Down Under
"Draco, stop fussing," Astoria protested as her husband draped yet another thick, woolen blanket over her body. "I'm fine."
"The doctor says you need to be kept warm—"
"And I am warm. Very, very warm," she assured him. She could barely even move under the weight of the combined layers, but she thought it best not to mention that. "I think I actually might overheat if you keep this up. You know, just...spontaneously combust or something."
She was trying to keep the mood light, but it was clear that Draco wasn't amused by the way his lips thinned and his nostrils flared.
"That's not funny, Astoria," he said flatly.
She sighed. "I know. I'm sorry." She managed to free one arm from beneath the many blankets and stretched it towards him, shivering slightly as she did so. "Will you come lie with me? I think you need to relax about as much as I need to be kept warm."
Draco huffed out a laugh. "Yes, I suppose I can do that."
...
Astoria didn't remember falling asleep, but when she awoke, it was dark and she was cold. Very cold. She reached for her husband, but he was clear on the other side of the large bed, and he didn't seem to be under nearly as many covers as she was.
"Draco?" she whispered. After a moment, she tried again. "Draco?"
"Astoria? What is it?" Her husband sounded so worried that she nearly forgot why she had woken him in the first place. "Are you—what's going on?"
The light switched on, and Astoria blinked rapidly at the sudden brightness. When she finally was able to make out her husband's face, she immediately felt guilty for waking him. There were dark circles under his eyes, and there seemed to be more lines on his face than ever before.
"Nothing," she said quickly. "I'm just...a little chilly, is all. Go back to sleep, I'll manage."
Draco frowned. "You're chilly even under all those blankets? I thought you said you were fine."
"I was Astoria said. "I don't know what changed, but now I'm freezing."
Draco seemed to be weighing something in his mind before he spoke again. His grey eyes were moving rapidly around the room, and Astoria wondered what he was thinking.
"I'll come underneath the covers with you," he said at last.
"No, Draco, you might catch this—this illness—"
"You're my wife," Draco interrupted, throwing the covers off of himself. "You're my wife, Astoria, and I'll be damned if I let you freeze when I could have done something about it."
"Maybe I just need another blanket," Astoria suggested half-heartedly. Secretly, she was thrilled that Draco was putting aside his fear of germs for her. He had come a long way from the haughty boy he had been at Hogwarts. "Or maybe there's a spell...?"
Draco shook his head and lifted up the many layers so that he could slide beneath them. Astoria sighed as his arms circled around her and his body heat began to warm her up ever so slightly. It wasn't much—yet—but in that moment, it meant everything.
"Besides," her husband murmured, almost as if he was adding to what he had previously said, "I'm rather cold myself."
Astoria laughed and snuggled closer to him. She felt so safe and protected in their little cocoon—their little cocoon down under the blankets.
WC: 565
