Chapter 2- Secrets under the stars

He had took a detour from the common room to his usual spot outside,
passing Harry, Ron and Hermione as he did so, he noted how their expressions changed when they had realized their actions. He was currently gazing up into the ink black sky, unaware of anything around him. He yawned
and rubbed his eyes, noticing his cheeks were wet. He sat up quite surprised and only just noticed that tears were streaming down his face.
Malfoy's don't cry he kept telling himself. Why am I crying? Why am I
bothered what a Mudblood, Potter and his sidekick think? I'm just being
stupid! His thoughts were interrupted by soft footsteps coming from behind him. He turned swiftly to see none other than Hermione Granger, the last person he would have liked to see. "Draco..." she began softly. "What?!" he growled, blinking back tears. "I'm.I.err.I know you heard us before and I didn't.I mean I was just angry and." She stuttered. He impulsively straightened himself up and returned to his usual scowl. "Do you really think I care what you think of me?" He retorted. Hermoine looked sympathetically at him shifting her eyes to his tear-stained cheeks, which were a hint of crimson. "How silly of me Malfoy, to think you'd care. I just wanted to say sorry on my behalf I was angry and I mean there's a lot of stuff In my life no-one knows about it just got me worked up." Malfoy's expression changed, he was a little taken aback, did she just apologize? Why was she being nice? Questions flooded into his mind. "What could be going on in wonderful Granger's life that could bring her down?" He said with a hint of sincerity. "More than you Malfoy." She smiled. "Oh yeah!" He stood up abruptly, causing her to step back, she didn't mean to get him angry she thought. "This year may be my last as my own person, do you know how that feels?!" Hermione walked over to Draco, who was shaking and angrily wiping tears from his fierce eyes, she sat next to him. "I don't know Mal.Draco, why don't you tell me?" She said comfortingly. Draco turned his face away from her, "Tell you? Why? So you can go tell Potter and Weasley and make another little play about me?" He barked. "I apologized for that earlier, I am really sorry I don't know why I did it but I was so angry that I took it out on you I didn't mean it. But you can tell me anything, if you can't talk to anyone else you can talk to me, it will just be our little secret-I promise. Forget I'm Hermione Granger your enemy for a second and I'll forget that your Draco Malfoy and you can just talk about anything, or even cry." Draco interrupted her.
"Malfoy's don't cry." Hermione looked puzzled.
"Why not?"
"Because, we don't. My father says so and if he is not obeyed I get hexes put on me. He says it shows weakness and 'Malfoy's aren't weak', or so he says." He said turning to face her and showing her his pale arms engraved with deep cuts and burns.
"That's horrible. He is your father, he shouldn't treat you like that, no one should. And besides crying doesn't make you weak, it just shows you have feelings, and I think even the great Draco has feelings." She smiled, making him smirk. The two teenagers both sat staring at each other surrounded by the silence soon broken by Ron and Harry calling into the darkness. "Hermione!" They shouted. "Are you out here?" Hermione turned to Draco "Remember what I said, you can talk to me anytime." She whispered. "Thanks, I appreciate it but, just remember-don't tell a soul." He whispered as she emerged from a tree and started waving to Ron and Harry. They ran over to her and started fussing and questioning where she had been. Really, Draco thought can't she go anywhere without lover boys. "I went to look for Draco." The two boys pulled the exact same confused expression. "Draco? Since when was he called Draco?" Harry demanded. "Well maybe if you start calling him by his first name, he will start calling you by yours." Hermione said crossing her arms. "Yes but why did you go looking for him, the stupid ferret!" Ron inquired, not noticing a wand appearing from behind the tree. Hermione did, chuckled to herself and mouthed 'No.' To Draco who was just barely visible. The wand disappeared. Harry and Ron looked even more confused. "Because we was horrible to him and I felt really bad that he heard we shouldn't say stuff about his dad, despite how horrible he is." She sighed staring at the floor. "Yeah, but he calls you a mudblood which is ten times more horrible than anything we've ever said to him." Ron protested. "Exactly 'Mione, and think of how upset he gets you, you should want to hurt him back, he doesn't have any feelings anyway he is a 'Malfoy' after all!" Harry added putting his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, its late let's go inside." He suggested walking ahead with Ron. Hermione turned to the shadowed tree "He does have feelings, even if he hurts mine." She whispered and left.
Draco emerged looking hurt; he didn't realize how much he hurt her, but why did he care anyway?