23. Promise

Congrats to xfantasies for giving this story its 1,000th review! You win…absolutely nothing! Well, other than the satisfaction in knowing your review was the 1,000th one.

Oh, and…I am so totally going to go over the100,000 word mark with this chapter, which has been my goal all along. I'm so happy (and, apparently, unable to make a long story short…). On a related note, this chapter is painfully long. I wrote about 5,000 of these 6,000-something words just today, and I think I have carpal tunnel syndrome now. :P

Disclaimer: I just realized that Ron has had a very minor role in this story. Heh. Poor Ron.

So if Draco were going to change his mind, he'd have to do it soon.

Harry had filled Dumbledore in on the whole story before they had arrived back at the common room. And once Draco had informed him of their plan to use Veritaserum to help Hermione's case, the Headmaster offered to get them some genuine Veritaserum, to ensure accuracy. He then advised them to go directly to the Dumbledore in her world and tell him the entire story. He said that if his counterpart in another world was anything like him, he would do anything in his power to help her.

Draco hoped he was right.

He watched her as she stared down at her medallion apprehensively. He didn't envy her. She had no idea what she would be returning to. She had no idea of what her future held. The only certain thing was that whether she was sent to Azkaban or her case was dismissed, she would have to live the rest of her life with the guilt of murdering her best friend. And it was quite possible that she would be facing it alone, without a friend in the world.

For a brief moment, he wondered if perhaps sending her back was the wrong thing to do.

But she didn't appear to be having those same thoughts as Draco. In fact, she seemed quite eager to leave. Eager to get it over with. Eager to find out just what was in store for her.

"The portal will close directly behind us right after we arrive at our destination," she explained, stone-faced, "so we will have to go through it together."

Draco nodded. "Fine."

Hermione nodded. Holding the medallion tightly in her hand, she closed her eyes and whispered, "Aperio."

The portal opened up immediately before them. It looked similar to the one the Dementor had left through: bright, colorful, mesmerizing.

"Remarkable," Dumbledore muttered. Draco could see a distinct twinkle in his eyes, as though he were witnessing some new type of magic that was utterly fascinating to him.

"We shouldn't leave it open too long," Hermione said. She turned to Harry and Dumbledore. "Professor, I just want to thank you for being so kind to me, and for allowing me to stay here as long as I did. You didn't have to do that, and…well…I can't even begin to tell you how much that meant to me."

"Think nothing of it, my child," Dumbledore said with a smile. He placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I wish you the best of luck. And I grant you an open invitation, to return to our world whenever you would like."

Hermione returned his smile. "I might just take you up on that offer."

The Headmaster removed his hand from her shoulder. "That would be splendid."

Her glaze immediately flickered over to Harry, who was looking a bit awkward.

"Harry," she said, moving over closer to him. "Harry, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you right away -"

Harry shook his head. "No, don't apologize. I don't deserve an apology. What I did to you in your world…"

"That wasn't you," she reminded him. "Listen, Harry, I've been avoiding you ever since I got here. Not because I was afraid of you, but because I couldn't look at you without having the memory of…well, you know. I could tell right off that you were different. I could tell that you cared a lot for the Hermione in this world, and that you never would have hurt her."

"I wouldn't have," Harry whispered.

Draco could see the tears welling up in Harry's eyes and quickly looked away. He couldn't bear to watch the boy cry over his beloved Hermione. It would only threaten to cause him to do the same.

"I do need to apologize for the Veritaserum, though," Harry said. "And for the way I distrusted you. I just couldn't accept the fact that you were so much like her. I was afraid you were trying to take her place."

"I would never dream of doing that," Hermione said. She glanced over at Draco as she spoke the words. "I know she is irreplaceable."

Harry nodded. He cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Well, good luck. I hope everything works out for you."

Hermione took his hand and shook it. "Thank you."

She released his hand and took a step back. Staring at Draco, she said, "Are you sure you want to come with me? You don't have to."

But he did have to go with her. He needed to help her in any way that he could. It was as if he somehow felt as though it would make up for the fact he'd been unable to help his Hermione. And in that way, he was only helping her for selfish reasons. But he wouldn't let her know that. "I'm positive, Granger."

