I Am a New Day Rising

Chapter One: Everyone Has a Secret

“Did you see this?” Ron Weasley threw the Daily Prophet on the kitchen table in front of his two friends.

“What are we looking at, Ron?” Hermione asked exasperatedly, picking up the paper to read the headline. It read: New Potions to Fight the Wizard Flu. “Are you feeling sick?” She asked him concernedly.

He rolled his eyes. “Flip the paper open.”

She did so and read the headline that she saw next: Ministry Decree: All Students Must Return to Hogwarts. “Oh.” Harry raised an eyebrow at the headline and silently turned back to his cereal. Hermione, however, read on.

In Ministry Decree, all students who have not finished their magical education because of the Wizarding War, which ended earlier this summer, must return to Hogwarts this fall. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore comments, “It is to ensure all young wizards and witches are given the proper education to become contributing citizens in Wizarding society.” Unlike most decrees set forth by the Ministry, there has been no public outcry against the Decree of Furthering Education. It was pushed through as quickly as possible to ensure….

Hermione stopped reading, already understanding the basics of the article. “Sounds like most people are for this Decree. I think it’s a good thing the Wizarding World is behind the first law after the war.”

“Really! You would!” Ron snapped.

Just then, Draco entered the kitchen and thanked Molly Weasley as she filled his plate with eggs and toast. “What’s got your knickers in a bunch, Weasley?”

Hermione smiled at Draco, ignoring Ron’s snippy remark under his breath.
“Morning, Dray.” Hermione passed him the paper Ron had thrown at her earlier. “Read the bottom article.”

“Morning, Ni.” Draco responded as he bit off a piece of his toast. Draco had been living in Grimmald Place for nearly six months. Three months before the downfall of Voldemort his father had negotiated their freedom with the Minister. The Malfoy men had not returned to Malfoy Manor, much to Ron’s disgust, because Lucius insisted on finding a new place to live. The Manor was home to thousands of horrible memories the two men needed to place in the past. Lucius, however, was taking far to much time choosing a home. “Hmm. Intriguing. But weren’t you going to go back to school anyway?” Draco asked Ron.

Ron screwed up his face in disgust, as he normally did when Draco spoke. “No. I was NOT planning on it. Why would I want to go back there?”

Harry laughed. “So you can get a job? Make money? Live a happy life?”

“You were planning on going back?” Ron asked his best friend.

“Of course, mate.” Harry continued to eat his cereal. Swallowing quickly he turned to Draco. “We all got our letters this morning. Mione and I were going to go to Diagon Ally for supplies, you coming?”

Draco smiled and dipped his toast into the yolk of his egg. “Sounds good.” He took a bite. It honestly had not taken a long time to get used to Harry Potter being nice to him. He gave the young man a lot of credit, as he didn’t hold a grudge. Draco and Harry had been at each other’s throats for nearly seven years; but as soon as he heard Draco had switch sides, Harry’s animosity virtually shut off.

It had been even easier to get used to being friends with Hermione. She had practically nursed him back to health the first month he had been at the Black estate. He could sense her apprehension to help him and to trust him; but after he confided in her about what happened with Voldemort, they became quite close. It wasn’t a secret to anyone in Grimmauld Place or the Order, save Hermione and Ron, that Draco was head over heals in love with her. Draco, of course, settled for their growing friendship until he could pluck up enough courage to tell her how he felt. Courage wasn’t a Slytherin trait after all.

Fortunately for Hermione, it was apparent to no one, except for Harry, that she was head over heals in love with Draco as well. She had spent the first month after his arrival trying to resist her growing admiration for the young man, but after he opened his heart to her – she broke. She dreamt of him nightly and wished to be around him constantly when they were awake. Some nights they stayed up well into the early morning merely reading in the parlor. She enjoyed those nights the most out of all her summer nights. Every few hours, Draco would ask her a question about her reading material or her life. Once and a while she would do the same, but she didn’t want to pry into healing wounds. Hermione’s had pretty much scarred already. And so the two lived in blissful ignorance for the time being. Harry tried everything he could to get the two to see the other’s true feelings, short of breaking their trust.

