Someone to Watch Over Me

Someone to Watch Over Me

Chapter 17: Needs

"What's wrong, Draco?" Ginny asked her husband in frustration.

"I don't know, Gin, I'm just not in the mood," he sighed and pulled his shirt back on.

"Again? Honey, tonight's the last night in my cycle that I can conceive! It will be a month before the chance will come up again!" Ginny was trying her best not to yell and failing miserably.

Draco walked over to the closet, and pulled out a jacket.

"Have you changed your mind about having a baby?"

He sighed, and turned to look at her.

"Nothing would make me happier than to have a son or daughter, Gin. But, remember when we used to make love just for the hell of it? There was no time table, no lying with your legs up in the air for thirty minutes afterward, and no nasty potions," he was trying to lighten the mood, but not being very successful.

She huffed and glared at him.

"Well, if you can't handle it, maybe we shouldn't be doing this anyway," she said, and was horrified to feel the tears burning in her eyes.

Draco sighed again and pulled her into his arms.

"It's the stress, Gin. We're all feeling it. When things calm down a bit, we can try again."

Ginny clung to him, and let the tears come.

"I'm being childish. I'm just so scared..."

"Shh. It's going to be okay, you'll see."

Three months had passed since Ginny and Draco had married. They'd had good days and bad ones, but all things considered, their marriage was going pretty well. Better than poor Hermione's and Snape's anyway.

Two months ago, Hermione and Severus were married by Dumbledore at Hogwarts in a private ceremony. An hour after the 'I do's' Snape had been summoned by Voldemort. No one had heard from him since.

Ginny and Joyce were scared to death that their husbands might be next. Ginny believed that getting pregnant would help Draco gain favor with Voldemort, as that seemed to have been his goal for her and Draco since the whole thing started.

Unfortunately, that particular task hadn't been quite as easy as she'd anticipated. Apparently this was just one more thing that Hermione was better at than everyone else.

"You should go check on Hermione," Draco said.

It was Ginny's turn to sigh.

She pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"I love Hermione, I really do, but she's just so difficult to be around. I mean her pregnancy hormones were bad enough on their own, but now with Snape gone..." Ginny shook her head.

She watched the guilt creep into his eyes.

"It's not your fault, you know."

"If we hadn't forced her to marry him, this might not have happened."

"Oh, please! Hermione's in love with him! She's having his babies for Merlin's sake. It was only right that they get married, and even if they hadn't, the Dark Lord would have found out anyway."

Draco contemplated her words, and then nodded.

"You're right, doesn't make me feel any less bad, but you are right."

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Hermione had moved all of her things into Snape's rooms. She was desperately clinging to any hope that he might come back to her, but part of her wasn't sure he would if he could. She and the babies would be fine. He'd already changed his will before he married her, allowing her plenty of money to see that her children had what they needed.

"Except for a father," she muttered out loud.

She was currently sitting at his desk writing the Potion's lesson plan for next week's classes. She'd been horrified to see the want ad for a Potion's Professor in the Daily Prophet that Dumbledore had put out a week after Severus had disappeared. She'd gone to him in a rage, and came home with a job.

Teaching Potions wasn't something Hermione had ever really desired to do, but at least this way Severus would have a job when he came back. If he came back.

She blinked hard to keep the tears from coming. Honestly, it seemed like she'd been crying ever since he had disappeared.

It would hit her at odd times. Her poor students always kept tissues handy for when she'd have an outburst during class.

A small smile crossed her lips as she remembered overhearing two fifth year Hufflepuffs discussing who was worse, her or Snape.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

Her heart began to race like it always did whenever there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called, trying to sound nonchalant.

Ginny poked her head in and Hermione's face fell.

"Good to see you too," Ginny teased.

"Sorry. Please come in," Hermione said, politely.

Ginny sank down on the sofa in Snape's office.

"How are you doing?"

"Oh, about the same as when you asked me thirty minutes ago. I thought you and Draco would be baby making about now."

Ginny grimaced.

"I think we're going to quit trying so hard for a while. If it happens, it happens."

Hermione pulled herself up and waddled over to join Ginny on the sofa, putting her swollen feet on the coffee table. She was now five months along, and as big as a house. She'd overheard Joyce telling Ginny that if she got any bigger, she might have to remain in bed for the last few months of her pregnancy.

"Want to trade places?"

"Not on your life!"

Hermione laughed, despite herself.

They sat in silence for a minute.

"Oh, want to see a trick? Hand me that coaster," Hermione said.

Ginny handed it over.

Hermione vigorously rubbed her belly, and then placed the coaster on top of it. A few seconds later the coaster went flying off.

"They kicked it off? Does it hurt?" Ginny asked, pressing her hands against Hermione's swollen tummy.

"Yes, they always kick like that when I put pressure on them, but no, it doesn't hurt."

After feeling the strong kicks under her hands for a few minutes, Ginny asked, "What does it feel like?"

