Chapter 15

Friday night found Hermione cuddling on the couch with Draco. She was just about asleep on his chest when Effie popped in clutching a letter.

"Effie is sorry, Master," she whispered, eyeing Hermione.

"No need to apologize, thank you for bringing that straight up."

"Thank you Effie," Hermione reiterated sleepily, determined not to make her feel badly for doing her job.

Effie handed Draco the envelope and with a slight bow, popped away.

Draco ripped it open, read it quickly, and groaned. "I have to go in tomorrow, there's an issue with the Italian deal."

"I'm sorry," she said in commiseration, rubbing her cheek against his chest.

"We were going to spend the day together," he lamented, "you were going to help me purchase one of those mobiles."

She chuckled. "We can do that later. It's not exactly time sensitive. Andromeda and I are the only people you know who even own one. Unless you count Harry," she looked up at him with exaggerated enthusiasm, "are you wanting to chat to Harry?"

"Hush witch," he growled poking her in the side. He hit just the right spot and she giggled. He froze and his eyes went wide. "Are you ticklish?"

She, in turn, froze. "No," she said, but the denial sounded empty.

"Oh this is too good," he said, and then he was attacking her, digging his fingers into her sides. She writhed and squealed and tried to escape him but it did no good, he had maneuvered them so that he was on top, pinning her down. So she did the only thing she could think of to distract him, she surged upwards and kissed him.

Their lips met passionately and he kissed her and kissed her until she lost all inhibition and just rocked her hips instinctively, and that's when she realized he was laying in the cradle of her thighs. His hardness hit her core just right and pleasure surged through her. "Oh!" She gasped.

"Oh hell, Hermione," he growled rocking his hips to perfectly replicate the delicious sensation.

They were dressed for bed, with only a few very thin layers of silk and cotton between them. A murmured spell and that barrier would be gone. He could slip right inside of her. She wasn't ready for that yet, but she absolutely didn't want him to stop moving against her.

"Fuck," he murmured into her mouth, "tell me to stop." It was both a demand and a plea.

She didn't believe it. "No," she whined. "Feels so good." She squirmed beneath him, encouraging his movements.

"How old am I?" He groaned, "and what are you doing to me?" He sounded disbelieving.

"Don't care, don't care," she chanted. "Please Draco!"

Those were apparently the magic words. He moved one hand under her thigh and hitched her leg up over his hip and began to thrust more purposefully.

She ran her hands up and down his back and buttocks, anywhere she could reach, pulling him more firmly against her. He was all taut muscle, broad shoulders, and lean hips that fit perfectly between hers. Deliciously male and- at that moment at least- seemed designed to make her feel good.

"Oh Merlin, I can smell you," he groaned.

Normally, she would have been mortified, but his voice was low and husky with desire and she just moaned in response.

He continued to move against her, alternating kissing her and sucking at her neck. "I'm going to come, will you come with me, Sweetness?" He eventually asked.

Her breath hitched. "Yes, please just keep talking," she begged in a voice she barely recognized, her ultimate pleasure was right there, she felt like she could almost reach out and grab it.

His hips jerked violently and she let out a little shriek at the added stimulation.

"Are you serious?" He asked, "you like to hear me talk?"

She nodded vigorously and reached up to tunnel her hands through his hair, pressing his face into her neck where he was again laying sucking kisses.

"Alright then," he kissed his way up to her ear and began speaking directly into it.

"Do you have any idea how good you feel?"

She shivered.

"I've never felt anything as good as this beautiful little body writhing under me. And part of me wants to be inside of you. I know it will be the best feeling in the world. But the rest of me wants to wait and take my time with you. How does that sound?"

She whimpered.

"I don't know your signals yet, love, are you close?"

"Yes, I just, right there!"

"Open your eyes."

She obeyed immediately and the expression on his face, his flushed complexion, slack jaw and blown pupils had her hurtling off the precipice.

When she opened her eyes again he was still on top of her, staring. "You are," he blew out a breath, "so lovely. That might have been the most incredible thing I've ever seen." He smirked. "It was definitely the best thing I've ever heard."

She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God, I was so loud!" She felt herself reddening. "I didn't wake the baby did I?" If she had woken Scorpius with those sounds she was going to die of embarrassment.

He chuckled. "I haven't heard a peep out of him," he said as he carefully shifted them onto their sides. He then reached over to the coffee table for his wand and cast a cleansing charm on himself. He looked at her questioningly.

She nodded. "Yes, please," and in a moment the wet, stickiness between her thighs was gone.

He tossed his wand back onto the table and pressed his forehead against hers. "I feel the need to assure you that I'm capable of a much more impressive performance than that."

