A/N: They're secretly friends: Takes place in Half Blood Prince
"Draco?" Hermione calls, as she enters a dark Room of Requirements. Draco requested she come after dinner. That he needed to tell her something.
"Draco?" She calls again, a slight fear creeping into her. She hears someone whimper in the corner.
"Lumos." She whispers. She cautiously approaches the corner and sees a body huddled in the corner, trembling.
"Draco!" She falls to his side grabs his arm that seems to be bleeding.
"Granger, leave." He forces through the pain and gritted teeth.
"The Hell I'm leaving! You're bleeding!" She says, ignoring his protests.
She grabs his left arms and her eyes widen. Behind all the scars and the scratches and the blood, thick black lines are etched into his skin. The dark mark.
A gasp escapes her lips before she can stop it. Tears well up in her eyes and Draco hangs his head in shame.
She takes a deep breath and takes out her wand. She mutters a healing charm and waves her wand over the injuries. Slowly, the blood stops pouring and the gashes heal.
She conjures a blood replenishing potion and hands it to Draco.
"Granger-"
"Drink." She orders. Draco take the vile and downs it like a shot. Slowly, the color returns to his face.
"Granger I-"
"Draco, you don't need to explain yourself. You have the dark mark; thats all I need to know." Draco hangs his head again and he feels tears sting his eyes.
Hermione opens her mouth to say something, but instead stands up and turns around. She takes a step forward.
"Hermione-" She hesitates.
"Please." He pleads. Her shoulders slump and she walks the rest of the way to the door.
"See you later, Malfoy."
***
Hermione presses her back against the cold wall of the corridor. Its been a few days since she saw Draco. And by Merlin, she was starting to miss that albino ferret. She sees him in the hallways all the times and they avoid each others eye contact; each time he passes, her guilt ways her down even more. Hes getting thinner and paler everyday, and that scares her. What scares her even more is the Dark Mark on the boys beautiful skin. He was one of them.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of all the times they spent together, laughing, and talking, and just living. She missed him terribly. He was one of her best friends. And-and she just left him. He was hurting and crying and she just left. She was terrible. But he was worse. He was a death eater.
"Hermione?" She shoots up to her feet and wipes her tears.
"Harry!" She greets. Harry looks at her with a grim expression.
"Whats wrong, Harry?" She asks, worriedly.
"Malfoy's a death eater!" He hisses. Her breath gets caught in her throat.
"How do you know?"
***
Draco stares at Hermione as she leans against the wall. He was hidden behind a column, too scared to approach her after their last meeting. He saw her tears in her eyes and his heart clenches. She didn't deserve this. He was about to go up and comfort her when Harry walked to the scene.
"Malfoy's a death eater!" Dracos heart drops. Did he know? No. He couldn't know. He's a brainless scar head. Or could he? His breath quickens in slight panic.
"How do you know?" She asked, looking calm. Was she going to rat him out; is that why she was so calm?
"He's so suspicious and is always hanging out with Snape and is always missing class and hiding out during the day." Draco lets out a breath of relief. He didn't have any valid proof.
"And hows that say hes a death eater? He might be sick! His parents might be sick! He could be having all kinds of problems, Harry! That doesn't make him a death eater!" She hisses. Dracos eyes widen. She was defending him???
"His parents are death eaters!" Harry hisses back, "How could he not be?" Hermione glowers at him; her anger rising rapidly at his accusations.
"So?" Her voice raises with each word, "My parents are muggle dentist! I'm a witch! Rons parents work for the ministry! Does it look like hes gonna do that any time soon?!?! Nevilles parents were aurors. I don't think hes going to be an auror! You can't judge someones kids by their parents!" Shes slightly out of breath at the end of her rant.
"You just don't get it, Hermione!" Harry sneers before he walks away. Hermione sinks back onto the floor, sobbing. Draco cautiously steps out of his hiding place and walks up to her.
"Granger." She looks up with broken eyes and lets out a sob.
"Draco." He holds open his arms and she runs into his arms and he holds her against his chest. He sits down and she sits between his legs, still crying into his black suit. He rubs soothing circles on her back, and slowly, her tears subside. He places a soft, warm kiss on her forehead.
"I'm so sorry, Granger. I didn't want it. They forced me; they were going to kill me and my mum if I didn't take it." Hermione looks up and sniffs. She nods and places her head in the crook of his neck.
"I understand," she whispers, her words tickling his ear, "Its alright." He holds her against him and they just sit there; both needing each other to hold them up.
Part two?
