Secrets that cannot be kept

A Harry Potter One-shot

By Don Juan's Red Death

Draco Malfoy stood outside of Hogsmeade village and waited. He knew what he was doing was so very wrong but he didn't care. He knew that pure blood wizards were never allowed to associate with mudbloods and he knew that if his father were to ever find out... there would be bloody hell to pay. Knew that Crabbe and Goyle would laugh at him and then pound him till he was bloodied and stupid. He did not care. Stabbing his fingers through his hair he forced himself to be calm and cool as always. She would be coming soon, that much he knew and he couldn't afford to be freaking out.

He sighed and leaned his head against the brick wall behind him and closed his eyes. What was he doing? A moment passed when he thought he would like nothing better than to turn and get on the coach that would take him back to Hogwarts and make up some excuse for the two goons. They would believe anything that he told them with their tiny brains. The idea seemed very appealing at the moment... but he may never get the chance to do this again, so resigning himself to this logic he stayed where he was.

The hours were growing late and while it was getting close to the appointed time, it was getting colder. Draco began to feel sleepy and muddle-headed, the winter snow was now crawling towards his thighs as he sank into its powder. He shivered and let out a huge yawn; shaking himself and taking handfuls of snow to his face. It helped a bit, but also made him bitter. Why had he picked today of all days to confess his feelings? Why had he piked 11:30 o'clock on Christmas Eve night? He could have been warm in bed right now, not that being in bed ever did any good lately. He at least could have been warm.

Draco began to sink further down so too keep himself awake he began to reflect on the past two years. Those years had been the best and worst of his life, it was when he fell in love with Hermione Granger. The Yule Ball was when he first realized it. When he had seen her in that lovely pink taffeta gown with her brown hair done up in a curly bun. She was so much more beautiful than his date, Pansy Pulkins who had her hair in her usual limp way done up too loosely and falling in her face. And the green gown she wore was dirty, cliche and needed replacing.

That was two years ago and he still hated that Viktor Krum person. Famous as he was, he had gotten to touch her, hold her close, kiss her hand. All the things that he, Draco longed to be able to do but was always denied. He sighed and shoved a hand through his bleach-blonde hair, she would never understand, and even if she did what difference would it make? She didn't love him and never would. She loved the youngest Weasly boy, plain and simple though Draco considered him and his family a disgrace to the wizarding world. What he thought seemed to be of little importance to her in any case. Draco knew she loved Weasly because of the way she looked at him. He wanted her to look at him that way, look at him with her gorgeous brown eyes and smile. Wanted her to glare at Weasly the way she was so apt at looking at him with a harsh glare. She never would and he knew it.

Hermione was everything he ever wanted, and she was also nothing he could ever have. Draco sighed again and rocked up and down on his knees to keep himself from going numb. He reflected again this time on the second year. When he had called her a 'filthy little mudblood'. No wonder she hated him, of course he hadn't liked her then but still. Maybe if he hadn't been such a manky git she wouldn't hate him as much. Not that he expected her to like him, she was so close to Potter that it seemed impossible.

Potter, that name was one he loathed above all else! Perfect, precious Potter! Him and his false arrogance... Draco had seen and heard more than once him running to Professor Dumbledore with some nightmare in the middle of the night. Hah! That fool knew nothing of nightmares, Draco lived one every summer when he heard his father blustering about him becoming a Death-Eater and his mother sobbing and begging, "Lucius, please my son! My only son!" and then a slap. All that while he slept. Those were real nightmares, not Potter's who caused his own godfather's death with his inability to tell the difference between dreams and reality.

The nightmare was growing an extra component for now he dreamed of Hermione every night as she kissed him and ran her fingers through his hair. Their lips would just begin to touch when he would wake to the coldness of his lips and the clamminess of his sweaty skin. Those were the worst, to be with the one he loved and wake to find himself alone. That was why he had written that note to her. Posing as the one she loved to lure her in. Blotching it and smearing the ink so as to make it resemble Weasly's untidy scrawl that he had seen so much of in class.

Dear Hermione :

I have something to tell you and I don't know how. Meet me at the outskirts of Hogsmeade at 11:30 tonight. -Ron

Glancing at his watch he sighed. 11:29 pm, he saw her coming in her Griffindor robes and thought that the color accented her cold flushed cheeks perfectly. He hated the winter hood that came on that set though. It covered up her soft brown hair. "Ron?" she was saying.

"Weasly couldn't make it." he said coming out. God she was so beautiful. The black robes she wore were twitching about in the wind as she tried desperately to pull up her hood. He hated that hood so much for it tempted and taunted him. Laughing at him like an arrogant poltergeist as it allowed a few lucky strands of wavy brown hair to escape from its confines. He hated those locks for they got to caress the nape of her throat whilst he watched in bitter envy.

