The Request by redhead414

Chapter 20

Draco had been dropping hints here and there in recent days about Hermione making her move into the mansion permanent. Permanent as in all of her belongings in the mansion and selling her downtown London condo. Each time he mentioned it, she'd nod her head and ho hum, going along with whatever suggestion he'd come up with or reason as to why she should get rid of it.

"I mean, you don't plan on moving back to it, do you?" he asked one night over dinner.

"No," she quickly replied as she moved the small container of butter out Scorpius' reach seconds before he had a chance to maul his hand into it…again. "Of course I don't plan on moving back." She also didn't plan on getting divorced and having to move out of her own house either while her ex-husband shacked up there with his new family, either, but she wasn't about to say that out loud.

When Hermione seemed unresponsive to the idea of selling her condo and Draco would pry for a reason why, she would shrug him off and tell him she understood what he was thinking, but she was just thinking about other things, like Anya and finding a dress for the upcoming Spring Fling. It was a few weeks away, and Anya had mentioned several times in her letters that she now wasn't sure if she was going, but if she changed her mind last minute, she should have a dress. The mention of a certain, raven-haired boy was also suddenly becoming conspicuously absent from her letters as well which had Hermione curious.

Late one night, as Hermione lay in bed, her mind not even close to a point where she could shut it off, she felt Draco stir and roll towards her, his arm coming between her naked torso and the sheets as it pulled her close. Hermione still hadn't mentioned Lucius' intentions behind his visit, which had been weighing heavily on her mind along with this business of getting rid of her condo. This wasn't the first sleepless night she'd had. In fact, she'd been sleeping better than she'd ever been once she and Draco started sharing a bed. Hermione had forgot how much she missed being cuddled up to someone, or how much she loved being held as she finally gave into sleep. But tonight, like every night since the topic of the condo began, had her mind ticking relentlessly.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he mumbled, his lips pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"I can't sleep sometimes," Hermione replied with a whisper.

He cracked an eyelid open and looked up at her. "Do I need to get a draught?"

"No," she replied. "Sleep will come. It always does."

"Granger…" Draco half groaned, her name muffled against her arm as he kissed her again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously something is wrong," he pointed out, stifling his own yawn as he propped himself up in bed a bit. He glanced over at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a little past one in the morning. "Seeing how I have to be awake in five hours to get ready for work, why don't you just tell me, so I don't have to guess."

Hermione rolled her neck, her head pointing in his direction as she gave him her best attempt at a reassuring smile. "Everything's fine," she told him. "Go to sleep."

"Do I need to shag you to sleep?" he teased, pulling her closer as she laughed. "Because I thought earlier would have done the trick."

She shied away, snickering as she felt his hands playfully groping her bottom. "Don't you even think about it, Draco Malfoy. I'm going to be waddling around this house tomorrow as it is."

Freezing, he looked at her with an apologetic demeanor. "Did I hurt you? Was I too rough? Was I -"

"Shhh," she cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips. "I didn't say any of those things so don't go and be all you about it. It just got a little…wild there towards the end."