Sleepless Nights

CHAPTER SIX


Draco paced the front parlor slowly, glancing occasionally at the clock over the fireplace. It was a little after midnight, and he was growing restless. He had left her just after breakfast, after walking her back to their common room. He had kissed her over and over again, each time saying to himself ‘Okay, this time will be enough, and then I’ll go’. But still he would go in once more for another taste of her. He used his pass for the floo network, finally stepping out and into his family home just in time for lunch.

“Welcome home my darling!” Narcissa cooed at him as he took his seat at the table. His mother insisted on treating him like a five year old. He had drawers filled with sweets at school that his mother sent to him almost daily, despite the fact that he rarely indulged.

“Hello, Mum.” He said, smiling tightly. “Father, good to see you.” Lucius didn’t even glance up from his paper as he acknowledged his son with a quick hello. Draco began to wonder if the house arrest was driving the normally social Lucius out of his mind.

As was the norm in the Malfoy home, everyone ate their meal in silence. Afterwards Lucius retired to his study, Narcissa to her sitting room and Draco went out to the stables for a ride. Supper was proving no better until a small house-elf popped up and handed Draco a note that had just been delivered.


*I miss you already Dragon*


Draco began to smile brightly, humming to himself as he ate. Narcissa looked up, stunned at the smile on her son’s face. Lucius sat back in his chair and watched Draco oddly.
“I recognize that tune Draco…..For Once In My Life…..Sinatra was one of its many recorders if I am correct.” Lucius drawled. Draco looked up, embarrassed to have his parents so thoroughly focused on him.

“What was in that note that made you so happy my darling?” Narcissa asked with a curious smile.

“Nothing.” Draco answered, blushing slightly.

“Nonsense Draco!” Lucius snapped as he snatched the paper from the table. “Well, well, well…..we have a young lady do we…..Dragon is it?” Lucius was smiling, his spirits oddly lifted by tormenting his son. He did love the boy, and wished desperately he had not been such a horrible father to him.

“Dragon? How cute is that!” Narcissa smiled as she looked over the note.

“Is she a pureblood Draco?” Lucius asked curiously. Draco turned to stare at his father, his eyes narrowed and darkened.

“No father, she isn’t.” Draco answered honestly, though inside he quivered in fear at his parent’s reaction.

“Ah, well I suppose the odds are against keeping the line pure, not many pureblood witches out there who aren’t related at any rate.” Lucius said with a resigned sigh that made Draco’s eyes widen in shock. “Is she at least a powerful witch?”

“Y-y-yes father, she is one of the most powerful witches I have ever met.” He stammered as the blood roared in his head.

“Are you in love Draco?” Narcissa asked, smiling softly.

“I…..um….I couldn’t say really….it’s new.” He kept glancing between his parents, confused and unsure what to do. He had expected Lucius to completely lose it when he found out that Draco was involved with a woman who wasn’t a pure blood. Instead he gets this dull, oddly ‘normal’ conversation with them. “Why aren’t you going nuts? I was prepared for you to go nuts….are you under the imperius?”

“Calm down Draco, you are creating a scene.” Lucius said, reaching out with his cane to push down on Draco’s shoulder.

“You two are playing at something.” Draco said, glaring at them suspiciously.

“Draco, so much has changed recently…” Lucius closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. “So many truths discovered, so many lies realized.” He sounded so sad that Draco felt bad for reacting the way he did. “I came to the conclusion that change is inevitable, and trying to hang onto ancient and rather archaic traditions and standards was going to make it impossible for our family to move forward.”

“Is that what you sit and think about in your study?” Draco asked.

“I think on a many number of things…I have little else to occupy my time for a while yet.” Lucius said with a sardonic smile tilting the sides of his mouth. “But yes. If you care for the girl Draco, I will not say anything about who you chose to share your time with.”

“I think it is delightful Draco! When do we get to meet her?” Narcissa asked. Draco wanted to tell them that they had in fact already met her, numerous times, in fact she had spent time in the dungeons of their home, but he opted to wait a bit longer.

“I’ll speak to her, and get back to you.” Draco said quietly, still waiting for his father to leap up and curse him.

“Wonderful, oh I am thrilled for you my darling….Just think Lucius…in a few years we could have grandbabies!”

“The boy is eighteen Narcissa, give him a chance to finish school before you start redecorating the nursery.”

“Oh, of course dear.” She said, though Lucius could see her already planning a wedding in her head.

“Enjoy your young lady Draco.” Lucius said softly

“Thank you father.”

