CHAPTER 11

AS THEY REVEAL

A/N:- Hello there! Get ready for a really long chapter. It's REVELATIO. Of course the revealing chapter will be one of the longest ones.

As they conceal

As they drown

As they reveal

Words, like nature,

half reveal and

half conceal

the soul within.

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

Hogwarts was in terrible chaos.

Giggling girls were dashing after no-longer-boisterous boys. Brave boys were dashing after gorgeous-but-giddy girls.

Reason?

The impending Yule Ball.

It was the new raging topic of discussion those days. Talks were usually limited to apparel, dates and jealousy. It was on everyone's mind. Well, everyone but not Hermione. Not Draco. Of course, one couldn't discuss such frivolous topics when one was a worried bookworm, trying to master the secret of magic or a prodigy in wizardry, training to be a death eater.

She was seriously sick of it. After a nearly sleepless night, she didn't want to go on a fruitless Hogsmeade trip, only to end up discussing the bloody Yule Ball.

Everyone, even the usually Quidditch oriented Ginny, Ron and Harry kept talking about the damned ball. She was the least interested. So, when she got up wearily from her bed that morning, she quietly went about her business, ignoring the chatter of the girls in her dorm. As she slipped in the common room, the volume increased monumentally.

"Hermione!", someone yelled.

She turned around, apprehensively. She didn't want to talk to any person, except a certain grey eyed boy for whom she had been waiting since Sunday.

It was Ginny. "Oh, Hi!", she replied, suppressing her unreasonable irritation.

"Going to Hogsmeade today? Even if you're not, please come!"

"I am sorry Gin, I really am but some urgent work has come up. I know I promised you all but I can't. Sorry.", she said politely. If only they knew what urgent work was...

"Okay...but don't complain later. Oh! One last question. Who are you going to the ball with?"

Not again. "No one Gin, no one.", she momentarily paused and then quickly continued, "What about you?"

"Neville just asked me!" Ginny smiled but the spark didn't quite reach her eyes. "And don't say that you're going with no one. I sure you'll turn up with someone great."

"We'll see.", she glanced at the red haired witch in front of her. "And Ginny, if Harry and Ron ask for me, will you please tell them that I'll be off somewhere on my own and that I don't want to be disturbed?", she added.

"Of course. That somewhere being the Library, right?"

"Maybe", and with that she turned on her heel and continued her walking, before Ginny could say anything else. As she slipped out of the portrait hole, she noticed that the hallways were not any different. She didn't head for the Great Hall; she had things other than food on her mind. She tried her best to not pay any attention to any chatters and walked on; head held high, ears closed and eyes searching for remarkably smooth whitish hair.

She decided to search by the lake first. It was logical, since that was the place they had decided to meet up at. After a seemingly long walk, she reached there. The lake was placid as ever, surrounded by a mysterious looking fog.

Her eyes searched for a slender figure. It took her a while to scan the area. And then, she found him sitting cross legged on the grass, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. He seemed to be lost in a sea of deep thoughts.

He must have heard her gentle footsteps disturbing the blades of grass because a few moments later his neck turned around and she came in his sight.

"Hermione", he nearly whispered her name but nonetheless, it felt like a gentle caress to her.

His voice sounded strained and faraway but then, it was oddly comforting. His eyes were bloodshot, with huge dark circles underneath them and his already pale skin was nearing a sickly shade of white. She wondered if her thoughts from a week ago were correct. Had he been tortured?, she thought. It surely looks like it.

"You remembered", she said, not finding it strange that she was too happy to merely see him.

"Of course I did.", he replied, his voice small, his demeanour screaming vulnerability.

She went and sat beside him. He shifted away a little. It was unnoticeable. He thought that someone so pure and innocent as her couldn't be near him and his tainted skin. But she noticed and in a bold move, she caught hold of his hand and clasped it between her own two hands.

His eyes widened and he stared at her as she looked away,towards the lake, furiously blushing cheeks giving her away.

Good grief! She doesn't like me, does she? Merlin! Why is everything so complex?

