Author's note: I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this. But I guess that's the exciting part! Well okay, I have a VAGUE idea. In any case I hope you enjoy. It touched my heart as I wrote it, I hope it does yours.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Please Forget Me.
Hermione Granger was tired. So tired that she had fallen asleep in her seat on the Hogwart's Express. She had spent the better part of her week training with the Order and her body ached and screamed in protest of the abuse, her mind felt stretched to the limit with, and she gladly welcomed school as a much-needed distraction from the feeling of impending doom that hung in the air.
"I can't do it anymore, I can't! I can't!" Hermione screamed in pain, as she started to cry.
"NO! You must try harder. Hermione we believe in you." She yelled out one last spell and then she collapsed into a heap, battered and bruised.
"Well done, Hermione, well done," said a rather grim voice.
Dare I wake her? Draco asked himself as he watched her sleeping form curled up on the seat facing him. It had been time for them to do their rounds but when he had arrived at their car, he had found her peaceful in her dreams. But she had suddenly yelled out in her sleep, and now her face wore a look of distress. She was having a nightmare.
"Hermione…" he had whispered, though he had said it so softly it was as though he was trying hard not to wake her. He had then decided to just let her sleep, content to just be near her for a little bit. He observed the young woman; she had still not changed into her robes and was wearing Muggle clothing; just a simple T-shirt and jeans and then he frowned; he had noticed slight bruising on her arms. He drew himself closer to her and studied the marks that blemished her otherwise porcelain perfect skin. They weren't serious. He had seen them before on her. They were because of the intense training she had endured during the summer. He knew because she had told him.
"No more, please, no more," she begged in her sleep.
He then kneeled next to her sleeping form and looked directly into her face then he said, "Forgive me, Hermione." He then took out his wand and pointed it at her forehead, ever so quietly he muttered a few words, closed his eyes and dove into her nightmare. He didn't know why he did, perhaps to bear the pain with her? And what he saw, he couldn't bear. She had been through so much suffering, they pushed her too hard during training. Draco started to get angry. And then she started dreaming of him and her. And he felt the overwhelming pain that it caused her and his heart broke.
He knew that it would hurt, but she shouldn't have to suffer. He could at least do that much for her. "I'm sorry," he apologized once more as he uttered a very complex memory charm and began to erase every single memory of him and her for the past summer. He had become an incredibly skilled Occlumens and he was very careful. He felt guilty for swimming in her memories without her permission, but he had already convinced himself that he was doing this for her. When he was done he realized that he had silently been crying while reliving the summer through her eyes. He noticed that she had been too.
Feeling brave, he kissed her shoulder and buried his face trying to engrave her scent into his memory, for he knew he would never be near her like this again.
Hermione stirred and Draco quickly stood up but she was still asleep. He sighed and wiped the tears from his face with his robe and went off to do his rounds. His heart was heavy, for now she will continute to hate him and will never know that Draco Malfoy loved her.