A/N: I don't own anything that belongs to JKR.

Hey! So this just came to mind over a random bout of thoughts. I didn't really think I could get such inspiration again since I have seven stories out there, but.. I guess I was wrong. This will only remain a one-shot, and I hope it's worth the amount of thought I'd put into it. So thanks guys! Please tell me what you think!

Stars Concealed

She didn't have to come out here, she didn't have to lean on the tree, a blanket encasing her, and she didn't have to lie to Harry and Ron. But she did. She did all those things because she needed peace and quiet, and when it didn't come in the common room, the fire glinting in the grate, she'd meander down to the lake and sit there for hours, a book in her lap.

The book itself would keep her occupied, her tired mind among things she yearned to forget would be sent to the back of her head, into a block of memory she was afraid to reopen. But she did so anyway, as she were to fall asleep, those memories, nightmares, and fears would make themselves known. And she'd cry, cry for hours until she couldn't cry any more and she'd fall asleep, her hand tightened around a piece of her blanket, a grimace set on her face. She'd only acquire a couple of hours asleep on those nights, but it didn't matter. It was what she needed.

OOO

She looked at him through glazed eyes, a new way of looking at him, she could say. But it wasn't just that—it was the way he, too, was looking at the stars in the sky. It was as if he was as troubled as she was, as if he had nothing to live for, like she did, as if he didn't want to be magical because it brought on horrible things, like she thought. As if he was in the same predicament as she was in.

OOO

She quickly looked away, her head almost snapping, because Draco had looked at her just as fast. She could feel his eyes penetrating her bushy head of hair, and her jaw clenched, trying to read the words that sat upon the withered pages.

This would do no good, she thought. She couldn't be irked by Malfoy. It was inconceivable, but yet, it was true.

"So, Granger, what are we reading tonight?" His voice was husky in her ear, and she momentarily flinched against his closeness. Then she was stoic, leaving her eyes on the book. She didn't want to think on how he got there so fast, on how she wasn't able to hear his approach. She blamed it on the fact that she was too occupied on thinking how she couldn't be affected by Malfoy. How ironic.

"None of your business, Malfoy."

"Oh, but I think you made it my business." His voice was hot in her ear again, chilling her backbone until all she was, was a shivering mess. She shrugged to conceal the slight tremor in her skin, and brought the blanket closer to her.

"How so?" She still didn't look up, knowing it would end with a bad result.

"The way you looked at me just then." He muttered, and she could feel his face fall away, looking to the grass around them. His leg was lightly touching hers, and she could feel the heat seep into her own skin, warming a part of her she didn't know she had.

And she couldn't stop herself then, his voice sounding broken, so she looked up, into his silvery gaze. There were spots of black, against the shade of light blue, but then overtaken by shimmering silver. She couldn't take her eyes off him, and it seemed, neither could he.

Her breathing began to shorten as his head leaned forward, his eyes glancing to her lips. She knew what was happening, yet she couldn't stop it from taking place. So she gave into temptation, gave into his smoldering gaze, and lightly grazed his lips with hers.

They both came back with heated eyes, quickly connecting their lips again, his hand coming to the back of her neck to hold her face to his. He nibbled on her bottom lip gently, Hermione knowing that this wasn't good, this wasn't what she had ever thought to happen when she came out here. But she complied, sinking into his hands and parting her lips when his tongue asked for entrance.

She brought her hands up the muscles of his chest, the contours of his smooth skin covered by a thin layer of fabric. She couldn't help but shudder at the feelings that were overwhelming her, and he pushed her back against the tree, breaking contact. He lazily drew open-mouthed kisses down her throat, little sounds escaping her mouth.

She had never felt this, lust at it's finest. She didn't know Malfoy like a friend, nor did she know Malfoy at all as a person. But he was there, offering her something she hadn't been quite prone to in the last two years. It's just hormones, she reminded herself as he reached the top of her cloak, unbuttoning the first button with his fingers and planting a sensual kiss upon the top of her breast before looking back up at her. It won't matter after we both leave.

So on that train of thought, she came to the conclusion that she should do what she wanted to do, while here. She grabbed his hand, slowly bringing it up to her lips and kissing his fingertips. His breathing hitched, and he reconnected their lips, more fevered passion coming out. Sucking her bottom lip into his, he rested his hand on her hip, his other free hand taking all the buttons out of the cloak, one by one.

Once free of the blasted fabric, he placed his hand underneath her breast, putting pressure on her body. She moaned into his mouth and he couldn't stop the smile from surfacing, before it was gone completely when her hands traveled to his belt buckle. She was struggling at first, and had almost gotten it, when Draco stopped the kiss and his hand overlapped her hand on his pants.

