Secrets

Chapter Eight: Getting Caught

(Disclaimer: I don't own any HP titles…)

(A/N- hey everyone, I'm so glad everyone's stuck with me so far… Wow, I can't believe I've so many reviews! Thanks so much! I'm once again apologizing for last chapters' OOC Harry, I just needed something like that to happen… but Harry's going to be and act like that for a while, so get used to it…!

Belle)

I stood there in Ron's arms for what seemed to be an eternity. Just weeping softly into his brotherly arms was so cleansing and refreshing. When I was all done I gave a sniff and looked up at my Ron.

"Thanks." I said, wiping my eyes.

"No problem, I just hate to see you go through things like this…"

"It's not your fault, Ron. Don't pin this on Draco, either." I said, looking down.

I suddenly gasped, my eyes widening. "Oh, my gosh, I need to go! Can you come back to Hogwarts with me?"

Ron nodded, taking my hand and leading me to the fireplace.

After arriving in the Gryffindor common room, Ron followed me as I raced up to my room, finding Blaise and Draco going through my drawers.

"Hey Blaise, look at this-" Draco said holding up a thong. His gaze shifted when he saw Ron and I enter. "Oh! Hey Hermione, Ron."

"Having fun there, Draco?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, wearing a smirk that mimicked his own.

"You bet! Why don't you ever wear this for me?" He asked, a disappointed look on his face.

I let out a sigh. "You're such a guy."

"Hey! Look at Blaise!"

Blaise was in my bathroom going through my personals, putting out a box of tampons.

"Uh, Blaise?" I asked, peeking my head inside.

Blaise jumped, letting go of the box, tampons flying everywhere.

"You can pick that up…" I said with a wink before turning back to Draco. "Now that you've that out of your systems, can we talk?"

A blushing Draco and Blaise nodded. I sat down on my bed, Draco sitting down next to me and entwine his fingers with mine. I saw Ron eye our hands disapprovingly, and apparently Draco did, too.

"Got a problem Weasley?" He asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"Draco, please don't…" I said, glancing nervously between the two men.

Draco let out a sigh and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to him.

"Now, down to business. What do you all need to talk about?" Draco asked.

"Well, firstly, Harry." I said, drawing in shuddering breaths. "Why is he not himself lately? He was so sweet, and then he just BOOM changed."

"Maybe Sirius' death is finally sinking in." Ron said, deep in thought. "Sirius was the only person who could give him a semi-normal life. It must've hit him pretty hard."

"Man, I never thought of that…" I said, thinking aloud.

"OR it could be Hermione and Draco. Maybe he still has feelings for her." Blaise piped up.

"Me? But what about Ginny?" I asked, taken by surprise.

"Maybe he thinks you're Ginny… somehow…" Ron said, thinking deeply.

"Then when he was shagging Ginny… He thought it was… me?" I said, a disgusted look on my face.

"Well, yeah…" Blaise said.

I noticed Draco had been silent for a while, so I gave his hand a little squeeze. When he didn't respond, I looked up at him and noticed that he was soundly asleep. I smiled softly ay him, thinking of how cute he looked.

"We're all tired," Ron said. "Why don't we all go to bed and continue this 'meeting' in the morning?"

Blaise and I agreed.

"Hey Blaise," I whispered, pulling his ear to my mouth. "Draco's going to sleep in here with me tonight. I'll wake him up early and sneak him out in the morning."

Blaise smirked, kissed me on the cheek, said goodnight, and strode off behind Ron. I placed my hand where he had kissed me, thinking it to be rather odd of him to do such a thing…

I pulled Draco into bed with me, muttering an Invisibility charm before tucking him in. I quickly stripped into a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants and my bra, comfortably trusting Draco not to do anything. I glided into bed next to him, kissed him lightly on the forehead and whispered in his ear, "Goodnight love." I then dozed into a fluffy and peaceful sleep, snuggling into the one person I loved more than anything.

XxX

"Draco," I said, shaking him lightly. "Draco, wake up! I've got to get you to the Slytherin common room…"

Draco's eyes opened through slits, then all the way. "Hermione? Where am I?" He asked tiredly.

"In my room, stupid." I said, smiling sweetly at him.

"In your room? As in inside Gryffindor Tower?" Draco asked, rubbing his gorgeous icy eyes and yawning cutely.

"Yeah, where else?"

"In my room…"

"Nah, but I'm fixing to get you there…" I said, putting a smirk on my face.

XxX

"Hurry up, Draco…" I snapped as we entered the Slytherin common room together. Draco nodded back at me and raced up to the boy's dormitories.

"Hey India…" I heard a voice call out to me from behind. I whipped around to find Brandon Fralix, a man who's reputation it worse than Draco's, standing by me, eyeing my seductively.

"Hola Brandon." I said, playing the role of the famous India. I tucked my silky black hair behind me ear and winked my bright green eyes at him. Brandon seemed turned on by this, and continued forward, grabbing my wrists and pinning them above me, pushing me into a wall. I let him, playing the role of the slut called India, feeling pangs of guilt every time he touched me. Brandon's lips automatically went onto mine, dipping his tongue inside instantly. I almost cried, the guilt was so unbearable, but I regretfully kissed back, careful not to put too much emotion in it. After a few drawling minutes, I heard Draco speak as he clobbered down the stairs,

"Hey Fralix! Off my girl!"

