A/N: Saying Too Much is a prequel of sorts to No Comment, a Hermione/Draco story I recently published. It is not necessary to read No Comment first, but I would advise it.

SAYING TOO MUCH

by Lady Mage

'Twas three nights before Christmas and all through Hogwarts, not a student was walking, not even one of the annoying couples who liked to snog in broom cupboards.

Ah, peace at last, Draco thought to himself as he ambled through the halls on his head boy duties. His hands were behind his head and his eyes were closed, picturing the beauty of his head girl.

Before he could stop and ponder these strange thoughts and feelings, he bumped into something and fell over. His eyes snapped open.

"S-s-sorry M-m-malfoy." The something was a trembling first year.

"Mercy Bates," he greeted her. "What are you doing out of bed?"

The girl trembled and looked up at Draco tremulously.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, giving the girl a hand up, before pulling himself off the floor.

The girl looked at him, looked at something she was holding in her hands, and burst into tears.

Draco awkwardly patted her on the back, before pressing his head badge and whispering into it, "Granger—some back-up, please! I'm on the third floor corridor by the portrait of Uphius the Cabbage. Please come quickly." He heard the affirmative before the connection went dead. Now, what was he supposed to do in the meantime? He decided to continue patting the girl's back, rubbing circles in between her shoulder blades as he had always wished someone would do when he was younger.

The girl bawled even harder.

Merlin, Granger, you'd better get here soon, he thought desperately.

The first year suddenly giggled.

"What?"

"Y-y-your f-f-face."

"What about it?" Draco asked sharply, feeling his nose frantically and conjuring a mirror to make sure that the third year Hufflepuffs- who knew there would be such a talent for mischief making in that house- had not turned his face black and yellow again.

The girl laughed again. "Your expression was funny," she said, blinking away tears.

"Hmph," he said moodily, vanishing the mirror and turning to the girl once more, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know why I care, but I do want to help. I'm terrible at this sort of thing, but maybe if you tell me what's wrong you'll feel better."

The girl blinked her teary eyes at him and silently handed him a worn photograph. The photogram showed a man and a woman on a beach holding hands with a little girl in between. The man had dirty blonde hair and the woman had chestnut ringlets. The couple was obviously the girl's parents.

He prodded the couple on the beach with his finger. "Why won't they move?" he asked.

"It's a muggle photograph, Draco," Hermione said, walking around the corner to meet them. She held out her arms and the girl ran in to them, beginning to sob again. "What's wrong?" she mouthed at Draco.

"Homesick." Draco mouthed back.

Hermione's lips formed a perfect 'o' and Draco was left wondering why he was thinking of her as Hermione and her lips as perfect. He watched entranced as Hermione rubbed circles in the girl's back, much like he had done before… much like he had always wanted someone to do to him. The girl shook for a few more minutes and then was still.

"Better?"

The girl nodded.

"Good then. Your parents love you deeply: that's why you're here." Hermione consoled the girl.

"I know," the girl said, brightening, "they send me letters every day."

"There you have it, then," Draco said, patting the girl's shoulder and smiling at her.

"But I wanted to go home for Christmas, but Mummy's sick and in St. Mungo's! Daddy won't let me come home! And it's not fair! I miss Daddy and Mummy and want to see them!" the girl wailed, clutching desperately to the front of Hermione's robes.

Draco could do nothing but look on helplessly.

"Your mummy will get better at St. Mungo's," Hermione consoled.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Hermione told the girl, "Your daddy just needs to focus all his attention on helping your mummy get well. He can't do that if he has to worry about keeping you safe."

"Oh."

"The healers at St. Mungo's are among the best in the world," Hermione continued, "If there's a solution to your mummy's problem, rest assured, they will find it and fix your mummy up, I'm sure."

The girl stood still for a moment before reaching up and hugging Hermione. "Thanks!"

Hermione beamed, and Draco wished that beam was directed at him. "Happy to help," she told the younger girl, "And if you have any problems, come find Draco or me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Draco?" Hermione asked, turning back to him at last, "Would you mind taking her back to Ravenclaw?"

"No problem. See you back at the Head's dorm."

Hermione nodded and left to go back to whatever hall she had been patrolling.

The girl looked after Hermione with a smile. "When are your kids coming to Hogwarts?"

"WHAT?" Draco nearly fainted from shock. Had she said what he had thought she had said? "Sorry, could you please repeat that?"

The girl tried again. "When are your kids coming to Hogwarts?"

"Pardon?" Draco could not believe this. Surely he must be hallucinating. He could have sworn-

"Your kids? You know, yours and Hermione's kids? They aren't old enough to come to Hogwarts, are they?"

He shook his head, attempting to clear it. "Uh… I don't know how to say this, but Hermione and I don't have kids."

The girl looked confused. "But daddy told me that when a man and a woman love each other very much they are married and have babies?"

Draco turned bright red. He didn't even want to think about having kids with Hermione… though she would be a great mother if tonight was any indication… and she was rather gorgeous then he thought about it… and she did have that irresistible passionate look when she was angry with him… but then again, her smiles were to die for, so he couldn't pick whether he wanted to make her angry or happy…STOP IT MALFOY! Back to the present! …oh, right…

"Oh… um…well, Hermione and I…well… we aren't married." He blurted out. Where had his Slytherin suave gone? Saying that was a mistake, he thought, now I've just made her go and tear up again…blast!

"But you look so much like my parents and you love each other! I don't understand why you aren't married!"

Merlin help me. How on earth am I supposed to break this to her? "No, we aren't married," he said, but seeing her inconsolable face, he quickly added, "but we are dating." The minute it was out of his mouth he wished he could take it back, but he couldn't. Oh shit. Hermione's going to kill me if she finds out about this.

"What's dating?"

Draco gulped. "It's what a man and a woman do when they are in school and can't get married," he told her.

"Oh, does that mean you'll get married when you leave school at the end of the year?"

Draco came to a sudden stop at the front of the Ravenclaw common room. "Maybe," he said in answer to her question, "Goodnight, Miss Bates. Sleep well."

The girl hugged him, answered the question the guardian posed, and ran off into her common room, dry-eyed.

Draco shook his head. What a night, and thank Merlin for Hermione. Without Hermione, the incident may well have been a disaster. As it was, the girl thought they were dating, and soon the whole ruddy school would know.

And Hermione would be furious.

He smirked. He couldn't wait to see her eyes once she found out. This Christmas would be the best in a long, long time.

A/N: I hope you liked it. If you haven't done it allready, I strongly recommend you go read No Comment. I am also considering one more one-shot in between Saying Too Much and No Comment to show Hermione's obliviousnesss to the rumors going around the school. Or I might just tack another chapter on here. Let me know what you think in a REVIEW!!!!

Love you guys, and Merry Christmas,

Lady Mage