She let out a startled laugh. "I was pretty impressed," she said wryly.

He kissed her forehead. "Still, I promise to get it together before we do this for real. It's just that you made me lose my mind a little bit and I haven't had sex since Scorp was conceived, and I haven't had sex for pleasure in about seven years. But still, I haven't lost control like that since I was a teenager."

"Your teenage years must have been more interesting than mine," she mused, picking at his shirt.

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't exactly a boy magnet at Hogwarts," she rolled her eyes, "that couldn't have escaped your notice."

"I remember an international quidditch star who seemed very into you," he countered.

"He was too old for me," she shrugged, "there were a few kisses but that was it. I think if he'd gone to Hogwarts he wouldn't have been interested in me either, everybody we went to school with seemed to regard me as off limits or, I don't know, belonging to Harry and Ron. So, no fooling around in broom cupboards for me."

"You didn't miss much, I assure you." He snorted. "That was the kind of thing I mainly did for bragging rights."

She sighed and then something occurred to her. "Wait, did you say seven years?" She asked incredulously.

"That's how long Astoria and I were together. It's not like me to be unfaithful," he said seriously.

"No, I didn't think that it was. That's not what I meant," she was quick to assure him. "It's just- seven years? I hadn't realized you were with her that long."

Insecurity began to creep back into her heart.

"We courted for about a year, were engaged for another, married for four, and then separated since February. That's approximately seven years." He shrugged but he must have seen something in her expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's just- that's a long time Draco. Are you sure it isn't a little soon for us to be-"

He covered her lips with one finger. "Stop right there," he commanded. "You're doing it again, you're trying to run away. I don't care that I technically just got out of a long relationship- you should know by now that really is just a technicality. I know what I want, and that's you. You're the one who seems uncertain."

She blew out a breath, frustrated with herself. He was right, that's how she was behaving. She took stock of her feelings. "I'm not. Uncertain that is," she added at his raised eyebrow. "I think, after what we just did, I'm just feeling a little vulnerable."

"Talk to me." He tapped her chin so that she would look up at him.

"I'm, I don't know, waiting for the other shoe to drop."

He just cocked his head and waited for her to continue.

"This is going too well," she admitted.

"Too well?" He asked her incredulously. "How could it be going too well?"

"It's just kind of a pattern in my life, when things are going well, the bottom falls out."

"The war?" He questioned.

"Well yeah, I guess that's the most extreme example. But first there was the whole 'oh, you're a witch,' revelation which I was so excited about at first, I had almost a year to enjoy it, but then as soon as I got on the Hogwarts Express…"

"People like me- especially me- started treating you like dirt."

"I- yeah."

He opened his mouth.

"Don't apologize," she snapped. "You've done that, I forgive you, I was fairly awful to you as well and I certainly didn't start this discussion to make you feel guilty. I'm just trying to explain why I don't trust this feeling of happiness."

"Go on then," he nodded.

"Then we won the war."

"Thank Merlin and all the gods for that," he breathed.

"Yeah," she agreed. "And I guess I thought everything would be better after that."

"It wasn't," he responded immediately, and it wasn't a question.

She nodded, realizing that he would understand, he'd been through it too.

"It was terrible. This big evil was gone but our world was in shambles and everybody was still in agony." She huffed out a breath and ran a hand down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm just a mess and I'm taking it out on you."

He covered her hand with his and encouraged her to look at him again by tapping her chin with one finger. "You think I'm not a mess?" He chuckled. "Did you not hear the part where I stayed in a sham relationship for more than half a decade?"

"You're not panicking over something that, by all accounts, is wonderful, every five minutes," she argued, motioning between them.

"I'm going to tell you a secret," he leaned in until their lips were nearly touching, looking like he was trying to appear serious but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Okay?"

"I'm a lot better at hiding my emotions than you are," he said in loud whisper.

She just stared at him for a moment and then burst into a fit of giggles.

"I'm serious, witch!" He pinched her side as she squirmed in his arms.

"I know!" She chortled, "you were stating the obvious, that's why it's funny!"

"Are we okay?" He wondered after a few minutes, brushing her hair out of her face when she finally stilled in his embrace.

"Yeah, but this won't be the last discussion like this we have- it's just, you hide your emotions but I have an actual need to talk about mine. I'm sorry if it seems like I doubt you."

He nodded. "I did have some idea of what I was getting into with you. I can't promise you that I'll always be good at the talking thing. Sometimes I'll probably fight you tooth and nail. It's just not in my nature, but it's certainly preferable to spending another seven years with a woman who barely tolerates me. Maybe if Astoria and I had had some actual discussions we wouldn't have wasted so much time."

