Goodnight Sweet Girl

Four: Dark Secret

"It's time you know the truth, she warned me of this," Draco, the girl, said and then reached a hand beneath the neck of her sweater and produced what looked like moonstone clutched in the silver talon of a falcon. The pendant was on a delicate silver chain.

Draco held the pendant up for them all to see and then said, "This is what it began with."

"Oh sweet Circe! That is a wishing stone! How did you get that?" Hermione asked in wide-eyed shock.

"It was a Christmas gift, but I didn't know who the sender was. I noticed it was a moonstone, and thought it would bring me a good dream or two. It had been a while since I had a decent night's sleep. I must admit that I didn't know about the other properties of the pendant," Draco said.

"She came to you in a dream. Your reflection. You probably didn't recognize her for what she was and she promised you a wish. What did you give up for the wish?" Hermione asked in a flurry of academic excitement.

Draco looked at her in exasperation. "Well if you know so much, would you like to continue for me? Bloody know-it-all Gryffindor. Honestly, what am I being punished for?"

"You're a Gryffindor too," Ron said.

"But I wasn't always a Gryffindor." Draco sighed and rolled his eyes at the expressions of his three companions. "Lucius Malfoy is my father..."

Before he could continue Ron cut in, "Then that would make Draco Malfoy your brother."

"Not necessarily Ron," Hermione piped up and then Harry and Ron turned to Hermione, wondering what she knew. "Well, go on Diana, I'm certainly interested in what a transsexual Slytherin has to say about all of this."

Ron looked confused and Harry looked positively frightful and turned full on to look at the girl that was sitting beside him. "Oh God! Who are you? Malfoy?"

"First place to Potty with runner up the Weasel. Honestly, Granger, how do you put up with these two?" Draco said and then rolled his eyes. Harry removed his arm and leaned over his head in his hands.

"Look, someone sent me this bloody stone for Christmas. I had a dream and I met my reflection, as Granger so aptly put it. She promised to grant me freedom, to give me a chance at..." Here he paused and laughed. "At love. When I woke up I was in a different body. I was in the body of my reflection. That poem I told you two about, I wrote it about a dream I had. I dreamed about a girl with this body and she was talking to someone, a boy that was walking away from her. She looked so sad. That is beside the point. And when I woke up from this particular dream I was a girl.

"My father went berserk. He was already angry with me from an earlier argument we had. I was sick on the night that I was supposed to take the Dark Mark. I almost died, and then my father discovered something by using the walls to spy on me. He knew I didn't want to take the Dark Mark and he must have found a way to get into my mind, because he knew I'd been..."

"You'd been what Malfoy?" Ron asked and then shook his head, hardly believing that this beautiful girl was Draco Malfoy.

Draco sucked in a deep breath and then snapped, "I'd been having these fantasies about Potter. There you happy? Now you know! Father didn't care about my inclination to fancy men as long as I married and produced an heir, but he wasn't exactly pleased to discover my fascination with Potter here."

"Why didn't you just say something?" Harry asked his words a bit muffled by his hands.

"I did. Why do you think Uncle Sev took me in? Dumbledore knows too. The resorting, taking me in as an exchange student, all of this was his idea. Although Uncle Sev came up with my name."

"And all those things you told us, about the poetry, the drawings, me. Is it true?" Harry asked again more anxiously as he looked up and met Draco's gray gaze head on.

Draco looked down and sighed, and then he felt Harry turn, and then Harry's fingers were on his chin as he lifted Draco's face so he could look into his eyes.

"Yes," Draco whispered. "Every word of it was true. I've never had friends until this happened, and I never had a chance with you. I told you all of those things so you would understand. I was going to tell you someday, but I didn't think you would find out the truth so soon. I never should have underestimated Granger. About everything from before..."

Draco pulled away from Harry's touch and looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Hermione said and Draco nearly jumped when he felt her hand on his shoulder.

