I wanted this. I wanted all of it with you.

It had been a stupid, selfish thing to say, but when we were standing there together watching the boys run around, I temporarily lost my mind. The sun was starting to set and she looked at me, the light bringing out the different flecks of colour in her dark eyes. They weren't just one flat shade of brown.

Subconsciously, I'd already known that, but this little scene reminded me. She drew me back in, her magnetic pull stronger than it had been before.

I touched her again, even though I had promised myself I wouldn't. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, fascinating me in a way they shouldn't have.

She admitted that things felt different since we'd both ended up single and I didn't know how to respond; Granger was still tying me up in knots in every way imaginable.

Deep down, I knew I was losing myself in her all over again, but I still felt the same conflicting emotions I had at the beginning of this journey through the past.

After that little exchange, we hadn't spoken about anything serious. We were both trapped in our own heads and I knew it was my fault. I'd just sprang this on her with no warning, and she was probably overanalysing it. It had definitely been too soon, but when Astoria had pushed me, I couldn't stop myself from imagining what could've been if I'd found the courage to leave and forge my own path, pregnancy or not.

I thought that Granger and I could've been happy, and I wanted to see if my suspicions were right.

Despite the quiet between us, she seemed at peace — maybe even happy — as we spent over an hour outside with the boys. Just like I'd thought at Fortescue's, she was amazing with the children, and they lit her up from the inside. She chased after them, scooping them up and swinging them around, Scorpius included.

The sight of her with my son just felt right, even if the circumstances were all wrong. If I'd been a better man, the child she was holding might have been ours.

All night, there were no tears or arguments between us, and I couldn't feel her heartache the way I had all week. But I knew it was there under the surface, buried deep in her chest. I still wanted to hold her and take all her pain away.

When the sun had dropped below the horizon, we moved inside and Granger's house filled with the sound of little feet pounding against the wood floors and squealing giggles.

It was a glimpse of another life, and it simultaneously made my heart speed up and shatter into a million pieces.

Scorpius hadn't forgotten about the mention of ice cream, even with children his own age around to distract him, so I'd gone to Diagon Alley and picked up ice cream for all of us. When I'd handed her the carton of chocolate raspberry, she'd looked down at it and swallowed hard, likely remembering another time and another place.

It felt like we'd done it all before.

More than likely, we had done it all before, just the two of us.

I'd thought about it long into the night and then all day today, my mind replaying the happy scene over and over again. With each memory and each thought of Granger, I found myself growing more and more anxious about seeing her tonight, the anticipation building to a nearly unmanageable level.

Would she be angry with me? Lay into me because she hadn't been able to in front of the children?

I just wasn't sure.

As I stepped through the Floo and into her house once more, there was a shift in the air. I hadn't eaten since I'd grown accustomed to the routine we'd settled into.

However, Granger was sitting at the table, absentmindedly flipping through one of the small journals that were beside the trunk most days. There were notes sticking out the sides and I wondered why. She seemed different from the Granger that greeted me most evenings now. When she looked up at me, I knew her smile was forced, and I started to panic.

Had I ruined this fragile friendship we'd been building by springing Scorpius on her?

"Hi," she greeted. "How was work?"

I shrugged, trying to hide my own discomfort. "Same as always. Still getting reacquainted with that old case and trying to look at different angles."

She pursed her lips. "I hate that he gave that to you. Surely others have come in."

"You're probably right, but this one feels important," I answered truthfully. "And it gives me the opportunity to just stay in the office right now, rather than chasing down active cases."

"I recommended you for my job, you know. You should speak to Harry if you don't want to go out in the field."

"I was actually planning on it," I confessed, unsurprised that she seemed to know me better than I knew myself. "But he hasn't opened it yet. I think he's hoping that you'll decide to stay now that Blaise is gone."

Sighing, she tucked her hair behind her ears. "Blaise or not, I think I need this change of scenery."

"I know that."

She looked up at me, a surprised expression on her face. "You do?"

Nodding, I replied, "I do. I saw how much you were struggling, and while part of that was my fault, I know I can't have been the only thing bothering you."

