The Astronomy Tower < #wattys2016 >

Keeping Secrets

April 7th, 1996, Sunday

Draco snapped awake in the room of requirement. He looked down groggily at his watch, 8:30 pm.

He jumped up, Hermione would be waiting for him. He jogged down the hall, up the stairs, and oushe open the heavy wooden door.

He looked around, and found Hermione draped across one of the benches, her head was resting in her arm.

Guilt washed over Draco, he had made her wait. He gingerly sat down next to her, and lifted her into his lap.

He bent his face down to hers, and gently kissed her awake.

"You're late." She mumbled.

"I know, and I'm sorry," he pleaded.

She didn't say anything, just looked out to the moon.

"Hermione..." He begged.

She shook her head, and stood up.

"Why are you keeping secrets?" She intervened. She turned on him, a sad look in her eyes. He wished that she would look away again, so instead he looked away. she raised her hand to his pale cheek and guided his face back to hers. She looked so impossibly beautiful with the sad look in her eyes.

"Even if I tell you the truth, you will still end up leaving me" he said.

She looked so steadily into his eyes, raised her face, and kissed him.

He kissed her back, hungrily, seeking asylum in her affectionate warmth. He momentarily found it, and took comfort in their time together.

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Hermione now know that Draco was hiding something from her, he had outright told her so, but until he outright tells her that his secret is that he is a death eater, she will assume other wise. She knows how ignorant that sounded, but Hermione couldn't stand the thought of Draco fighting for the man who want people like her dead. Just because of who her family is, but if Draco was fighting for the end of Muggleborns, why would he be dating one?

To get inside information on Harry Potter? She doubted it. They had been together for nearly 3 months, and harry hasn't come up in their conversation once.

* * *

The next time Draco and Hermione came the their third night, Hermione had been the first one there, but this was usual. She sighed, Draco had never been this late before.

She decided to give him another 10 minutes to show up, but when he didn't, Hermione simply left.

She cautiously crept out of the tower, down the stairs, and through corridor after corridor.

She heard foot steps coming her way, and ducked into the nearest classroom. She gingerly poked her head out of the door when the foot steps had passed, only to see Draco headed in the direction of the astronomy tower. But there was not way that she was going back there.

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When Draco entered the tower his eyes swpet the space for Hermione, but she was nowhere to be found.

he looked down at his watch, and realized that is was almost 10:00.

Guilt flooded through him. He was ruining the best thing in his world. The thought of it made him so mad that he saw red.

The Dark lord had taken everything from him, and now he was going to take away Hermione as well. He was being forced to sacrifice his relationship with her, in order to keep his family safe without putting Hermione in danger.