Author's Note: Hello! This is my first fanfiction so please cut me some slack :P I really love Dramione and this idea just popped into my head. I honestly don't know where the story is heading to, though. Please help me along the way and I am currently looking for a beta so if any of you readers are interested in helping, please PM me :) Review, and I'll upload another chapter when I'm done with it! Thanks~ And here goes. I present to you, the first chapter of Obliviated.
"No! No... Don't do this to me!" "Crucio! Obliviate!" Narcissa Malfoy entered the room at that moment, and watched, frozen in her place, as her son writhed in pain on the floor before her, screaming out one more time, before finally blacking out. The room was dimly lighted, only illuminated by the jets of light that shot out of the wand that was currently pointed at the nineteen year old on the floor, blood and dirt caking his face. Her husband stood above him, his face a picture of pure fury. His lip curled to form the trademark Malfoy sneer and he was trembling slightly with anger. His wand twitched in his hand and he spun around, striding past her and out of the room, his robes billowing behind him. Only when he was out of the room did she rush up to the unconscious Draco, tears streaming down her face. She was shaking with fear and biting her lip as she looked over her son's bruised form. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have let this happen to you..." She grasped his hand. It was cold as ice. His shirt was torn and tattered in many areas, and there were gashes all over his body where Sectumsempra was used on him. His body twitched from the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. Narcissa hung her head low as her tears dripped onto his lifeless and bloody palm. "I'm so sorry..."
(14th June 2000)
"Hermione! Get over here, there seems to be a cure for the Crucio victims, we've just tested them out on some of the patients and there seems to be results!" The floo call came and Hermione immediately jumped up and stepped into the fireplace with a handful of floo powder, calling out "St. Mungo's!" before she disappeared. "You're here! Come on, the Longbottoms and the others are beginning to show some symptoms of recovery," Harry rambled, grabbing her arm and pulling her along to the wards where the patients lay. He was right. As she looked into the different wards, she could see patients slowly, but surely, sitting up. There were not many, but still enough to fill about six wards. Every one of them, just like the Longbottoms, were heartlessly tortured by the Cruciatus curse, until they were driven to the brinks of their sanity. Until that point, many of them were left unconscious. For many months, the Healers had been trying to find a cure that would bring the patients back to their original states of mind. They had spent many long and sleepless nights researching and experimenting, without any results. However, recently there seemed to be a breakthrough and many, inspired by this, worked even harder to turn that hope into reality. Finally, that moment had come.
They approached the Longbottoms' beds and saw that they were already awake. They slowly looked up at the two adults. Both Hermione and Harry held their breaths, anticipating any form of movement or speech, but they merely blinked. Hermione sighed and turned to Harry. "How long will it be until they regain their abilities to speak?" "I'm not sure. They were, after all, unconscious for many years. It would depend on the person too. Different people take different lengths of time to recover. However, for the weaker ones, if we talk to them, their brains are able to process it and they can respond by nodding or shaking their heads. That's all we've found out." Harry gave a sheepish smile. She nodded and from the corner of her eye, she saw slight movement. She gasped in shock when she saw who it was.
"Malfoy?" Upon hearing his name, he turned his head slightly so he was facing her. Confusion. She could see it in his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, she questioned, "Harry, why is the ferret here?" "Draco? You're finally awake!" A new voice was heard as two figures rushed into the room. Pansy Parkinson, followed closely by Blaise Zabini, appeared beside his bed and clutched his hand, sobbing as she checked him for any form of recognition of them. Hermione just raised her eyebrow again and Harry gestured to her to leave the ward. "So?" Hermione impatiently tapped her foot, her arms crossed against her chest. Harry gave her a look before opening his mouth. "Well... He was admitted into St. Mungo's some time ago while you went to fetch your parents back from Australia. Just before Lucius Malfoy was finally captured and sent to Azkaban. Apparently, he had tortured the ferret for quite a while for his failure of completing Voldemort's tasks. He sees it as avenging Voldemort's death. Blasted man, taking out his anger on his own son. That's seriously deranged."
Harry shook his head in disbelief, and continued, "He used the Cruciatus curse on him countless times and just as the ferret blacked out, Narcissa Malfoy found him and brought him over. Lucius, on the other hand, tried to flee but fortunately got caught by Ron and his team of Aurors. He was shocked, to say the least." Harry chuckled. Hermione took all of this information in, with a slight frown on her face. "So that's why I hadn't heard of him in so long. Not that I wanted to. But wow. Who knew? I can't believe I'm saying this but I do feel kind of sorry for Malfoy, despite what he did. I figured the incident in the Room of Requirement was bad enough a punishment for him." Before Harry could reply, Pansy and Blaise left the room, looking over at them with unreadable expressions, before looking back down as they hurried away.
Back in her apartment, all Hermione could think about was that look of confusion. Had he not recognized us? She shook that possibility out of her mind. He had personally made our lives hell for seven years, what made me think that he wouldn't recognize us? But... If he did recognize us, why did he look so confused? Hermione was left stuck at that thought. Throughout the rest of the day, the answer never came.
Unknown to Hermione, she was also on someone's mind back in St. Mungo's. Who was that? Why was she studying me like... Like a piece of information? And who was that Scarhead? Draco Malfoy frowned slightly. They seemed kind of familiar though... Just then, he bolted upright in his bed, wincing slightly as some bones cracked from the lack of recent movement. He searched around for a calendar and saw the date. 14th June 2000. He counted off the years in his mind. He had been asleep for 4 years? That was impossible. All he remembered was... Being in Hogwarts. Fifth year. His dad being sent to Azkaban because of Potter. Right! So the Scarhead earlier was Potter. And that must've been the Mudblood beside him. Always attached at the hip, they were. Then he remembered receiving... Something. From... Someone. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't remember what he received and who he received it from. Draco started freaking out. A Healer entered his room for his daily checkup and saw him fervently trying to move his stiff bones and muscles in an attempt to get out of his bed, and rushed over.
"Mr Malfoy! Mr Malfoy! What is it?" "I don't... I don't remember anything! I don't remember anything after my Fifth year! And... And I'm nineteen now! NINETEEN! What was going on the past four years? Is my father still in Azkaban? Where... Where is my mother? I demand to see my mother now!" Draco fumed at her, scowling as the Healer furrowed her eyebrows. "I will floo call your mom over this instant. Forgive me if I'm wrong, Mr Malfoy... But didn't you participate in the Second Wizarding War where He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated by The Chosen One, Harry Potter? And weren't you on the dark side?" At this, Draco wore a look of disbelief. Had this much happened in four years? Why couldn't he remember anything? There were just too many unanswered questions. "Just... Just get my mother here. Now." He barked, running a hand through his blonde hair in exasperation.