Harry and Ron came back to Malfoy Manor that evening for supper and so they could talk with Hermione and learn the truth about where she lived.
"So, this is my room."
Harry and Ron looked around the room. "It's a little dusty isn't it?"
"Well, these days I sleep in Draco's room across the hall."
"Okay, I didn't need to know that." Ron complained.
"Draco, go and get Maisy will you? Harry's right this room could use a clean." Hermione said.
"I have some business to talk to dad about anyway." Draco nodded, giving Hermione a quick peck on the cheek, and left the room. A moment later a little house elf, wearing a pillowcase like a toga came in and obediently started cleaning.
"You had it really good growing up didn't you?" Ron said peeking into her wardrobe.
"Well I didn't have parents or a blood family and I had to hide every time the Malfoys other friends showed up. I was hustled into the secret passages like they were ashamed of me. When they went on holiday I couldn't go in case anyone saw me. I was left here, alone with only Maisy and the rest of the house elves for company."
"Sorry miss."
"Nothing personal, Maise. The point is, while I do love the Malfoys, they were too preoccupied with people's opinions of them after the downfall of Voldemort. In private they were the perfect family but whenever other people were involved I may as well not have existed. They never officially adopted me anyway. When we had to go to Diagon Alley for our school supplies I had to be under a disillusionment charm. Talk about disillusioned."
"You've waited a long time to say that haven't you?" Harry said with a smile after a pause.
"You have no idea. Don't get me wrong I do love Draco but if I ever mentioned it to him then I would be homeless. He cares too much about his family, as he should, to let me stay around if he knew that even I found it hard to live here. The Malfoys have been so good to me, but I had no one to talk to about how I felt."
"What about us?"
"Ron, you know I couldn't tell you. There was too much at stake."
"You've had a difficult few years haven't you?"
Hermione smiled at Harry. "My troubles were nothing compared to what you went through so I couldn't say anything."
"I think you need to learn as much about friendship as we do." Harry smiled back. "We're your best friends, you shouldn't have just assumed we wouldn't understand. If you'd been strait with us we could have forgiven anything."
"I guess I should have been honest with you from the start instead of keeping it all in."
"Why didn't you tell the truth?"
"You got on Draco's bad side early and I know what you're all like. You can all get very testosteroney. Must be a malady of being a guy. All three of you also happen to be very protective of me. Although why you thought I needed protection is a complete mystery to me."
"After your performance today, I agree." Ron chuckled.
"If I had told you, even in first year, you would have probably done your very best to hurt and humiliate Draco. As for me, well let's just say that the Golden Trio would have been the Golden Duo."
"And what about the music? The way you sang earlier was just wow. I mean you hit notes I thought only blackbirds could hit." Harry said plucking at the strings on her guitar.
"Thanks. There's a lot you don't know about me."
"Clearly. So, why don't we do what we should have done from the start? Why don't we be honest with each other and tell the secrets we should have shared in first year?"
Hermione went to sit on her bed. Ron joined them on the bed. "Sounds good to me. Who's going to start?"
"Let's start with the obvious stuff. Love and relationships. I have never been in love, nor have I even passed first base. Well I have only had one girlfriend and that didn't go all that well." Harry admitted.
"I didn't want to have to admit this but I'm rounding third with Alicia Spinnet." Ron said sheepishly.
"I didn't even know you were going out with her." Harry said.
"Oh yeah, going on six months now."
"Nice." Hermione nodded. "You're going to be shocked about this, but I am by no means innocent."
"Second?" Hermione shook her head. "Third?" again she shook her head. "Fourth?"
"I think I'm on Ye Gods."
"Which one's that?" Harry asked confused.
"That's the one after fourth. The unhygienic one."
"Who with? Krum?"
"God no. With Draco."
"What about love itself for you two?" Harry asked while Ron demonstrated his impersonation of a guppy fish at feeding time.
"I realised a few weeks ago that I was in love with Draco, which explains why the engagement is real."
"I'm in love with Alicia." Ron said, apparently on automatic.
"Now secret talents. I've always had an ability to hear things over great distances. Don't ask me how though. Maybe it's another family trait."
"I can burp the school song." Unsurprisingly that one was from Ron.
"I'm very musical. I can sing, act, ballroom dance, write music, ballet dance, I can even ice skate like a professional. I play the guitar, piano, electric guitar, violin, cello, flute, harp, trumpet and the clarinet. This house has a storeroom of musical instruments as well as other magical items."
"Ice skating?"
"Yeah. There's a rink nearby and Draco and I spent quite a lot of time there. If you like we can pop down later and Draco and I can do one of our routines for you."
"Moving on to private fears. Sometimes I feel that I will never get married and I'm also a little scared that I'll turn into Voldemort. I'm getting more like him every day."
"I'm scared that Draco will cheat on me and abandon me and that we'll divorce like my parents did." Hermione lowered her eyes.
"Still spiders really. Oh and that Harry will rush off into danger that we don't come out of alive. Oh and Harry. When are you going to realise that Ginny is ready and waiting for you."
"Ginny huh? Okay, moving on. Any other secrets?"
"I read romance novels. Not just the innocent kind like Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte. I also have a little collection of naughty ones."
"You really aren't innocent at all are you Hermione?"
"Harry dear, I only act innocent because I'm supposed to be the quiet little bookworm that sits in corners and follows around behind you and annoys everyone in class by knowing all the answers. I have to have fun somehow."
"Fair enough." Ron laughed. "Here's something you didn't know about me. I used to think I might be a bit gay."
"Say what?" Harry said looking scared.
"Yeah. For a few months I actually believed I was in love with you." Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. "You and Cedric Diggory."
"Well that's understandable. He was the most gorgeous guy in the school, and I used to think I was in love with Harry too."
"Now that I'm okay with. With his, not so much." Harry said, still shocked. "Give me a moment to get over Ron's confession."
"He faces Voldemort with no trouble but he falters at that." Ron said to Hermione. "So, I noticed at the duel you had at the feast that you had a tattoo on your shoulder. Anything else like that on your body?"
"Nothing really. Just five more tattoos, and six piercings."
"Where?"
"I have the Chinese symbol for wisdom on the back of my neck, tiger on shoulder, dragon on lower back, angel wings on upper back, eagle on other shoulder, the Chinese symbol for magic just below my elbow on the inside of my forearm. I have two piercings in each ear, my belly button and tongue."
"I have my nipple pierced." Harry broke in.
"So do I."
"And I knew about those. Firewhiskey and butterbear don't mix, as we found out." Hermione giggled.