Author's Note: Welcome back from your holiday break. Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy this new chapter. As always, JKR is a festive treat!
It was a lot harder to spend time with Granger now that school had started up once more. They still had their arithmancy lessons of course, but Draco had gotten so used to spending his days with her in the library over the Christmas holidays that he actually missed her now that they had to sneak around again. She had come up with a few clever charms to make their alcove in the library more private, and that seemed to be enough to keep people away in the evenings after dinner. There was a charm that made people distracted as they approached, and another that muffled the sound of their voices.
Draco was fixated on his vanishing cabinet now. He needed to get it done quickly so that he could save his parents from any further suffering at the hands of Voldemort and his more zealous followers. Every so often he was tempted to ask Granger for help on a tricky spell, or to perfect his charms that would repair some of the issues he was having with the stupid thing. But then he would groan and immediately regret the thought. He had to do this without her. If she helped him fulfil his task in any way and then discovered she had taken part in the murder he was supposed to be preparing for, then it would destroy her. And he couldn't do that to her. It would be better if she just despised him in the end.
It was Thursday evening and he was waiting for her to arrive in the library. Draco was sick of working on the cabinet tonight. He had reached a dead end and needed more to time think through the problem. So instead he had retreated to their alcove to await his favourite part of the day when he would get to spend time with Granger. And if he just happened to run his fingers through his hair a bit self-consciously to make sure it was sitting right, well then that was surely just a normal gesture of habit. It wasn't like he was trying to impress her or anything…
Draco snorted at himself and shook his head.
Normally all he needed to attract girls was his typical smug smile and his Malfoy fortune. Plenty of girls at school were willing to fawn all over him in the hope that they might get his attention. But not Hermione Granger. He was at a bit of a loss as to how he could become more desirable to her. She didn't seem to care about the usual qualities that other girls liked. Mostly his family connections and good looks.
Okay, so maybe he was willing to admit that he wanted her to want him. Despite all the complications going on, and all the reasons not to, Draco was inexorably drawn to the Gryffindor Princess. It was pointless to deny it. Somehow, in the process of becoming friends with Granger, his stupid fantasies had deepened into something so much more terrifying. He didn't just wake up flushed and sweating from dreams in the night that delivered a sharp spearing heat through the pit of his stomach. He wanted more. He wanted to know everything about her, and share himself in return. He wanted to make her smile and laugh, and hold her hand in front of crowds of people without being judged or putting either of them in mortal danger. He hated Harry fucking Potter for being so close to her and getting to show off a friendship that made him sick with jealousy. He despised Ron Weasley for even hoping he could date her.
Draco looked down at his watch impatiently. It was getting late. Why wasn't she here? There was only another half an hour before curfew and he hadn't seen her all day. He had checked the prefect patrol roster and she definitely hadn't been scheduled for tonight. And as far as he knew, there wasn't anything happening in the common room or extra credit for a teacher. She would have told him if there had been other plans. But he hadn't heard from her.
Draco drummed his fingers on the desk, not even bothering to pretend he was reading or try to distract himself. He scowled at the shelves of tomes around him as if they were prison bars keeping her out.
Where the bloody hell was she?
With only ten minutes until curfew he finally let out a huff of air and packed up his belongings. His movements were brusque and a little more violent than necessary. She had better have a damn good reason for not turning up, he thought with a petulant grimace.
Deciding to risk being seen, and ignoring the fact that he was being a bit of an irrational stalker, he started to creep towards the Gryffindor common room. He ascended the stairs quietly, keeping to the shadows in case anyone came past. He was hoping to catch Granger just before she turned in, if she was indeed busy somewhere else in the school.
Draco didn't have to wait long. He heard the voices long before they came upon him. When he recognised Weasley and Potter speaking, he quickly ducked into a small corridor that ran off the main staircase. He listened to them approaching, feeling a bit creepy lurking in the shadows and watching her. Maybe he had actually gone mad.
"I'm telling you, Harry, the Cannons are gonna have a huge comeback next season!"
