Disclaimer:
If I had the copyright,
I needn't write by can light,
Wouldn't live of bread and water,
Could pay allowances for a daughter.
But as I don't have a child,
Bear with me and please be mild,
Don't try to sue me for my money,
'cause I don't think that would be funny.
I never said that I owned Harry,
Nor any other thing or fairy
Mentioned in the Rowling's books,
So please be kind: let me off the hooks.
Author's note: Hey everybody, thank you so much for the encouraging reviews! You are great.
Now, let's see…
Fallin' For Felton told me that "queer" should be changed into "weird", because it sounds a little strange. :) Well, I'll do that as soon as I have time, I also spotted some more mistakes that I have to correct, so don't worry if it takes some time until I finally changed that. But thank you.
Secondly, I'm glad you liked the sudden change of tone and style. I think it is perfectly possible to write a Sequel that differs so much from the precursor, because in this case both characters have lost their memories. They don't know who they are and what they are and that's why I included this little "bug incident". Draco Malfoy IS a human being and he has feelings and fears and so on. People tend to forget that. Did you watch the very first HP-movie? There's such a gorgeous scene after Quirrel fainting in the Great Hall (Troll!!!!) and Tom Felton aka Draco sits there at his table and screams at the top of his lunges.
Well, I kind of forgot what I actually wanted to say…oh yes, don't be too angry with me if both Draco and Hermione act a little out of character in the beginning, but hey, as I said: they lost their memories, they don't know they hate each other, they gradually will remember and then be more in character, BUT the question is whether they will still get along (love?) each other even after they found out who they are?
Thirdly, this story will be rather short, not more than 10 chapters unless I really get a grip of myself or I'm really so hooked up writing it that I cannot stop anymore, I think. Nevertheless, the chapters will be longer than those of "And then we were defeated," and hopefully you'll like them. In fact, I have never written chapters with more than 2000 words and this one is nearly going up to 3000. Any questions as to what happened to the other characters will be answered in later chapters (to keep you reading) or in a dark, mysterious companion story. I haven't decided that yet. I just wanted to start something new and different. And so far I haven't read a story with this idea. (correct me if I'm wrong)
By the way, did you ever wonder why Hermione smells like Vanilla and Honey? Nobody ever asked me why and I'm so keen on telling you that the cereal I have for breakfast tastes like that and that I'm really really fond of it. Silly, hm? I'm a freak, I know. Oh, and I'm really sorry that my notes are so long. Just skip them, I highlight the important parts anyway…
Now, flame me baby or send me reviews or do both if you feel up to it. Oh, and have fun reading.
***
MARRIED?!
Chapter 2
The Burrow
***
They had been walking for nearly an hour now and civilization was not yet in sight. Hermione sighed heavily and wiped some sweat drops off her forehead. She had already tried to figure out how much she still remembered. Well, she could still walk and talk and she was quite sure that she could write and read, and she had done some sums, but that was about it. Hermione was well aware of the fact that she had parents and that she went to school, however, everything beyond this vague knowledge was a misty blur. And to make things worse there was this horrible engagement thing that bothered her the most. An engagement and, well, marriage in that case, was such an important thing in your life that you couldn't simply forget about it, could you? Throwing a swift glance over her shoulder at the boy walking slightly behind her, she sighed again. Her heart beat fasted every time she looked at him, but she couldn't decide whether this was because her body told her that this guy was the love of her life or whether he simply annoyed her to hell. He didn't seem to worry about anything she noticed and scowled. Draco had been following her all the time, whistling nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. How on earth could he be like that?
Hermione came abruptly to a halt and Draco stopped both walking and whistling, eying her questioningly.
"Thank you." Hermione said gruffly, tilting her chin up to get eye contact.
"What for?" replied Draco cocking an eyebrow.
"For stopping whistling. You're not very musical, you see."
"Oh. All right." Draco managed to answer with a shrug, but he could have said anything at that particular moment. For the first time he took in the faint smell of vanilla and honey and couldn't help but stare at her eyes, which were chocolate brown with little golden dots here and there sparkling in the sunlight. It didn't last but a second, then he snapped out of it, because Hermione had started to boss him around and to increase his torture she had taken a liking to tormenting him with thousands of questions and reproaches.
"Don't you care the least what is going to happen to us, Draco? I can't believe you're so ignorant."
"Geez, 'mione, cut it out."
"And don't you dare 'moine-ing me. My name is Hermione, can't you pronounce it properly?"
Draco simply shook his head. This girl was annoying him to no end and he was supposed to be in love with her? Ridiculous. As soon as he'd remember everything again, he'd have to think this whole marriage thing over if it wasn't too late to back out of it. Stifling a yawn he started to go past Hermione and slowly strolled towards the river lying a little ahead of them.
"Draco! Where are you going? What…"
"I don't know where you're going to Hermione. I'm over there, if you need me." Draco interrupted her and pointed at a little house not far from where they were. With that he started humming a hardly recognizable tune and went off, Hermione trailing behind him defeatedly.
***
Only half an hour later they reached a rather shabby looking house and if Hermione had before doubted only for a second that wizards and witches really existed, she now truly believed in them. Such a crooked house could only be prevented from collapsing by magic. It looked as though it had once been a large pigsty, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several storeys high. Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lop-sided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read "The Burrow". Round the front door lay a jumble of various broken and torn things. All in all the house and its garden looked as if it had been abandoned for quite some time.