"I'm not sure I ever really wanted that particular job. I just went along after the war, especially since Ron was going to be there too. I didn't know who I was or how to exist in the wizarding world without them, especially after spending a year on the run." She trailed off, but I could tell she wasn't done speaking. A few seconds later, she added, "I've spent the past ten years of my life just going with the flow and never really fighting for what I want. I lost myself completely."

I didn't know what to say. Honestly, it seemed like I'd done the same, especially when it came to her. "You were great at it — your job, I mean."

"But that doesn't mean I really enjoyed it," Granger stated. "I mean, I am great at researching. Really, I am, but I'd prefer to pick the topic instead of having it dictated by people who are too lazy to open a book for themselves."

"You're really selling me on it," I quipped.

"But you wanted to work for the DMLE after the war. You fought hard to get in."

"I know. But I also heard Potter's points about having a child now, and since Astoria is ill... I'm likely going to be a single parent at some point."

She took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I didn't think."

Waving her off, I said, "Obviously we're going to work with the healers to see if anything can be done for her. There are likely records with one of the pureblood families that details the first instance of the blood curse. I'm going to send out owls..." I trailed off and she kept her attention focused on me. "But that's a conversation for another time."

"Right." She looked wary but continued, "Well, I've been going through all my journals and marking sections I think will help you understand me. Or past me. Honestly, nearly everything is important in my mind, but it's entirely up to you if you want to read them or not."

"When are they from?"

"After I took your memories," Granger replied, looking down at her hands. "Penelope — my therapist — she suggested that I write to my ex-boyfriend in journals. I didn't give her the full explanation back then, so she thought I was just too nervous to talk to you in person."

My curiosity was piqued, but I restrained myself.

"I'll take them with the rest of my memories. I don't want to read them until I've seen everything you want to show me." When she didn't answer, I asked, "Where are we going tonight?"

"The ball at the Ministry, in May," she answered, her eyes moving to the basin of the Pensieve. "It should show you how I felt a bit more, I think."

I hummed in acknowledgment, stepping closer and looking down into the swirling memory. I saw myself with Astoria and present Granger smiled at me sadly.

"Is this mine or yours?"

She gestured to the vial beside the Pensieve. "It's yours. We didn't spend a lot of time together at the ball."

"Are you coming with me?"

"I am," she replied. "I've already watched it once so I feel a bit more prepared than I did last time."

"Good. I'm glad you did that. It's hard for me to see you upset and not be able to do anything to help."

For a moment, we just looked at each other in silence, the tension between us growing thick with unsaid words.

She was the first to speak.

"Lead the way," Granger said, waving her hand towards the Pensieve. "I'll follow you."

With a shaky inhale, I touched the surface of the memory and landed beside memory Draco and Astoria. Present Granger tumbled in, as well.

"Oh, Draco," Astoria purred, her hand grazing his arm to draw his attention. "It's wonderful to be out and about together. I feel like I've hardly seen you since our anniversary. "

My stomach turned at the saccharine tone in her voice. I now knew that memory Draco was already trying to find a way to end the marriage, but it seemed that Astoria hadn't yet given up hope, despite his perpetual absence. When I looked over at present Granger, she was picking at her cuticles, listening but not watching.

Memory Draco's eyes were bouncing around the ballroom, clearly looking for memory Granger. However, he answered Astoria. "I've been buried in work lately."

From this angle, I saw the flash of anger in her eyes, the lie rolling off his tongue much too easily for her liking. Astoria began scanning the room, as well. A waiter drifted by with a tray of champagne flutes and memory Draco snatched two, handing one to her. He sipped but didn't speak at all, and it was uncomfortable at best.

Astoria just held the champagne glass and I realised she likely knew she was pregnant.

Memory Granger entered the scene, her long curls wild and free, dressed to kill. She looked the tiniest bit shaky as she crossed the ballroom, which told me that she was nervous and slightly drunk. Astoria moved closer to memory Draco, looping her arm through his, pointlessly trying to stake her claim.

As soon as memory Granger saw them, she quickly turned and headed in another direction, getting lost in the swarms of people at the ball. Jaw tightening, memory Draco finished off his glass of champagne and resumed looking around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of her retreating form.

"That shade of pink," I began, turning to present Granger. "It's not something I've ever seen you wear before."

She shrugged. "I don't like pink much."

"I'll remember that."

