A/N: Hey! Firstly, I know it's not a Thursday... and secondly, I know it's been about three weeks since my last update... and thirdly, I'm so so so so so sorry that it's been so long but I wrote the first half of this chapter with ease and then I got writers block, it was horrid! But now I'm back so hopefully you enjoy this next chapter of The Hand of Friendship!

P.S: I haven't got a clue what potion they're making in this... so just roll with it, okay ;)

THE TRUTH

...

"And make sure you add ten lacewing fly wings exactly. One more, or one less could turn your potion fatal."

Draco stirred his potion clockwise one and then anti-clockwise thrice - just as his copy of Advanced Potion Making advised - as Hermione carefully added the wings one at a time. Finding out his potions partner was Granger had been a dream come true, considering she was the only one higher than him in the class, and only by a handful of marks. Potter was partnered with Theo, who seemed to match well together. To his left, he could hear Blaise arguing with Pansy over the instructions.

He had decided that he would tell Potter and Granger the truth about where he was from tonight. He had tried to tell them that morning but Potter had woken up late and rushed around the dormitory, attempting to get ready in fifteen minutes. Potter's tardiness had meant he hadn't even bumped into Granger until this lesson, and Slughorn had started their class practical straight away.

"Okay, so now we have to stop stirring and let the potion simmer for…" Hermione skimmed her finger across the instructions "…ten minutes."

Draco nodded in reply, sitting down on his stool and relaxing. Panning around he could see that Granger and he were the first to finish this part of the potion. Pansy and Blaise had not even started cutting up their wings yet, and Harry and Theo were justing adding them. Slughorn came around, nodding in approval at their perfect, deep purple, potion.

"I knew I had made a good choice when I asked you to pair with me for potions Draco," Hermione said, tying her wild hair out of her face as she sat back, occasionally checking their simmering potion, she lowered the temperature of the stove slightly. "We just work well as a team, don't you think?"

"Yeah, we do." Draco answered, truthfully. He had always wanted to partner with someone who matched his intelligence and talent in potion making, and Granger had always been the obvious answer. However, due to her background and group of friends, he had avoided her. Theo had been the next choice, as he was third in the class, although he still was not that close behind Draco and Hermione. 'Listen, Hermione," He started. She looked up at him expectantly, tearing her eyes away from their bubbling - correctly bubbling - cauldron. "Do you think after potions, we could head to the lake? It's just, it's quiet there and I have something I need to tell you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Me?"

"Well, and Harry," he finished. He didn't know whether it had just been a trick of his mind, but her face seemed to fall slightly at that. Then she composed herself and returned to her normal, passive expression.

"Oh yeah, sure. It's a nice day, we could get some work done there too. Have you written that essay for Professor Snape yet?"

"The one on Dementors and Lethifolds? Yeah, I finished that at the weekend. But Harry hasn't even started it yet."

Hermione's eyebrow rose, seemingly impressed by Draco's early finished essay. "We can help him then."

"Yeah."

There was an awkward silence as they both started to write down their evaluation on parchment. Then Hermione noticed the time.

"We should start crushing the beans, for when the potion has finished simmering," she informed, putting her quill down and counting out the beans ready to be crushed. Draco nodded silently, just dreading the end of the lesson.

…

"So what's this important thing you have to tell us?" Hermione asked from her spot under a willow tree. Harry looked up from where he was tugging grass from the ground.

"Important thing? What?"

Draco was sat nearby, looking out at the lake with his arms resting on bent knees, trying to calculate in his head, a way to tell them the news.

Hermione frowned, standing up and walking closer to Draco. She perched next to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Draco?"

He sighed deeply, wringing his hands together, nerves getting the better of him. How were you supposed to do this? Yes, he had already told Theo but that had been different, a spur of the moment. This was all on him, he was sure Harry and Hermione had no secret sinful mission (like Theo) that they would throw at him.

"Well…" he finally said, pausing afterwards to try and word it properly. "It's strange, and you probably won't believe me. In fact, if you don't believe me, that's fine and we can just…"

"Draco," Hermione interrupted with a tiny smile. "You're rambling."

Both Hermione and Harry were looking at him intently, waiting for the news that their 'best friend' had to tell them.

"Yeah, don't worry mate. We're your friends and we'll stick by you - unless you've killed someone of course," Harry finished, in what he supposed to be humorous. However, his grin fell when he saw Draco's solemn expression.

"Not quite."

He turned back to the lake, a couple of birds flew over, inches from the water's surface. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione and Harry look anxiously at each other. Hermione took her hand off his shoulder.

"I'm not from… here," he said, not tearing his eyes away from the lake and the hills beyond. "Not from this world anyway."