"Be careful," Dumbledore warned.

Draco nodded in response as Hermione took his hand in hers.

"It's time," she said. "You might feel a bit disoriented at first, but it will be over quickly. Just don't let go of my hand."

Draco glanced over at Harry one last time. The raven-haired boy was staring down at the ground, feigning disinterest. But Draco knew better.

Squeezing Hermione's hand slightly with his, he turned to her and said, "Let's do this," and they stepped inside.

Hermione's hand was no longer entwined with his, and for a moment he wondered if she was still with him. With a grunt, he pushed himself up onto his knees and looked around at his surroundings. The first thing he saw was Hermione on the floor just a couple of feet away from him, already starting to stand up. The next thing he saw was his very own common room. Everything appeared to be the exact same – from the arrangement of furniture, to a lot of the decorations – yet at the same time, it just felt different. Harry and Dumbledore were gone, and the lighting was a lot dimmer. They appeared to be the only two people in the room, to Draco's relief.

"Well that was…fun," he said, getting up from the floor.

Hermione did not acknowledge him. Instead, she headed straight for the bedrooms.

"Malfoy?" she called out. She ran up to his bedroom door and pounded on it. "Malfoy, are you here?"

When she received no response, she turned the knob. "It's locked," she mumbled in frustration.

"Here, let me try," Draco said, joining her. He figured either the door had been locked manually, or else his doppelganger had cast a no-entry spell, much like the one he had cast on his own bedroom at the beginning of the year. Pointing his wand at the knob, he mumbled "Alohomora." Fortunately, it did the trick. He could hear the lock release, and he pushed the door open.

There was no sign of him anywhere.

"He's not here," she said, her voice thick with apprehension. "They must have done something to him."

"Granger, he's probably out with his friends," Draco suggested, annoyed that she was rushing to conclusions so quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione said, "This was a really bad idea."

"No, it wasn't. And look – this place is perfectly neat – no sign of a struggle. And trust me when I tell you that nobody does anything to Draco Malfoy without some sort of fight."

Hermione nodded slightly. "You're right. You are absolutely right. I'm sorry, I'm just a bit jittery still from the trip. Did you see what I meant about it being disorienting? That feeling doesn't just go away the second you arrive at your destination. It lingers."

She was correct. In fact, Draco was still feeling jittery himself. But he refused to let it cloud his judgment. He was intent on remaining positive until they found any reason to do otherwise.

"Where would he have kept the other medallion?" he asked, hoping to get her mind concentrating on something else.

She furrowed her brow. "Erm…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced around the Head Boy's bedroom. "I'm guessing it would be somewhere in here. Where would you hide something like that?"

Draco thought about it for a second. Where would he hide something as valuable as a dimension-opening charm? Surely, it would be in a place where nobody else would think to look – which, of course, ruled out spaces such as underneath the mattress, or in the drawer of his nightstand. Glancing around the room, he searched for anything that appeared out of the ordinary - anything that would simply look like a mundane object that could have possibly had a use for hiding something.

Nothing in particular caught his eye.

"We'll have to search for it," he said, walking over to the bureau that stood on the other side of the room. He opened up the top drawer, the second drawer, all of the drawers, and all he could find were clothes – clothes very similar to his own, if not all identical.

Hermione, meanwhile, had taken to looking on a small bookshelf next to the bureau. She took out one book at a time, opening each one in the process. Draco figured she was probably looking for a secret compartment that might have held the charm.

They spent the next couple of minutes searching, finding nothing. Finally, Draco began to say that perhaps one of them should search the common room instead, but a voice behind them interrupted him.

"Granger?"

Draco recognized the voice as his own. He glanced over at Hermione, whose head had immediately whipped over in his direction. She glanced at him questioningly, and Draco knew she had thought he had said her name. Slowly, he shook his head, and averted his gaze towards the bedroom door.

Her gaze followed his and she gasped. Standing in the doorway was Draco Malfoy, looking completely healthy and unharmed, although a bit confused.

"Malfoy!" she exclaimed.

