Chapter sixteen – Secret Lover

Monday in Potions Professor Slughorn revealed that they were doing great in their pairs as they were and that they should stay in them until the term ended.

Hermione felt a bit concerned about being around Draco that much for the next few months. She had to keep her lips sealed. She would in no way tell him about their kiss. How soft his lips had been feeling... How they tasted like cinnamon…

A loud giggle interrupted Hermione's thoughts. She turned around and took a glare at Pansy and Ron who were working on their Potion. They looked happy. In fact, Ron had been in a very bubbly mood lately. He was constantly smiling and easily got lost in his thoughts.

Ron whispered something into Pansy's ear, which instantly made her crack up. Hermione was sure she'd never before seen Pansy laugh out of anything but evilness.

She shivered.

"Are you cold?" Draco asked, putting Hermione's focus off the pair behind her.

"No, I'm fine. It's just... Has Pansy ever actually laughed before?" Draco chuckled. Hermione feared she'd said something wrong. Draco and Pansy were after all friends. With benefits.

Hermione shivered once again. She didn't like the picture that flooded her brain.

"Well, of cour-" Draco began, but then shut himself up as to take a deep breath. "No. Actually not." They both chuckled and with another glare over their shoulders they began on the potion Professor Slughorn had ordered them to prepare.

It was not nearly as easy as the last Potion they had done, but Hermione and Draco still finished without problems.

"Are you sure nothing more happened in Hogsmeade?" Draco asked after a while of silence. They were adding the final ingredients to the cauldron. The Potion had turned into a light, buttercup yellow colour.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Hermione was on the edge of telling him about the kiss, but she could only imagine how much trouble it would cause. Draco had been so drunk. He probably wouldn't want to kiss her sober. She quietly shook her head. No, he definitely wouldn't.

"I just have this crazy feeling that something unusual happened - something not meant to happen. But I honestly can't figure out what!" Draco's voice was comfortable in Hermione's ears. She'd never realised that before, because she'd always listened to what he was saying and not how he said it.

She frowned. Did he know about it? "Er, you told me who you've slept with," Hermione admitted and blushed.

Draco's face expression first showed disappointment, then surprise.

"Did I?" He blushed a tiny bit. "Well, I would appreciate it if you kept the list to yourself."

"The list?" Hermione had lost her concentration because Pansy once again had laughed out loud. She wasn't the only one to send the odd pairing wondering looks; Blaise Zabini and the rest of the Slytherin's, who were all used to seeing Pansy as a threat, Harry, Lavender Brown, Romilda Vane... They were all frowning.

"My sex list," Draco said, not trying to keep his voice down.

"Oh," said Hermione, "your secret's safe with me." Draco nodded as a thank you with a slight smirk.

After Potions Hermione, Harry and Ron walked up from the Dungeons together. They nearly ran away because they hated the place to Hell. It smelled, was cold and dim.

Harry and Ron had Quidditch practice and Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit sad that she instead would be working on the paper they had just gotten from Professor Slughorn.

"I tell you, Blaise is an arse!" Harry complained once again about his partner.

Hermione rolled her eyes, although she did understand him. Zabini wasn't the friendliest of Slytherins.

"Well, at least someone seems to be having fun," Hermione said, addressing Ron who once again had lost track of his thoughts.

"What, me?" he asked, "You know as well as I that having fun with Pansy Parkinson is impossible!" Ron made sure to lower his voice as to not risk Pansy eavesdropping.

"Oh, sorry I couldn't think properly from Pansy's deafening laughter."

Harry laughed loudly at Hermione's words.

"I'm only being nice to her because I have to get good grades in Potions!" Ron admitted. He was all red in the face, which made Hermione doubt how truthful his words were, but on the other hand, Ron was always red in the face.

"I disgust her, you both know that!" he continued. Both Harry and Hermione decided to believe him. After all Ron would be the first one to brag if he had a fling with such a pretty girl as Pansy.

"All right, whatever you say. I'll see you at dinner." Hermione took a turn to the Gryffindor Tower as Harry and Ron continued out of the castle, down to the Quidditch field.

Hermione seated herself in the armchair closest to the fireplace. The common-room was nearly empty due to most students still having classes, others watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice.

"Hermione?" asked a voice, which Hermione would always recognize no matter time and place. It was unique – light, almost singing.

She turned her face, and looked directly into the eyes of a dirty-blonde girl. Luna Lovegood had entered the common-room with help from a Second Year who was also about to enter.

Hermione remembered herself being a Second Year - everything and everyone were so much bigger than oneself. Looking back, time had actually flown by so fast. She still remembered receiving her acceptance letter, entering Hogwarts for the very first time, facing a troll during her first Halloween… The memories were never ending.

