October 2005

Hermione sat at the small dining table in the Corfu Malfoy estate, idly staring at the potion vial in front of her. She'd be going into heat within the next day or so and felt conflicted. Over the last three years, she'd taken the contraceptive potion before every heat, and now it was taunting her. Draco had told her after her first heat that he would leave the timing up to her — he couldn't wait to get her pregnant.

Alpha males. Honestly, I let him shag me multiple times a day, and he needs more proof of his virility.

She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought. However, deep down inside, she felt like she was ready to throw caution to the wind. She and Padma finally had the apothecary business settled, both the London and Hogsmeade locations had dedicated staff for general brewing and minding the storefronts. For over a year, Hermione had been solely focused on research and knew she could complete most of her tasks from home if she wanted to.

She felt ready, but she was also terrified at the prospect of being responsible for a tiny witch or wizard with supposedly high magic levels. What if their baby ended up like Harry? The child of an Alpha and Omega pair, singled out to defeat some dark wizard or save the wizarding world in some other way? Or what if he or she was bullied for being a half-blood Malfoy at Hogwarts?

Draco walked into the kitchen, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, and looked at her, his eyes still sleepy. "I can feel your anxiety from the bedroom, love. What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

With a sigh, she held the vial up for him to see. "I'm trying to decide if I should take this or not."

A surprised expression crossed his face — she knew she was blindsiding him, but she had also noticed the sad look in his eyes every time she drank the potion. Hermione waited for him to say something, but he looked like he was afraid to speak.

"Draco," she began, "please tell me what you're thinking. This is a decision we should make together."

He walked over and kissed her, softly but passionately. "I still think it's ultimately your choice, Hermione. I'm ready whenever you are."

"I'm scared," she admitted. "Everyone knows what we are, Draco. What if our child ends up targeted because their magic levels are higher? Or what if he or she ends up in Slytherin and the others are mean because they're only half-blood?"

Draco looked down at her, considering. "Well, I would hope that in twelve years or so, blood status wouldn't be talked about anymore, even in Slytherin. We'll protect our child or children, Hermione. I won't let anything happen to any of you."

"Harry's parents tried to protect him and they died, Draco," she stated.

"And we'd do the same if it came down to it, love. Potter's parents were what, twenty or twenty-one? And they hadn't actively fought in a war starting at age sixteen like the two of us."

"We're not much older. We're only twenty-five and twenty-six," Hermione pointed out.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I think that's loads more mature than twenty-one. But I promise, Hermione, at the first sign of trouble in Britain, we'll leave. I will pack up our whole family, and we'll run. I won't subject our children to what we went through."

She eyed him skeptically. "I won't—"

Draco pulled her to her feet and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck possessively while he kissed her hard. "You will. You've saved the wizarding world once already. You've done your part. You're mine now, Hermione, and I'm not going to let any harm come to you, regardless of the situation. And if we have children, you need to be there for them."

"They'd still have you," she remarked.

Shaking his head, he replied, "They'd have a very sad version of me. You know how the story goes, Hermione. Once an Alpha loses his Omega, he's never the same."

"It wouldn't matter. I would hope that you'd love them just as fiercely as you love me."

"Yes, I would. And I'd spoil them rotten and turn them into miniature versions of me. I know you don't want that to happen," he joked.

Her eyes moved back to the little vial on the table, still conflicted.

"Hermione, if you're not ready, we can wait. I'm not in a rush," he soothed, running his hand up and down her back. "I had no idea you were this worried about children. I'm so sorry. I should've asked what was troubling you more often."

She looked up at Draco, meeting his eyes before whispering, "Do you see them? I dream about one in particular pretty regularly."

He looked taken aback. "Not really. Once or twice. Usually I dream about you while you're pregnant," he admitted. "It makes me… I don't know, I start almost pining for it."

"Have you seen a girl or a boy?" she asked, wanting to know if they were seeing the same future.

Draco let out a deep exhale. "A girl. I see a little girl with curly blonde hair. Not quite as light as mine, but she has my eyes."

At his words, her heart swelled — it couldn't be a coincidence that they were seeing the same child.

