Disclaimer: JK Rowlings owns everything except for Linda.

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers, charismatic and Crystal

Sorry I had to leave you guys hanging.

Chapter 10: His Promise to Her

Ginny's hands were shaking. She was holding a letter, a letter that Hermione wrote to Draco. Of all the things in the letter, two words stood out to Ginny, Love Hermione. Ginny thought of all the possible meanings. Draco and Hermione didn't have a relationship, Ginny thought. It's just two words; it could mean anything. Ginny thought of all the letters that her brothers and parents wrote to her, they all ended with love and their name. Ginny thought that if they were friends, why were they always snapping at each other and trading insults. It didn't make any sense for her, but Ginny had to admit that Draco acted differently around Hermione. Sometimes when Draco thought that Ginny wasn't looking he would sneak glances at Hermione, Ginny didn't think that that was anything. Then yesterday Draco smiled at Hermione; it was somehow different from the smiles he gives to Ginny. As Ginny reread the letter, she found out that Draco and Hermione were together for the summer. Draco supposedly disappeared after the attack on his family; nobody knew where he was. How did Hermione know, Ginny thought. Then a thought crossed her mind. Were Draco and Hermione having a relationship behind her back? Draco and Hermione would not do that to her, she thought. Could they? Unaware to her, a pair of eyes was watching her.

"You'll get what you deserve," the person said.

*_*_*_*_*_

A vase was thrown to the wall and it shattered upon impact.

"You're really angry today aren't you?" Neville asked.

Another vase hit the wall. Neville, Draco and Harry were in their training class. They were in an unused room. It was probably the biggest room in the entire school. It worked to their advantages, because it seemed that the room already had a silencing charm in it and there were no windows, so they had privacy. The boys accidentally stumbled on to it day after their second meeting in Dumbledore's class. They have been using it ever since.

"You think?" Draco asked angrily.

This time instead of a vase a chair flew to the wall. The only thing the boys could do is move objects, but it took energy and time. They could only do magic without a wand after focusing enough emotions, usually anger. Today though, the moment Draco walked into the room he broke the first vase of the day. Harry watched Draco with amusement and Draco saw this.

"I wonder what Ginny sees in you," Harry asked.

Draco glared at him, "Why Potter, jealous? The little weasel has finally grown up and you finally noticed her?"

"Why do you talk about Ginny that way?" Harry asked referring to the weasel part.

"Harry, leave him," Neville said, "He doesn't know what he's saying, he's just angry he can't think straight."

Draco glared at the boy.

"Why are you defending him?" Harry asked, "He hasn't changed no matter what Ginny says. He's still the Slytherin Slime that I remember."

"Don't you see Potter were all the same," Draco said.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked him, "I'm nothing like you, Death Eater."

"Do we have to go through this again?" Draco asked, "I'm not a Death Eater!"

"Then prove it, something happened this summer and I know it. Why don't you lift up your sleeve," Harry said.

Harry was pushed to the wall. In what seemed like a blink of an eye Draco was holding him by his robes. Draco's eyes were flashing with anger.

"Potter, I'm not a Death Eater. No matter what everybody says I'm not one of them. I'd rather die than join that coward," Draco said.

"Then why are you not dead?" Harry asked him.

Draco just about lost it. He backed away from Harry; he did not want to waste his time on Potter.

"When I said that we were all the same, I was not lying," Draco said through clenched teeth, "Have you noticed? All three of us have lost both of our parents. Voldemort took them all away. We're all orphans. I had to watch both my parents die. Do you think that I'll join my mother's murderer?"

Harry just stood there, he didn't no what to say. He could clearly see that Malfoy suffered somehow. He remembered all the times Malfoy would say that he would tell his father if anything would happen to him. Malfoy probably revered his dad, Harry thought. Then Harry remembered what Malfoy said, his mother's murderer.

"How did your father die?" Harry asked.

Draco's gray eyes bore through Harry's green ones.

"Have you ever heard how curiosity killed the cat?" Draco asked him.

Then Draco turned away and walked towards the wall opposite of Harry.

"I'm sorry," Harry said.

"What?" Draco asked.

"I'm sorry about you mother," Harry told him.

"Don't say that your sorry Potter, don't say that because I know that you don't mean it. You didn't even know her. You have nothing to be sorry for," Draco told him.

They stood there in silence for five minutes. Harry was beginning to feel uncomfortable in the silence.

"You had good aim Malfoy. The thing with the apple was amazing," Harry said. After Harry caught up with Hermione after Breakfast, Hermione pleaded with Harry not to hurt Draco. He asked her why, but she wouldn't answer. Harry thought that something was going on between Malfoy and Hermione but he didn't want to press any further.

"How did you know that I didn't miss?" Draco asked.