Draco looked up at the clock again; she would be returning from rounds shortly, she stuck to a rather strict schedule when it came to her head girl duties. He walked across the room to the black baby grand piano and sat on the bench. He began to play softly as he waited.

Hermione was lonely as she walked the halls without Draco. She had missed him all afternoon. She had been cornered by Ron and Harry who had demanded to know if the rumors were true. That morning they hadn’t thought about the fact that people would be talking about how they both came to breakfast with sodden hair, when everyone knew they shared a bathroom. Luckily Draco was quick with the lies, no doubt a residual talent from his previous life.

“Draco was on the quidditch pitch this morning, he showered in the locker room.” It seemed to appease some, but others insisted on gossiping about what they thought was really going on inside the head dormitories. If they only knew, their narrow little minds would likely burst.

Hermione strolled into the common room and up to her bedroom. She changed from her robes and school uniform, and reached for her nightshirt. At the last minute she changed her mind and walked over to Draco’s room and pulled one of his soft cotton t-shirts from his drawer and pulled it over her head. When she got back to her room she noticed the tiny black box with a silver ribbon sitting in the middle of her bed.

“What in the world?” She picked it up and looked at the little card.


*Because I miss you so very much*

She smiled as she lifted the lid and looked inside. Nestled amongst the black satin lining was a silver ID bracelet with her name engraved across the plate, and a tiny heart charm dangling from the end. She slipped it around her wrist, her heart thudding at the sweet gift.

“What….” The room began to spin around her, and with a sickening tug she was jerked up and through a vortex as she was transported from her room to land in Draco’s lap.

“It’s about time you got here.” He said as he kissed her lips softly. “Have you been nosing through my room?” He asked when he recognized the soft gray cotton t-shirt she was wearing.

“I missed you.” She pouted as she looked around the room. “Your present was a trick, a port key.”

“Yes it was, do you like it though?” He asked, lifting her wrist so he could see the silver bracelet on her.

“I do, thank you.” She said, slipping her arms around his neck and kissing him ardently.

“I’m glad, I have one that matches, see.” He held up his own wrist and showed her the matching bracelet with his name engraved on it, and a tiny snitch dangling from the end.

“Does this mean we are going steady Dragon?” She asked teasingly.

“Of course, I want no one else.” He wrapped his arms tighter about her and held her closer to his chest.

“Are you wanting to go public then?” She asked.

“I don’t know, I thought maybe we would just show up at the Halloween Ball together, let everyone figure it out then.” He said.

“You haven’t asked me to the Ball.”

“I thought I just did….” He smiled and nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck.

“Why did you snatch me from my room, half naked and bring me to your parents house Dragon?” She asked, threading her fingers through his silky hair.

“I needed to see you.” He was placing soft kisses along her neck and collar bones. She could feel him hardening beneath her thighs where she was cradled across his lap.

“What if your parents see me?” She asked nervously. The last time she had been in the Malfoy home had not been pleasant.

“They know I’m involved with someone, they saw your note.” He said as his hand slid along the outside of her thigh and under the cotton shirt. “Oddly when I told them the woman I was involved with wasn’t a pureblood, they didn’t freak out….they were oddly resigned….well mother was going on and on about how excited she would be to have grandchildren, but Father simply told me to enjoy my young lady. So, I intend to do as my father bade and enjoy you.”

“They don’t know it’s me though….”

“I thought maybe I should speak to you first, before I told them just who my young lady is.”

“Yours am I? Mighty possessive aren’t we Dragon?” She teased.

“You have no idea.” He said, pinching her bottom playfully. She jumped, her elbow banging into the keys of the piano and sending their tinkling sound floating through the room. Draco chuckled softly as she glanced at the door, fully expecting his parents to come in at any moment. “Don’t worry, Mum is in bed, and Father will be in his study for hours yet, no one will wander in.”

Hermione realized that they were sitting on a piano bench.
“You play.” She said, her eyes blinking in surprise.

“I do.” He turned her in his lap so that she faced the piano. He reached around her and began to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata flawlessly. She watched in amazement as his long slender fingers moved over the keys expertly and the room filled with haunting sound of the music.

“Oh Dragon, you play beautifully.” She whispered in awe when he finished.

“Thank you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Come upstairs and stay with me tonight.”

“I don’t have permission to be away from school…”

“I’ll have you back before first rounds, please, I’m afraid I wont be able to sleep without you.” He whispered against her ear.

“How am I supposed to wander through your house wearing nothing but your shirt Draco….”

