Title: A Simple Promise

Author: Sweet Canadian

Email: sweet_canadian@pigpig.net

Category: Romance

Ships: mainly Draco/Mika with traces of Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione

Rating: PG for kissing, mushiness and things younger readers may not understand

Summary: Draco's little sister was kidnapped and he has no choice but to turn himself in to the Dark Lord. How is Mika going to deal with his decision?

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Basically, I don't claim to own anything in this story except for Mika Avalon and Joey Malfoy.

Author's Note: I was roleplaying with Dyz, Tom and Katie, a few friends of mine...(Much love to you guys!) and this story was inspired by it. If you want to know the backstory, e-mail me at sweet_canadian@pigpig.net and I'll send you the RP transcript. It's mostly about Joey, Draco's sister, a character that I made up and her friends, characters that Dyz, Tom and I made up. There's also stuff about Draco, Mika and Marionie (Katie's character).

~*~

Mikaila Avalon walked through the halls of Hogwarts, anxiously searching for Draco Malfoy. Her arm had been badly broken earlier in an attempt to save his younger sister Joey from Lord Voldemort and she was afraid and worried that he might do something dangerous and crazy, like cave into the Dark Lord's demands and sacrifice himself.

She was about to give up her search and head outside to the Quidditch pitch when a male voice behind her said, "I seriously hope you're not headed outside to the Quidditch pitch to fly again, Avalon, especially tonight."

Startled by the voice, Mika stopped and turned around to face the source of the voice. Her expression went from surprised to relieved when she found Draco sitting at the bottom of the main staircase in the Entrance Hall.

"Draco, I've been lookin' for you all day!" she exclaimed as she joined him and sat next to him on his left.

"I know," he replied, "I just needed time to myself to think, Mika."

Mika put her right hand on Draco's left knee and leaned her head against his left shoulder as signs of her affection. Draco smiled faintly at her.

"You were thinkin' about your sister, weren't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Listen, despite everything that's happened, I know for a fact that you care about Joey and she cares about you."

Draco uncrossed his arms and put his left one around Mika while putting his right hand over hers on his left knee.

"I don't think I could live with myself knowing that the last thing I ever did with my baby sister was argue and fight...I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye..." Draco whispered, getting all choked up.

Mika looked up at Draco and told him forcefully, "Don't say that, Draco! You'll get Joey back, even if it means..." Her voice faded off, preventing her from following through with her thought.

Draco stared deep into Mika's tear-filled eyes then watched as she turned her head away and stared at her broken left arm.

"Please, don't cry, sweetie..." he whispered into her ear gently in a way that was uncharacteristic of him.

Mika didn't answer. She sat there quietly as tears slipped down her cheeks in pairs.

"Listen to me, Mika. I know it's hard for you to accept the fact that I might have to turn myself in bu..." Draco began to say.

"That's not it!" she interjected, cutting him off, "It's the whole concept of possibly never being able to see you again that bothers me!" Her voice was trembling and her body was shaking.

Draco wrapped both his arms around Mika, making sure to be gentle with her broken arm. He brushed a stray tear off her face.

As the atmosphere got serious, Mika managed to calm herself down. She looked into Draco's cool blue eyes and said, "Just do what you have to do to get your sister back...and promise me you'll come back to me. You know I'll be waiting here for you."

When Draco's eyes met Mika's, he pushed a strand of her black hair away from her tear-stained face.

"I promise I'll come back," he replied, "And I have to tell you, I've never felt this way about anyone else before I met you. I never thought I could care about someone I wasn't related to the way I care about you. Next to Joey, you're the most important girl in my life. You've been too good to me, being strong through all this. You risked breaking your neck to save my sister. All you got was a broken arm but he could have killed you. I really don't deserve you."

"Just do what you have to do before I change my mind," Mika said with a very serious tone of voice after a moment of silence.

The blackhaired Gryffindor stood up and headed for Gryffindor Tower, not realizing that blood was seeping through her bandage and that she leaving a crimson trail behind. However, Draco did and he got up to follow her.

"Mika!" he called out, "Wait!!!"

When she didn't stop, he picked up the pace and caught up to her. He put his right hand on her left shoulder, which caused the girl to stop and turn around.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

Giving her a worried look, Draco pointed at the trail of blood she left on the floor then at her bloody broken arm. Mika quickly covered her wound with her right hand.

"I'll take care of myself," Draco said, "and you do the same, deal?"

Her face totally neutral, Mika nodded, turned around and walked away.

"Goodbye, Mika...I love you..." Draco whispered the words he meant to say before to her retreating back before turning around and walking off in the opposite direction. It took a large amount of self-control for him not to turn around, go after Mika and kiss her.

Still clutching her injured arm, Mika walked off to Gryffindor Tower, trying to ignore the physical and emotional pain she was experiencing. She stopped at a statue and watched Draco walking off.

"Please, just come back to me," she whispered then walked away when she couldn't see Draco anymore.