“Why wasn’t I invited?” Ron pouted. “Mione, don’t you want me to come?”

She scowled. “Don’t call me Mione. And you’re mom said that you were going to visit your Aunt Muriel.”

Draco smirked at Hermione’s cute scowl. “Ni, are you getting new robes?”
Hermione grinned at Draco. She knew the only reason he used his little nickname for her was to push Ron’s buttons. She also knew she should have scowled at Draco, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She loved hearing him call her ‘Ni.’ It was different and completely his to call her. “Yea I think so. I grew an inch or so this summer.”

“Why does he get to call you a nickname? And Harry calls you Mione.” Ron pushed.
Hermione simply ignored him. She was sick of Ron’s never-ending plight to make it seem like they had a connection: they didn’t. The fact of the matter was the only reason Hermione still tolerated Ron was because of Harry. She wasn’t ready to cause a rift between the two of them, and she could handle Ron’s antics pretty well. Draco also ignored Ron and continued his conversation. “You grew? What are you like four foot ten inches?”

Hermione laughed and threw a piece of toasted crust at him. “Hey! I’m five foot four! That’s average.” Draco picked up the crust she had thrown and popped it into his mouth, smiling ridiculously at her.

“Yes, dear.” Molly poured more eggs on to Hermione’s plate. “And you’re far to skinny for you height, so eat up.”

Hermione gagged at the amount of eggs that were now sitting on her plate. She stood up, allowing for Draco to make an assessment of his own. She didn’t look to skinny for her height; she looked perfect to him. She had a curvy little body that he was positive would fit perfectly under his arm when they walked. She had an average size bust, but her hips and round behind were delicious. They only seemed to make her waist look even thinner. He let out an involuntary sigh as she walked away from the table to the door. Ron shot him, once again, a disgusted look. His expression quickly changed to a smile as he, himself, watched Hermione bend down at the waist and pet her cat. Draco could not deny that it was a pretty picture to take in, but he refused to let Ron watch her like that.

“Ni?” Draco called.

Hermione stood back up and turned to him. “Yea, Dray?”

Draco smiled at the nickname she had coined for him. “Back down in 20 minutes to leave?” Draco looked at Harry, who nodded in affirmation.

“See you in 20 minutes, then.” She smiled her brilliant smile and walked out.

Harry, who caught the exchange between Ron and Draco, chuckled and shook his head before turning back the sports page of the Prophet.

Barely one hour later a very shocked Harry, Hermione, and Draco stood in the middle of hundreds of wizards and witches. “I think we picked the wrong time to come.” Harry mused. Draco raised one eyebrow in agreement.

“Well. I suppose it will be like this for the rest of the week, seeing everyone just got their letters.” Hermione answered. “We might as well make our over to Gringotts first.” She started to push through the hordes of people.

“Just tell her, mate.” Harry whispered to Draco, who was watching Hermione’s hips sway expertly through the crowd.

“Tell who what?” Draco acted dumb.

“Oh shove it, Dray.” Harry gave him a look that dripped of knowledge.
Draco cringed at Harry’s blatant inference. “I don’t have anything to tell her.” Draco said, finally pushing through the last bit of the crowd and meeting Hermione on the steps of the bank.

“Right.” Harry chuckled as he walked up to his two friends. He swung his arm around Hermione, winked at Draco, and led her into Gringotts. Draco scowled at Harry’s successful attempt to make him needlessly jealous. Harry had whispered something in her ear, causing her to turn a soft pink and giggle nervously. Draco felt his insides twitch in arousal at the new color of her skin joined with the innocent sound that escaped from her lips. He wondered if she’d look like that if he was on top of her.

Sighing, because he figured he’d never have the chance, he turned to the first open teller and took money out of his family account. He thanked the grouchy goblin and left the building. He found Hermione sitting on the steps waiting from them.
She saw him as well and smiled brightly at him. “All set, Dray?”