"You say that every year."
"But this time it's true. McDonald is the new keeper, they poached him from the Griffins!"
"They still have the worst seeker in the competition, Ron."
"Oh come on, that ref was totally biased against him last match."
Draco watched cautiously as they walked past his hiding place. He saw the two morons engaged in their debate about quidditch and rolled his eyes. Trailing a few steps behind them was Granger. His stomach fluttered a bit uncomfortably when he saw her. She was trailing behind them with her head buried in a book, frowning in concentration and chewing her bottom lip.
After the oblivious twins had passed him, he reached out one hand and tapped Granger on the shoulder. Her head shot up with a small gasp and her eyes darted around to look at the source of the touch. She immediately saw the highlights of his blond hair in the dark passageway, and her eyes widened in surprise.
He saw that she was about to open her mouth to offer an excuse to her friends, like needing to run back to the library, but then her eyes narrowed at them. They hadn't even noticed that she had stopped. They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they quite blindly walked ahead until they were slipping through the portrait of the fat lady and disappearing from sight without noticing whether or not she was following them. Granger tutted a bit and shook her head in annoyance.
Draco just smirked and grabbed her arm again. He tugged her into the corridor and directed her up against the wall behind him, pressing her against the cold stone.
"Draco!" she squealed a bit in surprise at his manhandling, but he shushed her with a wave of his hand and she grimaced in apology.
"Do you want the whole of Gryffindor tower coming out to save you from the big bad Slytherin?" he murmured with a mischievous smile.
"That depends…" she whispered back, looking him up and down, "Why are you here?"
"You didn't come to the library," he said with a pout, knowing that he sounded like a spoilt child, but not really knowing how else to express his unhappiness that she had abandoned him this evening. Granger's eyes widened a bit and she blinked her long lashes a few times as she thought quickly.
"Wait…had we arranged to meet tonight to study? I didn't think we had any projects due…?"
Draco released the breath he was holding and leaned into the wall close to her, feeling stupid.
"No, we didn't make any plans as such," he ran his hand through his hair nervously as he stammered, "We just usually meet up there, don't we? I was waiting for you."
Granger blinked again, and dropped her gaze to the floor.
"Oh," he watched as she bit her lip and peered up at him guiltily, "I'm so sorry, Draco, I ended up swapping prefect duties to do rounds with Ernie McMillan, because Ron said he had to go to a special practice session for next week's match, and then I met up with them at the end of duty, and I had to wait like half an hour for them in the entrance hall because Harry forgot his broom…"
Draco felt his shoulders relax a bit as he listened to her ramble. He had been really put out that she hadn't turned up to the library, in fact he'd been pretty furious. But now he was feeling a bit sheepish. He shouldn't have reacted so immaturely over something so silly. His face reddened a bit in embarrassment as he held up a hand to stem her yammering excuses.
"It's alright, Granger. I'm not angry."
"You're not?" she asked, her brows raised in surprise. She looked sceptical.
"Alright," he huffed, "So I was a bit peeved you didn't show, but I do understand."
Granger smiled prettily and shuffled her feet. A slightly awkward silence fell between them and Draco struggled for what to say. Sitting in the library he had thought of a million things he wanted to tell her, but now that he had cornered her and pushed her into a dark corridor, he was at a loss. It all seemed so unimportant now. Eventually he sighed and rubbed his nose self-consciously as he looked back up at her.
"So…uh…how was your day?"
Granger stared at him curiously, a smile tugging at her lips.
"My day was alright. How was your day?" she replied a bit dryly, her expression clearly showing how strange she found the conversation.
"Fine," he replied with a quick nod before they fell silent again.
He watched her carefully from beneath the hair flopping over his eyes from when he had messed it up with nerves. She was breathing a little quickly, and almost looked like she wanted to sink through the wall behind her.
"Listen," he began, shuffling his feet, "You should know that Snape is on the warpath this week. He's just looking for an excuse to give you detention."
Granger smiled softly and tilted her head towards him.
