The Request by redhead414

Chapter 15

Hermione didn't get much sleep, despite her best efforts. Instead she lay propped up in bed as Draco was snuggled against her, one arm wrapped snugly around her waist as his head was tucked in the crook of her neck. A pepper-up potion would help aid her exhaustion later. The hand attached to the arm that was trapped as partial pillow to Draco absently ran through Draco's hair as Hermione made a mental list of everything they needed to do today once Anya was collected from Hogwarts. St. Agnes needed to be called as Claire was meant to return to school today, and a constructive conversation was going to have to happen between Draco and Astoria's parents at some point. There was a service to plan and for the sake of the children, she needed to make sure that it was done with minimal shouting.

She tried her best to suppress the guilt at the small enjoyment she felt with Draco nestled so close to her. Hermione knew that what was in store for them the moment Draco woke up was going to be hard – maybe even impossible. Their friendship was about to be tested and Hermione's biggest fear was that the promise she made to Astoria would save the children but at the expense of her friendship with Draco. She couldn't make the gears in her head quit turning with every poor what-if scenario that crossed her mind.

What if we can't co-parent?

What if Draco resented decisions I make?

What if Draco does meet someone else?

What if Draco never feels the way I feel -

"Do you always think this loud?" Draco mumbled, his voice hoarse.

Her eyes went wide as she looked down at the top of his head. "How does someone think loud?"

Draco sighed and Hermione could have sworn he pulled himself closer to her. "Your entire body goes stiff and your heart thumps like a goddamn cannon…so stop it. I don't…want to wake up. Not yet."

He almost held his breath, exhaling as he heard her whisper, "ok." He wasn't ready to face what was going to be one of the longest days of his life, and he was enjoying the smell of Hermione's strawberry shampoo with each inhale. Draco wasn't one to admit his vulnerabilities aloud. A trick of the trade when raised as a budding death eater. As a child, his weak spot was his mother, and most of his horrendous acts were done because the consequences often included his mother in a torturous position he couldn't bear to neither watch nor stomach.

Then Anya was born, and he realized that his sole purpose in life was to protect and raise her in a world where bad and tragic events were not the norm. He became a man who could easily crumble with a pleading bat of those long eyelashes she inherited from her paternal grandmother, a man who would do anything his daughter asked of him - even if it meant hours of pretend tea parties and dressing up her dolls. When Claire came around, and when she learned how to say 'please,' with a non-existent l, he realized the two biggest threats to any sort of manliness he had left called him 'daddy.' His daughters softened the jagged edges of his personality while the birth of his son made Draco want to be the best man he could be - a role model to make his son proud.

He wasn't lying when he told Hermione what felt like an eternity ago that he didn't want another wife. He stood by that statement. Any female could be a wife. He wanted something more - a true partner that would fight with him and want to make up afterwards. A partner to tell him when he was being absurd and would encourage him when he felt like he had nothing left to give. What he didn't have was the courage to say to Hermione was that she was that person, but he knew he didn't have the emotional capability to handle a 'it'll be better if we're friends' speech he was convinced she'd give him in return. Draco knew he was falling in love with Hermione for a while now…he just became really good at burying the thoughts while keeping her just within his reach.