Chapter One

Cold shower and rotten eggs

November 4 2005

"Mmm... Draco I really need to get up and get ready for work." I giggled against his lips as I tried to pull away from him.

"No." He muttered and started kissing along my jawline until he reached my neck. "You can call in sick today... or be late."

I let out another giggle as he gave my bum one last squeeze before letting his hands travel up and under my shirt."I can't do that Draco... oh god..." I moaned as Draco's lips found the sweet spot behind my ear.

Draco smiled against my neck and I felt myself getting lost in his kisses.

But I was broughtback to reality quickly when I saw wall clock. "Stop." Draco pouted when I pushed away from him and sat up in a sitting position, straddling him. "I need to get to work."

"Mione, you don't need to work, I'm bringing enough in for the both of us.. Just stay with me today..." he begged and tried to pull me down to him again. I laughed.

"Draco, no. Just let me go. I need to take a shower."

"Can I join?" he asked, giving me a cheeky smile and slipped his hands further up my shirt. I almost gave into him a second time when I suddenly felt sharp pain over my breasts.

"Ow!" I pushed Draco's hands away and gave him a hard glare. "That hurt!" He looked at me with a shocked expression.

"What...?"

"You grabbed me WAY too hard! That really hurt!" Voice ringing with betrayal, I jumped off him and climbed out of bed.

"Are you serious?" Draco demanded as he sat up, still clearly baffled with the whole situation. "I barely touched you!"

"Yes you did!"

"Come on Hermione, don't be ridiculous. I've been way rougher than that before." I glared at him before I walked over to my closet to get some fresh clothes for the day. I was definitely not in the mood for some morning sex anymore.

"Well, I need to take a shower and get ready for work anyway." Draco still sat in bed and looked at me like he couldn't believe what just happened. He had no one but himself to blame. "You can use the shower after me, you look like you could need one." I glanced down at the still visible bulge in his boxers and then back up at him. "Preferably a cold one."

Draco called after me when I left the bedroom for the bathroom but I ignored it. He could take care of his own problem. I threw my t-shirt and panties into the laundry basket and jumped into the shower, letting the hot water run down my body.

After being with Draco for three years I think this is the first time I've ever complained about something he did in bed. Usually he had me under his spell with his magical touch but something was definitely different this morning.

But I guess there is a first time for everything, right?

Twenty minutes later I emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed and ready for work in a grey skirt with a simple white blouse, my shoulder length hair in a tight bun at the top of my head, still slightly wet from the shower.

I worked at Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. There, I continued my work with S.P.E.W., working for the rights of underprivileged non-humans such as house-elves. It wasn't much but I loved it.

However, I really didn't feel like it at all today. Instead, as I started descending the stairs, groaned at the thought, my. whole body aching. I just wanted to go back to sleep for a couple of more hours. A small headache was already starting to pound away in my skull and I hadn't even started going through all the papers yet.

Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy always asked me why I even worked at the Ministry. She all but told me I should quit and rely completely on Draco. I never understood why though. I liked making my own money, even though I didn't even make nearly half as much as he did. But I wasn't his girlfriend because of his money. I was his girlfriend for completely different reasons.

Of course it was nice getting that extra fancy dinner every now and then but I could definitely do without it. I fell for Draco because of who he is as a person and not what he does.

When I got downstairs I found him in the kitchen, still in his boxers, cooking breakfast with his wand. He was singing and whistling for himself as he looked for everything he needed. I tried to hold back a smile but I couldn't. Leaning against the doorframe I waited for him to notice me.

"Are you in a better mood now or are you still mad for no discernable reason?" He said with his back still to me. I rolled my eyes and walked further into the kitchen to get myself a cup of coffee.

"Don't start with me again Malfoy, it was your fault."

He glanced over at me and I could tell he was amused by the expression on his face. I stuck my tongue out and walked past him to get a cup from the cupboard but he grabbed a hold of my arm and pulled me into him.

"I'm sorry." He held my face in his hands and kissed my forehead, his soft lips lingering there longer than necessary. "If you think I squeezed you too hard, then I did." He was trying to hold back a laugh and I smacked him across his chest.

"It's actually not funny Draco. It hurt!" I pushed his hands off me but he pulled me into his body again.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." he said, this time more sincerely. His silver-grey eyes stared right into mine. Three years into this relationship and he could still make me weak in the knees with those eyes.

"Fine, you're forgiven." I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and wriggled out of his grip. "What are you doing today?"

