Chapter 4

Hermione Pov

It was pitch black and unknown hands were pushing and pulling me further and further into the darkness.
'No. Please! Leave me alone!' I screamed at them. I heard a cold high pitched laugh, one that still haunted me from my hell of a life last year. I screamed even louder, hoping beyond hope that someone would hear me. But no one ever does.
The laughing got louder and louder until it felt like it was right inside my head. I could no longer hear my screams the laughing was so loud. Then, complete silence. I twisted and turned in the complete darkness, straining my eyes trying to see something, anything. Then I felt a searing pain on my wrist, exactly where that hateful word was written.
'Please.' I whimpered. 'I don't want to hurt anymore, I don't want to remember!'
I heard a loud cackle as I crumpled to the floor shivering and twitching whilst the pain continued to get worse.

Draco Pov

I was sat next to her bed in the hospital, wondering why she fainted out there in the snow this morning. Surely my arrival wasn't that much of a surprise? I asked for her to be given a few months notice so she wouldn't have to deal with her old enemy making a surprise appearance and scaring the shit out of her! I shook my head at the word enemy. I may have been her enemy in public but that didn't stop me from admiring her. I suppose it all changed in third year. No one had stood up to me like that. Well, apart from Scarhead... but that was entirely different. Even the Weasel didn't stand up to me like she did. She punched me! Actually punched me. Since that day, I noticed a lot more about her. Like how she would always scrunch her nose before laughing or how whenever she would read her favourite book, she tied her hair in a scruffy bun with bits of hair framing her face.
Great! Now I sound like a stalker!

I was startled from my thoughts by the sound of her moving. Thinking she was waking up I hurriedly stood up, moving behind the chair so I could make I fast get away. I didn't think it would be a good idea for the cause of her fainting to be right next to her when she woke up. I frowned when I heard her whimper and twitch. Moving closer, I saw a thin layer of sweat lining her skin and her forehead creased as if she was in pain. I was about to call Madame Pomfrey when she whispered my name. I was stunned. She's dreaming about me?
I moved even closer, wondering why on earth she would be dreaming about me. Again, she whimpered and twitched, this time her arms and legs flailed slightly.
'Malfoy please! Tell her she's wrong!' She whispered.
I felt the blood drain from my face. She was dreaming about her torture. No, not dreaming but having a nightmare. It's no surprise she fainted when she saw me if she's been having nightmares about my old home and my ex aunt.

I turned quietly from the bed and walked towards Madame Pomfrey's office. Just as I was about to knock on her door, it opened suddenly.
'Mr Malfoy, I was just about to check up on the two of you.' Madame Pomfrey whispered. I nodded and followed her to the bedside.
'She's having a nightmare' I whispered, shuddering as she whimpered and twitched yet again. Madame Pomfrey frowned and shook her head.
'She told me she had been having nightmares but she didn't tell me how bad they got.' She shuffled round to the other side of the bed and drew her wand.
'Relaxat et somnum'
The whimpering and twitching stopped leaving only the sound of deep, even breathing coming from the bed.

Madame Pomfrey smiled slightly at the sleeping girl and then put her hand on mine and pulled me away. If she had done that just under five years ago, she would have gotten an earful from my younger self. As if she remembered this, she quickly took her hand away. I smiled at her and said
'Thank you for looking after her.'
She started in surprise as this was the first time I had spoken since arriving at the doors with an unconscious Hermione Granger in my arms.
'It's my job Mr Malfoy, how else are people supposed to survive Care of Magical Creatures?'
We both smiled slightly at the memory. After having provoked a Hippogriff, I suffered a deep gash on my arm that I well and truly deserved, but still needed stitches. Hagrid, the Hogwarts Gamekeeper who had only recently took the job of Care of Magical Creatures professor, had to carry me up to the hospital wing after I had fainted from shock.

Shaking my head slightly and smiling I followed Madame Pomfrey into her office. Her office was cosy but clean with a small dining table for two in the corner and a bookshelf that had a fold out bed in the middle, which also doubled as a writing desk once put away. Various muggle paintings were hung on the wall as well as some wizard portraits. She led me to what I presume was a lounge area what with two decently fluffy armchairs, a coffee table and a small fireplace. She had me sit down in the one closest to the fire and as the warmth of the flame touched my skin, I realised I had been shuddering.
'What are we going to do about Miss Granger?' She asked softly, as if to herself. I couldn't answer her as I was too busy staring at a small group of portraits on her mantelpiece. In a large but modest frame were the golden trio with the caption 'Most common patients'. That didn't surprise me; they had been in the hospital wing almost as often as Neville Longbottom. What did surprise me were the other two portraits. One was of Argus Filch in a small silver frame with wire hearts incorporated into it and the other was of a young girl. I got up and walked over to the mantelpiece. The portrait was a wizard one and the young girl watched me move closer. As I picked up her frame she waved at me shyly and smiled happily. I looked back up at Madame Pomfrey and saw tears in her eyes.
'Who is she?' I asked quietly, not wanting to upset her further.
'She is my daughter' Madame Pomfrey replied, although it was muffled by a tissue as she wiped her eyes.
'She is 4 in that picture and had just gotten that dress as a present from me for the spring.'
'What happened to her?' At this her face turned hard and her eyes grew guarded.
'She was a squib, didn't show any signs of having the gift of magic. I took her to a specialist who cast a spell, just so I knew for sure that she wouldn't develop any skills later on in her life. I had taken her to my sister's place for the spring term, the day after I gave her that dress. She was so excited to see her aunt again. I left that evening to go and talk to Albus about a job position, leaving her in the care of my sister. I travelled to Hogwarts to talk about becoming the Matron of the Hospital Wing and much to my delight, I got the job. I arrived at the outskirts of my sisters village, unable to contain my excitement. However, I looked around at the once lively and bustling roads which were now silent and desolate. As I got nearer to the border wall, I could hear faint screams and crying. I rounded the corner and straight into hell. There were houses on fire, children screaming for their mothers and fathers hiding under abandoned carts. I started to panic as I raced towards my sisters house.'

