Author's Note: My goodness, it's taken me forever to figure out how to write this chapter. Major writer's block. Haha... anyways.. sorry for the wait. Thanks to my readers and I hope you keep readin'. Oh, and I got a couple reviews saying I confused your guys about the seating arrangement between Hermione and her dad at that party... I reread that and saw my mistake. Yes, he was supposed to be sitting next to her. Sorry about that.

Chapter Seven: Secrets

"Stop following me, you're supposed to be dead." Hermione glanced around, he was there again. His back still turned, his voice still booming as loud as ever. His hair was a flame, like the nights before.

"I'm not dead, I'm alive." She wasn't sure if she should move closer to him, he might run away again. He tensed up. He was acting like she was a lion and he was her prey. "I won't hurt you. I just want to know who you are."

"Why do you care? Why do you keep coming here?" Hermione was seriously confused.

"It's YOU who keeps coming here." This is just a dream. He isn't real…

"I am to real." Hermione gasped. He read her mind. Or did she say that out loud? She watched him, he was looking around but never in an angle she could see his face.

"If you're real, let me see your face." His muscles tightened. He was more afraid than she was. Hermione took a step forward. "Please?"

"If you see my face, would you still be here? If you saw me, would you want to again?" She didn't even see it coming. His face… his face was gone. He let out a wail, and Hermione covered her ears. He was crying.

Hermione opened her eyes. She had hoped the dreams had ended. The night before, the night of the party, she hadn't dreamt at all. She thought maybe the weird dreams were over. But then she knew they had just begun.

Hermione stared out her window; tomorrow she would be leaving for Hogwarts. There were mixed feelings of course. She wanted to see her friends again and couldn't wait to be with them again, but then there was her mother. Hermione wondered what Olivia would do. She couldn't help but worry. Her mother was slowly loosing her grip, and there wasn't anyone there to help her. Claudia had told Hermione that it was only a matter of time her mother would realize what she was doing. But Hermione doubted that. Her mother was always too drunk to realize anything.

It was eleven, and Hermione needed to get outside. The stuffy air inside was choking her. She propped open her window and squeezed herself through. She grabbed the window to support her as she positioned herself on the roof. The cold roof tickled her toes but the night was warm. A breeze swept through the strategically placed trees in their professionally designed backyard. There was nothing simple in Hermione's world anymore. Not even the trees, which were chosen by size, color of the leaves, and how cute they would look among the pool and lawn chairs. She sighed and laid her head against the wall of the house. The stars were bright tonight, they finally had a chance to shine their fullest without the moon hogging the sky.

She glanced inside her window, looking into the room she's slept in for so many years. Her alarm clocked flashed in green neon numbers 11:11. She grinned and turned back to the sky. It was time to make a wish. She was little when she made her first wish. Eleven, to be exact. It was the night before her first day at Hogwarts. Her mother had taken her out of bed for a ride. They went to get ice cream and to sit by the beach. Her mother was sane then. Olivia and Hermione licked their ice creams and talked about how cool it was Hermione was going to be a witch.

"Hermie, do you see that star right there?" Her mother pointed to the black sky. It was a new moon, and the stars were brighter tonight. Her mother loved nights like these.

"Yeah, I see it, Mum." Hermione could smell her mother's perfume. Hermione had always wanted to smell like her. She smelled like the night.

"Every time it's 11:11, I want you to wish on that star. You know why? Because I'll be wishing on that same star, at that same exact time. And no matter how far away you are, we'll always have that star to bring us together with a wish. Okay?"

"What should I wish?"

"Wish for whatever your heart needs the most."

"What do you wish for?"

"That for at least one night, I wouldn't have to wish for anything."

Hermione smiled as she remembered their last night together. So much had changed since then. Change is Hermione's least favorite thing. She closed her eyes, pushed the tears out of her eyes. Her mind jumped from her mother to Draco and the night at Senior Russo's party. She made a wish that night, the same wish as every other night. She wished her mother would love again, she wished she could heal her. She wished she didn't have to wish.

((DM))

"Why do you care? Why do you keep coming here?" Draco watched as the bride swayed a little, trying to catch her footing.

"It's YOU who keeps coming here." He blinked. "You're not even real…"

"I am to real." The bride shrieked. She turned her back to him and began to shake. Crying, she was crying. Draco had no clue what to do. "What… what's going on?"

"You don't know me, do you?"

"Um… duh. You don't even have a face!" Draco watched as her shoulders tensed, as if his words hurt her. Did he?

