The Room of Requirement\'s Most Treasured Secret

Chapter Four

Christmas morning dawned just like any other at Hogwarts. The fires were crackling merrily in their grates as the students woke up to their presents. Hermione and Ginny had woken up earlier than the others (as was their tradition) and carried their presents down to the common room to open them together.

"Happy Christmas," Ginny said yawning as she set her presents down on the nearest chair.

"Happy Christmas," Hermione said smiling as she seized the top most present on her pile. "Oh! Ginny! Guess what?"

"What?" said Ginny as she threw aside her homemade sweater and dove for the mince pies.

"Draco is coming back today! He told his parents that he had to get some school work done so that he could spend Christmas with me!" she said beaming at the letter.

"That's wonderful!" Ginny said smiling at her best friend.

Hermione started opening her other gifts, which included a box of rock cakes from Hagrid, a silver picture frame with a picture of her and Draco in it from Ginny, and the usual sweater and homemade pies from Mrs. Weasley. Finally there was only one present left.

It must be from Harry and Ron Hermione thought as she ripped the paper off.

It was a handsome wooden jewelry box with drawers and a cabinet for necklaces. Inside was a delicate bracelet made of golden flowers intertwining to make a circle and a necklace that matched perfectly. Inside in beautiful sloping handwriting was a card that said.

Happy Christmas Hermione! The jewelry is so that you can match now that you have that ring.

-Harry and Ron

Hermione took out the necklace and bracelet and put them on. She then passed the card to Ginny who read it with her mouth agape. When she was finished she turned to Hermione who was silently crying, tears rolling down her freckled face and into her lap.

"Hermione I am so sorry, I swear I didn't tell them," Ginny said as she put her arm around her best friend.

"I know you didn't, I don't know how they found out but they did," she said sobbing.

"Well maybe not," Ginny said hopefully, "I mean it's not like you always wear jewelry, maybe they just noticed the ring and thought that this was a good present."

"Come on Ginny! Do you really think that Harry and Ron are that perceptive?" She said shaking her head sadly.

"Well act like you don't notice the connection till after lunch or something then tell them," Ginny said trying to sound helpful.

"That's a good idea actually, I'll tell them after lunch. Thanks Ginny," she said, wiping her eyes.

"Good. Now, how bout we go change and then wait for Harry and Ron to get down here, considering that there the only other people here," Ginny said trying to lighten Hermione's sullen mood.

"What do you think that Hermione did when she opened it?" Ron asked Harry as they headed down the steps. They were feeling some second thoughts when they opened Hermione's gifts, which were by far the best that she had ever gotten them.

"I don't know but I'm kinda feeling stupid for what we did to her," Harry said uneasily as they entered the common room.

"Happy Christmas!" Hermione said brightly when she saw her two best friends enter the common room. "Thanks so much for the necklace and bracelet, I love them!"

"Umm... You're welcome," Ron said shakily.

"Shall we head down to breakfast then?" Hermione said beaming at the two of them.

"Alright then," Harry said staring at Ron strangely.

Then three of them headed down to breakfast (Ginny had already gone down to meet her boyfriend) chatting merrily about anything and everything.

They ate breakfast and decided to head outside for a furious snowball fight that lasted till lunch.

They entered the Great Hall and helped themselves to hot cocoa and chicken noodle soup. (Who doesn't love chicken noodle soup?)

As they were eating they talked about quidditch and relationships within the school. Within ten minutes Hermione was getting jumpy and decided to break the ice. She handed Harry a note and dashed out of the hall.

Hey, I need to talk to you guys meet me in the transfiguration classroom in 15 minutes.

"She's going to tell us," Harry said quietly as he handed Ron the note.

"We better start heading over there soon it'll take us at least ten minutes to get there," Ron said.

I can do this, come on I can do this! Hermione thought staring at her reflection in the bathroom. I have to do this, they already know so I just need to tell them myself

She splashed some water on her face and hurried out of the washroom as Peeves started throwing bars of soap at her from one of the stalls.

