation."

"You mean that he's crazy as a loon?"

Draco attempted to cover his amusement at her candidness with a cough. "I was thinking more along the lines of eccentric."

"A nice way of saying he's one Quaffle short of a Quidditch pitch."

This time he laughed out loud. "Yes, I suppose so."

Luna patted his forearm with her free hand. "It's all right, Draco. I'm not at all offended. I am well aware that the rest of the wizarding world considers my family an oddity. From what my father says, that's been the case since he and my mother first married. We're quite accustomed to the comments and sniggers by now. It doesn't bother us."

Draco wondered if that could possibly be true. Did she really not care what people said behind her back ... or worse, to her face? It was a sang-froid that Draco envied.

She was such a fascinating witch. What was it about her that made her so content with life, with herself? He found that he was drawn to her more and more with each passing second ... which was definitely going to lead to nothing but trouble. Still, he had to wonder how it was that so many people found it easy to dismiss her as nothing more than "Loony Luna."

With that in mind, he said, "I wonder why is it that no wizard has been smart enough to ask you on a date...present company excluded, course."

Luna laughed loudly. "You're very funny."

"Thank you," he replied, turning his head to wink at her, "but I wasn't trying to be funny."

"Yes, I know."

They walked in silence, the only sounds those of the forest, while Luna seemed to contemplate his question. "I see the world a bit differently than everyone else, and most people feel uncomfortable when they drift too far from what's considered normal."

She paused as Draco helped her over a fallen log in their path. She thanked him and then continued. "To be fair, I never really had much of an interest in wizards...present company excluded, of course." She smiled, visibly pleased with how she had been able to turn his words back at him.

Shocked, Draco once again ceased walking, whilst Luna continued moving forward until their arms stretched to the point that she had to stop. She turned to face him, her expression quizzical.

He had been caught completely off-guard. His mouth opened, as if to speak, but then he snapped his jaw shut. Had she known that he had been aware of her crush?

The question must have been written on his face, because she laughed and said, "Of course, I knew that you were aware of my feelings for you. I never tried to hide them."

Gobsmacked, Draco didn't know what to say. All this time, he'd thought she'd been attempting to hide her feelings from him, like any normal, ordinary witch in her circumstances would have done. He'd completely left out of the equation that Luna was no ordinary witch. When would he learn to stop painting her with the same brush as he did everyone else?

Acting once again on impulse...something he rarely had done before that evening...he asked, "Why didn't you say something before?"

This time is was she who squeezed his fingers. "It wasn't the right time. Now, it is."

"I see." He didn't see, actually. He didn't understand her at all. The right time for what?

"What about you?" she asked, breaking his reverie.

"Hmm?"

"How is it that no witch has been able to capture your attention? I know loads of witches have tried, too. I've seen them," she stated.

Draco felt his cheeks turn pink. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and decided to be honest. "Well, I wasn't looking for anything more than a bit of fun."

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes wide. "And now you want something more?"

He choked back a laugh. Merlin's beard, she was direct. "Yes."

"What sort of witch would be able to capture your attention?" she asked, her gaze never leaving his face.

He could lose himself in those silvery-blue pools. Her eyes were warm and tender, and as he stared into them, the truth spilled from between his lips. "Someone who sees the real me."

Good gods. He couldn't believe he'd said that. He was an utter fool. But Luna merely nodded, causing Draco to scoff.

"What is it?" she asked.

Once again, he spewed out the truth. Later, he would swear the witch was akin to Veritaserum.

"How can I expect someone else to know the real me if I don't?"

She looked at him quizzically.

"I'm not who I was five years ago, Luna. For Merlin's sake, I'm not who I was two months ago. How can I expect a witch to see me for who I really am, if I don't even know who I really am?"

Most witches would have attempted to soothe him with meaningless trivialities and a few tender kisses...but once again Luna was about to prove that she was not most witches.

"That's true, Draco. You're not the same spoiled, selfish little prat you were as a child, and you aren't the rakish playboy out seeking his own pleasure with no thoughts to the future that you've been in recent years, either."

She turned to face him fully. "That being said, I don't think it's impossible for someone to know the real you...because I do. I know you, and you're a better man than you believe you are."

He didn't know what to say. So he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She didn't say anything but merely wrapped her arms around his waist and allowed him to find solace in her embrace.

It seemed she really did know something about him, after all.

"Oh, look, Draco!" Luna said, after a long while, her voice a low whisper. "Up in the trees ... mistletoe."

He leant back a bit and waggled his eyebrows. "I believe that tradition only holds up at Christmas, pet. But if you want to kiss me, you only have to ask."

Luna laughed and slapped his arm lightly, though he noticed how her breath hitched. "Not that. I just wanted to warn you to be careful of Nargles. They are attracted by mistletoe, so they may be living in some of the plants in the trees. The Headache Relieving Potion you used on your ankle contains a miniscule amount of mistletoe, but it might be enough to draw their attention. Please, watch out of for them...I don't want to have to take you home with an infestation."

Draco blinked. She seemed very sincere. "All right, I'll be careful, but tell me one thing."

She nodded earnestly.

"What the bloody hell is a Nargle?"

This time it was his breath that hitched as Luna smiled at him beatifically.

Merlin's beard. She was beautiful.

"I've been warning people about Nargles for years, and until now, no one has bothered to ask what they are," she explained happily.