But he didn't say anything. Girls blushed even on the smallest things after all. Maybe, she had just held his hand to show she cared and those lovely flaming cheeks were just a mere reaction to the pathetic cold, he thought.

Unbeknownst to him, his cheeks were flaming too.

They sat there quietly for a long time. A gentle breeze was rustling the weakly attached leaves and rippling the calm waters of the lake. Both of them didn't even try to start a talk; it was as if a silent understanding had formed between them, an agreement to not talk verbally but visually.

But at the magical spell had to be broken. "Uh, Hermione, we can't do this anymore.", he said, clearly regretting it.

"Why?"

He looked at her with gloomy guilt ridden eyes. "You wouldn't understand and I can't tell you."

"Is this somehow related to your visit home?", she asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yes", he answered, his voice full of sorrow. It was then and there that she thought that she had been correct. This weak, shell of a boy wasn't the Draco she had befriended. Something was seriously wrong and she was going to get to the root of it.

"Don't think of finding out what's wrong with me. It won't do anyone good."

"How...how did you even know that I was thinking of that?", she asked startled; her grip on his hand tightened.

"I know many things about you, Hermione Jean Granger."

"And sadly, I don't know anything about you, Draco Lucius Malfoy.", she said sadly.

"Trust me, you're better off that way."

He had said that so sorrowfully that she couldn't help but leave his hand free and reach out to cup his face. "You don't have to tell me anything, you know but remember that if you ever need me, you can always come to me."

The grey eyed wizard looked at the brown eyed witch in the eye.

Grey to brown; brown to grey.

Millions of minutes passed but they sat there, frozen as if petrified.

Then something clicked. A spark flickered.

And this time, he swore, that she had leaned in first. The space between them became zero and time stopped ticking as she kissed him softly and he entangled his fingers in her wavy hair. After sometime they pulled away, breathless.

"What was that for?", he asked, amazed and obviously surprised.

"To show that I care about you."

He wanted to kiss her again, right there and then but he couldn't. Things were already complicated. She was Potter's best friend, he was the Dark Lord's heir; they were clearly on the opposite sides in an impending war. He couldn't entangle himself further. Besides, he was going to die soon, he thought.

"Thank you. But you can't care about me. Only Merlin knows how much it is hurting my heart to say this but- I...we can't meet anymore. Please remember me for the person I am, not for the deeds I do. Please do that, for me." He got up and ran away as fast as his weak legs could manage.

"Draco, wait!"

"I'm sorry Hermione. But I have to do this." To keep you safe.

She ran after him but suddenly he disappeared in thin air. He must have disillusioned himself, she thought.

She was left there, alone in the biting cold, tearless but hurt. But she wasn't going to give up on him so easily. She would still look out for him. She was too deep in the mess now and the only way out was him.

She realised that she was liking the once upon a time git too much. She had kissed him for Merlin's sake!

But she had wanted to do that for so long...

He ran away like the dastardly coward he was. How could he ever tell her that he was supposed to kidnap her and then send her to the lunatic? He had just wanted to see her doe eyes filled with innocence one last time, before they looked upon him with disgust.

He had just wanted to talk to her before she forgot him forever. What he hadn't counted upon was that she would kiss him...

How was he supposed to be the heir of the darkest wizard when he had fallen for a girl so hard? How was he supposed to be an overtly manipulative and heartless monster?

The whole deal was so wrong. They were in that mess all because of his damned filthy father.

Energy was cackling through his body as he entered his common room, which was thankfully empty at that moment. Around him various objects were levitating and smashing as they hit the walls. His anger made him too powerful and blind to the damage he was causing.

After a while when he finally calmed down and stopped cursing his father and the Dark Lord, he looked around to see the appalling state of the room.

This is why he chose me. Iamalreadyamonster,he thought. Waitingtobeunleashed.He was an important pawn in his dark plans and he could do nothing about it.

A quick movement of his wrist quickly restored the room to its former glory. It was then that the other Slytherins entered. He quickly disillusioned himself again. He had no need for silly conversations.

