Secrets

Chapter 10

I own nothing! J.K.Rowling owns everything!

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Hermione opened her eyes and found herself in an alley behind the Leaky Cauldron, clustered with rubbish and scrap. She growled at her reflection in a puddle of water and kicked it.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! No better than a mudblood! Could have ruined everything! Frigging Idiot!" She cursed herself whilst kicking whatever was in sight.

"Hello? Who's there?" A voice called out from the end of the alley. Hermione froze, she could see the figure making their way towards her. Just before the figure got close enough to see her, Hermione ducked behind something. "Granger?" Hermione stayed where she was. "I know it was you, Granger. No one has hair quite like yours."

Hermione groaned and came out of her hiding spot. "Is it because it's so damn frizzy?" She sneered. "It isn't frizzy by the way. Your standards are just too high, not everyone can have the knotless smooth, silky and greasy Malfoy hair."

Draco touched his hair. "My hair is not greasy!" He protested. "And I didn't say your hair was frizzy. It is noticeable because it has a certain shine to it that no one else has."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You think my hair is shiny?" She looked at him in disbelief. "Since when do you pay attention to me? Have you inhaled a bit too much of a potion, powdered wolfsbane or something?" Draco chuckled and shook his head in amusement. Hermione stared at him for a bit before glaring at him. "If you didn't have anything specific to ask me or say to me, leave. I'd like to get back to pummelling everything in this alley." She said coldly.

Draco tilted his head and frowned sadly. "Why did you call yourself a 'mudblood'? What made you hate yourse-"

Hermione cut him off. "I said I was 'no better than a mudblood', Malfoy. There's a difference."

Draco stared at her, his eyes wide. "Why would you put muggle-borns so low? You're one of them and you've always been arguing with me about how blood prejudice is wrong."

"Because they are that low. Muggles say they have values, standards and a code of morals. Yet they go back on what those views as soon as it benefits them. Muggle-borns too, they've been brought up as a muggle for the first 11 years of their lives, those years are normally the ones that build the foundation of character and views. At least Wizards and Witches stick with the views they started with... Unless you're the Malfoys, who run away and stab you in the back when things get tough." She jibed.

Draco flinched. "When did you become so cold?"

"When did you become so warm and fuzzy?" Hermione retorted. "Do you normally care this much? Actually bothered to ask how people feel now?"

"What happened to you? Is this because what-his-face... umm... Fred Weasley died?"

"Why does everybody think it's because Fred died! First Potter and the Weasleys, now you!?"

"Weren't you close with him? There were some rumours saying you guys were an item."

"I kissed him once! Once! That doesn't mean that his death has affected my personality!" Hermione exclaimed. She pulled at her hair and sighed. "I shed my tears for Fred the day he died. I didn't need to do anything else to get over his death."

Draco looked at her. They stood there is silence for a bit, remembering the Battle of Hogwarts. "Do you want to get a drink?" Draco asked.

"What?" Hermione was caught off guard.

"Do you want to get a drink? You seem a little tense."

"Sure... I guess. As long as it is not spiked."

"What?"

"Long story." They walked round to the front of the Leaky Cauldron. "Lets just say that I can't trust a drink that comes from Weasel or Potter."

Draco opened the door for Hermione, and let her go in first. "Why would they want to spike your drink? Doesn't Potter have a wife?"

Hermione chuckled mirthlessly, as they found a table and sat down. "Yes, Potter has a wife. Weasel has been continuously spiking my drinks since the Battle of Hogwarts. His reason for it is to get into my bed." She grimaced. "That is never going to happen."

A waitress walked up to them. "What can I get you, Mr Malfoy? And," She glanced at Hermione and her eyed widened, "And Hermione Granger! Oh my, this is honour! You were amazi-"

Hermione put up a hand. "Do not bother with the grovelling. It is unbecoming. Your strongest and finest fire-whiskey, please."

Draco nodded. "Same." The waitress looked a bit embarrassed but wrote the orders down and went away. Draco looked back at Hermione. "And Potter?"

"Sorry?"

"Potter? What was his reason for spiking your drink."

"He wanted information." The drinks arrived, she lifted hers up and took a large gulp. "Personally, I would not have chosen that method."

"Oh? How would you do it? Threaten with a hex?" Draco asked intrigued.

"No. A hex would be much to mundane. I would have used the Imperius Curse, and maybe eventually the Cruciatus Curse."

Draco's mouth dropped open, spilling some fire-whiskey onto the table. "You're joking." Hermione stared at him with a dead serious face, his eyes widened. "You're not joking? Granger, that's illegal!" Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "You're the goody-two-shoes! You're not supposed to breaking the rules!" He hissed at her.

"I broke the rules every year I was at Hogwarts. I'm not as good a goody-two-shoes as people think." Hermione replied nonchalantly.

"But you're the light side! You choose things that are right."

"I'm not as light as everyone thinks Malfoy." Hermione growled. "But everything I do is for the right cause, my cause."

"And what cause is that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hermione mused. "Unfortunate that you aren't to be trusted." She snarled, before getting up and leaving some money on the table. "Goodbye Malfoy!" She called over her shoulder as she walked outside. Draco got up, put some money on the table and ran after her.

"I changed sides in the end! I was fighting with you and Potter! I'm not a Death Eater anymore!"

"Exactly." Hermione turned and looked at him. "You. Changed. Sides."

"I realised I made the wrong decision, but it wasn't too late to do the right thing." Draco looked down at the ground.

Hermione scoffed. "Did you even know the real reason behind the Dark Lord's coup d'état?"

Draco looked confused. "Sure. He wanted power, to rule the world and enforce blood superiority."

Hermione shook her head. "Of course you wouldn't know." She sighed. 

"What do you mean?"

Hermione held out her hand, he looked at it questioningly. Hermione huffed. "If you want to know more, take my hand. The only place I trust that I can talk about this is my flat." Cautiously, Draco took Hermione's hand, they both disappeared as they side-apparated to Hermione's flat.

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I finally introduced Draco into the story! I'll update this as soon as I can!

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