Chapter 10:
Darkness.
Nothing but darkness.
It was in fact the complete opposite of a memory gap.
Completely pitch black in her mind, and she couldn't even open her eyes.
She just felt like crying, crying for the loss of Ron and Harry and Ginny and Molly and everyone. But most of all for Draco. Draco had touched her in a way no one else could, not even Ron. He made her feel special and important. He made her feel alive and youthful again. He made her feel loved.
Just then, another memory had hit her in the head, only this time, these were unrecognizable.
These were the lost memories.
She saw what happened that day of Buckbeak's execution. It was the day she punched Draco Malfoy in the face. Memories of that moment flooded back to her. The adrenaline she felt of finally giving him what he so rightfully deserved.
Her brain quickly moved onto the next gap which was later that same year in the corridor.
Again she fell right into the Gryffindor common room, this time with many other students getting ready to leave for dinner.
The younger Hermione descended from the stairs, this time without her male companions.
She watched as her former self had a quick conversation with a few other girls. How is it that all she could ever talk about was schoolwork?
The conversation ended quickly, seeing as the other girls were bored listening to Hermione drone.
Hermione wanted nothing more than to slap both of those girls as she followed herself out the portrait hole.
Upon exiting the Gryffindor common room, the younger Hermione looked into the corridor and locked eyes with one other person.
Draco?
She ran towards the other end of the hall, only to be followed by him.
"Where are you going, Granger?" he shouted down the empty corridor.
She ducked behind an empty corridor and was immediately trapped between Draco and the wall.
"Never answered my question, Granger. Are you scared?"
"I'm not the one who should be scared, maybe it's you. After all I am the one who put you in the hospital wing!"
"Don't start that with me, you really don't want to see what I can do."
"What's the worse thing you can do? Tell your Father? Good, it will just show him how much of a coward you are!"
Draco seethed with anger at this statement.
"No one ever talks to me that way. Especially about my Father."
"Well it's about time someone did!"
Suddenly, without warning, he leaned in roughly and let his lips touch hers. it wasn't soft at all and quite surprising really.
She pushed him away and wiped her mouth in disgust, "How dare you!"
Immediately realizing what had happened, he said, "Never speak of this!"
Then she ran all the way back to the Great Hall.
How could she forget that moment? It was her first kiss! She remembered exactly how she felt after that. Angry that it was Malfoy and all happy because it was her first.
Just then another memory appeared. This time it was from 4th year.
Hermione skimmed the shelves of the Hogwarts library. She gently touched each book binding searching for the correct one.
Suddenly a hand grabbed hers and locked with the other. She looked at the person in front of her and pulled away from his grasp.
"Malfoy? What do you want?"
"I think we should talk."
"About what?"
"That night in third year. That night you and I..."
"We agreed to never talk about that!"
"I bet you couldn't forget it, could you?" he said with a smirk.
"Malfoy, why did you even do it in the first place?"
He angrily hit the bookcase and shouted, "Because I couldn't help myself!"
He sat down in rage and held his head in his hands.
He continued, "You're just too darn...attractive."
"What? I couldn't quite understa-"
"I said you're attractive!" he yelled, then being hushed by Hermione's voice.
"Might as well take it as a compliment, Granger."
She walked over to his broken form and sat down next to him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. Hugged him as a thanks for being her first kiss. Hugged him because she too couldn't stop thinking about what she felt that night.
"I couldn't stop thinking about it either," she said.
It was a bold move to tilt his chin towards her face and place a soft kiss on his.
She remembered that day very clearly now. It was the same day they made a pact to keep what happened a secret. They even admitted that they felt something for each other.
Her brain scanned through smaller moments that did not hold as much significance. It was all the secret dates and hiding they did over the years. Practically every moment she spent away from Harry and Ron was spent with Draco.
They were even each other's secret dates to the Yule Ball. She spent the dance with Krum, but gave herself enough time to meet Draco in the astronomy tower. There they danced the night away to her favorite song, "Take My Breath Away," by Berlin.
Draco had set up the astronomy tower so the ceiling could twinkle just like the night sky in the Great Hall. He also gave them enough room in the middle to dance like they would've done in the at the actual Yule Ball.
"It's beautiful, Draco," she said whilst gazing at the ceiling.
"And so are you."
Then he took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor.
He placed a hand on her waist while she rested her hand on his shoulder. Admitedly, those dance lessons from Mcgonagall really helped.
Since tonight was the only night they allowed electronic devices in school for the Yule Ball, Hermione was able to have a small muggle recording device with her.
With a swish of Draco's wand, the music started as they fell into never ending love.
"Watching every motion
In my foolish lover's game
On this endless ocean
Finally lovers know no shame
Turning and returning
To some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion
As you turn around and say
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Watching I keep waiting
Still anticipating love
Never hesitating
To become the fated ones
Turning and returning
To some secret place to find
Watching in slow motion
As you turn to me and say
My love
Take my breath away
Through the hourglass I saw you
In time you slipped away
When the mirror crashed I called you
And turned to hear you say
If only for today
I am unafraid
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Watching every motion
In this foolish lover's game
Haunted by the notion
Somewhere there's a love in flames
Turning and returning
To some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion
As you turn my way and say
Take my breath away
Take my breath away"
As the song ended, Draco brought her towards the balcony.
"Turn around," he said.
She turned around slowly as he brought a necklace down around her neck, letting it fall perfectly into place. She touched the pendant and held it to the candle light.
It was a simple emerald on a silver chain. It glowed in the light as she continued to look at it.
"It's absolutely beautiful, I should've known you'd pick the color green."
Each and every moment brought tears to her eyes as she viewed every single detail of her time with Draco. It all made sense of why he wanted to help her, why he wanted to regain her memory.
He was her first love.
Then came their final moment together before everything in her life changed for the worse.
They ran from the center of the battle and back up to the astronomy tower. They were running for everything they believed in, everything they ever wanted.
Upon entering, Hermione had already set up suitcases and brooms for them to leave the dreaded place. She had arranged for them to go to Paris, where they could start a new life together.
They knew no one could ever truly accept them together in society. His parents wouldn't allow it, they just had to be together.
And the sight of their peers dying around them only hurried her cause. Thankfully, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were able to save Draco at the fire in the Room of Requirement.
She set her things down and had begun to mount the broom when Draco stopped her, his hand on top of hers which held a firm grasp on the broom.
"Hermione, wait," he muttered.
"Wait for what? There is no time to wait!"
Her grip tightened on the broom as he lowered it down.
"We can't go through with this."
She dropped the broom in frustration as he paced back and forth whilst running his fingers through his hair.
He continued, "You have your whole life ahead of you! You have friends and family! I can't be the one to take you away from that!"
"But you're worth it, Draco."
"And I just can't do that to you."
She paused for a moment and stared intently into his eyes. She knew she loved this man and she knew that leaving her friends and family was a big step for both of them. But if it meant spending the rest of their lives together, it would be worth it.
She rested her hand on his cheek as he inhaled deeply from her palm. He played with the pendant from her necklace as she spoke softly,
"Draco, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."
Her words were sincere and was purely made out of love. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and carefully unclasped it.
"I know, and I'm sorry," he said with tears in his eyes, he lifted his wand to her neck, "I have to do this, I love you."
"Oblivisci me."