Nobody Needs to Know

Elmo: Sorry, I didn\'t mean to post it twice. My computer hates me so it likes to mess up everything I do...


Stephanie: Haha, thank you so much. I may enjoy writing, but I\'m not a fan of the whole proof reading thing... Thanks for pointing that out ;]


EEky333: I know I didn\'t write much. I just wanted to see if the story sparked any interest before I kept going. Sorry about the shortness, I\'ll try to make them longer... Thanks for the review!


Loziana: Thank you so much for reading! I\'m so happy that you really like it. Your comment seriously made my day! I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the next chapter! It kind of sucks... I have this great idea for later parts of the story, it\'s just a pain getting there... I hope you stick with it!


Liz: Sorry again about the short chapters. I never can tell how long they\'ll be on AFF compared to Word. Hopefully this one is longer, although probably not as good.


Jane Evans: I\'m so sorry to hear that. I hope that you are ok. I haven\'t actually been in a relationship like the one that Ron and Hermione have been on. The closest I\'ve come is having an ex stalk me, break in to my house and try to sabotage a new relationship. If you have anything to add or feel that I\'m missing something, please feel free to email me or comment again. I hope whatever relationship you\'re in now, or your next one turns out better. Keep reading and I promise it\'ll all work out!




Watching the temperamental witch storm off to her room, Draco turned away and went to his own private rooms opposite hers. The Head Dorms really were exquisite. As a wealthy pure blood, he had grown accustomed to the best of everything, and he was glad that Hogwarts had taken that into consideration. When walking into the shared dormitory, there was a common room in the middle, with a large bathroom they were to share in the back. Hermione\'s rooms were on the right and his on the left. Couches, chairs and loungers surrounded a fire place and large sitting area. It was quite comfortable looking. Switching gears from decor to the black and blue witch across the way, he wondered where all those bruises could have come from.

What the hell happened to her? And what did Dumbledore mean by \'other name\'? He figured he shouldn\'t bother, she had her own friends, and he had his own problems. For example, the fact that his mother was still trying to force him into an arranged marriage with Pansy Parkinson had been weighing down his mind recently. How in Merlin\'s name could he get out of it? With his mind full of questions, Draco somehow drifted off to sleep.

In the room that was occupying Draco\'s mind, lay a witch getting less sleep than he. She was worried about tomorrow and having to see Ron again. She was also curious why Malfoy was being so bloody nice to her. Since when did he care about her?


She sat by her window and chain smoked her way through three quarters of a pack of cigarettes. What the bloody hell am I going to do? she thought. I can\'t even get Ron to love me. It\'s a wonder he\'s still with me. I should consider myself lucky that he even tolerates me. I don\'t even deserve him. Merlin, I deserve to be hit. I can\'t even please him enough. I\'m pathetic.

After wallowing in her self pity for quite some time, Hermione took a dreamless sleep potion and laid down to wait for morning.


Hermione woke up early the next morning. She walked to the bathroom that was to be shared by both the Heads and peeked her head in to make sure that Malfoy wasn\'t in there.


He wasn\'t. So she walked in and over to the shower to start her day.

Draco woke up late. He knew he\'d need to hurry to make it to breakfast in time before the meeting he had with the Head Mistress and Hermione later. He grabbed his stuff and hurried to the bathroom. As he barreled into the room he took notice that he was not the only occupant. The Head Girl was just getting out of the shower with a towel barely wrapped around her as she dried off her legs. She hadn\'t yet noticed that he was there, so he took a moment to study her.

There was a long, recent looking gash on her back that had only just started to heal. He wondered where that would have come from, seeing as it was too recent looking to be from the Final Battle. Various bruises marked her body everywhere. Jesus, there really is something wrong with her... Before she turned around, Draco slipped back out the door and shut it. Then he knocked loudly and waited for her reply to say it was ok to come in.


\"Hang on a sec!\" He heard from behind the door. A minute or two later, she reemerged, fully dressed and dried. \"It\'s all your\'s,\" she told him as she left their dorm to head down to breakfast.



After breakfast, Hermione and Draco met up and went to see the Head Mistress in her office. Hermione felt like she shouldn\'t be going up the gargoyle steps when she knew that Dumbledore wouldn\'t be behind the door to offer her a lemon drop. It was just too strange.