Draco was irate. What was wrong with people? Could no one see in her what he did? Apparently not, and it did not set well with him. "Well, I am asking. What are they?"

"Very small, tiny little birds with unfortunately sharp beaks. They infest mistletoe, and live sort of like a swarm of bees in a hive. They like to collect shiny objects and take them back to their nests. When threatened, they attack all together, just like bees but with a much more painful sting. I would hate for them to attack you," she said earnestly. "I designed an anti-Nargle charm for just such an occasion as this. Would you mind if I used it?"

Draco wasn't certain about the existence of Nargles, but he trusted Luna's Charms skills and knew she would never hurt him. "Please, go right ahead."

She nodded, taking his trust in her quite seriously, and pulled her wand out from behind her ear.

Draco felt his lips twitch in amusement.

She took a few steps away from him, apparently needing a bit of wand room. She waved the slender piece of carved oak in an intricate pattern in front of him and spoke the incantation. "Narglessus Repello."

A dark blue light burst from her wand and enveloped him in a cloud, quickly fading to a lighter blue, and then white before it disappeared.

"There. All finished. Thank you. I feel much better knowing you're protected," she stated, allowing him to lead her away from the area and back on the random trail they had been following.

"What about you?" Draco asked. "The charm didn't seem to affect you."

"Oh, I'm fine," she assured him. "I've been inoculated against Nargle infestations."

Draco did not wish to know what that entailed, so he quickly thought of a way to distract her. Another mistletoe plant growing in the lower branches of one of the approaching trees caught his eye.

"While we're on the subject of mistletoe," he began, "did you know that people used to believe that mistletoe grew spontaneously on trees from bird droppings?"

"Doesn't it?"

Draco looked at her incredulously. "You can't honestly believe..."

Luna's expression was completely innocent ... save for the sly gleam in her eyes.

He shook his head. "You had me for a moment with that one."

She laughed until he joined in.

"Let me finish, witch. Because they believed it grew from the droppings, the word mistletoe was derived from two words which mean 'dung' and 'twig.' So in essence, mistletoe means ...."

"Dung on a twig!" Luna exclaimed, then wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting. I think I shall pretend I never heard that and concentrate solely on its purpose."

Draco grinned. "As a home for Nargle infestations?"

"No," she said as she linked the fingers of one hand with his. "I'm thinking of the more traditional purpose."

"Ah, I see," Draco said, matching the feigned gravity of her tone. They stopped walking, and pulled her into his arms. "You're a very direct witch, asking me to take such liberties."

Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Draco shushed her. "There's nothing wrong with asking for what you want, Luna. Not with me. So please don't apologise."

She shook her head slowly. "I wasn't going to apologise."

Draco began to lower his head slowly towards hers, his eyes on her mouth. "No?"

"No. I was going to agree," she breathed, her eyes closing as she lifted her chin and raised her mouth to his.

"In that case, allow me." Their lips touched briefly, softly, and Draco suppressed a groan at even the slight contact. He pulled back to see if she was all right, smirking as her lips puckered, seeking his. He was more than willing to oblige her silent request. But then ....

"WACKAWOO!"

Luna's eyes popped open in surprised delight.

"WACKAWOO!"

"Draco, it's them! It's the herd!"

"WACKAWOO!"

"That's nice. Now where were we? Oh, yes." He was about to kiss her again when she wriggled out of his arms and hurried in the direction of the sound. He dropped his chin to his chest with a groan.

"WACKAWOO! WACKAWOO!"

"Come on, Draco. Don't you want to see them?" she called, tossing a glance over her shoulder.

Draco laughed then began to chase after her. "Hey, what about my kiss?"

Her laugh echoed back to him, and Draco grinned as he quickly gained on her.

"Do you have a mating call?" she teased breathlessly as she continued to run towards the sound of the herd.

He closed the distance and grabbed her arm, spinning her around and trapping her inside his embrace. "Absolutely," he said, slightly winded by the chase.

"You do?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she tilted back her head just enough to meet his gaze.

"Mm-hmm." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply; her hair smelled of spearmint, filling his senses with its pleasant and refreshing aroma.

"What is it?" she murmured softly as he leant in close, his mouth at her ear.

"Wackawoo," he breathed more than voiced, allowing the warm, moist air from his mouth to tickle the sensitive flesh behind her ear.

Luna giggled half-heartedly, and he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if she could feel his pounding just as hard.

"Wackawoo," he muttered against her skin as he dragged his lips along her jaw line, until at last he reached her mouth. "Wackawoo," he whispered against her lips.

And then he kissed her.

The Griffleback Snorflunks could be seen another day.

---

A/N: Another chapter. Can you believe it? I hope to get one more chapter out before I leave for Portus next week, but by now I know not to make any promises.

The Griffleback Snorflunk is a product of my imagination. You might remember it from Enraptured, chapter seven.

Blibbering Humdingers and Nargles are both from the books, however, canon doesn't tell us much about them. According to canon, Nargles infest mistletoe, but that's all we are told. I took the liberty of making up the rest.

My unending gratitude to my wonderful beta readers, Subversa and DeeMichelle, and to my amazing Brit picker, LettyBird. I'd also like to thank GinnyW for listening to me whine and encouraging me (even though she would rather I be working on a different story right now), and Lady Rhian for reading this when I was feeling unsure about it. All of you are the best.