Sleepless Nights

A/N: Okay, here we go again with the DM/HG genre, this story came out of nowhere while I paced the floors with a sick infant LOL I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to get some sleep and my imagination took it from there....Sorry for the rough start, I hope you'll forgive me for it as the story moves on!


CHAPTER ONE


Hermione Granger rolled over and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was three o’clock in the morning, and he was at it again. She flopped over onto her back and stared up at the red and gold canopy hanging over her bed and sighed wearily. She was back at Hogwarts for her seventh year, the war was over, and the light victorious. She had earned her position as Head Girl, and was thrilled to enjoy the perks of a private room, and only having to share a bathroom and common room with one other person.


The problem was that other person happened to be Draco Malfoy. He had returned to school a changed person. He was quiet and kept to himself most of the time. He didn’t even join his friends for meals any longer, preferring to eat in their common room instead of the great hall. He had not insulted her or her friends a single time since they returned to school, in fact, he had barely spoken to them, or anyone else at all. Now, as he had done every night for the last week, he was pacing the floors in the common room.

She could hear him as he walked back and forth, back and forth. She climbed out of her bed and headed to the common room, determined to put an end to his restless pacing. She stopped suddenly when she saw him. He was wearing only a pair of green cotton sleep pants that were slung low on his hips. She was surprised at how handsome he actually was. Well, she had always known that he was attractive, but she had never guessed that beneath his robes he was so well defined and chiseled. He had his head bent low, his platinum hair forming a curtain about his face that hid his expression from her view.

“Draco?” She called softly. He stopped and looked up, his silver eyes glittering in the firelight.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” He asked.

“Why do you pace, cant you sleep?” She asked. “I could get you a sleeping draught if you need it.”

“Tried that already, but thank you.” He said as he flopped back onto the sofa. Hermione pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled for a moment before crossing the floor to join him. He stared at her as she folded her legs beneath her on the sofa beside him.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Why do you care?” He asked, his head resting on the back of the sofa. She smelled sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon. His head fell to the side and he looked at her for a moment. She really wasn’t very pretty to be honest, but she was interesting with her big amber eyes, and pillowy soft lips.

She was in possession of a rather fine figure, petite and well rounded she was soft and lush, all the things he found delightful in a female. But she hated him. Hell, he hated himself most days. He felt like an idiot for being so swayed by the beliefs of his father and the other powerful followers of the Dark Lord. He was surprised he had been allowed to return to school at all, much less being allowed to attain the position of Head Boy.


“Draco, what’s in the past is in the past, the war is over, it’s done. Cant we just call a truce and move on?” She asked. She was so tired of the constant struggle. People had made mistakes on both sides, and she was just so weary of the battle between them, the judgments and accusations.

“How can you say that? You are just going to act like you care about what’s going on with me? Pretend that you can just overlook my past?” He asked incredulously before pressing is fingers into his temples.

“It’s called forgiveness Draco, accept it for what it is and let it help you move on. I can see you have changed; I know you thought you were doing what you had to, for your father. I don’t believe in holding grudges, they only weigh you down.” He snorted softly and continued to rub his forehead. “Does your head ache?”

“All the time. Nothing helps, I can’t sleep for the nightmares and the lack of proper rest causes my head to ache constantly.” He moaned as the pounding intensified. “I’ve taken pain draughts, sleeping draughts…I just can’t seem to find anything that helps.”

“Come here.” She said, patting the top of her thighs. Draco looked at her oddly for a moment, sitting there in her Gryffindor night shirt.

“What?”

“Come here, put your head on my lap.” She said, yawning.

“No!” He said, scowling at her.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I’ve done this for Harry a million times, he has the same issue with the nightmares, it’ll help, I promise.” She said as she reached for his shoulder and tugged him towards her until he lay across the sofa, his head resting on her thighs.

“This is just odd Granger.” He said, frowning.

“Shush Dragon and close your eyes.” She said.

“Why did you call me Dragon?” He asked, closing his eyes as she requested.

“That’s what your name means isn’t it?” She said as she began to stroke his hair back from is face.

“Yes.” He answered as her fingers began to massage his scalp, her nails scratching gently. She stroked over his tight forehead, smoothing the silver arch of his brow, over his cheekbones and along his jaw until she felt his face relax beneath her touch. It didn’t take long before she heard him snoring softly in her lap.

“There you go Dragon, sleep easy.” She whispered as she herself drifted off, her head resting on the back of the sofa while her enemy slept in her lap.

Neither moved again until the light from the sun began streaming through the window. Hermione opened her eyes and groaned as she lifted her head, her neck aching miserably from sleeping in such an odd position. She jumped when she felt something move across her lap, baffled for a moment when she looked down and saw Draco slowly stirring.

His silver eyes opened slowly, and it took him a moment to focus before he realized where he was, and who he was with.

“Granger!” He scrambled to a seated position, his head lifting from her lap as he crawled to the far end of the sofa.

“Good morning to you too Malfoy.” She said, annoyed as she rubbed her aching neck.

“Did we sleep here all night? Together?” He asked, frowning as he looked down at his timepiece.

“Yes, and a bad idea it was too.” She said, groaning as she unfolded her stiff and aching body and stretching.

“What did you do?” He asked as he suddenly realized he had actually slept, peacefully no less. “Was it a spell?”

“No, I told you last night, Harry sometimes goes through the same thing. Somehow the massage gets his mind off of his….issues, and he is able to drift off, same thing happened with you I would imagine. You just need to learn to shut off your brain before you go to bed at night.”

“Easier said than done Granger.” He said softly.

“We have all seen horrible things Draco.”

“I’ve done them….horrible things.” He said, closing his eyes as the memories of his deeds assaulted him.

“Not as bad as they could have been.” She said as she got to her feet. “Things could have been far worse. I’m glad you got some sleep, you look less pale this morning.” She turned and walked back towards her room.

“Hey Granger!” He called. Hermione turned and looked over her shoulder, brows lifted. “Um, thanks. I really needed the sleep.” He said softly.

“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him and went into her room, closing the door behind her.