The Room of Requirement\'s Most Treasured Secret

Hermione cautiously walked along the deserted corridor, careful to tread softly so as she didn't attract the attention of Mrs. Norris. Hermione suddenly stopped. Had she just imagined hearing a sneeze from behind her? She turned around to face the tapestry of a witch pointing her wand at a frog with a look of mild surprise on her face. No, there wasn't anything there. She sighed.

'Why am I so jumpy?' she thought to herself. 'I have every right to patrol the corridors after all. Thank God I was made a prefect'

She pushed aside the tapestry and walked up the flight of hidden stairs. As she approached the seventh floor she again thought she heard something following her. She spun around and saw only the darkness of the stair looking back at her. She shrugged her paranoia off again and continued on her journey. Hermione walked down the corridor and stopped opposite a tapestry showing Barnabas the Balmy trying to teach trolls to dance the ballet. She stood staring at the wall for a moment and then walked through the door that appeared from thin air.

She had entered the Room of Requirement. The first thing that Hermione noticed when she entered was the young, handsome, blonde-headed, man sitting on a pile of pillows. When the man saw Hermione he quickly got up strode over to her and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She kissed him back and slowly drowned in his embrace only to be pulled apart by his arms a few seconds later.

"Hello, Granger," Draco said quietly.

"Hello to you too," she said whispering. As they exchanged their informal greetings, Hermione took the time to view her surroundings. The room was decorated with lights and Christmas trees, considering tomorrow would be Christmas Eve.

"What took you so long to get here?" Draco asked, as he walked over to one of the trees, surveying the live fairies in it with a lazy interest.

"A group of first years were talking in the common room for about three hours. I thought they'd never leave," she answered. "I'm going to miss you, why do you have to leave tomorrow?"

"My parents, being the stuck up pure bloods they are, want to have a family reunion. So I get to spend two weeks surrounded by my snobby relatives and act like I am just a prissy they are. Trust me, I wish I was staying here with you," he said. Sighing, he slumped back down onto the pile of pillows. "But, I have an early present for you," he said, a smile lighting up his gloomy face. He pulled out a small square velvet box. "This was my mother's. I had to change the emblem on the top, but it looks pretty good now."

Hermione opened the box as she sat down next to her boyfriend of a year. Inside was a small gold ring with an H on top, entwined with flowers.

"Oh, Draco it's... it's beautiful!" she exclaimed planting a kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back never wanting to let go. About five minutes later, they broke apart.

"Thank you," she said weakly, putting the ring on her finger.

"And look what it does," said Draco, gently pushing open the top to reveal a compartment that had an inscription on it.

'"I am a better person because of you. Draco and Hermione forever.' Oh thank you so much!" she said breathlessly.

"When are you going to tell them?" he asked.

"Who?" she inquired, even though she knew whom he was talking about.

"You know- Potter and Weasel. We've been coming in here every night for three months! They might suspect something, so I think that you should tell them before they ask. That way they'll think that you did it willingly, rather than being forced into telling them," he said.

"I'm going to tell them over the Christmas break, I promise," she said. "We'd better get going. It's almost one in the morning." She walked over to him and kissed him on his soft lips passionately for the last time in two weeks.

"Write, I'll see you when you get back," and with that she walked out of the room with tears in her eyes.

Draco stood there for a few more seconds and then followed her suit and walked back to his common room. After the door closed, from the corner of the room there came a swishing sound of a cloak coming off. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley appeared and stood there dumbfounded. Ron was the first of the two to find his voice.

"What in bloody hell just happened?" he asked his best friend weakly.

"Hermione has been coming here every night for three months and making out with Draco Malfoy," he said calmly. He thought he would be more upset by this, but he wasn't. Hermione had every right to make out with whomever she felt like, but Malfoy? The same Malfoy that she slapped across the face in their third year, the same person whom she mocked and made fun of countless times with them? He was in shock.

"And you're not upset about this?!" Ron said loudly. "She's been going around making out with Malfoy! Oh, I am going to get her.... I bet Ginny has some secret about her I can get her to tell. Then- oh then the whole school'll know what a lying little scarlet woman she is..."

"Now hold your thoughts of reputation ruining revenge for a moment there Ron. Everyone knows that you've liked Herm for years so shut up for a minute."

"What?!? Me? Fancy that traitor? It's.... preposterous! I mean-"

"You mean that you're jealous beyond reason right now, and your just wanting to kill her and Malfoy for it, I know what it feels like." Harry continued, "Remember what happened with me and Cedric and Cho? Settle down. Remember, she told him to write, so we'll just see if she gets some mail and if she doesn't tell us, like she said she would, we'll tell her that we know. It's as simple as that."

"How in bloody hell can you be so calm about this?! I mean you probably hate the ferret more than either Hermione or me, unless you've become like a sudden Slytherin lover or something... but you're not, right?" the redhead said accusingly.

"Of course not, but doesn't it seem strange that Hermione and Draco have been just as awful as ever to each other lately? I mean, no sign that they've been going out for three months." Harry said.

"Oh well, but you have to promise me that if she doesn't tell us by the end of Christmas break, that I get to say something to her," said Ron defiantly.

"Deal, besides I'll say something to her myself if she doesn't confess. Let's go, I'm tired," Harry said yawning.

They trooped out of the room and watched the door vanish. "I have half a mind to take back her Christmas present," Ron said grumpily as they reached the common room. Harry laughed and said goodnight as they climbed into their beds.

Harry's head flashed with just one question before he fell asleep, "Why would she do that?"