Promise

Chapter 17

Draco found them a little later. He had gone to the dungeons and met up with Blaise before going to breakfast. Once in the great hall, he and his friend sat down with the three girls. Hermione's hand was still resting gently on Pansy's and neither girl seemed inclined to move them.

"Something you want to tell us, Pans?" Blaise asked, eyeing the two as he slid into his seat. Ginny rolled her eyes and smacked him across the shoulder.

"It's none of your business." Pansy retorted and stuck her tongue out at him. Draco chuckled a bit to himself, even the world ending couldn't change those two.

"Weasle – Ginny, thanks for yesterday." Draco interjected. He was thankful for her presence during the mess and for what she had done for Pansy. Ginny smiled at him in return,

"You owe me one," was all she said before turning back to Hermione and Pansy. They had been discussing what to do next, if anything. On the one hand, there were lots of students still in shock and recovering from everything, but on the other hand there really wasn't much else they could do.

"I should talk to Luna, at least," Hermione said.

"Harry said she was really affected." Ginny nodded her head in agreement. Luna wasn't the type to lose her cool over anything so Harry could tell there was something off, the girl was probably going through a lot.

"Harry and Ron are going to be away for a while too." Ginny added.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"The ministry needs them for something. They're leaving on Friday and won't be back until next Monday." Hermione nodded. She would need to talk to the both of them sometime during the week. She would try to talk to Luna later in the day and then maybe do some studying. There was still class to worry about, after all. Hermione didn't notice the look that passed between Draco, Blaise, and Pansy at the mention of Harry and Ron. The three were pretty sure they knew what the ministry needed Potter and Weasley for but weren't sure whether or not to tell the two girls. They decided against it, Potter was likely to tell them himself even without their intervention.

The rest of the meal passed peacefully. They all finished eating and then went their separate ways. Hermione made her way to the library first, the commotion of the last couple days meant that she was slowly falling behind in all her work. She was determined to at least catch up on everything before classes resumed. The library was bare, even for a day off, so Hermione decided to stay there to study. As she she was collecting some tomes from a quitter crook of the library, she spotted Luna sitting alone in the back. The blonde girl had both her feet tucked under her on the chair and she was curled up staring off at nothing in the distance. Hermione went and settled herself down quietly across the table from her. She set down her books and pushed them to the side before addressing her friend.

"How are you doing, Luna?" she asked. Luna shifted slowly to meet her eyes, she smiled in that dreamy way only she had and reached across to hold onto Hermione's hand.

"I've been better. I would greatly appreciate if you would stop turning the entire Wizarding world on its tail every year or so." Luna said,

"It really does make one dizzy." Hermione smiled a bit while hiding her face behind her hair.

"I'll do what I can." She replied, giving Luna's hand a squeeze.

"Do you remember," Luna began again,

"When we were about 8 years old and we had gotten caught sneaking out of the gardens again? My father banned me from leaving the house but you sent a royal decree that I come play with you like the frightful little princess you were," Hermione listened closely and smiled as she remember the incident.

"Father dearest had no choice but to let me out because even he couldn't defy royalty." Hermione smiled as she recalled the memory; herself writing out the decree to free her friend and Luna promptly showing up at her door to play. There weren't many people who knew of her royal roots even back then; The Lovegoods, the Malfoys, and surprisingly enough, the Zabinis. She had tried her best as a child not to let her family secret be known, they unofficial royalty after all, but she had enjoyed exercising the power it gave her sometimes if it meant playing with one of best friends at the time.

"I'm worried about you, Hermione." Hermione looked up and met Luna's gaze.

"What's there to be worried about?" she asked.

"Your family was hiding the fact that it was royalty for a reason. With the collective memory back, who knows what kind of people are going to come after you next. The knargles have been jittery recently." Was her reply. Hermione nodded along. Although she didn't really know the reason for the secrecy, she understood the danger behind it. She felt grateful for Luna's worry but still tried not to let it bother her too much.

"Whatever is coming will come, nothing we can do about it."