Hermione had unpacked most of her shrunken furniture when she returned home and, with the help of Hilary, had set out Rose's room enough so she could sleep in it.
She had come to realise that there was a huge difference between an 18 month old and a 2 and a half year old and she would need all new things to make Rose's room suitable for her to be happy in. For now, her old crib, with the sides taken down would have to do.
Hilary left shortly after helping Hermione find some sort of food to feed to Rose for dinner and before she knew it, Rose was in bed, sleeping in what she called her 'baby bed' and Hermione was all alone.
She thought about the people who she'd most like to see and beyond Hilary, no one understood what she was going through except Malfoy.
HG – I did it.
DM – You left?
HG – I left, for good.
DM – How are you?
HG – Honestly? I'm a mess
DM – want some company?
HG – if you come over, you're helping me arrange furniture.
DM – I can't think of anything I'd like more than to help you arrange your new flat
Hermione texted him her address and before she could reconsider, he was knocking on her door.
She opened the door with hesitation, wondering how they, both single, might interact with each other now. Their connection was there, she felt it weeks ago, that day when she confessed everything to him. When she cried in his chest. She felt it. She knew it had returned back. It had played in her mind over and over again every single day.
She wondered if he might greet her with a hug, or if she might initiate the greeting. Should she kiss each cheek? Should she offer him a drink? Or offer to get some wine? She hadn't considered hosting someone so soon. She had no food.
Her questions were answered when, as soon as she opened the door, at the sight of him, at the feeling that instantly burnt deep inside her chest, she flung herself into his arms.
He held her tightly while he walked her into her flat so he could close the door and before she could even think about what she was doing, her lips were on his, the bottle of mead he was holding discarded on the floor by the door.
His hands were in her hair and hers were on the buttons of his jacket.
She pulled him into her room and carefully closed the door before she continued basically tearing the clothes from his body.
The sexual desire was one thing, but the desire for her to just be close to him, to have him touch her, to have him near her was what was driving this insane interaction.
With her bed still the size of something that someone might use to play Lego with, she pulled him to the ground where she laid back, hoping that he would quickly give her what it was she needed.
When his lips started travelling south, she hesitated. She didn't want that. She didn't need that. She needed his body.
"Please… Malfoy, I just… I need you" she whimpered, as she tried her hardest to pull him up over her body.
"This will be quick then" he said, as he captured a nipple in his mouth quickly before returning his mouth to hers.
"I don't care, I just… This is what I need" she said.
She gasped when he entered her, the feeling was like greeting an old friend. It had been so long since they had been together and so long since she had felt this good. It was instant. Almost as though his erection was drawn to that place deep inside of her that made her whole body surge with pleasure.
His body ground against hers and within a few thrusts, she was gasping for breath, trying not to call out his name while she rode the waves of her first orgasm in months.
Resting on his elbows with his fingers grazing the side of her face, he pressed his forehead against hers as he found his own release, quickly after. It wasn't the gesture of someone giving in to their passions, this was the gesture of love.
She allowed herself to stay there, on the floor on a pile of clothes that she had discarded there earlier that night, curled up against Malfoy while she thought about that.
She loved him. She loved him in a way that she couldn't comprehend. She felt like somehow, he had a place in her life, whether it was as her friend, her lover or something else. She was drawn to him, in one way or another.
"I didn't meant to… I mean, I didn't invite you over for that" she said at last.
"I know" he said, stroking her naked back.
"I still really want you to stay" she said.
He pulled away from her a little and frowned. "I'm not just going to run off because we had sex" he said.
"Ok, good. I mean… Sometimes you need a man to help you with heavy things" she said.
"Shall we?" he asked, sitting up.
By midnight, they had completely unshrunk and arranged her whole flat. It wasn't very big and a lot of her things didn't fit, but she had everything she needed. They had started with the living room and kitchen and made their way to the bedroom last.
Hermione hung her clothes while Malfoy set up the bed.
It wasn't long before she declared herself completely and utterly exhausted and collapsed on her bed.
"I better go" he said.
"You could stay" she said.
"I don't think Rose would like that" he said.
"Shit. You're right. Things are complicated enough without mummy's friend Malfy having a sleep over" she said.
"Malfy?" he asked.
"That's what she calls you" she said.
"Not, Draco?" he asked.
"Even I don't call you Draco" she said. "And you don't call me Hermione" she added.
"Hmm, you're right" he said, throwing himself on the bed beside her.
They hadn't so much as interacted in an affectionate manner since they got up off the floor to begin unpacking her flat and now he was laying beside her on the bed, it was a moment to make a choice.
"We should… come up with a plan or something" she said.
"A plan?" he asked.
"So we know… what is this that we're doing?" she asked.
"Right now, I'm laying beside you on the bed… In a minute I'll leave and go home to the cottage. Then I'll go to sleep, probably with all my clothes on. Tomorrow I'll get up and text you to see if I can take you and Rose on a picnic" he said.
Hermione smiled at this and suddenly felt a warm glow spread through her body. She hadn't felt this way in forever. The fact that he included Rose in his plans to ask her on a picnic meant the world to her. If they dated, he'd be spending as much time with Rose as he would with her.
That was something she now had to factor into her life. She was a single mum now. She couldn't just leave and do things at the drop of a hat. Rose's presence would always be her number one priority.
Malfoy got up and kissed her hand before making his way towards the door.
She made to get up, to see him out, to tell him how much this might meant to her. How much she loved that he came to her, as a friend, that he didn't object when she demanded he fuck her on the floor of her bedroom, and then proceeded to help her unpack her new life.
He pushed her back down on the bed and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"I'll lock the door behind myself. Get some sleep" he whispered.
He was truly one in a million and she was desperate to make him see that. Whether they remained friends or something more, she would never let him forget all he had done for her.
The end... for now.
Stay tuned for epilogue