AN: I have the best readers ever. You guys make my day. As always, thanks to Bex for fixing my mistakes.
Lost Souls of Nott Castle
Chapter 34 - Curse Breaker
Draco read the note Hermione had written and cursed to himself. It made perfect sense, in a twisted and demented way.
Parkinson didn't count on two things, though. First, Hermione being as brilliant as she was, and second, the strength of his love for her.
Minister Shacklebolt returned late that evening as promised.
"We found Harry," he announced. "Still petrified in the Astronomy tower."
Draco just shook his head. Some search the Aurors had conducted. Idiots.
"Yes, well, I feel the same way." The Minister said as he ran a palm over his tired face. "He's a bit malnourished, but will be alright. We are holding him for now. He might not have been the one to curse Miss Granger, but he still threatened her and attacked her when her back was turned."
"And Pansy?" Draco asked. "Did you find her?"
"A warrant has been issued. They went to pick her up." He looked around quickly. "Where is Hermione?"
"She's at the guest house. Theo is there. She's figured out how to control the effects when she's around us by using occulemency techniques, but it takes a lot of concentration for her to do that. So she wanted to go somewhere she hadn't been before and just be alone." He tightened his fist at that. He wanted to be with her, but knew he couldn't be at that point. "And it worked."
He handed her note to the Minister. He took it and read it carefully.
"That gives us something to go on," he said. "She's safe for now, and that is what matters. I'll find the best curse breaker I can and return in the morning."
"Thank you, Minister. I can't tell you how much this means to us."
After he had left, Draco made his way to his room. The day had taken its toll on him. He collapsed on his bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
He slept for several long hours and when he woke, the sun was already up. He took a quick shower and got dressed before heading downstairs for some breakfast.
The basket he had delivered to Hermione the night before was sitting on the table. It had already been packed up with food for the morning.
He ate quickly, then flew to the guest house to relieve Theo. Instead of Theo, though, he found Blaise in the clearing.
"Morning," Blaise said as Draco landed next to him.
"Morning. I brought her breakfast. Have you eaten yet?" He asked.
"Yes. You look like you slept well."
He eyed his friend for a moment. He could tell there was something off with him.
"I slept. I don't know how well it really was." He shrugged his shoulders. "How about you? Did you sleep at all?"
"Not much," Blaise admitted as he ran his hand over his face. "I should have known Pansy was behind this. She was acting strange all week."
"I was so convinced it was Potter, I missed it too." He clapped Blaise on the back. "It isn't your fault."
He went to the cottage door and knocked three times. Then he turned the knob and opened the door slowly.
She was on the couch, still in the pajamas he had brought her. Her back was turned so she couldn't see him. He levitated the basket and placed it on the table. Then he closed the door and knocked again to let her know it was clear. He leaned against the door and took a deep breath.
A moment later she knocked twice on the door behind him.
"I'll stay here with her," he told Blaise. "The Minister is supposed to be here sometime this morning with a curse breaker. Can you bring them here when they arrive?"
Blaise agreed and returned to the castle. Draco put his lounge chair in the shade and settled back. He had a book to read, though he couldn't concentrate on it very well.
His thoughts kept returning to Hermione. When he thought her memories of their time together had been erased, it felt like he had been punched in the stomach.
Now, when he thought of the possibility that they couldn't reverse the curse, it was even worse. Instead of losing their past, they could possibly lose their future.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there lost in his thoughts. The sound of knocking on the door of the cottage brought him back to his senses. He moved quickly to the door and found a note underneath like he had the night before.
" I'm bored," it read.
She pushed a quill under the door as well. He sat down on the doorstep and wrote, " You and me both. Shacklebolt is rounding up a curse breaker."
He slid the parchment back under the door and waited.
" Sounds great. Looks like a nice day out today."
" So far. There are clouds building up on the horizon, though."
For the next hour, they slid notes back and forth under the door. They chatted about the weather and other inconsequential things. When the parchment was full, she replaced it with a fresh one.
They were discussing which were better, cats or dogs as a pet, when Blaise landed in the clearing. With him were Minister Shacklebolt and a woman with black hair, round cheeks and dark eyes.
" Hold that thought," he wrote. " The cavalry just arrived."
He stood from his seat on the doorstep and greeted the newcomers.
"Minister," he said as he shook hands with Shacklebolt.
"Mr. Malfoy. This is Miss Kathryn Giles. By all accounts, she is the best curse breaker in all of London."
"Miss Giles," he held his hand out to her as well. "Thank you for coming."
She smiled warmly at him and shook his hand.
"Of course, of course," she said airily. "Kingsley tells me your friend is having trouble with reality?"
The Minister sighed.
"It really is quite difficult to explain," he said.
"Whatever this curse is," Draco said, "It feeds off of her memories from the last two months. If she sees or hears something that matches up to a memory or to multiple memories, those memories start playing through her mind like they are really happening. And one memory could trigger another and another. She hallucinates also. If the memory takes place in the library, she thinks she's in the library even if she isn't."
