Chapter 7: Picture perfect memories

A/N:This is long over due...that is all. My apologies.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter


"Blaise, that's not the right tune." Crystal rolled her eyes. The bloody prat was doing this on purpose. He didn't want to leave and their lesson wouldn't end till they got the song right. "It's AhhHhHhHHH not AHHHhhHhhHHH," She sang trying to prove her point. But Blaise barely cared. He grinned broadly at her.

"Do you have a point?" He teased, infuriating her more.

Crystal glared intently at him, but it did no good. "No, no I suppose I don't." She grumbled and stroked the keys on the piano once more. Together they sang, not in harmony as Crystal wanted, but separate. Blaise was a total goof off and didn't care. He was having too much fun watching Crystal put on her best sneer.

This banter went on for about another hour until Draco waltz in, apparently done with his masterpiece painting. "You two are still at it? The pureblood ball is tomorrow and you still don't have it down?" Only he could really put Blaise in his place.

Blaise smirked, "Play the piano once more Crystal, let's show this bloody git what we know." He turned the piano booklet back to the start and waited.

"Fine," Crystal growled in a mere whisper, but listened to Blaise anyways. She didn't really have a choice. That and she knew if she did listen to Blaise, this time he would sing it right.

She was right. He was perfect this time around. Both of them were. The annual pureblood ball would be a success, even if it was just for the parents to show off their wonderful children. Crystal and Blaise finished in perfect harmony, both were grinning.

"No doubt we will be the most priced tomorrow." Blaise held up a hand for Crystal to high five, but she frowned. She was only ten years old and wasn't started Hogwarts this year. Theodore, Draco, and Blaise were all starting Hogwarts this fall. They were all wanted candidates for possible marriage arrangements. She was just Crystal Nott, the unknown child.

Draco glared sharply at Blaise before pulling Crystal off the bench. "Crystal, come with me. The house elves made some pastries that are to die for." He threw once last glare at Blaise and pulled her out of the room.

Excitement filled her. She loved walking with Draco anywhere. He made her so happy and carefree. She couldn't explain it, but he did. He knew everything about her and somehow that made her feel relieved. He knew of her situation. How her dad planned on sending her away and how she probably wouldn't marry any pureblood they knew. She wasn't going to Hogwarts, this ball wasn't meant for her. It wouldn't help her in the long run, but she was being strong to at least help Blaise get a chance at glory.

Knowing all this Draco just wanted her happy. He warned the house elves he was coming with her. He head straight for the kitchen where one house elf was already waiting for her.

"Miss Nott, what a pleasure!" The little thing sweaked and held up a beautiful cupcake.

She took it gratefully and patted the house elf on the head, ignoring Draco's sneer. "Thank you…" She paused and blushed a little. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Trinket, Miss!" The house elf said happily before running off, feeling so much gratitude for how kind the misses was.

"What a cute house elf." Crystal bemused, but frowned noticing Draco's look of disgust. "Right, sorry…I didn't mean that. I take it back." She said quickly and took a bite of the cupcake. She couldn't help but melt at house delicious it was.

Draco took the opportunity of her silence to speak to her. "Crystal," He smiled warmly, she nodded politely in response. She was happily nibbling on the cupcake. "You're extremely nice, you know that right?" He said softly.

"Of course I am." She laughed lightly. "But why are you telling this to me?" She questioned after a moment of taking in what he said.

"You'd honestly be a Hufflepuff if you were more modest." Draco rolled his eyes in a teasing manner.

"Yes, I know definitely not Slytherin material." Crystal crossed her arms, stifling another laugh.

"Hmm, yeah," Draco paused dramatically, while he tapped his nose pretending to think deeply. "And we both know you aren't smart enough to be a Ravenclaw." He laughed earning himself a harsh rape upon the head from Crystal. "That only leaves Gryffindor."

"Good thing I am a disgrace already, otherwise dad might truly shun me." She waved dismissively and took another bite from her cupcake. She chewed silently as the two stared at each other. "I just don't want to screw Blaise up. He choice to do the duet, it's the least I could do for him."