The two Heads sat down at the Head Mistress\'s request and listened as she began to talk.


\"As the two of you know, there is a very small seventh year class this year. You two and Mr. Weasley will have some special rules. Miss Granger I\'ll trust you to relate them to Mr. Weasley. The three of you will teach the first, second and third year classes. The other times you will be training with Professors Slughorn, Lupin and myself. Yes Miss Granger, Mr. Lupin is back this year. In fact, he has requested a meeting with you later in the week. I believe you two have some private issues you need to work out. The rest of the time you will have to yourselves. You may visit Hogsmeade at any time you like, and a portkey will be made available to the two of you that will immediately bring you back to your private dorms in case of an emergency. These are special circumstances, as you know. One last thing, the three of you will not have any NEWTS, but rather teaching exams. Thank you two, have a good and careful year. I must run, there is a faculty meeting before morning classes start for the younger years. The seventh year classes will not start for another couple of days. You will start teaching in two weeks, until then you will sit in on classes and make up class itineraries. Have a good day you two.\"

\"Thank you Head Mistress,\" Hermione answered, thinking over everything she had just heard.


Following the meeting, Hermione went in search of Ron. She found him in the Gryffindor common room playing Wizards Chess with Lavender Brown, and looking quite comfy sharing the large, overstuffed arm chair with her. She walked over and waited for Ron to take notice of her. After a couple minutes of watching the two flirt, she cleared her throat.


\"Merlin, what do you want Hermione?\" Ron asked irritably.

\"I have a message from the Head Mistress. Can I talk to you alone for a sec?\" she replied.

\"Fine.\" Ron got up from the couch, gave Lavender a look that clearly said that he wanted to stay and fool around with her, then followed Hermione out of the portrait hole and towards her dorm.

\"Are you leaving me Ron?\" Hermione asked, suddenly scared after seeing him with Ron.


\"No Hermione. We\'re just friends. You know I want you...\" Ron answered, already annoyed with her.

\"I\'m sorry Ron. I\'m sorry I\'m not enough for you. I won\'t blame you for going after Lavender. I\'m trying really hard to-\" Deciding he had heard enough, he grabbed Hermione by the arm, about ten times harder than needed, and pulled her to him. He captured her lips in a kiss that could be described as anything but romantic or pleasant. It was fierce, angry and brutal. He bit down on her lip, waiting for the taste of her blood to fill his mouth. Once he\'d gotten what he wanted, he pushed her away.

\"What\'s the message from McGonagall?\" he asked roughly.

Hermione held her arm where he had grabbed her, already showing the bruises, and resisted the urge to cry. She related the message to him, then followed him as he pulled her roughly towards her room. As they sped through the portrait hole to the Head Dorms, they found Malfoy sitting in one of the recliners reading a book. At their entrance he looked up.

He immediately took notice of Hermione. Her cut lip, bruises on her arm, unshed tears and the way that the Weasel was dragging her by the wrist towards her room.

\"What are you doing Weasel?\" Draco asked with a sneer.


\"None of your fucking business Malfoy.\"

\"Then why is Granger practically crying?\" At the mention of her name being dragged into the argument, Hermione winced as Ron\'s gripped tightened on her wrist.

\"Fuck off Malfoy! Why don\'t you go wank off to some nudey pictures and stay out of everyone else\'s business?\" Ron said as he dragged Hermione through her door, slammed it shut and locked it. Once inside, he threw her to the floor and started unbuttoning his pants.

\"Ronny, we can\'t um... We can\'t do that right now,\" Hermione began timidly.

\"Why the hell not?\" Ron replied, still undressing himself.

\"I have my, um, period.... And I still can\'t really breathe from when you- I mean I hurt my ribs!\" she had just barely caught herself, but Ron threw her a death glare that told her that he hadn\'t missed it.

\"That\'s ok, I don\'t mind your period. And I\'ll be gentle,\" he said soothingly.


\"I do mind, I\'m not comfortable with-\"


\"Do you WANT me to leave you for Lavender? I really don\'t think she would mind a good shag right now...\"


\"No Ron! Don\'t leave me! Please, I love you! I\'m sorry, I\'m sorry, I\'m sorry, I love you!\"


\"That\'s what I thought. Now let\'s go!\" Ron pulled her up from the floor and threw her on the bed.