Those three words filled the air between us with tension and I chastised myself; I needed to start filtering myself around her again.

I didn't need to remember her colour preferences.

She waved her hand and sped things up marginally, returning them to normal speed when Astoria pulled memory Draco onto the dance floor. Their steps were synchronised and perfect, just like all the other pureblood couples surrounding them. However, when I looked around, I saw Pansy and Potter, laughing and moving in their own way, completely comfortable with one another. They weren't stiff and formal. No, his hands wandered over her body and hers did the same. They were genuinely having a good time together.

They were in love, truly and deeply, even after a few years of marriage.

I felt present Granger's eyes on me, trying to figure out what I was thinking or feeling as I watched the ball play out around us. Her emotions weren't as close to the surface as they had been during the past two memories, but I could still feel how anxious she was. It radiated from her very core.

"Do we dance?" I asked, even though I was sure I knew the answer.

She shook her head. "No, we don't. We've never — not at a wizarding function. It would've been too hard to explain."

My throat tightened, making it hard for me to swallow. This was yet another instance of me hiding her away from the world and treating her like some sordid little secret, and I hated myself for it.

How could I ever begin to apologise for the damage I'd done to her?

Eventually, memory Hermione came into view again. She was standing in a group, but one bloke in particular was getting overly familiar with her. His hand settled on her forearm, squeezing to draw her attention, and memory Draco saw the interaction. When she smiled up at the unknown wizard, memory Draco found Blaise, pulling him away from whoever he'd been talking to.

"You need to ask Hermione to dance," he pleaded. "That bloke keeps touching her and I—"

" You should be worrying about your wife ," Blaise stated, raising an eyebrow. "This isn't the time or place for you to show the world how you feel about Hermione."

Memory Draco violently carded a hand through his hair. "I'm not an idiot, Blaise. I know the two of you have been getting closer, and she's drunk. Please don't let her go home with him. Pull her away now. I can't stand the thought of her leaving with someone else."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "For Salazar's sake, Draco. She's not going home with anyone. She loves you, even if you don't fucking deserve it."

He acted like he hadn't heard Blaise at all. "Please. You're the only one I trust—"

"I know that," he hissed, cutting memory Draco off. "But you need to make a fucking decision. I won't be your stand-in forever."

"I have. I'm trying. I have someone looking into how to—"

Holding a hand up, Blaise said, "This is not the place and I don't want to know. I've been in the middle of your relationship enough as it is. "

Memory Draco didn't say anything further, just looked in memory Hermione's direction and glared daggers at the bloke who still had his hand on her arm.

Dramatically, Blaise sighed. "Fine, Draco. I'll do it. It's not like it'll be a hardship to have Hermione Granger in my arms."

Pressing my fingers into my eyes, I wanted nothing more than to punch my former self in the face. I couldn't believe I'd gotten jealous of one conversation, of one little touch, but hadn't realised how Blaise had felt about her. Watching the way his lips quirked up at the prospect of dancing with her, I could see it now.

"The man I was talking to... that was Dennis Creevey. I wouldn't have considered sleeping with him even if he was the last wizard in the world," present Granger said, giving me an explanation I hadn't asked for. "He's like a little brother to me."

"I'm guessing it was more the way he was looking at you that made me panic," I told her. "He was definitely interested in you. And he was touching you."

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe. He does have me up on a pedestal. Harry, too. But he's years younger than us and really, it's just—he lost his brother at the Battle of Hogwarts, so we've always been kind."

Sweeping over to memory Granger with a smile, Blaise extended his hand and asked her to dance, pulling her into his arms. Memory Draco watched from afar, tucked against the wall with a short glass of firewhisky in his hand. His eyes were hot and focused on the way Blaise was pulling her closer throughout the dance, but he never looked away.

They laughed and smiled and moved nearly as naturally and comfortably as Harry and Pansy had, even though they didn't have the same level of familiarity. Blaise leaned forwards and whispered in her ear, making her flush and laugh.

Present Granger pressed her fingertips to her lips. "He's... flirting. He was happy that you told him to dance with me. And he knew you were watching us the whole time. Oh god."

"What?" I asked. "You must have noticed this earlier when you watched the memory."