Draco was not sure who made the first move toward the other. Hermione instantly dropped the book she was holding in her hands, while the boy at the door let his book bag slip down over his shoulder and onto the floor. It was very possible that they had moved at the same time. Either way, they met each other at the middle of the room and immediately fell into each other's embrace.

Draco blinked in surprise. He hadn't exactly expected such a warm welcoming from his double. Hermione never went into great detail over how close the two of them were, but watching them now, it appeared as though they had been very close. They almost looked like two best friends who hadn't seen each other for years, and who were shocked to find out the other was still alive.

The hug lasted for just a brief time, but the intensity of the emotions behind it was too overwhelming for Draco. Looking at them, he saw himself and the girl he'd loved and lost, and he saw what could have been. As he felt a lump begin to form in his throat, he quickly glanced away. But when he glanced back over at them a few seconds later, they had broken apart and were now gazing at one another uncomfortably. Had that hug come as a complete surprise to them?

"Granger, what -"

The boy stopped speaking as his gaze fell on Draco. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open slightly. "What the…Who are you?"

Draco smirked. "I doubt any introduction is necessary. I am exactly who you think I am."

"You're me."

Hermione giggled. "Yeah, uh…Draco Malfoy, meet…Draco Malfoy." Turning to the confused boy beside her, she said, "That world you ended up sending me to was practically identical to our own, right down to the people. The portal landed me in his common room. Crazy, huh?"

"Uh…yeah." The boy blinked, and his expression went directly from shocked to blank. Draco couldn't help but be amused at how similar this guy was to him, right down to the mannerisms. "Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Draco said.

Regaining his composure, the boy stared down at Hermione. "Granger, what are you doing here?"

Quickly wiping away tears – what appeared to be happy ones – Hermione said, "I needed to come back. I've decided that I can't run from…well, you know, everything that happened. So I came back."

The platinum-haired boy shook his head fervently. "No, Granger, it's not safe for you here -"

"It's not safe for me anywhere else, either!" she cried. "A Dementor showed up in my bedroom, Malfoy! It tried to give me the Kiss! It doesn't matter where I try and hide, they will just keep coming after me!"

"But Granger, there has got to be a way to get you off their radar. You can't stay here – the entire school is in an uproar, and everyone is talking about how that goody-good Granger murdered Harry Potter, Boy Wonder. If they find out you're back, they'll waste no time in sending you to Azkaban."

"No, I don't think they will," Hermione said. "Not after they hear the truth."

"The truth?" The boy scoffed. "We're talking about Harry Potter here. Nobody is going to believe you when you say it was in self-defense."

"Yes, they will," she said simply. She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out the vial of Veritaserum. "With this stuff, they'll have to believe me."

"What is that?"

Draco, who had taken a seat on the edge of the bed, watched the two of them as Hermione explained Veritaserum to his twin. He watched as they argued back and forth as to whether or not she was doing the right thing, and he smiled. It was so surreal, as if he was watching his own life through someone else's eyes. It was amazing how similar they both were to himself and the real Hermione.

After listening to them for no more than a minute, Draco felt it was up to him to step in and explain to his other self that this was essentially a fool-proof way of getting Hermione off the hook – or, at least, lessening her charges. So he stood and cleared his throat. But when he opened his mouth to speak, his voice was replaced by someone else's.

"Draco, who are you talking to in here?"

The voice belonged to a female, and it sounded quite familiar to Draco. He looked over to the entrance of the bedroom just in time to see Pansy Parkinson appearing in the doorway.

Her gaze first fell upon Hermione and her eyes widened. "Granger? What are you -" And then she must have caught a glimpse of Draco out of the corner of her eye because she immediately stopped talking and gaped at him. "Who…what…huh?"

"Pansy," the other Draco said, as if he was about to explain everything in great detail to her, but then gave up and said, "To make a long story short, Granger is back, she wants to confess, and she brought a friend with her who looks just like me. Actually, I think he is me, only from a different dimension…"

Pansy held up a hand to silence him. "I get it. Well, I get the other you part. But what I don't get is why the hell Granger would want to come back and confess!"

