A/n: Thanks so much guys for understanding.

Life is really a bitter friend.

But anyways, at least right now I can manage to squeeze this story in my schedule.:)

But I'm really sorry to say I can't post messages for all of you this time.

But anyways, here's the story.ü

I hope you still like it.

By: Aningme

Chapter 10

Dilemma: The Sequel

She woke up with a slight tug of headache clinging on her. Her whole body soared with an incredible pain, confusing her, and her stomach was tossing and turning. She felt the need to puke, but tried to hold herself down. Struggling to sit up, her bed suddenly jerked up, up, and up, inclining her body.

Mrs. Dubley smiled at her. "There. Much better?"

Hermione just blinked at her, and watched her go back to her work. She was packing up with what she assumed her clothes.

"Do I know you?" She asked, slightly discomforted to see her pack a set of her supposedunderwear.

Zipping the bag, Mrs. Dubley turned to her and tilted her head at her. "You indeed are looking better. Do you want some breakfast?" Just as she blinked at her again, she laughed. "Oh, sorry about my manners. I'm Mrs. Darlene Dubley. And yes, you do know me."

"I do?" Hermione muttered, as Mrs. Dubley set the table for her and prepared a bowl of soup. "Where am I?"

"Hospital." She beamed at her. "Now you eat that. It will get your color back."

Holding the spoon, Hermione saw herself staring back at her.

Damn, did she have a big bruise on her face.

Touching it, she winced a little, and sighed. "What happened to me?"

"Accident at home. But it's all better now. And you're going home in an hour."

"I am?" Hermione's brows shot up. "Mom's picking me up?"

Mom. She remembers her mom. It's impossible. "Well, I'm afraid she won't be able to." She died in the war. Along with your father. She wanted to explain.

But she wasn't sure on how much she still remembers.

Narcissa already explained that she wouldn't remember anything at all. Nothing but her.

How come she remembers her family?

"She won't? My father then?" Hermione asked. She dipped the spoon into the bowl and tasted it. She smiled and sipped more.

Mrs. Dubley almost broke a tear, watching her enjoy a bowl of soup like a child, ignorant of everything. "I'm sorry, Hermione. He wouldn't too." She muttered.

It was somehow a relief to know she remembers her family, herself. Her identity. There was a great chance of her remembering everyone else.

But how could that be possible?

"He can't? Where are they? Did they go to the beach without me?" Hermione insisted. "We always go to the beach after school. I just hope they'd wait for me."

"No, they wouldn't leave you like that." Mrs. Dubley smiled. "I know they love you. But I'm sorry to say, they passed away, Hermione."

"What?" She dropped her spoon, her eyes turning pale. "Is it because of the accident?"

"No, Hermione." Mrs. Dubley walked to her and touched her hand. "They died years before… Ten years, precisely."

"What?" She shook her head. "That's a lie. I'll go home and see them there. They're always there."

"I must not talk about this with you here. You must eat up and get dressed." Mrs. Dubley smiled at her, trying to drift the mood away from death. She wanted to curse at herself for opening this subject. "Would you like some biscuits too?"

"How did you know all these stuff?" Hermione pushed the table away. "How did you know me?"

Mrs. Dubley sighed in desperation and gazed at her. "I work here for almost twenty five years of my life." She smiled again, trying to cover her frustration. "And I worked for ten years here with you…"

Hermione just gaped. "I work here?" She looked around. "I'm a nurse?"

"No." Mrs. Dubley chuckled at that, loosening her nerves. "No indeed. You're a respectable doctor here."

"I am?" She stared at her hands and studied them. "I am?"

"Yes. Very much." She stepped up and nudged a hip on her bed. "You're a great doctor, Hermione."

"I am." She said it more like a statement than a question. "I think I am." She turned to Mrs. Dubley and shook her head. Tears suddenly shimmered in her eyes. "If you say my parent's are dead, you must be saying the truth." She looked up and gazed at her. "Why can't I remember anything?"

Mrs. Dubley wrapped her arms around her and held her, closing her eyes. "I can't tell you everything, Hermione. I don't think I should be the one telling you."

"But you're the only one I know right now…" Hermione pointed out, as she held back to stare at her.

"I may be, as of now. But someone's coming to fetch you, and he'll tell you everything you need to know." She smiled again, comforting Hermione.

"He?"

"Yes. Your husband."

"Husband? I have a husband?"

"Yes." She laughed heartily and held out her wand. "Now, I must take care of your bruises before he arrives. I promised him to take care of you."

"Who is he?" She asked.