"Have you seen Draco?" Parkinson asked Greengrass.

"Nope. No, I haven't."

"I really wanted to ask him to go the ball with me.", she whined slightly.

As if I want any of that nonsense.

She really is a boy-hugger, thought Draco. She was always bouncing among them; from Zabini to Nott, from Nott to him and from him back to Zabini, like a quaffle in a Quidditch match. The main difference was that no one wanted this particularly dirty quaffle.

"Well, good luck with that.", said Greengrass as she went her way.

After the room had become empty again, he reappeared again and sat on the sofa, staring into the firelight, planning what to do in his life till his very near untimely death.

His thoughts eventually wandered towards her.He couldn't help himself. She was so lovely and innocent. He knew he would never be able to forget her. He wished if he could still be as innocent as he had been when he had been a five year old boy.

No, don't think about her, he chided himself inwardly. She should mean nothing to you. He tried but was unsuccessful. After all, one could not switch off one's feelings with a flick of one's hand.

Why isn't everything as simple as magic?

He groaned, utterly defeated in his endeavour to forget that he loved a certain bushy haired witch. He once again slipped out, this time heading to the fourth floor. Fact was that he didn't want to forget. So, he was going to do something that would make him remember her even more.

Many hours of his life had been spent out his common room wandering aimlessly through the numerous corridors of Hogwarts. It was time to apply the knowledge he had gathered.

He was going to The Mirror Of The Erised. He could at least dream about what he couldn't ever have.

She was still shaken but not shattered. It had been two days since he had run off, away from her. But he was not a lost case to her because now she knew that he had inherent good in him, stowed away from the judging stares of the whole world.

She was currently in the library, pretending to search for a potions homework they had been given. In reality her mind had been going out for walks with thoughts of Draco Malfoy.

He hadn't said anything to her in the potions class, except the bare minimum. He was not at all any of the Dracos she knew. He was neither his old cold sneering self nor was he the new strange one. He was just a boy, paying no attention to himself or his surroundings.

She had noticed the distant look in his eyes. He had looked too lost and forlorn. She had also seen that he secretly stared at her with those miserable eyes when he thought that she wasn't looking.

So there was some hope forthemafter all.

She stared at the book sprawled in front of her. Nothing was making sense and she was trying hard to concentrate when someone gently tapped her shoulder.

"Harry, Ron please-" , she paused as she turned around and came face to face with Viktor Krum.

"Oh!"

"'Ello Herm-own-ninny"

"Hello Viktor.", she said a little shyly. She very much wanted to tell him the correct pronunciation of her unusual name but refrained from doing so.

They stared awkwardly at each other for some moments when he broke the silence again.

"Vould you go to da ball vith me?", he asked.

She blushed lightly as she contemplated his offer in her head. She could have never hoped to show up with Draco. Besides he barely seemed interested. Except him no one was eligible; Harry was after Cho and Ron just didn't realise that she was a girl. Though, she too didn't want to go with either of them. Turning up alone and then being teased about it was not her idea of fun at all.

Krum was her best catch. She could be the centre of attraction for one night and not be a nerdy bookworm for once. Yes, Krum it is, she thought.

"Of course", she replied.

"Vary good! Dank you!"

As soon as she stepped under the gossamer fairy lights of the great hall with her arm interlocked with Viktor Krum's, all the eyes were dead set upon her, especially those belonging to the young male populace.

She was pleased with the effect she was having on them. But she was extremely displeased to see that Draco had not bothered to show up at all. She had thought that he would at least turn up, even if not with her. Only Merlin knew how much in need of fun that miserable boy was.

He couldn't tear away his eyes from her. Is that Hermione Granger? She surely doesn't look like the Hermione I know, he thought.

On the other side of the Hall, Parkinson was tugging Zabini's face away, so he couldn't see her. Yes, Pansy Parkinson had turned up with Blaise Zabini and not him because he had been using the Disillusionment Charm a lot lately. In fact, he was currently disillusioned. The chair he was sitting on appeared invisible to anyone passing by.

