It's Never Too Late - Dramione

Chapter 1 - The Secret Cupboard

She could remember one night clearly. One night in particular. One night in her sixth year.

How could she forget?

She had made a special effort that day. Her hair was brown and curly, her eyes, brown, shone with excitement and anticipation. She even wore make up. Just a little mascara and eyeliner. Hoping he would notice her.

She went down to breakfast alone. Her footsteps silent and soft. She hummed a tune as she walked and then she spotted Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table. The Slytherins were booing at the Gryffindors and talking loudly. Hermione stopped near Ron.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, sitting next to him.

He didn't even look at her. He just shrugged and Hermione's heart fell slightly.

"Tea? Pumpkin Juice?" Harry asked.

Strangely he slipped something into Ron's drink and handed it to him.

"Wait! Don't drink that." Hermione shouted out, stopping Ron.

Both looked to her. Harry looked innocent but she wasn't buying it.

"Why not?" Ron asked, looking at her as though she was crazy.

Hermione explained that she saw Harry tip something into his cup bit Ron shrugged her off looking annoyed and drank it all. Hermione looked at Harry disapprovingly.

-------

Everyone was cheering for him as they carried him into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Ron.

He was her other half. Her soul mate. Well, she though he was until that night.

Everyone cheered as he stood in the middle, his beautiful red hair slightly messy due to the wind outside, his mouth turned up into a smile and his hands in the air.

Then it happened.

Lavender Brown turned him around and kissed him. That's when Hermione's heart stopped. Up until then she had loved Ron, waiting for this night. The night he would be happy. The night he would tell Hermione how he felt. She had wanted him. But now... He was kissing Lavender, his hands on her waist, as everyone cheered outrageously.

Hermione's heart beat faster and faster as Lavender's hand crept up his back and to the back of his hair. Tears trailed down Hermione's face and her hands hurt as her nails digged into her palms.

She turned around and walked, barging out of the common room, she walked down the deserted corridor.

She didn't understand!

Herself and Ron were supposed to be together not Ron and Lavender.

Her heart was broken into a million pieces. She had heard that saying before and thought it was nonsense and it couldn't hurt that much.

But now she knew how much it hurt.

Hermione kept walking to no particular destination. She stopped and looked around. She couldn't recognise where she was. She walked on and opened a random door, realising it was a cupboard. An empty, L shaped, small, with a window cupboard. She closed the door behind her.

"Who is there?" A deep and very familiar voice asked.

He walked out of the shadow and Hermione recognised him as Draco. Draco Malfoy. Grey, icy eyes that were full of secrets and knowledge. White blonde hair that was slicked back. He wore a shirt, a few buttons undone, with a tie loose around his long neck. His trousers hung low on his waist.

He frowned as his icy eyes fell on her brown eyes.

"Granger..." He whispered, concern shadowed his face, "You look... What happened?"

Hermione realised she must look really bad. She had wore mascara and was crying. She hastily wiped the mascara from under her eyes. Draco silently reached behind him and handed her a green tissue which she gladly took.

After she had wiped her face clean, Draco's eyes were full of concern.

"Care to explain what happened?" He asked, holding out a hand probably because she looked unsteady on her feet.

She gladly took his hand and he pulled her to sit with him by the window. Strawberries and a stack of green tissues lay in between them. He handed her a strawberry, which she took.

They ate for a while, forgetting that they were supposed to be enemies and just lived in the moment.

*Draco's POV*

She took the strawberry with a shaky hand. Something inside Draco made him want to help her.

The damsel in distress.

She had walked in here with mascara running down her face. Her hair swept back and her eyes full of tears. He had to help her so he sat her down and offered her a strawberry.

He had been sitting here, thinking off the task ahead. He missed the quidditch game but it seemed so small and unimportant to him at the moment.

He looked away from the window and to Hermione. She was staring at her lap, tears trickling down her face.

Draco moved the strawberries and tissues out of the way and moved closer, staring at her as her eyes looked up into his. A bit of strawberry juice trickled down her chin and Draco took a finger and wiped it off her chin and onto a tissue.

He had never saw how beautiful she looked. Her eyebrows trimmed to perfection, her brown eyes wide with surprise, her nose long and straight, her jaw sticking out to make her chin stick out too and her lips, full and... kissable.

"What happened?" Draco whispered.

His arm draped across her waist, he stared at the floor, looking at ther reflection. Hermione sighed very quietly before leaning her head on his shoulder and a hand travelled around his stomach.

"He kissed her." She whispered, her voice hoarse and small and distant sounding.

"Who?" Draco asked.

"Ron kissed Lavender and..." Hermione stopped suddenly.

Draco pulled back to look at her. She looked up at him and blinked. Draco leaned down and grazed his lips on her jaw.

"How did he kiss her? Was it like this?" He whispered.

He slowly pushed his lips to her's. She didn't hesitate. She pulled him closer, opening her mouth. Draco pressed her onto the wall behind her, his hand travelling down, farther than her waist and her hand travelled up into his hair. She could feel the softness of his hair and the hardness of his neck.

Both needed the kiss. Both felt the sudden spark between their lips and hands and bodies. Draco kissed harder and Hermione didn't complain. They slowed down.

Draco pulled back and leaned his forehead onto her's, panting slightly near her mouth.

"Draco." Hermione whispered.

Draco got up and waved his wand, making the strawberries and tissues disappear.

"Sorry." He muttered.

He walked out of the cupboard, leaving Hermione sitting there wondering what had just happened.