There was a knock at the office that Matthew was not expecting, sighing he got up from his chair, he was severely hung over - he had left here furiously and gone to the pub, his intent to forget everything he had just learned about the mysterious girl he had found.
When he opened the door it was to find a man, no older then Hermione, standing there cautiously.
"Matthew Dyer?" The man asked, he had black hair and was tall, well built too, but not imposing.
"Wha- you want?" Matthew asked, his headache getting worse with each passing second.
"Hermione Granger... I'm one of her friends..." The man said. Matthew looked at him long and hard before stepping aside and letting the man in.
"She's upstairs, go on, I'm sure you'll help to jog her memory," Matthew said letting the man walk into his office and up the stairs, not sure if he cared if this man was a mass murderer, and then regretted the thought instantly, though he'd never admit it, he'd come to care for Hermione, like she was similar to him...
"Harry?" Hermione's voice floated down from the hallway upstairs, she knew this man.
"We looked everywhere for you, 'Mione, no one could find you... You went missing, that guy, he says you can't remember..."
She did not answer, but a deathly silence fell, and then she screamed, horrendous screams of pain, and Matthew was on his feet instantly, tearing up the stairs, he grabbed the man and yanked him back, almost pushing him down the stairs, he threw him forcibly out the office, slamming and locking the door before returning to Hermione's side, she was sobbing, full painful, heart wrenching sobs, he pulled her delicately into his arms and held her. Minutes passed, then hours before she showed any sign of calming down. The man named Harry did not return, and Matthew was happy for that.
"Matt... I-it was a-aw-awful..." Hermione whimpered finally, it was already starting to get late now and it had been late morning when the visitor had appeared.
Matthew didn't have anything to say, he didn't know what she had remembered, he just wished that she hadn't had to remember it.
"Do you- do you want to talk about it?" Matthew asked, Hermione shook her head, but gripped tighter onto him, like she thought he was about to pull away from her.
"Ok then, well, you need to eat something, so come on... We'll order in," Matthew said almost desperately not sure what else he was meant to do with a crying nineteen year old girl.
He managed to get her down stairs and ordered a couple of large pizzas. It took thirty minutes for it to arrive, in which Hermione sat in total silence staring at the opposite wall.
It was only when Matthew opened the two boxes that she spoke.
"People were dying." She said slowly and quietly. "Everywhere, children died... Families were ruined. I was part of that Matthew," Hermione said, tears welling in her eyes, occasionally falling over her lashes, and the pizza's now lay forgotten. "Seeing him- Harry, I know him, he's meant to be my best friends, I don't know where I met him, but I know him, and he killed so many people... and I know, just know, that we were doing the right thing, but- but does that make it right?"
"Hermione..."
"I know there's someone else... someone else in the picture with me and Harry, like I know I've forgotten something important... I'm not making sense, but..."
"I know what you mean Hermione, don't worry."
"I- I can't remember Matthew, I can't remember the people I loved, I don't know where my parents are? Did I have a sister or a brother? Am I single, do I have a boyfriend - a fiancée? What was I doing with my life other then murdering?"
"H-"
"NO! Who am I Matthew? You don't know!... I-I can't go back there... Please Matthew... Don't make me go back to that," Hermione begged, her eyes searching his desperately.
"Ok... ok. You can stay here, with me, or find your own way, whichever... I won't make you go back."