"Luna, hi!" Hermione got up from the armchair. "What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if I could have a word with Ron," Luna said in a shaking voice. She was glaring around the common-room in search for the auburn haired boy.

"I'm afraid he's not around," Hermione answered, "Quidditch." Luna nodded; she looked jumpy. "I see. Will you say I've been here once he's back?" Hermione nodded and watched Luna leave the Gryffindor tower behind.

For a while Hermione continued with her homework. Then, as a lighting, the thought stroke Hermione. Luna and Ron had never talked much together, but all of a sudden Luna came asking for Ron who had begun taking midnight walks. The same Luna that had "grown on" Ron, as he himself had said not long ago. Were Luna being loved-good by Ron?

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked as soon as Harry entered the common-room, which was now filled with people. Harry looked around in the common-room just as Luna had done an hour previously.

"I don't - he was just behind me!" He looked confused.

"I think Ron might be sneaking out," Hermione said in an intriguing tone.

"And why would he do that?"

"He's secretly dating Luna." Harry began chuckling out loud, making the rest of the common-room turn their heads. "You cannot be serious, Hermione!" But then Harry realised she was serious, so he cracked up even more. "Ron and Luna? You got to be kidding me! I think I'd know if my best mate was dating Luna Lovegood."

"Well, how else would you explain his constant absence, bubbly mood and the fact that Luna came into the common-room and asked for him?"

Harry chuckled a bit, but then frowned. "You've got a point," he admitted. He looked taken aback.

"I know. I just don't get why they want to keep it a secret." Hermione was glad she'd convinced Harry. She'd thought that a bigger challenge.

"I don't know. Maybe he's, er, embarrassed," Harry suggested. Luna wasn't exactly the type Ron be bragging about dating. And maybe he was smart enough to think that showing off a new girl in front of Lavender would cause the biggest drama.

"I'll talk to him once he gets back," said Hermione. She wanted to know the truth - she was tired of secrets. Especially when it was her friends who kept them.

"We'll do it together." They both sat for a while and said nothing. Then, all of a sudden, Harry swung his arm around Hermione and planted her head on his chest.

"Hey, are you all right with this?" he asked. Sometimes Hermione appreciated that Harry could see exactly how she was feeling. Unlike Ron who blindly trusted every word Hermione said and never thought there might be a greater meaning behind it.

Hermione nodded into Harry's chest; it was firm and well trained. Hermione wondered how, because she never saw Harry do any other workout than Quidditch.

"I know how it feels - trust me," said Harry. Hermione knew he was talking about Ginny and Dean. Both her and Harry were watching people they might-might-not be in love with being in love with other people.

Ron didn't return to the common-room until just before midnight. Hermione and Harry had briefly gone to dinner and where Ron hadn't made an appearance either.

"Ronald!" Hermione yelled as he entered. The smile that had been painted on his face quickly faded away at the sight of his two best mates.

"Hermione, Harry... Hey." He didn't seem happy for their encounter.

"We know, Ron," Harry said, raising his eyebrows slightly. Ron looked surprised and then took seat opposites the two.

"Look, it wasn't meant to happen, okay? It's just, her hair, her eyes... She is actually really sweet once you get to know her! I wanted to tell you, I swear, but I wasn't sure how you were going to react. I mean, after all she is kind of the enemy."

"Her dirty-blonde hair is quite wonderful, yes," Hermione admitted. She'd never understood why people found her chestnut hair beautiful. "But calling her an enemy might be an overstatement."

Ron's face expression changed – he looked stunned and confused. "Dirty-blonde?" he exclaimed, "wait, which do you two have in mind?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. He wasn't talking about Luna? Was he getting back together with Lavender? What an arse.

"Luna Lovegood, of course!" Harry explained. Silence fell, but then Ron cracked up.

"What, Luna Lovegood? You got to be kidding-" Ron got caught off by Hermione's evil gaze. "I mean, she's nice and all, but I wouldn't snog her."

"Who are you snogging, then?" Ron got up from his chair in a hurry.

"Nobody, you bloody fool. Don't you think I'd have told you?" He began to walk towards the Boys Dormitory, trying to escape as quickly as possible.

"Ronald!" Hermione yelled, "We know you're seeing somebody. Why don't you just man up and tell us who?" She could imagine he would be a bit ashamed of going back to Lavender after he had complained about her that much.

Ron sighed. "All right, all right," he mumbled and walked back to his to his raven-haired friend, whom he'd first met at the Hogwarts Express years ago. He was only addressing him, as was Hermione not there. "You're going to hate me, mate."

"Just tell me, Ron."

The looks exchanged by those two nearly frightened Hermione. They were so serious.

"Pansy. Pansy Parkinson," Ron whispered.