Author's Note: This is a complete rewrite of the first chapter. If this is your first time reading Memory Keeper, please enjoy. If this is not your first time, I suggest reading it. I did not modify anything that will change the plot but this is much better written than my previous first chapter.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. JKR is the genius.
In a small wizarding village in France, a young blond man apparated in front of a small jewelry store. It was nearing sunset and the store had closed ten minutes ago. He sighed at the disappointment of seeing the red sign by the store's entrance. He stood there for a moment glancing down the road trying to decide on what to do next. He could always wait until the next day, but he would rather not.
He remembered why he was here in the first place. An image of a pretty young girl sleeping on a hospital bed floated through his mind. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he had last seen her.
--
It had only been hours since the end of the Final Battle. He was pacing at the opposite side of the small room. Looking over his shoulder, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were watching the still form of Hermione Granger. They whispered in hushed, worried tones glancing at him every so often. Though they tried to whisper, he easily heard them.
"Oh Merlin, Albus. What on earth are we going to do?" Professor McGonagall asked. She stared down at Hermione who was sleeping peacefully on a bed at St. Mungo's.
"Well, now that we know the extent of the damage of Lucius's obliviate there is nothing else to do but hope for the sake of Hermione's loved ones that her memory returns," Dumbledore replied gravely, watching Draco Malfoy who continued to pace.
"He'll be devastated; you do know that, don't you Dumbledore? By now, he's almost lost everything," McGonagall stated.
"I understand, Minerva, but there isn't any other way."
He left St. Mungo's a few hours afterwards apparating back to Malfoy Manor. He had not been there since the summer before sixth year. He did not have a reason to go back until then. He practically upturned the Malfoy library researching and scouring books for the answers. He knew it had to be there somewhere...
--
He ran an elegant hand through his hair while the other hand took out a small book from his pocket. Draco made up his mind. There was no way that he could wait a second longer. This had to be done tonight. He faced the door and brought up his hand to knock.
An elderly stout Frenchman opened the door, immediately recognizing the young man. He looked quite hesitant at first but eventually led him inside the shop.
"Good evening, Monsieur Malfoy," he said. "What can I do for you today?"
"I apologize, Monsieur Martel, if I am interrupting anything, but this is quite important and I could not wait until tomorrow to speak with you," Draco replied.
"No, Monsieur Malfoy. How may I be at service?" he asked. He knew the younger Malfoy through his father who was a frequent customer. The young man had never caused him any trouble but his name led the store owner to be quite cautious. He walked behind the counter, hoping to put some distance and tried not to fidget.
Draco noticed the man's uneasy disposition. He forced a smile, hoping that the man would know that he did not mean any harm. Honestly, it was the last thing on Draco's mind. He had more pressing matters at hand. He put the small leather-bound book on the counter and opened it up to a bookmarked page. He pushed the book towards the old man. "Does this look familiar to you by any chance?"
Monsieur Martel's eyes grew wide after a quick glance at the elegant script and diagrams. "Where did you find this?" he asked. He delicately touched the yellowed pages of the journal. It was a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. It contained the only record to his family's secrets to creating some of the rarest jewelry in the wizarding world.
"Surprisingly, at my family's library," Draco smirked. He was very proud to have found this journal after spending fifteen hours trying to locate it.
"This journal has been lost to my family for almost a century! Monsieur, how ever may I repay you?" The old man's eyes were almost pleading to Draco. This was an important heirloom and it would mean the world for his family to have it back.
Draco looked down at the bookmarked page. He pointed at a picture of a necklace. "Monsieur Martel, I need you to make me a memory keeper."
--
Draco stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express as he waited for the train to depart. A small smile formed on his lips as he watched a crowd of redheads go through the barrier. The crowd was smaller this year but loud and rowdy nonetheless. Fred and George were the only ones there to see their younger siblings go off. He almost laughed at the sight of Ron trying to escape from Molly's kisses. His face had already turned the colour of his hair from all his fussing. Harry was with them and it did not take long for him to spot Draco on the train. He said his goodbyes to the Weasleys, promising them to write. He pulled Ginny and Ron along, hoping to get a word with Draco before Hermione showed up anytime soon.
"Hi," Ginny said, pulling her trunk behind her as she entered the compartment. "Want some company for a bit?"
Draco nodded, still looking out the window. He heard them all shuffle in and tried to get comfortable. They all sat opposite him in silence unsure of what to say.
"Um, Draco, are you okay?" Ginny asked, hesitantly. "We haven't heard from you since you left the Order Headquarters."
He chuckled and finally broke his gaze from the platform. He turned to Ron, Harry, and Ginny. "Of course I'm not okay... I haven't slept in two weeks! I can't stand it... The thought of her... lying there in that bed. It kills me."
It was quiet again for a couple of minutes. The three Gryffindors really did not know how to comfort Draco. They had become great friends over the summer but they never had to deal with him when he was upset. That was Hermione's job.
Draco broke the silence. He cleared his throat. "Is Hermione okay?" he asked quietly. "I haven't seen her or talked to her in two weeks."
Harry nodded. "She's fine. Ron and I visited her the week before school. She was perfectly healthy... except - "
"Except for the memory thing," Draco finished. "I assumed as much."
"Look Draco," Harry said, "You heard what Dumbledore said. There's nothing that we can do, but act like nothing changed since the last school year. I know this is hard..."
"Hard? Hard could never describe how this is like for me...," Draco replied frustrated. "Can you really expect me to go around with those Slytherins acting like -"
"Hey guys!" Hermione huffed, interrupting the conversation. Her cheeks were flushed after running around Kings Cross to get on the platform just in time. She pushed stray curls out of the way and tried to regain her breath. She smiled as she dragged her trunk into the compartment. "I'm sorry I'm late. Out of all the days, our car chose to break down!" She surveyed the compartment and her eyes suddenly narrowed when they landed on Draco Malfoy.
Harry quickly took note of her expression. "What are you still doing here, Ferret? Are you going to keep on trying to bore us with your old insults? I think you've suffered enough for the day."
"Yeah! What he said..," Ron mumbled, not knowing anything better to say. Ginny stifled a laugh at her brother's retort. 'He sure does have a way with words...,' she thought.
Draco made an attempt at a menacing stare but his heart was not into it. "In your dreams Potter. Your insults will never compare to mine. Have fun with the Weaselbee and the She-Weasel." He trudged out the compartment, but couldn't help to whisper, "See you at the Heads dorms, Hermione."
"Did you just hear what Malfoy said?" Hermione questioned. She couldn't believe her ears. Did Malfoy really call her by her first name? It sounded so foreign coming out from his mouth that she would have easily believed it if it was all in her mind.
"'Mione! Did you hear? Luna's asked Harry out on a date!" Ginny exclaimed, hoping that Hermione would get distracted with a piece of gossip.
Hermione took the bait and quickly forgot all about the blonde. "What? Harry why didn't you tell me?" she asked turning to the dark haired boy.
Harry blushed slightly. It only happened a few days ago, after we've seen you. I would have written but..."
Hermione nodded understanding her friend's discomfort. She did prefer to find out in person. "I'm so happy for you Harry!"
"Thanks," he replied sheepishly as the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the station. Luna joined them shortly. They spent the rest of the trip to the Hogsmeade Station sharing stories of the last two weeks that they did not spend in each other's company.