"I did, kind of, but it feels stronger this time," she replied, moving her hands to her pockets. "You'll get what I'm saying when we see the next portion of the memory."

As the song finished, memory Granger smiled up at Blaise. A genuine, wide smile, all of her perfect teeth on display. Rather than releasing him, she clung to his arm, leading him towards the bar. And that was when memory Draco made his move. He joined them in line, settling his hand on her waist, and memory Granger nearly stopped breathing.

Jerking away, she murmured a Muffliato and said, "What are you doing here? Go back to your family."

"I need a moment with you," he stated, his voice pleading. "Can we—Can you come with me so we can talk? Somewhere private?"

Her eyes fluttered shut for just a moment, but when they reopened, they were darker, harder. "No."

I looked down at her hand on Blaise's arm; her fingers were gripping him so tightly, anchoring her to his side. It was clear that it hadn't been easy for her to say these things to memory Draco.

"No?" memory Draco asked, his voice dropping lower. "Why not?"

"This isn't the time or place," she hissed. "Your wife is here!"

"Hermione—"

"No!" memory Granger said more forcefully. "I will see you on Monday, Malfoy."

He recoiled at the use of his surname, especially with the tone she'd said it in, and then his eyes fell, looking at the way she clung to Blaise for support.

"If you think I'm waiting until Monday to see you, you're crazy," memory Draco said, his voice rumbling. "I will see you this weekend. We need to talk—"

Blaise turned, shielding her from Draco's glare. "Mate, you need to leave it be right now. I'll make sure she gets home safely. Go find Astoria and get the fuck out of here before you make a scene."

Memory Draco looked conflicted. "Hermione?"

She shook her head and he saw her curls sway.

The air between the three of them thickened with tension and jealousy. I was certain I'd been upset that they could touch each other so openly, so freely, while I had to hide my affections.

Of course, that had been my own fault.

With a meaningful look to Blaise, memory Draco strode off, leaving them behind. We were forced to follow him and he arrived at Astoria's side in a huff. Her lips were pursed in a sour expression and she met his eyes.

"Where have you been, darling? Your parents were looking for you, and Daphne and Michael—"

At the use of darling, he looked like he'd been hit in the chest with a curse.

"I need to get out of here," memory Draco stated. "As soon as possible. I can't stand this kind of thing. "

Astoria's hand landed on his arm. "We are staying at least another hour. What will people think if you storm out of here, Draco?"

His eyes squeezed shut and, when they reopened, I could tell that he was Occluding. Everything he was feeling — jealousy and anger both at himself and Astoria — had been pushed down, contained in the part of him where he always hid things away.

Or at least that's what I suspected.

" Who else do we need to see?" memory Draco asked, his eyes scanning the room. "Surely we don't have to speak to everyone here."

"Well, since you've been so distracted all night, we've hardly interacted with anyone at all," Astoria replied. "I don't even know why you bothered to show up if you weren't interested in being a proper escort for me. I'm used to attending things alone at this point."

As always, he succumbed, bowing to her wishes to keep up appearances and assuage his own guilt. He was so fucking weak it made me feel sick.

Astoria laced her arm through his and paraded him through the ballroom, stopping to speak to all the usual members of old, stuffy pureblood society. Memory Draco looked disinterested in everything, and he ended up with another glass of firewhisky in his hand at the first opportunity. He kept looking around the room, likely trying to catch another glimpse of memory Hermione and Blaise.

"Malfoy," Potter greeted, Pansy on his arm. "Astoria. How are you tonight?"

"Oh, we're really enjoying the evening ," Astoria answered. "It's a lovely celebration, as always. Did you help with the design this year, Pansy?"

Pansy shook her head. "No, I've been too busy. Toddler at home and all that. I've mainly been working on smaller commissions." She waved her hand in the air, brushing it off. "Draco? Who are you looking for? You could at least act interested in what we're talking about."

"Sorry, Pansy, I'm looking for..." He paused for a moment. "Blaise."

"Oh, I think I saw him heading for the Floo with Granger," Pansy replied, a smirk on her face. "Never imagined he'd be into her, but they've been getting close. I'd love to see him settle down. "

I clenched and unclenched my fists, even though this was in the past. The idea of Blaise and Granger still set me on edge.

