Always On My Mind

As she walked up the steps to her flat, Hermione sighed with frustration at her predicament. Her lunch with Zacharias had been predictably dull. He had informed her that he would ‘allow’ her to keep her job until she became pregnant at which time she would quit and move on to the more important task of taking of him and their children. While she was attending to him, it would be important for her to realize that as provider his needs came first so she would have to stop all of her academic pursuits as well. He would put all of her money into his account and she would have to ask him before making a withdraw. It appeared that he had forgotten exactly who he was talking to because no one in their right mind would tell Hermione Granger that she couldn’t continue her work. She was the author of five books, two of which were currently in use at Hogwarts. She had fought Voldemort and been instrumental in the reestablishment of wizarding society. Zacharias Smith had been left sitting at the restaurant, a stunned expression on his face as she told him that she would rather snap her wand in half than marry him.

Disabling the wards on her apartment and walking in she kicked off her shoes and put the kettle on before slouching down in her chair and putting her feet up on the ottoman. She had exactly six months to find a fiancé and so far the only two prospects she had were Seamus Finnegan and Lee Jordan. She would meet with Cormac just to see if he had changed at all in the years since school. She didn’t want to meet with any of them. She wanted to fall in love and have someone love her back, not list off their compatible qualities like potions ingredients.

But you do have someone who loves you. That damn voice in the back of her head wouldn’t shut up.

Ever since noticing that Draco Malfoy watched her go to lunch everyday she’d thought about him more than she cared to admit. There had been a time in her life when she thought that she would never get over him. When he told her he was leaving, she had been heartbroken, but she had expected it. He often disappeared at parties and she saw the appreciative glances that were sent his way by his secretary at work. He wasn’t the only one who had been unhappy, though. She was getting bored of being the fashionable couple around town. She loved spending time with Draco and enjoyed his friends, but there was always a sense of putting on a show whenever they went out. She wanted something more tangible than high fashion and expensive champagne. She wanted to have children and she wanted a partner that saw those children as a blessing and not as a hindrance or merely a continuation of the family line. Draco wasn’t ready to have kids and probably never would be.

Thinking about children brought a lump to her throat. The day she had found out she was pregnant had been the happiest day of her life. It had been unplanned and the circumstances could have been better, but she hadn’t thought of that at all. She was going to be a mother and her baby had the most wonderful candidate for a father she could have hoped for. Maybe she and Ron weren’t in love, but they had loved one another and they cared deeply for each other. She had been confidant that they could make things work and so had he.
Hearing the kettle go off, she got up to pour herself a cup of tea. Suddenly the flames in her fireplace roared to life and Draco spun out onto the floor of her living room. Casting a quick scourgify on himself, he looked around .

“What the hell happened to our flat?” he demanded.

“Why don’t you tell me why you’re here unannounced, first.” Hermione glared at him. At the sound of flames in her fire place she had dropped her cup and pulled out her wand. Now she had to repair her cup and pour out more tea.

“I’m here to see how your lunch with Smith went and to find out why you haven’t been answering my owls.” He stopped and looked around. “Where’s the furniture we bought?”

Rolling her eyes, Hermione sat back down in her chair with her new cup and replied, “I moved out of the old flat because this one suited my needs better. When you moved out you told me to keep the furniture and do whatever I wanted to with it. When I found out about the baby, I decided that art deco and suede leather couches wasn’t exactly something to raise a toddler around so I gave it to Colin and Susan Creevey and bought this new stuff.”

Draco looked at the warm patterned, overstuffed couch and thought of how comfortable and inviting it looked. It wasn’t cheap, but it definitely leaned more towards saying ‘Weasley’ than ‘Malfoy’. He suddenly remembered that she had probably lived in this flat with Ron. Unbidden images of her lithe body wrapped around Weasley’s rose in his mind. Stealing his nerves he turned towards her.

“Well, what happened with Smith? I trust you sent him packing.”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think.” She related the story of Smith’s audacity. “The funny thing is, I actually was considering working from home once the kids were born. It isn’t as if I can’t do research in my living room or have my mum watch the baby while I’m at the office or library.”

“Well, I won’t stop you from going back to work, but I am pleased with your decision to stay home with the children. It won’t be as if we’ll need the money, but I couldn’t have you going mad with nothing to exercise that brain of yours except nappies and windings.”

“Not this again, Draco. I’m not marrying you and I’ve given you my reasons.”

“Because you think I’ll be unfaithful?”

“Because of a number of reasons! We don’t want the same things.”

“Since the day I found out you were pregnant I haven’t been with anyone. I haven’t even flirted. You’re the only thing I want, Hermione and if I can’t have you I don’t want a substitute.”

“Draco, maybe at one point in time your sex life was my business, but it isn’t anymore and I think you need to leave.” She got up and pointed towards the fireplace.

He was on her in two steps and had her pressed up against the wall, his blonde hair falling into his eyes giving him a mad look. “I’m not leaving and you aren’t marrying anyone unless it’s me, do you understand?” He pushed her hands up against the wall over her head and pressed himself against her body. “You love me and you belong to me and I’m going to make certain that everyone knows it.” With that he pressed his lips against her before biting on her lower lip, making her gasp so that he had full access to her mouth. He pressed his hips against hers and was rewarded with another gasp of pleasure.

Taking that as his cue he wrenched her away from the wall and carried her squirming body back towards the bedroom, throwing her on the bed.



A/N- Thanks so much to everyone who reviews! You guys are awesome and keep me going! Cheers!