𝘼 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙄𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 //𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦

Chapter Three

Hermione stood in front of the bathroom mirror, putting the finishing touches on her makeup. It was Harry’s birthday weekend, and she and Draco were joining their friends for drinks at a new bar in Diagon Alley to celebrate.

Nodding at her reflection, she slipped her feet into a pair of heels and went to find her husband.

It was no great mystery where he would be; as a prolific reader (and writer of quite a few children’s stories himself), he loved nothing more than reading to their son. She found the two of them snuggled together in an overstuffed armchair in the library, pale heads bent over a copy of the muggle children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Draco looked up as Hermione entered the room, smiling flirtatiously as he read aloud. “On Monday he ate through one apple, but he was still hungry.”

A thrill ran up her spine as she held his gaze, tracing the line of her neck with her hand, sliding her fingertips down over the outline of her breast. His eyes hungrily tracked her motions.

“Da!” came Leo’s voice, interrupting their eye-fucking. His little hand slapped the open pages of the book, demanding that his father finish reading.

Draco cleared his throat, nodding at Leo’s upturned face. “Ah yes, so sorry. Mummy distracted me.”

As he resumed his reading, Hermione heard someone come through the floo in the drawing room. She turned to greet Narcissa, who was eagerly performing one of her grandmotherly duties by watching Leo while Hermione and Draco had a night out with their friends.

“Hello, my dear,” Narcissa said, kissing both of Hermione’s cheeks. “Where is my little boy?” she asked in a sing-song voice, making her way over to Draco and Leo, who was grinning toothily at his grandmother.

“Right here, Mother,” Draco replied, closing the book with a flourish.

Narcissa smiled, kissing her son on the head before stretching her arms out for Leo, who went to her without hesitation.

“You and Gran are going to have such fun tonight,” she said, bouncing him on her hip. “We are going to have a lovely bubble bath, and put on our pajamas, and then Gran will read you as many stories as you want!”

Leo squirmed in delight, kicking his legs and shrieking, “Gan!”

Draco crossed the room to Hermione, sliding his arm around her shoulders. “Remember, he needs to be in bed by 7 o’clock. In his crib,” he reminded her, having come home one too many nights to find his mother curled up in a guest bedroom with her sleeping grandson in her arms.

Narcissa waved an elegant hand in their direction, kissing Leo’s soft cheek. “Yes, yes. Go and have fun. I will take good care of this fierce lion.” Leo growled, baring all six of his teeth.

Draco and Hermione kissed Leo goodbye, Hermione pulling him into her arms for an extra squeeze before heading out the door to the nearest apparition point.

They held hands as they walked, the summer night air cocooning them in its warm embrace. Just before they arrived at the apparition point, Draco pulled Hermione into a shadowed corner on the quiet street, her back against the stones of the wall as he leaned into her, mouth stopping a mere breath away from hers.

“Are you trying to drive me insane?” he murmured softly, letting his fingers trace up her arms, over her shoulders, up the delicate skin of her neck. “Your body in this dress, Hermione, fucking hell. Do you think Harry would mind if we missed his birthday?”

As he spoke, his fingers continued their exploration of her, trailing down to massage her breasts, tease her nipples, tickle her belly. When they reached the hem of her dress they paused, then one hand slid slowly underneath her skirt, hiking it up just enough to reach its intended destination.