Chapter 32

The Promise

I walked over to Nightshade's with Ivy, who muttered the password and pushed me in.

I slid down the chute for what I felt was going to be the last time for a while and plopped myself in a couch as Ivy followed suit.

"I heard you're taking in a known Death Eater." Ivy said the moment her feet touched the ground.

I nodded "She doesn't want to be one, though." I explained.

"Either way, she was told to kill you!" Ivy protested.

"Which she refused. Come on, she's shunned from the Order and the Death Eaters will kill her on sight if they see her again, so why not take her in?"

"It could all be a ruse to trap you?" Ivy suggested. "Maybe that girl was told to act like she wasn't happy with the Death Eaters to get you to feel sympathy for her. Maybe she was told to have an effect like Malfoy's where she acted to be reluctant to killing you!"

"Ivy, I read her thoughts. She doesn't want the life her family chose for her. So I'm taking her in." I said with an air of finality. "Just trust me. If she does turn out to be right, I will give you the right to say I told you so. Just like with Scarlett Zimmerman."

Ivy sighed, twirling some hair in her fingers before huffing "Fine, I'll support it. For now." she said. "And I will hold you to that right to say 'I told you so'. I love saying it to someone who normally is always right." she said.

"Whatever, Ivy." I said, looking around Nightshade's taking the look in. "Do you have the feeling that we're not coming back?" I asked.

Ivy nodded "Harry, Ron and Hermione aren't going to come back to Hogwarts." she said.

"What, how d'you mean?" I asked.

"They have to go do something for Dumbledore. Well, Harry's got to do it, but Ron and Hermione and I are going with to help him."

"You? You're going with him?" I asked.

Ivy nodded.

I sighed. "What d'you see for me?" I asked.

Ivy shook her head. "You're the Seer. You should know."

I shuddered and felt something. I felt like I was going to befriend an enemy and smelt freshly rained on earth.

"I think I'm going on the run." I said. "I felt myself in an earthy setting…and that I was going to befriend an enemy."

Ivy rose her eyebrows "Better not be Zimmerman, or I will use Avada Kedavra on you." she threatened.

I made a face "Yeah, right." I scoffed "I'll never make that mistake again." I vowed before becoming serious "So, you'll be with Harry, Ron and Hermione." I said.

"And you'll be as you would say Skinner knows where." Ivy said, an all knowing look in her eye.

"We won't see each other for a while." we said together, tears forming in our eyes.

"Hey, hey, we made a pact in first year that we'd never become the stereotypical Gryffindor and Slytherin." Ivy choked, wiping her eyes. "Let's make another pact right now."

I nodded, holding out my hand "Agreed." I said.

"Let's promise right now that no matter where we are, or who we're with, we'll always be best friends." Ivy said, reliving when we first became best friends.

"Agreed. Best friends forever." I said, clasping hands with Ivy and shaking.

"Best friends forever." Ivy said, bumping fists with me and starting our private handshake (one of the very few things Draco didn't know about.)

I stood "Draco's taking Gwen." I announced "Until this whole mess blows over." I said.

Ivy nodded "She'll be safe there." she said. "You taking Hellion and Diablo with you?"

I nodded "I wouldn't be able to survive without those animals. They'll help me if I have to leave Draco behind."

Ivy nodded again "If we have to run, I think I'll know how you feel every summer away from Malfoy. I'm going to miss Blaise like crazy."

I nodded "That's why Hellion and Diablo are coming with me." I said "Draco gave them both to me, so they'll possibly fill the void."

Ivy nodded, opening the exit "Don't forget anything if we have to run." Ivy said, smiling. "You'll never forgive yourself if you forget tampons."

"I don't use them. Maxi pads are my team." I said.

"Whatever." Ivy said, rolling her eyes "That was a little too much information."

I shrugged "Hey, wrong fact about me, you should expect to be corrected." I said in my defence as we walked down to Hogsmeade before asking another question about us going on the run should the need arise. "You wearing those friendship bracelets we exchanged in first year?" I asked as we entered Hogsmeade.

Ivy nodded, holding them up. "Never take them off." she said.

I smiled, holding up my wrist. "Me either. Promise me you never will take them off."

"Agreed. That's a two way street, too, Potter." she said, smirking.

I nodded "Haven't taken them off since second year during that fight when you stole Slytherin's diary and my dagger." I said.

"Oh, let it go!" Ivy snapped "I said I was sorry."

I nodded "I know you did. But you kept saying I was evil in second year, so I thought I'd add that in." I said, smirking as we got to Hogsmeade Station. "Good thing I grabbed the diary, then. I'll have something to read should I have to run."