Miss Giles' brow crinkled as she considered this new information.
"She had never been to this cottage before, that's why we brought her here. Inside those walls there is nothing familiar. She has not had a single hallucination since she went inside."
Her head tilted to the side.
"I would imagine she does not want to spend the rest of her days inside that cottage, alone?" She asked.
"I would imagine not." Draco tried not to roll his eyes.
"Very well. I will see what I can do." She moved towards the door.
Draco was faster.
"No." He said as he blocked her from the door. "You can't go in there."
"She has no memories of me, I can assure you." Miss Giles raised her brow at him.
"No," he repeated. "This is a safe zone for her right now. If you can't break this curse, she will still need it to be safe. We can't risk her associating any of her memories with the interior of this cottage."
She appraised him for a long moment, then she nodded.
"Very well," she said. "What do you propose?"
"She'll come out here. No one says a word until she's in the clearing." He took a deep breath. Then he knocked on the door three times.
The door creaked open and the witch that had captured his heart stepped outside. Her eyes were closed and her hands were over her ears. She put her head down and walked slowly, peeking out from under her eyelids only so she could tell where she was stepping.
She kept walking until she could feel the sun on her face. Then she stopped and took a deep breath of the clear air.
Her eyes blinked against the sunlight. When she was able to focus, the only person in her line of vision was the curse breaker. Draco, Blaise and Kingsley all stayed behind her.
Miss Giles stared at her for a long moment. The warm smile she had given Draco was gone. In its place was a look of surprise mixed with disbelief and something else he couldn't quite place. Her eyes darted to Draco and Kingsley before returning to Hermione.
"Hermione Granger," Hermione said at last. She did not offer her hand, instead opting to stand with her arms crossed over her chest. "Can I assume you are a curse breaker?"
"Yes of course. I apologize, Miss Granger." The smile returned, although it seemed forced to him. "I am Kathryn Giles. You may call me Kaity."
Apprehension, Draco decided. That was the last part - surprise, disbelief and apprehension.
"Well, let's see what's going on now, shall we?" Tentatively she stepped closer to where Hermione was standing.
For several long moments they faced each other, neither moving.
Finally, Miss Giles looked away, her brow furrowed. Hermione stumbled back a few steps and braced her hands on her knees as she took a few deep breaths.
His instinct was to go to her, but he knew he couldn't do that. So instead he waited.
"Miss Granger, this won't work if you are blocking me." Kaity said. "Let's try again."
"I'm not," Hermione said quietly. "I'm not blocking you. That's the curse."
"Interesting." The curse breaker tilted her head as she tried to figure out the puzzle. "I need to see it in action."
Hermione stiffened.
"Once it starts, it's difficult to control." She explained.
"I'm sure it is, but I can't dismantle it if I can't see it." She raised her hand to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, would you care to assist, please? Miss Granger, don't fight it until we tell you too."
"You realize if it were that easy, I wouldn't need you, right?" She dropped her hands down to her side and flexed them both into fists a few times.
"Please, just trust me Miss Granger."
Draco came up beside her. He caught her eye and could see the fear hiding in them. He pressed his forehead to hers then gave her a quick kiss.
"Don't worry, Granger," he said. "I've got you."
She huffed a small laugh and muttered "damn you, Malfoy" just as her eyes started to glaze over.
"Amazing," Miss Giles muttered.
"You better, Draco. I'm too far gone to back out now," she said.
He stepped back and watched as she fell further and further down the rabbit hole. Occasionally she would mumble something, turn her head towards something only she could hear.
His eyes flicked back and forth between her and the curse breaker. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration as she sifted through the intricacies of Hermione's mind.
"She's still trying to control it," he told her.
"Yes. I can tell." She sighed and stepped back, turning around to take a deep breath. "I can see part of it. Let's try again."
Draco turned her face to his.
"Okay, you brilliant witch. Let's see what you've got."
She blinked. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and raised her arms.
Draco smirked to himself as he watched her begin to recite the charm she had worked meticulously on. A few lines in, she stopped as her memory shifted, morphing into a different time and a different place.
For several long minutes they watched as she jumped from one to the next to the next. Some he recognized from her reactions. Some he didn't.
"That's enough," Miss Giles said finally.
Draco put his hand on her shoulder, then had to duck quickly as she turned around swinging.
"Woah! Hermione, it's me. It's Draco."
She shook her head quickly, stumbling backwards.
"Don't touch me," she said as her eyes darted around.
"Take a deep breath," he said. "Ground yourself."
She shook her head, her hands coming up to grip her hair tightly.
"Don't worry, Malfoy," she said. "I've got this."
"Of course you do," he said with a sigh of relief. "Granger, I need you to remember the first time you saw Hogwarts. Think about the castle. Where were you the first time you saw it?"
