Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination and whatever else is in this story that doesn't make sense. I was inspired by another romance novel i read and J.K. Rowlings wonderful world. Enjoy!

Chapter 16

"Wrapped so Pretty"

He found her in the nursery curled up in his mother's old rocker. In her sleep she appear quite vulnerable, but he knew that was a lie. This little witch had calculated a way into getting what she wanted.

One stray curled lock feel softly over her cheek, she was really pretty with her hair that way. The new silk maternity top she wore clung to her breasts, he watched them gently rise and fall. He felt his desires stir. His physical reaction to her bothered him. The first two times had been a lie. He had no idea who she truly was or just whom she had become, but his body did not seem to get the message.

He pressed the toe of his shoe down on the front of her rocker as she slept. The chair tilted, and startled her.

"Bedtime Buttercup."

Her brown eyes flew open. "I must have fallen asleep, I'm sorry."

"Busy day right?"

" I was looking for a bedroom, and I found the nursery, it's lovely…thank you."

He held out his hand. "Come on." he said.

He could tell she didn't want to follow him. Finally she took his hand, he led her down the hallway and as they came closer to the master bedroom, he wondered, what would she do if he touched her? He turned to face her but placed his hands on her door knob to her room. He opened her door. His voice was a low drawl when he spoke. "We have connecting bedrooms, I mean not really, but these two rooms share the same bath."

"I don't want connecting bedrooms, I'll sleep in one of the bedrooms at the other end of the hall."

"You'll sleep where I want you to." he caught her wrist as she turned to leave.

An alarm trickled up her spine, she lifted her eyes and meet his gaze, if this was his idea of reaching out to her it was pathetic. "Stop bullying me!" she demanded.

"That's not what I meant, I'm not trying to bully you. I just want to know where you are." His gaze feel over her, lingering at the hollow of her neck and back up to her eyes. "I just need a little time Hermione…. that's all, time to decide what's best for...for the kid. Fuck! especially what is best for me, can you understand that?"

"You mean to say, you need time to decide if you want me to stay around after. Right? But, when I was not me there was not a doubt in your mind. You looked for her didn't you Draco? You wanted her, that's why I'm here, that's how you found me, you wouldn't let her go." Hermione stepped back to study him. "You were in love with her weren't you?" Hermione found the thought of this deeply disturbing, and she tried to move away from him, only to be backed into the wall behind her. She didn't want to be near him and frankly wished he wouldn't touch her. "When I was just a whore, somehow in your mind that was higher than a...," She spat out the word "—a mudblood!"

He placed one hand against the door and leaned his head to her brow. "No, I just need some time to think this through that's all." his voice was a husky whisper, he paused and waited, and he kissed her and when she didn't kiss him back, he kissed her again. The second kiss was a possessive kiss and he wanted so much more than that, he wanted to undress her right there as his lips found hers; he wanted to undress her and to make love to her right there in the hallway but most of all, he wanted to be sure. He didn't want to get pulled any deeper into this than they had to be. He would always be there for the kid, but what if this were only lust? Just to have her beneath him because there was no denying he loved, loved fucking her, loved making her hot, pleading like he knew she would. Making those cute little sounds, with her 'stops' and 'don't's . But, shouldn't he feel more than that? He hated to admit the truth. But, was he really that fucked up? Hermione Granger, she had saved his life once, defended him often and never once did he care for her.

Compared to him she had done so much good in the world and now she would become the mother of his child and he knew she didn't deserve to be used the way he feared he would be using her; used for his own sexual need, and later discarded when he felt he didn't want her around anymore. Down deep he was still so angry with her lies. He married her out of obligation, because it was the right thing to do. And now, he needed time to sort out his feeling for the three of them.

He used her before back at the hotel and it nearly tore her apart... he would never touch her that way again.

Her palms grew damp when he kissed her, her arousal was immediate and she ache for him to kiss her more, a fire rose inside of her. He was so very close, his body inches from hers, her heart was pounding so loudly that it was almost embarrassing Hermione thought! 'Oh god, can't you hear that? Do you know what you do to me? '

She felt the desire to peel off every stitch she wore, to lay down on her hands and knees naked if he wanted her too, now, right here in the hallway, on the floor. She didn't care. He moved it was nothing but the slightest shift of his weight and it brought chaos to her thoughts. His breath on her lips made her shiver and become so responsive with everything about him and then it happened, he kissed her again. Hermione was shaken by the idea that she knew now that she loved him, but he did not love her. Would he make love to her? Yes, for her it would be love, for him…just another , all she wanted was to be a mother. So none of it mattered, but now… she could never let him touch her that way again...

"Goodnight Draco." she said another goodnight and there was a flicker of regret in his eyes. She couldn't tell or be certain, but she turned into the room and shut her door.