Brandon immediately pulled back, glaring at Draco with daggers. "Your girl? I thought you were going out with that mudblood Granger…" He spat my last name out like venom.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Draco said simply. "Either way, get your hand off of her."

Yet, Brandon didn't loosen his tight grip on my wrists, which were still being held above me. He looked at me, studying my eyes intently. "You're not India."

"What?" I asked, panic throbbing through me. It was well hidden, though. "Of course I'm India!"

"India and I had a nice shag last night… she would've kissed me with more emotion that that… you- whoever you are- are not very willing, are you? You don't have her eyes, either…"

Oh, my God… I thought. The spell must be wearing off! I began to feel like myself again; my legs becoming shorter, my hair spoofing out, my face transforming. I wanted to scream and run away, but it was as if I was glued to that spot.

"So… it is Granger… You are dating the mudblood…" I slapped Brandon square across the face with everything in me. Brandon turned and looked at me, an evil smirk on his face. "You dare slap me, mudblood?" He then forced a hand around my neck, and began squeezing.

Everything started spinning… colors and shapes where everywhere. I heard Draco's burred voice echoing somewhere distant in my head. I began to get dizzy… dizzy… dizzy… then next thing I remember was cold, unwelcoming darkness. Everywhere.

XxX

I woke up later in the hospital wing, my head throbbing harshly. I sat up, looking around at the other beds around me. At the bed next to mine, I saw Draco sleeping peacefully, scars and bruises splattered across his face and bare chest. I wearily stood up, shaking and quivering slightly and walked over to his bed. I looked down at my love, listening to the music of his slow, steady breaths. I gingerly put a hand to one of his larger wounds, and saw him wince slightly. I placed my hand on his cheek as he opened his eyes.

"H-Hermione…" Draco said weakly, barely at a whisper.

"Good morning, Draco." I said, smiling lightly. Just the sight of Draco being so hurt made me want to cry… "Have I told you I love you recently?"

"No… but I love you, too, Hermione."

I leaned down and gently brushed my lips against his.

"So what happened last night?" I asked, stroking his head gently.

"I punched Brandon for hurting you, and then he hit back, and it let to the roughest duel I've even been in."

"Draco, you didn't have to-"

"But I did, and I'm glad. If I didn't, you'd be dead right now." He said, placing a delicate hand on my cheek.

"So, the rumors are true." A drawling voice called from behind Draco and I. I stood up, taking my hand from his head, facing the professor behind me.

"Rumors?" I asked Snape, who was sitting on the edge of the bed across from us.

"Of you dating Draco. All of the Slytherins are in a rage. All of the Gryffindors are dazed and confused." Snape said, not taking his cold eyes from mine. "You better watch yourself, Granger."

"Thank you, professor, but I think Ms. Granger can take care of herself…" Draco piped up.

I entwined my fingers through Draco's- I didn't know what to say to Snape right now…

"Well, now that you know, go away." I said before I could stop myself, my mouth taking a mind of its own.

"You are not to be talking to a professor that way. That's one detent-" Snape started but Madame Pomfrey cut him off.

"Severus, this is the hospital wing! Let them rest!" Madame Pomfrey said, striding quickly into the room from her office.

Snape's head shot up, startled and annoyed. "Good day Draco, Granger." He walked away briskly, eager to spread the news about Draco and I.

XxX

That night, I had trouble sleeping, so I went up to the Astronomy Tower and looked out over the grounds of Hogwarts, taking in the beauty of the night sky. I then sang a light, slow and soft Italian piece into the moonlight, imagining someone next to me harmonizing with me. I quickly stopped, though, hearing footsteps coming up the stairs. I darted into a dark corner of the room, hiding in the shadows as the figure immerged from the darkness.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, his sigh adjusting to the darkness.

"Oh, Ron! It's just you…" I said, walking out of the shadows, letting out a sigh of relief. "How did you know I was up here?"

"When you came over for the summer, I could hear you singing at night… I got used to hearing your voice, so I know it pretty well…"

"What do you need?"

"I, uh, need some help with, uh, something…" He said nervously.

"Like what?"

"Girl stuff…"

"Girl stuff? Not like make- up or anything like that, right?" I said, worried my friend was… 'changing.'

"No! Like boyfriend- girlfriend stuff…"

"Well, I can't help if I don't know what you need help with…" I said, letting out a sigh and rubbing my temples.

"I need you to teach me to kiss." Ron blurted out quickly.

"To kiss? Why would you need to-"

"Because I have a girlfriend…"

"Who?"

Ron gulped. "Luna Lovegood."

I almost busted out laughing, but I contained myself and looked at him with a smile, cracking up on the inside.

"Okay, I'll teach you, Ron…" I said, smiling and walking over to him. "Only because I love you so much… Now, first you put your hands on her waist." I said, putting Ron's hand son my waist. "Then you press your lips against hers gently- you don't want to go knocking a tooth out… if she responds to it, you might even get to french her…" I giggled when Ron put a panicked look on his face.

"Here, let me show you- just follow my lead." I said. I pushed my lips against his, closing my eyes. When he responded, I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to enter. After a few moments of not knowing what to do, Ron finally caught on, dipping his tongue barely into my mouth.

"Granger! Weasley!" I heard a voice snap from beside us. "I would have expected better of you two." Snape said, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling triumphantly.