Ivy nodded "And, hey, we'll still have our telepathic connection!" she said.

I nodded "Yeah!" I said "We can still talk and crap, just not face to face!" I said as we hopped on the train and went into our boyfriends' compartment.

"Hey, Draco!" I said, plopping myself in his lap as Ivy did the same.

"Hey, Spitfire." Draco said, kissing my forehead.

"Hi, Ivy." Blaise said.

I smirked "Blaise, why do you not have a cutesy nickname for Icy?" I asked.

Blaise shrugged "I can't think of any."

Draco rolled his eyes "I thought of nicknames for Han, Blaise, I take the time to." he said "I've got, Han, Oreo, Spitfire, Kitten if I want to piss her off and love."

"You've been calling me Oreo since first year." I pointed out.

"Yes, and it's still the most annoying thing in the world." Ivy muttered.

"It's cute!" I said "I love Oreos, Draco calls me Oreo, it fits, ergo is cute!" I added, smirking at my intellect.

"And that intellect is what's going to get you out of our problem alive." Ivy said, Blaise and Draco nodding in agreement.

I rolled my eyes. "Ivy, you have smarts, too. I just tend to express them more often than merely in the classroom." I said.

"Absolutely, thank you, Hannah!" Blaise said.

"Oh, Blaise," Ivy started, smiling "Stuff a sock in it!" she ordered cheerfully making me and Draco laugh.

"You know," I said when I stopped enough to talk "this is exactly what Dumbledore would have wanted. Us happy and laughing instead of miserable, am I right?" I asked.

Blaise, Ivy and Draco nodded. "Absolutely." they said together as Ivy stood up.

"Oh, I got to go talk to Harry, Ron and Hermione, I'll talk to you later." Ivy said, kissing Blaise on the cheek.

"Later, Ivy." Blaise and I said together as Draco said "Later, Duff."

I sighed as Crabbe and Goyle walked in, already in their Muggle clothes. "Draco, I wish you'd started calling Ivy by her given name." I said.

"Sorry, Spitfire, it's my natural instinct to call her Duff. I've been doing it for years." Draco said apologetically.

I sighed, shrugging "Fine, but please make an effort around me to call her Ivy. She is my best friend after all." I said.

Draco mimicked my sigh. "Fine, for you I'll try to call her by her given name. But it's just like with Potter, you're not around, she goes back to being Duff." he announced.

I smiled, kissing him softly. "I wouldn't expect anything less." I said.

…

The train seemed to stop at King's Cross too fast for me. I knew I probably wasn't going to be back on it the next September, and I wouldn't see any of my friends.

Or Draco.

I pulled out my trunk and Gwendolyn's cage, handing my trunk to Harry, who gladly took it with him to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon as I held onto Gwen's cage (I was almost in tears at this point.) and faced Draco.

"She likes getting Owl Nuggets after every delivery, and she likes sunflower seeds when she can't get out." I said, choking up a little as I explained how I cared for my owl. "And she loves being talked to, so talk to her loads." I said as my voice cracked.

"Of course, I know how to care for my girlfriend's owl." Draco insisted as I handed him Gwendolyn's cage "I promise nothing bad will happen to Gwen when she's with me."

I sniffed, wiping a tear from my eye as I looked up to meet Draco's gaze. "What about you?" I asked.

Draco huffed "I'll be fine. I'm a big boy, remember?"

"Technically a man." I pointed out "Your seventeenth was a couple of weeks ago, was it not?" I asked.

Draco smirked "My apologies, Princess. I'll fix it. I'll be fine. I'm a big man, remember?" Draco corrected.

I nodded. "Much better." I said, handing Draco a small box "I know it's a little late, but I found this in Hogsmeade before, well, you know, and I thought you should have it. Happy belated seventeenth?" I said, hoping I wouldn't get in trouble for being two weeks late.

Draco smirked, opening the box and swearing. "Crap! How did you know I wanted a new set of cufflinks?" he asked, holding up the snake cufflinks I bought him.

I shrugged "I listen." I said.

Draco wrapped me in his arms, setting Gwen down to crush me in his embrace. "I love them, Spitfire. Thank you." he said before kissing me softly and handing me a box. "And since I know I won't be able to send you your birthday present, here, I got yours a little early." Draco said, smirking "Happy early seventeenth, love."

I opened the lid of the box and gasped, taking out a dainty silver watch with no numbers, but twelve hands that were constantly moving around a set of stars.

Draco shrugged "It's traditional to give a witch a watch when she comes of age, and seeing that you were with the Weasleys and it was going to be hard to get money for a watch, I thought I'd -" Draco started to explain before I hugged him, grateful tears falling down my face.