"I have a face. You just refuse to see it. I'm closer than you think. Draco, wake up. Wake up. Wake up and see me." Draco felt the ground shake. His legs began to tremble with vibrations. "Hurry, before it's too late." Panic, her voice was soaked in it. "Hurry! Draco! Hurry!"

"Before what's too late!" The ground split, casing him to fall into darkness. He let out a yell as the bride slipped from sight.

Draco woke. "Fuck." He rubbed his eyes. This was getting annoying. He needed to talk to someone about these dreams, maybe put some meaning behind it all. He rubbed his eyes. It was eleven. Tomorrow he would once again begin his year at Hogwarts. He would flirt with pride and dance with meaningless snide. He sat up in his bed, letting the sheet fall off of him. The air was chilly against his naked chest. He rubbed his arms as he walked to the window. Malfoy Manor seemed so cold. His eyes darted around the grounds. It was quiet. He felt his chest knot up. He missed her.

His father had been distracted with things Draco couldn't comprehend, and made only the slightest notion that a family member was gone. Draco sneered at the thought of her disappearing so easily. It was like she was never there. She just slipped into a hole and fell until no one could see her anymore. He thought of the dream. His fate was turning out to be the same. He was falling deeper and deeper into things light couldn't touch. The bride was right, he needed to hurry. He was wasting time trying to gasp what was happening, he forgot he was still falling.

Hermione. His mind had run away with him and now her face was all he was seeing. He remembered how easy it was to be around her. She was scared that night, scared of him, and scared of what was happening. It was nothing, right? Draco closed his eyes. She had looked beautiful that night. It was something in her eyes, like she was really in a far away place. A place Draco couldn't touch. He never realized how far away she really was from him. It was more than their blood that put distance between them, it was everything. Their friends, families, and even themselves. She was the type of person to battle against herself in these types of situations. And Draco had the feeling he was too. He wasn't sure why he felt empty thinking of that distance between them. Usually, he could easily grasp whatever he wanted. But Hermione… Draco opened his eyes and stared at the sky. The moon was gone, leaving only stars. Hermione was a star. Too far to touch, but close enough to wish on.

((HG))

Hermione bit her lip as she searched the crowd for two familiar faces. Her father was standing next to her, holding her trunk. Her mother was tapping her foot slightly. The noise annoyed Hermione. She knew her mother didn't want to here, but she could at least pretend to. She was good at pretending.

"I don't have to give the 'good behavior' speech, do I?" Her father grinned as Hermione rolled her eyes. He was trying so hard to lighten the mood.

"You know me, Dad. I can't even let a toe out of line."

"I don't know, kiddo. I'm worried that you haven't gone through the rebellious, world hating, teenage stage yet. It might just spark when I least expect it to." Her father winked at her.

"Don't worry, if I start hating the world, it'll be because of a lack of good reading material." They both laughed. She was sad to leave him. She wondered what her parents were like alone, when she was gone off on wild adventures. She glanced at her mother. She was staring off into the distance, completely oblivious of her husband and daughter.

"That's the Granger blood in you. A good book is all we need to stay happy."

"And hot chocolate." Claudia squeezed Hermione's shoulder as she approached from behind. She was carrying Crookshanks in his carrier, who looked extremely pissed.

"I'm going to miss you, Claudia." Hermione felt the tears coming. She scolded herself for putting on such an emotional show.

"Hermione, dear, if you ever need me, just write. And I'll come straight to that school of yours and hand deliver you hot chocolate." Claudia knew Hermione was a witch. She was there when Hermione came running into the living room with the letter. Claudia was the one who convinced her parents to finally let her go. They had believed it was some sort of scam, but Claudia believed in magic. She claimed the world was just too crazy to not have magic in it.

"I'll seriously consider that." Claudia put Crookshanks down and gave her a motherly hug. She sniffled and pulled a hanky to blow her nose. Hermione gave her a comforting smile. "I'll be fine. I've made it this far, haven't I?" Her father placed an arm around Hermione.

"The house will be quiet without you, kiddo. I'll miss you, too." Goodbyes were never something Hermione liked. She smiled thinly. "You better start heading for the train. Don't want to get left behind, do you?" She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

"William, let her go. She has a train to catch." It was the first thing Olivia said since they arrived at the station. Hermione wiped her eyes from tears and smiled.

"She's right. I have to go now." Hermione picked up Crookshanks' carrier and placed in on top of her trunk. Her mother nervously shifted weight when Hermione turned around to face her. "'Bye, Mum. I'll miss you." Hermione felt so out of place in her mother's arms. Why did she have to be so cold?