Draco purposely walked up to the doorstep, knocked, then tried to turn the handle and the door gave way easily. Hermione gasped. Standing on tip toe she had caught a glimpse of the interiors of the house over Draco's shoulder. They both entered and found themselves in the remains of a devastated living room. A bomb must have exploded. Everywhere lay shattered and broken furniture and a torn sofa was shoved against the back wall. Fragments and pieces of glass covered the dusty and dirty ground.
Draco frowned at what he saw. He knew by instinct that there had been a fight and that obviously the owners of the house had lost the battle and their house, if not even their lives.
Hermione took a step forward, but Draco grabbed her arm harshly and forced her back to his side.
"Don't. We don't know if there are any spells or hexes." Hermione nodded and a wince escaped her throat. Instantly Draco released her. "The bruises…I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" he looked at her with concern in his eyes and even after Hermione had insured him that she was all right he didn't take his eyes of her.
"No, you're not all right. I should have thought of that earlier." He muttered and drew her with him outside.
"Sit down." He commanded and pulled her down so that she had to sit on the doorstep. Hermione tried to protest but he shushed her sitting down beside her and had a closer look at her bruises, cuts and injuries.
He touched her skin gently, almost caressing her with his cool touch. Hermione shuddered. Being so close to Draco was a strange, tingly feeling and her stomach churned. He looked up and smiled encouragingly at her, his movement making her look straight into his clouded grey eyes. For a second she lost herself in these deep pools and then it hit her again, warmth washed over her and she saw Draco sitting on a tiny bed and she could watch him as he bent forward in slow-motion touching her lips.
Hermione jumped and blushed furiously. Draco gave her a smirk and then, without any warning he bent forward and kissed her smiling against her lips. She tasted sweet and familiar and so good. He never wanted to end that kiss, but Hermione finally broke away, gasping for oxygen.
"That was…nice." Again he smiled her, a real, warm happy smile that also showed in his eyes and she suddenly realized that they had been holding hands all the time.
"Mhm." Hermione didn't trust herself to speak right then and there. She looked flushed and felt a little uncomfortable and at the same time she longed for another kiss. Abruptly she got up and her down-to-earth nature took over.
"Have you checked if we can go in any further? You're the one with the wand, you know. And maybe we can find something useful in there. I'm still starving and something else to wear wouldn't be wrong either."
Draco's smile vanished and was replaced by a rather earnest facial expression as he went inside, Hermione waiting outside for him to allow her to follow him.
***
Carefully he stepped over a broken grandfather clock, wand at the ready and hoping that he would remember the counter spells in time to defend himself. Spiders and cobwebs hung from the ceiling and he even thought to hear the faint squeak of mice on his way through the living room towards the remainders of what once was the kitchen. It was small and rather cramped. There was a broken wooden table and chairs were strewn all over the place. Drawers and cupboards were opened, cutlery and smashed china lying in heaps on the floor.
Nothing happened. No spells, no hexes, no curses, no corpses crossed his way. He slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which zigzagged its way up through the house. On every landing doors stood ajar and Draco could see that the destruction hadn't even stopped at what were obviously children's rooms.
Curiously he climbed two more flights until he reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying "Ronald's Room." Draco stepped in, his head bumping at the surface. Scowling he blinked and was greeted by the sight of an entirely orange room: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling had a violent shade of orange. Spell books and torn posters of the Chuddley Canons lay amongst torn and shabby books, clothes and other personal belongings. On the ground right before him lay something that caught Draco's attention. It was a picture of three people. A red-haired boy, a brown haired boy with glasses and a girl. Hermione. Although the frame was broken and the glass shattered the three people smiled and waved happily at Draco. They were clad in school robes bearing a red and golden crest and suddenly Draco felt anger rise inside of him. He grabbed the photograph and stuffed it hastily in one of his pockets, then made his way back downstairs.
***
"Can I come in?" Hermione yelled as soon as she could hear Draco's footsteps coming down the rickety staircase.
"Yeah. No hexes or anything. But be careful, there's a lot of broken glass on the floor." He shouted back at her and then saw her, her face looking expectantly up at his. "There's nothing to eat or drink, but enough clothes to change into something more decent then pyjamas and dress robes. If you go upstairs, there's a girl's room on the third landing, I'm sure you can find something in there."
Hermione nodded. "Did you find anything else?"
Draco hesitated. Should he tell her about the picture? Her eyes were full of hope.
"No. There was nothing but broken stuff and things. And spiders, if you're fond of them." He said it firmly not looking at her.
"All right. I go get changed and you better do that, too, don't you think?" she gave him a quick smile, then went past him and upstairs. Draco could hear her retreating footsteps and let out a long breath. Why had he lied to her? He couldn't answer this question, but he knew he wouldn't tell her about the picture later, either. Putting his wand away he followed Hermione upstairs and found a nearly clean black robe that didn't fit him perfectly, but well enough for the time being. He was just about to smooth out some of the wrinkles in them as an ear-piercing scream reached him.
Hermione.
Immediately he bolted down the stairs, his wand in his hand. Panting he reached the room on the third landing from which the scream had come. The door stood ajar and he couldn't believe what he saw.
