Secrets

Chapter Seventeen: Getting Even

(Disclaimer: I own no HP titles- they all belong to the brilliant and creative mind of J.K. Rowling)

A/N- Okay, a bunch of people have been asking me for lemons, but I don't want to screw the whole story up with my inexperience. So, anyone willing to write them for me, me e-mail is Please help me!

Okay, someone asked how the touching-potion worked. Well, it didn't say this in the book that Hermione found it in (I know I'm not perfect…-tear-), but it works on both ends. If someone touches Harry, Hermione feels it and gets a flash of who touched him. It works the same way on Harry's end. I came up with this idea while lying out in my pool the other day, thinking of some way Harry could butt into Hermione's life… It'll lead to something catastrophic, I promise! Love yall!

-Belle

XxX

I didn't know what to do, where to go- all I knew was that Harry could probably feel Draco touching me… Now that I think of it, that wouldn't be a very good feeling for a guy to have… Having the feeling of someone kissing you and then having a guy flash through your mind… But that's not the point! I'm in deep trouble, and so is Draco!

I felt a sudden blow to my stomach, sending me to the floor, wind knocked out of me. I vision of Ron passed through my head. Ron had punched Harry… That meant Harry was awake!

"Draco, we-we have t-to go!" I panted, clutching my torso and gulping down air. Draco helped me up.

"Where?" We started walking from the Astronomy Tower.

"Anywhere, but we have to get as far away from Harry as we can."

We ran out of the school at full speed, hand in hand. I led Draco fearlessly into the Forbidden Forest, not caring what horrific creatures awaited us- none could hurt us like Harry could. We soon came upon a small clearing, where we stopped and caught our breath(s).

"Hermione, how the hell are we going to fight him? He'll find us eventually." Draco said. He was breathing easier now; I was still catching my breath.

"We are not going to fight him." I took a giant breath, filling my lungs with air. "I am."

"You are?" Draco asked. "I can't let you do that! He's going to hurt you again, Hermione!"

"He'd be even more brutal to you. I can't loose you, Draco." I pulled my wand out as I heard footstep coming closer. "I love you so much. If you love me, too, you'll stay out of the way until I call for help."

Draco looked hurt and very angry, but he took a few steps back. I returned my line of vision to the point where I heard the footsteps. A few moments later, Harry stepped into the clearing, out of breath and wand at the ready. I raised my wand a few inches and stood protectively in front of Draco.

"Hermione, you promised me you wouldn't go cheating again…" Harry said, a maniacal expression on his flushed face.

"I promised you nothing." I snapped.

"Zanitanium!" Harry yelled. A blue light exploded from the point of Harry's wand, shooting directly at me. At the last moment, I ducked, the spelling hitting Draco square in the forehead.

"Draco!" I leapt to his side and listened for a heartbeat, putting my head to his chest. A steady beating replied back to me, a wave of relief surfing over me.

"Your boyfriend isn't very good at protecting you, is he?" Harry began prowling towards me, a menacing look on his face.

"H-Harry-"

"No, Hermione just shut up! I'm sick of you and-and your… SECRETS!" Harry yelled. I was on my back, propped up on my elbows as Harry advanced. He pointed his wand at me. "Expelliarmus!" He yelled. My wand went flying about fifteen feet from my hand. I looked up at him with fearful eyes. I was surely going to die… Harry pointed his wand at my throat. "Now, Hermione, I'm afraid you've met your end. I've enjoyed risking my neck with you for nothing!" At 'nothing' Harry poked me in the throat with his wand, making me roll over and choke and gasp for air. He lent forward and pushed me back to my original position roughly, returning to his full height. "Nothing can save you now…"

Harry continued raving about how I betrayed him and how much I had changed. I zoned him out and began thinking of possible ways to escape- there had to be a way… Then, an idea sparked in my head- the bracelet Ron gave me! I wore it all of the time- 24/7. I discreetly fumbled with them dangling charms on my wrists, and managed to squeeze one. I began glowing a soft blue. Harry noticed.