"I want to meet her, Draco. I dream about her almost every night when I'm close to my heat," Hermione confessed.

Draco did what came to him instinctively; he released Hermione, walked to the table, and grabbed the contraceptive potion. "There's only one way for that to happen, love," he stated. "How long have you been seeing her?"

"Since before the first heat, but I knew we weren't ready then."

Without a word, he dumped the potion down the sink, making the decision for her. Hermione expected to be upset with him, but she only felt relief. She had been wavering between wanting to meet this mysterious little girl and fear that something would happen to her if she became real. With one action, Draco had made the decision for them and she felt only gratitude.

"If you've wanted this for three years, Hermione, I don't think you're going to change your mind. You can't let fear of the unknown hold you back, love. You're ready. I'm ready. I want to start now. We lost so much time together, and I don't want to lose the chance to know my daughter," Draco explained. "If we're both seeing her, she'll come. There hasn't been a girl born into the Malfoy line in quite some time."

Hermione felt the rush of blood through her veins, her temperature starting to rise and her pheromones starting to seep out through every pore of her skin. Draco's pupils dilated and he grinned.

"You are ready. Your scent is… different," he said, nuzzling his nose against her neck. "I smell strawberry still, but the flowery part is much stronger this time…" He paused, inhaling deeply a few times and thinking for a moment. "Oh, fuck, you smell like my Amortentia right now."

Hermione felt her eyes widen. "I had forgotten about that!"

"Fuck, Granger, let's go to bed. Your heat is starting and I need to taste you before you're too insatiable to have foreplay," he groaned.

"Hold on, Draco, I need to write it—"

He wrapped his arms around her and Apparated them to the bedroom. "I'll make sure you remember to write about the Amortentia in a few days. You must be fertile already. Why else would you smell different?"

Hermione tried to think. She really tried. And then another rush of heat coursed through her, shifting her body into a brainless vat of hormones.

Draco was barely containing his lust. He picked her up and set her on the bed, trying to create a little distance between them. Hermione's scent, her heat scent unsuppressed by a contraceptive, was threatening to put him into a rut before he'd had adequate time to savour her. He knew it wasn't necessary — he already did it daily — but she was his. His wife. His Omega. The center of his universe.

Love, I'm losing control. I wanted to make love to you but—

Alpha, please, I'm burning up. I'm already burning up. Please!

With that, he stripped off his pants and stroked his length a few times while inhaling her scent. He saw her hands palming her breasts through the thin camisole she'd been wearing, and her nipples were standing at attention. Letting his eyes roam down her body, they finally landed on the strip of fabric covering her quim. It looked wet, stuck to her, and he felt a low rumble in his chest. He tore the knickers away, even though he knew she generally hated that, and ran a finger through her slit. She moaned and shuddered when he brushed over her swollen clit.

He crawled onto the bed and knelt between her legs. Looking up at him, drunk on her own arousal, she continued to stroke her breasts. The desperate Alpha finally broke free, grasping her hips and flipping her over, positioning her on her hands and knees, back slightly arched. He roughly shoved into her body, sliding in as deep as possible. She was soaking wet for him already, and he growled.

"Such a good little Omega, wet and ready for your Alpha. I'm going to fuck you so hard."

She whimpered and moved against him, trying to convey she wanted him to continue, that she was ready and needed him to move within her. Through the past twelve heat cycles, Draco had learned her cues. He knew when she needed to be fucked harder, needed praise and reassurance, or simply needed to be face to face so she could really feel him, complete with emotions passing between them. The bond was something completely pure and wonderful, and he treasured it.

"Alpha, please move. Please. I need you," she whimpered.

Realising he had been lost in his own thoughts, Draco grabbed her hips and started moving, steadily building the pace until he could feel her trembling around him. She was desperately pressing herself back against him, meeting his thrusts, looking to climax for the first time. He leaned forward and wrapped his hand around her throat, tipping her head back and forcing her to arch a bit more. In his possessive hold, her body spasmed and let go, knowing he was the one who completed and protected her.