“Don’t worry, I’ll wrap you in my robes.” He said as he nudged her off of his lap and stood.

“Do you always dress so formally?” She asked as she noticed he was dressed in a full set of finely tailored robes.

“You’ve met my parents, have you ever seen them in anything but?” He asked with an arched brow. “Come along.” He took her hand and pulled her towards the door. He stuck his head out to make sure no one was wandering the hall and pulled her behind him.

He had never brought a girl home before, it was sort of fun trying to slip up to his room unnoticed.

“Hey, you said you would cover me.” She whispered as she tugged on the hem of the shirt that barely reached mid-thigh. Draco stopped at the bottom of the main staircase.

“Of course, love.” He said, grinning as he pulled her into his arms and wrapped his robes around her. “Now, this will be fun.” He said as he began to push her backwards and up the stairs. She was giggling softly as they stumbled their way up the steps. Hermione trying to walk backwards with her arms wrapped around his neck, and Draco trying to move forward, his arms around her waist and his lips fastened to the side of her neck.

“OH!” Hermione cried out as they slipped and fell. “Ouch!” She said as her back hit the stairs and Draco fell on top of her.

“Shit.” He swore as they started laughing. Hermione tightened her arms around his neck and lifted her legs around his hips. “Damn, you are evil.” He muttered as she sucked on the pulse point at the base of his neck.

“Draco?” His head snapped up and he saw his father leaning over the railing staring at him. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Um…I…uh…tripped.” Draco stammered stupidly.

“Is that….is that a woman beneath your robes?” Lucius asked, eyes wide and brows lifted, smirking slightly.

“Uh…..yeah….she’s shy.” Hermione snorted softly as she laughed into his chest.

“Really Draco, on the stairs? Have you no sense of decorum?” His father asked, though Draco could see that he was amused.

“Sorry father.”

“Take the girl somewhere private before your mother catches you.” Lucius shook his head and walked back to his study. Oh to be so young again.

“Damn, that was weird.” Draco muttered as he picked her up and carried her the rest of the way up the stairs and down the long hall to his room.

“She’s shy?” Hermione was laughing as he shoved her into his room, locking the door behind them.

“What was I suppose to say? I never thought I’d ever hear my father ask if there was a woman beneath my robes.” He laughed slightly at the odd situation.

“I’m sure he had a witch or two beneath his robes when he was young.” She said as she glanced around the elaborately furnished chamber. The biggest ebony four poster bed she had ever seen sat in the middle of the room, covered in silver, black and green curtains and bedding. The coverlet had been turned down and she could see that he had bright green satin sheets on his bed. There was a fire burning in the enormous fireplace and her bare feet were sinking into the plushest, most luxurious carpet she had ever seen.

“Knowing father he probably had more than one at a time beneath his robes, and probably not that long ago, he and mum aren’t exactly in love, why do you think I have no siblings. None the less, no one wants their parents knowing anything about their sexual habits.” Draco said as he removed his robes and tossed them across a black leather sofa located in small sitting area before a state of the art entertainment center.

“Wow Draco, this room is huge.” She said softly.

“It’s like a tomb in here, I like my room at school.” He said softly as he toed off his shoes and sat on the edge of the sofa to remove his socks. He unbuttoned his shirt and watched her walk around the room, stopping ever so often to look at some knickknack or item lying on the dressers. “Get into bed Hermione.” He said softly as he removed his trousers and walked across the room wearing only his black silk boxers.

She tilted her head to the side slightly to stare at him and then crawled into the bed, settling herself into the center against the mountain of fluffy pillows against the headboard. She watched him walk towards her and was amazed at the grace with which he moved. He climbed in from the other side and moved to the center, pulling her into his arms so that she was cradled against his side, her head resting on his shoulder.

“I still can’t believe how quickly I have gotten accustomed to sleeping beside you.” He said softly as they listened to the pop and hiss of the fire crackling in the hearth.

“I’m still amazed that we never noticed this….chemistry between us, it’s rather explosive isn’t it?” She asked, kissing his chest softly as her hands slid across his smooth skin.

“Maybe that’s why our….encounters were always so volatile. The passion was just misdirected.” He said, his hands sliding gently over her arm where it draped over his abdomen.

“I never thought about it like that. I never imagined you and I would be in this place.”

“Do you regret the way things are going?” She could hear the vulnerability in his voice and it pulled at her heart.

“No Dragon, I can not regret something that feels…right.” She lifted her lips and kissed him softly. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight love.”