Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination. I was inspired by another romance novel i read and J.K. Rowlings wonderful world. Enjoy!
Chapter 45
"Wrapped so Pretty"
They awoke the next morning together and for at least the third time that morning Draco silenced the ormolu clock upon their bedside stand. Hermione glanced over his shoulder, it seemed as though the hand had sped up for the last few minutes. Eight o'clock had come to quickly. Her stomach had been growling and they both were starving, but were too exhausted to make it out of bed just yet. Draco summoned one of their house elves, against his wife's protesting. And now they lay together talking, with toast, side marmalade and morning tea. The scent of their love still fresh upon their sheets.
"There is one thing we have to get settled."
"And what is that?"
"A name for the baby, A few have come to mind, but I can't make a decision. The poor thing will have a name twenty miles long if it left up to me."
He laughed, and then listened as she rallied off a few of her favorite chosen ones.
"When did you decide that you love me?" she asked
"I suppose it was that night at my mother's when you found out I wasn't as pea brained as you hope."
She ignored the glimmer in his eyes. She recalled that being a horrible night. Their fighting and her rampages through the forest. "How could you have decided you loved me then? We had a terrible fight."
"Beats me. It just happened."
They lay awhile longer and discussed the redecoration plans for the nursery. Draco originally had it finished in blue and white. It was clear to Hermione that he had his heart set for a son, however with a daughter on the way, pink would be more appropriate. They also discuss the issue surrounding her new car and what would be done about it.
"But I like the car, why can't you understand. I think it has personality."
"So does a Grindylow but you never asked if you can keep one of those before."
It ended with Hermione winning her argument, on one condition. She could not drive the automobile in the magic world, there was to be no tinkering around with the vehicle, giving it some insane ability of flight and she had to promise that when the time came, she would educate their child on flying brooms, before introducing her to this whole four-wheel driving business. Gradually their conversation came to a truce, and dwindled into more slow kisses.
She got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. After she'd taken her morning vitamins and brushed her teeth, she returned to the bedroom, and, with one hand on her belly, she wandered over to the window so she could gaze out at the morning. It was the final week of March and the moutainside was alive with blooms: wild azaleas along with budding mountain dogwoods and wild flowers. Wisteria's, she knew were blooming all over the valley below. She would ask Draco if they could grow them here along the iron gates. This spring morning was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. She had never experienced such a breathtaking, joyous March morning like this before.
But, then, she'd never been in love, no, not like this before. When this all started the idea of loving him so much would have been absurd, she simply wanted them to find some common ground of peace. But she now knew that he had fallen in love with her too, and he expressed it through out their entire night together.
As March turned into the first week of April, Hermione would spend her time by his side as he worked out. They had so many things in common, and a past that criss-crossed with endless bounds, so they never ran out of things to talk about. When he was away visiting his friends or his father, Hermione would spend her evenings in the private-library of their home.
On Wednesday, they visited a small restaurant in London. Before paying her own mother and Father a visit in Bristol. Her mother was in tears when Hermione arrived shortly after sending an owl. The following morning, Thursday, fell on the thirty-first of March. She and Draco had received an invitation to brunch with Harry and Ginny, and to their surprise Molly invited herself along. She was later in tears of joy to see that she and Draco were happily awaiting the arrival of their little girl.
It was strange but the mentioning of Ronald had never surfaced not even for a moment, and Hermione was thankful for it.
The first week of April brought with it her usually scheduled doctor's visit at Grindlewald Hospital. Draco accompanied her, and later left her to her shopping alone after receiving a rather distressing owl from his father again.
Later, she ran into Petur and Emelie, when she decided to have lunch once more at the Veranda's, where she ignored the hostile stares from the local wizards and witches.
She could no longer conceal her pregnancy with her first set of loose fitting maternal dresses. And to her surprise, Draco had ordered a seamstress to their home on Wednesday evening for a completely new line of cloaks and proper mothering gowns. And later that night before bed, she heard the shower cut off as she left the nursery.
After spending more than an hour thumbing through Ravenscar's Ensembles for Newborn Witches. She was ready for bed. Since there was no sense exposing herself to additional temptation, she gave him a few minutes to dry off and wrap a towel around himself before she rapped softly on the partially open bathroom door, then let herself in.
He stood at the sink with a white lush towel looped so low on his hips she was surprised it didn't drop off. He took in her newly designed cherry red nightgown.