Her eyes crinkled and her body relaxed.
"In the boats on the Black Lake." She took a deep breath.
"That's it. Close your eyes. Picture the castle." He gently turned her so she was once again facing the curse breaker. Then he stepped away.
"Very impressive, Miss Granger. You may open your eyes now." Miss Giles told her.
"Can you remove the curse?" She asked. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was exhausted.
"I believe so." She looked less confident than she sounded. "We'll need to go to St. Mungo's though. I can't do it here."
Hermione stumbled and collapsed to the ground. She sat with her knee curled up in front of her and her arm wrapped around it for support.
Draco was beside her in an instant. He didn't care if it could trigger the curse. He sat behind her and pulled her against his chest. She was gasping for breath. It reminded him of the panic attack she had a few weeks earlier in the shower. He couldn't tell if she was stuck in that memory, or if she was having another attack.
Blaise came up beside him and placed a vial in his hand.
"Calming draught," he said quietly.
Draco nodded and held the vial in his hand.
"No," she gasped. "No. I'm okay. Just give me a second."
He kept the vial in his palm, but would not force her to take it.
Slowly, her breathing began to return to normal. Her hands relaxed against his shirt.
"Okay?" He asked.
"No," she told him quietly. "Not okay."
He knew that it had to have been bad for her to admit that.
"What can I do?" He asked.
"Make it stop," she whispered.
"You can do this, Granger." He lifted her head and looked into her eyes. "Look at me."
She blinked several times then her eyes focused on him.
"Good. Now listen to me." He waited for her to nod before he continued. "You are the most brilliant, most powerful witch that I have ever met."
She started to shake her head "no".
"Stop. You are. You have never let fear control you. Don't start now."
She swallowed thickly.
"If anyone can fight this curse, it's you. I know you are tired. I know you want to give up. If you do that, Pansy wins. Are you really going to let Parkinson, of all people, defeat you?"
Her eyes blinked. Her brow furrowed. Her hand tightened into a fist on his shirt again.
"Fuck Parkinson." She told him.
He smirked to himself. That was the witch he had fallen in love with.
"That's right. You are Hermione Granger. You can do this."
She took a deep breath and nodded.
"You're right, Malfoy. I can do this."
She kissed him, paying no mind at all to the small group of people that were surrounding them. He savored the kiss. As much as he wanted it to lead to more, this was not the time or place.
When she pulled back, she took another deep breath.
"So, St. Mungo's?" She asked, focusing back on the cursebreaker. "Why?"
"It's a very volatile curse, Miss Granger. I need a controlled environment in case something goes wrong. I also need to have another cursebreaker with me."
"What could go wrong?" Draco asked suspiciously.
"There are always risks, Mr. Malfoy."
He did not like that answer at all.
"Miss Giles," the Minister spoke for the first time. "I will escort you to the hospital so you can get everything set up you will need. Then we can send a message to Mr. Malfoy to bring her when you are ready."
"Yes, of course, Minister." She joined him and Blaise. "An hour should cover it."
A few minutes later, Draco and Hermione were alone in the clearing.
"Do you want to go inside?" He asked her. She should probably go inside where she could rest before they had to leave.
"I should," she said wistfully. "But I don't want to."
"You need to rest," he told her.
"Come inside with me."
"No."
"The rain is getting closer. I'll go into the bedroom and close the door. You can stay in the living room."
He looked up at the sky and realized she was right. The dark clouds now covered them like a blanket. It could start raining any time.
"Maybe we should go back to the main house now. Otherwise we'll have to go in the rain when they are ready for you."
"Good point," she agreed.
He retrieved his broomstick and she got on in front of him. She closed her eyes and he slowly lifted off the ground. He flew back to the castle. As he did, a thought struck him.
The conservatory. As far as he knew, she had never been in there. Rain was starting to pelt them as he landed on the front steps of the castle.
"Keep your eyes closed," he told her. Then he picked her up and carried her inside.
Underneath the staircase there was a hidden door. Through that door there was a short hallway that opened into a conservatory. Glass windows lined the room from floor to ceiling. The ceiling itself was glass. Herbs and plants lined one wall. Wrought iron furniture with thick cushions sat in front of the windows - a table and four chairs.
He set her down on her feet.
"Can I open my eyes now?" She asked.
"Not yet." He tilted her face up and kissed her gently. "Count to five, then you can open them. I'll come back when Shacklebolt sends word they are ready."
She sighed, but nodded that she understood.
"One," she said. "Two. Three. Four. Five."
The door closed behind him as she finished counting. He leaned his head back against the stone and took a deep breath.
They may be one step closer to ridding her of the curse, but the look of pain and fear in her eyes would haunt him.
AN: Some of you were worried about Harry. He's been found and is alive. :) Feel free to drop me a note and let me know what you are thinking.
Until next week.
-mezy