Fatal Affairs

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5.

Promises

"What the hell are you two doing?" the person asked icily.

Hermione stared at him, utterly shocked. She was unable to react. Next to her, Draco swore silently.

"Ron, I... I can explain this..." Hermione said, looking uncomfortable with the situation.

"Really? Well, I'm just dying to hear that explanation," Ron hissed.

"I... we..." Hermine stuttered, unable to find her voice. So Draco decided to save her from making a fool of herself.

"Listen, Wea... Ron. This is between Mia and I," he said, gesturing between Hermione and himself. "It has absolutely nothing to do with you, understand?"

Ron's face turned red with fury at Draco's words.

"Mia?" Ron said in disbelief. "You already have a nickname for her? What's yours, Drakie-Poo?"

Both boys eyed each other angrily.

"Fuck, Hermione!" Ron yelled, his voice on the verge of cracking. "Malfoy, of all people. Why?" It was a miracle that Madam Pince hadn't thrown them out already.

Ron then went about trying to calm himself down, because he knew that if he didn't he would rip Malfoy's throat out. "How long has this been going on, Hermione?" he asked in an unusually cold voice.

"Nearly two weeks," Hermione said tonelessly.

"Were you ever going to tell me and Harry about this?" Ron asked, watching her every move with a calculating look.

Hermione looked guiltily into his angry blue eyes and slowly shook her head.

"You guys wouldn't have understood," she confessed silently.

Ron just continued staring at her with a stubborn expression. "Then explain it to me, Hermione," he said.

She sighed, defeated.

"Fine, it began two weeks ago, as I already said. Draco (by the mere mention of the Slytherin's name Ron's face reddened) made the offer to help me get along with Snape, and in exchange I had to help him with Transfiguration.

You've probably noticed the way Draco defended me in Snape's lessons? He was always on my side, if Snape wanted to punish me."

Ron nodded indifferently.

"I saw how you smiled at him."

"Yes, well. And one evening, while we were in the library, it just happened."

"What happened?" Ron asked, not quite understanding her words.

Draco rolled his eyes to the ceiling. 'How stupid can someone be?' he thought to himself.

"We snogged, you idiot?"

Ron eyed him stubbornly.

"Did I ask you, Malfoy?" he almost spat the name out. "No, I did not."

"Please Ron, you can't tell Harry! Draco's changed, really he has. And Harry would have a coronary." Hermione watched him with a pleading look. Ron stared at her for a few moments. There were tears in her eyes.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, his expression softened. He sighed and looked from her to Draco, who just eyed him calmly. Then he turned to Hermione and said: "Alright, it stays in this room. But I just want to say that I don't like lying to my best friend."

So it was done. Or so they thought. Nobody noticed the shadow creeping slowly out of the library.

***flashback***

Wednesday, two weeks ago

"Miss Granger, you are late. I will take 20 points from Gryffindor," Professor Snapes voice sounded cold and smug. "To remind you not to be late for one of my classes."

'Not again,' Hermione thought.

She quickly went and sat next to Ron and Harry, who had once again claimed the back row.

Just as Snape opened his mouth to continue with the lesson, the door opened again and an utterly exhausted Malfoy stumbled into the classroom.

"Sorry Professor... I'm late... I was..."

"Please take a seat, Mr. Malfoy," was Snape's only comment. So Draco seated himself while every Gryffindor sent him evil glares. Suddenly, Dean raised his voice.

"But Professor, it's unfair if you take points from Hermione for being late, but not from Malfoy?"

Snape turned slowly to the foolish boy and eyed him with a frosty stare. "5 points from Gryffindor for doubting the authority of a teacher."

The Gryffindors groaned with frustration, when suddenly another person spoke.

"Professor, Thomas is right, if you take points from Hermione, then you have to do the same with me," Draco said.

Immediately, the room went quiet. Everyone in the room, Slytherins, Gryffindors and Snape stared at him unbelievingly. What did he just said? Had they heard him right? Was he siding with the Gryffindors? Impossible!!!