Draco furrowed his brow. "You mean you were in on this as well?"

"Of course I was," Pansy said. "Who do you think supplied them with the charms?"

This revelation came as a bit of a surprise to Draco, but it did go a long way in explaining why the Pansy in his world had said Hermione had reacted to her as if she were a friend.

"And Blaise?" Draco said.

Pansy nodded. "Zabini? Yeah, he knew about it. But he didn't exactly help. Blaise is not exactly what you would call the helping type." She rolled her eyes.

Draco snorted. So Blaise was pretty much the same in their world – only less likely to poison Hermione. Well, he thought, I guess that explains why Hermione was so quick to trust the Blaise in my world.

"Look," Hermione said, "I don't expect either of you to understand why I need to do this. But I'm at least hoping I can get your support."

Pansy glanced at her sympathetically. "Of course we will give you our support, Granger. Right Draco?"

They all glanced over at the Head Boy, who was standing there, stone-faced. Draco knew just by looking at him how he was feeling: anxious and uncertain. He knew that this boy thought Hermione was making a big mistake, but that he figured that arguing with her about it would be pointless. Hermione Granger, in any world, was stubborn, and would do whatever she wanted to do - regardless of what anyone else thought.

So solemnly, he nodded. He turned to the Head Girl and said, "Pansy, go get -"

"Dumbledore?" she finished for him. "Sure thing." She looked at Hermione. "That is, if you are sure you want to do this."

"I'm sure," Hermione said.

So Pansy left, and the remaining three migrated to the common room, where they sat around in awkward silence until about ten minutes later when they heard a cracking sound, and Pansy and Professor Dumbledore appeared out of thin air in front of them.

Draco was shocked to see that apparating was allowed on school grounds in this world, unlike in his world. He was actually a bit jealous of that fact, as apparating saved a lot of time and energy when trying to get from one place to another around Hogwarts.

Dumbledore's eyes traveled from Draco, to the other Draco with that same twinkle he had seen in his world's Dumbledore, right before leaving. He turned to Pansy. "Which one is which?"

Unable to hide a smile, Pansy pointed at Draco. "That's the one from the other world, and that one," she pointed to the other Draco, "is ours."

"Spectacular. Truly magnificent!" The old man walked over to Draco and extended a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco shook his hand. "The pleasure is all mine," he said, hoping he didn't sound too insincere.

The old man just nodded and turned to Hermione. His smile faltered a bit, but did not leave his face completely. "Miss Granger, so nice to see you're back. Miss Parkinson here has filled me in on some of the story, but I understand there is a lot more that needs to be discussed."

Hermione, suddenly looking somber, said quietly, "Yes, sir."

Dumbledore held out his hand to Hermione. "Will you please come with me?"

Hermione nodded. She took his hand and stood up from the couch. She glanced over at Draco. "Will you still be here when I get back?"

"Definitely," Draco replied. He gave her an encouraging half-smile, which she returned with a wavering smile of her own. It was obvious that she was nervous and scared, and Draco wished he could go with her. But he knew this was something she needed to do on her own.

With another crack, they both disapparated.

Pansy let out a big breath. "I do not envy her right now."

Draco – the other one – said nothing. He just remained perfectly still on the couch, staring down at his hands.

All they could do now was wait.

Determined not to spend his remaining time there in uncomfortable silence, Draco decided to spark up a conversation. He glanced around the room, racking his brain for conversation ideas, when his gaze finally landed on the front of Pansy's robes. She was wearing the Head Girl badge.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "Pansy, you're Head Girl?"

"Of course I am," she replied, then furrowed her brow. "Why…aren't I the Head Girl in your world?"

Draco chuckled. "Hardly."

Pansy frowned. "Well, that's unfortunate." She paused as she looked at the Draco sitting on the couch. "Um…I should get going," she said. "I told Millicent that I would meet her in the library this afternoon. Besides, I'm sure you two would like some time alone to…I don't know, swap stories or whatever. Draco, it was great meeting you. I've always said there aren't enough Draco Malfoys in the world."

Draco smirked. "Thanks, Pansy."