"Thanks for the warning. I will try my hardest not to be an insufferable know-it-all in class."
Draco smirked.
"Impossible."
Granger gave him a little shove as she scoffed, but he caught her hand and tugged her a bit closer, his expression serious. She shivered a bit and looked up at him with those brown eyes that trapped him completely, drawing him in and making him feel a bit dizzy.
"You promise you'll come tomorrow night?"
Her eyebrows furrowed a bit in confusion, but eventually she nodded her head.
"Ok, I promise."
Draco was reluctant to let go of her hand and watch her walk away. He was breathing too quickly, and every time he inhaled he could smell her shampoo. His fingers were tingling from holding onto her soft skin. He lowered his head a bit to look more closely at her. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly too, and she was staring at him like a frightened doe. But as he watched her, he noticed the exact moment when her eyes flickered down for just the briefest moment to look at his lips. Draco shuddered and couldn't stop his body's instinctive reaction. He leaned forwards and pressed her body back into the wall more snugly. She let out a little gasp that sounded adorable, and he felt the next puff of air leave her lips and land on his cheek like a caress.
He was going to kiss her. It was surging up inside him powerfully. He so badly wanted to press their lips together and taste her. Drac's eyes flickered downwards and watched with an almost inaudible groan as she licked her lips in anticipation.
"Hermione?"
He let out the breath he was holding and cursed silently as Potter's curious voice rang across the tower into the cramped corridor they were occupying. The boy had obviously wondered – a little belatedly – where his friend was, and had stuck his head back out the portrait to check. Draco chuckled madly, wanting to punch something, preferably Potter's stupid ugly face. He leant his forehead against the cold stonewall behind Granger's shoulder, feeling her body jolt beneath him as she registered her friend's presence just around the corner.
"Fuck," he swore quietly, angrily, right next to her ear, and he enjoyed the resulting shiver it produced in her body.
"I should go," she whispered shakily, retracting herself from where she had been standing unsteadily between him and the wall. He watched as she quickly straightened her hair and clothes and left their little space, looking shaken, but still as confident as ever.
"Sorry, Harry, I was just making sure I had all my books with me. I thought maybe I'd left one of them-"
"-in the library," Potter interrupted with a chuckle, "Yeh. You know, you should just sleep there. Why bother coming back at all? I can ask Madam Pince if you like…"
Draco listened in frustration as Potter teased her, and heard the thunk of the portrait fall into place as they disappeared inside. He banged his head softly against the stone a few more times. He had been so close to acting out one of his most thrilling fantasies of late. He wanted to taste Hermione so badly that he was going mental just seeing her in class and around school. He wanted to kiss those perfect, red lips and see if it was even better than what his fevered imagination produced every night. Would she make more of those little gasping sounds? He shuddered at the sensory memory of how her panting breaths had felt falling rapidly onto the skin of his cheek. And best of all, she hadn't pushed him away or freaked out. She hadn't exactly thrown herself at him or anything, but neither had she slapped him or looked disgusted. It was a start, at least.
Pushing off the wall, Draco rubbed his hands over his face and swore again. It looked like it would be another long, sleepless night for him.
….
Hermione was looking over at Harry with concern. He seemed fixated on the other side of the potions classroom, and she shivered as she realized the intent stare he was directing towards the blond Slytherin. He was angry, and she was starting to get worried. Harry was dangerous when he lost his temper. Had he seen something last night? Did he suspect that there was something going on between her and Draco?
Hermione felt her heart skip as she gripped the knife she was using to cut up ingredients. There definitely was something strange and confusing going on with Malfoy. What had happened last night… well she wasn't really sure how to explain it. She had been so sure that he was about to kiss her right before Harry had emerged from the common room and interrupted them. Her mind kept replaying the moment over and over again, taunting her with images of what might have come next if they hadn't been disturbed.
Looking back at her friend, she saw Harry chopping ingredients far too violently as he glared at the back of Malfoy's head. He had been perfectly nice to her all morning, so maybe it wasn't what she feared.