Draco nodded at her and then leaned back in the seat, no longer touching Harry. The question had to be asked, finally Draco opened his mouth and the condemning words fell out.

"If I weren't in this new body, if I weren't a girl, could you have loved me Harry? Could you have loved me as I was before?"

Harry sucked in a deep breath of air and let it out slowly. "I told you that I liked you, and I thought you were handsome. I go both ways you git. As for all of this, I need time to take this all in. I need to think this all through. You had to go and let Hermione figure it out before you told us. I could have taken the truth if you'd just told me. I already had my suspicions."

Hermione and Ron watched the exchange in mute fascination and both noticed the rage building in the girl's gray eyes as she exploded, "Don't you give me that bullshit! The day I came to Hogwarts was the day this happened to me! I was still adjusting! If I was still adjusting then I knew that anyone who learned about this would need time to adjust! Do you know what it's like waking up and worrying about your new housemates accepting you after years of torturing them? Or what about waking up in a strange new body? Looking in a mirror or taking a bath? THIS," Draco shouted, indicating his female body. "Is foreign territory to me!"

"Harry, leave off. Obviously, he, oh Circe this is awkward, is still dealing with this. It seems like both of you need time. I'm sorry I busted up the coziness that was building between the two of you, but you can't build anything over a sand pit of lies. Maybe it's a good thing that this is in the open."

Draco's face drained of color again, if that was possible. "What, no! You can't tell anyone. We're the only ones that can know, and Snape and Dumbledore of course. My father tried to kill me. Can you imagine who else might be after me? If this gets out I'll never be able to live it down. And this isn't something that will go away. Once the wish is granted there is no undoing it. I'll be in this body for the rest of my life."

"Bloody hell! This is a mess. We won't tell Malfoy, we swear it," Ron said and then he suddenly turned green. "Merlin! I said you had nice legs! I think I'm going to be sick."

"Do grow up Ron!" Hermione snapped.

By that time Draco had taken off Harry's cloak and had given it back to him. Harry took the cloak and gave a slight nod. The rest of the ride was filled with Hermione's questions about Draco adjusting to his new situation. Draco gave a few terse answers and raised his eyebrow when Hermione invited him to her prefect's room to discuss more private matters concerning Draco's new body.

Ron and Harry's ears couldn't help but perk up at what Hermione was suggesting. She looked at the boys and noticed Draco's blush. "Oh, you three are perfect for each other! All disgusting and perverted! Honestly! It's just a bit of girl talk, between me and... Draco. This is so surreal."

"Call me Diana from now on Granger. I've started getting used to the name and its safer for me of you get used to calling me that," Draco said.

"Okay, but you have to start calling me Hermione. We can't be friends if you keep calling me Granger. Besides you call Harry and Ron by their names now. So, about this poetry and drawing, care to elaborate?"

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The day hadn't gone as bad as he had expected. He and Granger had quite a bit in common and he actually liked being around her. She wasn't as annoying as he originally thought. Ron was now more comfortable around him, but every now and then he got nervous and gave him funny looks. It was Harry's reaction that had made him so nervous. At least Harry was still speaking to him. Harry kept close to him, and there were many questions regarding Gryffindor's newest arrival, and just how close she was with Harry.

At dinner that night Dumbledore had reintroduced 'Diana Marlowe', this time to everyone. There were a few cat calls and the hissing and booing of the Slytherins. Of course everyone noticed how Harry seemed to always be near the girl and decided that she'd already been claimed. Several of the Gryffindor boys Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom questioned Harry, Ron, and 'Diana' about how their holiday had been. Draco had been decidedly quiet under that line of questioning. Harry and Ron gave a detailed account of how they'd met Diana, but true to their word they didn't say anything about her being Draco Malfoy, nor did they mention anything about Draco the poet. Much to Draco's relief.