Harry looked over at her, incredulous. "What? Blaise and Hermione?"

Pansy's attention moved to memory Draco. "You're at work with them. Haven't you noticed?"

Keeping his expression neutral, he replied, "I've seen him approaching her more, yes. They're friends, that's all. He would've told me if there was more to it. "

Astoria's grip on his arm tightened. "Well, I think Blaise would make a very good husband. Nothing for you to worry about, Mr. Potter."

"They're friends , Astoria," memory Draco said, enunciating the words. "No need to start planning their wedding. And I'm sure you can call him Potter or Harry. No 'mister' required."

"I'm being polite," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Unlike you."

A moment later, Daphne and Michael approached, his hand resting on the curve of her hip possessively.

"Is there something here I need to see?" I asked present Granger, glancing over at her. "This idle small talk doesn't really interest me."

"I just wanted you to see that part. I know it's not the most exciting, but it gives a little bit more to Blaise's... appeal," she replied, looking down at her hands. "He rescued me from awkward interactions over and over again, especially when we were in the same place as you and Astoria."

"I... don't like it." With a deep inhale, I continued, "I understand that you two built a friendship while we were together and that seeing me with Astoria cut deep, but I just... How did we not see that he had feelings for you?"

"We were wrapped up in us. In our tragic little forbidden love story."

Honestly, it seemed like we were purposefully blind to the interactions and any deeper meaning they might've had. I wondered if she had continued that pattern after the Obliviation, seeing only the friend she wanted to see in Blaise until someone gave her a push.

And given Pansy's smirk and comments, I thought I knew just the witch who had encouraged her to take up with my best friend.

I wanted to know how they'd gotten together, and if Granger didn't want to talk about it, I was sure that Pansy would explain it all to me.

"Do you want to see what happens with Astoria when you get home? Or just go straight to my house?" she asked, leaving it all up to me.

"Summarise it for me."

Present Granger sighed. "The two of you went home. It was clear you were drunk, but you told her you had to find Blaise. She put up a fight and tried to get you to stay home with her, but you didn't budge this time."

"Well, better late than never, I suppose," I replied, rolling my eyes. "If only I'd been drunk enough to have that liquid courage on our anniversary."

She didn't comment, though I knew what she was thinking. She wanted to agree, but agreeing would mean wishing Scorpius away, and she wouldn't do that.

With a wave of her hand, Granger sped things up and took us to her little house in the woods. It was late, but we arrived with memory Draco. He came through her Floo and looked around the bottom floor of the house before his feet hit the stairs.

"Hermione?" he called, his voice sounding mildly slurred. "Where are you? We need to talk about this. I'm sorry. "

She didn't answer but he continued up the stairs, turning to the left and heading towards her bedroom. When he peered in through the door, he saw her pink gown draped over the mirror, her heels in the corner of the room. She was curled up as small as possible in her bed, her hair in a wild tangle behind her. The left side of the bed was empty and her back was turned towards it.

Draco immediately started undressing, kicking his shoes off and removing his outer robes. As he dropped them to the floor, memory Hermione shifted, signalling that she was at least partially awake. He sped up, using silent magic to remove the rest of his clothes. Peeling back the blankets and sheets, he slid in beside her and pulled her body flush against his, sliding one arm under her neck and draping the other over her waist.

I glanced over at present Granger and saw that her cheeks were pink, blushing at the sight of memory Draco's naked body.

"I know you're awake," he murmured against the shell of her ear. "Why are you pretending to sleep?"

"I'm angry," memory Hermione whispered, her voice barely audible. "She gets to be with you, and I'm just—I'm nothing. I'm nothing as far as everyone knows."

"You're everything," he said vehemently, his words strong and voice deep. "You're everything to me, Hermione. I'm trying to straighten this mess out, but it's going to take time. Pureblood marriage contracts are extremely complicated."

"That doesn't make it any easier for me to deal with. I still have to watch you with her every single time we both attend something."

Wrapping his arms around her more tightly, he said, "But I'm here now. She was angry when I said I was leaving, but I'm here. I want to be with you. Only you."

"And where exactly does she think you are?"

He didn't answer and she tried to pull away.