Actually, thinking about it now, she suddenly remembered with a sinking feeling that she had seen him talking to Katie Bell earlier between classes. The seventh year girl had been released from hospital and had returned to classes today. And Harry had quizzed her over what she could recall from the day she had been cursed. Hermione pursed her lips and tried to concentrate on the potion while still keeping one eye sharply on her friend. But she was on edge for the rest of the lesson. Her eyes kept darting between Harry and Malfoy and hoping that her friend would at least pause to consider the consequences before confronting the Slytherin or acting foolishly.
When Slughorn announced the end of the lesson, Hermione tried to pack up quickly, but her books were too big too fit neatly into her bag and it took her longer than she'd wanted to sort it out.
By the time she left the dungeons, both Harry and Draco had disappeared.
Damnit…
She raced up the stairs as fast as she could, sensing that something was wrong. She didn't want her best friend to do anything stupid, and when he was upset or angry he had a tendency not to think. It took her a little while to try and figure out where they had gone. She spun around in a wide circling, pacing back and forth and cursing herself, until finally by some fluke she heard a distant clunking sound. It was coming from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione dashed around the corner and into the bathroom.
What she saw made her heart clench and she froze as she took it in.
The sinks were smashed in and water was spilling all over the floor in muddy pools. Draco was cowering on the floor behind one of the stalls, his wand pointed around the corner as he fired spells. Harry was behind another stall, looking crazy enough to murder someone. The only sound that Hermione could hear over the pounding of her own furious heart was their screaming as they yelled insults at each other. With a shaky hand, she clenched her wand tighter inside the pocket of her robes and stepped forwards.
….
Draco grit his teeth as a shard of wood flew near his face.
"Is that the best you can do, Potter?"
He heard Harry panting and coughing from the rain of fine powder that showered down from the wall. The other boy yelled loudly over the sound of the spraying pipes.
"I know you're the one who cursed her, Malfoy."
Another spell flew his way and he was forced to roll out from his hiding spot. Potter rounded the corner too and they stood facing each other in the centre of the room, wands poised in sweaty, shaky hands poised for their next spells.
"NOOO!"
Draco spun to the side as Hermione's voice echoed in the dusty bathroom. She entered the fray at a run to stand directly in front of Harry with her arms outstretched.
"No, Harry-"
"Get out of my way, Hermione!"
Potter went to shove her to one side. He was so mad he barely looked at her as he pushed her aside with one hand and gripped his wand with the other. Draco saw red when Potter manhandled Granger out of the way. He instantly threw a silent curse at the wanker, knocking him back with a stinging hex.
"Fuck you, Potter-"
Potter instantly stood up from where he had ended up sprawled and went to throw another spell, but Hermione got in his way again.
"Stop, Harry please! You'll get in so much trouble!"
"I don't care! He's a death eater, Hermione! He hexed Katie."
She tried to grab his hands and lower his wand, but after a short struggle he pushed her away roughly. Granger landed on her back and skidded away a little.
Without pausing for a second, Potter hurled another hex at him, but Draco blocked it easily. His eyes darted briefly to the side to check that she was okay, before he was forced to give all his attention to casting shield charms. Potter got more and more angry when his spells didn't find purchase, and Draco watched in frustration as the boy took a couple of steps further towards him, pushing him backwards. Not that he wasn't able to hold his own. He was throwing one or two good ones of his own back, but was suddenly very conscious of the fact that Hermione was in the room and still yelling at them to stop. He threw all his frustration with his failing task, all the stress and pain over the threats to his family behind one spell that would hopefully knock Potter off his feet and put an end to this stupid brawl the other boy started. Surely the teachers couldn't get too mad at him if he fought in self-defence. But as he began to muster his energy into the spell, Potter sidestepped unexpectedly and shot an unfamiliar curse that slipped through his defences and he stumbled backwards a bit. Potter paused for a moment in uncertainty. Draco gasped for breath and then he raised his wand to finish the attack.