"I'll miss you, too. But it's not like you're going away forever. You'll be back. Now hurry up, time's running out." Hermione waved one last time at the three of them and pulled her belongings to Platform 9 ¾. Once passing through the barrier, Hermione was sucked back into a world that only existed in some people's dreams, a world of magic.

"Hermione Granger! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Ginny Weasley came skipping up to her with a very sunny smile. Hermione returned it with a grin.

"Ginny!" They embraced and began at once chattering about their summers. Ginny informed Hermione that Ron had had an accident with his broom and a gnome.

"You should have seen it, the gnome came out of no where! It was all because Ron was teasing it. If he hadn't kept poking it and torturing the poor thing it wouldn't have attacked him." Hermione couldn't stop laughing. Her sides were hurting by the time they found Harry and Ron on the train. They squeezed themselves into the compartment.

"Hey, Ron, how's your arm?" Ron reddened.

"Give me a break, Hermione! Controlling a broom while a gnome is literally trying to tear you apart is a lot harder than it sounds." Harry grinned.

"That gnome really gave you a beating."

"Bugger off, Harry!" The three of them burst into laughter as Ron crossed his arms and glared. Hermione looked around at her friends. She was grateful to have them with her. They were more of a family then her own.

"Hermione, you never told us about your summer. How was it?" Ginny leaned back into her seat, waiting for juicy details.

"I bet it was filled with lots of books." Hermione elbowed Ron. He yelped and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Actually, it wasn't as dull as Ron would imagine. I spent a lot of time at the beach with my old school mates. I even went to a party."

"A party? A beach party?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"No, it was for my dad's work, but it was exciting. I… met a boy." Harry and Ron leaned in closer, Hermione grinned.

"A boy, eh? What's his name? How old was he? Do I know him?"

"Ron, stop acting like my dad. I already have one, thanks. But anyways, he wasn't really that important. Just…a fling."

"What kind of fling?"

"Not that kind of fling, Harry."

"Well, tell us then!" Ginny squealed as Hermione slouched back.

"It was just for that night. We danced, that's all."

"No name?"

"Does it matter, Ron?" Ron narrowed his eyes at her.

"Did you kiss?"

"Ginny!"

"What?"

"I'm not that kind of person, okay?" Hermione glared at them. "I shouldn't have even said anything. You guys will never leave me alone now. Can't I just be left in peace?" They stared at her for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. We'll stop." Hermione leaned against the compartment door and listened to them talk about different subjects, mostly Quidditch and the latest gossip. She didn't have the guts to tell them it was Draco at the party. They would have torn her apart, she was sure of it. Harry and Ron would have taken in too far and Ginny would start implying they were lovers. Hermione smiled at the thought. Her and Draco… lovers. It seemed like a dream.

((DM))

He was expecting to see her the moment he walked through the platform, but Hermione's face was nowhere to be seen. Draco sighed and wandered around, trying to find some familiarity. He saw the profile of Blaise Zabini and decided that was good enough. Blaise was slouching against the side of the train, arrogantly smirking at a pretty fifth year, who was twirling her hair. Draco rolled his eyes as he approached.

"Drake! Where've you been all summer? You weren't at my party." Draco remembered receiving the invitation. He remembered that day; it was the same day his mother died. Draco knew Blaise knew, but most likely didn't care. And why should he? It wasn't his mother who died, it wasn't his concern.

"I had other things to tend to, Blaise. I'm sure you heard." The girl smirked at him. Is she flirting with me? Draco gave her a disgusted look before turning to Blaise. She was just another whore to him, nothing more.

"Oh, yes, your mother. How are you holding up?" Draco shot a glare at the girl, who was staring intently at Blaise now.

"Not here. Not ever. I'm fine, that's all you need to know. Do you mind sending this young lady else where?" The girl smirked and crossed her arms over her overly large chest. She was a very nice looking girl. Her body was curved and her hair was styled very fashionably. She wore heavy eyeliner and shiny lip-gloss. She was too tan and her nails were fake. She was just the kind of girl for Blaise.

"Afraid I might bite, Malfoy?" She gave him a wink. "Well, I do sometimes, but never too hard." She licked her lips seductively, Draco rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm not afraid at all. I just find your presence annoying." She giggled.

"Jealous I'm not here for you? I could change that, you know."

"No thanks, I have someone else." Blaise raised his eyes, as the girl tried to play it off like being rejected didn't hurt her. She rolled her eyes and clung to Blaise.

"What girl, Drake? You never told me about any girl." Draco shrugged his shoulders, avoiding the girl's glare.

