All's Fair In Love & War
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the song "I Know" by Audrey, only the plot, and the Mongora Curse methods.
Summary: Ginny's lost the memory of Draco forever, and she's slowly seeping into love with her husband, Harry, who she knows. The only way that Draco can save their love is to risk his life, along with Harry's and Ginny's. Draco must compete against Harry for Ginny's love, but what happens when he goes back to the dark side?...Sequel to There's A Thin Line Between Love & Hate.
Chapter One: I Know Things Will Never Be The Same Again
Unicorn blood is highly useful for the matter between life and death. It can sustain you even if you are an inch or two from death. However, in 1867, when Creko Malion, winner of the Warlock's Convention, slayed a unicorn, and drank the blood of the pure innocence, his wife died one or two days later, leaving him alone, before he commited suicide on himself by the Killing Curse.
Recent discoveries...
Hermione Granger flipped the book shut, looking it warily. She looked back up to his twinkiling eyes and gave him a unsteady frown. Albus Dumbledore returned it with a sad smile.
"It's the curse, If I was there, Ms. Granger, I know Fawkes could've saved her...but..."
"It's too late," Hermione croaked. "Fawkes can't do a damn thing, Professor. She's alive and well, but Draco's heartbroken since she can't remember him."
"Please, feel free to call me Dumbledore, not Professor. You're not being educated in Hogwarts again," he noted.
"But I don't understand.. Ginny seems to remember who Harry and I am. How come not Draco?"
"That," Dumbledore peered over his glasses, "Is not my place to say."
"How come the baby didn't survive?"
Dumbledore sighed. "The baby was probably gone by the time you got the unicorn blood."
"Well I just like to have her back, again. I mean, I know things won't be easy for Draco, but..." Hermione's voice faded off softly. Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes, I quite understand. Why don't you go back to the Burrow, where the Weasleys, I assume, are nursing her? I believe Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are there too."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you," she said politely, and walked up to the door. She turned the knob, but then turned around in the last second.
"Is there any way?"
There was a long pause as Dumbledore looked at her sternly.
"Yes, but I do not want to put you all in danger."
"Danger?" Hermione repeated curiously.
He nodded. "Yes. It's a complex method. It's not merely a charm, it's...it's much bigger than that."
"What is it?" Hermione's eyes went wide, ensuing him to continue.
"It's...sort of a competition, a tournament. I think don't think it would suite Ginny very well. There are many deadly side affects of the Unicorn Blood Curse, but each person should recieve an individual one. Miss Weasley - sorry, Mrs. Potter, received the Congora Curse, which lets her lose her one true love. This tournament could not only save her memory, it could save Mr. Malfoy' s life."
"What do you mean?"
Dumbledore paused. "The Congora Curse has many ways of working. First, to ensure that we could not reverse the curse before it could happen, it worked on Mrs. Potter's subconscious, leaving one part of her memory behind. But even then, her true love could still get to her and she could fall in love back again, so most likely the Congora Curse would..."
"Kill Draco," completed Hermione softly.
He nodded grimly. "And since Miss Weasley would have no memory for him, she would be able to get easily hurt in relationships, and she would never really know what love was, since I assume Draco was her first love?"
Hermione nodded hesitantly in response. "About the competetion thing...what is that?"
He sighed, and reluctantly began to explain.
"The only way to reverse the Congora Curse, which is a very, very powerful and brilliant method, is to fight fire with fire. You must get two people who she loves, romantically, and they must be placed under the base of the curse, but it works differently for each individual trio. Miss Weasley would be placed in a deep sleep, and the boys would too, and since I have never experienced it, Miss Granger, I don't know what would happen exactly. It's different for everyone."
"The two people that she's in love with romantically...Harry and Draco, of course!"
Dumbledore shook his head. "It won't be that easy Miss Granger, not only will they all be in danger for the reverse act to happen, since Miss Weasley's true love was Draco, it's almost impossible that she would have another."
Hermione hung her head. "Well, okay, thanks." She proceeded to leave.
"Miss Granger," he called.
"Yes?"
"I advise you never to talk or mention the reverse act of the Mongora Curse."
"Why?"
"It's too horrible to tell. But you have to promise me, you WILL never try it."
Hermione paused reluctantly. Suddenly, she opened the door into a wide gap and stepped outside.
"I'm sorry Professor, I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."
Then she shut the door.
~*~
"Ah! Stop, Harry, stop!" Ginny giggled as Harry mercilessly tickled her. Ron was laughing, along with his other redheaded brothers, but Mrs. Weasley had a stern look on her face.
"Harry, she needs rest, she's been through a great ordeal," Mrs. Weasley protested.
"Sorry, Mom," Harry replied obediently, and sat back into his proper seat.
Suddenly, there was a pop, and Hermione appeared instantly.
"Just apparated," she said proudly.
"Hey, you can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds!" Ron and Harry shouted together at her, grinning giddily. She had to grin back.
"That was a test. Went off to the village, then, I apparated. Ginny!" she went over to the small, slim figure and hugged her tightly.
"It's so great to be back, I feel like I've been asleep all these years."
"What do you remember last," Ron asked anxiously. Hermione glared at him, knowing he was not at all moping that Ginny had completely erased Draco from her mind.
"Well, I remember...I don't know exactly...all I remember is I kissed Harry in the morning, and then the rest is all blank."
There was a long silence as everyone adjusted to this news. Finally, Hermione broke the ice.
"Where's Draco?" she asked.
"He went home," Harry replied coldly. Ginny's face remained emotionless, with a little bit of puzzlement in her eyes.
"Oh. Well, Ginny, let's go up to your old room and get you some rest," and she tugged on the younger girl's arm, and in moments, they had collapsed on their beds, laughing.
"I feel sixteen," Ginny said.
"Me too," agreed Hermione.
Hermione closed her eyes, feeling oddly tired and numb. Dumbledore's words were still rushing through her mind, haunting her insides.
"'Mione?"
She opened her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me 'bout Draco."
Hermione's face suddenly went rigid, and she felt a smile crack on her face.
"Let's see, I think it started in your fifth year..."
~*~
"After all these years, your crawling back, Draco?" His father's harsh tone made him flinch slightly.
Draco sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking Father, not joining you sooner."
His insides were churning. He was hurt, tired, and numb. He hadn't had much sleep over the days, and the last time he had seen Ginny was in the Burrow, happily flirting with Harry, not knowing who the hell Draco Malfoy was. She had said an awkward hello and gave him a friendly handshake. It hurt him so much, that he had decided he had to go home. Although he and Potter had actually got along now, he was feeling old hatred rise up for him. Damn the Boy-Who-Lived, who got everything he wanted. His rage had surfaced to something he thought he would never do in his life. Join his Father.
"Fine, boy. You shall join," although his voice was cold, Draco could tell there was a bit of pleasure in it.
"It will take long. You must go through many tasks, and there will be a special ceremony to attend. Make me proud, boy, make me proud, or else," Lucius Malfoy gave him a warning glare. Draco nodded.
All the rage and evil he had suffered to fight was now going through him, getting steeper into his body, and he took a deep breath before he did what he knew he had to.
"Before I become a death eater, Father, I have something to ask of you."
"Yes?"
"I need you to kill someone for me. Someone that might distract me from Dark Arts."
"Who is it?" His father was looking at him curiously.
"Jennasise Malfoy."
~*~