Suddenly Granger was back between them again. She appeared in a flurry of brown curls and slightly damp robes, shouting desperately at her friend. But instead of holding back Potter and trying to appeal to his common sense this time, she had changed her tact. She dashed in between them right in front of Draco, putting herself bodily before Potter's wand to protect him, her hands raised in what he assumed was a calming or pleading gesture.
But she was just a second too late.
"Sectumsempra!" Potter shouted the unknown spell loudly, the words reverberating around the tiled walls. Hermione had just stepped in front of him when it soared towards them, and she took the full force of the blast.
Draco didn't have enough time to react.
She gave an almost inaudible, slightly surprised sound of pain as the spell hit her. A spray of dark red blood splattered out from her chest and arm where it sliced into her. Draco heard a whooshing noise as the full arc of the curse battered past her just enough to slither through and make a nasty gash in his upper arm. But he barely felt it. His attention was completely focused on Granger as she stumbled with a groan of shock and then collapsed onto the floor. He watched in horror as the angry colour of her blood began leaking from the wound and spreading quickly through the water on the bathroom floor, until it ran crimson.
Draco's eyes widened as he saw the bloody wound clearly visible through her white school shirt, which was becoming more and more transparent with the water flowing around her. She was gasping for breath and releasing small moans of pain as she gazed at the ceiling with frightened eyes.
"Hermione!" Potter shouted her name in disbelief, before rushing forwards towards her.
Draco watched the other boy fall to his knees next to her and he felt an instant surge of protectiveness. Potter was the one who had done this to her. He let an angry growl escape his lips as he finally unfroze and let the terror take over his actions.
She could not die here. It was not an option. He needed her. He was falling for her. His heart thudding, Draco dropped to his knees and pushed Potter out of the way violently.
"Hey you-" Potter started angrily, but tapered off.
Draco only had eyes for the curly haired witch panting on the floor. He cradled her to him, pushing the wet tendrils off her face.
"Granger, look at me! Granger!"
She seemed to be in shock, she was shaking and didn't seem to be able to hear him. He vaguely registered the way Harry was looking on in a mixture of alarm and confusion as Malfoy gently handled his friend; he was holding her half in his lap and speaking frantically to her. But she wasn't responding. More desperately, Draco spoke louder,
"Granger!" he took a deep breath, "Hermione!"
That seemed to get a response. Her face twitched with recognition and her eyes met his blindly.
"Hermione," he repeated, "It's okay, you're doing fine, I've got you-" he leaned in, cupping her face and stroking back her hair, "Hermione, listen to me. You need to tell me what spell to use. The one you were researching for Pomfrey that you were talking about the other day. The knitting one…you were reading a book about it, remember?"
She looked up more clearly at him.
"Wha…" she croaked.
"Hermione, come on, the knitting spell. What is it?"
She seemed to think for a moment, her head lolling a little, until she stared back at him with some recognition.
"Vulner Olnus."
Draco nodded encouragingly at her.
"That's it? Ok… Just hold onto my hand, alright?"
"Don't let go-" she whispered hoarsely.
"I won't," he promised.
He wasn't even thinking about the fact that Harry Potter was just sitting there to one side uselessly, watching this interaction between them. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered except making sure she was okay. She had gotten injured standing in front of him; defending him. Pointing his wand and trying his absolute hardest to keep it steady, he started to chant the spell and trace the wound.
"Volnur Olnus…Volnur Olnus…"
Harry finally leaned forward, snapping out of his daze.
"What are you doing to her?"
"Shut up Potter," he spat, continuing to repeat the spell.
Hermione's whimpers died down as the blood swept back into her body, and her limbs relaxed. As he was finishing up as much as he could do without Pomfrey's help, he peered up through his matted hair falling across his face and saw that she had fallen unconscious, her muscles relaxing in reaction to the pain of exhaustion.
"Is she okay?" Potter asked thickly in a coarse voice, and Draco looked up to see the boy was crying freely, one hand gently touching Hermione as if to make sure she was still warm.
