Hello everyone! It's been a really long time since I updated, but I promised you I would make this into a full length story, and here I am. Hopefully you'll enjoy where I'm taking this!

THREE

The open hallways out by the courtyard were dark and cold. The December nights forced all the students to not even want to venture out. The majority of them stayed turkced away in their common rooms, sitting around a nice warm fire. The small amount of students that were left, and were brave enough to deal with the cold, would most likely turn around once they realized the quarter moon that shuld be filling the sky that nightw as covered by dark clouds, ready to let the first snow hit the ground.

So really, the fact that Hermione was outside her common room, bundled up in a hat, gloves, and a winter coat, seemed completely pointless to her. There wouldn't be any students out here, and if there was then she could really care less. Let the idiots freeze to death. Just because they were freezing didn't mean she had to be as well.

Her small body shook as she forced her way out into the courtyard, lighting her wand for extra light. She paused when she reached the center, crossing her arms over her chest to try and hold as much warmth as possible as she turned to see if anyone was around her.

"You look like you could use some more body warmth." Hermione turned so fast her hair whipped her in the face, her wand pointing towards the person who spoke.

When she realized who it was, she lowered her wand. "I wish you wouldn't do that. One of these days I'm going to end up cursing you, Draco."

He smirked and took a step closer towards her. "Not on purpose, I hope."

Hermione smirked back. She might not have known Draco for that long in the sense of their 'friendship', but she had seen his smirk so many times, she now had it mastered herself. "I think by now you might deserve it."

Draco chuckled when he reached Hermione, wrapping his arms around her. Hermione sighed, resting her head on his chest. "I don't know what I would do without your sarcasm, Hermione."

Hermione smiled, looking up at Draco. "Who said it was sarcasm?"

He laughed slightly, giving her a small kiss on the lips. "It sure is cold out here." He said as he shivered. Almost as if the skies had been waiting for Draco to speak, the clouds finally let loose whatever snow they were holding and allowed it to fall to the ground.

Hermione and Draco both watched it fall and slowly hit the ground for a couple minutes before Hermione spoke. "The first snow is always the prettiest."

"Yeah." Draco agreed. "Maybe tomorrow we can have a snowball fight." It was only a joke, a cruel and mean joke towards the both of them. They both knew that wouldn't really happen. They had both successfully managed to convince the whole school that nothing between them existed and that Halloween night was just a huge mistake. If they had a snowball fight, laughing and having fun together, all their hard work would be for nothing.

No, what Hermione and Draco had was their best kept secret. And even though neither of them really liked keeping it, they had no choice. If people discovered them, they were as good as dead.

"Come on." Draco said, peeling himself from Hermione and taking her hand. "Let's go somewhere warm." Hermione sighed slightly as she followed him. She didn't both to ask where. She already knew. It was the place that could hold their secret. The only place in all of Hogwarts where they could spend time together and know they were safe.

.::.

"Draco." Hermione called softly. The Slytherin and Gryffindor were laying in a bed together in the room of requirement, both naked under the sheets. Draco was laying on his back, his arm nearest Hermione spread out across her pillow as his other rested behind his head. Hermione was propped up on her elbows, one hand running her finger tips over Draco's bare chest. "Draco." She called again when he didn't answer.

"Hmmm." He murmured, eyes still closed.

"What… what are we exactly?"

It took Draco a couple of seconds to process and begin to understand the meaning behind Hermione's question. When he still didn't understand completely, he opened his eyes and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that out in public we act as if we were enemies. But behind closed doors… well, I'm not really sure what were considered." She sighed. "Are we just friends with benefits or are we more then that?"

"We can be whatever you like." Draco said, closing his eyes again.

He heard Hermione pout and felt her hand that was running across his chest disappear as weight shifted on the bed. Draco opened his eyes and saw Hermione now sitting on the edge of the bed, a sheet wrapped around her bare chest. "That's not what I meant."

Draco sighed slightly before sitting up as well and placing a hand on her back. "Hermione… you know I don't have an answer to that."

"I need to know Draco." Hermione demanded as she turned to face him.

"Why?"

"Because I need to know if I'm making a mistake. If we keep acting like this I can't promise I won't get feelings for you, Draco."

"Hermione-."

"I need to know if whatever we have is even going to last, because if this is nothing more than a small fling and we get discovered…-." Hermione licked her lips nervously. "It's not worth it, Draco. I'm sorry."

"Hermione… nobody's going to discover us."

"You don't know that."

