Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to, I do not own Rowling's amazing, wonderful, beautiful creations. I do however own just about every HP related paraphernalia I can get my hands on. *hoards*
Hermione's Secret:
Hermione wasn't sure how late she was; she only knew that Harry and Ron must be worried by now. She had promised to meet them in the library after dinner; only she had gotten caught up… again. Truth be told she'd been getting "caught up" a lot lately. She only hoped that Ron and Harry wouldn't figure out why.
"Hermione!" Harry called from a table in the far corner of the library, where they preferred to sit. Madame Pince, the librarian, gave him a stern look as Hermione sat down across from Ron.
"Where have you been?" Ron asked.
"Sorry, got held up." She replied distractedly.
She looked over at their essays, barely a paragraph long each.
"I see you two are making excellent progress." She said her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Would have been further along had we not been waiting for you." Ron argued sulkily.
"Well you know Professor Snape won't accept a half done job, so we'd better get a move on." Hermione said as she opened her book and a fresh sheet of parchment.
"Oh no! I've left my ink in the dungeon!" Her hand flew to her mouth as she said this.
"Why were you in the dungeon?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.
"Asking a question." She recovered. "On the essay." She looked around and stood up quickly, "I'll be right back."
"You can just borrow mine Hermione." Ron said, offering her the bottle.
"I'd rather have my own." She said quickly. "But thank you."
She dashed out of the library before either boy could stop her. "Harry, is it just me or has Hermione been acting a bit strange this year?" Ron dipped his quill but continued staring at Hermione's empty seat.
"She'll tell us eventually I reckon," Harry answered, leafing through his notes on Inferi.
Ron shrugged and continued to work.
Hermione ran down to the dungeons, narrowly escaping a seventh year Slytherin girl who glared at Hermione as she passed their common room. She waited until she was sure the girl was out of sight before taking off her Gryffindor tie and replacing it with one of silver and green. She took a deep calming breath and walked up to the secret entrance of the Slytherin common room and spoke the password, "Parseltongue." She watched the door swing open and snuck into the cold room. Immediately she saw who she was looking for and made her way too him.
"What are you doing here Granger?" he hissed as she approached him.
"I've left something in your room." She blushed.
He looked around and then ushered her forward into the boy's dormitory. He went for the door that said "sixth year" and led her inside.
"You shouldn't have come back." He said his voice far more gentle now that they were alone.
"I know. But I can't do my homework without my ink." She smiled at him.
"And who do you think you're fooling with the tie? Everyone knows you're a Gryffindor." His smirk was arrogant and playful and Hermione couldn't help but to smile.
"Well at least I'm trying to blend in Draco."
"There's no blending in for you Granger; you stick out too much."
Hermione felt her cheeks warm up from the comment. She had gotten used to the way Draco said his compliments without really saying anything at all. She kind of admired that about him; his hidden sweetness.
"I've got to get back." She said, grabbing her ink from the table where she left it.
"Back to Potter?" he spat the name like it was a dirty word he couldn't stomach.
"I told you not to say anything bad about him." She scolded.
Draco glared and shrugged his shoulders; his form of apologizing. "They're changing the password tomorrow by the way; it's going to be 'Salazar' so when you come see me after breakfast it will be that."
"I can't come tomorrow Draco. It's Quidditch. Harry and Ron are playing against Ravenclaw, I have to go."
"Can't miss one of Potter or Weaselby's games? Everyone will be at the pitch Hermione; it will be the perfect time to be alone." To emphasize his point he closed the space between them, his hands reaching for her hips, pulling her closer.
Hermione sighed, leaning into his warm touch. She leaned up and pecked him on the lips. "I'll see you soon."
Draco pulled her close again, kissing her fully; his lips connecting with hers in a sweet and sensual kiss, moving his hands into her hair.
"Draco, stop." She muttered against his lips.
He ignored her as his other hand began exploring lower so that Hermione had to swat his hand away. She laughed as she pushed his chest and he backed away smiling.
"Come on Granger, just quick, before you go?" he gave her his best pouty face, his pale gray eyes looking so needy in that moment.
"Didn't have enough earlier?" she asked, dangerously close to spending more time in the room than she meant to.
