Who Knew

Draco and Hermione silently followed Professor McGonagall toward the Heads’ common room they would be sharing. They had not had the greatest of pasts together, so to say they were going to enjoy living with each other would be an overstatement. Even now, knowing his best mate was dating the Gryffindor bookworm, it was still awkward to be sharing his living quarters with her.

Once McGonagall left them to look around, they fell in awe at the sight. The room was huge, putting their own House common rooms to shame. Hermione turned toward Malfoy, wanting to comment, but then closed her mouth and sighed, remembering whom she was rooming with.

Draco couldn’t take the awkward silence anymore, needing someone to say something. He knew she was as stubborn as he was, so he finally decided to suck it up and start first. “This place is huge,” he spoke.

She turned toward him, smiling a little that he broke the silence. She nodded, “I was just thinking the same thing.”

He nodded, as he turned away from her to walk toward his bedroom. She walked on the opposite side of the room, toward her own bedroom. Once they both took a long look around, they met each other in the middle, outside the bathroom door.

“One bathroom,” Hermione frowned.

“That should be interesting,” Draco rolled his eyes, causing a tiny chuckle to escape from her mouth.

He stared over at her in amusement, surprised she was laughing at something he had said. “So, Granger,” he swallowed, realizing how hard this was going to be for him.

“Look, Malfoy,” she broke in, sensing his hesitation. “Seeing as how you’ve hated me and I’ve hated you for the past six years, I know this is going to be difficult for the both of us. But we’re both Heads now, which means we have to be at least civil to one another,” she finished, stretching her hand out for him to shake. “So how about it?”

He stared down at the waiting hand, knowing he should take it. She was dating his best friend after all. He knew she would be in his life more, and not just for Head duties. “On one condition,” he responded.

She bit her bottom lip, not sure what he was going to ask. “Which is?” she hesitated.

“You never come to me asking advice about Blaise,” he explained.

She suddenly blushed. “He told you?”

When she saw him nod, she released the breath she didn’t know she was holding, somewhat relieved to know that he knew their secret. “Deal,” she answered, as they shook hands.

“Good,” he confirmed, as he released his hold on her hand. “Night, Granger.”

“Night, Malfoy,” she responded, as he turned and walked away from her. “Oh, and Malfoy?”

He was almost to his bedroom door when he turned back around. “Yeah?”

She smirked, “Spoiled git.”

“Bushy haired know-it-all,” he retorted.

“Ferret face.”

“Bucktooth.”

“Wannabe Death Eater.”

“Filthy Mudblood.”

“You good?” she suddenly asked.

He nodded, “Yeah.”

“Me too,” she smiled, as she turned and walked toward her bedroom.

He chuckled at the little game they just played, before entering his room. Perhaps this year won’t be that bad after all, he thought.

*****
“Malfoy, you did that on purpose,” Harry grunted, as he lowered himself to the ground to clean up the spilled potion on the floor.

Draco smirked over at him, before innocently raising his shoulders and asking, “What ever do you mean, Potter?”

“Bloody arse,” Ron snapped.

Draco laughed with his other Slytherin friends, as they watched the pair clean up the mess. They suddenly stopped, when they saw Professor Snape heading toward their tables. As much as he favored the Slytherins the most, they knew he still could reprimand them, if they weren’t careful.

“I see you’ve made another mockery out of my class, Potter,” Snape drawled, as he quickly scourgified the ground and Harry’s cauldron, leaving nothing for him to work with.

Harry angrily stared at his professor. He was seventeen years old and already had a long list of people he hated. He wanted to say something, but knew it would be pointless, so he kept his mouth shut, watching him walk back toward the front of the classroom. He still couldn’t believe Professor Slughorn left, leaving Snape to teach both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions.

He shot Malfoy a look, hating that smug expression he always wore. Draco stared over at him and raised his eyebrows, challenging him to say something. Harry rolled his eyes, as he turned back around.

“Homework,” Snape began, causing some students to groan. He glared around the classroom, until they had all quieted themselves. “You will be making Calming Draft and writing an essay on it, but here’s the catch,” he smirked, enjoying these moments. “You’ll be working in pairs, with someone from a different house.”

More students groaned, especially the Slytherins, as Snape grabbed a piece of parchment off his desk and tacked it up on the wall, before leaving the classroom. The students hurried over to the list, nervous to find out who their partner would be. Hermione quickly scanned the sheet and almost screamed out in joy when she saw she was partnered with Blaise. Ron swore to himself, when he saw he was partnered with that dumb oaf, Crabbe.

After all the students found their partners, Harry finally made his way over to the list, a bit nervous. He pretty much knew who his partner would be, knowing Snape enjoyed making his life miserable at every opportune moment, but he needed to check anyway. He moved his finger down the list, until he stopped on his own name. He then moved it to the right and sighed, when he saw the boy’s name matched up with his.

“I can already hear the excitement,” the voice sneered.

He took a deep breath, before turning around, coming face-to-face with him. “He really does hate me, doesn’t he?”

Draco just grinned, as he left the classroom, leaving Harry alone, clenching his fists in anger. He hurried out of the classroom, trying to catch up to the despicable Slytherin. Draco smirked to himself, knowing Potter was following him. He picked up his step, not wanting to be caught just yet.

Harry’s body tensed, when he saw the boy move quickly through the halls. He knew Malfoy was doing it on purpose, but he continued to follow. He smiled, when he saw Malfoy was blocked in the midst of the students entering the Great Hall for dinner.