Hermione pondered the question for a moment.

"Well, it's like kicking the inside of a balloon, only I'm the balloon."

Ginny laughed.

"Thanks for clearing that up."

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Draco came running in.

Ginny jumped to her feet.

"What is it?"

Draco pushed up his sleeve, and held up his arm for them to see.

The Dark Mark was glowing, and pulsating.

"I'm being summoned."

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It was four hours later before he finally returned. Ginny, Blaise, and Joyce were in the parlor waiting for him. Hermione had been sent to bed a while ago, before she could topple over with exhaustion. They'd all sworn to wake her up the moment Draco returned.

Draco apparated into his parlor, and he was not alone. A weak, but very much alive Severus Snape was leaning heavily on him.

A million questions were fired at the pair, but Draco held up his hands to stop them.

"Severus was being punished for marrying a mud- uh, Muggle-born, but in light of the quadruplets, the Dark Lord is allowing him to live. I know you have many more questions, but I think Snape needs to get to Hermione as soon as possible. Everything else can wait until the morning."

With that, Blaise came and helped Draco take Snape to his rooms.

Snape shooed them away when he reached the door.

He went into his rooms, and saw her asleep in his bed. Suddenly, every torturous second of the last two months seemed worth it just to be here now.

As silent as possible, he showered and shaved, he hadn't been allowed to in quite some time. Then he pulled on a nightshirt, and slipped into bed, spooning Hermione, and wrapping an arm around her much larger stomach. He felt a small kick beneath his hand, and grinned insanely into the dark.

It was very good to be home.

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Ginny attacked Draco when he entered their room a few minutes later.

Pulling his clothes off, and dropping kisses wherever she could reach.

"Ginny..."

"I need you, Draco. I need to feel you inside me, now!"

He divested himself of the rest of his clothes while she did the same, then he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

In one quick move, he was inside of her, knowing that she'd be ready for him. They simply held and kissed each other while connected in the most intimate of ways for several minutes.

Declarations of undying love were proclaimed in soft whispers, as they caressed each other, tenderly.

Ginny moaned aloud when Draco finally began to move. He was soon pounding into her, over and over, gasping her name in an unending mantra.

When they had both found their release, Draco rolled onto his back so that she was sprawled on top of him.

He played with her hair, while she kissed, licked, and nipped at his chest and nipples. He was soon hard inside of her again, and this time she took control, raising and lowering herself onto him.

She changed her angle, and caught her breath a he bumped a spot inside her that sent delicious shivers up her spine. A few thrusts later, they came together, shouting the other's name.

Ginny rolled over then curled up to his side.

After a few more whispered 'I love you's', they drifted off to sleep, content with the knowledge that they and the ones they cared about were safe. At least, for the time being.

Warning: There be Hermione/Snape sex ahead! Stop know if you don't want to read it. You won't miss any of the plot.

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Hermione awoke to the feel of a man snuggled up behind her. Hardly daring to believe it, she turned over to look at him.

"Hello, Mrs. Snape."

She gasped and sat up.

"Is it really you, or am I dreaming again?" she demanded, tears rolling down her face.

He sat up and pulled her into his lap.

"It's really me, Hermione. I'm home."

She threw her arms around his neck, and sobbed into his chest. He felt a few kicks of protestation from her stomach being smashed against him.

"I don't think the little ones are happy with this position."

"Tough," she said, and pulled him closer so she could kiss him.

The kiss grew heated. Each of them had been looking forward to their second time together, hopefully without the help of a potion. Had they known they'd be separated so long, they would have done this months ago.

When he reached for the hem of the nightgown, she froze.

"What?" he asked.

"I just... Well, I'm huge! I'm afraid that once you see what a cow I've become it'll kill the mood," she ducked her head, shyly.

He took hold of her chin, and tilted her head back up.

"That could never happen."

She didn't look convinced, but didn't try to stop him as he pulled the night gown over her head.

Her whole body was swollen, including her breasts and he was careful as he massaged them, knowing that they'd be sensitive.

She blushed when she saw his eyes drop to the maternity briefs she was wearing.

But he simply pulled them off, and stared down at her naked form in adoration.

"Hermione you could never look more beautiful to me than you do now."

She reached for him and he leaned down to kiss her, and then rolled her on her side facing away from him. She knew what he was doing, as she'd read the same books that he had, and accommodatingly lifted her top leg so that he could slide his under it.

It wasn't long before he was thrusting into her from behind, kissing the back of her neck, while a hand played between her legs. She was writhing and moaning. It was almost overwhelming to be doing this with him again after only dreaming about it for so long.

When they were done, Hermione turned to face him. They kissed, deeply, and then snuggled up in each other's arms.

Explanations were trivial and could be sorted out tomorrow. For now, Hermione just wanted to enjoy sleeping in her husband's arms.

End Chapter 17