"I never have enough of you Granger." He admitted in a rare moment of honest.
Hermione kissed him again, her brain telling her it was time to go but her body telling her she should stay.
"I have to go." She said, walking toward the door. "Good by Draco."
"Night Granger." He walked her to his common room door and smiled as she walked back up the hall, out of the dungeon. It might be hard to keep their relationship a secret; but Draco had to admit, it was worth it.
Hermione worked on the essay with her two best friends; determined to act as though everything was fine. But a small part of her wanted to tell them everything. Eventually it got late enough for Madame Pince to kick them out so she could close the library for the night.
"Nervous about the match tomorrow?" Hermione asked as they walked up the stairs to the tower.
"Not really." Harry answered as Ron simultaneously said "A bit."
"Well, I'm sure you'll both do fine."
"It determines the spot for the finals though. We have to win." Ron said.
"And we will." Harry said just as confidently. "I'm not going to let my first year as Captain be a losing year."
"And Lav will be there to support you." Hermione said reassuringly.
"One more reason I can't fail." Ron sulked.
"Cheer up mate. You're doing great in practices." Harry patted Ron's arm.
"Yorkshire pudding." Hermione said and the fat lady opened up.
"I'm going to go have a chat with Ginny." Harry said distractedly as they entered the common room.
"WonWon!" Lavender bounced out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck.
"Hey Lav."
Hermione watched her two best friends, Harry with the girl he secretly liked, Ron with his girlfriend, and a pang of loneliness hit her. She snuck out of the portrait, down the stairs, into the dungeon. "Parseltongue." She said and the door swung open.
"What are you doing down here Miss Granger?" the cold oily voice was not one she wanted to hear at that moment.
She backed away from the portrait hole. "Hello Professor Snape." She said smoothly. "I was just coming to find you. I had a question about the essay. Inferi are different than one who is under the Imperius curse because they are already dead, correct? How long can a person be dead for before the can become an Inferi? Is there a time limit on the corpse?" She rambled her excuse but quickly stopped talking at the cold look of disbelief on Snape's face.
"The answers to your question can be found easily in chapter ten of your text."
"Oh good. Thank you." Hermione turned to run back to her common room before she received detention.
"Ms. Granger." Snape called after her.
"Yes Professor?" she asked innocently.
"I never want to see you near this hallway again. You know perfectly well my office is on the other side of the castle."
"Yes professor." And with that she headed back to Gryffindor tower for the night.
Hermione went down to breakfast with Ron and Harry (and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team). She stole sidelong glances at Draco, who was far more sly about stealing glances back. As the teams stood up to make their way down to the pitch Draco approached their table.
"Good luck today Potter," Draco said, his voice uncharacteristically sincere.
Harry glared, waiting for an insult.
"You too Weasley." And then he disappeared out of the great hall.
"What was that about?" Ginny asked.
"Dunno." Harry continued glaring after Malfoy.
"Probably jinxed our brooms." Ron threw out wildly.
"Maybe he was just being nice." Hermione suggested.
"It's Malfoy, Hermione!" Ron argued. "There is nothing nice about him."
"I hope you were joking Hermione." Harry added.
"Though it wasn't a very good one." Ginny smiled half-heartedly.
"Oh for goodness sake!" Hermione got up and stormed out of the hall.
"What up with her?" Ron asked.
"Dunno. Come on, we'll deal with her later. We've got a match to win!"
Hermione stomped down the empty grounds to the nearly empty Quidditch pitch. She felt arms tug around her and she screamed as she was dragged into the seclusion under the stands.
"Draco!" she scolded, hitting him playfully on the arm. "You scared me half to death!"
He laughed smoothly, enjoying watching her overreact.
"I expected you to come see me last night. I was lonely." He pouted.
"I tried." She admitted. "But Professor Snape caught me at your common room entrance and told me never to go down to that part of the castle again."
"I can have a word with him, if you like. He'll let you in if he knows it's for me." His cocky attitude was back in place.
"No one can ever know Draco!" Hermione panicked.
"I told you Hermione, my father being in jail; it's made me think about things."
"And you know as well as any one that this is just fun and that we can't tell."
"You're just afraid to tell Potter and Weasley."
