A/N:

In response to a prompt by Pureblood_Muggle in the Beyond the Book FanFiction Nook Restriction Section 2019 Competition

Prompt:
He was rich and handsome. Women fell over themselves to be with him. He had it all. Until, in a flash, his life was pulled out from under him.
No friends, no money, no memory of who he is or where he came from.
She found him in a bad way and recognised him immediately as the man who bullied her for years.
Sometimes, revenge is best served at body temperature.

Winner Overall Favourite
Winner Best Romance
Winner Best Execution

Pinterest Moodboard: scullymurphy/fragments-and-fissures/

Shoutout to the amazing Shuns for the cover art.

Chapter One

Draco's heels clicked on the polished marble of the ministry hallway, his steps swift and determined. They had tried to tell him not to come, but he wasn't going to show weakness. Yes, he'd just gotten out of the hospital, but he was fine. Everything was fine. He suddenly stopped - falling against the wall of the corridor and turning to press his forehead against the cool paneling.

Except for the headaches. He was fine except for the headaches.

But they came and went quickly. Just sharp stabs of pain at his temples that throbbed and then disappeared - sometimes accompanied by an image barely flickering behind his eyes. Not even a ghost of pain remaining when they had gone.

See, he was fine again.

He pushed off the wall and continued toward the ornate doorway to the building's largest reception room. It was the annual DMLE banquet - the one social event of the year that no one in the department missed. Awards were announced, promotions honored, final closed-case and arrest counts revealed. If he didn't go, it would be noticed. And talked about. And he had enough trouble with his reputation in this department without the other aurors whispering that he'd used his brief hospital stay as an excuse to miss this night. "Malfoy wasn't there? Guess he's used to special treatment. Guess he didn't want to see Potter promoted."

Fuck. That.

He was actually happy for Harry. He deserved it. But gossip mongers liked their gossip. He pushed through the door - well, he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

The room was crowded, loud and warm - everyone already partaking liberally of the free booze. Draco grabbed a glass of what would undoubtedly be shitty red wine off the tray of a passing waiter and downed half of it in one go. Accurate, it was crap. He downed the rest and started through the crowd, looking for Potter. He didn't actually want to stay long. He just wanted to congratulate his partner, be seen by enough people so that his presence would be noted and get the hell out.

To that end, he nodded at as many colleagues as he could as he worked his way through the crowd. There was that bitch in accounting who always flagged his reports, nod. And that moron senior auror who couldn't investigate his way out of a paper bag, nod. The sharp junior auror who kept getting overlooked by the idiots in management because she was pretty and had big tits, nod. The receptionist who'd tried desperately to get him to shag her in a coat closet at the last christmas party, probably best not to nod.

Grabbing another glass of wine, Malfoy sipped more slowly - trying to present a perfectly healthy and composed picture, still scanning for his partner's inky mop, but having no luck in the crowd of sweaty punters and their annoying spouses.

Then he had a brainwave. He should just look for Granger. She would be standing right next to Harry, as usual. And she was much easier to spot. At least for him.

That little hair shimmy she did when she was giving someone a fake smile? The arm gesture that became a bit too expansive after a glass of wine? He should be looking for that. He stopped and eyed the crowd again.

And there she was.

And there was Potter. Surrounded by sycophants, per usual, and Granger standing guard, per usual. Malfoy made a beeline in their direction.

Granger's back was to him as he approached, but Harry spotted him and lifted his hand in a beckoning wave. Still so fucking nice after all these years... Malfoy could see Granger's body language shift. She was wondering who Harry would be waving to so familiarly, then she turned around to look.

A few things happened when Malfoy made eye contact with Granger. 1) Her face drained of color and she dropped her wine glass; 2) The worst, most excruciating headache thus far stabbed into Draco's temple; 3) The clearest image he'd yet had bloomed behind his eyes; an extremely vivid vision of him kissing Granger. A passionate, gasping kiss. Mouths open, tongues twining - he could feel his searing arousal and smell her hair as he fisted his fingers into it.

A few things that Draco knew as this happened. 1) There was no reason for Granger to act like she was seeing Marley's ghost just because he walked up. They saw each other all the time; 2) He'd never kissed Granger in his life, unfortunately; 3) He was almost certainly going to throw up from the pain.

He doubled over and Harry was instantly there, supporting his elbow, shouting for water and asking if he was ok. Draco took a few deep breaths as the pain and then the nausea passed. He was able to stand soon after. He told Potter he was fine, but his partner insisted on leading him to one of the chairs lining the perimeter of the room.

"What the hell, mate?" asked Harry with concern. Draco noticed that a server was sweeping up the shards of Granger's wine glass, but the witch herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did she go?" Draco demanded, whipping his head around and peering into the crowd. Now that he wasn't under the influence of hot pokers being driven into his temples, he knew that image of the kiss had not been a fantasy. Not this time. It was a memory. He was certain of it.

"Who? What?" Harry was asking. "Oh, Hermione? She buggered off after she dropped the glass. Strange of her actually." He squinted at Malfoy. "And by the way, why the fuck are you here? You got out of the hospital yesterday. You should be resting."

"I'm fine," Malfoy said tersely.

"Yeah, really fucking great. Obviously." Harry's eye roll could be seen from space. "Anyway, why don't we get you home."

Malfoy snapped out of the distraction of looking for Granger. "What? We? No. You are staying and accepting your award. I'll get myself home."

"I refuse to let you stumble off alone."

"Well I refuse to let you play the martyr instead of being honored for your accomplishments. Congratulations, by the way. Well deserved." Malfoy gave his partner an almost smile and put his hand out. Harry shook it, but looked uncomfortable.

"Look. I'm fine." Draco continued. "I'm getting these pains, but the healers say they're normal - and they pass very quickly. All I'm going to do is walk out of this room, find a fireplace and floo home. I promise." He held up his hand and lied through his teeth.

Harry looked unconvinced, but just then his fiancé rushed up, decked out in a seriously short and body-hugging dress. Even Draco had to admit the Weaselette looked sensational.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" she gushed and threw her arms around Harry's neck, kissing him a little longer than strict propriety advised. Harry blushed and came away with a dopey smile. Malfoy saw his chance, threw the two of them a quick goodbye and dashed off through the crowd. He intended to get to the bottom of whatever this was with Granger tonight. Why would he have a memory of kissing her? It was especially nerve-wracking coming off a bout of amnesia.

Malfoy thought he heard the faint sound of Harry calling his name as he moved away, but didn't slow his pace. He was fairly certain he could count on Ginny to keep Potter from sacrificing his big night to run after his unpredictable partner, anyway. He made it to the bank of ministry floo fireplaces without anyone following him, and when he stepped into the flames he didn't call for his flat, he called for Granger's.

Of course he should have known that her floo would be warded. He was denied entrance to the flat itself and instead spat into what looked like the entryway of her building. He began to shove his credentials at the guard, but the man just nodded and waved him on, so he started for the stairs, frowning.

He knew she lived on the top floor, but not much else. Mounting the third staircase he was almost there when one of the steps let out a distinctive shriek as he stepped on it. The sound immediately set off the piercing head pains. Draco sat down abruptly, clutching his temples. The vision, no memory, was less clear than the last - more of an impression than a vivid picture. But it was Granger again. Looking up at him and laughing, her golden brown eyes warm. A way she'd never actually looked at him before. Real Granger always had a little caution in her gaze when their eyes met.

Draco shook his head and picked himself up off the stair, furious all over again.