She kept moving, though he could feel her brain had fogged and slipped away. Over the years, he had also learned there was no way to prevent subspace during her heats and even during day-to-day sex when she was overwhelmingly aroused. Her body just relaxed and let him take over, trusting him to meet her needs and guide her through. He released her neck, and she let out a whine before dropping down to her forearms so her arse was higher in the air.

Both of his hands returned to her hips, and he rutted against her as hard as he could. She was screaming with pleasure and squeezing him, begging him to spiral down with her. Digging his nails into the flesh of her hips, Draco moved faster, somehow finding it in himself to fuck her harder through her climax. Her legs wobbled and shook, nearly giving out, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into a kneeling position, her back against his chest.

"My favorite way to take you," he growled in her ear before bringing his teeth to her neck, making her think of how he'd claimed her.

A shiver ran along her spine, and Draco wrapped his free hand around her throat, holding her in place while he thrusted up into her. When she tried to move her fingers to her clit, he grabbed her wrist and halted her progress.

I'll take care of you. You're mine. Your pleasure is mine. You don't need to touch yourself.

Hermione nearly fell apart at his words.

Mine.

Sharp thrust, hard and deep, making her scream.

Mine.

Draco's fingers dipped down to where his cock was sliding in and out of her, collecting slick before moving back up to her clit. He rubbed and circled and stroked her.

Oh, gods, yes! Alpha!

Mine. You're mine. My Omega. My wife. Mine.

She was panting and moaning, his hand on her throat holding her in place while he nibbled at her neck. Flexing her thighs, she moved against him, riding him the best she could. His prick was stroking just the right spot inside of her, and her nerves were rapidly firing once more.

Hermione could feel his knot starting to swell, stretching her to a point that was still almost uncomfortable. She continued to move against him until she felt him come. When he did, she whined and his fingers found her clit, circling around it until she cried out and came, too, squeezing him and making sure she got every last drop of his seed inside of her.

Draco hugged her tightly, crushing her body against his, realising he had never taken her camisole off. It was clinging to her body, soaked with her sweet-smelling sweat. His mouth latched onto her neck, the spot where he'd bitten her three years ago, and he sank his teeth down again, not quite hard enough to puncture the skin, but hard enough to make her go entirely limp in his arms.

"Mine," he murmured when he finally released her neck.

"Yours, Alpha. I am yours. Always," she responded softly. More possessively, she added, "And you're mine."

"Of course I am. I have been since we were sixteen, Hermione."

His hands moved to her breasts, slipping underneath the camisole and exploring her heated skin. She pressed them further into his palms and moaned, not sated or ready to rest yet. His body was still locked inside of hers, so he continued kissing and caressing her, building her arousal higher and higher while he waited to be able to fuck her again. He pulled the last garment between them off, desperate to just be skin-to-skin for the next few days.

He felt Hermione's hips shifting against him, testing the hold her body had on him. She squeezed her inner muscles tighter, and Draco let out a groan. "Just a few more minutes, love. Do you want me to make you come now?"

He saw her nodding, and his fingers moved down to the apex of her thighs, rubbing and circling her clit again. His other hand played with her nipple, and his mouth latched onto her neck once more. He felt her flutter around him and her strengthened heat scent, strawberry and some sort of flower he couldn't identify, took him under her spell once more. His knot finally slipped out of her, and guided her down onto her back.

Her eyes opened and she looked up at him. He felt everything she was feeling — love, lust, happiness, hope, excitement — mirrored back to him. He sank down between her thighs and she wrapped them around his waist, welcoming him into her body once more.

On the final morning of her heat, Draco went downstairs to get breakfast for them. Normally, Hermione would fight him on it, telling him that he couldn't leave her, that she needed him. However, today, she let him go without a struggle.

A crazy, crazy compulsion had taken control of her, and it made her heart sing. She'd never felt the desire to nest before — she'd only ever read about it in the Omega book they'd borrowed from Hogwarts — but it was hitting her full force. Once Draco had disappeared downstairs, she'd Apparated from bedroom to bedroom, collecting all the blankets and pillows she could. The master bathroom of the house had a sunken-in tub that was large enough to be considered a small swimming pool, in her opinion.