"Can you blame me?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll be your dirty little bad-boy secret. Your bad-boy phase."
"Draco." Hermione began protesting – ready to insist that it was not a 'phase' or a way to make Ron jealous – as often Draco suggested.
"Just remember." He said huskily, his hands encircling her waist, pulling her closer. "You loved every minute of it."
Hermione felt her knees weakened as she looked at Draco's smoldering stare and whispered those too intense words. The sound of the hundreds of feet making their way to the pitch forced the young lovers apart.
"Room of Requirement. Tonight." Draco said, kissing Hermione softly.
She muttered an agreement against his lips, her hands gripping the back of his head desperately.
"What the hell?"
Hermione didn't realize she was in view but there stood Ginny Weasley, a look of shock upon her face. Hermione hastened to look innocent.
"We'll talk about this." Ginny promised before kicking off and joining her team in the air.
Hermione made her way to the stands, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
The match went amazingly. Ginny scored 80 points alone. Harry, of course, caught the snitch and Ron stopped Ravenclaw scoring at all. It was a slaughter. The spirits of the Gryffindor's was high as they made their way back to the common room for the predictable after game party.
"Ginny," Harry asked. "You look murderous. You do realize we've just won."
"I've got to tell you something." She said, looking around for eavesdroppers. "You'll never guess who I saw Hermione snogging before the game."
"Ron?" Harry ventured wildly.
"At least that would make sense. No. Malfoy."
"Malfoy!" Harry shouted. "You're joking!"
"I wish I was." Ginny said gloomily.
"You must be mistaken Ginny."
"I'm not."
Harry looked around as though expecting Hermione to jump out and say "kidding!"
"We've got to talk to her." Ginny said.
"Right."
"Come on you two. Party time!" Ron smiled, heading toward the door of the locker rooms.
Harry and Ginny followed and they caught up to the crowd of Gryffindor's cheering and hooting about the game.
"Congratulations! You played so well!" Hermione beamed.
"WonWon!" Lavender jumped into Ron's arms and he caught her with a lazy smile.
"Thanks Hermione." Harry said, "Can you come to the kitchens with us?"
Harry led Ginny and Hermione down to the kitchens, but before going through the painting with the bowl of fruit he turned on Hermione.
"Why were you snogging Malfoy?"
Hermione looked aghast.
"Snogging?" she stalled, looking to Ginny for help.
"I told you we'd talk about this." Ginny said a look of guilt and determination on her face.
"I… it's complicated."
"There's nothing complicated about it Hermione! It's Malfoy!" Harry protested.
"It's my decision! Either be my friend and stick by me or… well, I don't want to lose you!"
It was Harry's turn to look aghast. He had expected her to deny it, or say it was a mistake, but to support her decision fully made him give pause.
"You're defending it? You're going to stay with Malfoy?" he asked incredulous. "You do remember he called you a mudblood." He reminded her.
"And he picks on my family constantly." Ginny added.
"And we've been rivals since first year."
"Maybe people change Harry! Maybe I'm not perfect! Maybe he's not evil! Just stop being so prejudice!"
"His father works for the man who killed my parents Hermione!"
"That's not his fault!" she shouted in return.
Harry looked as though she'd slapped him. "Fine. Ginny, help me with the snacks please? We have a victory to celebrate."
"Of course Harry."
Hermione glared at them and stomped away, heading for the only place she wanted to be right now.
The dungeon was cold but she was used to that. She marched up the bare stone wall and nearly shouted "Salazar" in her frustration and anger.
The doorway appeared and the students of Slytherin stared at her as she stormed in.
"Draco?" she called.
Malfoy's head popped up from the corner where he was chatting with his usual gang.
"Granger?" he asked, puzzled.
Hermione's eyes were tearing up but she fought the tears back.
"Come on." Draco led Hermione out of the common room to an empty classroom. His arm was around her protectively, keeping her calm.
"They found out." Draco made the statement without needing the slight nod from Hermione to confirm. "At least you've got me." Draco's self-loathing tone caused Hermione to look up into his pale gray eyes.
She took a deep breath. "You're right. I do." She smiled and put her hand in his. "That I do."
He smirked, "Come on Granger. Let's cause trouble."
~ Fin ~