He sat down next to her and knocked her shoulder playfully with his own, loving how she giggled at the contact. “Yup. You?” She nodded. He watched her as she placed her hands behind her on the warm stone steps, turn her face up the sky, close her eyes, and sigh as she let the sun’s warmth bathe her. He felt a familiar twitch inside of him at the way the sun turned her beautiful, soft curls a gorgeous honey brown that rivaled her eyes. He was just reaching up to touch her cascading curls when she opened her eyes and looked at him. His face reddened immediately. He swatted his hand around her face. “Fly.” He grunted. Hermione’s hand joined his in swatting away the imaginary pest. He reddened even more at her unwarranted pest control. “Where’s Potter?”

“Oh. He said he’d be a minute, I guess he had to actually go into the vault.” But just as she finished, Harry emerged from the bank. Hermione and Draco got up and brushed off their backsides.

“Where to first?” Draco asked.

“Well we all have to get robes right? We might as well start there, then we can pick them up on our way home.” Hermione grinned at the men as she twisted on her toes and left them on steps.

“That was smooth, by the way.” Harry said, laughing quietly.

“What are you going on about now?” Draco snapped.

“A fly?” Draco rolled his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. “Oh yea, I saw it.” Harry laughed again and patted his friends back in sympathy.

Draco and Harry caught up to Hermione in Madam Malkins. As she walked away to the new arrivals for women she called back to the men, “Don’t forget to pick out dress robes, boys!”

Harry and Draco looked at each other and rolled their eyes, “Yes, mum.” They called back. Hermione laughed to herself as she flipped through the new styles.
Draco looked at Hermione curiously over the rack of robes he was browsing.

“Potter?” Harry looked up at Draco, waiting for him to go on. “Does Hermione not shop second hand?”

“Goodness no.” Harry laughed. “Why on earth would she do that?”

“Well I just thought because-“

“Because she’s muggleborn you think she can’t afford anything but second hand?” Draco shrugged. “Do you see the clothes she’s wearing right now?” Harry said turning back to the robes.

“Yea? What about them?” Draco said. He thought the jeans fit her perfectly and the fancy blouse hugged her enticingly, but he didn’t think Harry was referring to how seductive she looked.

“You don’t know anything about Muggle designers to you?” Draco shook his head. Harry sighed. “She’s rich, Draco.” Draco’s eyes widened. “Well not as rich as you, but certainly as rich as me. Her parents were dentists for goodness sakes! She only shops designer. Those jeans? Nearly 200 pounds. That top? I was with her when she bought it. She spent 80 pounds on it. And she was happy it was so cheap. The bathing suit she’s been wearing all summer? 200 pounds easy.”

“Seriously?” Draco reaffirmed.

“Does it make you like her more?” Harry’s eye’s darkened.

“What? No! Wait. I don’t like Hermione like that. And I couldn’t care less, I was just wondering.” Draco stammered.

“I don’t like being lied to.” Harry grunted.

“What? I’m not. I don’t care.”

“That’s not to what I was referring.” Harry said, eyeing his friend. After a few minutes, Harry’s head snapped up. “Oh, Malfoy. Don’t tell Ron.”

“What?” Draco was confused.

“Hermione doesn’t want him to know. She’s afraid he’ll act even more like a git if he finds out.”

Draco sighed, knowing full well Weasley had a sore spot for being poor. Draco, himself, had used it countless times growing up to get under his skin. “Yea ok. No worries.”

Less than a half hour later, the trio left Madam Malkins laughing. Hermione covered her face with her hands in embarrassment when Harry reminded her of the time she had seen Oliver Wood in the dress shop.

“Oh God, Harry. Please don’t bring that up.”
Seeing the beautiful shade of red that crept across Hermione’s face, Draco couldn’t resist pushing a little further. He draped an arm around her shoulder and said, “Oh no, Ni. Let the man speak. I think I want to hear this.” He quickly noted that she did indeed fit perfectly under his arm. He was nearly 10 inches taller than her, and he loved it.

Harry laughed heartily and continued. “Well we were at Hogsmeade, and Hermione brought me to that designer dress shop for a dress for her cousin’s wedding.”

“No, Harry. Please.”