Draco sighed, looking at Hermione sadly before sitting up and scooting closer to her. "You're not going to get hurt." He ran a hand along her cheek and smiled at her.

"Draco…."

"We have sex." He said suddenly. "I can't tell you what we are because, truthfully, I don't know myself. But I can tell you what we do, and that's sex. We meet up and wrestle under the sheets throughout the night and go back to hating each other in the daytime." Hermione stared back at him with her big brown eyes. "I know that sounds mean and harsh, but it's the truth. It's also amazing and something I don't want to end, believe it or not." Draco chuckled slightly.

"I'm scared." Hermione admitted quietly. "We've been going at this for months. It's only a matter of time."

"We'll be safe." Draco sounded confident, but in reality, he was only saying it to make her feel better. "Nobody has a clue about our real friendship."

"And if somebody does find out?"

"Then I'll protect you with everything I have." Draco answered instantly. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you Hermione." She smiled at him then, and Draco leaned in to place a sweet, chaste kiss on her lips before she rested her head on his chest. The two fell onto the bed and were soon asleep. Hermione was in her protectors arms, listening to his heart beat in her sleep while Draco held the girl he could honestly say he cared for, his thoughts on whether he could was confident that he could actually protect her if that time ever did come.

.::.

Draco pushed open the door to his dormitory slowly to avoid the normal squeaking sound it normally made. He sighed in relief when it didn't make any noise and slowly made his way to his bed. He glanced outside the window as he passed it. The sun was starting to rise, still not pushing over the horizon and filling the room with just barely enough light for Draco to see. As he reached his bed and was about to pull the covers off so he could climb in, he wondered if Hermione had reached her bed without waking anyone up every night.

He shook his head to get the thought out of it. Hermione was fine, probably more so then him. She had had plenty of practice sneaking around with Potter and Weasley for years before now, and they had been sneaking out to each other for months. Nothing changed.

Draco climbed into his bed and looked at the clock. He had about an hour until everyone would be waking up. Smiling slightly, Draco went to pull the covers over him and lay down when he realized Blaise Zabini, laying in his four poster, staring at him from across the room. "Blaise." Draco said, caught off guard. "Why are you awake?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." Blaise said, a small smirk on his face. "Where have you been sneaking off to for the past few weeks, Draco?"

"Sneaking?" Draco asked, trying to stay as calm as possible. It wouldn't be good to lose his cool in front of Zabini. He would notice. "I haven't been going anywhere Zabini. Don't be mental."

Blaise chuckled. "You disappear for hours on end. I'm not as dumb as the others mate. I know you're off doing something."

"Don't call me mate, Zabini." Draco suddenly snapped as he laid down in the bed and covered himself. "Despite what everyone believe, were not friends."

Blaise chuckled again, this time without a smile. "Noted Malfoy." When Draco said nothing in response, Blaise laid back down in his bed. "I'd watch what you say to people." Blaise said loud enough for Draco to hear. "You never know what they're capable of."

Draco ignored him, his eyes focused out the window and onto the newly snow covered trees. He would lay like that for another hour, his mind racing with the knowledge that Blaise knew something. He would have to tell Hermione, and right away.

.::.

"Move it Granger." Hermione let out a small cry of pain as Draco shoved past her in the hallway as he headed in the opposite direction.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked next to Hermione as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Hermione sighed as she turned and watched Draco turn the corner of the hallway. "Because, you know, I would have no problem with-."

"It's fine Harry." Hermione interrupted, forcing a smile at her best friend before continuing down the hallway towards their next class. "He's… he's not worth it."

She had been telling Harry and Ron that Draco wasn't worth the trouble for months now, and she was starting to wonder if she should start taking her own advice.

It had been the plan from the beginning. They would pretend to hate each other out in the open, act like nothing had changed, but when they were behind closed doors, they were as close as ever. It was too dangerous for anybody to know otherwise. Sure, if her side found out, it wouldn't be all that bad in the end. She liked to think they would even except Draco if she gave them her word. But if Draco's side found out… well, she didn't even like to think about that. Surely, they would both be killed. She was already as good as dead to them anyway, but Draco was supposed to be one of them. He was supposed to be out killing muggles and muggleborns, not sleeping around with them.

Hermione couldn't lie. She had enjoyed Draco's company more then she ever thought possible, and if she had a choice, she would never want it to stop. But lately she started to wonder if it was really worth all of it. Was Draco really worth risking her life? Was lying to all her friends about a secret relationship with a person they hated really worth possibly losing them forever? Was sex with Draco really worth it?