"He chose it because he works the best with you." Draco frowned slightly at the thought, feeling a small twinge of jealousy sneak up. "He lacks the will power to be a true pureblood."

"Then we just have to make sure he gets a strong pureblooded wife." Crystal smirked. "Though she better be really high up there, that boy has the highest standards of anyone I know."

Draco laughed in agreement. "Yeah, you are the only girl he isn't snobbish too."

"A bit of competition I see." Crystal nudged Draco lightly, whose face fell into a scowl.

"Hardly, we both know I am the purest of the pure." He huffed his chest out and spoke in the cockiest manner ever.

"Next to me of course," She threw right back at them, even if they both knew there was a high possibility that wasn't true. She could have been a half-blood for all they knew.

"Technically Theodore comes before you." Draco corrected, earning another slap from Crystal.

"Technically he doesn't, because I'm the purest female. And Theodore's the second purest male, since you come first." She corrected.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling." Draco poked her nose, turned his heel, and left.


Crystal woke up from her dream with a start. Hermione, in the bed next to her was making quite the raucous. Apparently she couldn't find her essay that was due in Defense Against the Dark Arts, for Snape today. Crystal didn't pay any attention though. She was still focusing on the slipping fragments of her dream. Images danced across her eyelids. She reminded that sweet harmonious melody her and Blaise sang. It brought a smile to her face, but what brought an even broader smile was remembering the conversation her and Draco had. He said she would be in Gryffindor if she ever came to Hogwarts and here she was, sharing a room with some of the best Witches she has ever known.

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh and turned to Crystal, "Have you seen it anywhere?" She questioned gingerly noticing that Crystal had just woken up.

"Hermione," She said softly ignoring her friends troubles for one selfish moment. "I just remembered something."

Hermione rolled her eyes in irritation. "That's great, but if you excuse me I have to find this essay. I know I put it right here!" She pointed to her bedside with a scowl.

"No, Hermione," Crystal shook her head, not perturbed by her friends rudeness. "I mean, I remembered something about Malfoy." She said tenderly as her light blue eyes locked with her friends.

"Oh," Hermione dropped the papers she was holding as her mouth formed an 'o'. She quickly bustled over to her friends bedside and grabbed her hand gently. "Was it a happy memory?" She asked almost at once.

"Yes," She nodded excitedly. "I remembered when I was ten, right around the time he got his acceptance letter for Hogwarts."

"Crystal, that's great." Hermione smiled warmly and she meant it. She knew how important this was to Crystal and she knew it was even more important because of the fact that Crystal was on the dark side for a reason. She wanted to protect who ever she could. The girls heart was bigger than anyone else she knew. And for that Crystal had Hermione's great respect. "Why don't you go down to breakfast, go see him." She encouraged.

"What about your essay?" Crystal couldn't shake the smile off her face, though she was concerned for her friend.

"I bet I left it in my potions book." Hermione waved her hand dismissively and quickly shooed her friend up to get ready for the day.

"Which, Ron has." Crystal nodded in acknowledgement. One last hand squeeze to her best friend and Crystal dashed around getting ready at top speed. She still wanted to look presentable, but she wanted to get down there fast enough. She didn't want this memory to fade her. It wouldn't be fair to Draco if another one slipped by her, like she knew so many had.

She ran all the way down to the great hall, feeling out of shape as she made it to the great doors, she grasped her chest and caught her breath for a moment. After she straightened out her Gryffindor tie, she waltz right in towards the Slytherin table and knew exactly what to say.

Crystal's eyes focused, ignoring the strange glances the Slytherin's were throwing her and headed towards the front of the table. She had spotted Draco's platinum hair almost at once, but she didn't head for Draco. She headed straight for Blaise with a grin lacing upon her lips.