She proceeded to say goodbye to the other Draco - who just grunted in response - and then she left, leaving the two of them alone.

Draco stared at the boy who sat across from him. It was just like looking in the mirror. He even adorned the same worried expression Draco figured he himself was exhibiting at the moment.

"Everything is going to work out," he assured him. "You'll see."

"I just hope you're right," the boy muttered.

Draco sighed. He never wondered what it would be like to have a conversation with himself – nor had he ever wondered what it was like for other people to have a conversation with him. And in this moment, he realized that he was certainly not the easiest person in the world to talk to. He made a mental note to try and be more social in the future.

He knew that getting information out of him would be like pulling teeth, but he just had to try. He wanted to know.

"Why did you help Hermione?"

The boy on the couch looked up at him in surprise, as though he hadn't expected to be asked that question. He narrowed his eyes. "How much do you know?"

Draco shrugged. "Not a whole lot. Just that you prevented Harry from attacking her once, and that you helped her get to my world. Other than that, I know virtually nothing."

Taking a deep breath, the other Draco said, "I helped her because she needed help."

"But don't you hate her?"

"I did - at one point. I never really knew why though, other than because she wasn't a pureblood. Oh yeah, and because she was best friends with Potter. He's the one I always hated. Not her."

Draco nodded. He understood. "So then that's why you helped her? Because she killed your nemesis?"

"It was so much more than that," the boy replied. "That night I walked in on them in that classroom, I don't know…something in me just snapped. I saw him, and he was trying to hurt her. His best friend, of all people. But you know, it didn't matter who it was – whether it had been Granger, or any other girl for that matter – it made me sick to see him treating her that way. I mean, I may be a complete arse, but I do not tolerate violence towards women. I have my father to thank for that. I can't tell you how many times I witnessed him beating my mother when I was growing up. And after the very first time I saw it happen, I made a vow to never inflict that kind of pain on any woman, nor to let anyone else do it. So after that night, I took it upon myself to watch over her."

Draco was not shocked to learn that Lucius had been so malicious in a different world. He was willing to bet he was the same in every world. "So you befriended her?"

The other Draco shrugged. "I guess you could say that. See, I'm a teenager, and teenagers often like to rebel against their parents. I had already started rebelling a couple of years ago – just doing my best to get into trouble and defy my father. But once I had learned about Potter slowly making his way over to my side – and interacting with my father – I decided the best way to get back at my father would not only be to befriend a mudblood, but to give up any sort of dream I'd ever had of becoming a Death Eater." He stopped and chuckled. "And you know, the funny thing was that my father didn't even notice. But that was fine with me, because I was becoming less and less interested in that kind of lifestyle anyway. So I stopped being the asshole I was. I stopped picking on other people. I stopped tormenting underclassmen. Crabbe and Goyle – they hated the change and eventually wouldn't so much as look at me. But Pansy and Blaise – they were a little more loyal. They were willing to follow me – so that's what they did."

It was all starting to make sense to Draco. "So that's why Pansy and Blaise were let in on what Hermione had done?"

"No, that happened purely by chance. They both happened to be with me the night Granger came to my door, bleeding to death. They helped me heal her. And after she told us her story, they both helped me come up with the idea of sending her away. They weren't so much helping her as they were helping me. They knew that I…" His voice trailed off. He lowered his gaze to the floor. "They knew that I cared about her."

Draco closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "And…does Hermione know that you care about her?"

The boy in front of him scoffed. "Of course not. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm in love with her or anything. I just…I was worried about her. I didn't want her getting sent to Azkaban for doing something in self-defense that I would have willingly done without any sort of provocation. Azkaban would have been the death of her, and I couldn't let that happen. Not because of Harry fucking Potter." Pausing, he glanced back up at Draco with a curious look. "But…just out of curiosity…what is the Hermione Granger like in your world?"

The question caught him off guard. At first, he didn't know how to respond. He quickly composed the words in his head, but he began speaking before he even realized he was doing it.