"Hermione, are you sure you're okay?" Hermione turned to see Harry staring at her curiously.

"I'm fine Harry." Hermione said, forcing a smile.

Harry suddenly grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her to the side of the hallway, avoiding the crowd of other students making their way towards their class. "I'm not just talking about right now. I mean in general."

"Harry… I'm fine."

He sighed in a quick defeat. Harry may have been tough, but he was never one to be tough with the ones he loved. "Well you know me and Ron are here if you need us."

Hermione couldn't help but smile. She knew it. Harry didn't have to say it for her to know that it was true. "Of course I do Harry." She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him one more smile. "I have to go to class. Enjoy your free period."

She didn't wait for Harry's response. She forced her way into the crowded hallway and towards the direction of her next class. The only thing was, she didn't have a class this period, and if Harry and Ron were smart enough, they would have been able to figure that out as well. Hermione had the same exact classes that her two best friends had all semester, the only difference was, she was spending her free period in an empty classroom on the third floor rather then with them.

And although she knew that her two best friends were smart to a certain extent, she was happy that they weren't smart enough to figure out her schedule yet. Because she knew that they wouldn't approve of who she was spending her free time with.

.: :.

With a quick look to the right, then one to the left to make sure nobody was around him, he pulled out his wand and aimed it at the doorknob. "Alohamora." He whispered under his breath. He heard the lock click and quickly made his way inside, locking the door firmly behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to face the room, smiling slightly when he saw the person he had been waiting to see all day.

"Hermione." He said under his breath as he approached her.

"Hello Draco." Hermione was sitting on top of one of the empty desk in the room, and looked up at him for a split second, but then continued to stare at the ground.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked quietly when he reached her, standing in front of her and placing his hands on her arms. Hermione just shook her head, but Draco wasn't going to stand for her not talking to him. Sometimes he wondered if blood status never existed, would him and Hermione have been friends a long time ago. They were both stubborn, smart, and didn't like to take no for an answer. Personality wise, they had a lot in common. "Don't do this Hermione. I'm not Potter or Weasley. I'm not going to just drop something that is obviously bothering you."

She looked up at him at this. "Is this more then just sex to you, Draco?"

"What?"

"Because if not, then I'm out. This is becoming too risky for me, Draco, and I'm sorry."

"Were you asleep last night during our conversation?" Draco could feel an argument coming on, and as much as he didn't want to start one, he had a feeling this one was unavoidable. Hell, this was what they did. They fought, made out, and had sex. That was their friendship. He loved it, and deep down, he knew that she did as well. "Did you not hear what I said to you?"

"I'm not going to argue with you today Draco." Hermione pushed Draco away from her and stood up from the table. "This whole… thing… whatever the hell it is, that we have going on here is becoming too much for me, mentally and physically."

"So this is about us then again, is it?" Draco snapped.

"It's always been about us!" Hermione yelled back. "It's been about us since Halloween! Maybe we should start thinking about the other people were going to hurt because of this!"

Draco laughed, he couldn't help it. "Do you think The Dark Lord is going to go after Potter or Weasley because he knows what we're doing? Hell, he's already going after Potter, and once he finds out how close Weasley really is to him, if he doesn't already, he'll be after him as well." Hermione stared back at Draco. "I'm not worried about them or anybody else. I'm just worried about you, Hermione."

"I don't think you need to anymore, Draco."

"You don't think." Draco repeated. "See, you're not even confident." Draco took a step closer to her. "You don't want to stop this anymore then I do." Draco said under his breath.

"Of course I don't." Hermione said, looking down at the ground again as Draco stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But the hiding and the pretending is killing me, Draco." A small tear fell down her cheek. "I don't know how much longer I can take your bullying out in the halls anymore. It makes me feel like nothing changed."

Draco closed his eyes suddenly as he wrapped his arms around Hermione and brought her into his chest. "Is this about earlier, when I shoved you?" He could feel her nod against his chest, her small hands wrapping up and around his shoulders. "Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry." He kissed the top of her head gently. "Blaise was right there, and he's such an asshole. And, well… you know, I have a reputation to uphold."

"I know." Hermione said into his chest. "I just wish you were like this from the beginning."

Draco chuckled slightly. "Me too." The bell for class suddenly rang and both Draco and Hermione sighed as they looked at each other. "I'm sorry."

"No, I shouldn't have brought it up. It was stupid and-."

