"more than friends"

Chapter 8

He pulled into the driveway and swiftly got out of the car. I got out and followed him to the door and pulled his arm.
"Draco!" I screamed
"What Lani."
He wasn't even looking at my face. There we was looking at his feet. He looked so lost. I couldn't anymore. I pulled his arm in to a hug and he lost it. I felt tears wetting my shirt, I have never seen this side of Dray. I pulled his head off my shoulder and he looked at me and frowned. I just stared and smiled. Sometimes saying nothing was all we needed. We stayed there for a bit until Draco calmed down and let go.
"Want to go inside?" I said to him with a light rub on the back.
"Sure, sounds good" He walked in the house and up the stairs not even acknowledging Tom. When he got upstairs he kicked off his shoes and fell asleep.
~Draco's POV ~
I felt her pull me into a hug as I was trying to get inside. She always had a way of comforting me, once I was in her arms I lost it and started crying and I felt her grip increase. How'd she know that this was exactly what I needed. No talking. Just us there.
After I pulled away we walked inside and I went upstairs to her room. I took off my shoes and laid down. I was so tired from last night, after she fell asleep I stayed up the rest of the night just in case. I couldn't risk anything happening, not again.
~Lani's POV ~
I squirmed next to Draco and laid my head on his shoulder as he slept, I went on my phone for a bit. I didn't matter what type of day I was having this was always my highlight. My mind wondered off and I started thinking about Cedric and how I was going to tell him I like him just as friends. There really isn't a good way of letting people down, but clearly it's my speciality. It was about 1:00 when I decided to wake Draco up, I started forcefully pulling him back and forth until he finally woke up.
"I'm up, I'm up." He said tiredly.
"Wanna go fix some lunch downstairs?"
"Yes, but wait for me."
He got up and followed me down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tom was on the couch and once we got down there he got up and walked to sit at the bar.
"What are y'all fixing?" Tom said staring at me.
"Lunch." Draco replied
"What do yo want to eat?" I asked Draco.
"Something that tastes like you" He said raising an eyebrow at me then looked at Tom.
Tom started to stand up and walk towards us.
"Hm?" He looked at me.
"I said something that tastes like. Her." He stares at Tom.
"I don't think so buddy" Tom moved Draco to the side and stood in between us.
"You can be a royal pain some times" I said to Tom
"As can you." He responded pushing me back a bit. I saw draco getting a bit mad.
"Dont touch her." Draco said.
"You say that as if she's yours." Tom replied.
They both looked at me. Draco came over to me and hugged me from behind resting his chin on my shoulder.
"She is mine." He said back to Tom.
"Oh is that so, because I heard her on the phone with Cedric, saying... well."
Draco quickly looked at me.
"Is that true Lani?"
"No, no, that's not true, I promise he's lying."
"Haha you should have seen the look on your face Malfoy, you really do like her." Tom laughed
"Tom stop being a jerk."
He looked at me angered.
"Did anyone tell you to speak little girl."
"I can speak for myself Tom, i dont need your approval."
"Oooo I'm so scared." He walked over to me, but draco got in front of me before Tom could do anything.
"Actually, don't even get close to her."draco said pushing him away.
"Dont touch me either Malfoy."
"You wanna take this outside Riddle"
"I want to take one of you outside." He said as his eyes turned to me.
"I dont think she's an option." Draco replied
"Let her chose then." Tom said, and again they both looked at me.
"I want to talk to Tom." I said. I needed to see why he was like this, why he wanted me so bad. I saw Draco's eye bug open and he pulled me off to the side.
"Are you crazy Greene!" He said to me
"I need to see what he finds so interesting about me, it's not usual to have a step-brother flirting with you."
"But it's normal if I do it right?" He said laughing elbowing me in the arm.
"Haha very funny.. Malfoy"
He looked at me and smiled.
"I'll give you 30 seconds to run"
I immediately darted out into the lawn to find Tom waiting on the porch swing. Draco followed behind me as we were running around laughing. I ran around to the front of the house but didn't see Draco coming so I stoped to catch my breath. Right as I walked to the front steps to sit I felt some behind me. He had picked me up and spun me around.
"Boo!" He said as I squirmed around laughing.
"Draco! LET ME DOWN!" He put me down and it happened again another one of those awkward moments.
"Well... I'm gonna go talk to Tom. You stay here and I'll be back." I said looking at him.
"Don't take to long" He said to me as I walked around the corner to the back of the house.
