She was asleep again.

While Blaise knew and acknowledged her heavy workload at the ministry, it was rare for Hermione to show or admit to fatigue. Now however, was a different story. Having walked into the Malfoy manor library intent on retrieving a new book for some light reading, he was shocked and mildly amused to find his beloved witch sleeping upon the library's swivel ladder. One foot dangling a few inches from the well polished library floor, her other was strewn through the open space in the ladder between the rungs, bent at the knee with her foot lightly pressed against the bookshelf before her. Arms crossed and resting on one of the rungs, one of her hands lay limply over the edge, fingers splayed as if holding a book. Upon further inspection of her position, Blaise grinned as he realized that the book which she had previously retrieved had fallen from her hand and had evidently dropped to the floor cover down, upon her submission to sleep.

"Bella you never cease to amaze..."

Cautiously walking around the ladder, so not to wake her, Blaise stood pressed against the bookshelf, gazing up at his dozing lover's face. While she was a few steps up the ladder, it was no challenge to Blaise's height, as he could see perfectly eye to eye with his witch, or rather, eye to eyelid in her sleeping state. Taking note of the dark circles beneath her eyes, Blaise's brows quickly furrowed together. As of late, it had been a commonality to find Hermione asleep in rather theatrical positions throughout the manor. From falling asleep in the bathtub to dozing while standing up at the kitchen counter, it had become a game for Draco and Blaise to see where their sleeping beauty would end up next. Taking stock of Hermione's fatigued form however, was slowly turning his amusement to anxiety.

While he and Draco were notorious for late night rompings, they always made sure that sleep was achieved – especially on nights where the trio had to work the following day. As far as he could remember, Hermione had not been particularly sleep deprived, and had always slept soundly sandwiched between her two lovers. While she had become rather fussy when it came to physical contact as of late, Draco had merely brushed it off as "her time of the month" upon Blaise's inquiry, and left it at that. With these puzzling thoughts in mind, Blaise merely shook his head and retreated from the bookshelf, walking around to gently pry his lover from the ladder.

A troubled groan escaping from Hermione's lips as she was shifted, she blearily opened her eyes, only to instantly shut them upon the onslaught of light from the library torches. Chuckling, Blaise hoisted her into his arms, noting how she cringed slightly at the jostling of her chest. Her chest; that was another thing. Not only had she been fussy and particular about intimate contact as of late in bed, but her chest in particular had become a danger zone – the slightest nibble or grope causing her to wince and shirk away. It had now been a couple of weeks and Blaise was beginning to miss his girls. Speaking of the girls, was it just him or had they gotten larger?

"Blaise?" squirming so that he would let her down, Hermione shivered as her stocking clad feet touched down upon the chilly cobbled floor of the library.

"Hermione." Blaise replied cordially, a spark of mischief within his eyes as he turned her around and planted a chaste kiss upon her lips. Long tapered fingers reaching up to massage the tension within Hermione's neck, they quickly relocated to the crown of her head, toying with the silk soft curls of his lovers head.

"Mmm..." leaning into his grasp, it was only when she realised that [b]the[/b] book was still laying cover down on the floor behind her. [b]The[/b] book that could easily give her away. Gracefully sliding her tongue along Blaise's bottom lip, she was amazed at how obediently he allowed her access to his mouth. Normally he enjoyed playing coy and making her beg for a proper kiss – unlike Draco, Blaise was far more patient with pleasure. Engaging in a sensual tango with his own tongue, Hermione cracked open an eye and smiled against his lips as she realized that Blaise was completely caught up in the passion.

[i]Deny a guy intimacy for a few days and he's putty...[/i] she mused and expertly flicked her wand into her hand from her back pocket. Focusing intently on a silent spell, she breathed a sigh of relief as the book vanished from the floor behind Blaise.

[i]I want them to find out, but not quite yet...[/i]

Pulling away from Blaise and breathing heavily, Hermione stifled yet another yawn, noting the unimpressed expression which flitted across Blaise's handsome features. "Bella why have you been so tired lately?" Blaise questioned, raising a hand to touch her forehead and frowning when it was met with cool skin. "You have no fever...is work at the ministry too hard on you? Is that why you've been so sensitive and fatigued?"

Resisting the urge to snort at his obliviousness, Hermione smiled innocently and perched forward up onto her tippy toes to land a swift kiss upon Blaise's cheek. "Just a little fatigued lately...it's a witch thing," she reasoned, and smiled when he enveloped her in a very warm and very muscular hug.

"In that case," he breathed, burying his face into her soft fragrant curls, "I suggest we take a nap together. I came in here to read, but a, how you call it? Snooze? With you is much more tempting mio amore." Placing his hand at the small of her back, Blaise guided them over to the chaise lounge, gently pushing Hermione onto the plush couch before curling behind her, wrapping a protective arm about her waist.

Content that neither of her lovers had discovered her secret, Hermione allowed herself to be coddled and cuddled by her Italian lover. Thankful that her belly hadn't yet begun to show, Hermione breathed deeply and relaxed into Blaise's arms. While pregnancy involving magic was difficult to begin with for muggleborns (purebloods always had it easier when carrying a magical child) Hermione had increased the difficulties tenfold due to a little 'side' research.

"Love you 'Mione."

"You too Blaise."

In an earlier discussion, Blaise and Draco had been adamant that should they ever conceive in the future that the biological father of the child was of no importance. However, being stubborn, Hermione took matters into her own hands and was now successfully halfway through altering the biological process. She only hoped that when their child was born that Draco and Blaise would be too overjoyed with its semblance to the two of them, to realize that it possessed little, if not no traits of her own.