Snape flinched, as if he just swallowed something bitter. The thought of taking points from his own house seemed to be unbearable for him.

"Fine, Mr. Malfoy. I'm not taking points from Miss Granger. And now I don't want any more interruptions. The next person who dares to make a sound will lose 50 points from their house!"

So Snape was finally allowed to continued with his lesson. While everyone was working in silence, Hermione watched Draco carefully. She couldn't believe it; he really helped her! Did that mean that he was serious about his offer? Should she accept it?

Malfoy, who noticed her questioning stare, sent her a cool smile.

***end of flashback***

The next morning everyone met in the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry was abnormally silent, but no one noticed, because Fred and George were again making jokes and entertained the whole table.

Hermione was surprised when Ron sat down, taking the seat beside Lavender Brown, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Astonished she watched them flirt.

She was just about asking Harry about this, but that moment Harry rose from his chair and left the Great Hall quickly. Her eyes followed him thoughtful.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, it seems that you have practiced a lot, lately," Professor McGonagall said later during their Transfiguration lesson.

Draco had just managed to perfectly transfigure a goblet into a hedgehog.

Hermione sent him a proud smile. Ron noticed her smile and shot her a glance, for Harry sat right next to her. But he just stared raptly down at his notes.

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6.

Confessions

***flashback***

It was about five in the evening, and Hermione was heading for the library. 'I can't believe I'm really going to do this,' she thought.

Yesterday after her lessons she had found Draco and accepted his offer. They had then arranged to meet each other in the library this evening . She reached the door and opened it wide. There, sitting as far away from the entrance as possible, reading a book, was Draco .

'Slytherins can read?' she thought maliciously. He didn't look up as she sat down beside him.

"Finally, Granger," Draco drawled. "I was beginning to think that you'd had an accident on your way here."

Hermione snorted indignantly. "As if you would care, Malfoy."

"Look, you're not the only one around here who cares about their grades. Without you I'm not going to be able to achieve my goals," was all he said.

So they began to work. Hermione, who was used to explaining every single detail to Ron and Harry, was surprised at how fast Malfoy learned what she was teaching him.

After a while he suddenly asked her an unexpected question, which hit her absolutely unprepared.

"Why did you kiss me last Saturday?"

Surprised she raised her eyes from the book in front of her. While she looked into his grey eyes, she felt herself go red.

"We were playing 'Truth or Dare'," she stammered.When she saw Malfoy's confused expression, she realized, that probably he wouldn't know it, because it wasn't very popular in the wizard world.

"It's a Muggle game. Either you answer a question or you have to complete a dare. Well, I chose the dare." Awkwardly she trailed off. Malfoy watched her with raised eyedbrows.

"And did you enjoy it, Hermione?"

She stared at him with open mouth. Did he just asked this? "What?"

She was shocked. Both from the question and from the use of her first name.

Malfoy gave her one of his infamous grins and continued.

"Because, if you did, perhapes we could have another go." While saying this he came closer. Hermione sat frozen on her seat.

"Malfoy.. you.. you're not serious, are you?" she stammered. "You're kidding me, right?"

Smiling he bent his head and looked deeply into her eyes.

"And what if I'm serious?" he whispered. But Draco was not waiting for her answer because at that very moment he pressed his lips to hers.

***end of flashback***

Harry sat alone in his dormitory.

Ron was with Lavender again, and Hermione was nowhere to be found. He could have found her easily on his map, but he didn't wanted to see her, anyway. He was too disappointed. First Ron and now Hermione, too. 'How can they do this to me?' he thought.

Just then Ron rushed through the door.

"Already finished with your date?" Harry asked him mockingly.

Ron, confused by Harry's strange behaviour, furrowed his eyebrows and walked slowly over to him.

"Harry, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Really."

Hesitantly, Ron seated himself next to Harry.