"I need to get her to the Hospital Wing," Draco muttered, still furious at the other boy.
"I'll take her-"
"I don't think so," he sneered.
Then, slowly, he hooked one arm under Hermione's knees and one under her back and lifted her gently into his arms. Her head fell against his chest and he tucked her into his neck and stood up with a grimace. She wasn't heavy at all, but his bicep was starting to really ache where the spell had carved past her and through him.
Ignoring the Boy-Who-Lived who was still gaping like a fish out of water, he walked brusquely to the door, kicking it open and striding towards the infirmary, thankful that is was class time and no one was around.
October 27th, 2001
"Oh bloody hell, that's why you acted the way you did that day!"
Draco nodded and took another slow sip of his whiskey, staring into the fireplace with a frown as Harry leaned back in his seat, his mouth gaping open. He was shaking his head and trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he was being told a version of something he remembered differently.
"Wow. I honestly thought you were just terrified of being kicked out of school. I figured you were trying to look good for Dumbledore."
Draco snorted and shook his head.
"I was furious at you for hurting her. And scared that she might…well…"
Harry looked sheepishly down at his hands and pursed his lips. Draco really didn't have to finish that sentence.
"I wish I could take back that day," the Gryffindor boy said in a sad voice, shaking his head and running his fingers through his messy hair, "I can't believe Hermione ever forgave me for that one."
Draco smiled wryly.
"Well that's who she is."
"True."
The boys took another sip of their drinks, and Harry grimaced as he clanked his empty glass back down on the table.
"So by this point you had obviously realised you had feelings for her," he said with a bit of a cheeky smile, earning himself a glare from Draco.
"Obviously," he replied snidely, polishing off his whiskey in one more sip and taking a deep breath. He was starting to get tired, and rehashing the past certainly wasn't helping. As precious as that time with Hermione in sixth year had been, it was tarnished by years of heartache and loneliness that he had cursed himself with the moment he cursed it from her memory.
"What will you do when she wakes up?" Harry asked after a long pause, his voice hesitant. As he let out a deep breath, Draco considered the question for about the thousandth time. His eyes flickered to the door of the bedroom and he shook his head with a shrug.
"It all depends really on how she reacts."
"Fair enough," Harry agreed, leaning forwards, "But what do you want? What's the best case scenario?"
Draco smirked and ran his hand through his hair a little self-consciously.
"Well ideally I'd like it if she opened her eyes, threw herself into my arms and we ran away together for an erotically indulgent vacation in Italy."
Harry chuckled a bit, but his face went completely red at the suggestion. Clearly he didn't want to hear such things about his friend.
"I suppose that's possible…" Harry agreed with an edge of sarcasm, but Draco shook his head.
"No it's not. I have a feeling she won't be happy with me at all."
"You said yourself that Hermione is good at forgiving."
Draco snorted and dropped his head a bit.
"Even she has limits to her kindness."
Harry shrugged and leaned forward to pour them both another shot glass of whiskey.
"I never thought I'd say this," the Gryffindor boy began, raising his glass up, "but I really hope she does. I didn't think it was possible, and it's giving me an aneurysm just thinking about it, but you two really suit each other."
Draco blinked a couple of times and stared at the other boy.
"Wow, Potter. Don't get all gushy on me."
"Hey, I'm trying to be nice here!"
He chuckled and took a sip.
"Well, I appreciate it. I might need some allies soon."
"You sure will."
The two smiled shakily again before they drained their glasses. Draco licked his lips and thought back to that short time he and Hermione had shared together in the hospital wing before everything became confused again. He wished things had unfolded differently. With a sigh he begged the founders to let her wake up soon. He didn't think he could stand waiting any longer without knowing how she would react. He closed his eyes and just prayed and prayed that she wouldn't hate him now.
….
Another chapter down. We are getting closer and closer to the end of the memories and to her waking up now, only another chapter or two. What are you hoping will happen? Please leave lovely reviews!