She took a trembling breath as she tried to finish her story. Unfortunately, I had a feeling I knew how it ended. I went and knelt in front of her and grasped her hands tightly. Again she started in surprise at my actions but relaxed slightly grabbing hold of my hands for support.
'You don't need to finish' I said softly 'I know how this ends.'
She shook her head and whispered
'How could you know, you weren't even born.'
I sighed. How could I explain that my father once had in his possession a pensive that he used to show me all of the raids the Death Eaters had done? How could I tell her that the murder of her sister and daughter had been the one that hit me the most? I had watched my grandfather murder her sister in front of her daughter. I saw the look of horror forever etched onto her sisters face. Then I saw her beautiful daughter as she looked at her aunts dead body. I saw her turn to face my grandfather. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She just watched him. My grandfather actually hesitated before he killed her. I think it was the fact that she didn't show him any signs of weakness that threw him. Especially from a four year old. This however didn't stop him from killing her.

'Trust me. You don't need to finish. Please.' I whispered.
She looked at me slightly puzzled but also slightly relieved.
I stood up and replaced the picture on the mantelpiece. I took a deep breath and turned to her slowly, unwilling to tell her how I knew.
'My father, being the twisted bastard that he was...' She interrupted me with a small squeak, reminding me who I was talking to.
'I'm sorry, twisted git that he was, had in the manor a library of memories from all the Death Eaters that led the raids during the first war. I was forced to watch them all as a child as part of my 'training'. Every new recruit will have been shown at least three of these memories to judge whether or not they had the stomach. Unfortunately, because it was my father's library, I had to watch them from a young age till I was about thirteen. My father presumed I had been trained and educated enough in the ways of Voldemort that I no longer needed persuasion.'

Madam Pomfrey stared at me with eyes as big as saucers. I think she realised what I had been trying to say as she had frozen in shock.
'You were forced to watch them?' She gasped; absolute disgust was visible in her eyes for just a second only to be replaced with a deep and profound sympathy. I nodded ever so slightly; tears started trailing down my cheeks as I turned my head away, angry with myself for crying. I didn't know any of the people I had watched die. What right did I have for crying over them? I was RELATED to the person who murdered her daughter.
'Oh you poor boy. I am amazed at how you managed to cope with that horrible father of yours forcing you to watch all those deaths.' She gently put a hand on my shoulder and turned my head to face her.
'Now listen to me. You are not responsible for your fathers actions, or those of his fellow Death Eaters. You were just a young boy who was looking for the admiration of his father. You cannot change the past. Don't fear the future and learn to appreciate the present.' I smiled slightly at this comment.
She smiled at me fully then, motherly wisdom emanating from her like a warm cloak. A light knock on the door made both of us jump. I stood up immediately, ready to run, only to find Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, looking at us with a small smile.
'I am sorry to interrupt but we have a problem to discuss.'

Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and looked over her shoulder at Hermione.
'Miss Grangers fine Poppy, although she is part of the problem.'
Madam Pomfrey shared a confused glance with me and then turned back to the Headmistress.
'She fainted after seeing Mr Malfoy here. She has been having recurring nightmares involving her torture at Malfoy Manor...' I flinched at the mention of her torture.
'And she has also been having recurring dreams about a mysterious man. She came to me worried that it might be some sort of Legilimency, but my knowledge in that area is very lax. I did receive the letter from your course manager Mr Malfoy about you joining our course. However, Miss Granger got a different letter stating that she would be joined by another student in the spring term but he couldn't make the first term due to business issues abroad. That letter was sent by me as I intercepted the original letter, the one that said you would be her classmate. I thought this was appropriate because, as previously mentioned, she has been having nightmares.'
I looked at her in surprise. She didn't tell Hermione that I was coming? Even though the nightmares were about her torture and she had been saying my name, surely she has the right to know who her classmate will be. Especially if that classmate is me.

Headmistress McGonagall turned to me with a look of determination on her face.
'Mr Malfoy, as well as attending the Animagus course here at Hogwarts, I would also like you to teach Miss Granger Occlumency.'