Hermione scowled. "I don't understand?"

"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but you have to understand. I'm not the Draco from this world, I'm from another world."

"Another world? Draco, you're not making any sense." Harry spoke up, moving to sit slightly in front of Draco so he could look at his face. Hermione was looking at him worriedly.

"Draco, are you sick? Do you need to go to Madame Pomfrey?"

Draco pushed her away. "No, I'm not sick Hermione," he snapped. "I'm telling the truth okay. I'm not from this world, I'm from some kind of alternate universe where you're both Gryffindors and Harry is the saviour of the world, and I'm a Slytherin and, well, we hate each other!"

Hermione's face fell at the last part, Draco continued.

"After my 'quidditch fall', which in the alternate universe was actually a near death experience for me, I somehow woke up here, with you two as my friends, Harry being a Slytherin, and feeling more confused than ever. I've been down at the library most nights and frees, searching book after book on time travel to see if there are any answers as to how I get back home, but… there's no information, it seems to have never happened before."

Harry was still perplexed. Draco was ready to get up and leave, he had tried but they didn't believe him. Of course they didn't believe him, it was crazy.

Then Hermione spoke. "This… world, is it similar to here?"

Draco turned to face her in confusion. Did she believe him?

"Exactly the same, except for a few minor details. It's weird, it's like I have memories of this place, but at the same time, memories of the other universe," he replied eagerly.

Hermione nodded. Harry looked at her with a shocked expression.

"You don't seriously believe him Hermione?"

"Why not?" she defended. "He's our friend Harry, why shouldn't we believe him?"

Harry let out a blunt laugh. "Because it's crazy Hermione! Merlin, he's just allegedly said he's from a different universe, this is Hogwarts, not Doctor Who!"

Doctor… what?

Hermione seemed to understand but she shook his head, her eyebrows furrowed, as if she was trying to place something. "It's more than that. I've read a story about something like this before… I just wish I could remember where," she said, clearly frustrated with herself for not remembering the title of the book she had read the particular information from. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you saying this has happened before?"

"If what you are saying is true!"

Harry laughed again. "Hermione, this is ridiculous!"

She shot him a glare. "Was it ridiculous when Voldemort resurrected himself Harry? Because that wasn't supposed to happen was it?"

That was the first time, aside from his chat with Theo, Draco had heard anyone mention Voldemort's name. He was not aware how much input or participation Harry and Hermione had with bringing down Voldemort, since neither had mentioned anything to do with the so called 'Order of the Phoenix', whom his father had told him ran the fight against the dark side.

Hermione's words seemed to make Harry think more rationally towards his friend. He turned to Draco apologetically.

"I guess it would be a big thing to make up."

Hermione smiled at her two friends. "I can help you find a way home Draco. If that's what you really want?"

"It is, and I'm sure it's what you want."

A foreign blush spread over Hermione cheeks that made Harry and Draco both raise eyebrows at their friend. She nodded. "I miss our real friend, not that you haven't been a good friend," she quickly saved. "I just want Draco back."

"And I want to get back to my family, and make everything go back to normal. It's nice here, but I don't belong here, it's not my life," he responded. He knew that once Harry and Hermione found out who he really was they would want to try and bring the other Draco back. It wasn't that he was hurt, but there was a part of him that was a little disappointed.

"But until we can get you back, you're going to have to get used to it here. Because I think it's going to take a while," Hermione said, getting up and brushing herself down. "Come on."

Draco and Harry looked at each other, frowning. "Where are we going?"

"To the library of course," she replied exasperatedly. "You do want to get home, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well then, let's go. I'm sure the book I read was in the restricted section somewhere."

…

The trio, after spending a good hour trying to find the book Hermione was talking about in the restricted section of the library, were on their way to dinner in the Great Hall. Unfortunately, Hermione couldn't remember where she had read the essential information so they had decided they would go back tomorrow after classes and keep looking.

"Hermione!" a voice called down the corridor from behind. They paused, turning to see Neville Longbottom chasing after them, panting erratically as he tried to catch up. He was holding a crumpled up piece of parchment in his sweaty palm, and his face was red. He eventually reached them and bent over, clutching an obvious stitch.

"Neville?" Hermione said quizzically, confused at her housemate's appearance. "What are you doing?"

"You walk fast," was Neville's only response, still trying to catch his breath. He held out the parchment in Harry's direction. "Professor McGonagall gave it to me, it's from Professor Dumbledore," he passed it over to Harry, who observed the paper with a frown. "Don't worry, I haven't read it!" Neville quickly replied, worried Harry was concerned about the privacy of the letter.

