"Wake up, sleepyhead,"

Draco felt his wife's fingers run through his hair, an ongoing tradition that had been in place for years. She ruffled it up a bit, twisting a strand just enough to annoy him into consciousness.

"Good morning, love,"

His piercing eyes opened with a snap, softening when he saw Astoria's face to the left of him. She always found a way to do that to him.

Those chocolate brown eyes of hers could never leave him angry for long. Neither could the small smile that crossed her lips just now, the corners of her lips rising ever so slightly.

"You know, you really need to stop that, or else I'll never get out of this bed,"

Draco took the hand that was running through his hair out, kissing it gently as he placed it next to him. Her lip jutted out in a pout, eyes made to match in an attempt to sway him.

"But I want you to stay for as long as possible. I like you here,"

"I have work,"

"You can spare a few minutes,"

She pressed her lips to his, rejecting his moving of her hand and placing it exactly where it had been before. Something he noticed, her lips were always so soft in the morning despite the fact their window was wide open every night. Even the harsh winter winds wouldn't deter her from remaining perfect.

Cupping her face, he went deeper into the kiss with an intention to release what he'd been needing to for the past week. Every morning, he had brushed past her in a hurry to the damned ministry. Not today.

She pulled away for a second, already flushed, "Is that a yes, 'I'm staying,' husband, or am I confused?"

He chuckled, "Still thinking about it. Convince me?"

She kissed him again, this time rolling over so that she was under him. Both hands were in his hair now, running through with an urgency.

His bed head wasn't going to look any better after this.

"Thank you," she said between kisses, "I needed this,"

The inflection in her tone suggested something. It was confirmed as one hand became free, running down Draco's boxers.

Draco could feel the smile inching as his breath began to hitch. Though he desperately wanted to let her have her way, their three year old in the next room and the ministry would probably not be too happy if he did.

"Love," he breathed, "I want to, I really do, but I've got to work,"

"I thought you said you were staying," she replied, beginning to kiss from his neck to his collarbone in a jagged line. The hand in his hair pulled him down to her, almost trapping him.

He struggled to remove her hand from his boxers. A wave of pain rushed through him as he successful, especially after seeing the look on her face.

"I never said sex."

His tone was more serious now, less infatuated.

"Please," she pleaded, "I'll make it quick. You won't be late," She kissed him again, but it wasn't like the others. This one was desperate, devoid of passion.

"I'm sorry," Draco sighed, rolling back onto his side of the bed, "We will, I promise,"

"I want you," Astoria hissed, "I don't want to force you into anything, ok? But I don't know how I can take without it. And I don't know how much longer we can do this before I become a cripple again,"

When she put it that way, Draco looked precariously more like an ass.

"You're not a cripple, Astoria. You never were,"

"But I will be," she retorted, "Childbirth took me out for an entire year. I won't come back from the next wave of maledictius, no matter what spin you put on it,"

"I'll have you any day, no matter what you look like, or what disease is attacking you from the inside out,"

"But will I?"

The gravity of words seemed to echo across the entire neighborhood.

"I'm going to start getting ready for work,"

Draco stretched quickly, preparing to get out of bed.

"I'm sorry, Draco," a quiet voice said, "I know it's a lot, managing work and Scorp and me and everything else. I understand if it's too much sometimes,"

His last train of thought stopped dead in its tracks. There's no way this woman, this incredible woman, thought herself to be 'too much'.

"Astoria," he cupped her face one last time, "You are never too much for anyone, ok? Don't say things like that when you know you are absolutely incredible,"

"Oh, shut up," she teased, "Now I want you to go to work,"

His eyes closed one more time as he leaned in for the final kiss of the morning.