"Is it about and Lavender and I? I already told you I'm sorry that I didn't tell you immediately."

"No, it's not about you two. It's just that lately neither of my best friends seem to think that it's necessary to tell me anything!!!"

Ron sat there, dubmfounded. 'Does Harry know about Malfoy and Hermione?', he contemplated. 'No, that just wasn't possible.'

"Harry, what do you mean?" Ron asked innocently.

"I mean," he answered furiously. "That Hermione snogs Malfoy, and you know it and don't tell me! I saw you in the library, Ron!"

There! He finally said it. "It's not like I'm jealous or something, but you could have simply told me."

Harrys face went red, a sign, that he was very angry.

"Harry, I had to promise not telling anyone." Ron's voice sounded desperate.

"Yeah, well, you two are really great friends! I don't need all this." With that he rushed over to the door and went down the stairs to the common room.

Ron went after him. Down in the common room, Hermione was just climbing through the portrait hole, when she saw Harry run down the stairs.

"Hey Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, seeing his angry expression.

"You hypocrite! You wouldn't care anyway", he shouted. "No one cares! No one tells me anything! You are not longer my friend!" Hermione stood there and stared at him shocked. Then she saw Ron running behind Harry with a pained expression, and it occurred to her.

"You told him? I can't believe it! How could you, Ron?!" Not waiting for him to answer, she turned on her heels and left through the portrait hole. Ron groaned and followed her.

"Hermione, wait!" he yelled after her. But she did not wait. She just kept on running through the corridors, tears streaming down her face.

Finally, Ron cought up with her, due to the fact, that his legs were much longer, then he took her by the arm and pushed her against the wall.

"WHY, Ron?! Why did you have to tell him?" Hermione shouted through her sobs.

Ron, who was slowly becoming angry, first Harry had yelled at him, and now Hermione was too, said:

"He knew already, Hermione! He saw the three of us in the library!"

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Why did you have to promise, anyway? You could have just walked right up to Harry and told him everything!"

Ron, who was tired of all the yelling, and being made into the bad guy, finally lost his patience.

"Damn it, Hermione! I love you, that's why! I would do anything for you!" he shouted.

...

At the power of his words, Hermione stopped sobbing, and all the colour drained from her face.

In the now dead silence, Ron bowed his head. Slowly his hand let go of her arm.

"Sorry, it just slipped. I didn't mean to say that," he murmured.

"...just slipped?" was Hermiones only question.

Slowly Ron raised his head again and searched her eyes.

"But I meant it. I was serious," he answered silently. For a moment she just stared at him, in disbelief.

Then she turned, and just like back in the common room, she ran.

To the only person that came to her mind...

Draco.

Hermione reached the dungeons with lightning speed. She skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to the Slytherin common room. But then she realized that she didn't even knew the password. The old wizard in the picture eyed her Gryffindor badge with a disgusted look. "Password?" He asked coldly.

"I don't know," whispered Hermione. Discouraged she let her head hang.

"Well, then you can't come in, darling." The wizard smirked cruelly. But Hermione had an idea.

"Could you please send Draco Malfoy out? It's really important."

"Am I your servent, Gryffindor?" The portrait asked, sounding offended, but left nevertheless. After a short time, Draco appeared ín the doorway.

"Mia, what happened?" he asked immediately, when he saw her tear-stained face.

"Harry...Ron...I..." She couldn't bring herself to say more. She started sobbing again.

"Hey, come on, we go into an empty classroom, then you can tell me all about it, okay?"

He then took her by the hand and guided her into the next accessable room. When they arrived, Hermione glided down to the floor. Draco closed the door carefully and then sat by her side. "What happened?" he asked again and then took her into his arms. He raised her face up to him and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

"Ron told him about us," she said between sobs and pressed herself harder against him. "And then Harry shouted at me and told me we were no longer friends."

Draco remained still, listened to her and held her, till she couldn't cry anymore.

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