fun fact: i don't know if she still lives here (i think/hope she does) but emma watson lives a couple of streets away from me. my mum once passed her on the streets, so that's cool. if anyone cares lol. ALSO, this is set in the sixth year, but let's just pretend snape is still the potions teacher for the sake of the plot. thank u

also please review/fave/follow x

Chapter 12: The Secret

'-Homework, page 394. I want a three foot long essay on the importance of dragons blood and all of it's uses- quiet, you insolent class...' Severus Snape spoke, his voice raised slightly amidst the wave of protests. Draco smirked. He could clearly see Potter, his face pale and stricken. Still- three foot was a long essay to write.

His long, sallow face glared back at Harry, as if inviting a contradiction, before sweeping from the room. The students all followed suit, murmuring together before spilling out of the classroom in groups. Draco stood up from his seat, leaving his cauldron on the desk and sweeping his other equipment into his bag. He was the least to exit to the door- almost. His eyes snagged a girl, still sitting in her seat. Hermione.

He dropped his bag at his feet and moved towards her. 'Hey- are you alright?'

'Yeah.'

He dropped his bag by her desk. 'What about that essay, huh? It's a lot to write.'

She shrugged. 'S'alright.'

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'Hermione, what's the matter?'

She sighed, looking down at her hands. 'I wish it didn't have to be like this. I wish... I wish it could be normal- it would be nice to be open about this, to have Harry and Ron okay with this. But because of all that's happened- all that you've done-'

'-Which I am really sorry for-' He interjected quickly.

She smiled sadly. 'I know. I know you are. I just don't think they'll see it that way, you know? They hold grudges.'

Her smile quickly turned into a glare. 'You're not exactly Mr. Perfect yourself. You're in this just as much as they are.'

He shrugged, looping his fingers into hers. 'I know.'

'-Anyway, what would your friends say about this?'

He felt sick just to think about it. He knew that they would call her horrible names- names that he himself would've called her, just months previously-

Quickly, he pushed this thought away. He was redeeming himself, and that should matter.

'I don't know...' He said slowly. 'Crabbe and Goyle- well, they wouldn't know the difference, to be honest. But the others... no.'

'I really like you, Malfoy.' She said quietly. 'I really hope you know that.'

'Granger...' He groaned. 'You drive me crazy, you know that?'

For a fraction of a second she grinned, before freezing. There was a patter of feet down the hall and an outbreak of laughter. Her head whipped up, hastily disentangling her hand from his. 'Someone's coming!'

Draco looked around, panicked. No one was there yet, but he could hear two girls talking loudly. And what would they think, if they saw the two of them together? It would be an absolute nightmare. 'What do we do?'

'Quick, in here!' Hermione said, half-ushering, half-dragging Draco into the cramped potions cupboard. Obediently, he shut the door, and they were in cascaded into darkness. For a few terrifying moments that seemed endless, Draco and Hermione held their breath. The only sounds that could be heard were the childish giggling of voices that he recognized as Parvarti and Lavender. Draco could almost feel Hermione rolling her eyes.

It was incredibly cramped, and Draco might as well have been blind. His heart was pounding crazily, the anticipation was horrible.

'Do you think they're gone?' She said hesitantly after a few minutes.

Draco stared at the dark shape that was Hermione in the darkness. He had been previously unaware of how close they were standing. He could distinguish her bushy hair, but that was about it. 'Yeah, I think so.' He whispered back.

'Shall we check?'

'No! Er- no,' Draco said quickly. He didn't want to pass off this opportunity so soon. 'Let's- stay here for a bit. Just to be sure, you know.'

Hermione chuckled softly. 'To be safe?'

He inched closer. 'Yeah.'

'Lumos.' She said. He could now see her face, illuminated in the darkness. He wanted, in that moment, to kiss her. More than anything.

'Nox.'

'It's dark now.' Hermione protested.

'Doesn't matter.'

'But-'

'-I don't need a light to see you, Hermione Granger.'

Hermione muttered something indistinct, which was a feat- due to their current location. Her head was raised, and so Draco took the opportunity to kiss her.

He felt the usual, swooping feeling he experienced whenever he saw, or kissed Hermione. Everything else seemed to melt away; his upbringing did not matter, it was Hermione, only Hermione that mattered in the world right now. Every nerve seemed to be tingling- he vaguely wondered if she felt the same way.

He closed his eyes, letting his hands fall to her waist. Hermione's fingers found his hair. She drew him closer, but it wasn't enough; he wanted her closer, so much closer- they had never kissed like this before.

And was it normal, Draco thought vaguely, to have a warm, bright light under your eyelids in pitch black?

With an ominous sinking feeling, Draco pulled away. The closet had flooded with light- it was wide open. Hermione jumped away with a gasp and clasped both hands to her mouth. Draco's insides felt like ice. Parvarti and Lavender were gaping, their mouths wide open in an o-shape.

There wasn't a doubt about it; they had seen Hermione and Draco kissing.