A new fan fiction – don't know what it's like, but the idea came to me on a journey home from a university where I realised a very important factor. This factor turned into this idea…. So I have given it a go. Please don't hate me too much if it's awful, I would appreciate reviews! Thanks, Lelimo.

Everyone Has A Secret

'Keep ahead of the way of living, is one of the secrets of life.'

Chapter One – The Beginning

If you looked at these 5 people, you wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary. They were just 5 people of the ages 16 and 17, who led as normal lives on the outside as they could. Guaranteed, normal life for all of them was becoming harder and harder and keeping their secrets were becoming increasingly difficult. Also to be able to live the same on the outside as on the inside was a factor now so improbable that their secrets they kept seemed like a walk in the park. Everything had turned into a game for these 5, everything they did and said, always on their guards making sure no one guessed, no one knew anything of who they really were and what secrets they held. A game, a game of hide and seek.

To be able to be themselves around other people let alone each other was becoming nearly impossible, everything they did, everything they said, everyway they acted affected one another with out the knowledge that this was actually occurring. All their true characters kept hidden from one another just because they thought it was for the best, not one of them really, truly trusting any of the others. They all thought that this way they would become weak and probably let their secret escape and become known, which wasn't allowed, no they were all far too terrible for that. The secrets had to stay secret.

As they had grown up there had been discrepancies between one another, no relationship or friendship could go on without them, some of these more serious and long term than others. Of course there had been laughter, there had been lots of laughter and joy but now all this seemed somewhat subdued and cast down because of the way things were beginning to take shape. Their lives were headed in different directions even if they themselves didn't quite comprehend this yet. Each of them has their own story to tell, their own future to make and their own secret to keep.

It is a commonly known fact that locked away secrets will begin to eat away at you after they have been kept for a long period of time. Now the 5 secrets of these 5 people had all been kept for a long period of time, some longer than others but long enough to have started to take control. The secrets delved deeply into their minds overcoming their common sense to talk to someone about it and they moved quietly stealing away any possible thought that the outcome could be good. As far as any of them were concern, things were going to go from bad to worse and there was nothing preventing this from happening. Even when they were all surrounded by people who cared and loved them the whole world and their existence seemed pointless and useless. They all knew what it was like to be in a crowd of people who they considered friends and be completely and utterly alone.

0000

Harry, Hermione and Ron walked into the Great Hall for their first breakfast of the year. Harry and Ron chatted happily on about quidditch, while Hermione listened from the side emitting a groan or sigh every now and again.

'So, did you hear about the Chudley Canons game then?' Ron enquired of Harry.

'Yeah I did actually, it really made my day when I was able to read the Daily Prophet, being able to subscribe to it keeps me in contact a little with this world for the oh so dreaded summer with 'my relatives'.'

They all sat down and began to eat their breakfasts, all in a world of their own. Everything to an onlooker seemed peaceful and normal, 3 friends just eating their breakfasts, not making a particularly bug deal out of anything and embarking on the odd comment now and again. Normal. This is what normal was to them, on the outside.

0000

Later on in the Great Hall, Hermione was studying her timetable, which as per usual contained year 7 potions with the Slytherins much to all their disappointment. Hermione sighed and considered the year ahead, how everything after this year could come to an end. This could be the year to decide the future, she didn't want her future decided and the future was something that her decisions affected. All that could change and this would depend a lot on Harry. Harry James Potter….. her Harry, one of her best friends. Voldemort, flight of death, set to destroy everything and anything that prevented him from gaining what he wanted. He was the one with the power to decide her future and she didn't like this one bit, plus he could be the possible killer of all her friends, depending on what cards fate dealt them. He could make things go terribly wrong from her perspective.

'Hermione, do you realise that we have Potions with that lot this year, again!' Ron asked with a disbelieving laugh.

'I know, I know. And when I was in the library reading up on…' Both boys groaned with huge smiles on their faces to let Hermione they didn't really mean it. Hermione crossed her arms and set her face into a serious stance refusing to speak anymore. Even though she knew they were only pulling her leg.