Harry's head shot up at this.

"What did you say?" Harry asked.

"You heard me," Draco said.

"Why you…" Harry started. He was angry, very angry.

Draco was thrown to the wall. Harry somehow flew over to him and punched him in the face. Harry was going to punch him again, but Draco kneed (kicked with his knee) him on the stomach. Using this advantage Draco punched him on the face. Harry quickly got up and threw Draco to the wall again. The back of Draco's head hit the wall hard and started bleeding. Harry used the opportunity to pin him to the wall.

"Don't you dare hurt Hermione," Harry said.

Draco kicked him again and Harry let go of him. Then they started fighting again with their fist. Harry quickly found out that Draco learned how to fight. Draco would block his punches with is left arm and punch with the right. Thankfully for Harry, he was able to make a few hard punches once in a while, whenever Draco tripped over a piece of furniture.

"Guys stop it!" Neville yelled.

Draco and Harry ignored him. Then both of the boys flew to the wall. Something like shackles went around their hands. Harry and Draco struggled but could not get free. Neville was breathing hard; you could see his chest rise up and down with each breath. Then they saw Dumbledore walk in the room. His eyes surveyed the scene before him. He walked towards Neville and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Longbottom, I think that it is safe to release them," Dumbledore told him.

Neville nodded and the shackles disappeared. Both Harry and Draco got down on their knees, they put their hands in front of them to keep balance. Harry was exhausted with all the energy he used to throw Draco to the wall; he also got bruises through the fight, a busted lip and a cut on his cheek. He looked at Draco and was surprised to see him worse off. Draco was bleeding from the head; he also busted his lip and also got bruises. When he looked at Draco closer he saw that he had trouble breathing.

"I am disappointed with you two, I expected that you two to put aside difference to work together. Fifty points off each houses, Mr. Malfoy are you all right?" Dumbledore asked.

"It hurts, it hurts every time I take a breath," Draco answered wincing.

"I think that you may have broken a rib and punctured a lung, you two will have to see Madam Pomfrey. She will heal any serious injuries, but that is all. The rest of your injuries will heal the muggle way, punishment for fighting," Dumbledore told him.

Harry got up and started limping towards the door. Neville went over to him to help him.

"I think that you should help Malfoy, I'll be fine," Harry said.

Neville nodded and walked over to Draco. He put Draco's arm around his shoulder and help him up. Together the three boys walked to the hospital wing.

*_*_*_*_*_*

Ginny was sitting in the Great Hall for lunch. Ron and Hermione were sitting across from her.

"Ron you have to rewrite this essay," Hermione told him, "It looks like you did it in your sleep."

"Hermione it's fine, I don't have time to rewrite it. I don't think that Snape will care. I'm already failing his class. Just leave it," Ron told her.

"Fine, go ahead turn that thing in. See if I care," Hermione told him.

Ron was about to say something but three people just walked in the Great Hall, Harry, Neville and Malfoy. Neville was in between the two. As they were nearing Ron could see that Harry got in a fight, and Malfoy too. Harry was also limping towards the table.

"I have to go to the Slytherin table," Draco told Neville.

"Do you need help?" Neville asked him.

Draco shook his head and started walking. He walked towards the Slytherin table. Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle looked surprised, but they immediately started making room for him. When Draco sat down, Pansy started talking to him. Draco said something to her and she became quiet.

"What happened Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry sat down but didn't answer.

"Neville?" Hermione asked.

"Harry and Draco got into a fight," Neville explained.

"What?" Hermione asked, "What happened?"

"Malfoy insulted you," Harry answered.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked.

Harry didn't answer; he just got food and started eating.

"Fine, don't answer. Neville can you tell me what happened?" Hermione asked.

"Harry was commenting on that stunt Malfoy pulled this morning, the knife thing," Neville answered, "Draco answered back and Harry lost his temper."

"So Harry struck first?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked at her. Of all the questions to ask she asked that one. Why would she care if he struck first or not? Malfoy fought back. She didn't even ask if he was all right.

"Is Draco all right?" Ginny asked.

"Ginny, why would you care about Malfoy. What about Harry?" Ron asked.

"He's my boyfriend Ron," Ginny answered, "Why wouldn't I care about him."

What did Ginny see in a guy like Malfoy, Harry thought.

"He's fine, aside from a broken rib, that big bump on his head and a few bruises," Harry answered.

"Why didn't Madam Pomfrey heal you two?" Ron asked.

"Ron, the fighting policy won't allow Madam Pomfrey to heal us. She will only heal the serious injuries, and the rest will heal the muggle way," Harry answered.

Harry ate in silence the rest of the lunch. He looked sideways at Ginny; he was worried about her. Then he saw Malfoy walking toward him. Then Malfoy turned to Ginny and said something to her. Ginny nodded; together they walked out the Great Hall.

