Our Secret / Dramione Fanfiction

9

A/N- Sorry for not updating for a while, I was a bit busy with School Summer Reading. Please forgive me ): I made this chapter quite lengthy just to make it up to you (: ENJOY.

The pair whirled around to face a bemused Lucius Malfoy. "This seems... unsanitary," he commented.

Draco scowled and shook his head. "Leave her alone," he said sourly. He took Hermione by the hand. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

Lucius caught his son's arm as he tried to pass. "I meant kissing in the kitchen," he clarified. "Ms. Granger's blood status has nothing to do with it. I have changed."

Draco and Hermione seemed unconvinced.

Lucius noticed their doubts. "Why don't we all go into the living room to discuss these latest... developments."

Hermione held Draco back as his father left the kitchen. "Do they not know we're married?" she asked.

Looking chagrined, Draco shook his head. "I'm sorry," he replied. "I haven't exactly had an opportunity to do it."

"Should I go?" she wondered.

Draco shook his head before she finished voicing her question. "Absolutely not," he said. "You know me. I'm a coward. I can't tell them by myself."

Sighing impatiently, she gave in and followed Lucius. "If they kill me for this, I will haunt you until the end of your days," she warned.

Entering the room, Lucius smiled at his wife who was already seated by the fire. "Look who I found in the kitchen," he announced, gesturing to the young couple.

Narcissa Malfoy's sculpted eyebrows rose curiously. "What was Draco doing in the kitchen?" she wondered.

Lucius sat down beside her and opened his mouth to reply when Draco cut him off. "Mum, you remember Hermione Granger, I assume," he said, leading his wife to the sofa across from where his parents sat.

"It's nice to see you again Ms. Granger," Narcissa said. "What brought you to our... kitchen?"

Draco cleared his throat. "Mother, Father, there's something you need to know," he said, taking Hermione's hand. "We're um, well I don't think there's any good way to tell you this."

"We got married," Hermione interjected.

Draco nodded. "And now we've decided to date," he added. Hermione shot him a questioning look, then considered her and Draco dating, and liked the idea.

The older man's brows knit together while his wife's mouth hung open in shock. "You got... married?" he asked.

"We did," Draco confirmed.

"And now you're dating?" Narcissa inquired.

"We were drunk and we weren't thinking and we did it," Hermione said anxiously.

Draco interrupted, giving Hermione a break. "We didn't mean to. At, least I don't think we did. Things are a bit hazy still."

Hermione gave his hand a squeeze; a silent request to calm down.

"The point is, we're together and nothing is going to change that," Draco said, leveling his parents with a look that dared them to argue.

Narcissa attempted to smile. "Well, I think it's wonderful," she stated. "As long as the two of you are happy, that is."

The young couple exchanged a questioning look. "I'm happy," Draco said. "You?"

Hermione nodded and smiled at him. "Surprisingly, yes," she replied.

Lucius cleared his throat. "Well, just in case things don't go well," he stated, clearly directed to Draco.

Draco's face flushed with anger. "Which I have no intentions for," Draco responded.

Lucius ignored his attitude and remark. "Are there any loopholes?" he inquired.

With a concerned look, Hermione turned to Draco. "Are there loopholes?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It's something we could look into," he replied. "If that's what you really want."

Hermione nodded noncommittally and turned her gaze away from him. Her stomach began to twist and she felt a bit nauseated. "Um, I hate to do this, but I should really be getting home," she said apologetically.

Draco nodded in understanding, although disappointed at her decision to look for a loophole in the marriage. Getting to his feet, Draco helped her up. "I'll escort you home," he offered. Hermione accepted and bade the Malfoys good night. Silently, they left the living room and took the stairs to his room. Draco noticed the apprehensive look on her face. "What's wrong? Do you not want me to go with you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I mean I do," she replied. "I just... don't think it's a good idea."

He stepped closer and caressed her cheek. "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do," he assured her.

"I know," she replied with a smile.

"Then what's wrong?" he wondered, frowning.

Hermione sighed and stepped away from his touch. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'm not supposed to feel this way about you. I'm supposed to hate you for being a pompous ass. And you're supposed to hate me for being a know-it-all muggleborn. Why don't you hate me?"

Chuckling, he moved to sit at the foot of his bed, leaving Hermione to stand near the door. "I'm tired of hating people," he told her. "Do you know how exhausting it is to hate someone? Especially someone who I've had an extreme love for for seven years? I was convinced I did, but I didn't want to. I decided to cover up my love for you by hating you. Hating you for every single reason I could think of."

Hermione stayed silent.

Draco nodded, and continued. "When I accepted my job, I knew you'd be there everyday. There was no escaping that. So, I figured I could continue the animosity or put it aside. That first night that we went out, I remember being really happy. Before that, I couldn't remember the last time I'd been happy. Talking to you made me happy."

"Or it was the booze," she pointed out.

He shook his head solemnly. "No, it was you," he told her, staring down at the carpet beneath his feet. "And I tried to convince myself that it was a fluke. Most anyone could be tolerable once in a while. So, I left you that note asking you to come out with me the next week." He chuckled before continuing. "Do you have any idea how much I wanted you to annoy me? And then you didn't."

"Sorry," she replied with a self-deprecating laugh.

Looking up, he smiled at her. "Sometimes you make it really hard to hate you," he said.

Sighing, she moved toward him and stopped to stand between his legs. Placing her hands on his cheeks, she raised his head to look up at her. "I'm glad you left me that note," she told him. "And I'm glad I talked myself out of turning you down. I always really looked forward to our Friday nights."

His arms wound around her waist. "We can still do that," he said. "Nothing has to change between us just because we're married."

Hermione nodded. "But maybe some things can?" she asked.

Draco grinned. "Like what?" he wondered.

"Well, kissing you is kinda nice," she replied, setting her lips onto his. "I also really like the idea of you cooking," she added.

"I made a sandwich," he pointed out. "That's not exactly cooking."

Hermione shrugged. "It's the thought that counts," she replied. "If you're dying to prove yourself though, I might be inclined to let you cook me breakfast."

Getting to his feet, he asked, "Are you asking me to spend the night?"

She shrugged. "We'll see," she replied. "Why don't you escort me home now."

And so he did.

A couple of minutes later, Lucius walked into Draco's room. "Draco, can I see you for a moment," he commanded, clearly upset.