"She was…incredible," he replied quietly. It was his turn now to stare down at his hands. "She was infuriating most of the time. Annoying. A know-it-all. She always had a quick comeback, and was able to insult me with complete ease, as though she never even had to think about it – the words were always just there. And I tell you, she had some good ones. She probably would have managed to hurt my feelings on one or two occasions, if I had actually given a damn about what she thought of me. She was kind. Giving. Selfless. Smart, witty, incredibly talented when it came to magic. She was always considered the greatest witch of her generation, and I couldn't have agreed more. She was loving. Gentle. She was…beautiful."

And that's when he felt the tears stinging his eyes. He swallowed hard, trying to push down that lump that had formed in his throat. "She was…" His voice cracked. "She was everything."

He could feel the other Draco's eyes on him, staring. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

But then the boy sitting across from him cleared his throat. "I, um, I couldn't help but notice you were referring to her in the past tense. Why is that?"

"Because the Hermione Granger in my world is dead," he said simply. There was no need to sugarcoat his answer – it was what it was. There was no way he could have put it more eloquently.

He heard the other Draco inhale sharply.

"Oh," he said. "Wow, that's…that's terrible. What happened?"

"Killed by a Death Eater," Draco replied.

"Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine how I would have felt if Harry had actually succeeded in killing Granger. A world without Hermione is…"

"…a world not worth living in," Draco said softly.

The two boys looked at each other then. The look in each of their eyes spoke volumes. And it didn't need to be spoken aloud – they both knew how the other one felt about their own Hermione.

"Listen," Draco said suddenly. "I'm going to give you some friendly advice. If you have feelings for her, you need to let her know. You see, my Hermione died before I could tell her. I think about that every day, and I regret it. You have no idea how much I regret it. But while I mourn that fact, I also have to live with the guilt of knowing that she died because of me; because of how I felt about her. But that guilt is not enough to make me wish I had never loved her – because loving her was the best thing I have ever done in my entire life, and if I could erase these past two months that she has been gone, and do only one thing differently, I would come up with some grand scheme like yours and leave our world behind us and spend the rest of my life with her without a care in the world. And, see, you can still do that. It's not too late for you."

The other Draco just stared at him in awe. He appeared to be at a loss for words.

But Draco didn't mind. He suddenly didn't feel like talking about Hermione anymore. It was just too…painful.

Luckily for him, he was saved by yet another crack, as Hermione apparated back into the common room. Both boys were shocked to see her back so soon.

"Hermione!" The other Draco jumped up from the couch and rushed over to her. "What happened?"

"Well…I told him everything," she replied slowly. "I presented him with the Veritaserum beforehand, and told him that if I drank it, it would prove I was telling the truth. But he told me to save it, because he would believe me even without it."

"And?"

"And, I am to present my case to the Ministry of Magic the day after tomorrow. Dumbledore seems to think that I don't have to worry about going to Azkaban. He also said it was a good thing that I didn't let you heal my scar, because it will surely help my self-defense story. Apparently, Dumbledore knows some witch who has psychic powers. Apparently, she can see people's pasts when she touches them, so naturally she'll be able to see that Harry had indeed attacked me. All in all, I guess the outlook is fairly good."

"Granger, that's wonderful," Draco said. He strode over to her and gave her a brief hug.

"It's all thanks to you," she said, beaming. She pulled out of his embrace. "Honestly, I can't thank you enough – for putting up with me, for convincing me to come back…"

Draco waved his hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it, Granger."

"Sorry, I can't do that," she teased. She lifted herself up on the tip of her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

Draco smiled. "Well, I guess my job here is done."

Hermione's face fell. "Oh, that's right! The medallion!" She turned to the other Draco and said, "Please tell me you still have it."

He winked at her. "I still have it." Reaching down the collar of his shirt, he pulled out the chain, which he'd been wearing around his neck the whole time. He removed it and held it in his hand. "Just tell me when you're ready," he told Draco.

Draco nodded. "I'm ready." He turned to Hermione. "Take care," he said, gently squeezing her arm.

"You too," she said softly.

He nodded to the other Draco. "Do it."

The boy smirked. He closed his hand around the medallion and muttered, "Aperio." Once again, the portal opened up before him.

He turned to head toward it, but Hermione quickly grabbed his arm to stop him, and to his surprise, she pulled him into another embrace.