"What's that?" Harry snapped, pointing over to it with his wand.

"A bracelet."

Seeming satisfied, he continued ranting about how much he loved me. It was sickening…

A sudden kick from the side came out of nowhere, not kicking me in the side, but Harry. My blurred vision clear to find Ron and Harry dueling vigorously. I was continually in pain, seeing as the potion was still in affect. Every blow that Harry received, I received, too. I didn't back away or complain though, it was more than Harry deserved.

"Ron!" I gasped, getting up and accio-ing my wand over to me. I stood to the side, watching my best friend fight my worst enemy, waiting for the right time to jump in.

"Crucio!" I heard Harry yell, out of breath. I screamed and charged at Harry. He's gone too far. He was hurting Ron! Ron was withering on the ground, yelling, twitching and groaning continuously. He was deathly pale, and his eyes were becoming watered.

"Harry, you take it off of him right now!" I screamed, stopping inches from his face. "He's your best friend! He's just defending me! Look at yourself, Harry! I'm not the one who's changed! You are." Harry looked at me, eyes flaring. "I hate to admit this, Harry, but you're reminding me a lot of Voldemort right now." I felt tear protruding my vision and spilling down my cheeks. "Your father wouldn't want you to be doing this. You're hurting innocent people."

Ron let out a last cry before passing out totally. Harry took off the curse, letting Ron take a giant and loud gulp of air. I ran over to him and set my head against his chest, listening for a heartbeat. It was there, but beating very weakly. I sobbed into Ron's robes again, hoping that he'd survive. He'd have to… somehow…

Leaving Ron just for a moment, I ran over to Draco, just to make sure he's okay. I put a hand to his cheek and let tears slide down mine. Seeing as he was okay, I went over to Harry, who was sitting with his back to a tree, letting tears pour out of his bright green eyes.

"Harry," I said, cupping his cheek with my hand. "I started all of this, and it's all my fault. I know an apology won't be enough to forgive everything that's happened, but, I'm sorry." A tear slid down my cheek and into the Earth beneath it. To my surprise, a white rose grew out if the ground, budding all in a few seconds. I looked up at Harry's eyes and pulled him into a tight hug.

"This isn't your fault, Hermione. I could never give you what you want. I-I just didn't want to accept that." Harry sniffed. "This is my fault."

XxX

I woke up in a white room, and when it came into focus, I found it to be the hospital wing. When I tried to sit up and look around, my sides ached and I had trouble breathing. I gasped loudly for air and coughed harshly. Madame Pomfrey came running like a cat to a mouse, a worried look on her face.

"Miss Granger, please be careful!" She let out an irritated sigh. "I'll go get another potion… SEVERUS!"

Snape came running into view and up to Madame Pomfrey. "Yes, Poppy?"

"I need a Pepper Up and a Pain Reliever as soon as possible- Miss Granger was woken up."

Snape turned his greasy head toward me. A cold glare lingered between us before he turned on his heel and strode out of the room. I heard groaning in the bed next to me, but the curtains were pulled back on the sides- not allowing me to see who might be awakening.

"M-Madame Pomfrey?" I heard a weak voice say from behind the curtains. I couldn't recognize to whom it belonged to because of grogginess.

"Yes, dear?"

"You said th-that Hermione was awake?" The voice seemed to be getting weaker by the second.

"Yes I did, dear, would you like to see her?" The person must've nodded because Madame Pomfrey took out her wand and made a moment with it, the bed doing the same thing. It scooted over so the sides of his and mine were touching. I pulled back the curtain and saw Draco looking weakly at me, great bags hanging underneath his eyes. He was very pale and his lips and eyes were outlined with pink.

"D-Draco..."

He smiled and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back up slowly. He took a deep breath. "H-Harry sent the Zanitous curse on me. It's not th-that popular," He coughed a little bit. "I-I've no idea how he learned it…" Another deep breath. "It knocked me out, a-and if you would-wouldn't have distracted him and b-broken his concentration, I-I'd be dead." I felt tears brimming my eyes. It pained me so much to see Draco like this. So weak and defenseless and in so much pain.

