Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Draco's Secret

"Mate, who the bloody hell are you staring at?" Draco Malfoy snapped back into reality at Blaise Zabini's voice. They were both seated in the Great Hall for breakfast that Saturday morning. The latter of the two had just realized that Draco had been staring at the Gryffindor table for the last five minutes with a very strange expression. No, not the usual 'Potter is a loser' expression. Nor the 'Weasel is such a git' expression. No, this one was very different, indeed.

"Nuh-nuh-no-one..." Draco managed to stutter out. What was this? What in Merlin's name was this? Draco Malfoy stuttering? Draco Malfoy losing his cool? What has become of Blaise's usually cold and confident best friend? Blaise narrowed his eyebrows, and saw that Draco had turned a seriously irritating shade of red. Who has he turned into? Bloody Weasley?

Draco turned back to his food and when he looked up to see Blaise still looking at him, he scowled. "Now, why are you staring at me, Zabini?" His cold, confident exterior resurfaced once again. He smirked, "got a little crush on me?" Blaise raised his eyebrows. Sure, Draco was suddenly back to his usual self, but he was hiding something. And if he wasn't going to find out, then his name is not Blaise Zabini.

"Who were you staring at?" Blaise asked again, brushing his hair out of his eyes ostentatiously. Draco gazed into Blaise's eyes piercingly.

"No one." Well, he isn't going to fool anyone, especially his best friend. Blaise stood up, pulled Draco by the arm and led him out of the Great Hall.

"Get your hands off of me, Zabini!" Draco pulled his arm back when they got out of the Great Hall and were in an empty hallway. "What's the meaning of this?" Blaise pushed his best friend against the wall. Draco never guessed that his friend was quite that strong...nor could be quite that aggravated.

"Who were you staring at?" He said smoothly. "And don't lie. Draco, I've been your friend since we were young, so don't give me this crap. I hate it when people lie to me." Draco seemed furious but Blaise knew that he wasn't so much so. For if the blonde was very angry, he could've shoved Blaise off of him and possibly beat the crap out of him too.

But as if admitting defeat, Draco let his guard down. He let himself slouch a bit against the wall and his face dropped. He knew he couldn't lie to Zabini. Even if he had gotten good at Legilimens over the year, it didn't feel right lying to his best friend. "You wouldn't understand," he said coolly but softly.

"Try me."

Draco sighed, "you see...well, I kind of fancy someone in Gryffindor." He glared at Blaise, as if daring him to explode with fury.

"Who? Oh, it's the Indian girl, isn't it? Patil? She's kind of hot if you think about it." Blaise replied nonchalantly. When Draco shook his head, his eyes grew wide. "Oh." He muttered. "Wow."

"I know, my Father would skin me alive if he knew." Draco said in a panicked tone. "Not that I would pursue the relationship, because it would be way too risky. And my Father might want to hurt her. And I wouldn't want her to come to any harm. I love her, Blaise. I can't even explain it." Blaise still seemed in shock.

"Wow," he said again, and then he whistled under his breath. "So you really love her?"

"Yeah, I do. I can't stop thinking about her, it's driving me insane." Draco informed him quietly.

"But seriously, Draco. Why her?"

"She's just so perfect, and beautiful, and brave, and kind, and smart, and everything." He brushed his hands through his hair. There were so many words to describe her; he couldn't possibly mention them all. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew how you would react."

Blaise nodded absent-mindedly. "Draco, but why the Blood Traitor, why her of all people?" He asked impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground.

Draco looked at him in confusion. "Blood Traitor?" He scrunched his face up. "Who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the little Weaslet. Who the hell are you talking about?" Blaise inquired, agitated with his friend's strange behavior.

"Hermione Granger, of course." Draco replied loudly, giving his friend a glare.

Next thing Draco knew, Blaise punched him in the face. Draco then shoved his friend away and clutched his left cheek that was now red. "Why'd you have to go and do that, Blaise?"

"You freaking are in love with the Mudblood?" Blaise hissed, praying that no one was around them to hear. Draco's eyes grew extremely dark and he hissed back at him.

"Don't call her that."

"But that's what she is," Blaise said tauntingly. "A filthy, little, Mudblood." Smack. Draco threw a punch, aiming at Blaise's face that was admired by the Hogwart's population. Particularly the female population.

"Never say that again." Draco pulled him by the collar and shoved him into the wall opposite him. He pulled out his wand. "I mean it. If you can't accept it, fine. But never take it out on her." Blaise started to cower a bit in fear. Now, he was the one losing his cool. Draco Malfoy can be very intimidating when he wanted to be. "And don't breathe a word to my Father, or you are dead." He pointed his wand next to Blaise's throat. "I thought you were supposed to be my best friend." He muttered ironically.

"I am," Blaise struggled to get out of his grasp. "I'm trying to save you from your own death. You are digging your own grave here. Forget if your Father found out. What if the Dark Lord did?" Draco dropped him and let him fall to the ground in a heap.

"That's why I said I'm not going to pursue this relationship. It wouldn't end well. It wouldn't end well at all." He slipped his wand back into his pocket, and glanced at his friend on the floor. With a sigh, he lent his hand out to pull him up to his feet.

Blaise stared at him. "I won't say anything." Draco let a wave of relief fall onto him. "As long as you never pursue her." Draco nodded. He understood. He would have to always keep his feelings secret. He knew that. He wasn't stupid. At least now, someone else knows. His thoughts contradicted themselves. He didn't want anyone to know of his feelings. But yet, now that someone knew, it was as if a load had been taken off his shoulders.

"I understand." He said solemnly, and they walked off back to their dormitory.

And Hermione Granger was leaned against a wall at the turn of the corridor they were just in: face flushed, eyes wide and heart pounding.

A/N: So what did you think? Just a little one shot because I was bored today. Please review!