Much to Draco's complete horror he found that he would be rooming with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, while Hermione had the seventh year prefect's room all to herself. It was as he was getting things out of his trunk that Gryffindor's two gossip queens approached him with a barrage of questions. Where did 'she' come from? Who were 'her' parents? What was with 'her' and Harry Potter?

Luckily Draco was saved when Hermione asked him to bring a change of clothes and his school robes and stay with her in her room so that they could have a bit of 'chat'. Lavender and Parvati had been disappointed, but the expression on Draco's face had spelled relief. Draco had immediately gotten out a pair of trousers, a white blouse, a gray pullover vest, the new Gryffindor school robes, socks, his boots, and a light blue silk night gown. The two gossips looked at the clothing Draco had pulled from his trunk and frowned disapprovingly at the trousers. Draco looked back at the two girls, shook his head, and then quickly left the room, noting that Hermione was waiting for him, and then she led him to her room and told him the password, "Polyjuice Potion."

Once the two were in her room Draco looked around. His mouth fell open. His old prefect room in the dungeons had been nothing compared to this one. This one was warm and shrouded in the Gryffindor colors, but it held so many things in it that made the room belong obviously to Hermione. There were bookshelves covered with an erratic selection of books and there were photos, muggle photos in frames of Hermione and her parents, and there were wizard photos of Hermione, Ron, and Harry, throughout their years at Hogwarts and summers spent with the Weasleys. The room had a huge four poster bed pushed against the wall to the door's left, and there was a big cherry oak desk by the window across from the door, and there was a fireplace and a door across from the huge four poster bed. There was also a sofa and a couple of red wing backed chairs that faced the fireplace. The room was by far very spacious for one person. There was even room for another bed to be added without taking away from the space that already filled the room. Hermione pointed to the door next to the big cherry oak desk and told Draco that was the bathroom. Draco put his change of clothes down on the desk, and then went into the bathroom with his nightgown.

He walked into the bathroom and his jaw hit the floor. This bathroom was the exact replica of his bathroom at home, except where his bathroom at home had been in black marble this one was done in white marble, and where the door of his shower at home had been a stain glass mural of a dragon with serpents entwining its legs, the shower door of Hermione's bathroom was of unicorns emerging from the sea and mermaids resting on large stones and watching the unicorns step onto the land. It was the most beautiful bathroom he had ever been in.

After a few minutes of gawking at the bathroom he undressed and then slipped into his nightgown. He looked at his reflection and sighed, wondering if he would ever get used to being a girl. At a knock on the door he jumped. He quickly shook himself and then walked out of the room. He didn't get very far as he walked into something and nearly fell back, but a pair of arms wrapped around him before he could fall. Draco looked up and his gray eyes locked with green ones. Harry was still fully dressed, and he looked down and noticed with a shock that Draco was in light silky blue night gown, that was very near see-through like the lavender nightgown he'd seen him in only a week ago.

Harry blushed slightly and let the boy in a girl's body go. The eyebrow above the left gray eye rose in calculation and a smirk played across Draco's lips. It was nice to know the affect he had on Harry. Draco glanced down and noticed a rise in Harry's trousers. Harry noticed the direction of Draco's glance, and cleared his throat quickly. Harry then went over to sit on the couch and grabbed a cushion and placed it in his lap. His face was still crimson, Draco could tell, even in the light of the fire in the fireplace.

Draco decided to make the dark haired boy squirm, well that and the two chairs were already occupied, so he sat down beside Harry. He smirked again when he noticed Harry swallow thickly. Ron turned around in one of the red chairs to look at what was going on and noticed that Harry was blushing with a pillow in his lap and Draco was sitting very close to him. Hermione sat in her chair across from Ron and shook her head at the sight of Harry and Draco on the sofa. She got up, pulled something from her wardrobe and tossed it to Draco. He caught it with the lightening fast reflexes of a seasoned quidditch player. He looked from the fluffy pink terrycloth robe to Hermione and raised his eyebrow.