Her heels stopped clanking on the floor and everyone peered up at her in curiosity. She didn't say anything at first. She smiled down on Blaise, before she bleated out the start of the song they sang for the first and only time many years ago at the pureblood ball. Blaise couldn't help but smirk and stand up to join her. The two intertwined hands and in perfect harmony sang the familiar notes. Each time the attempted to outshine one another and each time it got fiercer and fiercer. They ignored the gawking they were receiving from the whole hall and carried on. Louder and louder they got, until their voices faded at the end of the song. The great hall began clapping at once. Everyone was amazed at their display of vocals and the strange spectacle at breakfast, but no one was more amazed then Draco. He knew for a fact she didn't remember that memory, because they tried to recreate it this summer. Blaise would cooperate though, earning him a round of torture.

Blaise and Crystal took a grand bow together, before Crystal sat down across from Draco. Their eyes locked at once, but it was Crystal who spoke first. "Yes, I know defiantly not Slytherin material." She let a deflated sigh escape from her lips.

Draco watched her carefully, a sad smile crossed his lips. She was remembering. It was slow, but she was remembering. The thought of her suffering still tugged at his mind but she was getting better. He didn't say anything. He couldn't express any words right now. He was happy because she seemed too happy she remembered. And she displayed it in the most perfect manner. Blaise and Crystal hadn't dared to sing like that in ages. It was a great refresher of how powerful the two could be together.

"Draco mate, I don't think I'll let Crystal go. We are too perfect together." Blaise smirked as he put his arm around Crystal who was chewing on a piece of bacon, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hardly," She couldn't wipe the grin off of her face, even if she was trying to tease and be serious. "You better use a cleansing spell after touching me, the blood traitor."

"Maybe I will just have to drag you with me and we can cleanse the muggle style." Blaise winked, making Crystal blush at once and fury raise up in Draco.

"Knock it off." He commanded to Blaise, who was still laughing.

"I'll knock her of—" Blaise started but Crystal had already grabbed another piece of bacon and shoved it in Blaise's mouth.

"You don't knock it off and I'll find a real muggle for you 'cleanse', then you can tell me how filthy you feel." Crystal growled, sick of his sexual jokes. She knew better though. He was ALWAYS that way. That's probably why she gravitated towards Draco more in their childhood, or that's how she felt right now.

"I can't decide if it's worse that you'd give me a muggle or a mudblood." Blaise said in a dark serious voice. This caused several purebloods around them to eye up the conversation.

"Both would be horrid." Theodore supplied, ignoring his sisters painfully loud eye roll.

"Yes, but what would be worse. Personally I think a muggle, at least a mudblood has some magic in them." Blaise stroked his chin hairs, which he decided to grow out as soon as school started. He said it made him look smarter, Crystal thought it made him look like a troll.

"A muggle would be worse, why we are even having this conversation is beyond me." Draco snapped, annoyed that the conversation was pulled away from Crystal's resurfaced memory. But if Draco was annoyed, he wasn't as annoyed as Crystal.

"I better leave then, seeing as I just slept with a mudblood." She scowled, but quickly changed her face to throw a wink randomly at the Gryffindor table.

Theodore spit out his pumpkin juice, landing it on Blaise who glared rightfully so at him. "Excuse me?" Theodore questioned.

"You are excused." Crystal said lightly with a tiny nod of her head to her brother. "But in all honestly, Hermione and I are in love." She giggled lightly and hugged herself.

"Don't joke about Granger." Draco said quickly, pulling up the conversation they had the other night.

"Oh?" Crystal titled her head innocently. "I'm already shunned from the family." She pointed to her Gryffindor emblem on her chest. "So, I figured sleeping with a mudblood was nothing."

There was a collective snort of laughter all around the table. Everyone knew she was joking and in good spirits. It felt different to have Crystal at the table. It was amazing how far she could change the mood around with a couple words. It was a gift they all seemed to love and relay on at times. Draco especially, because as he found out the days were getting harder, his school grades were slipping, and his life in general was falling under pressure. He had a whole year. That should be easy right? Wrong. Everything he seemed to do wasn't good enough. Everything was becoming a failure. The only thing that wasn't a failure was his mission with Crystal. She made it easier by being her carefree self, but that could only get him so far. That wouldn't help him with his mission. That wouldn't save his mother and father. Stupid Potter landing his father in jail…how could Crystal honestly be friends with him? Then again she was there with him, it was partially her fault too. No, he couldn't think like that. He loved her. None of this was her fault, she didn't even have her memories.

