Particular

Secrets

I'm sorry it's taken me sooooo long to update!!!! I've been terribly busy with University that I haven't really had much thought for anything else.

A bit of an announcement: I've upped the rating from T to M, as I'm sure you've noticed. Mainly because of the language used and some possibly explicit scenes in later chapters. There's a bit on an explicit scene here too, and I'm such a prude that I blushed like a tomato while I wrote it, so please go easy on me. :S

Anyways, I shan't keep you any longer. Enjoy!

Last time:

"Goodnight, Malfoy." She whispered in his ear.

And then she was gone, and Draco Malfoy was left standing there, feeling things he should never feel for her and cursing himself for getting into this situation.

Hermione sat alone in the common room, staring blankly at the fire. She ran her fingers slowly across her swollen lips and felt her heart skip a beat. She felt nauseous thinking about her kiss with Draco, but at the same time, felt strangely satisfied. A soft cough brought her crashing down to earth and she turned around and saw Ginny standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching her closely.

"Where have you been?" She asked, walking over and sitting beside Hermione.

Hermione shook her head. "The library, where else would I have been?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I was there 20 minutes ago and you weren't there."

Hermione didn't say anything. She had been in the closet with Draco 20 minutes ago. So how did Ginny beat her to the common room? Unless she had been looking for her and came back to Gryffindor tower after seeing she wasn't in the library.

"Where were you really, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head again. "I was talking with Malfoy about the upcoming ball."

Ginny sighed. "Why do you have to lie to me Hermione? And why are your lips swollen? Are you having an allergic reaction?"

Hermione quickly covered her lips. "No! And I'm not lying to you Ginny. Honestly, what else would I have been doing?"

"Were you snogging someone?! Is that why your lips are swollen?"

Hermione blushed and Ginny gasped. "You totally were, weren't you? Oh my God, who is he?!"

Hermione looked around the common room. "Promise me first that you won't freak out or tell another soul. Not even Harry and Ron."

Ginny looked at her, confused. "Okay, fine. I promise. Now... who was he?!"

"Draco Malfoy..."

OoOoO

"Did you get the book then?"

"What book?"

Blaise rolled his eyes. "The one about the essay we're supposed to be studying."

"Oh, no I didn't. Madame Pince smacked me round the ears for swearing and kicked me out."

Blaise burst into laughter. "Why were you swearing?"

"Granger had the book and wouldn't let me read it."

"And you didn't take it from her? You're turning soft on me Draco. How hard to Pince smack you? You're hairs in a right mess."

Draco quickly flattened his hair and turned a light shade of pink. Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Why are you blushing?"

"Piss off Blaise." Draco glared at him.

"Oh shove off it, mate. You can tell me."

Draco looked around the common room. "All right fine, but don't even think of telling another soul. I don't care who they are, if you tell them I will fight you properly. And don't freak out."

Blaise leaned forward eagerly. "All right, you have my word."

"I was snogging Hermione Granger."

OoOoO

Hermione and Draco sat opposite each other in the library, both looking at their notes, neither actually reading. Draco cleared his throat and Hermione slowly looked up at him.

"What?"

"How'd you like our little escapade last week?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't exactly call it memorable."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? From what I remember, it was you who caved and pulled me in. So there must have been something you liked about it."

Hermione looked at him seriously. "Honestly, Malfoy, they're called hormones and they sometimes get the better of us."

Draco slouched back in his seat. "So there's something about me that gets your hormones going, eh?"

Hermione glared at him. "Malfoy, I'll put this as plainly as I can and maybe then you can get it through your thick skull. I'm 17 years old. It's perfectly natural for me to have hormones that affect me the way they do. As it is for you, I'm sure. Now, let's both do ourselves a favour and forget about what's happened between us and move on to someone more suitable for us."

Draco leaned forwards. "You can try to trick me all you want Granger, but I think it's a bit more to do with than hormones. If that was the case, you'd be snogging people left right and centre. And let's face it. I don't think you've ever snogged anyone in your entire life. Except perhaps Weasley."

"How dare you? You don't know anything about me or my personal life. You have no right to make those assumptions!" Hermione whispered angrily.

Draco smirked. "No, that is true. But what would you say if I told you I fancied getting to know you better?"

"I'd say you'd better lay off the crack, Malfoy."

Draco paused. "What's crack?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Never mind. It's a muggle drug. But honestly, I'd say you'd gone mental."

Draco discreetly slid her a piece of parchment. "Read it, and follow the instructions." He got up and left the library, swaggering like a pompous git. Hermione let out an angry breath and unfolded the parchment.

Granger,

Meet me in the Entrance Hall after dinner tonight. I have some ideas about this ball thing. I want to discuss them with you. I'll see you then.

Draco Malfoy.

"Honestly! That's why we were here in the first place!"

"Voices down in the library, please!"

