Hufflepuff In The Family

After School Secrets

I made my way through the abandoned halls, careful to check every corner before I turned. Just because it seemed as though everyone was sleeping didn't mean I was about to get reckless. I reached the door with no problems however and quietly shoved it open and closed it behind me.

Draco was already there, illuminated by the moonlight. His blond hair glistened as though it were its own light source. He hadn't noticed me yet and his perfectly at ease expression brought a small smile to my face. Even with me, he still didn't fully let down his guard. I suppose being raised in the Malfoy household would do that to you.

The peace only lasted for a small moment as not too long after, he noticed me and spun to face me, his stormy grey eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Stalking me, are we now Nay?" He leant against the wall of the castle with ease, arms crossed.

"Haha very funny," I replied. He chuckled. "How was your summer?" I joined him against the wall, our shoulders barely touching.

"The usual: boring, intense and completely deprived of any positive emotion." He laughed bitterly and my heart felt for him. Everyone else sees his life and assumes he has it all; money, a big house and two magical parents, but I knew better. Every year, his parents put more and more pressure on him to be perfect and this past summer something had changed. I knew he wouldn't tell me but his eyes were darker and his face seemed to have aged several years.

"I get that. Mine was more or less the same. My brother Percy had a massive argument with my parents and we haven't seen him since."

"Good riddance," Draco mumbled. He'd been one of the few people I'd confided in about my hatred of my brother.

"You'd think that I'd be glad he's gone and I guess I am for me but everyone else isn't quite the same. I mean Fred and George don't have anyone to ruthlessly tease anymore and mum's lost her golden child. Dad's fuming, as you could probably guess, but we'll get through it. We're a tough-ass family."

I laughed and Draco joined me. In the silent air, the sharp sound of our laughs rang out sharply. When we stopped, the silence seemed all the more deafening. I turned to Draco who was looking at me with a disturbingly open expression.

"Why did you ask me here tonight, Draco?" I whispered. He looked down and his dark eyelashes brushed over his cheeks.

"When I first met you, in our first year here, I expected to hate you. Hell, I was told to hate you but I just couldn't." My heart pounded. I feared I knew where this was going and I had to stop it before it did.

"Draco..." I started but he grabbed my wrist and looked down at me with a desperate expression.

"Please... let me finish." I swallowed and nodded, indicating for him to continue. "You were so damn beautiful and sweet but the worst part is that you saw the good in me. After how cruel I've been to your family, to your friends, you still became my friend and listened to me when no one else would. You're incredible and I just know I'll hate myself forever if I don't tell you this. Regina I-"

"What's going on here?" A voice cut through the darkness. I spun expecting to see a teacher but when I saw who was standing there, I would have taken a year's detention over the next conversation that was about to happen.

Harry stood there, looking shocked. It looked bad enough, me and his literal worst enemy stood practically nose to nose on a romantic starry night but if Harry had been stood there as long as I think he might have been then this was about to get very ugly. To make matters far worse, Draco merely leaned back and smirked at Harry.

"Well, Potter I think stalking your best friend's little sister is a bit creepy, don't you? Run back to your common room and leave us in peace. Or is talking to my friend a crime now?"

Harry's face portrayed several emotions, fear, anger, betrayal and hurt but after merely a moment, he had put on a mask of disinterest. "No, but confessing feelings for my girlfriend doesn't exactly make me want to go skipping back to my dormitory and leave you two alone."

My heart sunk and I watched as Draco's eyes fell for just a moment. The change was so subtle and so brief I'm almost certain Harry wouldn't have noticed it but I knew better. Draco turned to me, his amused look never shifting.

"Are you kidding me?" He asked. He gestured to Harry, whose hand had balled into a fist, crinkling something in his hand. Anger bled through me as I recognised it as the Marauders Map. "This guy?" Draco's bitter laugh rang out and I winced.

"Yes me, Malfoy. What's the big deal? I made the first move and she actually liked me back so now we're together. You can leave now."

Draco's face became a mask of rage. I stepped forward as he pushed off the wall and swaggered over to Harry. I stood in between the two, anger at both boys pulsing through me.

"Will you two stop it? I am not the last damn cookie on a plate! I am a perfectly capable woman who can make my own decisions and who doesn't need two men fighting over the right to control me." Both boys stood back a little and I relaxed ever so slightly. "Thank you."

I turned to Draco, inhaling deeply in an attempt to gather my thoughts. "Yes, Draco its true Harry and I are together but please you can't tell anyone." I looked at him with desperate eyes. For a moment, I feared he'd laugh in my face and storm away, ready to expose us to the entire school.

Instead, he sighed deeply. "Fine. But don't expect me to be thrilled about this." He gestured between us. "You've known how I felt about you since we kissed last year, don't lie," he said in a hushed voice. "You should've told me." With that, he walked away.

Part of me wanted to go after him. I was terrified I'd lost him for good and my heart ached for the good times we'd shared. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Harry who had been stood awkwardly to the side made his way toward me and pulled me close to him.

He kept one hand firmly on my waist and one held my face, his thumb rubbing my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he leant his forehead down to mine. "I didn't mean for that to happen, I just wanted to check you were okay."

I shook my head and wiped away the tears. "No, it's fine. He was going to find out anyway and let's be real, it won't be a secret long once my brother finds out. He'll go on a damn rampage." Harry chuckled and his laugh brought a smile to my face.

"There's that smile," he breathed in awe. He looked at me in admiration and my heart did a million somersaults all at once. I went up on my tiptoes and gently pressed my lips to his. "Let's get you back to your dormitory," he said when he broke the kiss. I nodded but neither of us moved.

"We're gonna be okay, aren't we Harry?" I asked, tentatively. He considered my question for a second before nodding.

It was a while before I was back in the dormitory.