Chapter Fourteen

The pensieve

Draco closed the library door once Hermione walked through it.

"Where is that secret entrance?"

He raised both eyebrows a couple of times, a crooked smile on his lips, and started to walk down the aisles of shelves filled with books of every size and colour imaginable. Hermione followed him, trying to contain her curiosity with many unfamiliar books around her. Not in three lifetimes would she be able to read them all.

Draco climbed up the spiral staircase and stopped when he reached one of the walls covered in books. It had been so long since anyone had read them that they were covered in dust. He grabbed one of Hermione's hands and put her palm over the outline of a large red book, placing his hand over hers. The book glowed softly and there was a small click.

"It will recognise you too from now, so you can go in whenever you want," Draco explained, stepping back.

The bookcase filled with books started to sink into the floor, revealing the wall, where there was an arched hole and a flight of stone stairs.

"Ladies first," he whispered, giving her a little shove in the small of her back.

Hermione started down the stairs, startling herself every time a green flaming torch lit itself. After more than fifty steps, she came to a rather large rectangular room. In the centre was a pensieve made of stone, much like the one in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. Three torches hung on each wall, and directly in front of her was a wooden shelf that reached almost to the ceiling, filled with small vials. Some were empty, but most had a glowing substance inside.

Memories.

As she turned around, she saw that on the opposite wall was another shelf full of books. Hermione took a few steps towards it, reading the titles with a frown. They seemed very old and she didn't know any of them.

She could hear voices, as if the books were whispering words, and her body begged her to pick one of them up. She reached out for a silver one. Before she could touch it, Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and stepped back, pulling her away from the books.

"They're cursed, Hermione. They were made for purebloods and they'll probably attack you if you touch them. Don't do it."

"It's like they're calling me."

"Ignore them."

Hermione turned away, staring at Draco with fear in her eyes. He leaned in, leaving a soft kiss on her lips.

"They don't say things that might interest you, so you're not missing anything. But if you see any you want to read, I'll turn the pages for you. You should concentrate on this now, though," he added, stepping back and pointing to the pensieve with his eyes.

Hermione looked at the large stone bowl and followed Draco, who was leading her to the shelf full of memories.

"The right side is mine. The middle side is my mother's, and the left one is my father's. Only the owners of the memories can touch the vials and no one can find this room without the permission of a Malfoy. Now you are the only one besides the three of us who can come down here," Draco explained, pulling his wand out of his pocket.

"When the Dark Lord first started living here, my parents and I came to this room almost every day. We kept our memories in this place and erased each other's minds, so he couldn't find out that we were actually looking forward to Potter defeating him. We are Occlumens, but it was better not to take any chances," he added, jabbing the tip of his wand into his thumb.

A small cut appeared on his skin and Hermione gasped at the sight of blood, not understanding what he was doing. He grabbed one of her hands and did the same to it, making a wound on her thumb.

Hermione pursed her lips, but said nothing. She trusted him.

Draco brought her injured fingers to the shelf on the right, the one that belonged to him. He placed his thumb on the wood and motioned for Hermione to do the same. After a few seconds, they pulled their hands apart and he used his wand to close their wounds.

The bloodstains they had left on the shelf disappeared, as if the wood had absorbed them.

"This is very old blood magic. From today, you own this shelf as well as I do. You can touch all the vials here and leave new ones."

Hermione blinked several times and put a hand to her chest, touched by how much Draco trusted her. He moved closer to her and brushed some curls away from her forehead, looking into her eyes.

"The only thing I ask is that you don't look at the memories in the top row, they're the worst. You can look at the rest whenever you want, I don't mind."

She tugged at her lower lip with her teeth, trying not to cry. She stood on her tiptoes and hugged Draco, kissing him again.

"You know I love you too, right?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes, I know."

Hermione sighed, still very emotional, and glanced at the vials. She saw that the ones in the lowest row were all empty and picked one up.

"That could be your row. I label them so I know what they are," Draco commented, pointing to the vials that were full.

She nodded and pulled out her wand, resting the tip against her temple. As she pulled it away, a very shiny thread stuck to it. Hermione took that thread to the vial and dropped it in.

She walked over to the pensieve and Draco followed close behind. Hermione poured the contents of the vial into it and it was as if she was dropping a stream of dark ink. A liquid black cloud invaded the water in the pensieve and an image started to form inside.

With one last glance at Draco, she pulled a small notebook from one of her pockets and a pen and bent down, brushing the water with her face. Hermione was instantly absorbed and, a few seconds later, she was standing in front of Draco, next to one of the shelves in the Department of Mysteries.

"You've come prepared," commented the real Draco, standing at her side and staring at her with mocking eyes.

Hermione opened the notebook as the Draco from the memory reached out for the prophecy.

"I need to write it down if I want to analyse it properly."

"Know-it-all."

She nudged him and they both laughed, but fell silent as soon as Professor Trelawney's voice started to sound. Hermione held the pen in her right hand, writing everything down.