He stared dreamily as she danced and twirled with Krum, wishing it was him instead. But he couldn't get what he wanted because he valued her safety above his need for her. The things I do for you...

She looked so... beautiful. Even more than usual. She had done something with her hair because instead of wavy, it appeared appeared sleek and extremely smooth and he wanted to run his hands through it endlessly. Blue suited her too well, he noted.

He was definitely going to the visit that mirror again.

She kept dancing with Krum as the night progressed. And when she finally stopped, her face was flushed pink with exertion. He kept watch from afar, wallowing in the depths of her beauty.

She had been having a fairly happy evening when Ron decided to blow up everything and had a huge argument with her. He was accusing her of helping Viktor. As if I would ever do that, she thought angrily.

She looked Ron in the eye and then finally went outside in the cold night air, not intending to talk with anyone at all.

As she stepped out, the cold night air embraced her. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her. She whipped around, wand already drawn from a concealed pocket, ready to attack.

"Who's there?"

"Don't worry, it's me." And then Draco Malfoy appeared out of thin air, in front of her. He grinned.

"You!"

"Yep, me.", he drawled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I would say that I have been attending a rather silly ball but in reality I have stared at you."

She brushed aside his last comment. "I didn't see you anywhere in there.", she said, suspicious.

"That's because I didn't want you to."

It was now or never.

"Why do you keep coming in and then running out of my life, again and again, Malfoy?"

"Oh, back to surnames are we, Granger?" He sneered.

"Answer the question, Malfoy", she said through gritted teeth.

"No, I choose to not.", he said as he began waving his fingers around his body. She recognised that he was performing the Disillusionment Charm and quickly caught his arm in the nick of time.

"You're not running away this time, Mister", she said as she dragged his arm.

He silently gaped at the witch in front of him as she powerfully dragged him on a moonlit path. She only looked frail but wasn't frail at all, he remarked inwardly.

He vaguely caught that they were headed for the lake as he saw the reflection of a crescent moon on the placid waters. She led them towards their usual spot and made him sit beside herself.

There were a million little lantern lights in the dark night sky when Hermione Granger made Draco Malfoy speak his mind.

"Answer the question, now", she murmured, suddenly feeling uncertain and inconfident of her actions. Both of them were.

"Because I care about you and want you to be safe.", he simply answered.

"Don't you lie to me Malfoy. You could have done that without kissing me. Tell the true answer.", she spat, suddenly regaining some of her lost fire.

He stood up and turned away so that she was no longer in his sight. He nervously ran his hand through his hair.

"Because I want to protect you."

She smiled at that. "And?", she prompted.

He was silent for a few moments. But then he burst forth.

"And I bloody love you Granger! Happy?"

"What?", she asked weakly. She was too shocked. She had thought that he would say that he liked her a lot or something of that sort. Never ever had she thought, not even in her wildest dreams, that he would say that he loved her.

"I said I love you Granger. And I don't expect you to reciprocate my feelings. Please ignore all the rubbish I said in the last two minutes because we can't continue this, whatever this is. We can't even meet anywhere except in classes."

"I will not at all ignore what you said Malfoy. In fact you can expect me to reciprocate your feelings in due time.", she said as she got up to stand beside him.

It was his turn to be shocked now. But he masked it well. "Didn't you hear what I said. We can't meet.", he said seemingly emotionless. Internally he was writhing in turmoil.

"Perhaps no, perhaps yes."

Yet again, something clicked.This time a million sparks flickered.

They couldn't contain it any longer. In the darkness, just like their first time but under a million little fairy lights, their lips met. Millions of unspoken words were spoken as he lost his fingers in her locks. Millions of feelings were expressed as she tugged him impossibly closer to herself.

For it was in the darkness that the millions of little intricacies of their love could be played out. For it was in the darkness that their flaws could be hidden away from the eyes of the world. For it was the darkness of the night that always welcomed them and their revelations, without any cruel judgment.

The night made them theirs...

A/N:-Revelations...

Please tell me that I didn't botch it up!
-laters, Norma