Author's note: Sorry it took a while… I've just finished exams… And I'm basically terrified of the results. *cries* I am sooo dead. *smacks stupid self in the head* I'm going to drown my sorrows in a new chapter. And I apologize if it gets a little sappy. Actually, a lot sappy. I needed something to cheer me up. Hehe. Reviews would also help.

Warnings:

1) Oh, and I'm sorry if you like the name Mi Mi… Or if you're named something like that… If you feel insulted with the way I poked fun at the name, I'm sorry, k?

2) Also… If you like dogs better than cats… No offence meant… :o)

If you don't know what the hell I'm talking bout, read on!

Title: The Whole Truth

Author: The*Spangled*Pandemonium

Chapter Title: Sweet Thing

~~~*~~~ Draco:

I tapped gently on the thick, wooden wall decorated with a sophisticated carving of the Malfoy crest on it. This was no ordinary partition; it was the door to my dad's hidden office. It looked just like the side of one of the large closets in my home. It was a room jammed with unfathomable artifacts of the Dark Arts.

I knew my father was in there, slaving away on something the Dark Lord made him do. It wasn't very attractive, watching your own dad groveling to someone who could easily kill him if he did as much as one thing wrong.

I whispered the words "Darkness in the Light" to the area where the snake in the design opened its mouth. It was the password that was told to me since I was a reasonable age to keep secrets. It unlocked the heavy object barring the way to my father and wasting my time. I figured my dad wouldn't mind.  He was always trying to get me to show interest in his work, anyway.

Peering out of the doorway, I looked around the room. The ceiling was high and eternally dark. It resembled the same one in the Great Hall in Hogwarts, except the only sky it showed was the constellations of the midnight blackness. There were relics of forgotten and evil times in this one room. The paintings on the cold, stone walls were of the late Malfoy's, moving and talking in hushed voices to one another. More than a dozen steely eyes flicked to me as I spoke. "Father?" I called out cautiously.

"What is it Draco?" He said, not looking up from whatever ancient manuscript he was reading. Probably searching for some way to kill the headmaster of my own school.

"I'm ready to go to Crabbe's house again…" I lied, "I'm going to meet Goyle there too."

"Go on." My father said shortly. He hadn't wanted anything to do with me after I told him quite bluntly and impatiently that I did not want to become in league with Voldemort.

The penetrating metallic eyes in the portraits that were so much like my own silently sneered at me as I left that gloomy room.

I was the only one in the long bloodline of Malfoys who did not succumb or even seem interested in the more sinister side of magic. I had cut off my family's pride, and unknown to them, I was just about to visit a family of muggles.

I left the office blocking out whatever thoughts that were about my father. About how he stopped liking me. How he never asked me about Hogwarts anymore. How he rarely came out of that damp musty office which I have grown to despise more than any mudblood in the world.

I shook my head wearily and ran long pale fingers through my thick blond hair. I had to stop moping about a problem I couldn't fix. I had to concentrate at the crisis at hand.

I had been going to Hermione's house for the last two days now. Lying to her parents. Lying to her face. Getting to know her better than I knew my own mother and father. Don't think that I didn't feel guilty to what I was doing to her… I have. But I can't tell her the truth… Not yet. Maybe at the train tomorrow…

I still can't help it. There's something about her. Maybe it's fascinating to me that I have someone who cares for me. Or at least thinks she cares for me. Maybe it's my greed that keeps me coming back to her house. Maybe I feel like I own her now, and I'm reluctant to part from my property.

Whatever it was, it can't last. Sooner or later, Hermione's going to get her memory back and will never forgive me. Never. Sometimes I try to convince myself otherwise, but I know that this relationship that hasn't even begun is already doomed.

Relationship. The word echoes in my mind and I have to sit down on a chair. Is that what this damned thing is?! It can't be! I shoved that unwelcome thought out of my mind. If it was a relationship, it was obviously a relationship tainted with an underlying scheme behind it, right?

Something finally clicked in my mind. I knew the purpose in this whole thing! I finally got it! With the advantage I had over Hermione, I could practically ruin the Gryffindors! She, besides Potter, represented what that damned House was all about! It would be the most perfect, the most ultimate betrayal possible. And I would be the one to carry it out.

My confused mind embraced the idea. I could pretend. I knew that my acting skills were not all that bad, ever since the performance in the hospital. I could wheedle her into liking me today, and then laugh in her face after she recovered all her memories again. Maybe I did take after my father…

Somehow though… The thought didn't please me.

I shook away all the objections my righteous side (I do have one, you know) was yelling in my ear. I didn't want to dwell on the fact that I was going to deceive a person who thought I liked her. I blanked out my mind. No thoughts, I commanded myself.

Taking out a small pouch of Floo powder from my little sack, I grabbed a small amount and tossed it into the huge fireplace in the hall of my manor. I watched vacantly (No thoughts) as the fire turned green. I kept my face expressionless as I stepped into the fire and felt the faint ticking sensation (No thoughts). I whispered out the address of Hermione's house… I couldn't help it, though… I was eager to see her again. I shut my eyes tightly, wishing the thoughts away.