“Oh yes, Mione.” Harry laughed. “So there I am, watching her come and in and out of the changing room. She would be wearing a dress sometimes, but other times she’d just walk out in her little undies and bra.”

“What?!” Draco looked incredulously at Hermione as they walked together. He had always equated her virginity with shyness.

“Oh, Draco. I’m not a prude, you know. Anyway it’s just like a bathing suit! I’d walk around like that in front of you too, if you wanted.” Hermione winked flirtatiously causing Draco to choke on the saliva he was trying to swallow. Hermione chuckled to herself at catching Draco’s attention in such a bold way.

Harry coughed out a surprised laugh at her brazen comment. “Anyway. So Oliver Wood walked in with his girlfriend, at the time. He saw our little virgin Mione here bopping around in her unmentionables and promptly gets a hard on.”
Draco through his head back in a healthy, incredibly happy laugh. Lucius walked up just in time to hear his son laugh and miss the rest. Lucius couldn’t help but smile at the joy that shown brightly on Draco’s face.

“And what’s so funny?” He asked his son. He did not miss the dark shade of red that gave Hermione a healthy glow. He shook his son’s hand and Harry’s. He looked at Hermione and smiled in a fatherly way. “My dear. Do I not get my hug because we are in public?”

Hermione flashed him a lovely grin. “Mr. Malfoy – always.” She circled her arms around the man and gave him a little squeeze as he patted her head. He remembered the first time she gave him a hug. He had just returned from fighting in the final battle. Apparently she had made it back before most of the fighters, as he was positive she had been there. Draco, Harry, and Ron got one as well, but everyone was shocked that Lucius had received one. Lucius, never having a daughter, took the opportunity to get to know the young women when he arrived at Grimmald Place. He found her extremely easy to love, even though he’d never admit it. She was brilliant and kind, but had a fire in her that kept everyone on their toes. He watched her and Draco’s exchanges and hoped they’d figure it out soon. Just seeing his son’s arm draped around her made him think they were getting somewhere.

“Are these young men taunting you, my dear? Cause I can take care of them for you.”
Hermione laughed at the father figure in front of her. She had fallen into a comfortable father/daughter relationship with Lucius. At first she had been apprehensive of the man, because of all he had done and all the evil he held inside. But over the months she had come to love him as a father. When she first started to feel a strong connection with Lucius, she pulled away from him initially. She felt as though she was disrespecting her own father, who passed away with her mother a year before the final battle. Nervous about the new relationship with Lucius and her growing feelings for his son, she had her first mother/daughter discussion with Molly. Initially, Molly was a little disheartened by the fact that Ron would never have a chance with Hermione, but she soon moved on when she noticed how much Draco did care for the young women. Molly had allowed Hermione to see Lucius as a second chance for a father like relationship. Regardless of his dark past, she felt safe with him.

“No no, Mr. Malfoy. It’s fine.” She replied sheepishly.

“Draco, I think I found a place.”

“Oh good, Father. Right in time for me to go back to Hogwarts.”

“Watch your tone. It’s a nice cottage down the valley from the Weasleys. Where are you three headed too?”

“Flourish and Blotts.” Hermione stated as Lucius placed her hand in the crook of his arm in a chivalrous manner. Draco smiled at the amount of affection his father had for Hermione. Lucius had dropped less than sutle hints about the two of them becoming a couple, but Draco still couldn’t read Hermione.

“Ah yes. As I was saying then. You’ll come look at it with me tomorrow then, son?”

“Yes, of course, Father.”

“Would you like to come too, my dear?” Lucius asked the young woman on his arm.
Hermione looked at Draco cautiously first, secretly hoping he wouldn’t mind. She loved spending time with him. She grinned in response to the grin that was plastered on his face and nod in affirmation he gave her.

“Yes. Ni. Come. You can tell me if my bedroom is acceptable.” Draco shocked himself with his blunt sentence.

Hermione cocked her head to one side as the words sunk in. She laughed out loud. “Yes I suppose I will come then. Can’t let my little Draco down.” Lucius raised his own eyebrows at the double meaning in her words. “Oh goodness. I really need to hang out with women more often. All you men have your mind in the gutter.”

