Author's note: Here you go. : ) Don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: Frankly, I'm upset. I still don't own anything that JK Rowling does, I mean… seriously… I should, like, get an award or something!


Chapter Four: Deepest Secrets

It was three o' clock in the morning and Derek and Hermione had just left the club.

"How'd you learn to dance like that?" queried Derek.

"Observing. Plus, my ex-boyfriend taught me… that and more," she winked. "Jeremy was by far the best…. Anyhow, what about you?"

"I just picked it up."

"Mmm…" she sat by the lake, the place she had absent-mindedly led them to.

"You must spend a lot of time at that club?" he looked at her.

She refused to look him in the eye. She stared at the trees to her left. "Yeah, I do."

"Why?"

"I don't want to go home."

"Did… did he hit you?" He had been leading up to the question for it had been on his mind most of the night. Hermione didn't say anything, but Derek swore he saw the ghost of tears in her pain-stricken eyes. She still wasn't looking at him. "I'll tell you my deepest secret… if you tell me yours."

She started slowly, "Yes, he hit me. He's been like that since last summer. I don't know what happened. Mom left him after a month. It got worse. I'm scared…. I've never been so scared in my life… maybe except once."

"When?"

"Draco Malfoy… he can be so mean and menacing. He hates me. I'm such a 'filthy mudblood'!"

"Oh…"

"What's yours?"

"Please, don't hate me for this."

"Why would I?"

"You'll see…. Okay, so I did something stupid. I'm in hiding. Hermione… I'm Draco Malfoy."

"What?" she jumped to her feet.

"Hermione…"

"Malfoy! I can't believe this!"

"Hermione," he stepped towards her.

"Stay away from me!" she warned.

"Hermione…" he still took steps closer.

"No!" she pushed him away, tears falling.

It was the first time Derek saw the purple mark covering her left cheek. He tried getting closer again. She pushed him back.

"Hermione!" his voice rose as he tackled her to the ground, gently, of course. He pinned her arms above her head. "Would you listen to me? I'm not the same Draco Malfoy as you knew. The night we met, I studied you for a moment. You aren't the same girl. I know I was wrong. Blood doesn't matter."

Hermione didn't say anything, rather busy studying his face and wondering if they could possibly be any closer to one another. Just as she was about to give into temptation, Derek climbed off of her. He wiped the tears from her eyes. She took his hand and studied the back of it before flipping it over and studying his palm. She smiled slightly, tracing invisible lines across his palm. She finally let go of his hand. "You're going to fall in love this year. You miss your mother. And, your heart is as gold as Gryffindor," she teased.

"That's just scary."

"Only a little. Okay, we better get back. Do you want to crash at my place?"

"Yeah, I don't think my 'parents' are home, and I don't have a key."

"Okay," they walked to Hermione's house. Her father was loudly snoring pm the couch. The TV was blaring some late night show. Her brother was sound asleep in his room with Crookshanks curled up next to him. She led Derek to her room. "I would have let you sleep on the couch but the arse of the house is there. You can have the bed." She walked into her closet, shut the door, and changed into short-shorts a baby blue tank top.

"No, I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, you won't," she countered.

"Well, neither will you."

Hermione came out of the closet with a blanket and pillow. She tossed the on the floor and went to lie down. She squealed as Derek Pulled her onto the bed. He had taken his shoes off.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He laughed, "you won't let me sleep on the floor, I won't let you."

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Ugh, fine," she maneuvered under the covers. "G'night, Draco," she smirked.


Hermione awoke bright and early the next morning and was surprised to feel two arms wrapped protectively around her waist. She slyly moved from Derek's arms. She quickly showered and changed.

"Hey, Sebastian!" she popped into the kitchen.

"Is that boy here?" he inquired.

"Good morning to you, too. And, yes, he is…"

"Oh…"

"Okay, well, I'll be right back to take you to school," she tiptoed to her room. Leaning to Derek's ear she whispered, "I'll be back. I'm taking my brother to school."

"Mmmm…" was all he said.


Author's note: There it was. Yes, it was short. I know.

Don't forget to review!

I need to take a poll. From now on, when no one is talking do you want 'Derek' to be called Draco? Like, instead of Derek sat on the couch. Do you want Draco sat on the couch. ? Yeah, please get back to me on that if you understood it. : )

Love you all,

Heather