Hermione jumped and glanced back at the librarian, nodded quickly and left.

OoOoO

Hermione stood in the Entrance Hall, impatiently tapping her foot as she waited for Draco to arrive. If he wasn't there in 10 minutes she was leaving. Hermione sighed impatiently and looked around the hall. Finally she saw him coming, alone. As he reached her she glared at him.

"You're late Malfoy."

"Impossible, you must be early."

Hermione glowered daggers at him. "Don't start with me. What did you want to talk to me about? What are your ideas?"

Draco walked past her. "Follow me, let's find a room where we can sit down."

Hermione followed him in silence as they walked down the corridor, occasionally stopping to peek in doorways. Finally, they came to small unused classroom. Draco gestured for Hermione to enter and she did, followed by Draco, who closed the door behind him.

"All right, what did you want to talk about?" Hermione said turning to him.

"Nothing." Draco said.

Hermione opened her mouth to tell him off but Draco stopped her by pulling her into another passionate kiss. She tried to push him away but he persisted until, at last, she gave in and melted in his arms. They both sighed in delight and gave into the fires burning inside them. Draco pushed Hermione roughly against the wall – she did not protest. She sighed and moved her mouth to his neck, biting him almost enough for it to hurt, but not quite. He breathed in sharply and pulled her face back to his.

Hermione felt the same squirming she had before as she felt Draco graze his hands across her thighs towards her skirt. She had one leg wrapped around his waist. The other on the ground to help support her weight. "Draco..." She groaned.

"Did you just say my name, Granger?" Draco whispered into her ear.

She nodded. "Stop..."

He continued to move his hand up her leg, kissing her neck as he mumbled "Why?"

"We can't do this. It isn't right."

Draco stopped moving his hand and pulled away to look at her. She was flushed and breathing heavily, but she also looked afraid. "I can't do this with you. I just can't."

"Why not? You don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you."

Hermione bit her lip. "I don't trust you, Malfoy. I don't know you. I don't want to be 'just a fuck' to you, or anyone for that matter. I'm not ready for this."

Draco frowned. "But you want it! Why not just go with your emotions? Let them go crazy, it'll be amazing."

"I just told you I don't want to be a fuck for anyone! And damn it, I know I want it! That's why it's so hard to say no. But I have to put my foot down, and control myself."

Draco stepped away from her and sat down on a desk. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Malfoy, but I can assure you, I am not that kind of girl. I never have been, and it's likely I never will be."

"Are you a virgin, Hermione Granger?"

Hermione blushed. "Yes. I am. And you were right, in the library today when you said I'd probably never kissed anyone before in my life, except for Ron. You were right. I'm not embarrassed or anything, I just thought you should know."

Draco patted the desk beside him and she tenderly sat down. "I'm sorry." He took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this the proper way then. Let's get to know one another and see where it takes us."

"Why? You could just as easily forget about this entire thing and go out with anyone else in the entire school."

Draco shrugged and smiled coyly at her. "There's just something about you. Something different. Maybe it's the fact that you aren't throwing yourself at my feet and begging me to have you. Besides, we are going to be spending a lot of time together this year. And honestly, what better way to set aside the differences between Gryffindors and Slytherins?"

Hermione smiled and looked up at him. "All right, you've argued it well. But while we're alone together, please call me Hermione."

"Sounds good to me. Call me Draco then. I like the way it sounds when you say it."

Hermione blushed. "Deal. But let's keep this secret from everyone else. Unless there's someone you've told already?"

Draco shrugged. "I told Blaise Zabini that we snogged last week, but I can just leave it at that if you like."

Hermione shook her head. "I told Ginny, and I have every intention of keeping her in on this. If you think Zabini can keep his mouth shut, then I suppose it might help you to have someone you can talk to about it if I piss you off too much." She smiled up at him.

Draco grinned. "All right Hermione. It's our secret then. And I'll try my best not to make you feel uncomfortable but remember, you were the one who brought up the fact that these hormones are perfectly natural." He winked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. And let's both make a promise right now to both do our best in keeping our hormones under control and never try to make the other go somewhere they're not comfortable with." She held out her pinkie.

Draco looked at her strangely. "Uh, what do I do?"

"Hook your pinkie with mine. It's called a pinkie swear. It's a muggle thing."

Draco quickly hooked his pinkie with hers. "I pinkie swear, then." He said and smiled at her.

She smiled back and leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his lips.

Okay, there we have it! I hope it was to your liking :} I'm unsure if the last chapter was, I only had one review :\ which is a little disheartening. You guys are what keeps me inspired. I love wrting, but sometimes I need motivation to keep going. Please review if you have the time. Comments, criticism, suggestions are always appreciated. I do have some ideas of where I want this to go, but it changes while I write. I honestly didn't plan on having it end like this, but alas, it did.

Again, please review.