Draco kissed her quickly on the lips. "No, it wasn't. I don't care who's around. I'm not physically hurting you. We may still have to continue on with the faking it, but I don't have to be so rough about it." Hermione smiled and Draco kissed her again. "Tonight in the room of requirement? Midnight?"

"Of course."

.::.

Draco groaned as the sun shined through the blinds of his four poster bed and straight into his eyes. He pulled his covers up closed to him and turned over, putting the sun to his back. He wondered what time it was and if he was running late for class. He then wondered if his alarm had even gone off yet and he had woken on his own accord. He sure hoped not. If he had woken on his own accord, he would be extremely displeased with himself. He had made it up to his bed and around three in the morning and would surely regret waking up earlier than expected later on in the day. He'd rather just be late.

But seeing as today was a Wednesday, Double Potions with the Gryffindors, he would be scolded by Hermione later that night about his tardiness. Her eyelids would close slightly as she glared at him, her nose scrunching up in disappointment, her bottom lip over lapping her upper lip as she listened to his excuses, and her arms crossed against her chest as she yelled at him once he finished talking, telling him that his excuses weren't good enough and he needed to shape up. And the whole time Draco would just smile at her, no matter how many times she told him not to.

Even now, he was smiling as he thought about it. He wondered when he began to understand Hermione and be able to deal with her rants, no matter how big they were. He guessed it was when they had started meeting every night in secret, when their small need to be touching each other constantly turned into a complicated, lust, and sex filled friendship. He guessed it was when he had really started to care for her.

If he had known now on that Halloween night in the library, he probably wouldn't have challenged Hermione. Draco wasn't one to be in close contact with his emotions. He liked to avoid them as much as possible, especially ones including caring for someone. He was Draco bloody Malfoy, hard-ass Slytherin with a bad boy reputation who didn't give a shit about anyone except his family. That was almost the case even today, except when it was just him and Hermione. She had changed him, for the better really, and he secretly adored her and her bushy man of brown curls for it.

The curtains of his four poster were suddenly yanked open and a pillow hit in hard in the face. Draco reacted quickly, pulling the pillow from his face and getting ready to throw it back at his attacker. He made eye contact with his dorm mate and glared, chucking the pillow back at him. "What the hell Nott! I didn't order a wakeup call!"

"You're damn alarms been going off for the past five minutes you git! Come back to the dungeons before you wake up the whole castle." He retorted.

Draco rolled his eyes as Nott disappeared from sight. He pulled back the curtains of his bed and approached his dresser, ignoring Zabini who was watching him closely. "You look tired Malfoy." Zabini said, but Draco continued to ignore him. "Want to tell us why you didn't come back until about three in the morning?"

Draco paused from opening his dresser for a second, turning to look at Nott. Nott turned to look at Draco as well, but then turned back to getting his robes out. He wasn't foolish like Zabini, he knew when to mind his own business. "Not that it's any of your business, Zabini, but I headed off to the kitchens." Draco said, fishing through his robes.

"For four hours?" Draco could feel Zabini smirking. "Come on, Malfoy. Who's the girl you're fucking late every night?"

Draco could feel his blood boiling at Zabini's words, which confused him slightly. That was what they were doing, right? Him and Hermione were fucking, nothing more or less…. Hoping to avoid talking to Blaise anymore, he turned to approach the bathroom, but just as he did, the door shut, the room now occupied by Nott. "Nott!" Draco yelled, banging on the door. "I shower first, remember!"

"You shower when your damn alarm doesn't wake me up!" Nott snapped, and Draco could hear the shower start up.

"Bloody wanker." He said under his breath, turning away from the door. He made eye contact with Zabini, but quickly looked away, walking towards his closet to grab an extra towel. He would find another place to shower. He couldn't stand here with Zabini smirking at him.

"That's probably a good idea." Blaise said suddenly. "Nott usually takes long shower. You should probably get the stench of the sex you had last night off you as soon as possible."

Draco slammed his closet door shut and tucked all his clothes under his arm before heading towards the door. "Fuck off Zabini." Draco snapped before storming from the room.

Zabini was about as nosey and cunning as any other Slytherin. He knew how to get what he wanted, and would do anything in his power to make sure it remained to his liking. It was only a matter of time before Zabini found out he was fucking Hermione, and that worried him. But that wasn't the only thing on his mind that was bugging him. Him and Hermione had been fucking for months now, but he wasn't so sure if it was that anymore. Were they fucking, screwing for fun, having sex, or even… making love.

He didn't know which, and that bugged him because he didn't know when he even started to consider her anything other than someone to fuck around with.

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