"Thanks Neville," Hermione said, smiling at her housemate. Neville was one of the only Gryffindors who attempted to talk to her. She used to help him with his potions homework before he failed his OWL, not that she thought he would improve, she just wanted to get Professor Snape off of his back.

Draco, Hermione and Neville all watched as Harry scanned through the note from Dumbledore. Before Draco could peer nosily over his shoulder, he screwed it up and shoved it into his pocket.

"I'll see you in the common room," he said to Draco, then said a speedy goodbye, vanishing in the direction of Dumbledore's office.

Draco watched as Harry disappeared down the corridor, that was curious, he'd never known Dumbledore to send a personal note to any student before, he always did it through other teachers - namely the Heads of Houses. Hermione, although confused, looked more in the know than him. He made sure to pursue her about it later at dinner.

Neville was still stood with them, awkwardly wandering back and forth on his feet. "So, are you two heading to the Great Hall?"

"Yeah," Hermione said. Draco stayed silent, looking at Neville with a raised eyebrow. The Gryffindor boy cowered away at Draco's gaze. Hermione continued. "Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if I could go with you? You know, walk there with you… since I don't have anyone to…" he trailed off, taking in the pairs shocked expressions. "You know what, it was stupid to ask. I'll just go and…" his sentence stopped again as he started to go back down the corridor he had come from. Then Hermione stopped him.

"Of course you can walk with us Neville, I mean we're all going in the same direction, right?"

"Right," Neville replied, nervously walking back over to them, still looking wary of Draco. "Sure, of course. Thanks Hermione."

"No problem," she said, sending him the same sweet, sympathetic smile as the three of them started to make their way towards the hall.

…

"What did Longbottom mean, about having no-one to walk with?" Draco asked curiously as he and Hermione departed the Great Hall. He had rushed to catch up with her, deserting the other Slytherins.

Hermione shrugged. "He's kind of an outsider, like me. They talk to him and are friendly to his face, but Neville's not stupid - despite with Lavender Brown and Ron Weasley may think - he knows they only pretend to like him because his grandmothers in the order with their families," she said matter-of-factly. However, she clamped a hand over her mouth seconds afterwards. "I wasn't supposed to say that," she said, glancing around to make sure nobody was listening. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you're not 'Draco' Draco."

"The Order of the Phoenix?"

Hermione was surprised. "You know about them?"

Draco shrugged, not ready to tell Hermione about the real reason he knew about the so called 'light side'. "That's where Harry's gone isn't it, he's having a meeting about the order."

Hermione seemed impressed by how much Draco had put together. "To an extent, but it's a bit more than that." She grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of a familiar corridor.

"Are we going to the library, again?"

"It's quiet there, and I like the atmosphere."

Draco nodded, remembering his recent meeting with Theo. "I can understand that."

She dragged him over to a sheltered table in the corner of the room, shooing away a couple of third years who were observing the nearby shelves.

"Harry and Professor Dumbledore have some kind of plan. A plan to get rid of…" her eyes drifted to a couple of students entering the library. "Voldemort," she whispered the entire thing, and once again Draco was shocked by how confident she was in using the Dark Lord's name. It must have been her muggle heritage.

"What? And that's where Harry is now? Discussing this 'plan' with Dumbledore?" Draco asked, curiosity getting the better of him. He knew Harry had been up to something, in the other universe, all year, but he had never been completely sure what it was.

Hermione nodded. "But that's all I know. Harry told me, and the other you, about how Professor Dumbledore said he knew Voldemort's exact weaknesses, but he needed Harry in order to complete the mission he had already started."

Draco frowned. "What mission?"

"I don't know. I don't think he's even told Harry everything yet," she looked Draco straight in the eye, fiery chocolate brown meeting steel grey. "You cannot repeat anything I just said. Do you promise."

Draco, for a couple of seconds, just looked back at her. He really wished he had realised just how much of a talented and amazing witch Hermione Granger was in the other world, before he started being a complete arsehole to her. Maybe his life would have turned out more like this Draco's life.

"Draco." Hermione said again, more sincere and with a steely gaze. "Do. You. Promise?"

He nodded, averting his eyes and facing the table. "I promise. I won't tell a soul."

And he wouldn't. Because right now, Hermione Granger looked scary as hell.

...

A/N 2: So it's not as long as usual but I hope that truth telling moment was up to scratch... I was umming and ahhing about making it a big deal but then I was like 'no, Draco's just gonna come right out an tell 'em'... also a little bit of Neville because who doesn't love Neville Longbottom... also, still Dramione moment ;) Draco thinks Hermione is 'talented and amazing' how cute!

See you soon!

Hopefully not so long this time!

Review, favourite, follow... tell me what you think:)

Emma

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