~~~*~~~

I opened my eyes and saw a cozy looking couch with attractive-looking embroidered pillows on them. A rectangular coffee table with a flower arrangement in the center. The walls were painted a peaceful, faded yellow tinge. This was Hermione's house.

The brunette woman, who I now knew as Sara Granger was Hermione's mother. She flashed me a bright welcoming smile at me as I stepped out of the fireplace. There was absolutely no doubt that this woman was a dentist (a muggle person who fixes teeth). I swear, that smile was practically radiant when she spotted me. I have never had such a welcome in my own house.

"Draco, darling." She said cheerfully. "Mi Mi is just in her room, you can just go up."

I climbed the stairs and took a left turn down the hallway into Hermione's room.

This place was the exact opposite of the Malfoy manor. It was small, but homely. It was well-lit and warm. It showed no signs of evilness… In fact, I think I even saw a book about "How to be a Better Person!" It was astonishing how different our lifestyles were, but even more so as I discovered our similarities while her parents reveled her whole life to Hermione.

 "You're nickname is Mi Mi?!" I asked her, smirking when I stepped into her room.

She ran from her bed, which was crammed full of the Hogwart's letters she had sent to her parents and gave me a tight hug.

"I remembered something Draco!"

This is what I was afraid of. That she would get her memory back before I could fully convince her that we were kindred spirits.  But then why would she have hugged me if she knew all the filthy stuff I've called her?

"I remember Harry! And Ron! Ever since I've read those letters I've gotten my memory back!" Her pretty face scrunched up with worry as she looked at me. "I still don't remember my past memories of you though… I don't know why… And the letters say nothing."

"It's ok." I said, not really paying attention to what she was saying. She looked like a perfect model for a candy company, I thought tenderly. Her eyes, which were gazing adoringly up at me were the color of brown sugar. Her toffee colored hair was tossed wildly over her shoulders with pleasing messiness. Her skin was a perfect match to milk and honey. I ran my fingers through her hair, mirroring her smile.

Whoa, what?! What the hell was I doing?! Brown Sugar?! Toffee?! Friggin milk and honey?! What was going on in this damn mind of mine?! I dropped my fingers and looked away perplexedly. Seriously, what was going on with my common sense?

I guess she noticed my quick retreat of fondness, so she took my hand in hers.

"Draco?" She asked.

"Yes, Mi Mi?" I asked her, a perfect vision of solemnity, then burst out laughing. I couldn't help it! What in the world were her parent's thinking?!

"Shut up!" She said, laughing along with me and poking me in the side, giggling as I jumped. "Hey, do you wanna walk to the park? It isn't far…"

"Ok…" I replied, looking at her again. Sickly sweet words to describe how perfect she looked jumped out in my mind, annoying the hell outta me. Cocoa. Chocolate. Mocha. Walnut. Caramel. Ginger. Coffee. Cinnamon. All those words simply described her hair.

I was truly disgusted with myself.

Resisting an urge to slap myself silly, I walked down the stairs, and out the door, chatting easily with her.

I don't know what it is about her, the way she acts, moves, thinks, but it gets me talking. I listen to what she talks about easily without any of the usual impatience I feel. She's generous and eager to hear what I have to say, whether it's about Hogwarts or my future. It seems strangely pure when I converse to her. It doesn't matter if I'm simply blathering on about my favorite food or how cats are better than dogs (she agrees to this).

At one point though, the conversation got a little stressed. Our topic, you ask? Harry and Ron…

"How are you with my friends?" She asked, watching a muggle boy holding a colorful balloon walk by with his parents.

I had lied to her too much already, and I needed, no, wanted to tell her the truth about this one.

"They don't really like me…" I said, brushing back my golden hair (it had gotten quite annoying since I've stopped gelling it) and looking at two siblings skating past us, ice creams at hand. I really didn't want to continue the subject. I wouldn't know what to say. "Hey," said, cutting into the questions that were already bubbling from her mouth, "do you want some ice cream? I saw a person over there selling some…"

She still refused to drop it, even though she did change the direction in which we were walking.

"Why, Draco? I had most of my memories about them returned… And I remember their personalities. Why would they still dislike you if they know that you care for me?"

Well, that certainly was a hard one.

