With you in my Arms

78. My whole life is one big lie

Hermione felt his form move gently against hers. Warm fingers were caressing her body. It was as if he wanted to make sure she was really there. He should know by now that she wouldn't go anywhere without him. Somewhere in the depth of her sleep hindered brain alarm bells were ringing, but she was not awake enough in order to listen to them. Moments later she fell asleep again, feeling her husband's hand resting on her baby bump.

Draco's world had fallen to pieces around him. He had always been proud to be the heir to the name of Malfoy. He might have been hating his father with a vengeance by now and to fulfil his will in order to keep the Malfoy magic would be close to impossible, but never had he thought that he had been just the second in line. It had always been clear that he was the number one. Now he knew better. He had never been who he thought he was. It had all been one big lie, his entire life. He had been proud enough to become a Death Eater, because his father had been one. All the ideas that had been drummed into him all those years... They had been rubbish in any case, but it wasn't that he or his family were the only ones believing in them. Most of the pureblood families had done so. Most of them didn't any longer either as they had been shown what utter rubbish they really were in the most drastic way possible, finding yourself on the wrong side in an all encompassing war.

Now there was nothing left from his past he could trust to be true any longer. His father, the bastard that had been his idol for all his childhood and even halfway through his teenage years, had been having another son well hidden away in France all this time. Even if he had been trying to claim his inheritance without all the stipulations in the will, he wouldn't have been able to. The magic that was inherited with the Manor and everything else wouldn't have accepted him as the true heir. It would have rejected him.

He inhaled slowly the scent of the girl he was holding in her sleep. Hermione, his wife. What would she say once he told her what he had learnt from Shaklebolt? Would she be just horrified or would she finally realise what kind of family she had married into? He doubted her inclination to leave him because of the latest development, but even she would be able to take only so much. What would happen when her breaking point was reached? What would he do, if she decided that she didn't want her child to grow up with somebody as tainted as him around? What, if she didn't want to bear his child any longer?

He took a deep breath.

'Get a grip! She's stronger than that! She's sworn to never leave you...'

He tried to convince himself that Hermione would be there for him no matter what, but the latest disclosure about the scheme of his father had shaken the foundations of everything he believed in to a degree that it threatened to have him loose faith in everything and everybody, including his peacefully sleeping wife.

Closing his eyes he nestled his head against hers. Feeling her warm body against his own had a strangely calming effect. He noticed the slow movement of his son. It seemed as if even he wanted to re-assure his father.

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It had to be mid-morning going by the sun shining through the window. Hermione exhaled slowly. Draco was still snuggled up against her. His breath was fanning over the skin of her neck. She would have loved to stay and indulge in the contentedness he was instilling in her, but she was bursting for a wee.

So she very carefully as not to wake him tried to slither from his embrace, but being as pregnant as she was made it somewhat impossible. Draco woke with a start. He sat up, looking around with wild eyes. It was only when he saw her smiling at him that he calmed down again and pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, Lea." he muttered.

With a smile she answered, "I love you, too, my dragon."

His eyes found hers and she knew that instant that something had happened, something rather horrible. She tenderly ghosted a kiss onto his ear and then pulled back to look at him.

"Could you let go off me for a moment?"

A puzzled look appeared on his face.

"I need to go to the loo."

"Oh, sure!"

She got up and he watch her vanish into the bathroom.