'Awww, come on Mione, you know we like to hear what you have to say, even if we like teasing you more!' Harry laughed, causing both Ron and Hermione and anyone else who was listening in on their conversation to laugh with him, Harry had that kind of infectious effect.

'Hmmm.' Hermione grinned. 'Well it doesn't matter what I was reading up on but Professor Snape came into the library to retrieve a book from Madame Pomfrey and I heard him mention to her that we were going to be given year long assignments with a partner and that he was very angry that Professor Dumbledore had specified that the partners had to be from different houses where possible.' Hermione finished dramatically.

Both Ron and Harry had their mouths open wide at this statement.

'WHAT!' Harry exclaimed.

'You mean to say that I have the possibility of working with a Slytherin in the subject I hate the most for the whole entire bloody year…?' Ron stopped speechless of any further words.

'Not a possibility, almost an inescapable fact.' Hermione said grimly.

No one spoke for a while until Harry said, 'Well Hermione you know how to kill a mood, don't you!'

This caused everyone to smile and forget about the news that Hermione had just laid upon them.

0000

Fake. Everything fake, this was just a way of life and something that they all had gotten used to. It was their way of life, no matter, if they wanted to keep the real truth a secret; it was the way it had to be. No giving, no taking, just fake and it was all the others knew, so really in the end, it was life. It was how they all lived it, all 5 of them.

'Honesty: the most important thing in life. Unless you really know how to fake it, you'll never make it.'

0000

Ginny Weasley was walking along the corridor between lessons, mulling over a book her Father had given her over the summer. He said he had found it on one of his 'adventures'. This basically translated, that Arthur Weasley had been let loose within the muggle world and so had obviously paid a trip to a muggle bookshop and managed surprisingly to purchase a book without causing too much hassle. This particular book was a collection of works by one author and at the moment Ginny was deeply engrossed in one of them, which was a play to be exact. Ginny had been a fan of Oscar Wilde ever since Harry had talked about seeing a play in the previous summer holidays called The Importance Of Being Ernest. Of course, he had been talking to Hermione and Ron; she had been standing by the sidelines just listening in as a little sister did. So here she was reading A Picture Of Dorian Gray, a deeply intricate novel with many levels to it, it pushed Ginny to her limits and she loved it.

It was something that stopped her remembering about reality and the things that came with it. She would have been perfectly happy if she hadn't just then bumped into the back of someone. Someone taller than her and definitely male. This tall and definitely male person turned around…

'Well, well the female version of Weasel.' People around him laughed.

'Ferret.' Ginny spat back.

'My, my, trying to be clever and retort?' Asked Malfoy, while staring right at her, not blinking or giving any signs of planning to look away from her.

Ginny observed this young man, trying to see past the steal grey eyes, that tried not to show any emotion, but didn't necessarily succeed. Ginny gasped and looked down at her feet.

'Something wrong Weasel?' Malfoy tried to sound unconcerned but she could hear it, the concern and the slight worry on the edge of his voice. However, his dense friends could not distinguish the difference in his tone of voice when he said this to her. This caused her to look back up.

'As if you care.' Ginny pushed past Malfoy and continued up the stairs to her lesson, which she was now late for.

0000

'Stupid female, thinks she's better than the lot of us. When she's one of the purebloods that gives us a bad name.' Blaise said spitefully. 'Wouldn't you say Draco?'

'What? What are you on about Zabini?' Draco asked crossly.

'I thought, oh never mind mate. Why you in a world of your own?'

'Just thinking.' Draco muttered as he watched the swaying hips of the youngest Weasley move away from him up the stairs.

'When's dinner?' Stated Crabbe. 'I'm staving. Annoying Weasley really puts it out of me, don't you agree?'

'Yeah.' Replied Goyle and the two of them lumbered off to the kitchens to get an early start on dinner.

'You coming?' Zabini asked Draco. Draco watched Crabbe and Goyle head off towards the kitchens and then he turned his head towards Zabini.

'Nah, don't think I will, not hungry plus I have an essay to finish for Snape.'

