Chapter 26-I Promise

Disclaimer: I only own the plot, the sad, horrible plot that I am making you read.

Hermione woke up and hoped that yesterday had just been a dream. She replayed yesterday's events on her ceiling. No, Draco really had pushed her away, as if he didn't love her anymore. He had looked...confused at her actions toward him, and angry. But, if he remembered the last year of school then he would have known that a) her father was a wizard, so she wasn't a mudblood (and you all thought I forgot that) and b) that they had fallen in love. Or had they? What if he had been faking it the whole time? Hermione mind-yelled to her. Little Dragon was always so understanding. "I'm going to go talk to him, ask him what happened, it may clear some things up, at least for me," Hermione mused, knowing full well that Little Dragon would have known what she was off to do if she had just stood up and walked out.

Hermione walked into the common room to find Draco sitting on the green couch, reading. She sat on her couch and watched him for a minute; he was so cute when his hair wasn't slicked back. Then she slid to the floor with a small thump. He didn't look up from his book. Hermione edged closer to him. And closer...and closer, she was halfway across the common room now...and closer...and closer. Now she was within a foot of him and he hadn't looked up the whole time. "You know, most people like to walk to get to places, not edge closer little by little," he said this without looking up from his book. Hermione blushed, but scooted the rest of the distance to his couch. "What do you want, mudblood?" he snapped, the mudblood part annoyed her, even if it was not true, but she was not to be perturbed. She had a mission and there was yet to see if she would accomplish it.

"I wanted to talk to you," she said quietly.

"What would I have to say to a mudblood like you?" he growled.

"Well, first off, I'm not a mudblood, okay? And I just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Fine, but I'm not necessarily going to tell you the truth," he said.

"That's fine, what did you do on Monday?"

"I went to potions and then went to Hogsmeade with you, the Potty, and the Weasel, then I don't remember," He trailed off thoughtfully.

Hermione thought to Little Dragon. "What happened last year?"

"I was made prefect, and...." He didn't finish, and one look at him told Hermione he wouldn't under any amount of persuasion. Hermione made her face impassive.

Little Dragon coughed in reply. "What did you do last summer?" Draco didn't answer, so she tried another question. "Do you usually sleep in bed alone?"

"Yes, and wouldn't you like to occupy the extra space, mud-" He stopped and scowled. Hermione smiled angelically. He stood up abruptly and walked up to his room, muttering under his breath about people's sanity.

Little Dragon looked Hermione in the eye. She said, in her husky little voice, Hermione nodded.

Since there was no one else in the common room, she spoke aloud. "Do you think that you could get inside his mind and figure out what is happening? I think that there is still some amount of hope for him; I just hope that it's enough. We'll try that later. You can try it on me, and then maybe, depending on if it is painless or not we can do it while he is sleeping, or in the common room even. I think I have a way to find out if it is the same Draco as last year. Hmmm, well, any ways, let's go find Harry and Ron, they will find something to do with all of us," Hermione stood up and walked out of the portrait hole as Little Dragon followed.

Draco's POV

'Hmmm, so the mudblood isn't really a mudblood. That's very interesting. I wonder why she put up with me calling her mudblood all those years then.' Draco was lying on his bed while he thought this. He got up and walked out onto his balcony. He looked up at the moon. 'Wow, the moon is almost as beautiful during the daytime as it is at night. I wonder if you can apparate to the moon.' He transfigured the lone chair into a hammock and lay down on it, swinging slightly in the breeze. 'This would be really great if I had a book.' "Accio book!" his book came zooming out of nowhere and he lay back and read himself to sleep.

Hermione's POV

Hermione had spent an eventful day with Harry and Ron. They had played chess, Hermione had even beat Ron once, but she noticed that he didn't play as hard with her as he did with Harry. He had let her win. Then they had gone out on their broomsticks and Harry had even let Hermione use his, for a minute, long enough for her to know that she wanted her feet on solid ground, but a little fly wouldn't do any harm. She was reflecting back on this day as she changed into her pajamas. She would have had fun, if Draco hadn't been on her mind all day.

She walked out onto her balcony and looked out at the stars and the crescent moon. Little Dragon had been unsuccessful in going inside her mind, so she would have to do something else to find out what was going on with Draco. She sighed, 'Oh moon, have you always been so perfect, so beautiful, so good?' Her silent question went unanswered as she looked over at the balcony next to hers. There was a person in a hammock. They had...silvery blond hair; it was Draco! Her heart leapt and then came crashing down, remembering that this was some alien Draco, not her loving Draco. He was asleep and she just couldn't resist. She crouched cat-like on her railing, held a post, and placed one of her feet on his railing, then shifted her weight from her railing to his. Her hands went next, then her leg and she was over! She hopped down and went over to him.

Draco's POV

I woke up; I had been asleep for hours, I could tell because it was nighttime. Without moving my head, I looked up at the stars. They were beautiful and bright. I heard a small thump as if someone had jumped onto somewhere. I quickly closed my eyes on an impulse. I felt someone beside me. Their eyes were searching my face; I could feel them. The person then started to speak to me. Instantly I knew that it was Granger, "Oh, Draco what happened to you, you don't remember me, us. I don't know why that is, but I promise that I will figure out what it is and fix it. I promise." I felt a tear fall on my face, then a cool, soft hand wipe it away.

"Don't touch me, geez, Granger do you honestly have to cry all over me, why are you crying in the first place, I am the same Draco Malfoy that I have always been and always will be. A better question though, why are you on my balcony in the first place?"

Hermione's POV

Draco had been awake? But he hadn't opened his eyes, so I decided to escape quickly, maybe then I wouldn't have to answer his question. I crouched on his balcony, then placed one of my feet on mine and transferred the weight. Maybe I did this a little too quickly. I lost my balance, and slowly regained it, by then he was over by the balcony rail though, and I could feel his eyes on me as I moved my hands from one side to the other and jumped silently onto my balcony where Little Dragon awaited my return. I had a feeling I would never try the balcony thing again.