Chapter IV

Hermione looked at the name scribbled on the bottom of the page. She had had this gut feeling it was his, but when she read what was written, she somehow felt as if it wasn't. It just didn't seem like anything Draco Malfoy would write.

She decided to see what else was written about her. There was nothing else, until she came to the last page with writing.

September 16th

Granger is Head Girl. Big surprise. I had no doubt she would be, after all, she is the smartest witch in the school. It is not a compliment—there is just no denying it.

Why does she think I told her secret? Does she think I want people talking about me, too? I best watch my back. She still has her suspicions about me, I bet, and may just tell, even though I was not the one to blab about her.

I will admit something, she is looking much prettier this year. If anyone finds this, I will deny I ever said that.

Hermione realized that this was what he had been writing on the Hogwarts Express. It made her blush a little, but she kept reading. There was nothing else about her, just plans for getting back at Harry and Ron, which she would tell them about, of course.

She closed the journal, grabbed a scrap piece of parchment, and wrote three short words on it—I believe you. She opened the book again and placed the parchment between the pages of the last entry and slammed the book shut again. She put it in the pocket of her robes and went downstairs for dinner.

--At dinner--

"That little git!" Ron yelled. Hermione had just told him how Malfoy was going to ruin their year. "We'll so get back at him if he does anything."

"How did you find out all of this, Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out the black book. "This," she said, holding it out for them to see, "is Draco Malfoy's journal. I read about it in here."

"Whoa," Ron said, trying to grab it. "What else does it say?"

"Nothing," Hermione replied quickly—a little too quickly, in fact, for it made Harry and Ron give her confused expressions.

"Come on, 'Mione, it can't be that bad," Harry said, also attempting to get the journal from Hermione. She put it back in her pocket and gave them a look, as if daring them to try and get it now.

"There is nothing else in there for you to know. It is impolite to read someone else's journal."

"But you read it," Harry pointed out.

Hermione was speechless for a moment. "That's different," she said. "I was just trying to figure out who it belonged to."

"And what about in second year, when Harry read Tom Riddle's journal?" Ron asked. "If he hadn't, who knows what might have happened?"

"Anyway, I'm giving it back , and you're not going to read it, so there," Hermione said with superiority.

"Damn," Ron muttered under his breath. Hermione still heard it, and whacked him on the head for no apparent reason.

--After dinner--

Hermione waited until most of the students had left the Great Hall. Soon only she, Malfoy, a Hufflepuff second year, and a group of Ravenclaw fourth years were still there. When Malfoy started to leave, she hurried to catch up to him.

"Malfoy," she said, and he turned around.

"What do you want, Granger?" he asked.

"Here," she said, giving him back the journal. "You dropped this on the train."

"Oh," he said, grabbing it quickly and shoving it in his pocket. "You didn't read it, did you?"

Hermione didn't answer. She was already running up the stairs to the common room, leaving Malfoy to wonder if she had.

--In the Slytherin common room--

Malfoy flipped through his journal for any signs that Hermione might have read what was written. He stopped when he saw the parchment she had left there. I believe you. She knew he hadn't told.

He got his quill pen and opened to a fresh page.

Still September 16th

Granger found this and read what I wrote about her. Damn, now she may know how I feel about her.

She says she believes that I didn't tell anyone. However, there is still the fact of who did. I'm positive I'm the only one who knows, but someone may have heard outside the hospital room that one day. It is a possibility. I hope she knows I would never, EVER do that to her.

Maybe I'll just give up being mean to her and try to be friends, even if it means I have to be friends with those idiots she hangs out with. But how can I earn her complete trust? She doesn't trust me that much yet, the only reason she knows I won't tell her secret is because she knows mine. It's almost like blackmail. I know, I can earn her trust by helping her figure out who blabbed about her. Will that work? I don't know, but I'll find out.

Draco Malfoy

--In the library--

Malfoy found Hermione sitting at a table in the corner, her nose buried in a book at least 4 inches thick. He walked right up to her. If he hadn't tapped her on the shoulder to announce his presence, he might have stayed there for a while before she noticed he was even there.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I, uh, found what you wrote in my journal," he said hesitantly. "And I want you to know, that if you need any help on figuring out who told on you, I'll be happy to help."

"Thanks, Malfoy," Hermione said. They shared a smiled for a moment.

"Mind if I sit down?" Malfoy asked. Hermione shook her head.

He sat down, and they talked about who could possibly have known about her secret at all. She admitted to telling Mrs. Weasley about it, but knew she couldn't have told her secret to everyone on the train, and besides, she was far too nice to do anything like that.

"What if someone heard us outside the hospital room?" Malfoy suggested.

Hermione thought this over. "I suppose it's logical," she replied. "But who could have been listening?"

"I could have, for one," said a voice from behind a bookshelf. Hermione spun around and looked in the direction the voice had come from. When she saw who it was…

"You?"

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Yay! I updated twice in one day. Aren't you proud of me? Random points to anyone who can review and tell me who Hermione saw.