"I'll be training all day. My break was too long because of my injury so I have to work hard for the next few weeks. The Quidditch World Cup will be next year and before that we will have some important matches." I didn't even have to look at him to know he had a big smile on his face.

"You're really excited about this aren't you? Getting back with them and going back to the pitch?" I asked – but of course I already knew my answer.

"Yeah, I am. I mean I know it's only been like a two months since I had the accident but I've really missed it."

"I know you have." I smiled softly at him. "I'm going to miss you when you go back to the team again though."

"You really think I'm going to leave you here at home on your own? No way, you're coming with me, even if the match is abroad.."

"As long as our Niffler can go on tour as well." Draco sighed and looked at me with tired eyes.

"Hermione." He said warningly. I knew he was getting sick of this conversation but I was not dropping it anytime soon. I've always loved Nifflers and I wanted one. I really enjoyed when Rubeus Hagrid used them as part of the Fourth years Care of Magical Creatures class. I've tried to convince him for months now that we should get a small one. "We're not getting a Niffler." I frowned.

"Why not Draco? Do you want me to pull out that list again? Because I will if I have to, I've even added a few things to it."

"It's not the right time to get a Niffler and do you really think it's a good idea to have a magical beast in this house?"

"Yes! I will take care of it. You even said we would get one eventually and that was a long time ago." I argued angrily.

"Of course I said yes. You were half naked and on top of me, I wasn't exactly going to say no then." He chuckled. "What is going on with your mood today?"

"You never take things seriously Malfoy. Why can't we discuss anything without you being immature? You're almost twenty-five, act like it." Draco stared down and shook his head like he couldn't believe what I just said. He opened his mouth to defend himself but before he had a chance to speak I opened my mouth again. "And what is that awful smell?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust. It was making me sick.

"It's the eggs." He said slowly, observing me with confused eyes. "The same eggs I make most mornings for you and me."

"Ugh, they smell absolutely horrible. You must've done something with them different today."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't." Draco placed his hand on my forehead. "Are you feeling okay? You're acting really weird." I pushed his hand off me.

"I'm fine!" I snarled and put my cup down in the sink. "But I'm not having any of those rotten eggs. I'm going to work before I throw up!"

"Hermione!" He called after me and ran after me into the fireplace in the living room. "Are you seriously mad at me?"

"I thought that was obvious." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I don't even know what I did to make you this mad!" He threw his hands up in the air and I rolled my eyes before taking my coat, wand and a handful of Floo Powder. "Is it really about the Niffler?"

"That's the problem with men. You never know what you do." And with that I turned my back to him, stepped into the fireplace and left..

"Hermione!" Draco's voice echoed through the living room but I chose to ignore him.

I would talk to him tonight. Right now I just wanted to get away. I hated fighting with him but every little thing he did and said irked me today. He was getting on my nerves and I wasn't even really sure why. My period was probably coming up or something.

I stopped dead in my tracks, receiving some weird looks from the wizard in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

My period...

I quickly pulled up my calendar from my bag with fumbling hands andflicked through to today's date, my heart beating rapidly in my chest as I tried to count the days. I was a week late...

I took some shaky breaths and put my calendar down again. Okay, a week... that's nothing. It was most likely coming up now and that's why I was acting like this. But I had never been late before...

A first time for everything?

I took a deep breath to calm myself down and to convince myself that that was the reason I was so snappy against Draco this morning. I was getting myself worked up over nothing. Everyone is late at least once in their life, right? And it would explain me being so tired, my headache, my sore breasts, me being moody... but it didn't explain me feeling extremely sick by his eggs.

There was another way to explain that symptom though...

No.

My period was on its way. That was the only explanation.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, sitting down in my uncomfortable desk chair.

Artemis, Draco's owl landed next to me with a letter in his beak. I took it carefully from him, my hands still trembling slightly, to open a short letter from Draco.

I love you so much Mione, please remember that! And if a Niffler would make you happy we'll get one. I promise! D.

I closed my eyes, feeling like the biggest idiot ever for the way I acted towards him. Sighing I put the letter in my bag and glanced back at the fireplace with a heavy heart.

On the other hand, maybe doing paper work wasn't too bad today, it would give me a way to keep my mind occupied with for a few hours.

But as the rest of the day went on I couldn't shake away that one certain thought...

I hope everyone liked the first chapter! Thank my wonderful beta reader, Mikhaela for helping me!

The Chapter Two coming soon!