Dreaming

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, and I am not making any money from this whatsoever.

Rating: PG

Summary: Married Hermione lies awake one morning thinking about her life. Post Hogwarts HGDM fluff.

Author's Note: Since I keep writing stories which are unfinished, I thought I'd try writing a one-shot fiction. So this is my first go at it and I will update my other stories soon. Okay, so here we go . . .

Have you ever felt that life was one endless dream that you weren't meant to wake from? Has everything felt so surreal for just a fragment of a second, and then that feeling just shattered a moment later by realisation so startling that it catches your breath every time?

That's exactly how I feel everyday, but not just at any random time in the day. No, it doesn't work quite like that for me. It's always the same though, but that doesn't make it any less unexpected. It's always when the first rays of dawn shines through the thin curtains of my bedroom window and falls across my face; waking me to the stage where I don't quite know if I'm in the land of the living or that of the resting. Peculiarly, however, I'm always drawn to the former, be it the middle of a scorching summer night or a wintry dawn; it's always the warmth that snaps me awake.

Warmth. Warmth was something I'd never thought I'd get from him. But I did. And realising that, I feel so deliriously happy that I may just fall asleep again, but not without getting my morning peek at him first. I guess you're wondering what I'm talking about, or perhaps you're just thinking I've lost my marbles and should just go back to sleep. But I don't and I never do.

Maybe I should take a step back and explain. My name is Hermione Granger, Muggleborn witch, who graduated from Hogwarts with flying colours and is now twenty four years of age. I'm also a successful Medi-witch who's at the top of her field; but you see all that to me is insignificant, because most importantly, I am always a mother and a wife first.

Who's wife? I hear you say. Now that would be the mysterious and illustrious him. Well tell me how do you describe the enigma that is Draco Malfoy? Easy, you can't.

He's a puzzle; not even I have been able to put together. But I know him inside out and inside again, and it all happened in that fateful year seven years ago. The year he let his infamous icy guard down and finally let the world see the real Draco Malfoy. Let me see the real Draco. The Draco lying next to me, still peacefully asleep and blissfully safe from the horror that had been his previous life. The Draco that is my husband and loving father to my beautiful daughter, Amy.

Amy is the light of our lives. She's such a happy bundle of energy and laughter, and to be perfectly honest I don't know quite what I did to deserve the both of them. I only wish every soul could be as happy as mine.

Sighing contently, I roll on to my side to turn and face him, just to witness the golden, crisp details that only morning sunlight could bring to his sleeping face. His hair had fallen onto the side of his face, gleaming like real silver, and the shadows cast across his flawless face, makes him look more beautiful, if that were even possible.

No longer able to resist it, I carefully lift my hand to move the stray strands of hair away from his face. As I let my fingers linger on his skin, I feel him shift beside me and I quickly move my hand away, but not before feeling warm masculine fingers grip my arm.

I watch, slightly startled, as a small smile graces his lips,

"You never were able to resist," he whispers.

I smile, almost as if it were a conditioned response to being busted by my husband.

"Not that you mind of course," I whisper back.

Finally, he opens his eyes, immediately finding mine.

"Now, why would I mind?" he raises an eyebrow, in the seductive way he thinks it is. Not that it isn't, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Well you better not," I say in that mock threatening voice he never takes seriously.

"No I never do," he says, moving forward until his lips rest on my forehead. I sigh happily, before he moves his head back on to the pillow, so that we are now at eye level. His hand wanders to my chestnut curls as he entwines his fingers into the hair, "So what's the plan for today?" he asks.

"Sleep," I mumble, letting my eyes close as I relax under his touch.

He laughs quietly, "Mrs Malfoy, am I hearing this right? No work? No spending 25 hours in the library reading poor Amy the Chronicles of Narnia again for the 78th time?"

I hit him playfully on the leg, still with my eyes closed, "Ha ha, Mr Malfoy. Besides she loves Narnia. It's the only magic she's going to get for another eight years."

"Well Hogwarts better be ready for her! The little blighter turned her chocolate mud pie into-"

"Mud!" I laugh, "So that's what was on your shirt yesterday."

"Seriously, Hermione, she's not a normal three year old."

I open my eyes again, "She's just exceptionally bright."

"Yeah well," he smiles, "She gets that from me."

I elbow him in the stomach.

"Hey! Ok, fine, from you then."

I smile. Funny how a little violence could make him say anything I wanted him to.

"She also seems to have gotten the early bird genes from you too."

"What?"

"She's awake again."

I turn to look at the Muggle contraption on the bedside table. Sure enough, the red light was on.

"I'll go," I say getting one foot out from under the covers. Not that I get very far. Draco grabs my arm again and pulls me back into bed.

"No, I'll go," he says before kissing me briefly on the lips and sliding out. I watch him leave the room, and then roll into the centre of the king sized bed. I snuggle into his still warm pillow, smelling distinctly of nothing but Draco, except for a hint of his vanilla shampoo and aftershave. My eyes feeling heavy, slowly droop shut and the rest of the world slips into the distance as I fall to sleep; albeit a very short sleep.

I wake up again to an eerie silence and my skin instantly searches for that familiar warmth, but it finds nothing. I sit up and look for the time. The wall clock indicates that I had only been asleep for roughly an hour and from the corner of my eye, the red light of the baby alarm catches my attention. Amy was still awake. What in Merlin's name was Draco doing?

Deciding I had to find out for myself, I get out of bed and creep quietly down the hallway. Not that I needed to be quiet. As I neared Amy's bedroom, the muffled voices got louder; both easily recognisable.

"No Gina, that's my dress!"

"But I found it first!"

"It's mine!"

"No, mine!"

"Ahem," I clear my throat, as I stand leaning up against Amy's bedroom door. There on the floor, were the entire contents of my daughter's toy box, my missing lipstick and make-up brush, but most importantly, my three year old daughter with a doll in her hand sitting across from her father, who too seemed to be holding a doll.

A faint blush stained Draco's cheeks as he let go of the doll, letting it fall flat on its face. He brought his arms up and crossed them against his chest, as if he had been doing nothing the whole time.

"I was just telling Amy to go back to sleep," he says.

"It's now eight o' clock in the morning, she doesn't need to go back to sleep," I say smiling.

Amy giggles.

"Yeah . . . but . . ."

"Come on darling, let's go get you some breakfast," I say stretching my arm out for Amy. She too lets go of her doll and still giggling, she grabs on to my hand.

"What?" Draco asks, innocently, yet still blushing.

Turning back to my husband, I briefly let go of Amy and walk back to him. Bending down slightly, I kiss him softly on the lips. Releasing him, I smile at his bemused face and return to Amy. Leaving the door open, I take my daughter's hand and lead her across the hall way and down the stairs towards the kitchen,

"Hey, I want some breakfast too," I hear him yell from the top of the stairs. My smile finally cracks into a laugh and I join Amy in her giggling.

Life was definitely a dream.

The End.

Author's Note 2: So come on what did you think? Please let me know, by hitting the review button right there! Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all!

Love SmilinStar xxx