"You see, Hermione, we're in different houses… You know, Slytherin and Gryffindor. Most of Hogwarts find that…" I looked for a word, "…unusual. That's why we've kept our relationship a secret."

There it was again. That one word. Relationship. It was getting to be irritating.

She was determined to hassle over it. "That is so stupid! If I like you, and you like me, why does it have to be smothered and kept quiet because of some ignorant prats!?"

I didn't know what to say… Maybe I could use her lost memories to my advantage…

"Herm, it was you who wanted to keep this silent… I mean, you're a prefect. People adore you. You're the model student… It would've ruined your image if you spread it around. I knew that. So I kept it quiet for your sake."

"Well! Not anymore!" She said with slight indignation, "You won't have to hide it anymore, Draco! They can say what they want to say!"

Shit! I had to backpedal fast! It wasn't planned like this!

"You have to realize though the commotion this would cause our houses. All that past dissonance between the Slytherin's and Gryffindor's, it can't just be ignored."

"That's why, we have to solve it!" She said, "We have to heal all the old scars between the Houses!"

Friggin hell! What was I supposed to do?! She sounded exactly the same when she was talking about S.P.E.W. The same grim determination that no one could shake her out of shone brightly in this conversation..

She took my silence as weariness at what she was saying. And I must admit… She did interpret it quite well.

"Ok Draco… I'll also keep it quiet…" She said.

I breathed out, relieved.

"But I have to tell Ron and Harry."

Ouch.

I could find no way to convince her otherwise, and I spotted the ice cream stand nearby. "Well, do you still want some?" I asked.

She nodded as I pulled out one of the muggle bills I had left over from that fateful day. I bought two cones (with help from Hermione about how to deal with muggle money) and we continued with our stroll through the park.

"How are the Quidditch teams?" She asked, slowly sucking away the uneasiness with a big smile.

The easy talk continued, as if the turning point in our chatter was never there. Once again, all my worries slipped away as though they were just traces of a bad dream. Life was simple again, as if nothing existed except Hermione, the park we were walking in and me.

An hour or so later, I looked up shading the brightness with my fingers. The sun was setting and the sky was an impressionist's canvas of colors.

Hermione sat on a bench near the side of the park and patted the vacant seating next to her. Gratefully, I took a seat beside her gazing at the darker side of the sky, where the luminous stars were just peeking out. I glanced at the girl I had grown to care for (did I?!) sitting next to me.

Hermione was looking at the earthen color of the sun as it slid from the heavens and back into the soil. She didn't look like the super-genius perfect teacher's pet anymore, not to my eyes. As she was watching the twilight creep over the earth, she had transformed into a goddess. Her face and body was bathed in a crimson glow. Her exquisite face was turned up towards the firmament; her chestnut eyes were half closed. She bared her complete soul to me as she looked with such longing at the sky.

"Draco?" She whispered, not looking at me.

"Yes, Hermione?" I asked, not really concentrating. Really, that sky and that girl were practically hypnotizing me.

"I love you."

That certainly woke me up from my lazy stupor. What was she talking about?! She couldn't love me!!! It was against the law of the world! Gryffindors must never love Slytherins! I shouldn't even like each other, much less love! She was probably dizzy, maybe half conscious because of the long walk. She was probably joking… Right?! I mean we've never shown anything before! The past words I've sneered in her washed over me, trying to force themselves out. But I was stronger.

I blinked at her for a few seconds, stunned beyond words, and she turned towards me. I have never seen a head turn that slow before. I practically shivered with the tension I was in.

I kissed her. Then and there. Beneath the blaze of the setting sun. It was simple. Sweet. It was the best I've ever had. It was doubtlessly the only kiss that fate would allow me to have from this fantastic, supernatural being. For tomorrow the Hogwart's Express would come, and I would have to give her in to the clutches of Harry and Ron.

I knew at right that minute that it was never some plot to ruin the Gryffindor's lioness. It couldn't have been. I revealed too much affection in that one kiss.

I didn't know what to say.

"Hermione?" I said, rising to my feet, needing an excuse to leave. "Come on, it isn't safe in the dark." I offered out my palm to her hoping, begging that she would take it.

She did.

We walked that short path to her house in silence.

Author's note: Did that last scene set off a certain mood? :o) I certainly hope so. Gosh, I hope you like this… It took too long for me to get this perfect. Did you think their relationship went too fast? Please tell me… I had to. The only romance in my life is in the books I read (unfortunately). I didn't know how to describe the kiss… Since I've never had one before. *hides in shame* Ok… I'll stop moping. I'm more of an angst writer. I love that kind of stuff. And you can be sure you have lots of it in the next chapters (hehe). You go review. Or I might just decide to be evil and stop typing.  Thanks.