A/N:

Written for the House Competition.

House: Slytherin.

Year: 1

Additional.

[Prompt] Temporary Amnesia.

Words: 703


The 'after war' trauma was hard on Hermione, and she found comfort in the darkness. She hardly talked to Harry and Ron anymore. Her mind was a messy slate, with chunks missing. The war had affected her more than what she had bargained for. After the war ended, she had fallen ill, and the sickness had taken away a part of her memories, and she wanted them back, even if it was the most horrible memories. Amnesia had ruined her beautifully tragic mind.

A knock on her door shifted her attention from her thoughts. She didn't move though, and waited for the person outside her door to leave, but to her utter disappointment, she heard the door slowly creak open. Footsteps got closer and she looked up to see who it was.

With her quick instincts she grabbed her wand and backed away.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione questioned, voice raspy from days of not talking.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I... I just wanted to apologize, I swear. Mrs Weasley let me in, can we talk?" Draco Malfoy mumbled. He looked weak, destroyed. "Please, Granger, I really mean it. I'm not who I was. Believe me, please. I truly am sorry for everything."

Hermione walked forward, and maybe it was the amnesia, but she felt like the boy standing in front of her was someone new. She gently put her hand against Draco's face, her touch light as a feather. He stood still, the moment felt special, like the air between them shifted. But he saw Hermione slowly losing her consciousness and she collapsed on the floor, and only then did he see how frail she had become. The strong Hermione, who never backed away from a fight, looked so vulnerable. He rushed down to call for help, he didn't know why he felt the need to protect her, but he stood by her side while she laid on the bed. Molly had told him how she had not eaten for days. She was depressed by everything that had happened, from surviving the torture session with Bellatrix to surviving the war where her friends had died. He understood her, and he realized that both him and Hermione were not who they thought they were. They weren't different, they weren't always strong. And although their whole life they were made to believe that their blood status mattered, Draco saw how little significance that held. He had come here thinking that it was time to seek forgiveness from the one person he bullied, and now at this very moment, he was happy that he had come, for he was now rediscovering himself. Just from a small connection he made with Hermione Granger, he realized how similar they were.

"What happened?" Hermione was awake, her eyes trying to adjust to the light.

"You fainted, Miss Granger." he answered, trying hard not to sound rude.

"Draco, call me Hermione." She smiled up at him and he felt his heart flutter. He never thought his heart would feel so much happiness just by looking at Hermione smile, and he tried to calm his mind from racing.

"Hermione."

It felt sudden, this feeling. He did not come here hoping to fall in love. No, he came here to apologise, but life worked in funny ways and Draco was glad he had summed up enough courage to make this trip to the Weasley's house.

"Draco? What's wrong?"

"Nothing to worry about. How are you feeling? I should call Mrs Weasley? She's downstairs with mother." He answered, rushing to get to the door before Hermione could catch him falling in love with her.

As he turned to go, he felt her hands wrap around his arm, electricity flowed throughout his body, and he knew she felt it too by the way she took a sharp intake of breath. He turned to look at her, and she looked so lovely.

"Please stay." she whispered and Draco could swear Hermione wasn't the only one who suffered a temporary amnesia because he forgot where he was going. He didn't remember trying to leave and he asked himself why she asked him to stay because he was never going anywhere without her.