Hermione sighed. "Just put it on before you cause anymore trouble. I got us all here to talk and you are not making things easy dressed like that and look at what you've aready done to Harry! I don't think I could put up with Ron if you did that to him."

Harry blushed again and then said, "Thanks Hermione, why not just hang out of your door and tell everyone in the common room while you're at it. You know I haven't had a reaction like this since..."

"Since when, Harry?" Draco asked innocently as he pulled on the robe.

"Oi, Harry, you aren't going to tell him about how we found out you fancied him are you?" Ron asked and then his eyes widened and he looked at Harry apologetically. "Sorry."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the redhead. "I'm sure you are."

"When was this event?" Draco asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So now we are talking about Harry's infatuations instead of more pressing matters. Honestly! Draco it was the first quidditch game of this year when you fell off of your broom, ended up unconscious, and broke five ribs. Madam Hooch pulled the quidditch gear and your shirt off to assess your injury and the next thing anyone saw was Harry rushing off to the dressing rooms. Ron, of course went after him and that was when Harry finally confessed."

"I think I'd like to hear about that more in detail a little later. Think you're up to bit of story time next time we're alone Harry?" Draco asked, a purr in his elemental voice as he ran his hand slowly up Harry's arm sending a bolt of lightening up the dark haired boy's spine.

"Please stop with the foreplay already," Ron groaned and then he looked at Hermione in hopes that she could come up with a change of subject.

"But we are having so much fun," Draco said softly, leaned against Harry, letting his fingers brush over the pulse in the dark haired boy's throat, and then he blew in his ear. "Aren't we, Harry?"

Harry swallowed thickly, drew in his bottom lip, and bit it, as his heart sped up and a low groan escaped his lips. Hermione's eyes widened and Ron decided to open his mouth. "Bloody HELL! I can't take this! Will you please stop with him already? Crickey! Your bloody voice is bad enough, but to use it against him like that! It's a bleedin' wonder he hasn't already burst!"

Harry shook himself and his skin glowed bright red as he turned away from the beautiful girl sitting beside him, teasing him. The beautiful girl that was Draco Malfoy. Draco was smiling at him, a wicked glint in those gray eyes.

"So, does this mean you've had time enough, Potter?" Draco whispered against his ear and then bit his earlobe. Harry let out another moan as Draco blew on his ear and continued to whisper, "Will you fight me? I like it when you fight. So...passionate..."

With that, Harry's resolve broke. He pushed Draco away and then ran straight for the bathroom, where water could be heard running. Draco laughed and was on the receiving end of two sets of glares, one from Weasley and the other from Granger. Draco shook his head and continued to laugh, the elemental river magic flowing from his lips in musical laughter.

Finally Draco's laughter died down as he said, "I think I like this advantage that I have from this new body. It certainly has a magic of its own..." he trailed and then the sound of rushing water stopped. He continued when Harry walked out of the bathroom and took a seat on Hermione's bed rather than the sofa. "Wouldn't you agree, Harry?"

Harry glared at him and said, "Just because you're a girl doesn't change the fact that you are a rotten spoiled bastard!"

Draco chuckled. "As I recall, my parents were married when I was born. It would do for you to find a more accurate insult."

"Will the both of you stop this! We have serious matters to discuss! Honestly you two bicker like a married couple!" Hermione snapped to which Draco smiled.

"That's not a bad idea," Draco said and then looked at Harry with a wicked grin, "What do you say to you and I giving Lucius a legitemate little Potter as a grandchild?"

Harry visibly paled at that suggestion and Ron groaned as though he were going to be sick. Somehow this was not a conversation that Hermione and Ron thought they would ever have to witness.

Hermione had finally had enough. She turned to Ron and then to Harry, and pointed to the door as she said, "Out, the both of you. Obviously having the two of you in this room is being counter productive, I suppose I'll just have to have this conversation with Draco alone! Both of you out this very instant before I immobilize you!"