"You wouldn't know her." Draco smirked. "I met her at a party."

((HG))

Hermione felt heavy with sleep as she let her head hang slightly. Sleep was heavy on her eyelids as she began to drift off into her dreams...

Hermione clung to the edge of the cliff. Something happened, but what, she wasn't sure. There was suddenly a gap between her and the boy. He was too far to see his face, but she still remembered what was there... nothing. His face was gone. She gulped as she inched away from the edge and sat back to stare at him.

"Hermione, hurry."

"Hurry? Hurry what?"

"Hurry...time's running out."

"For what?" The boy turned his back to her. "Wait! What are you going?" He didn't turn to face her.

"Hurry. Hurry."

Hermione woke with a start as the train halted. Harry and Ron were both talking in whispers and Ginny's head was leaning against Ron's shoulder. Hermione smiled. Ron and Harry were like her brothers. They protected her whenever she needed them the most. Ron was like a younger brother that Hermione had to watch over, always making sure he never got in too much trouble. He made her laugh with his awkward innocence. He made her feel like it was okay to be a kid sometimes. Harry was like her twin. He was her rock, the one thing she knew she could depend on. She knew Harry had moments when his emotions got the better of him, but that's when she stepped in and used her rational mind to save him. He always knew when something was wrong with her, like he could read her mind. And Hermione could do the same with him.

Ron looked over and met her eyes. He smiled and poked Ginny till she stirred. "Are we there?" Her voice was groggy and her eyes still hadn't completely opened yet. Harry grinned at her. Hermione felt a pang of realization. Harry was Ginny's. No matter the connection Hermione had with Harry, his heart was Ginny's. If only they both would see that.

"Yeah, we are." Hermione looked out in the passageway. Students were already leaving the train.

"We should go." Hermione said softly. She grabbed Crookshanks and started to make her way through the train to the exit. The night felt like a silk blanket as she walked outside. The stars blinked brightly above her. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. "Hurry...time's running out." What did that mean? Was something going to happen? That voice... it sounded so familiar.

((DM))

Draco stood next to Blaise while Crabbe and Goyle teased a group of first years. He glanced around him. He still hadn't seen her. He didn't know why it bothered him so much. Ever since the night of the party, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Was that night a dream? Did it really happen? His let out a sigh and turned towards Blaise.

And there she was. She was standing so still, her muscles were tense and her back was turned to him. He watched her longingly. Why was she doing this to him? He couldn't even comprehend why she had this affect on him. It was just a kiss, just a stupid kiss. Draco reassured himself. He kissed a mudblood, that's all. His jaw clenched. He needed to talk to her. What if she told Potter and Weasley? She needed to know that what happened was just between them, their little secret.

((HG))

Hermione opened her eyes and sighed. She decided if the dreams got any worse, she would talk to Dumbledore about them. He was the only person she believed would have any clue what they meant.

Hermione felt a cold hand touch her shoulder and a smile stretched onto her face. "Harry, you truly are slo..." She turned and met eyes with cold steel. A smirk she knew all too well. Draco removed his hand and placed them in his pockets.

"Hate to break your heart, but I'm not Potter." Hermione glared. She wished he would just leave her alone. Ever since the parry it seemed he was all around her.

"And you never will be." Her throat felt tight. She wished it were Harry instead of Malfoy. But she had an annoying theory as to where he was; with Ginny.

"We need to talk." His voice lowered and his smirk was gone. His eyes watched her, it made her feel like an insect.

"I don't really see why, Malfoy." She responded in the same volume. Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Don't play stupid, Granger. You do a horrible job at it." Hermione grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"I really don't have the slightest clue why we would need to talk." Draco rolled his eyes and huffed.

"About... this past summer..." Hermione's eyes lit up. She smiled to herself and hung her head slightly.

"Ah, yes, about the party. Don't worry Malfoy, no one knows." She walked away from him, still feeling his eyes on her. But she didn't care. Let him watch me, I've got nothing to hide. Hermione held her head high and walked towards Ron and Harry whose arm was around Ginny. Except maybe that. She frowned and mentally slapped herself for getting upset over Harry Potter's love life. It was time she started working on her own.

((DM))

"What was that about?" Blaise asked as Draco walked back towards them. Draco smirked.

"The little mudblood said something I didn't like." Blaise shrugged and climbed into the carriage that was waiting for them. Draco took one last look in her direction. "Ah, yes, about the party. Don't worry, Malfoy, no one knows." So...it was real. It wasn't a dream. Malfoy smiled and climbed in after Blaise.

Author's Note: Any questions? Haha. See ya till next time!