As she lined the whole tub with pillows, she felt her excitement growing, her blood heating again. Rather than risking Apparition again as her magic started to go haywire, she waved her hand and summoned the rest of the pillows from around the sheer number of pillows and cushions in this place was obscene, but they were perfect for this purpose. She covered the majority of them with the extra blankets she'd grabbed and threw the other ones on top for their heads.

When Hermione moved back into the bedroom, she saw Draco staring at the stripped bed in confusion, the tray containing breakfast set down on the bare mattress. Meeting her eyes, he asked, "What are you doing?"

A wave of nerves hit her, and she saw the concern in his eyes.

"I… Alpha, I…" Words were evading her, so she took a deep breath, trying to calm the fire that was raging inside of her. "I made a nest for us."

"A nest?"

Hermione nodded. "I… We need a place. A safe place to go so you can… so we can make a baby."

"Isn't that what we've been doing all weekend?" he asked, and her heart dropped.

Falling to her knees, she covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I'm sorry. I should've made the nest sooner—"

Draco lifted her from the floor and pulled her hands away. "Hey, Hermione," he said. "Hermione?"

Tears kept rolling from her eyes, and she couldn't bring herself to look him in the face.

Hermione, love, you're scaring me. What's going on?

She couldn't answer, could hardly breathe properly.

"Omega," he said, his tone more assertive. "Look at me. Calm down."

Something inside of her clicked, and she looked into his eyes, seeing the concern he felt reflected back at her. Taking a deep breath, she focused on pulling herself together while his hands stroked her heated skin. When he finally spoke, his tone screamed Alpha more than it ever had before.

"Now tell me what's wrong."

Hermione felt words leave her mouth, though she hadn't really processed what she was planning to say. "I should've made the nest sooner. But my heat started so fast. I didn't have time—"

"Show me," he commanded, and she grabbed his hand, leading him into the bathroom.

Looking down into the tub, he finally understood. "This is… for us. You want to go in there and—"

"I want — I need — you to fuck me. Over and over again," she panted, another wave of desire crashing over her. "Alpha, please, I need your knot."

Draco carefully descended the steps into the nest she'd made, carrying her in his arms. He set her down and she laid back, her hands roaming her body while he quickly stripped off his shorts.

"Oh, Omega, I can smell you. It's so strong," he growled. "I think it's time. You're ready to start carrying our baby."

Hermione moaned as slick slid from her body, preparing for a rutting Alpha. Beneath the haze of hormones and lust, she could feel this was different somehow, that her body was altering for something new. Instinctively, she turned over onto her belly, spreading her thighs and submitting to Draco, waiting for him to give her what she needed and take what he wanted from her.

He grabbed her hips and turned her over, opening her legs and kneeling between them.

"I need to see your face," he said, his voice full of desire. "I want to look into your eyes when you come for me."

A moment later, she felt his fingers probing her dripping sex, but they weren't enough — she was needy and aching to be filled.

"Alpha, please!" she cried. "Please. I can't wait. It hurts."

Draco moved his hand away from her centre and balanced himself on his forearms, sliding inside her easily. "Shhhh, I've got you. I'm going to give you what you need right now," he soothed, running his fingers gently over her hair, both exciting and calming her nerves all at once.

"More," Hermione begged. "Please, I need more. Harder. Please."

Much like when they were younger, he whispered calming words in her ear. "Slow down, Hermione. We have plenty of time. Let me love you properly."

He punctuated his words with a nip to her neck and grabbed her left thigh, hitching it higher around his hip. Sinking deeper, he groaned and rocked against her, making her shiver.

This… this is so good.

It is. Such a good little Omega, opening up to take me all the way.

The words playing in her mind made her insides tighten and twist, and she let out a moan. Draco laced his fingers through hers and moved them above her head, pinning her down as he slid against her. When she pressed against his hands, he held her down more firmly and kissed her.

Oh, Omega, you're not going anywhere. I'm keeping you exactly where I want you.