"No—" He seemed to swallow quickly at the crack in his voice, and resumed talking. "—you aren't ready," he whispered, looking into Hermione's eyes. "Well, you may be, but not with me." He shook his head, and got up from the tree, Hermione following him with shocked eyes. "Not with me." He repeated, looking down at her. "Don't blame this on yourself, Granger. It's all me."

And he was gone, his black cloak billowing in the darkness around her.

OOO

"So—what do you think about when you come out here?" Her voice was quiet; tentative because she didn't know where they stood. She hadn't looked at him in the last two weeks, hadn't met his fire blazing gaze from across the Great Hall. And be as it may, she couldn't stay away from the lake. Upon arriving there, he was where he usually was—standing at the waters edge. Hermione knew that he would see her, and if she showed that she had been avoiding him, it would make her look like a coward. So she opted to be the bigger person.

His voice was soft as well, when he answered, none too shaken of her presence. "My mum." He breathed out slowly, looking up the stars. "You see that star there? Just above the Big Dipper?"

"Yeah..."

He stayed looking at the sky as he explained "My mum got my name from that exact star. I have looked at it every night since she died."

She sucked in a breath, but his only reaction was to slide his hands into his pockets, to relax himself, she conceded. She braved herself for what she did next, and slowly stepped into his embrace, sliding an arm around his waist. She could tell that he was shocked for just a moment, but then his arms circled around her shoulders, and he breathed into her neck, sending shivers up her spine and arms, once again. They stayed like that for a very long time, their breathing even. He languidly kissed her neck right before he broke the embrace. Kissing her lips gently, he peered at her, then left her, just as the previous time.

OOO

"Can I see it?" she hesitantly asked, looking up into his face. They were both sitting against the tree, Hermione in between his legs, his arms around her waist.

It was the night after, and as Hermione came out to sit upon her tree, she found Malfoy was in her space. She looked around awkwardly for a couple of seconds, but then he spread his legs, telling her to sit down. She did so, and immediately relaxed into his body.

This was weird, she knew, but needed.

"See what?" he asked, his eyebrows raising.

"The mark." she whispered, his face automatically frowning.

"You don't want to see that." He averted his eyes to the lake, his jaw clenched.

"I do, Malfoy. I really do."

"It'll change things."

"What things, Malfoy?" She shook her head. "The fact that we're actually behaving civilly?" Hermione looked into his eyes. "Or maybe it's the fact that you think I won't speak to you after."

"Possibly." His voice was tight, clipped. Something she hadn't heard in such a long time. Not that long, actually, she reminded herself.

"I won't." She kissed his neck, opening her mouth to lightly touch her tongue to his skin. "I promise." She laced her hand with his, while grabbing his left arm and bringing it over to her lap. Slowly pushing back the fabric, in a way to give him time to object, she finally uncovered the blank ink. Slowly dragging her finger up and down the lines of the snake, she whispered, "Did it hurt?" She looked up, looking into his eyes. He looked as if he was in pain, his face squinted.

"Immensely."

"Are you in pain now?"

"No." he answered quickly. "I've just never let anyone touch it before. It's usually concealed."

Hermione nodded in understanding, moving her head closer to the tattoo. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." she whispered. "In a twisted way."

He smiled at this, and lifted her chin to look at her. "Thank you." he told her, capturing her lips between his. She was caught unaware but promptly leaned into his heat, levering her head upwards so Draco had more access.

Soon, Hermione was lying on the ground, her blouse unbuttoned in the breezing air. "Malfoy." she whispered as he trailed butterfly kisses down her neck, stopping at the top of her bra.

"Yes?" Without looking away, he lowered his lips and kissed the valley between her breasts. Her breath hitched, and her eyes hooded quickly. He smiled wickedly, and continued on his way down, kissing over the goosebumps that seemed to appear along his wake.

"Draco." she said, a little more urgently as he stopped at the top of the school skirt. She grabbed his chin, making him look up at her. She let her palm run over his cheek, his head moving at a slow pace until he let his lips touch her palm in a tentative kiss, never taking his eyes off her.

"Not tonight, Granger." He said slowly, looking for a reaction.

"Then, when?" She asked, her heart dropping. Why wouldn't he just comply?

"When it's not with me." he muttered, but she heard all the same. He leaned up so they were an inch away from each other. "You deserve better." He kissed her forehead lightly, and leaned back. "Trust me."