He swooped his moist hands around her waist. "You're going to have to show a little mercy on a poor man's heart with those sexy new negligees."
She smiled and returned his kiss. She felt stunning, and beautiful. Not because of the new satin gown she wore, even though it fitted her state of motherhood remarkably well. No, it was because for the first time in her life she truly felt beautiful and thoroughly adored, his love was exclusively hers, and she was never given reason to doubt him.
She pulled up the chair from their vanity and took a seat, for a while she contented herself with watching him as he read the manual to his self-shaving kit. Most of his scars were completely healed and all save one were invisible. Heal to absolute perfection thanks to her craftsmanship and wand work.
"Draco, why won't you consider spending a little time with Petur?"
"Are you back to that again?"
"I still don't understand why you won't coach him. He really respects you. I know he does, and he really wants to make amends about the brawl between you two. . . But he's afraid you'll hex him to smithereens if he shows hind or tail around you."
"Then he's getting smarter every dumb moment of his life. Besides he doesn't respect me, he hates me and I hate him."
"You only hate him because of what he's after. He only wants to move up in the world. He's younger, and talented just as you once were."
"Am, you meant to say just as I still am. I'm still the Falcon's seeker. It was printed in this morning's sports edition of the Daily Prophet. You should read it. It was brilliant!"
"Draco you can't hold that spot forever. Most players let the game go at your age, it's a harsh career, brutal at best. Harry turned in his badge ages ago. How long do you think you can re-heal those same old wounds and broken bones. He only wants a shot a something great, and well you are kinda standing in the way."
"How is that so."
"Would you rather a stretcher take you out of every game?"
His muscles tensed. He didn't like the fact that she spent time with Petur, but since she made it clear that she regarded him and his girlfriend Emelie her new friends, and since Draco made it clear that he'd curse both his arms off if he touched her, they'd settled into an uneasy truce. Besides that, Emelie and Petur were going a lot stronger than the two were letting on. They had become virtually inseparable lately. Emelie had taken a shine to Draco's mother and Hermione, she offer small cooking course to teach them some of her families most sacred dishes, (by vow of course, they had to promise to never reveal the secrets to another living soul.) But in exchange, Narcissa would deliver remarkable bouquets arrangements for their many special dining occasions, table settings, and guest reservations.
His mother really had a refined eye for floral arrangements. Plus it gave her something new to appreciate in her life since his father stripped away any entitlement and right she once had to the Daily Prophet.
Draco felt the agreement from Emelie was partially due to her willingness to help Petur. He suspected that in return she hoped her kindness to his mother would some how win Draco over, and persuade him into coaching Petur.
He tilted his head, as the silver embroidered blade levitate above his sink. It made a sharp ninety degree turn in mid-air as the bristle brush lather Draco's chin and neck with foamy shaving cream. Now, he was no hairy man by any means. In fact, he could never grow a single whisker. He just wanted to figure out how the confounded thing worked.
The blade came down and slide under his chin. "He's not as talented as he thinks. He's got great mobility on a broom -no doubt about that. He's quick enough and aggressive. But he doesn't pay attention in the height of the game, you have to know how to read the other seeker's body language. Little signs, little details to give you a heads up, but at the same time conceal your own. And he not a team player, he's a bit of a show hog.
"Well, why don't you teach him?"
"It's like I said before -OUCH! I don't see the logic in training my competition. Besides I don't see why he can't just take lesson from his brother. OUCH GOT DAMMIT!"
"Draco you have to have a beard for it to shave sweetie."
"Well if I had a brother like that, I wouldn't be acting all snotty with him and what have you. I'd be right there taking in pointers."
"Yes I know, but he has his reasons for that. You know he's still here in Grindlewald don't you." she said.
"Not because of me, it's because he sleeping with that waitress whatsher-face!"
"Her name is Emelie, and she not a waitress. Her family owns both the Veranda and that little sports pub in town."
"Oh yeah"
Hermione wouldn't admit it, but Draco had a point. But since it wasn't the one she wanted to make, she ignored it. But she was quite sure that with the way things were heating up between Petur and Emelie, that he hadn't planned on leaving Grindlewald anytime soon.
Draco ducked his head as the blade took a nose dive for his face. "This thing is a bloody murdering device!" He said, snatching a towel quickly as the blade flipped past, he entrapped it in the towel and stuffed it back into the carrier's case.