"It's amazing, thank you." I muttered against his chest as I slipped it onto my wrist as Emily Ravenwood tapped my shoulder.

"Han, Harry says it's time to go." she said, walking over to Harry, Dudley, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

I looked up at Draco, half knowing I might never see him again.

That was going to be the hardest thing to do, going on the run, dealing with the thought of Draco moving on from me.

I had watched him grow up from a cute, stupid eleven year old, to an even cuter, stupider twelve year old, to a sweet, cute and not so stupid thirteen year old, to a romantic, good-looking, and not at all stupid fourteen year old, to a handsome, stupid fifteen year old (Hey, he dumped me and didn't have enough balls to ask me to be his again until Seamus Finnegan kissed me, cut me a break.), to a chivalrous, beautiful sixteen/seventeen year old man.

Now, would you agree that letting him go would be hard? The only major person in my life (not counting Ivy and Harry.) that gave me even the remotest amount of joy?

"I might have to run." I said finally, tearing up. "I might not be able to come back next term." I choked.

"I know, I may not be able to, either." Draco said, resting his chin on the top of my head.

"It's going to be hard." I muttered.

"I know, but it's nothing we can't overcome." Draco said, rubbing my back.

"Yeah, but it'll be hard having to move on." I added.

"Whoa, move on?" Draco asked, looking me in the eye "What d'you mean move on?"

I shrugged "Well, with me on the run, you'll probably find another." I said.

Draco kissed me, making me forget what I was going to say "Never say that again, Hannah, I'm serious. I'll never want another. You're the only one I'll ever want. So you're on the run, big deal. I've still got you where you still have me…here." he rested his hand over my heart as he kissed my forehead. "You're mine, Hannah Potter, and I'm not letting anyone get in the way of that. Not again." Draco vowed, handing my owl's cage to the house elf that came for his trunk "Be careful with that extra cage, the owl's my girlfriend's!" Draco ordered the elf before turning back to me and handing me something else.

A mirror.

"This is a two way mirror." Draco explained as I tucked the mirror in my back pocket. "I have the other one. This way we can still communicate somewhat face to face without anyone knowing. Watch," Draco said holding his mirror up to his face and saying clearly "Hannah Potter."

"Holy Skinner!" I gasped when Draco's face appeared in lieu of my reflection.

"All you need to do is send word through this baby, and I'll pick up." Draco said, smirking. "Genius, no?"

I nodded. "Try bloody brilliant!" I said, kissing Draco's cheek. "Where was this when we were in first year?" I asked, laughing.

Draco shrugged "I only just found out this existed." he explained before becoming serious "I mean it, though, if you ever need me, just send word, and I'll pick up."

I nodded.

"No, I mean it." Draco said, taking my hands in his "You have my word that if you ever need me, I'll answer the mirror, anytime, anywhere."

I smiled as Draco wrapped me in his arms for what felt like the last time. "Thank you." I muttered.

"I'm sorry," Draco said again. "I never wanted it to be like this. If I had the choice, I'd be going with you."

I nodded, holding him tighter against me. "If I had a choice, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place." I said, tearing up.

Draco pulled away from me, kissing me softly one last time before stepping away.

"I love you." we said together, walking out separate ways before I turned around.

"Draco." I called out, making him turn around.

"Yeah?" he called back.

I felt the tears falling down my face again as I sobbed out. "I need you."

Before I knew it, I was back in his arms, both of us silently crying as we held each other close.

Emily tapped my shoulder "Come on, Han, it's time to go." she said, taking a gentle hold on my arm to pull me out of the embrace.

I reluctantly let myself slip from Draco's arms, both of us locking eyes for a moment before he kissed me one last time.

"I love you." he mouthed.

"I love you more." I mouthed back.

Draco nodded, turning around and walking away.

I sighed, tucking the mirror in my pocket and clutching my heart shaped locket close to my heart as I walked with Harry and Emily to the car.

"I'll never stop needing you, Draco Malfoy." I said when we were in the car. "That's a promise that I fully intend to keep." I stated before I sang softly as I stroked Hellion as Diablo played with Emily:

"And still I dream he'll come to me that we will live the years together. But there are dreams that cannot be! And there are storms we cannot weather.

I had a dream my life would be, so different from this hell I'm living! So different now from what it seemed. Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."

A/N: Well, there goes The Potter Twins and the Half Blood Prince. Keep reading, The Potter Twins and the Deathly Hallows will be up soon!

Dedication: To my devoted friends and fans.

A Proud Member of Slytherin House

DownWithDeathEaters

Alias Hannah Lillian Isabella Marie Potter and the Dark Lady Happy Pants :)