Lucius begged off soon after their impromptu meeting. Harry, Hermione, and Draco had all of their supplies and unneeded items they “just had to buy” sent back to Black Estates, now traceable since the end of the war.

“Shite! Is that time?” Harry asked double-checking the time from the large clock on Gringotts with his Muggle watch. It was nearly one o’clock.

“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked.

“I’m supposed to meet Ginny at one. I have to head back to the house and go meet her. See you two later?”

Hermione looked confused. “Yea. But isn’t Ginny with her family?”

Harry looked stuck. Draco shook his head. If he was reading his new friend correctly, he was trying to leave the two alone. “Didn’t you make plans with Ginny to get her out of the family nonsense early?” Draco helped Harry and himself out.

Harry smiled. “Yup. Bye!” He said and disapperated.

“Ice cream?” Hermione turned to Draco, quickly moving on from the ambiguity of Harry’s departure. They had been standing so close together previously, that when she turned she was only centimeters away from his body. He itched to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a searing kiss. Instead he looked down into her eyes, watching her as her breath caught in her throat. Is she affected by this too? Draco thought to himself.

“Yea.” He breathed and together they turned away from where Harry once stood. Draco placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to the Florean Fortescues. “What flavor are you going to get?” He whispered in her ear.

She shivered at the heat of his breath on her sensitive skin. “Uh.” She took a minute to snap back into her normal self. “Double chocolate with bits of peppermint stick.”

Draco smiled at her. “Sounds delicious.” He desperately wanted to nip at her ear and taste her skin. He realized that chocolate and peppermint would probably taste much better on her tongue when on a cone.

“And you?” She asked.

“Hmm.” He thought purposefully. “Vanilla.”

“Vanilla with chocolate swirl?” She asked.

“No, Vanilla.”

“You mean just plain vanilla? What about Vanilla with bits of brownie!?” Hermione looked at him excitedly at her suggestion.

“Nope. Just plain vanilla.” Hermione’s face screwed up in confusion. “What, Ni? Everyone likes vanilla.”

“Yea. When it’s on top of pancakes or a brownie. Or even vanilla drenched in hot chocolate sauce or under hot apple crisp. But no one likes just plain vanilla on a cone.”

“I don’t get cones.” He said seriously.

“Even worse!” Hermione gasped. “No cone?” Hermione pinched him.

“Ow! What was that?” He rubbed the sore spot.

“I was making sure you were real. Cause no real human being likes plain vanilla in a cup.”

Draco mocked hurt. “I really like vanilla, Ni. You cut me deep. You offend me beyond belief.”

Hermione pushed his shoulder lightly. “Oh shove it.” She walked into the ice cream parlor.

“Yes please.” Draco muttered under a smile. He followed Hermione into the parlor and replaced his hand on the small of her back as she ordered her double chocolate with bits of peppermint stick.

“And what will you have today, young sir?” The old women behind the counter asked.

“I’ll have strawberry with chocolate sprinkles.” He said trying to act serious.
Hermione glared at him. “I thought you were going to get just plain vanilla.”

Draco’s face contorted into disgust. “Who likes just plain vanilla? I hate just plain vanilla.”

Hermione mouth hung open in surprise. She loved it when he teased her openly, it was almost as if he was flirting with her. Is he flirting with me? Her mouth slowly molded into a gorgeous ear-to-ear grin. “Me too.”

A/N: I’m not usually a Draco/Hermione shipper, but I’ve been reading so many of them lately, I wanted to try it. The title of the chapter is from the song “Secret” by Maroon 5. Excellent song, lets not lie. Also, I know most people use “Mione” as a nickname – as I do. But I’m also a Harry/Hermione shipper, and I couldn’t shake the fact that Harry always calls Hermione, Mione. So I made up a new one for Draco to call Hermione: Ni, the last sound from her name.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. I’m going to confess I’m a little nervous about this one. But that being said, be honest – in a nice way? Haha my heart can only take too much. I’m probably going to go slow with this one – as I haven’t decided whether I want to make one drastic conflict, or a few smaller ones..hmm..ideas?