Hermione gasped as she pulled her head out of the water, back to reality. Entering the pensieve was like taking a leap into the void, and coming out felt the same.

Draco handed her a small towel, and once they were both dry, he leaned his back against one of the stone walls.

"Anything else you want to see? Now's your chance, though you can come back any other day," he said quietly.

Hermione picked up her memory and, putting it back in the vial, placed it on the lowest part of Draco's shelf. She touched the glass with her wand and a white label appeared on the front.

Draco's Prophecy

Hermione turned it over, so that his parents couldn't read what it said when they went down there.

"So... your parents can't touch my memory and look at it?" she asked, unconvinced.

Draco gave her a crooked smile.

"Try touching one of theirs."

Hermione walked over to the middle shelf. More than half of the vials were filled with memories, glowing and moving as if they were made of smoke.

She glanced sideways at Draco and held out her hand. If it was dangerous, he wouldn't be letting her do it. When her fingers should have brushed against the glass, they went through it as if it wasn't there. Hermione frowned and tried to grab another, and the same thing happened. In fact, the whole shelf seemed to be a hologram. Try as she might, she couldn't touch anything.

Hermione took a few steps to the right and touched the shelf that belonged to Draco, sighing as she felt the wood. She reached up to the vials at the top and heard him inhale sharply as she touched one of the glasses with her fingers.

"I'm not going to take it, I just wanted to check that I can touch these," Hermione said, stepping back a few feet.

"I told you you can see them, but not those."

Hermione looked down the middle, reading the labels. She smiled at the sight of her own name and picked up one of the vials. After opening it, she poured it over the pensieve.

"Are you coming with me?" she asked, turning to look at him.

He was at her side again.

"Of course."

A few seconds later, they were in the middle of Potions class, with Slughorn leaning on his desk. Hermione saw herself sitting next to Dean and, glancing to the left, saw Draco sharing a desk with Pansy. She shuddered as his grey eyes drifted from time to time to where she was sitting.

Hermione felt fingers running down her neck and sighed, leaning slightly over the real Draco behind her.

"Why do you keep this memory?"

"I like to see it," he replied, a mischievous grin curving his lips.

"What happened this day?"

"Don't you recognise the potion we're making?"

Hermione frowned and walked over to Blaise's cauldron, who was closest to them. Her eyes widened as she saw the colour, but before she could speak she heard Slughorn's voice.

While you all finish, let's play my favourite game with this potion. I want you to tell me what it smells like.

As Slughorn approached the Hermione of memory, the real Hermione turned her head and looked at Draco, feeling herself blush. He was still smirking and raised an eyebrow wordlessly.

You have already finished, Miss Granger. What do you smell?

To me, it smells like wood with some citrus mixed in.

Wood, ink and lemon. She knew what that smell was now. Hermione glanced at the Draco from the memory, who tensed at those words.

"Did you realise I was talking about your cologne?"

Draco nodded, tangling one of his fingers in the curls that fell down her back.

"The first time I saw this memory, I saw that you also knew I was referring to the smell of your hair. I didn't notice your reaction at the time," he replied in a whisper.

Slughorn had continued to move around the classroom as they spoke and was now facing Draco.

I'm not quite sure, but I think I smell tropical fruits.

Hermione watched herself as she sniffed at a lock of hair and then looked at the Draco from the memory out of the corner of her eye.

She heard a giggle from the regal Draco and blushed again helplessly.

"Pineapple, coconut and passion fruit. You look so cute, sniffing your hair to see if I was talking about you. If you'd known that I'd been watching you for almost two weeks and thinking about you all the time..." he murmured, moving closer to the Hermione from the memory and bending down to get a better look at her face.

"I would have hexed you," she replied, laughing softly.

Draco snorted and returned to her side, running his fingers up and down one of her arms.

"You wanted me too, don't deny it now," he said, lowering his head to her neck.

"I was starting to like you, yes... but I still didn't trust you."

His hands slipped under her skirt and Hermione gasped.

"Watch how I was staring at you... this is what I wanted to do to you right then," he breathed, slowly pulling down her knickers.

Hermione looked around in shock. It was so weird to be in the middle of a classroom, surrounded by her old classmates and with Draco's hands very close to her core.

She knew they couldn't see her, they were inside a memory... but she still felt watched.

"Look at you now," Draco added, gently biting her shoulder and slipping two fingers inside her.

She stifled a moan and clutched his shoulders tighter, watching herself. The Hermione from the memory looked sideways at Draco and shook her head.

"Tell me what you were thinking," he murmured against her skin.

"I was thinking... I was thinking it had to be a coincidence," Hermione whispered, closing her eyes and clenching her jaw to keep the noise down.

"Well, it wasn't," he said, ravishing her lips again.

Hermione let herself go, moving one of her hands down to his trousers and unbuttoning them. He lifted her into the air and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Do you remember when we first made this potion, in sixth year?"