"The Room of Requirement," she whispered into his ear.

"Huh?" He stared down at her, confused.

She smiled up at him. "The other night, when I was late for patrolling, that's where I was: The Room of Requirement. I couldn't remember – I don't know why, but I couldn't. But I remember now. I remember everything. You need to go there."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it," she said. "Promise me you'll go there."

"Granger – the Room of Requirement only appears to someone who's in need of something. What am I supposed to think about when I get there?"

She grinned. "Just walk by the spot three times, thinking of the one thing you need most of all – or what you want most of all. It shouldn't be too hard. I have faith that you'll think about the right thing."

"But -" Draco began to protest.

But Hermione interrupted him. "Promise me. Oh! And," she reached into her pocket and pulled out her medallion, "I want you to have this. In case you would ever like to visit this world again. Bring a friend if you'd like." She winked at the last part.

Draco reached out and took the medallion from her hand. "Thanks," he said hesitantly. He was confused by her sudden behavior, but figured it was best to just shrug it off. "Goodbye, Granger…Hermione."

"Goodbye, Draco."

He strolled over to the portal, but stopped just before stepping through it. He turned to the boy who mirrored himself, and said, "Remember what we talked about."

The other Draco nodded. "I will."

With one last glance at Hermione, Draco stepped through the portal and left that world behind.

He was dead tired, and contemplated going to bed. But less than a half hour later, he found himself standing outside the Room of Requirement instead, staring at the blank wall before him. He had no idea why he had gone there, other than because Hermione had been so persistent about it. He was undoubtedly weak – his curiosity had gotten the best of him. And not to mention, he'd made a promise.

The Room of Requirement would only appear to those who were in need of something, and Draco honestly had no idea of what that something would be. Hermione had told him to walk past the spot three times, thinking about what he needed, but it would have been more helpful had she offered up any sort of suggestions as to what that might be.

He walked past the blank wall the first time, thinking about how he needed to be doing something a little more productive with his time.

He walked past the blank wall the second time, thinking about how he needed sleep.

He walked past the blank wall the third time, thinking about how this was only going to work if he thought of the same thing each time he walked by.

Sighing in annoyance, he almost gave up. But still, he paced back and forth. What did he need? What did he want? There is only one answer to that, he thought as he walked to the right. I need Hermione – the real one. He walked to the left. I need her to be here, telling me that this is ridiculous – that I will never truly get what I need or want. He walked back to the right. Because all I really need or want is her.

And suddenly, the door appeared before him.

Draco stumbled back a few feet. "What the hell?" he muttered. He reached out to touch it, to see if it was real. And indeed, it was very real.

He furrowed his brow. It made no sense. Why would the room appear for him? He hadn't had a legitimate need. Surely, the Room of Requirement was smarter than that. Wasn't it?

There was only one way to answer that question: he reached out, turned the knob, and entered the room.

The inside of the room was pitch black, due to the fact there were no windows. Pulling out his wand, Draco muttered, "Lumos."

The light from the end of his wand did not help too much, but it at least allowed him to see a few feet in front of him. He pointed it first to the right side of the room, where he could see there were a couple of chairs. When he pointed it to the left, he could see a table with some flowers on it. When he pointed it straight ahead, he could see a…bed?

Oh, of course. A bed! He'd been so tired and thinking about how he needed sleep that the Room had turned into a bedroom for him to sleep in. How very clever of it - and so very disappointing.

Unimpressed with his findings, he was taking a step back, closer to the door, when the light of his wand moved just right so that he could see the bed a little better. And much to his surprise, he could see that somebody was in it.

"What the hell," he muttered. He moved forward toward the bed, even though his brain was telling him to get the hell out of the room. But his curiosity was once again taking him over.

As he neared the bed, he could swear the light from his wand brightened slightly. He stared at the figure lying perfectly still before him. He could see it was a girl, but it wasn't until he was directly beside the bed that he could see her face.

And what he saw took his breath away.

There, lying asleep atop the bed, was Hermione Granger – his Hermione Granger – looking peaceful…looking beautiful…and looking very much alive.