"Please don't go. I know it's hard, but I'm going to find a way—"

"Don't make promises you're not going to keep," memory Hermione answered, her voice trembling. "I never asked you to do that, and I won't ask now. I'd rather you just didn't make any at all."

He moved her hair, his fingers dancing over the curve between her neck and her shoulder. Subconsciously, she arched back towards him. When she realised what she'd done, she tried to pull away, but he held tight to her and kissed her neck in the same place his fingers had just brushed.

"Don't go," he repeated. "Let me hold you and show you how much you mean to me. I can't bear the thought of losing you."

Lips blazing a trail up to her ear, I saw her starting to melt, to cave to what he wanted. They were both a little drunk, a little jealous of the interactions with the opposite sex. If I knew myself at all, I would've been desperate to lay claim to her. I would've wanted to worship her and show her exactly how much I loved her.

Memory Hermione's breaths grew sharper as need blossomed within her, his lips encouraging her to succumb to the forces that pulled them together.

She pressed her arse back against his groin and he took that as permission. His hands roamed her body, snaking up to her bare breasts. I could see movement under the sheets as he teased her, one of his hands sliding down towards her navel, bypassing it and cupping her intimately, his fingers likely opening her folds.

When she inhaled a shuddering breath, I knew my assumptions were right. He was working one of her breasts and her clit, his mouth sucking a bruise into the curve of her neck.

Memory Granger was making needy sounds and doing whatever she could to increase contact with memory Draco. She was rocking, writhing, arching, desperate for his touch, and he wanted nothing more than to give her everything she needed.

"I love you," he said, nipping at her ear. "I love you, and only you. I don't touch her, not like this."

She cried out and, based on the way the blankets were moving, I knew memory Draco's hand was speeding up, his fingers rubbing over her clit.

"Fuck," memory Hermione moaned. "Oh, Draco, yes! Don't stop!"

"I won't stop. I won't ever stop."

And I knew he wasn't talking about the physical part of their relationship. He would've meant so much more, even if he didn't come right out and say it. I knew I would've meant that I would never stop coming to her, loving her at every opportunity.

Deep down, she'd known it too.

Memory Draco fully curled around her, his face burying in the crook of her neck. I saw his tongue run along her throat, followed by his teeth. She pulled the sheets down, revealing their bodies as the heat rose between them. I looked down just in time to see him reach down further, dip his fingers inside of her, and pull some of her arousal back up to her clit. She keened in his arms, rocking her hips to grind against his hand.

"Inside," she panted. "Draco, I want you inside of me when I come."

With a groan, he stopped rubbing her and reached for his cock, guiding it inside of her from behind. Her cunt stretched around him and the look on her face was full of desire and relief. She slowly rocked and he mirrored her pace for a few moments, figuring out what she was craving.

Though he couldn't see her face, memory Draco seemed to know exactly how to move. Rhythm found, his fingers moved back to her clit, making her eyes pop open and start to roll back. His other hand was still on her breast and she covered it with her own, squeezing.

"I've got you, my goddess," he murmured, grazing his palm against her hardened nipple before squeezing the full swell of her. "You're everything I've ever wanted. I'm going to worship you all night."

A moan escaped her, cutting off his words, and he changed the angle of his thrusts.

"Yes!" she screamed. "Yes, there!"

"—going to show you how much I love you. Only you."

"Draco," she cried, her body shaking. "Draco!"

"Come for me," he said, pleading for her to fully let go.

And she did, her hips speeding up, desperate to keep the friction going inside her body. Her face contorted in pleasure, and memory Draco's did too, riding out the throbbing of her cunt around him, his fingers still working her through it. He leaned down and bit her neck gently, soothing it with a kiss afterwards.

When she seemed fully conscious again, he rolled his hips more slowly and said, "Fuck, Hermione, you're so wet."

"For you," she breathed when she came down. "Only for you."

"I love you," he repeated, moving his hand off her clit to her hip, guiding her in the smooth, slow strokes he seemed to be enjoying.

She broke down and said, "I love you too. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I was—"

"Don't apologise." He kissed her neck again. "It's my fault. All of it. I promise I'm going to fix this. I promise you."

Memory Granger's eyes closed and she didn't say anything further. Memory Draco stopped and pulled out, turning her on to her back.