She walked into the classroom and saw Ron and Harry sitting on comfortable chairs that they had obviously conjured instead of sitting on the hard desks. There was one chair left which Hermione quickly strode across the room to sit in.

"So, what's up?" Harry asked, even though he already knew what was,

Hermione took a deep breath and then started telling them from the beginning when she got to the part about the Room of Requirement she stopped. There was no need to go further.

"So what I'm trying to say is...(another deep breath) I've been going out with Draco Malfoy for the past three weeks," Hermione said staring at the faces of her two favorite people in the world.

"We knew," Harry said sighing. Ron had been oddly silent through Hermione's confession and he was now staring at the floor. "We followed you to the Room of Requirement the last time you went."

Hermione uttered a small "oh!" and then stared at the floor.

"So have you been having fun? Completely deceiving us and snogging Malfoy under our noses?" Ron said, staring at Hermione with a mixture of hurt and disappointment in his eyes.

"No! Not at all-," Hermione tried to say but was cut off.

"NO I BET YOU WERE HAVING LOADS OF FUN! TALKING ABOUT US WITH DRACO. YOU WERE HAVING A COMPLETE LAUGH WEREN'T YOU?" Ron said standing up.

"WELL MAYBE THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU? RON DO YOU THINK THAT I WOULD DO THAT? YOU GUYS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS! I WANTED TO STAY FRIENDS THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU!" She said crying again. "Ron, you and Harry are the people that I care most about in the world! I love you guys, you're my best friends..." she hung her head and sobbed.

"Hermione, we're so sorry we just want you to tell us the truth," Harry said hopelessly looking around.

"Mione, you're the most important person to both of us we just don't want anything to happen to you!" Ron said wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

Hermione didn't say anything but just hugged Ron back crying on his shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?" said a voice behind them.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry turned around to see Draco Malfoy staring at the three of them bags still in hand.

"What did you do to her Weasel?" he said dropping his bags, "Let go of her right now!" he said running at Ron.

"Draco NO!" Hermione yelled but it was too late Draco's fist firmly connected with Ron's nose and blood was blooming on Ron's pale face.

"Wad do you tink you're doing," Ron said with his hand up on his face, trying to keep the blood from flowing.

"You stay away from Hermione okay Weasle-be?" Draco said dragging Hermione towards the door.

"Draco wait!" Hermione said trying to stop the blonde boy from pulling her away from her best friends.

" No Hermione, I'm getting you away from these two idiots right now,"

he said still pulling her towards the door.

"I said NO!" she said stomping on his foot.

"OW!" He said dropping her arm at last. "Hermione I trying to help you!"

"By taking me away from my best friends? Yeah that's really helping," she said sarcastically.

"Then what was weasel doing all over you?" He said jealously

"If you were here the whole time you would know that I just told them that we were going out and he gave me a hug to help me stop crying," she said "And stop calling him that!"

"Fine I can see that you're friends are more important to you than I am so I'll just leave you alone," Draco said turning to leave.

"Draco! I don't want to lose you but I am not leaving my friends," she said crying. "Can't you three just get along? Please?"

Draco sighed, looked from Harry to Ron to Hermione, and said, "If they can learn to deal with me and you then I might be able to handle it,"

"Yes, I think that we can, for Hermione," Harry said looking at Ron who was still tending to his bleeding nose. "Right Ron?"

"I guess," he said shrugging at the floor.

"Thank you so much!" Hermione said throwing her arms around them each in turn.

Later that night Hermione was sitting in the common room writing in her journal and Ron and Harry were playing chess.

"Cheer up Ron. It's not going to last forever, they'll break up soon enough and then don't take six years to ask her out!" Harry said smiling.

Hermione hadn't heard them she was deep in her writing.

Maybe, just maybe. This'll work out, if not Ron's always there.