Love and Other Misfortunes

Chapter 17

Hermione was the first to stir the next morning. She and Draco had shifted during the course of the night, she was lying on her back and he was curled around her, holding her tightly in his sleep.

As she grew more aware, she realised that at some point one of his hands had slipped up her shirt and was wrapped possessively around her breast. Every time she moved, even slightly, he squeezed and palmed it gently. She stared up at the ceiling.

The touch brought back memories of bonding with him, and she felt her nipples growing hard when his fingers brushed over her.

She bit back a moan. She could feel him prodding against her hip and there was a part of her that wasn't to climb on top of him and snog him into compliance. But she was certain that, if she moved, if she woke him by trying anything, he'd flee as soon as he was conscious. Warm and wet as she was increasingly growing, she wanted him to stay and actually talk to her even more than she wanted to attend the needs of the heretofore unknown wanton sex kitten that he was apparently capable of awakening within her.

He was still deeply asleep.

She wasn't surprised. After the time he spent in prison, the magic he'd used to break himself free, not to mentioned dying and dragging himself back, she was amazed he hadn't been forced into a bed by the healers too.

Maybe they'd just been afraid to.

She wanted him rested. Part of their conflict, she was sure, was brought on by how over-exhausted they'd both been.

She lay quietly and tried to think of something to occupy her mind. She glanced around the room and her eyes landed on a book on the bedside table. Her arm was mostly free; she slid it over and snagged the book gently. It was the Veela text she'd been reading. Draco or Harry must have brought it up for her.

Resting it precariously on her sternum above Draco's hand she flipped to her place and started reading; trying to ignore the way his thumb swiped gently over her nipple every time she turned a page.

By the time he started to wake, hours later, she had read all the way through the book once and was making good progress on a second run. Her wrist was cramping slightly from the odd angle she was holding it and she felt nearly cross eyed from reading the text so closely.

She was also in a state of nearly agonizing arousal.

She had paused many times while reading, forced to bite her lip and flex her legs and toes in an attempt to distract her mind from the growing need that was coiling up tighter and tighter inside her from Draco's persistent and unconscious ministrations.

Even his steady breathing, brushing lightly on her skin was starting to make her tingle. She didn't think she could possibly feel more tense with arousal.

When he suddenly shifted, she couldn't stop the quiet moan from escape her lips. His breathing suddenly caught and she could feel his whole body freeze as he came awake.

She shut the book and put it back onto the bedside table.

She could feel him slowly realizing where he was and where his hands were. He stayed frozen for several seconds, apparently completely at loss about what to do next.

"Did you sleep well?" she eventually asked.

"How—did I get here?" he asked, finally sliding his hand away.

"You fell asleep in that chair. I moved you."

She could feel him getting annoyed with her and despite her resolution not to care about it, she found she couldn't.

"And before you get angry with me, well, don't. I don't think I can handle you being angry with me right now," she said before he could speak.

He subsided from his irritation and stayed there frozen. She turned her head enough to look at him. They were pressed closely together, the narrow bed leaving little space for him to get away unless he climbed over her.