"But then you wouldn't have Scorpius," she protested.

He nodded decisively. "That's very true and I definitely wouldn't give him up for anything. But it's still not an experience I want to repeat."

She hid her face in his chest. "You know, if you weren't such a bloody prince it would probably be easier for me to trust you," she said petulantly. "You are quite literally too good to be true at this point."

He went still for a moment, and then he began to shake with laughter; he clutched her to him and his guffaws grew louder and louder. She smiled to herself and just waited for him to calm down and then she grinned up at him, proud to have made him happy.

"Well now at least I know why you stayed with Weasley for so long," he quipped. She snorted and rolled her eyes but didn't deny his assertion. "You deserve good things," he murmured, kissing her forehead, "maybe it's time to start believing that." He gave her one last squeeze and went to move off of the couch.

"Where are you going?" She grabbed for him and he turned back around and knelt to address her.

"I need to floo the nanny."

"It's late, you'll wake her. Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "That's why I pay her to be on call. And I need to tell her she has to be here tomorrow, I have to work, remember?"

"Oh, well I thought that I would watch Scorpius." He didn't say anything and she started to backtrack. "I mean if you don't mind, I just assumed since we had planned to spend the day together anyway, but I understand if you're not comfortable with that. I know we've only ever been alone together for those couple of hours the other night."

He put a finger over her lips to stop her rambling. "I'd be happy for you to watch him, I just didn't want to assume."

"I think it's pretty safe to assume I'm always going to want to," she said with a little snort of disbelief.

"How about this?" He asked with a conciliatory smile, though it was unnecessary. She knew he hadn't meant to offend her, he was just unused to depending on anybody to whom he didn't pay a salary. "If I find myself needing somebody, you get the right of first refusal."

"The right of first refusal?" She giggled at his use of a legal term in a discussion about child minding, "interesting choice of words, but yes, I like that idea."

"Okay then, we're agreed. Now, since I'm already halfway up are you ready for bed?"

She just nodded and he grabbed her hand, pulling her upright and then they headed to his room.

0000000000

She woke the next morning to the sound of his voice calling her name.

"Comfy," she murmured snuggling into her pillow and refusing to open her eyes. But then she felt a small but solid weight against her. "What?" She wondered, she blinked blearily and looked down to see Scorpius attempting to burrow into her chest. Draco was hovering over them, obviously amused.

"I have to go, he was awake but he seems pretty happy to go back to bed with you."

"Okay," she said, still catching up to what was happening but automatically putting her arms around the little boy. She glanced at Draco again. "You look very handsome," she noted, admiring his tall form in his sharp business robes.

"Thank you," he smiled, and her heart absolutely did not do funny things in response. "You look gorgeous in my bed." He brushed her hair out of her face and bent to kiss her good-bye.

"Love you," she said as he pulled away.

They both froze.

He leaned back in to kiss her again, this one was longer and hungrier, then he left a trail of featherlight kisses across her cheek, stopping right in front of her ear. "One day you'll say that for real, and not out of some kind of habit. I will happily wait for that day."

He pulled back to look at her significantly and she nodded, unable to find her voice. He kissed the top of her head, then Scorpius' before turning and striding out the door.

Hermione let out a long breath and attempted to convince her racing heart to slow down. She tightened her grip on Scorpius. Her feelings for the baby were so much simpler to accept than those for his father.

Because the thing was, whatever had led her to say what she'd just said to Draco, it wasn't habit. They'd never discussed it, so he didn't know that she'd never lived with a man, and had never had the opportunity to develop the routine of parting in the morning with a kiss and an exchange of 'I love yous.'

What she'd just said felt a whole lot more like unfiltered truth than anything else. But that wasn't possible. She couldn't have fallen that hard in just a matter of weeks- of days. Could she? Scorpius shifted lazily in her arms.

"Would you mind?" She whispered to him. "I could understand if you don't want to share him, but I would be so good to you both, if you let me."

He just huddled against her. She sighed and kissed his forehead and let the warm weight of him in her arms and the sound of his even breathing lull her back to sleep.

This time she was awoken by the ringing of her mobile. She had been surprised, but relieved, that the device worked inside Malfoy Manor. She reached for it blindly, flipped it open, and brought it to her ear. "Hello," she said just as she realized that Scorpius was patting her cheek.

"Good morning, love!" Her mother greeted cheerfully.

"Hi Mum," she said in return, but Scorpius interpreted that as her speaking to him and immediately began to babble at her, she noticed that he appeared wide awake and wondered how long he'd just been sweetly laying there with her as she slept.

"What's that?" Her mother asked.

"Oh it's Scorpius, we were having a lie in."

There was a long pause. "So, you're with your boyfriend?"