"I love you, Draco."

"I love you, too."

Draco weakly turned his head and looked at a looming figure staring back at us. Snape shoved two potions in my face and slithered –er, I mean, walked away. (A/N- Oops… -innocent face-) I drank the two potions in a few gulps, trying to ignore the foul and putrid taste. I immediately felt energy rushing through my veins, and my sore ribs and muscles feeling better.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"N-Not very good. Pomfrey keeps t-trying to give me potions, but I-I can't seem to keep them d-down…" Draco said. I wanted to hug him and to hold him and comfort him, but I knew it'd be best to just keep away and let him rest. I sat up, put my feet on the ground and tried putting my weight on them, seeing how it felt. When I felt no pain, I limped over to the bed on the other side of Draco to find Harry sleeping soundly under blood-soaked sheets. Ignoring the urge to vomit, I stumbled over to the bed on my left, finding Ron lying motionless in his bed, looking pale- no- ghostly white. I touched his hand gently- it felt cold.

"R-Ron…" I said, tears clouding my vision of the ghostly Ron- my best friend. "Please hold on, Ron, don't let go…" I knelt down beside his bed, taking his hand in mine and wept silently, leaning my head against the bedrail. "I need you with me… hold on, Ron…" I looked down at him, looking so white and lifeless. A tear fell from my cheek and onto his. "Don't let go…" A dizzying swirl came into my vision and I felt myself being swept into a world of unending darkness… "Don't…let…go…"

XxX

Why am I bound to passing out? This has to be the… third time? Yeah, it sucks. But this time when I woke up, I wasn't in a huge white room; I was in an olive green room, sunlight dancing in from a window to my right. I looked around to find to beds on either side of me, both sleeping soundly. One stirred, only turning over and letting out a sigh. I saw red hair… maybe it's Ron! I got up slowly and walked over to get a closer look. Fred Weasley was muttering in his sleep, snoring into my face. I let out a sigh and stepped back, not realizing that Fred had awoken. I had headed to the door, but Fred jumped in my way.

"Ah, ah, ah, Miss Granger! You shouldn't go waking people up like that…" He smirked. "But I don't really mind…" Was he flirting?

"Fred, please, just get out of the way I need-"

"Tut, tut, 'Mione, you should say please! And besides, there's a small fee…"

"What could you possibly want from me?" I was getting irritated…

"A little kiss…"

"A what?" Why would he want one?

"A kiss… you know with your lips-"

"I know, Fred, I know." I let out a sigh, anger suddenly bursting up inside me. "I just don't get how you could be so suddenly inconsiderate, seeing as I just saw Ron under the Crutatious Curse a few days ago, knowing that there's nothing I can do about it! Do you honestly think that I'm in the mood for romance?" I snapped.

"'Mione-"

"Do you know how hard it is to have to keep your feelings secret, though?" I asked, my temper flaring. "I had to end a relationship with someone I loved very much all because of everyone else and their stupid stuck up drama." I sighed, feeling better. I found myself falling into Fred's arms, welcoming his warm embrace. "It was horrible keeping it all bottled up."

"I do know how you feel, 'Mione…" Fred said, holding me close to him. He took a deep breath, as if he was nervous… nervous? Fred? "I-I've liked you for a long time… I've never told anyone or shown it… ever… I know you're not in the mood or at the point for a relationship or a boyfriend, but I just th-thought you should know."

Wait, Fred liked and likes me? Me? He wasn't acting at all like the prankster that I spent six years a Hogwarts with… this was a different side of him, and I'm not sure if I liked it or not… It was different, but the passion and sincerity in his eyes was like nothing I'd seen before. I took a step out of his embrace.

But I wouldn't do anything about it… yet. "Thanks for sharing, Fred." I said as kindly as I could. "I'll be sure to keep it in mind, I promise. But now, could you please let me through?"

Fred stepped out of the way, and I raced through the Burrow to find Mrs. Weasley, eager to check on Ron's conditions at St. Mungo's.

XxX