"Look at me," he coaxed, and her eyes fluttered open. "I need you to look into my eyes while we do this. Please. I need to know you're here with me."

She obeyed and memory Draco laced his fingers through hers, pressing both of her hands into the mattress above her head and holding her down. Looming over her, he licked his lips and rocked his hips forward, never looking away.

Memory Hermione moaned and planted her heels, arching her back off the bed to meet his movements. Every time he crashed into her, her breasts bounced, and I felt myself getting hard at the sight.

"Hermione, I'm yours. Regardless of if I show up to an event with her, you own me," he told her. "My heart, my body, and my soul."

Her breathing sped up and her cheeks flushed more.

Releasing one of her hands, he grabbed the back of her right thigh, hiking it higher so he could sink deeper.

I glanced over at present Granger and noticed that her eyes were locked on the scene playing out in front of us, taking in every single detail as if it was something she hadn't ever seen before. Her face was reddening as well and she looked tense.

The intensity of the shagging picked up, the headboard hitting the wall and the bedsprings creaking. Memory Hermione's free hand had settled on memory Draco's arse, gripping it and pulling him forward, urging him to move faster.

"Fuck, your fingernails," he hissed. "They feel so good."

She pulled her other hand free and dug into his shoulder, holding him close as he continued to thrust.

As memory Hermione marked his skin, she said, "I needed this tonight."

Leaning down, memory Draco kissed her lips and then worked his way down the side of her throat, his mouth landing on her collarbone. He sucked and nibbled, bruising her skin.

I swallowed hard, watching them lay a visual claim on each other. I understood why — the need — but it made me feel guilty again. They were in love but so insecure in their relationship that they were behaving like teenagers. Lovebites, claw marks...

"Don't look at it like that," present Hermione said, her eyes meeting mine. "This isn't just jealousy. I like — liked — that a lot. That spot on my collarbone, it's... Well, it's sensitive."

She read me perfectly, the same way she had for years.

With the way her cries escalated, I had no doubts that she was enjoying it, and now I'd committed that narrow strip of skin to memory. Granger liked lovebites on the proximal end of her clavicle.

I knew I'd be thinking about that spot long into the night.

Memory Granger's legs started to tremble again and memory Draco let up, kissing her mouth rather than continuing to suck on her chest.

"Come with me," she managed between kisses. "I'm so close."

"I'm not even close to finished with you."

Her eyes widened. "Draco—"

"Let go, Hermione," he demanded. "I want to feel you over and over again tonight."

Both her hands moved into his hair, tugging his face down to hers and holding him there, her tongue diving into his mouth.

I heard memory Draco groan against her lips when she came, her body likely squeezing him tight and driving him closer to the edge than he wanted to be. Again, I found myself lamenting the loss of the other sensations. I couldn't smell the sex in the room or taste the skin that stretched over her collarbone. I didn't remember what it was like to feel her cunt clenching around me, hot and wet and tighter than a vice.

"You're amazing," he murmured, pressing a kiss against her damp forehead. "The way you come undone for me... It's so much better than I ever could've imagined."

As memory Granger stared up at him with glossy, dazed eyes, her teeth sank into her lower lip.

"What are you thinking about?" memory Draco asked.

"You," she replied huskily. "This. It's — I don't even know how to put it into words."

He hummed, his hands moving to her waist. In a flash, he'd reversed their positions, making her laugh. She sat up straight and planted her hands on his stomach.

"There are no words," he said, his hand skating along her ribs until his fingers grazed the curve of her breast. "It's one of the few things that not even you can put into words, Granger."

Starting to swivel her hips, she ground against him, and I couldn't take it anymore. My balls were aching already, the strain of keeping my visible arousal to a minimum killing me.

I cleared my throat. "Can we, um, move along? I can't—"

"That's a good idea," present Granger said, and I noticed her hand was at the base of her throat, her thumb stroking over her collarbone in the same spot memory Draco had left his lovebite.

And she looked at me with a bright pink face, her lips slightly parted. My magic screamed for me to go to her, to touch her and kiss her and take away her breath the way I had been in the memory.

My fist clenched at my side, the tendons straining.

So many times, Granger had told me that I made her weak and I hadn't understood it — I was certainly starting to now.

She did the same to me, taking away my resolve and warping my sense of wrong and right.