Ron gave a look to Harry and the both of them hurried out of the door as Draco watched in shock. They were obviously afraid of Hermione when she was angry. Draco then turned to Hermione and noticed the fury he saw in her face.

Her eyes practically threw sparks at him as she spoke, "What were you thinking?! Harry has had a thing for you for years! Leave off with him already! This is hard on him! Can't you see that? He fights with himself every time he is around you and you nearly tore him apart at the seams! What could he possibly see in you, other than a good quick tryst in a broom closet?!"

Draco stood up and glared at the girl, who was a couple of inches shorter than him. "Leave off Granger, this is between him and me!"

"You can't just toy with him! He won't be a notch on your little bedpost of conquests Malfoy! I won't let you do that to him!"

"Excuse me!" Draco hissed.

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what she'd just said, but still she stood her ground. "You heard me! You won't hurt Harry! How many others have you taken to bed? You of all people know your own reputation!"

Draco glared at the girl and then turned away. "You don't know a bloody thing, Granger. Not a damn thing. I thought you were above judging people based on rumors. Tell me, what is it you've heard?"

The head girl looked at the back of Draco Malfoy, the long platinum hair flickering golden in the firelight. Hermione took a deep breath and put her hand on the shaking form of the pale girl with her back turned.

"It doesn't matter. Why don't you tell me the truth," Hermione said softly.

Draco spun around, a look of pain and hatred flickering in those cool gray eyes. "What do you want to know? How my father beat me? How Marcus Flint demanded me in his bed every night in first and second year? Do you want to know about when Blaise Zabini broke me? Or is it the scars that Flint and Blaise and my father left? It's all gone now. This is a new body, not a broken one. The only thing broken is what is inside, me."

Hermione's jaw slackened in shock as she looked at the pale girl standing before her with Draco Malfoy's eyes and soul. The blond continued to talk.

"Do you want to know how I shuddered when Flint touched me? Or how I screamed under my father's whip and the Cruciatus? Or do you prefer to know how my heart broke when Blaise betrayed me to my father? Tell me Granger! What is it that you want to know? Or would you prefer I call Harry back so he can know? So he can look on me in disgust and never want to touch me again!"

The gray eyes filled with tears and the pale blonde sat back down on the couch, head clasped in her delicate hands. Hermione knelt before the girl, tears in her own brown eyes, and then she put her arms around the blonde and began rocking her back and forth.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, lightly stroking the blonde girl's hair and patting her back. "I'm so sorry. No one ever deserved that. You must hate them."

Draco pulled back from Hermione, tears still in his eyes, but he didn't let any fall. "Yes, I do hate them, but what I hate even more is pity. I don't need your pity Granger. Just leave off."

Hermione sat down on the couch next to the blonde and shook her head, amazed at how strong Draco Malfoy really was. "I don't pity you, you git. I just want to be your friend. You're hurting, and I want to help lessen your pain."

Before Draco could come up with a witty reply Hermione leaned down and captured his lips in a soft kiss. The blonde's gray eyes shot open in surprise as he felt her tongue run across his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to protest and she took that as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. Eventually Hermione moved back and looked at the blonde girl with wide eyes and her face turned scarlet. The blonde was looking at her in surprise and calculation.

"Oh, sweet Circe! I'm sorry. It's just..." Hermione's face grew redder and she turned away. "I used to have a crush on you a long time ago, and then I kind of fell for Harry. I shouldn't have, but I caught a glimpse of what Harry sees in you. I don't... I mean I... I don't fancy girls."

Draco sighed and then then took Hermione's chin in his soft delicate fingers. "It's all right. They won't ever know this happened. Just please... Don't tell Harry about the things I've told you. I don't want him to pity me and give me one of his 'I wish I could have saved you' looks."

"I won't tell him, you've my word," she said.

Draco smiled. "I have heard that a Gryffindor's word is the most trustworthy promise ever given. Thank you. Now about this girl talk you mentioned earlier..."