"Oh. No! Draco's not here, he had to go into work today. I'm just watching Scorpius and he's very snuggly."

"Oh," her mother made little effort to disguise the relief in her voice. And Hermione cringed internally and wondered what her mum would say if she knew that she had spent the last night- and the one before that- with Draco. "Well I have to come into the city this afternoon, I wanted to see if you would like to do some shopping but it sounds like you're busy."

"I'm not busy," she said automatically, "yes, I have Scorpius but we don't have any plans. Would you like to meet him? He's a good baby, I'm sure he'll behave if we take him out."

"That sounds nice," she was obviously trying to seem nonchalant but Hermine knew her well enough to know that she was actually chomping at the bit, and had probably actually manufactured this errand in London to have an excuse to take her daughter shopping and drill her about her new relationship.

"Meet at my flat, or somewhere else?" Hermione wondered.

"Your flat is fine, I'll be there around one."

Hermione looked at the clock, it was just after ten. That gave her plenty of time, but she was shocked that she'd slept so late. The Malfoy boys were comfortable bed buddies. She finished the conversation and hung up with her mum and then she looked down at Scorpius.

"Time to get up, huh kid?"

He grinned up at her and her heart melted a little bit. He really was the sweetest baby. Reluctantly she sat up- Draco had the most luxurious bed, now that she thought about it, it was really no surprise she'd practically lazed her morning away- and climbed off the mattress. She snagged Scorpius and took him back to the nursery to get him changed and pack a bag.

As comfortable as she'd become in these rooms over the past few days it was too weird to remain in Malfoy Manor now that she was fully conscious and Draco wasn't present. She was certain Effie would see to her every need, including making sure she was undisturbed, but it was still...too weird.

She wasn't a fan of Scorpius' nursery either. It was the oddest combination of high end baby decor and personal touches. Hermione had a feeling that it was very much a reflection of his two parents' influences and it made her all the more uncomfortable for the reminder that another woman had once been the mistress of this space. And not even that long ago. Strangely, a glance at the baby in her arms brought no such discomfort.

Or maybe not so strangely.

"Okay, love, lets get you dressed and ready, and then I promise we can get breakfast," she glanced at him, "though you don't seem to be complaining." She planted a kiss on the top of his head, aware that she was becoming more infatuated with him by the minute.

She quickly packed him a bag and took them both through the floo to her flat. Much to her surprise Effie was standing there waiting for them.

"Miss Hermione did not ask for breakfast," she said. It was the closest she'd ever heard to a reprimand from an elf.

"I'm sorry, Effie. I wasn't comfortable staying in Draco's home without him. I would be happy for you to still bring us breakfast if you are able?" She requested hesitantly.

Effie rolled her eyes and Hermione was tempted to laugh; if she had been worried about how Draco treated his elf she was no longer. "Effie will be back with a good breakfast."

"Thank you!" She called out, though Effie had popped away.

They ate and she got ready to go out, and then they played until the buzzer sounded, signaling her mother's arrival.

When she opened the door Helen Granger audibly gasped at the sight of the baby on her daughter's hip. She embraced Hermione and ran a gentle hand down Scorpius' back.

"Well, I can see why you're taken with him."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, Darling, just that he's a beautiful little boy. Anybody would be drawn in."

"Of course they would," she snapped defensively.

Helen shot her a small smile that seemed ominous, but Hermione said nothing and just led her into the living room.

"You seem to have fallen in deeply with this man rather quickly," Helen continued once they were settled on her sofa.

"I remember in the past you said that I was unwilling to trust myself with anyone, and that I should give somebody a chance. Which is it Mother?" She didn't particularly like having her own insecurities thrown back in her face.

Helen sighed and took one of her daughter's hands. "I worry that you're throwing yourself into this relationship because of the extra benefits," she eyed Scorpius pointedly. "I know you're afraid you won't be able to have your own children, but you must be fair to this man." It was all Hermione could do not to pull Scorpius to her chest protectively.

She closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. "He's a wonderful bonus. I will admit that seeing Draco with him probably made him more attractive to me, and in turn made me more open to the possibility of viewing him as a potential romantic partner." She opened her eyes. "But that's all, Mum. Draco's really…" she smiled to herself as she searched for a word, "wonderful. I'm so lucky to have found him again and given him a chance."

Helen searched her daughter's face and then nodded, brightening. "So when do I get to meet him?"

Hermione groaned. And Scorpius, with absolute comic timing, giggled.

Author's note: Beta love to Weestarmeggie who is, as always, awesome and who loves Scorpius almost as much as I do which is fabulous writing motivation. And, of course, thanks y'all for reading!