Unrequited

wow! an update in less than a month? who\'d a thunk it?
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Autumn slid into winter. It was the last Quidditch game of the season. Unfortunately, due to the usual scheduling conflicts (doesn\'t it seem like this always happens?) we were to play against Slytherin. Well, I wasn\'t playing. I could barely sit a broom normally, but now since I was now approaching balloon like status, it was impossible.

I was glad that it was a Saturday and that I wasn\'t required to wear a uniform. I could just get my kilt fastened and only then if I either hiked it up to regions unheard of so that the pleats fell over my tummy or fastened it below my stomach and that was just plain uncomfortable. I snapped on a pair of track pants gratefully and a long-sleeved jumper to wear underneath my coat.

Draco didn\'t ask me who I was cheering for but he left a subtle sign that he wanted me to cheer for Slytherin: his green and white scarf draped casually over one of the wing chairs in our parlour. Picking it up, I wound it around my neck ruefully. I knew the kind of flak I\'d get for it from the other students. Then again, the other students didn\'t have to live with Draco, I did. I stuck my feet into a pair of trainers and left our room.

The icy wind slapped me in the face as soon as I stepped outside. I must be crazy to sit in arctic conditions with a thousand screaming students when I really wanted to do was curl up in one of the chairs by the fire with a good book. Unfortunately, the first person I saw en route to the pitch was Harry. He gave me a sour once-over and then a smirk.

\"Playing the dutiful little wife, Hermione? I didn\'t think that was your style.\"

Shit. Anything I would say to him would only back that statement up. Yes, I wanted to support Draco, but I wasn\'t his bloody property. And damn Harry Potter for putting me on the defence. The best thing to do would be to ignore him. So I did. Sticking my nose in the air, I walked past him.

\"Typical. In your quest to prove that you\'re just as good as any pureblood you\'ve fallen prey to the dark side.\" He hissed behind me. \"He\'ll never believe that you\'re as good as him. To him, you\'re just another mudblooded wench who got careless.\"

I couldn\'t believe he would have the absolute balls to say that to me. I turned around, feeling a near-murderous rage behind my eyes.

\"You bastard. I thought we’d resolved this. Why can’t you just accept it? You ought to be lucky that I don\'t have my wand on me right now or you\'d be looking for your balls. When you decide to be mature, Harry Potter, you come and see me. But until then, I don\'t want to see you or hear you or even smell you. Are we clear?\"

\"Crystal.\"

I hurried to take my place in the stands, feeling angry and self-conscious all at once. I was the only one wearing a green and white scarf in a sea of red and gold. My housemates were staring at me curiously. I almost left to go sit in the Slytherin stands but the fact that they hated me more stalled me and I sat.

I watched the players walk out onto the pitch. They were wearing caps and scarves and gloves over all of their gear. I almost couldn\'t make out Draco until he turned his face to me. Now that the days were unbearably short, he got absolutely no sun. As a consequence, the boy was so pale that he glowed. Damn him for having the most beautifully flawless skin. I felt a silly grin creep over my face thinking of all I wanted to do to that skin once it was out of all of that leather. I shook myself. Stupid pregnancy hormones made me a lecherous hag.

Hearing a cheer go up from the mob of students, I turned my attention to the play. In my reverie I\'d missed the start of the game. I huddled deeper into my coat and watched the players miserably. The little bit of sunshine we\'d had that morning disappeared and pale grey clouds gathered overhead. I shivered when the first snowflake hit my nose. The players were feeling the need to get this game over with in a hurry. They were feeling the cold every bit as much as I. The result was that the scoring was fast and furious. Perhaps three-quarters of an hour went by and they were at sixty-all. That\'s when I saw it. A very small flash of gold zipped past my nose and back out into the pitch.

Apparently Harry and Draco saw it as well. They took off, neck and neck. The expression on Draco\'s face was frightening. He looked like a man possessed. He edged his broom ahead of Harry, his fingers outstretched and grasping for the Snitch. But as usual, Harry was just that much faster than Draco. Harry pushed his broom an arm\'s length ahead and grabbed the tiny golden ball. That was it; the game was over, Gryffindor won. I couldn\'t bring myself to be happy about it.