Hermione nodded, opening her eyes and gasping against his lips.

"My Amortentia smelt the same."

"Mine too. It was always you, Draco," she confessed in a whisper.

He closed his eyes, pressing their foreheads together as he thrust into her.

"Fuck, Hermione. One day you're going to kill me."

The last thing she saw before she closed hers was the Draco from the memory staring at Hermione with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

The two appeared with a crack on the outskirts of Liverpool. It wasn't raining that Saturday and they would have good visibility for the match.

Draco slung his Nimbus 2001 over his shoulder and started walking down the dirt road, Hermione at his side. A small stadium could be seen in the distance and they heard the voices of several people.

As they walked through the main gate, they heard Ron and Harry's laughter. George had probably just told them a joke.

Draco recognised everyone there. They were former Hogwarts classmates, his age or a couple of years older, like George.

Hermione felt his arm tighten at the sight of Katie Bell. They had met her several times after leaving Hogwarts, and he had spoken to Katie privately to apologise for the incident with the cursed necklace. She had accepted his apology, but tried to stay away from him whenever they were in the same place.

"Malfoy! You're late and you're on my team," Ginny shouted when she saw them both.

Hermione had told her everything she'd talked to Draco about Tom Riddle's diary, and the red-haired girl was starting to relax completely in his presence.

"It's your friend's fault, she couldn't decide which book to bring," he replied, snorting.

Hermione made a face.

"It's in case the match goes on too long," she murmured at the cold stare Ginny was giving her.

She approached them, with a man with the same hair colour following in her footsteps.

"This is my brother Charlie, Malfoy. He's visiting and he's going to be a beater today, just like George."

Draco let go of Hermione and held out his hand. Charlie shook it, smiling.

"So is it true that you're Hermione's boyfriend? I never would have guessed," he commented with a chuckle.

"No one could guess this," Ginny added.

Hermione giggled and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Weasley," he growled under his breath.

"It's a great day for you to start calling me Ginny, otherwise we won't know who you're talking to when we're playing," she replied, a smirk on her face.

Draco narrowed his eyes and twisted one corner of his lips.

"Shut up, Ginevra."

She frowned and gave him a look of hatred. She didn't like her name at all.

"I don't want to, you bouncing ferret."

Harry walked over, joining in with Charlie and Hermione's laughter.

"Let's get started now. Can you release the balls, Hermione?"

She nodded and the fourteen players climbed onto the brooms. They all took flight except for Draco, who was staring at Hermione very intently. She walked up to him and sighed when she felt his arms around her.

"Maybe a kiss from you will bring me luck," he whispered, trapping her lips between his.

"Come on, Malfoy! Leave my friend alone and get ready to lose," Harry shouted.

Draco pulled away from Hermione. She stroked his cheek gently and took off her coat, showing him what she was wearing underneath.

He gasped at the sight of his Slytherin team jumper. She winked at him and turned away, walking towards the large black box in the centre of the pitch.

Draco cleared his throat, blinking several times and hopping on his broom. His eyes were still fixed on her back, where he could see his name.

"You wish, Potter," he replied as he flew up to where everyone was.

Hermione hit the box, which opened on its own. The two black bludgers shot upwards and the little golden snitch promptly disappeared. She grabbed the quaffle and threw it with all her might.

Angelina Johnson caught it and the match began. Hermione went up to the stands, where Marissa and Luna were sitting. She was surprised to see Pansy with them.

"Pansy! Draco didn't tell me you were coming," she said as she reached them.

It had been a few days since she had fully recovered and Pansy was already getting back to her normal life, trying to rebuild her shop in Diagon Alley.

Hermione sat down next to her and she gave her a sidelong glance.

"Nice jumper, Granger. My friend is too stupid, I bet you he doesn't even remember telling me about the match."

Hermione snorted.

"When are you going to start calling me by my name?"

"When you agree to come to one of my girls' nights," Pansy replied with a smirk.

"After you told me about Draco and Millicent, I... I don't feel like spending time with her."

Pansy clicked her tongue.

"There are always other people, Granger. The Greengrass sisters are lovely, and... If you want, you can tell Loony to come along."

Hermione gasped and looked to the right. Luna was talking to Marissa and luckily she wasn't listening to them.

"Don't call her that!"

"I don't know her real name."

"Luna, her name is Luna."

"Well, I'll be waiting for you next Saturday. And bring Luna."

"And Ginny?"

Pansy narrowed her eyes.

"I think I need more time, I still can't let a Weasley come to my house."

Hermione rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Suddenly, Pansy stood up and started shouting.

"Come on, Draco! show that Potter what you're capable of!"

Hermione turned her head and saw that the two seekers were ascending at full speed, side by side. A few feet above them, something small and golden was flying in a zigzag.

In case you don't remember, the memory they have seen is from the prequel to this story, "In the Snake's Jaw", chapter six :)