~Asphodel~

chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

Someone was shaking her shoulder. "Mum! Mum!" a small voice said with impatience. Hermione sighed and mumbled, "Just a moment," and hoped the shaking would stop. It did. She sighed again and nestled further under the covers. She was laying on something extremely soft, like…silk sheets? She frowned but didn't open her eyes. Where was she? Certainly not the hospital wing, they didn't have silk sheets, and not in her dorm bed either. Then where?

A soft "humph" of impatience reminded Hermione of the person who woke her. Surely they would know what was going on… Hermione opened her eyes and found herself looking into the cool grey eyes of a little girl with brown curls and wearing a powder blue nightgown. "Oh," Hermione said softly, feeling a bit shocked. Where on earth was she?

The little girl looked to be about four or five years old and stood with her hands on her hips. She stared at Hermione with a pouting expression. "You said we were going to Diagon Alley today!" she huffed quietly. Hermione wondered why she was being so quiet. "You promised, Mummy!" the girl whined.

"I know dearest," Hermione soothed. "And we will. Just as soon as-" She froze as the words the little girl had said hit her. Mummy?

Abruptly Hermione realized there was someone else in the bed with her, providing a comfortable warmth against her back and…across her stomach? She peeked under the covers and sure enough, a pale arm was wrapped around her middle. Panic filled her and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. One thing at a time, Hermione, she thought, and turned back to the little girl waiting at her bedside. She gave the girl a big smile. "As soon as Mummy gets dressed, dear. And you too. Run along and put on your jumper, you can't go out in your night things!" The words tumbled out of her mouth, as though she knew exactly what was going on and who this little girl was. Hermione felt very odd, as though she were two people at once. She felt the panic rising again and desperately tried to squash it.

The little girl was obviously unaffected by the oddness Hermione was feeling and beamed at Hermione. The smile lit up her entire face. "Ok! I love you Mummy!" she gushed before bounding out of the room. Hermione couldn't help feeling a small swell of happiness at those words, and despite everything, she smiled. She shifted her body a bit, getting ready to sit up, but the arm around her waist tightened, bringing her sharply back to the moment. She swallowed and steeled her herself, then slowly rolled over to face whoever was in bed with her, and found herself nose to nose with a sleeping Draco Malfoy.

Draco sighed in his sleep. He was having a good dream, one where his father wasn't there to stop his mother from showing the affection she would if he wasn't around. It felt like having a real family. He smiled. He was at the manor, his in king-size bed. He could feel the smooth silk sheets he always slept on under his cheek.

Someone shifted beside him and his arm was wrapped around her waist. He heard soft murmuring, but didn't open his eyes. Instead he took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the delicious scent of hazelnut coming from the woman lying beside him.

She shifted and he tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer. She moved again, this time rolling over to face him. Suddenly, a sharp gasp pulled him from the depths of sleep and his eyes flew open. He found himself staring into the shocked face of Hermione Granger.

The shock didn't register with him right away and he gazed sleepily into her wide brown eyes, at her sleep-tossed hair, her full pink lips, and down to her chest, where her cleavage peeked tantalizingly out of a low cut, pale green, silk night gown. She saw where he was looking and huffed disgustedly as she covered herself. He looked again into her angry brown eyes and suddenly it dawned on him. This was Granger. Granger. What in the name of Merlin's saggy left was Granger doing in his bed looking like she had just enjoyed a very good night's sleep? He sat up. "What the bloody hell-"