The teams flew down, shook hands and Harry, as captain, was presented with the Quidditch Cup. Slytherin walked off the pitch and I sat there as my House clambered down the rickety stairs to storm the field. I got up and made my way down, trying to predict what Draco\'s mood would be. If I knew him at all, he wouldn\'t be a very pleasant person to be around.

When I found him he was standing outside of the locker room looking resigned. Funny that. I thought he’d be angry as all hell.

“Buongiorno, cara mia,” he said, giving me a small wave.

“I thought you’d be pissed off beyond all recognition.”

“Well. I got the best prize,” Draco replied, slipping an arm around my rapidly expanding waist.

I slid my arms around his neck, breathing in the lovely smell of him and leather. “Did you, now?”

“Mm,” and he gave me a peck on the lips.

“You can do better than that, you know.”

“That’s right. I forgot how you get when I’m in my kit.” He smirked at me confidently.

“Ass.” I gave him a sock on his arm. “Come on, let’s get you into some warmer clothes.”

“A warm bed would be better.”

“That can be arranged as well.” We went off hand in hand back to the castle.

I pretended not to notice the hostile stares we received.
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The minute I saw her heading my way it made the defeat to her bloody house a little bit more palatable. I had to remind myself that ending up with her was worth a thousand Quidditch cups. Yes, I was childish enough to lord it over any Gryffindor I came in contact with. You know why? Because I hate those little bastards. That’s why. And they certainly have no love for me.

She felt good in my arms, the round of her tummy poking me a bit as we hugged and indulged in mushiness. Unfortunately, as we were walking back to the school, I decided right then and there to catch a cold.

“Achoo!”

“Oh, I hope you’re not getting sick.” She frowned up at me. I shivered, the sweat cooling rapidly in the frigid air. “Come on. Before you end up with the flu.”

She ushered me inside. I was so tired I could barely make it up the seven flights. That was all right though. Hermione wasn’t the fastest climber now, either. By the time we actually got to our door we were both puffing noisily and my nose was running unattractively. Hermione opened the door and conjured me up a tissue at once.

The torches sprang to life as she strode in. I trailed her listlessly. She set the low burning embers glowing with renewed vigour and went about getting me undressed. My wife led me wordlessly into the bedroom.

“What p.j.’s do you want to wear? Ducks or dragons?” She asked from the depths of the armoire.

Feeling pettish, I responded, “Ducks.”

She had a small grin on her face as we got me into the nightclothes and under the covers. I watched her stoke up the fire and call down to the kitchens for a couple of bowls of soup and tea. I burrowed down into the blankets and enjoyed being fussed over. Although I was spoilt, I wasn\'t much for mothering. A man could get used to this. A house elf came bearing a tray and Hermione hurried over to take it from him. Seeing her bustle about the room gave me a bit of a warm glow. She\'d kicked her shoes off and was padding about in her socks. Her hair was twisted up in a loose bun and her cheeks were rosy from the heat of the room. I don\'t think I\'d ever seen her look better.

She set the food on a side table and conjured up bed trays for both of us. As I sipped at my tea, I watched Hermione change out of her clothes into a pair of plaid pajamas. The little round of her belly didn\'t strike me as being unattractive. Instead I thought it gave her a lushness she hadn\'t possessed. I always thought Hermione was on the side of being too thin. Everything about her had filled out. Her breasts, which I thought were perfect as they were, now were fuller and firmer than they were. Her nipples had darkened to a dusky pink. Even now, all ensconced in my bed, nose running and eyes itching, I longed to wrap my lips around them. Thank Merlin she finally put the nightclothes on.

She gave me a smile as she climbed into bed alongside me. \"How\'s the soup?\"

\"Delicious.\"

\"Good, I\'m starving.\" She attacked our luncheon with gusto. I was amazed at how quickly she put away the food. Hermione eyed my half finished bowl. \"Are you going to eat that?\"

\"Take it,\" I said, trying not to grin. She took my bowl and slurped down the rest of the chicken and noodles unabashedly. The empty dishes disappeared with a *pop* back down to the kitchens. Hermione took her wand and Vanished the bed trays with a lazy yawn. \"Tired?\"

\"Always. I can barely seem to stay awake these days.\" A huge yawn punctuated those words. She burrowed down under the covers, wrinkling her nose in sleepy pleasure.