Hermione whimpered against his lips and her tongue forced its way into his mouth. He met her demand for deeper kissing, sucking her lip into his mouth. She started to clench around him and her scent poured out of her in waves, letting Draco know how much she was enjoying this slower, more intimate coupling.

For an unknown amount of time — he was too enthralled with Hermione to keep track of anything — he continued at the same pace, pausing every so often to move her legs up higher, helping her to wrap them around his waist. He stared into her arousal-darkened eyes and got completely lost. Their bonds were vibrating from the extreme amount of physical contact, and he could feel the magic engulfing them.

With each small movement, she moved closer to the edge again, and Draco must have sensed it; he reached between them and pinched her clit between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it slowly.

"Ohhhhh," she groaned. "Yes, that feels so good."

"Come for me, love," he panted, his cock swelling and locking their bodies together. "I'm going to fill you. I'm going to give you everything you want."

Shaking, she climaxed again, everything held inside of her by Draco's knot. She could feel him twitching and spurting inside of her, his eyes fixed on hers. He released her hands and cupped her face, kissing her passionately.

"I love you," he said between kisses. "I love you so much."

"Alpha," she murmured, still not quite out of her euphoric state. "I love you. Forever. Don't ever leave me."

"Never," Draco responded, moving his mouth down towards her neck. When his tongue moved over her gland, she cried out. "How could I ever even think of it, love?"

Hermione wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close as possible, holding him against her chest. "Please, Draco," she pleaded.

"What do you need?"

She didn't know what she wanted, but she hugged him tighter, her arms and legs both squeezing him tightly. "You. Just you."

"I'm here," he soothed, kissing from her neck up to her lips again. "I'll always be here."

And with that, they both dozed off.

In her dreams, Hermione saw the little girl flitting between her and Draco, jumping back and forth, laughing and chattering, as they walked through the hedges at Malfoy Manor. Hermione estimated the girl was about four or five years old, but she couldn't be sure. Draco's face was relaxed, a smile stretching across it. When their daughter ran forward, he moved closer to Hermione, kissing the top of her head and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Do you think one is enough?" he asked.

Looking up at him, she smiled. "I hope you don't think so."

Giving her a puzzled look, he stopped. "What do you mean?"

Hermione rested a hand on her abdomen. "I might have grabbed the wrong potion during my last heat," she admitted. "We were so frenzied, and—"

After her words registered, Draco dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands landing on her abdomen. "You're pregnant?"

Hermione nodded, her curls swaying with the motion. "I am. About—"

"Two months," he replied, breathless. "I was already planning where we'd go next month and how I'd convince you it was time to try again. I thought you smelled different, but I never would have believed you'd make that mistake."

Well, you see, it's hard for one to concentrate on which vial they're grabbing when their clit is being sucked on.

He pressed his lips to her belly and kissed it before looking up at her, trying to convey innocence.

Well, if you didn't taste so delicious, my little lioness…

Laughing, she ran her fingers through his hair, and their daughter hugged him from behind.

"Daddy, why are you on the ground?" she asked.

Draco turned his head, kissing the little girl's face. "Because your mum has just given me some really surprising news."

"Did she tell you about the baby?"

Hermione's eyes widened, and Draco looked up at her.

I didn't tell her. I don't know how she…

Elevated magic levels. She's probably a bloody Seer.

Even in her dreams, Hermione still hated the thought of Divination and the Second Sight.

Or she's a natural Legilimens.

He snorted a laugh. "Oh, she did tell me about the baby... Who told you?"

The little blonde girl shrugged her shoulders. "I just know I'll have a little brother. I've always known."

Hermione bolted upright in bed and saw that Draco was already awake, a shocked look on his face.

"Did you see her?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "And I was—"

"Pregnant again," he responded, and she knew they had been in the same dream.

"And she knew before we did!" Hermione exclaimed.

A wistful look crossed his face. "She's going to be amazing. I can't wait to meet her." His hand moved to her flat abdomen, rubbing it gently. "Do you think…"

"I hope so," she began. "I know the chances are pretty high because of our elevated fertility levels, but it might take some time. I know Muggles can have trouble conceiving when they stop taking contraceptives. But if it didn't happen this time, we just try again next time. That's all we can do."