"Hey" He said to me when I sat down across from him on the porch.
"Hey, so I just had a few questions for you."
"I'm sure you do" He said back fiddling with his hands.
"Why do you flirt with me, you know we are step-siblings?"
"It's fun to mess with you"
"Tom, I'm serious why?" I looked at him
"Because Lani, if I had to choose someone off of personality you would check all the boxes. You have that bitterness to you that makes me go crazy."
"That's nice I guess but if something would happen ever between us it would just be akward you know that."
"Yeah I guess"
"Also why do you hate Draco so much"
"Are you seriously asking me that question! Do you see the way he looks at you, he is crazy about you and I can tell you feel the same. I hate him because he makes you feel a way I can't make you feel. He's everything I'm not.."
"Wow, I didn't know you could get so insecure Tommy" I said smiling at him.
He smiled back at me and then got up and walked back into the house. I was shocked by the way he actually felt, maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Jealousy can make you do some weird things. I walked back to the front of the house to meet Draco and saw him sitting there just browsing his phone.
"Hey friend" I said catching his attention.
"Friend? Now that just hurts."
"Well what do you want me to call you.." I said raising an eyebrow.
"What about friends with benefits?"
"Ahaha very funny, but I'm serious."
"What if I tell you I am serious" He puts his phone in his pockets and walks up to me.
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"What if we found out" He continued walking forward and didn't stop smiling.
"Hey friend with benefits" I looked up at him and booped his nose.
He started laughing. We walked inside to finish fixing lunch. We brought it back to my room and sat on my bed facing each other.
"Draco, lets play a game."
"Ok" He said stuffing his mouth with his sandwich
"Let's plan our dream lives. We have to say dream job, spouse, and how many kids, Ok?"
"Sounds good, I'll go first. I think my dream job would be to work as a professional quidditch player, you as my wife, and no kids they make me annoyed." He said laughing.
"Ooo me as your wife, I feel honored." I said smiling
"Ok so my life would be to be a journalist for the daily prophet, you as my hubby it's only fair since you chose me, and maybe one kid." I said, he looked at me and blushed when I said he would be my husband.
"Where would you like to live in you future life Lani?" He asked taking a sip of water now.
"The Manor, it's so beautiful there and I love it when we there last year."
"We can go" I heard him mumble.
"What did you say?"
"I said we can go if you want, my parents are attending some meeting and told me I was free to come if I'd like. So if you want to go we can.."
I put my plate over on my bedside table and made my way up to Draco to give him a hug. Old castles like his house make me feel good inside.
"Thank you" I said smushing my head towards his torso.
"No problem"  He replied to me and patted my leg.
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The next couple of hours me and Draco made a plan to visit the manor.
"Hey, what if we bring some friends?"
"It can't just be me and you?"
"Oh come on live a little."
"Fine, who should we invite?"
"I was thinking Cho and the twins since I hadn't seen them since 5th year started."
"Ok, who else?"
"What about Ced?" I asked not realizing what I said until I had said it.
"No." He replied
"Oh come on why not, he isn't a bad person."
"Fine, but only because I like you."
"Thank you thank you thank you! It's going to be so much fun." We still had 5 days left of fall break and I think this will be the perfect end. I called the twins first and I swear it took me 15 minutes before I could actually ask them, they said they could go if Ginny tags along. Ron was on vacation with Hermione and Harry so she would be home alone. I said that was fun since we kinda needed one more girl there. I next called Cho and clearly she had nothing better to do so she said she would tag along. Lastly it was time for me to call Cedric. I pressed on the contact and dialed his number.
"Hello? Lani?" I could hear him say on the other end of the phone.
"Hey Ced, I have a question."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Do you want to come to the Manor for the rest of break and hangout with some of us?"
"Oh yeah that sounds really fun, do I need to drive up at a specific time?"
"No, Draco's car is pretty big it can fit all of us."
"Draco's car?"
"Well yeah it's his house..."
"Ok sounds good, see you tomorrow."
"Bye"
"Everyone is coming, all we have to do is pack."
"Sounds good" He replied. We started packing and getting ready for tomorrow. By the time we got done it was already night time and we decided to get ready for bed. We woke up the next morning to Draco's loud alarm. I checked my phone to see it was "only"  7:05.
"Draco turn that off or I will gladly through it out my window!"
"Ok, ok I'm getting it. Come on lets get up we have a big day today.
~Draco's and Lani's Outfits ~