Walking Along Memory Lane
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters, insignia and stuff are owned by J.K. Rowling and not by me.
Summary: Draco is involved in a terrible accident and falls into a coma. A few years later, he wakes up with amnesia. Plagued by dreams of a certain brunette, whom everyone by now thinks is a widow; he decides to get on with his life in search for his identity. DM/HG
Chapter Four
Changes and Connections
Sunlight trickled into his room and unto his face. Devon wrinkled his brow as he opened his eyes.
Damn it… Morning already?
He got up and wiped his forehead. It was sweaty.
He sighed. He has just had another of his recurring dreams. This time, the brunette was walking along an aisle, smiling. But for some reason, his vision blurred and changed into a dark stormy night. The brunette was crying and HE, Devon, was comforting her – saying that he will be back. He woke up when thunder and lightning sounded and flashed in his dream.
Devon made his way to the bathroom. Today was going to be a day like any other.
---
"Be good, don't forget to brush your teeth, eat your vegetables, do your homework, owl me, and -."
"Mom! Please RELAX! I'm just going to school, not to some boarding house abroad." Joan finally interrupted Hermione's constant ramblings. "Besides, Mom, I'll be fine." She smiled at her mother.
Hermione sighed. "Fine then."
"Aunt Hermione! JOAN!" The two of them turned to find James Potter bounding towards them. "Good morning!" He kissed Hermione's cheek and hugged Joan as his family came by a few moments later.
"James! Don't go running off like that!" Ginny scolded her son while she holding Sirius, her other son, by the hand. "You might get lost in this sea of people!"
"Ginny," Harry said, carrying six-year-old Lily on his shoulders. "Don't be too hard on him, besides, he's a big boy now. Aren't you?" He winked at James.
James gratefully grinned at his father. "Yeah, Dad. And don't worry, Mom," He said turning to a red-faced Ginny. "I have Joan here," He placed his arm on Joan's shoulder. "To make Andrei and I well-behaved."
Ginny rolled her eyes.
Hermione coughed. "That's what SHE was afraid of."
"Bloody hell! The Hogwarts Express is bloody big and bloody magnificent!" A voice said from behind the group.
They turned in time to see the Weasleys, with Lavender correcting Andrei's language and smacking Ron's head slightly. "See! I reminded you of your manners! Look at our son's language!"
All families acknowledged each other and Lavender continued to ramble on Ron's manners.
Ron just had his famous lopsided grin on his face. He whispered to the others. "Pre-natal syndrome – ignore her."
Lavender stopped when her companions' faces turned into grins. "I heard that RONALD!"
Hermione sighed and looked at her daughter, who was equally staring back at her. They were both thinking the same thing: their family was missing a husband to bicker with and a father to connive with.
Finally, all good-byes, conflicts, and reminders were interrupted when the whistle of the train blew.
Each child kissed and hugged their parents.
Joan meanwhile, before scurrying to join Andrei and James, thrust something into her mother hands. "Here Mom, take it."
"Wha-?" Hermione was bewildered.
Joan merely smirked and said. "Promise me I'll have a father figure when I come back! Bye Mom, love you." And she ran off to board the train.
With a final whistle, the train moved and exited the station.
Hermione bit her lip as she saw Joan, along with the Potter and Weasley boys, wave at them from their window.
Joan was still wearing the Malfoy smirk.
Hermione did not know whether she was afraid for her daughter's safety or for her own. She turned to the Potter and Weasley families.
Ginny has her head buried at Harry's side, while Harry was trying hard to maintain his posture as Lily pulled at his hair, wanting to go down to play with Angel Weasley.
Meanwhile, Ron was slightly pale and his eyes followed the train out of the station at the same time as Lavender. He placed his arm around Lavender as she shook.
Ah, the anxiety of having a child away from you.
Hermione looked around she realized that she did not have a significant other to share this moment with her. Silently, she backed away and apparated to her office.
---
Ron, at the corner of his eye, saw Hermione slowly back away. He nudged Lavender, who followed his gaze.
"She needs time alone." Lavender quietly said.
Ron just nodded, Lavender and Ginny were Hermione's only close female friends and so he respected the advice.
---
Normally, when she feels down, Hermione goes home, but now that there was no blonde girl waiting for her, she decided to head to work. As she sat down at her desk, she realized that she was still holding Joan's package.
Curious, Hermione placed it on her desk and unwrapped the brown paper. It was a box with a note/letter taped to it.
"Hey Mom, It's me, Joan. I want you to focus on what my note says. In this box is a special watch that tells the time and all the things a wizard watch does. But this has a bonus function. I bought this at a shop at Diagon Alley and configured it to my liking. The watch's function can be anything, but I requested the merchant to enchant it for me in this way. This watch is linked to mine. It would tell ME whether you are DATING or not. Mom, wait for my explanation before you go berserk! Anyway, through this watch, I can send to you messages and you can send to me. If you're not dating, you'll be constantly receiving pestering messages from me. Anyway, that's all for now. Bye, Mom, I love you. - Joanna Leticia Malfoy, your beloved daughter."
Hermione quickly opened the box and found an intricate watch with a silver chain. The face of the watch was like a normal wizard watch with red stones, apparently an imitation to rubies, as numbers and letters.
How deeply Malfoy-like of you, Joan.
Hermione thought to herself as she clasped the watch on to her wrist. The face changed and had a message written with the same 'rubies': Mom! Start dating please!
Hermione sighed.
It wasn't going to be different after all whether Joan was there or not.
---
Devon smoothened out his black robes and slicked his hair back. He didn't know why but he liked the hairstyle. He flicked his wand and a transparent parchment appeared in front of him. It was list.
"Let's see," Devon muttered to himself as he pointed his wand at the list. "Opening of account at Gringotts –check, buying more clothes – check, buying essentials – check, paying for one-week stay at Leaky Cauldron – check, finding a stable source of income – nope."
He groaned.
"All of the money seems to be going out!" He continued with the list. "Finding the brunette – definitely no."
Groaning once more, he stood up from his bureau and went out to seek for a job and the brunette. He wondered which would take longer.
---
Devon quietly ate his dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. It had taken him all day to search for both a job and the brunette. He did not find either. He had practically combed through Diagon Alley and still no sign of either. He decided he would give it a rest for the day after he ate his dinner.
---
It was past midnight and Hermione was still at the office of the Daily Prophet, making revisions at some articles that were to be published for the next day's issue.
She had looked at her watch several times and found out that Joan was sorted to Gryffindor, much to her relief, though the Sorting Hat was frankly bewildered upon sorting such a mixed-up Malfoy.
Stifling a yawn, Hermione decided she's had enough and forwarded the articles to the press with a flick of her wand. She got up and apparated out of the building.
"Wait, where am I?"
Hermione looked around at her surroundings. She didn't recognize any of it. She closed her eyes.
I know I did the right thing, I thought of the right place but…
She opened her eyes. Realization came to her. She was too tired to focus properly and must have been moved to someplace else. She was about to apparate once more when someone covered her mouth from behind.
---
Devon shot up from his bed, covered with cold sweat.
He dreamt that the brunette was just there standing, when all of a sudden it all went black.
He did not know why it scared him, but it did.
That woman must be in danger.