He instantaneously gathered her in his arms, leaning back on the tree with her body between his legs. Even though he didn't want to have sex with her, he wanted to just lay with her a bit longer.

She buried her head in his shirt, her arms around his waist. And they sat, until they could see his star, and with a short goodnight kiss, they both parted their ways.

OOO

"Why?" She had asked him as they sat curled up in front of a fire.

It had started to get too cold to go outside in the October air, so after one fateful day when Draco knocked into her, via insulting, slipped her a piece of parchment on where they should meet. Upon seeing that he wanted her to go the Room of Requirement, she quickly left the Common Room and traveled the trek.

He had then easily pulled her into an embrace on the ground, both of them looking to the ceiling as they felt the fires heat.

"Because you deserve better."

"... that's not why."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, a question in his eyes. "It's not?"

"No." She shook her head. "I hardly believe that's what is stopping the great Draco Malfoy."

He smiled slightly, kissing her cheek, and asked cheekily, "Then why is it I won't?"

"Because of something deep." she answered quickly before she would go back on her decision. "Something that... even I won't understand."

His smile turned into a frown, and he buried his head in her shoulder. "No—you won't." He kissed her shoulder lightly, feeling her body shudder beside his. "And that's why I'm keeping it from you."

"Let's talk hypothetically here. Say that I'll understand, that I won't object—why won't you have sex with me?"

"I can't tell you, Granger. I just can't."

She turned to him sharply, her next words aching with emotion. "And you think that's fair? It involves me, doesn't it, so why shouldn't I know?"

"It's embarrassing for me, and as much as you may think you know me, I don't handle embarrassment very well."

"I'm not here to laugh at you, Malfoy. I just want to know."

"Why do you want it so badly?"

She narrowed her eyes, looking to him as if he had blamed her for a crime he had commit. "You tell your part, I'll tell you mine."

"Deal."

"You're different than the others, and as though you're supposed to be my enemy, I can't stay away from you. You've always fascinated me, and it's taken me this long to understand that it was on a sexual level. I know you aren't a relationship guy, that I'm a relationship girl, but I need this experience. No ties, toward you. Free pass, if you will."

He smiled slightly, kissing her sweetly on the mouth before he looked down at her. "Same goes for me, I suppose. You're different, and that's why I don't want to do it. I fear that if we do, you'll think it's meaningless. I wouldn't be able to handle that, as I see you as a person that goes two ways. You either have them, then hurt them, or you have them forever. And lets face it, Granger, I can't hurt you."

"You didn't have such a problem back in second year." she muttered underneath her breath.

"That's because I had no feelings back then." He answered quickly, looking into her eyes. "I want you to remember something, Hermione."

"Yes?"

"You need to remember that you wanted this, alright? That's all."

"I think I can do that, Malfoy." She responded, her head spinning at his meaning and what they would be doing.

He leaned up, and in the fire, he looked like a fallen angel. "You're beautiful. That, is another thing you need to know." He told her right before he glued his lips to hers.

OOO

"I don't think I ever told you something, Draco."

They were sitting outside again, four months later, Hermione sitting between his legs. The weather was amazing now, like out of a dream. The moon was perfect, as was the water, and the slight breeze made it all the more better.

"What?" He nestled his head into her neck, making her giggle.

"That I was named after a star, too."

"Oh yeah?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"You don't believe me! Look: right up there, next to the that one." She pointed to one of the stars. Suddenly her face became morose, and she lost her smile. "Haven't you ever wondered why I came out here at night, too?"

"Of course I have. I just never thought you'd answer."

"Oh yes, Draco Malfoy. Because I am like that. I'll have sex with someone, but not tell them a secret."

He laughed lightly, but held her hands in his bigger ones. "Why is it, then, you came out here?"

"The exact same reason as yours."

He frowned quickly, looking straight into her eyes. "You mean—your mother—she's... gone?"

Hermione nodded her head slowly, as if remembering all the memories that seemed to have stayed in the back of her mind for the last couple of months. "Every day," she whispered. "Every day I remembered. And no one ever knew. No one. Not even Harry and Ron."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Draco asked quietly.

"I thought you wouldn't want to know."

"Of course I want to know! You don't know how much you mean to me, do you?"

She smiled again, a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Oh really? And just how much."

"As far as the galaxy and beyond." He replied with a smirk. "You know I love you Hermione. How could you not think I didn't want to know that?"

"I guess—I suppose it's just a nasty habit of mine."

"Well, no more secrets, all right?"

"Are you sure, there, Mr Malfoy. You don't want to know my past."

"I trust that you know I do."

"Well... there was this one time, that I got asked out and..."

The End