When the scene resumed, memory Hermione and Draco were tangled up in the sheets, the morning sun breaking through the trees around her house. I saw memory Draco's hand stroking up and down her spine, so I knew he was awake. Memory Granger wasn't; she was still breathing deeply and evenly. Every so often, a tiny snore would escape from her, making memory Draco smile.

Pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, he murmured, "If it's the last thing I do, I'll find a way to divorce her so we can have this every single day. I promise."

Much like in the first memory, she never woke so this had been a useless promise.

I glanced over at present Granger and saw her hands twisting in her hair, pulling it up into a messy knot and trying to secure it with her wand. When it immediately sprang free, I snorted a laugh and she looked at me, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, I suppose that was a foolish idea. My hair has a mind of its own and can't be easily contained."

Waving her off, I asked, "Is there more to see here?"

"It depends. Do you want to see another round of apologies and sex?"

"I think I've seen enough porn for one night," I teased, gentling it with a smirk.

She laughed. "I know. I'm sorry. This just seemed like a nice break from the two very emotionally charged memories."

Before I could answer, we were being swept back into Granger's house, the memory version vanishing around us. As soon as I had my bearings again, I asked, "What's next?"

Her eyes shifted down to the floor. "Your birthday. When we found out Astoria was pregnant."

My empty stomach clenched, making me feel nauseous. "That sounds like it'll be fun."

"Oh, definitely," she replied sarcastically. "A lot of laughs and hot sex."

Taking a step forward, I placed my hands on her covered shoulders, sticking to her rules. As soon as my hands were on her, the nausea faded, her magic a comforting tingle against my palms. It radiated through my body, warming me and soothing the nerves.

"I'm going to say this in advance. I'm so, so sorry. I know this next memory is likely going to be bad, and you're—"

"I survived it," she said, interrupting. "If I can live through it, I can watch the memory."

"I know, Hermione, but it's not..." I trailed off, releasing her and running a hand through my hair. "You said the memories weren't easy to live with. I'm sure this one will be the worst."

She turned her back to me so she could tip the memory back into the vial.

"I've never asked," she began quietly. "Can you remember everything we watch?"

"I can. It's like they click back into place in my mind."

"Good. I'm glad."

"But there's still missing connections," I offered. "I can remember what I saw and what I heard, but I can't—I don't have the other sensory information. That's all gone. Do you think I'll ever—"

Something clinked against the table and she scrambled to retrieve a vial, making sure it didn't roll off the surface and land on the floor.

"Probably not," Granger said in a rush. "We'd have to... Again."

"We'd have to what?"

Pivoting, she faced me again, and I could see her cheeks reddening. "The perfume triggered something for you, right? I'd imagine... It would probably be like that. You'd remember if you smelled or tasted or..."

She trailed off and looked away.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "We'd have to have sex for me to fully remember what it's like to have sex with you?"

"Probably. I'm not sure it would even work, and it's obviously not going to happen, so it's probably best to just forget—"

"Forget about it, yeah," I said. "You're probably right. No sense in dwelling on it."

Granger nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Well, now that we feel completely awkward, I'll... I should probably go."

"Probably. But I do still have ice cream from last night. You know, if you wanted some," she offered and, in that moment, the only way I wanted to eat ice cream was by licking it off of her.

But that certainly wasn't an option.

"I should get home to Scorp. I don't know how Astoria's been feeling today and—"

"You don't have to explain, Draco," she replied. "I understand. You should definitely go."

"Definitely," I said, but it was like a sticking charm had been applied to the bottom of my shoes. I couldn't move. Something deep inside of me wasn't ready to leave her, and I knew we were getting close to the end of the memories. This could be one of the last times I ever had the opportunity to spend time with her. "I'm sure a few minutes more won't hurt."

She smiled, and it seemed like the first genuine one she'd directed at me since I'd found out about the Obliviation.

"Just enough time for some chocolate raspberry ice cream."

In my head, I was already imagining her licking and sucking on her spoon.

Author's Note: Hi everyone,

We're going to be sticking with biweekly updates in May. I've gone through just about all of my prewritten chapters.

Saturday, 5/15 - Chapter 56

Saturday, 5/29 - Chapter 57

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.