The week wore on and the homework grew increasingly hard. Crystal was spending most of her time with her nose in the book. Usually she would sit in the common room next to Hermione, other times in the dorm by herself. Now and then she would attempt to hang out with Draco, but he was never there. He was always busy doing other things, which was code word for 'working on his other mission'. That didn't make Crystal feel any better. She understood his mission was important, but it was important for them to see each other too, right? She didn't know though. Her thoughts were so muddled. She couldn't remember anything else about Draco, so all she had is what she knew. And right now, he was less than pleasant. He kept getting detentions for not turning in his homework. Crystal wanted to help him, she really did. But not being a Slytherin made that really hard to do. She couldn't get a hold of him and he'd often only show up for dinner, if that. And she really didn't want to bother him in the only meal he consumed.

So instead she sat with Neville, hoping that maybe he would show up for dinner tonight. But she doubted that. Her eyes kept glancing at the Slyhterin table, but to no avail. She didn't seem him anywhere.

"He's not there so stop glancing." Neville let out a sigh. He could barely understand her need to see if he was there or not. She forgot her memories on him, why would she need to see him? It was bad enough she was betrothed to him…

"I know," Crystal sighed and pushed her food around on her plate. "Nevs, it bothers you doesn't it?" She looked away from her plate into her best friends eyes.

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow looking at her in confusion.

"I mean…that I am actually attempting to make this work with Malfoy." Crystal couldn't look at her best friend any longer. He was making her feel guilty. But that meant a lot to her. It was like he was maturing. He had really changed so much after the Department of Mysterious incident.

"No, I don't like it at all." He said sternly. "But you know, that's not for me to decide. It's your life, Crystal."

"Nevs," Crystal reached out and grabbed his hand. "You know your opinion matters to me. So spit it out."

Neville looked over his shoulder at the Slytherin table. He peered around for Nott or Zabini, he didn't want them to listen. He saw them close by and thought it was best to leave. He gave Crystal one look before he let go of her hand and turned out of the great hall. He glanced back to see if Crystal was following, she was but at a slow pace. She kept eyeing the Slytherin table. Her eyes traced over at her brother who was watching with a raised eyebrow. Crystal ignored him with a slight smirk and followed after Neville, who lead her all the way up to the Gryffindor common room. But that wasn't far enough for him. He didn't want to be over heard, so he pulled her all the way up to his empty dorm.

Once the door was shut tightly and Crystal had settled herself on his bed, Neville finally spoke. "Crissy," He smiled as he took a seat next to her. "I…I don't like it. You have no freedom with your family. You should be able to choose who you love. They shouldn't decide for you."

"We live in two different worlds." Crystal muttered with her head hung low.

Neville frowned and grabbed her chin, gently pulling it towards him so he could look into her eyes. "But you don't have too. You know I'm right."

Crystal shook her head, "I can't back out now." She cried out. "It's too late. I should have left the minute I lost my memories about Malfoy. You know when I woke up he was in the room waiting for me and I hexed him. How awful must he feel? What torture is he going through right now? He loves me a lot, I can't just leave him."

"The torture he is going through? What about what you went through?" Neville let go of her face and grabbed onto her hands instead. "I admire the fact that you are willing to stay by his side, but what do you want. Can you tell me for once in your life what you want?"

"That's too selfish." Crystal muttered.

"It's not selfish! You have the biggest heart out of anyone I know. Tell me, what do you want?" He demanded with intensity.

"I…" She looked up as tears forced the way to the corners of her eyes. Crystal let out a sigh of frustration. She didn't know what she wanted. She's never really given it a thought. She always just did was she was told. The only time she didn't was when she went to the Ministry of Magic. Or just her befriending the Gryffindor's…and just knowing that upset her father gave her happiness. It felt exhilarating. But she couldn't leave Draco even if she didn't remember him. If she left him, he would get punished. She didn't want that resting on her mind.

