Hermione was frustrated. Malfoy had spun her a story about a duel they were due to have. She knew he was lying. The only reason Harry would hide something like that from her was because she would try to talk him out of it. But it didn't explain why Harry was setting up this network to hide it from her. The secret would be much bigger than a silly duel.

And then there was Malfoy. He knew a little too much about the whole thing. He let slip something about the code; the thing with the coins. And he mentioned Harry and Ron by their first names. Harry had exchanged looks with him at dinner. He's involved. Why else would he be so chummy with me?

The next morning she had made up her mind. Harry would have to tell her, and she would use force if necessary.

At breakfast she sat opposite Harry who greeted her calmly.

"Good morning, Harry." She replied coolly, so he would know he was in trouble.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, Harry, why would anything be wrong?"

"Something in your tone. Do you want to discuss something?"

"As a matter of fact I do. For a long while I have noticed you're being very secretive. You're hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is."

"I can't."

"Why not? You told Ron. You told Ginny. You even told Parvati. I suspect Malfoy knows it as well from our discussion last night. So why can't you tell me? Usually you tell me everything. Now you're going to great lengths to keep something from me. You even have some sort of code with coins to summon each other or something. Are you afraid that your secret will upset me, or something? Is that why you keep it from me? Whatever it is I can take it. You know me, I can handle it. If you tell me I'll tell you a secret of my own that I've been hiding from everyone."

"The reason I haven't told you is because I'm afraid of what you might do. See, I know you have feelings for me, and this secret would ruin that hope."

"So what? You gonna tell me that you're gay or something?"

"Um, yeah." He was astounded to see that she had worked it out.

"And let me guess, your boyfriend is Malfoy?"

"Right again. How did you work it out?"

"I do have a superior mind you know. My initial thought was that you were trying to hide a girlfriend from me. And then I had a chat with Malfoy. He didn't confess it, but he did call you and Ron by your first names and let slip something to do with the coins. I put two and two together. I understand why you tried to hide it. But let me inform you that I no longer have feelings for you. I have been in love with someone else for a long while yet and I was acting like I still fancied the pants off you. My secret is the identity of my lover."

"Please don't tell me you're a lesbian."

"No. My boyfriend is Fred Weasley. We thought it best to keep it from a certain someone."

Harry looked surprised and relieved.

"Ron? He had a crush on you for about four years. May I ask when you stopped fancying me?"

"About a year and a half ago Fred asked me to the Yule Ball and he treated me like a princess all night. I had only gone as a friend since I was giving up on you. Fred made me feel so special that I couldn't help warming to him."

"How did he win you over?"

"It was all the little things. He pushed my chair in at the meal, kissed my hand before he went to fetch us punch, whispered sweet things to me when we danced, he gave me white rose and fixed it in my hair, that sort of thing. He was really romantic. I hadn't realised what a charmer he is. I suppose a prankster needs to be." They both laughed.

The air had been cleared between them. They were best friends again. Hermione didn't care that he was gay. She was just glad that they were friends again. She bade him tell her when he and Draco had become an item. He willingly told her and she admitted that while she had no problem with it, she was surprised that it was a Malfoy. He laughed when she pointed this out to him, saying that it surprised him too.

"I do kinda see your coming from though, he is sexy."

"Do I need to get jealous?"

"No, Harry, you don't."

Ron came up to them and sat down and the Weasley twins followed. Ginny and Parvati shuffled closer too. Hermione smiled at them all warmly.

"I told her the truth." Harry said honestly.

"And in return I told him my secret." Hermione finished.

"Which was?" Ginny asked looking surprised, she didn't think Hermione had a secret.

Hermione looked at Fred who was seated next to her. She put her hand on his on the table. Ginny gasped.

"Fred is my boyfriend."

"And Draco is mine."

"Okay, now that the secrets are out, I have to say that you will break all of the female hearts in Hogwarts. Harry, you are Hogwarts Golden Boy, and Draco is the Slytherin Prince…almost every girl desires one of you." Parvati said grinning.

"Except three it seems, right you two? Some people have a disinclination for either boy." Hermione said sneaking a sideways glance at Ginny and Parvati. Their eyes widened and she smiled. Hermione had successfully tricked them into revealing their secret. Well, not completely…the boys were looking confused. Until Harry got it. His eyes also widened and one of his eyebrows climbed higher than the other one.

"Is this true?" he asked.

They nodded and exchanged a look.