Draco returned to the Slytherin common room feeling like his hand was burnt from the inside out.
He'd felt the shock of magic move through him when he'd grabbed Hermione and it had knocked the wind from his lungs too, but her reaction had been far more distressing.
She looked like she was having some sort of panic attack.
And then she'd disappeared right in front of him, which should've been impossible within the wards of Hogwarts as only the Headmaster could apparate in and out of the school grounds.
But apparently, that didn't hold true for a Sorceress and her powers, which were considerable.
He'd been stunned this afternoon by Prewett's abilities—it was clear she had some kind of telekinetic gifts that she could use at will. Rumors had been rampant throughout the Dark Lord's circles that the wizard could fly without the need of a broom, but this was something different.
Even the Dark Lord had needed a wand.
But that wasn't the case for Hermione Prewett and Draco was convinced she'd obliviated him somehow—but try as he might, he couldn't fathom just how she could've done something like that to him unless she'd petrified him and then entered his mind in some way.
Shaking his head angrily, Draco found himself walking further into Slytherin and immediately noticed the common room was empty. Wandering over to the couch near the hearth, where the embers of the fire were just starting to fade, Draco sat down and contemplated the past thirty minutes with a heavy sigh and a furrowed brow.
He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there for, until the common room door opened and in billowed his godfather—who had a deep scowl marring his normally stoic features.
"Godfather."
"Draco—would you come with me please?"
His confusion must've been easy to see, because Severus just shook his head and gestured with his hand to follow him.
Eventually, Draco found himself in his godfather's office.
"Sit, Draco."
Not wanting to incur Severus wrath, Draco did as instructed and waited to be addressed.
He watched warily, as his godfather moved around the room, grabbing a few things from his storage cabinet and after about twenty minutes of silence...he finally sat down across from him with a measured look.
"Draco," he began dryly, "I have watched you over the course of your life and have often wondered at your penchant for rash behavior. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you should've been sorted into the House of Lions instead of Snakes."
Draco scowled, clearly not pleased with this assessment as he scoffed and said bitingly, "That's harsh, Uncle."
"Yet true." Severus deadpanned. "I know you've been unlike yourself for a while and I do believe I've discovered why." Draco went to speak, but Severus held up his left hand to stop him. "It has been brought to my attention that you had an altercation with Miss Prewett this evening?"
Draco's face blanched, not expecting that segue as he asked, "And you know this how?"
"Miss Prewett called for me. I found her collapsed on the parapet of the Astronomy Tower, having a panic attack of some kind. When she allowed me to look into her mind, I saw your confrontation with her."
"So you know she obliviated me?"
Severus nodded. "She admitted as much." Draco's look of triumph and self-righteousness was short-lived however, as Severus drawled, "she did so with your permission."
Draco's expression morphed from smug to disbelieving in the blink of an eye.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes Draco. Apparently Mr. Nott can verify this as he was present when it happened. According to Miss Prewett, you locked the memory away in a box and told her to banish the key. There is no way she could've perfected that technique as that is something you and I alone have worked on. Her Occlumency is not sufficient for such skills...at least, not yet."
Draco's eyes widened and then his whole demeanor deflated in defeat.
He'd allowed her into his mind?
Fuck!
"Indeed." Severus droned out in disgust as Draco realized belatedly that he'd spoken the last word out. "You have been punishing the witch needlessly this past month like a spoilt child because of something she did do, but not in the way you'd assumed. Draco, do you really mean to alienate your future bonded after such a fashion?"
Snape almost laughed at the stupefied expression on his godson's face.
"How?"
"Did I guess?"
Draco nodded.
"Your lack of faith in my abilities astounds me Draco." Snape replied mockingly. "I spied for Dumbledore for years, lied to the Dark Lord and you think that something of this nature would be beyond my comprehension to figure out?"
The tsking sound that came from his godfather had Draco blushing in embarrassment.
"She hates me." Draco murmured lowly and Snape just hummed in agreement.
"You've given the witch no reason to think fondly of you. You've reacted brashly because your feelings were hurt, or was it something else?"
"I don't know." Draco mused. "I've felt off this past month."
Snape tilted his head in thought as he stared at his godson.
