"The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

"A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky -
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless..."
William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

(They don't fit entirely, but they do, in a way. And I like quotes. So there.)

I thought I'd changed this last night, but I guess not! Upon reading wallyflower's review, I skimmed over it and found the wording was rather strange in places. So, yes. Story is the same, just changed some words.

Hermione stared up at the ceiling from her spot in the large, comfortable bed. Severus was to her right, sleeping peacefully, his breathing light and steady.

This was the first night they had deemed it suitable to sleep in the same bed, and while she was comforted by the fact that he felt at ease with the decision, she still couldn't sleep.

It wasn't that the bed wasn't comfortable. Quite contrary, it was even more comfortable than the bed at her loft. It definitely wasn't because of lack of room. Severus kept to himself mostly, giving Hermione a large area to stretch out.

No, it was because she didn't want to disturb him. Over the years, she'd gained a particular nightly routine, and she'd never done anything different.

First, she'd lie down on her back, until she started feeling uneasy. Then, she'd lie on her stomach for just long enough—she didn't prefer sleeping this way, but it was a necessary step. Following this, she'd turn back over, lying slightly on her side, arms splayed about wildly. Then she could fall into deep slumber.

It was something she'd gotten used to, but now, she had Severus to worry about. She could imagine how annoying he'd think it was.

So, she had the same uneasy feeling she had every night, but didn't want to do anything about it, for fear of waking him. She sighed loudly.

Too loudly, in fact. Severus shifted and grumbled, "Are you still awake?"

Hermione's breath caught; she didn't know he was such a light sleeper. "Erm… yes."

"Silly girl," he accused drowsily. "Are you not tired?"

"Well, yes. But…" she trailed off.

"Yes?" he questioned impatiently.

She took a deep breath, and began, "Well, you see, I have this particular, uh, routine, I suppose. And I can't sleep if I don't do it…"

"Bizarre. Why don't you just do you little 'routine' and get it done with?"

"Well, see, I didn't want to disturb you. It takes a lot of moving around."

"Oh?"

Hermione bit her lip, not really wanting to explain it, knowing it would annoy him. But, it would probably annoy him if she didn't explain, so, she pressed on. "See, I get this uneasy feeling. So I have to turn over onto my stomach. But then, that's not very comfortable, and I know it isn't, but I still have to stay there for a while. After a while there, I turn back over, onto my side. Then I can sleep."

There was a long silence, and Hermione almost thought he had gone back to sleep. But, eventually, he replied, "Well, go on."

"What?"

"Go on. Do what you must."

He spoke with the same commanding voice he used in the classroom, and Hermione giggled. She could feel him roll his eyes.

"What now?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," she said, turning over onto her stomach. Her body relaxed, but only for a few minutes. She turned back over, turning slightly to the right, facing him.

He was looking at her coolly. "Are you quite settled now?"

"All better," she answered, smiling. She kissed him softly on the cheek.

"You may annoy me at times, but I am sure I annoy you at times, so don't hesitate to do so, if it's necessary for your well being," he said, wanting to sound unconcerned. It came off quite differently.

Hermione searched his deep eyes, and replied, smiling, "You care."

He blinked slowly in acknowledgement; that was enough for her. She drifted quickly off to sleep and Severus stared at her in wonderment for a while. When his eyelids became heavy, he kissed her forehead, and shifted to lie flat.

"Yes, I do," he replied to her sleeping form.
WOW! I never expected to receive this many reviews. Thanks to all you guys... it really does rather make my day to see a review. Much love! 3