Draco pulled her closer and his hand traveled south, stroking over her clit with one finger. "Well, we'd better keep practicing just in case."

Laughing, Hermione said, "Well, I guess a few more times before the actual end of this heat couldn't hurt. It'll increase the odds."

Once everything had cooled between them, Hermione found herself out on the deck, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was more beautiful than she'd ever imagined, and she could picture vacationing here regularly. Even just two days after her heat, she was looking for signs that she was pregnant, and she knew Draco was, too. There were equal parts tension and excitement in the air. Dropping her hand to her abdomen, she sighed. "Are you there?"

"Stop worrying. It's only been two days since your heat ended. You know the charm can't really detect much for about a week," he said, walking out into the sun. "And it's like you said, if it didn't happen this time, we'll just keep trying again. We'll get it right sooner or later."

Hermione laughed. "I'm sure that's true. We have enough sex."

Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his groin into her arse. "There's no such thing as enough sex, especially with you, Granger. We missed out on years. There's so much lost time to make up for."

Draco's lips landed on her neck, momentarily distracting her. "I'm not Granger anymore. I'm Malfoy, remember?"

"Do you remember what that did to me on our wedding night?" he asked, his breath ghosting over her skin and causing goosebumps to raise on her skin.

His hand started to slip into the waistband of her jeans, and she thought about stopping him. They were technically out in the open, but Hermione knew no one would see them.

Will you always want me like this?

Forever.

Forever.

They both tested the word, knowing what they'd previously said — that it wouldn't be long enough. Even now, it didn't seem quite right, especially with no way to quantify how much time would elapse in their forever. Hermione relaxed into Draco's touch, deciding to cherish every second they had together since each and every one was a gift. They'd been given a second chance, and she intended to make the most of it. She knew the seconds would add up to minutes, the minutes into hours, and the hours into days. Days would turn to weeks, and then months, and then years…

It may not have felt long enough to either of them, but forever would have to do.

Author's Note: I'm sitting here at my laptop, just staring at the empty GoogleDoc, and I'm pretty amazed that it's all over.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for reading all of these words. I've said it before - I never intended for this story to reach this length, and I'm honestly shocked that it did. I want you all to know that every time I see this story recommended somewhere or read your comments, my day is made brighter, and I'm so happy I entered this fandom. Honestly, the amount of support you've shown this story makes me want to keep going!

So, that being said, I'm moving forward. I'm hoping to wrap up Guarding this week or next, take the rest of February off (minus Valentine's one-shots) to focus on reading and plotting what I can for the next story, and then move back into writing my NaNo piece in March. The goal is to start posting on Saturday, April 4, and I'm anticipating it will either be equal in length to this story or even longer. I'm going to try to build a very large buffer since this story has been kicking my ass since November and the muse comes and goes.

Also, I will be taking some pieces down in February to edit them since I feel I've definitely improved over the past year. Most will reappear, complete with new pretties, better punctuation, and less repetition! The one exception is Lured into the Light. I am going to take that down with plans to expand it as my major 2021 project. You can, however, feel free to contact me if you'd like a copy of it.

One last thank you to the ones who have helped me so much over the past year - LaBelladoneX, you saved this story from the trash and gave me the courage to keep going after someone had really torn me down after reading one chapter of it. I am forever in your debt. I love you the most, babydoll. *wink and smile with killer dimples*

CuppaTea90 and coyg81, thank you for spending so many hours reading and rereading chapter to make sure they're perfect. I know I've been a nightmare the last three weeks. Thank you for finding my plotholes and inconsistencies and typos.

To those who have reached out through various forms of social media to offer encouragement and support, thank you.

And, last but not least, DrunkOnAmortentia - thank you for being such a great friend to this old lady! I'm so glad we connected and bonded over our ravenous Dramione reading. Thank you for encouraging me to write, for listening to me bitch, for meeting me at Universal and LeakyCon, for getting drunk in a shitty bar with me, for being my biggest cheerleader.