"Is there a chance you might've locked certain emotions away when you compartmentalized the memory? If you'd felt particularly hurt or defeated, I could see that happening Draco. While your Occlumency is fairly advanced...such mind techniques as I've taught them to you could've rendered your emotions compromised if you'd felt rushed or perhaps...forced into making a choice you didn't wish to."
Draco sat back and pondered that for a moment. "Do you think that's possible? I mean, could locking away the memory and the corresponding emotions permanently damaged..."
"I do not believe so." Severus finished for him, but his expression was less sure. "The only person who can unlock the memory is Miss Prewett and based upon what happened this evening, I'm inclined to think she may be unwilling to do so. Do you plan on formally courting Miss Rowle, despite your knowledge of the likelihood of becoming Miss Prewett's ancillary?"
Draco sneered and shook his head. "Therese has a suitor who is finishing his final year at Drumstrang. He's fairly good mates with Thorfinn and the betrothal contracts should be signed after she graduates in June. We were just..."
"Yes...I understand, but I don't believe Miss Prewett will be as understanding Draco...especially when she comes to realize that you purposefully engaged in relations with another witch, knowing that you and she might be bonded at some point. How do you think a witch of her nature would take such an offense?"
Draco paled, clearly not having made that connection which caused Severus to sigh heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"Why do you do this to yourself, Draco? Why to you react first without weighing the consequences of your actions?"
"I didn't think.."
"And therein lies your problem." Snape finished with a subtle shake of his head, causing Draco to grimace at the disappointment wafting off his godfather.
"What should I do?"
Severus just stared at him for a few moments and when he spoke, his voice was filled with incredulity.
"Draco, I am fairly certain I am not the person to ask such a thing of. I think however, in this circumstance, you might wish to ask yourself what you might do to fix the mess you've made. An apology usually works, but since you've done that once and then proceeded to make yourself look an even bigger fool, I'm not sure how Miss Prewett might take such an overture."
"You're not helping, Godfather."
"I am sorry Godson, if my lack of interest in helping you fix your love life doesn't quite meet up with your lofty expectations. I wasn't aware that responsibility was explicitly carved into stone when I agreed to take on the task of looking out for you as a babe. I find myself in a bit of a quandary Draco. As much as I abhor children and anything in general to do with familial ties...the only notable exception to that these past sixteen years has been you. I have watched you desperately crave your own Father's approval often to your detriment. I have seen you engage in less than stellar behavior on many occasions, and yet I've kept my opinions to myself as a general rule. You soon will be an at age wizard, in less than a year and if my supposition is accurate, you will be bonded to a witch who's power will only seek to enhance your own. But the truth of the matter is Draco, the wizard I see before me is woefully unprepared for that honor. As it stands now...you don't deserve such a gift and I would imagine that Miss Prewett in her Gryffindor stubbornness—just might very well refuse to bond with you—even to her own detriment. Would that make you happy?"
"No!" Draco blurted out emotively, and Severus smirked inwardly at how upset his godson appeared. "I don't want to hurt her. Not anymore."
"And yet that is all you've done."
Draco hung his head in shame. His godfather was right. Whether or not he'd somehow botched up the memory charm, it was no excuse for his blatant disrespect of Hermione this past month. Yes, his feelings had been hurt—badly...but that didn't excuse what he'd said and done.
Not completely.
Bullocks! He didn't know how he was going to go about trying to fix this mess he'd made. He was usually so calm, composed and rational.
Except when it came to Hermione.
It had always been her.
Her intelligence, stubbornness and refusal to bend. She was fiery (literally), beautiful (even when she'd been Granger—a fact he'd been loathe to admit to because he couldn't acknowledge it...even if he'd wanted to) and good. She was inherently good, pure and light and he was a prick...jealous, conceited and a fool.
He'd always been a fool around her.
And Saint Potter, but that was beside the point.
When his grey eyes met the dark ones of his godfather, Draco could see Severus seriously considering him for a few moments before he offered one final piece of sage advice.
"You have made efforts to change how others see Slytherin House this year and have even gone so far to make connections outside your own House. Might I suggest you start there."
Draco nodded and stood, before bowing humbly at his godfather then taking his leave back to his dormitory.
Feeling chastened, defeated and oddly hopeful that perhaps he hadn't completely ruined his chances.