"Did he say why?" she asked her voice cold and suspicious. It stung him so bad that he couldn't help but cringe. Thankfully she didn't notice. He watched her mouth as it formed the word 'why' finding he couldn't take his eyes off the softness of her moist pink lips. Her mouth was curving downwards in an ugly frown that he had the urge to kiss away.

He shook his head, "Probably snogging Lavender." he said smirking. He loved to poke fun at Weasly and his girlfriend.

"But the note!" she said taking it out and reading it over again. He watched her eyes run over it several times and each time she read it her voice was more hurt. Draco wanted nothing more than to kill Weasly. The fool! The git! He knew how much she liked him and yet he had the bloody gall to snog Lavender in front of her every chance he got. That stupid red-head! His name fit him perfectly. Weasly that's what he was. A weasel.

"Oh you mean this note?" he asked and recited it, watching her expression change from hurt and confusion to one of anger and shock.

"How could you know? Unless..." her eyes darkened as her mind came to a conclusion. "You wrote it."

"Guilty." he said without conviction dreading as he watched her delicate hand reach for her back pocket. He had hoped she would hear him out but apparently she had a better idea. Hexing him. He watched the brown piece of wood come to point directly at him. Point-blank between the eyes.

"Why?" she asked her voice hard with what Draco had thought was anger but turned out to be sadness and just the faintest hint of disappointment. He hated the way her wand never left her hand. Her hand, normally so soft and pale was now tense and poised in a dueling position. He wanted to hold that hand-hell-he wanted to hold her.

"Hermione, I do have something to tell you." He said and walked up to her, his voice becoming soft. "I have to apologize first, for how I have treated you. I don't think you're a mudblood, in fact you're too beautiful for me. I just... well... you know... Crabbe and Goyle would bloody me stupid if I acted any different around them and... oh you have no idea what my father would do. I want you to know that... I like you... no I love you."

Hermione's eyes widened and in her shock she dropped her weapon to the snowy ground. The next thing she knew Draco had his hands on her shoulders. She was looking into those pale eyes, all silvery-blue. He whispered something she didn't catch before his mouth descended on hers in a light brush that made her gasp. Draco did waste the opportunity, he used that second to plunge his tongue into her mouth. He swirled it around her mouth, tasted her sweet fluids, got drunk off the feelings as Adam and the forbidden fruit. She gave in with a soft moan and clutched at the lapel of his robe, and pulled weakly at his tie. He allowed it, letting his head fall forward too cause the kiss to deepen so much that his tongue was slipping to her throat. Her hands were fumbling with his hair now touching the golden locks so feebly that she had to lean on him to keep form falling. It was Draco's dream come true.

"Stop..." she said trying to pull away, "Ron..."

"Does not deserve you." he said and kissed her again so that she lost all resolve and this time kissed him back.

He groaned and deepened it, his mind whirling as he felt her close her mouth around his tongue and sucked it like a candy. She heard him give a sort of growl-moan and felt him turn his head for better access. He gently, but firmly pushed her back against the wall where he had waited for her. She clutched his tie and kissed him breathlessly. At last they broke away. Draco had tears running down his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked frightened that she had done something.

" Nothing you've done. But if my father were to find out what I've just done... he'd..." he stopped unable to go on.

"He'd what?" she asked gently turning his face to look at her.

"Rape me. Beat me. Nearly kill me. Just like every summer."

"Oh Malfoy..." she said touching his cheek and bending her head up and kissing his cheek.

"Draco." he said and kissed her gently on the lips and holding her close to his chest as she began to cry for him softly. He closed his eyes as he heard her murmuring his name over and over. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the little patch of skin in the part of her hair. He tilted her chin up and kissed her deeply, stroking her cheek and the base of her neck. She whispered his name into the kiss and clutched his collar. He pulled away and began to trail wet kisses down her throat causing her to moan and gasp, fanning herself and whimpering as she felt his lips brush the little patch behind her ear. His mouth had, had enough of her neck and captured her lips. He removed her tie and kissed her deeply and she gave herself up to the sensation.

He took off her lapel exposing her throat and neckline sucking there as he left little bruises. She gripped his head gasping as he parted the top button of her robe and began undress her. They were soon naked and moving in a passion and they finished all too quickly, all the while moaning 'Draco' and 'Hermione' as the final climax hit. The clock-tower chimed midnight as he gave her one last kiss, "Merry Christmas love." they both said and she kissed him under the moonlight.

Fin.