Crystal stared at Neville not really sure what to say. After several tense moments she snapped. The tears began to pour from her eyes. She felt awful. The only thing she knew how to do was run. She quickly pushed passed Neville and ran from the dorm. She didn't stop running until she made it to the Slytherin common room. She waited there, hoping and praying someone would come by. Someone had too, she looked like a disgrace right now sobbing outside of the common room.

She couldn't wait out there much longer. Her heart began to feel heavier and heavier with each student she saw enter into the Slytherin common room. She hated them all. They were all sucked into this life. They all did as they were told, she wanted to be different. How could she do that though? There was no way possible. Crystal was set in her fate and she knew it. There was no way to back out now.

Heaving a loud sigh, she left the entrance to the Slytherin common room and found herself wondering around the castle deep in thought. She barely noticed where she was going till she walked into someone.

"Oh, I'm ter—" The person started in apology, but his eyes caught who he had knocked over. "Nott? Is that you?" The boy asked excitedly as he held out a hand to her.

"Bradley?" Crystal looked up in confusion as she took in the Ravenclaw before her. The boy smiled happily, it was the very same boy she rode to Hogwarts with at the start of the year. She'd recognize that smile anywhere. It was perfect, nearly everything about him was perfect. His beautiful black hair, smooth face, and muscles that were carved out from being a Ravenclaw Chaser, that was Christopher Bradley. "How have you been?"

He held out his hand to help her up. "Never mind about me, what's with you? You look upset." He commented as he took in her usual beautiful face. Right now it seemed far from that. It was blotchy and looked gasthly pale. Something was bothering her.

"Nothing really," She muttered and dusted off her skirt. "Just the usual pureblood concerns."

Bradley rolled his eyes. "Let me tell you Crystal. You are perfect."

Crystal actually let out a laugh. "This coming from you? I dare not need to ask your blood status." She teased.

"Half-blood, thanks for asking." He crossed his arms, but still looked highly amused.

"I suppose that's not terrible seeing as I let you touch me." She eyed her arm where he touched her with a tiny bit of distaste.

"Oh get off your high hippogriff." Bradley laughed, "Let's go for a walk my fair maiden. Then you can tell me what is ailing you so." He held up his arm which she graciously took with a grin.

"I doubt you could help me with what's ailing me." She shrugged as they walked at a decently pace.

"Try me," He looked down on her. "Although, I have a good idea because I saw you leave with Longbottom at dinner. So I'm going to venture that it's boy troubles."

"Observant aren't we? Or just a stalker," She furrowed her eyebrow. Was it that noticeable, her actions? She certainly hoped not. There were so many mini-Death Eaters that could report to a number of people. She could be in so much trouble for what she was doing. But why should she care? Wasn't that why she was upset in the first place?

"No, I was leaving at the time and noticed you. I wanted to say hello, but Longbottom looked troubled." He justified. He had wanted to say hello to her since they first met. When they rode in the carriage it was so much fun. He enjoyed her company, as did his friends. But none of them really had the courage to confront her. She was always with some of the most popular people within the school.

"Yeah, he was giving a speech." Crystal shook her head. The tears were attempting to swell up again. But yet at the same time she was smiling. She was happy being with an outsider. It felt good, he didn't know her whole life story. She just felt awful thinking about what Neville said because what he said was right.

"The high and mighty pureblood doing something wrong?" Bradley looked at her with doubt. "I thought you were the top student in your grade. So I know it wasn't about that."

She smirked, "Top next to Hermione. But yes, I did something wrong in Neville's mind." She sighed, "Apparently I'm too selfless. I need to start thinking about what I want and not what my parents want."

"He's right you know. That's the problem with all you purebloods." He shook his head in agreement. "That's why my mum married a muggle. She was a pureblood you know." Bradley carried on looking at her with a sincere heart. He had heard all the stories from his mother, so he knew what Crystal was going through. He wanted to help her if he could. "I can keep a secret, so tell me," He paused dramatically as he stopped walking and leaned in close to her. "What do you want?"

Crystal blinked profusely at him in shock. She swallowed hard and shook her head in honestly. "I really don't know. I've never given it much of a thought…"

"Then maybe it's about time."