\"Any movement from the alien yet?\" This, too, had become part of our bedtime routine even though, today, our bedtime was five in the afternoon. I always enquired about our child. I was insanely curious about what was taking place inside of Hermione. It was the one experience we could not totally share in.

\"I thought there was a little, but it turned out to be indigestion.\"

\"Ha Ow.\" She\'d punched me in the arm when I laughed. That was comforting. A new, scary thought enveloped me. I was becoming *too* comfortable. I\'d better watch that. But I was finding it impossible to even be the person I was while I am with her. That was the most frightening thought of all. But then she rolled into my arms and I pushed it aside and settled to sleep.
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When I woke up, I was sweaty and uncomfortable. I never could lay on my side for very long, especially now. I eased myself out of Draco\'s grasp and got out of bed. How glad I was that it was winter. Having to not only support my own life but the life of someone else had led to an unfortunate side effect - I was always burning hot. I thought about how completely miserable I would be once spring arrived. Opening the window, I breathed in the early winter air and watched my breath curl in white, steaming tendrils. At that moment, I felt peace; utter, blissful peace. And that\'s when it happened.

Tiny fluttering breezed through my midsection. It was so light I thought I\'d imagined it. I willed it to come again. It did. It felt like little shivers, almost like a muscle twitching, rippling though my stomach. I smiled and clasped my hands over the round of flesh. For the first time since I learned I was pregnant, I didn\'t resent the child - my child. I was delighted. How could a tiny person be inside me? I knew the mechanics of it, but I finally began to understand the actual wonder of the situation. I thought about what it was doing inside there. Was it sleeping as well? Awake and stretching? Curiousity consumed me and I suddenly wanted to see it in my arms.

Would it have brown hair? Or, miracle of miracles, would it be a pristine blond? What colour eyes would it have? And oh my God, would it be a boy or a girl? Did I really want to know? I pushed that away. I think I wanted the surprise. I left the window open and crossed to the table and chairs that sat in front of the fireplace. I let myself indulge in a bit of dreaming. I thought about what it would be like to actually be happy with Draco. Of course I would lack for nothing. As if I lacked for anything now. However, judging from Draco\'s upbringing and the lavishness of the suite we shared now, I and the baby would be spoiled beyond the dreams of avarice.

My reverie was broken by the sounds of Draco stirring. He yawned and stretched and rubbed his eyes open. In spite of myself, I thought he was damned adorable.

\"What are you doing awake?\"

\"Just sitting here.\"

\"Come back to bed.\" He smiled at me with that lustful little grin I\'d gotten to know well.

\"No. If I get back in there, we\'ll never sleep.\"

\"Who said anything about sleeping?\" The grin deepened into a leer.

\"I did. Besides, I thought you were sick.\"

\"No, just a little chilled. You\'ve nursed me back to impeccable health.\" He flung back the covers and held out his arms. \"Come on. Take advantage of your superior skills.\"

I couldn\'t resist, so with a smile and wink I retired to the relative sanctity of our bed.
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I woke again, feeling damp, warm flesh tangled up with mine. My hair was in my eyes and I pushed it back with a shiver. I was cold. The window was open and the covers were down around my knees. I got up and shut out the cold and stoked up the fire. I put on a robe and called down to the kitchens for something. The elves were already happy to serve. Especially since they knew it was for her. The tray arrived in the room with a pop loud enough to wake her.

She awoke with a long, leisurely stretch that sent my blood racing. When she opened those fine eyes, she saw me watching her and she sat up, completely at ease with her nudity. \"I thought I\'d worn you out.\"

Hermione grinned at me. \"Didn\'t you hear the snores?\"

\"I did, but I was being too gentlemanly to say so.\"

\"Don\'t hesitate on my account. I remember the days when you let me know exactly what you were thinking with no preamble whatsoever.\"

\"Ah, but that was before I got to know you.\"

She raised an eyebrow. That was damnably sexy. \"And now?\"

\"Now, not so much.\"

\"I see.\" She scooted up against the headboard and curled her legs up. She rested her chin on her knees and looked at me a bit ruefully. \"Who would have thought it?\"

I laughed. \"Who indeed?\"