Meanwhile Hermione slept. Dreaming all the while. She was like sleeping beauty. Resting silently, slowly recuperating her life. One memory seemed to stick out in particular. Her mind continued to play it over and over.

She was running through the rubble and fallen stones, dodging spells. Someone pulled her into a corner, behind a fallen column. They had placed their hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream. When she looked at the face of her captor, she found it was Draco. "Listen to me, they're going to try and take your memory. Without you the other two are weak." She felt a little appalled at the fact that he couldn't even say Ron and Harry's names. "If I let go will you scream?" he asked. She shook her head. He let his hand go slowly. "What do you care if they take my memory?" she spat in a hushed whisper. "I don't you ungrateful little wench." he spat right back, turning to leave. "Draco wait," she said catching his arm. He turned to look at her, lifting his eyebrow. "Thank you." she said. He nodded. "I knew there was good in you." she told him. "I wouldn't go that far Granger," he said, "Just don't get caught."

She thought a moment. "If I do?" she asked.

Why wouldn't she leave? Draco thought. "You'll never get them back."

"Harry and Ron would bring back my memory." she said confidently.

"I wouldn't be so sure." he told her. She looked at his face. She could tell he wasn't lying. For once in his life Draco Malfoy was being sincere. Hermione panicked. "Then you have to do it." she told him. His eyes grew wide. "I don't owe you anything." he said, rather nervously. "No, you don't but I'd definitely owe you." A spark flew their way, just barely missing them. Draco pulled her closer into the corner. "We don't have much time." he stated. "Draco, please. Don't think about who our parents are. Just look at me as a person. I need your help."

Draco thought fast. He really could hardly believe what he was doing. Helping the mudblood. His ancestors were probably rolling over in their graves. But he couldn't help it. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to her. Because as strange as it was he did have feelings. He didn't want to have feelings. It made being a Death Eater rather difficult. But as hard as he tried she was always on his mind. And right now, being this close to her, he only wanted to kiss her. She'd forget it soon enough anyways. After all, he had been the one instructed to erase the poor girl's memory.

So why warn her before? That he didn't exactly have an answer to. He felt he owed her at least that much. Then again, if he was going to erase them, why bring them back later? That he did have an answer to. Though he would never admit it, he did care for her. They were intellectual equals and actually had very similar personalities. The only difference is he had been forced to follow the dark lord. And unfortunately, the dark lord had presented him with the task of erasing her memory. A terrible fate, actually. He wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially her. To lose one's memory was to lose one's identity.

It seemed only fair if he were to take them away, he'd have to be the one to get them back.

He thought a long while. "If you're to get them back you need some sort of object. Like an anchor. To keep your memories from flying away." he said quickly. Her hand went up to her necklace. Draco shook his head. "No, it can't be on your person." he spoke hastily. "Then give me that." she pointed to his Slytherin House ring. He ripped it off his ringer and she added it to her necklace, tucking it in her shirt for safe keeping. "Promise me you'll get me my memory back." she told him. "I will." he said. "How can you be sure Harry and Ron won't fight for me?" she asked. "Because it's a painful process. They won't want that for you." She nodded in agreement.

What happened next surprised the both of them. She got up on her tippie toes and pecked him on the lips. "Thank you Draco." He pushed her. This stupid girl. She ruined everything. How would he be able to do it now? "Please don't think badly of me," he began, but she interrupted him. "How could I? There's good in you." she said, crouching down next to the wall, about to make a run to the other side of the building. "Granger." he said, and she twisted around.

He lifted his wand. "Obliviate."

Ron paced back and forth much like Draco had done earlier. The other two sat motionless on the couch, waiting. Ron couldn't help but move. He didn't understand how Draco and Harry could be so still. Ron's nerves were an absolute wreck. What if something happened to her? What if something went wrong during the recovery process? It would all be his fault. He was the one who made the final decision after all.

Draco didn't like the fact that Ron continued to walk in and out of the bedroom, constantly checking in on Hermione. As if she would spontaneously awake in his presence.

Ron finally sat down. "It's all my fault." Ron said, hanging his head. "No, it's not." Harry said. "No, no, let him speak." Draco insisted. "I'm the one who made the final call. I wanted her to forget. I didn't want her to remember all of those terrible things." he paused, "I wanted her to have a better life than that." he justified.

"You really don't get it do you?" Draco sneered. Harry looked up at him questioningly.

"I thought you two were supposed to know her. You spared her from a few bad moments but at what cost? Replacing everything with lies? I can't help but think she wouldn't have wanted that."

"We did what we thought was best." Harry argued.

"Well you thought wrong." Draco said.

"You're one to talk!" Ron snapped, "It's your people who took it from her in the first place. I'm sorry Malfoy but can you lift up your sleeve for me? You were a Death Eater if I remember correctly."

"We can argue all we want but that isn't going to help Hermione when she wakes up." Harry yelled.

"Fine, but I hope you had fun, Malfoy, because your time is up. The moment she wakes up and remembers the little piece of crap you are, don't feel offended if I kick you out the door."

"And don't be offended if it works the other way around, Weasel." Draco shot right back.

Draco couldn't help but feel nervous. What if Hermione woke up and hated him again? Then things would go back to normal, he thought. But he couldn't exactly complain when she smiled in his direction. He had been enjoying the company...

Ron couldn't help but be envious. It was in his nature. What was he when compared to Draco Malfoy? Solely in a matter of looks of course. For god sakes just look at the bastard. The perfect hair, the build of a seeker, the bloody smirk he always carried. If nothing else the prick was a confident one. And that was something Ronald Weasley most definitely lacked. Surely everything would return to as it once was? Perhaps not. Ron could justify his reasoning all he wanted but his true motives to erasing Hermione's memories were completely and absolutely selfish in their entirety. He thought the elimination of the memory of his ruse with Lavender would set things right. Things hadn't exactly been the same between Hermione and Ron since that fiasco. He had noticed that she didn't disclose as much information to him as she used to. Most of it he had to hear through Harry. They were still friends of course, but she had grown more distant. And he had been the one to push her away. Would he really lose Hermione to the infamous Draco Malfoy?

A/N: Hello! Typed this one up kind of fast so let me know of any errors. Keep it up with the comments and thanks for reading :D