"I believe that would be me." Draco Malfoy suddenly opened the door, and smiled at her. "Good morning, Hermione. Darlene."

Hermione couldn't stop but stare at him. She knew that face. She felt like as if she had seen it before…

Those eyes… that golden hair… that face…

"I already packed her things. She's all set." Mrs. Dubley announced and walked to Draco. "Can I talk to you outside? We'll be right back."

Hermione just watched them.

Draco opened the door and closed it beside him. "How is she?"

"I have some good news and bad news. She remembers herself. Her family." She smiled, glancing at the door window. "Impossible, I know, but she remembers herself quite well, and her school, and her trips with her family to the beach during summer."

"She remembers Hogwarts?" Draco muttered. "She remembers it?"

"I believe she remembers everything." Mrs. Dubley glanced at him. "Everything before the war."

"She does? How did that happen?" Now, Draco glanced at her in the door window. "But she couldn't remember me. She's supposed to forget everything else. That's what Narcissa--"

"She's pregnant, isn't she?" Mrs. Dubley smiled. "I assume she had vomited some of the poison that night."

Draco just stared at her, speechless.

"It is good news, indeed. Her memory is working out fine every minute." She sighed again. "But she couldn't remember anything during or after the war. Bad news. She doesn't know it even occurred. She doesn't know her parent's died."

"And Harry Potter." Draco mumbled.

In her mind, Harry Potter is still alive.

And that she loves him, not Draco Malfoy.

"I believe so…" Mrs. Dubley touched his hand. "It will work out fine. She'll remember everything. Someday."

Draco glanced back at her and smiled. "Thank you, Darlene. You did a lot."

"So did you. Now go back in there as her husband." She smiled. "She'll remember you, I'm sure."

Entering her room, Draco stared at her and watched her watch him.

"Hi." He said, his lips curved into a smile. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine." She mumbled, not knowing what to say. "You?"

He stepped closer to get an apple on the ignored tray of food beside her bed. He took a knife and nibbled some. "I'm alright." He nudged a hip on her bed and stared at her. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes." She looked down on her soup, halfway done. "I think so."

"The bruises are gone." He said and leaned to her, touched her face.

Feeling his touch, she felt her stomach toss and turn. Her heart pounded so hard as if it wanted to burst from her chest. And she felt the shivers climbing up and down her spine. Shivering, she suddenly flinched away, turning away from him.

Draco just took his hand back and stood up to the window. "I'm sorry."

"No, I—" Hermione stuttered, confused. "I'm sorry… I can't… I don't—"

"Remember me?" He filled in for her. "It's alright." He turned to her, and smiled. "I guess you'd remember me when I call you…

Mudblood…"

Hermione furrowed her brows, baffled still. She hadn't heard that name ever since…

Wait…

Isn't that what he calls me back in Hog…

"Draco Malfoy." She suddenly blurted.

Draco just stared at her, bewildered.

And relieved.

She remembers me… She remembers me…

He wouldn't ask for anything but that.

"Welcome back, Hermione. I never called you that again for quite some years."

"What the hell are you doing here?" She blurted; anger present in her voice.

Draco just raised his brows. "I'm here to fetch you, and bring you home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. Uptown. With me."

She shook her head, disbelief present on her face. "I can't be married with you."

He laughed. "But you are."

"No. That's impossible." She blurted. "That's just insanity. I hate you. You hate me. We're destined to hate each other."

"So I thought." He mumbled.

She just stared at him, nearly becoming desperate. "I don't understand… Nothing's making any sense…" She glanced at her left hand, and saw the golden band shimmering with the light. "Buggering hell…"

He walked to her and raised his hand to her face, showing a golden band just the same as hers. "Believe it or not, we are married."

She looked up and stared back at him, and broke to tears…

"Hey, hey, don't cry." He whispered, sitting beside her, holding her face.

"I don't understand… What happened to me?" She insisted, staring back at him with her teary hazel eyes. "Why am I like this?"

"I'm sorry…" He murmured. "You wouldn't understand…" Not yet, he thought. "But I can show you something if you go with me…"

She sniffled, and just watched him. Gazed at his silver eyes. She remembered staring at him before, and she'd always see the coldness of them. But then, she wasn't seeing coldness in them now. She was feeling their warmth. His warmth.

"Will you go with me?" Draco muttered; his voice gentle and soft. "Please?"

She nodded and cried.

A/n: There.:) At least she remembers something.ü

I hope you guys enjoyed that.ü

Maybe I'll post messages next time. Or the other next time.

I'm not really sure.

But until then, take care you guys.ü

I'll update next weekend again.ü