'Right, whatever. I'll see you later.' And with that Zabini left Draco alone.

Draco stood there in the middle of the corridor and pondered for a moment, then as if he realised he was being stupid he shook his head in anger and stalked off towards Slytherin's common room.

0000

It was about 11pm and the Gryffindor common room was nearly deserted except for the exceptional few who were finishing off work that was needed for the next day or were trying to catch up with learning spells and making sure nothing too drastic happened when they performed them. This didn't make the common room very peaceful but at least it wasn't as rowdy as the Great Hall. Harry sat in a chair next to the dead fireplace reading up on the attack of the Great Goblins in 1433, this was almost sending him to sleep.

'Evening Harry.'

Harry jumped a little and looked up to see Ginny, he smiled, 'Hey Gin, good day?'

'Oh so so, you know nothing great. You?' She enquired back.

'Yeah, much the same really, but I guess that's what you get with school!' He chuckled.

Ginny was about to say something when Ron entered the common room and caught Harry's attention.

'Hey mate, want to get thrashed at wizard chess again? Or think your luck can come through? Ginny you're going to have to move you know.' Ron stated to his little sister, giving her no alternative.

'Fine, I was done here anyway.' Ginny got up and left. 'Not that I'd be missed anyway.' She muttered to herself as she headed to her dorm without any acknowledgment from either Ron or Harry.

0000

It was much, much later and Harry was still in the same seat that he had been all of 4 hours ago, when Ron had come to join him. Now, instead of being a good student and reading up on work, he was sitting gazing at the fireplace, letting his thoughts run across his mind.

He was considering the world without a Harry Potter and what would have happened if Voldemort had killed him in the 5 chances he had, had over the past 6 years. Also what if he was to perform that simple act upon himself, get his wand, point it at himself and say those two fateful words. That would be it, no more worrying, no more caring, no more thinking about others. He may see his parents again, Sirius again, Harry pulled his wand from his robes and twirled it in his hands. He kept twirling it, mesmerised by this piece of wood between his fingers, up and down, up and down. Suddenly CRASH and his wand had fallen out of his hands onto the floor bringing Harry quickly back to reality.

Harry cast a long glance round the common room to see if anyone had seen him, not that it would have mattered of course, no one could have read his thoughts… He didn't think.

Realising that he was just being stupid, he pulled himself up out of the chair and headed to bed, muttering those two words over and over in his head, thinking how simple it would be to end it all.

'Avada Kedavra.'

0000

Ron was lying awake early and thinking about him. The way he moved, the way he dominated people's gazes and thoughts. Well at least Ron thought he did, well he invaded Ron's thoughts that's for sure. Ron hadn't realised until that summer, and he wasn't even sure if he was right but thinking how he was thinking at the moment seemed right, it felt right. He liked it, to watch his hair, to see him move with such grace and yet he was extremely masculine and powerful all at the same time. A feat in Ron's eyes, one that could cause no problem even if he did belong to them.

Ron heard Harry stir in his sleep and consider waking him… He got himself out of bed and moved towards the hangings of Harry's. He reached out his hand but stopped abruptly as his fingertips brushed the soft velvet. He couldn't not now, no, it wasn't right, he wouldn't be accepted.

Ron slowly made his way down into the common room where he made the decision that he would take a walk in the grounds before breakfast and clear his head.

He met no one on his way down, not even a ghost, everything was still, calm and peaceful when he reached the grounds. Everything seemed new and fresh this morning, untouched, naïve and sacred. He walked up to the lake and sat down under the tree where he had spent many a happy moment with Hermione and Harry. Things had been right then, it had all been ok and there had been no worries. Everything had been how it should be now, with no discrepancies or problems.

'Only if.' Ron muttered to himself.

Well that's the first chapter; sorry if you're confused, but I promise it'll become clearer as the story progresses. Some people's secrets are obviously clearer than others; on the other hand you may have worked all of them out. Seeing as this is very different to my other fan fics, I would really appreciate reviews to hear any criticism and of course if you like it. Well that's that for now, hopefully update soon. Lelimo.