“What?” Draco spat, turning around when he felt Potter behind him.

“We need to talk about our assignment, you dolt,” Harry fumed.

“Fine. You write the essay and I’ll make the stupid thing,” he offered.

Harry pondered the idea and then nodded, “Okay.”

“Really?” Draco curiously asked, not expecting him to agree so quickly.

“Shocking, isn’t it?” Harry smirked. “Who would’ve thought you’d actually have a good idea in that pea brain of yours.”

Draco narrowed his eyes, when he heard the jab, but kept his cool. “Can I go now?” he asked, not wanting to stand in his presence any longer.

Harry clenched his jaw, irritated that again Malfoy was not going to return the jab. He was getting more and more curious about his behavior. He knew something was bothering Malfoy, but what?

Draco watched Potter’s puzzled face. He didn’t wait for an answer, as he quickly slipped in between a few Slytherin fifth years heading toward the Great Hall. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing Potter had still not moved from his position. He sighed to himself, knowing Potter would eventually figure it out.

*****
“I thought you said you were going to break up with him,” Draco heard Blaise yell from the common room.

“I’m going to. I just need some time to do this carefully. You don’t know him like I do,” Hermione snapped.

Draco was sitting on his bed with his Potions book, writing down the ingredients for the Calming Draft, when he heard the two begin to quarrel. They had been fighting like this ever since they came back to school, which frustrated him. He hated hearing them fight in his own common room, but knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. He promised himself he would never get in between their relationship.

“But why did you let him kiss you?” Blaise’s voice grew louder.

“Because he’s still my boyfriend.”

Draco groaned, as he leaned back in his bed and closed his eyes. Their voices were so loud that he couldn’t even concentrate on his homework anymore. He slammed his book shut, as he stood and walked toward his window. While staring out, he noticed Potter and the Weasel walking toward Hagrid’s hut. His stomach fluttered, as he watched the boy brush his hand through his raven hair, when the half-giant greeted him.

“Fine!” a voice cried out, making Draco flinch when he heard the portrait door slam shut a few seconds later.

Suddenly, his bedroom door was flown open. He turned away from the window, when he saw his best friend storm into his room and plop down on his bed.

“She’s so frigging stubborn,” Blaise huffed.

Draco sighed, knowing it best not to say anything, but also understanding his friend needed to talk. He took another glance out the window, noticing the two boys had already entered the hut, before turning toward his friend. “What happened?”

“He kissed her!” Blaise exclaimed, as he stared over at Draco.

Draco nodded, already aware of that from the fight he just heard. “And?”

“And? And? What do you mean, and? He kissed her!” he fumed.

“Aren’t they still going out?”

“Exactly!”

Draco shook his head, completely confused. “Okay, first, breathe,” he told his friend. “Now, tell me what happened.”

Blaise heeded his friend’s advice and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He then opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. “She said she keeps trying to find the perfect time to break up with him, but every time she goes to do it, something gets in the way,” he began.

Draco nodded, as he walked toward his bed and lay beside his friend, as they always did when they needed to talk. He stared up at the ceiling, waiting for him to continue.

“I know this is my fault. I’m not an idiot. I’m the one who said to keep this a secret, but damn it, I didn’t think it would be this difficult,” he grunted, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Suddenly curious, Draco turned toward Blaise, asking, “Is it really worth it? I mean…all these secrets and lies?”

Blaise looked over at his friend, shocked that he would even ask such a question. “Of course it is. I love the idiot.”

Draco returned his stare to the ceiling and sighed. “I guess I just don’t understand.”

Blaise shook his head. “That’s because you haven’t experienced it yet. Trust me, when you do, you will completely understand.”

Draco shrugged, “I guess.”

They both continued to stare up at the ceiling, welcoming the silence. Blaise was still irritated with his fight with Hermione, while Draco was pondering over what Blaise had said. It was true he had never known love; he wasn’t even sure he possessed the emotion.

“So, where’d she go?” Draco then asked, breaking the silence.

“I have no idea,” Blaise sighed, turning toward his friend. “You don’t think she would leave me, do you?”

Draco looked over at his friend and frowned. He really wasn’t good at giving advice on relationships and didn’t know what to say. “You think she would?”

“Every day,” he heavily sighed. “I’m just waiting for her to finally come to her senses and realize I’m not worth all this aggravation in her life.”

“Well, that is possible,” Draco replied.

“Thanks, man. You really know how to make one feel better about themselves.”

“Oh, come on, Blaise. You know your relationship is going to have more problems down the road. You’re a Slytherin; she’s a Gryffindor. You’re a Pureblood; she’s a Muggle-born. She’s part of the Golden Trio, and you’re, well, you’re friends with a Malfoy,” he smirked.

“But I love her,” he stated.

“Yeah, but really, how long can love actually last before reality takes over?”

“This sucks,” he sighed.

“Tell me about it,” Draco agreed, as he closed his eyes, wishing his own reality would fade away.

*****
Thanks for your reviews!

Amessis: I'm really glad you're liking my story. I will continue to have more updates, so keep a look out! :)

Black Padfoot: :) Always good to hear. More is definitely on the way. Wow, you guessed Blaise?! Awesome! Not many had thought that. Yes, poor Draco. I wonder if there's someone out there who will be able to comfort him. :)

paigeey07: WOO HOO! I'm glad you liked it, and hope you will continue liking it.

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