*_*_*_*_*

Ginny and Draco were outside the front entrance of Hogwarts.

"What do you want to talk about Ginny?" Draco asked.

"Draco, you've been acting strangely. Is something wrong?" Ginny asked.

Draco looked at her confused.

"No, why?" Draco asked. Then he saw a shadow on the wall, but there was nothing there.

Ginny decided to get straight to the point.

"Is there something going on between you and Hermione?" She asked him.

"No, why do you ask," Draco told her.

Ginny took out the letter and gave it to him.

"What is that then?" She asked him.

Draco opened the letter and read it.

"Where did you get this?" Draco asked.

"Never mind where I got that, what is it? What is Hermione to you?" Ginny asked.

"Do you want to know the truth?" Draco asked.

"Yes, Draco I want to know the truth. I want to know a lot of things about you, but you won't tell me. I don't even know who you are. You're so secretive," Ginny told him.

"Why would you care what Hermione is to me, for all you know she has a crush on me and gave me that," Draco told her.

"Don't change the subject. Tell me what happened between you and Hermione," Ginny told him.

"What happened between Hermione and me is none of your business," Draco told her.

"Why isn't it? Shouldn't I know? You never tell me anything Draco. Whenever we're together I do most of the talking. I'm your girlfriend Draco and I deserve to know," Ginny told him.

"You don't deserve to know anything! It's none of your business, it's personal. I don't go around asking you about the Chamber of Secrets!" Draco tried to keep his voice down but failed. Ginny looked surprised at this.

"How did you know? Nobody except for my family and Harry knew," Ginny said.

"Do you think that I'm blind? I saw you; you were different from your family. Then is saw you with the diary, that thing has been in my family for ages. I owled father about it, he told me to leave you. That of course made me wonder why. I watched you Ginny for that entire year. I had it figured by the time that you disappeared. Of course, father told me all about it later in the summer," Draco said laughing. He was thinking about how mad his father was that his planned failed. He actually congratulated Ginny for beating Lucius.

Ginny didn't know why he laughed. How could he laugh about something like this, she thought.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked, "You don't know what Tom did to me! You don't know what I went through that year! How dare you laugh!"

Draco looked at her; he saw that he hurt her. He walked towards her, but she backed away.

"Stay away from me!" Ginny yelled at him.

"Ginny," Draco told her, he was walking towards to her, but she backed away.

Draco finally got close enough to her and held her close to him. Ginny struggled to get away from him.

"Ginny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring this up, I'm sorry," Draco told her.

"You don't know what he did to me! He used me, he used me. He said he cared, and I was foolish enough to believe. He was everything to me, he betrayed me," Ginny said, she was beginning to cry.

Draco's heart broke for her. He now truly hated Lucius for doing this to her. Of all the things, he had to bring an innocent person into his plans, but Draco knew that this was not he first time he has done this.

"Ginny, I'm sorry. I…" Draco started but he didn't know what to say, "Please don't cry. He's not worth your tears."

By then Ginny stopped struggling. Draco picked her up and he walked to a tree by the lake. He sat down in the shade and positioned her on his lap. He got a handkerchief and wiped her tears. Ginny was staring at his face. Then she touched his face, she stared at his eyebrow where his scar started, then his cheeks. Draco stopped breathing when she did this. Then Ginny touched his lips, her fingers lingered there for a while. Then she brought his face down to hers. When her lips touched his she started kissing him. Draco was there when she wanted to talk; he was there when she had trouble. Maybe, just maybe he could wash away the pain that she was feeling.

Draco was surprised when she kissed him. The last time he really kissed her was that day in her room, when she said she'd given him a chance. The kisses that he had given to her the past month were just small pecks. The last time, he felt guilty for using her. This time, he changed. He kissed her back, wanting to get rid of the pain that Tom had left. He wanted to do many things for her. He made a promise to her that day; he would stop acting. He would change for her. Not for Hermione or her aunt or anybody else, for Ginny, he would change only for Ginny. She has also suffered; it was obvious that she hasn't recovered from the chamber. Draco wanted to help her ease the pain. He didn't think about his role as Darien. Through out the whole time he was kissing her, he thought of only Ginny.

The figure in the shadows took of his invisibility cloak. Harry watched the scene from the entrance.

"Maybe, you were right Ginny. Maybe, someone like Malfoy could change," Harry said to nobody.

Harry turned around and went inside the castle.

A/N: So what do you guys think? I hope I wasn't repeating myself too much. If anybody want to be notified about the when the next chapter will be uploaded, just leave your e-mail in your review.

Next Chapter: Maybe Quidditch. They will go to Hogsmeade.