A/N: Oh, just as I promised! A bit more on the Amnesiac! ...and, well, other, you know, insignificant stuff too ;) :) We'll begin with the amnesiac.

Chapter title graciously borrowed from the All-American Rejects track with the same name (I really don't know why their song titles keep popping up when uploading time arrives).

Emeline told me one day that oftentimes when someone is looking for something, all they have to do is stop looking for it in order to find it. I found this notion absurd, but honestly, what did I know? That's right. Not even my own name. Only that I found plugs to be oddly interesting, which Dwight told me wasn't exactly a normal thing to be so fascinated with. He wondered if I had once been an electrician; I highly doubted it.

So as much as it killed me, I stopped constantly wracking my brain. I learned to just exist. I got a job working with Dwight. It was almost as if I became a son to them; a fiery redhead in a fair-haired family.

Almost.

Yet that's precisely how things continued until one night I woke with a start.

I woke because I had remembered something.

I had remembered Her.

I sat up in my bed, breathing heavily... the dream was still so real despite I had already woken from it.

I had been outside flying through the air on a broomstick, the wind had been blowing through my then longer hair. But that wasn't the weirdest part, there were at least three other people flying around as well and another half-dozen people lounging around on the ground and they all had hair the exact color of mine. There were two exceptions though: a boy with black, messy hair and a girl with long, frizzy light brown hair.

Despite the fact these redheaded people were so obviously the family I couldn't remember, something in my subconscious told me she was the one I should be paying attention to, the seemingly average, petite girl. There had to be something extraordinary about her though. She was a part of this world where people flew on broomsticks, people who were my family.

Suddenly the scenery had changed drastically. It was now just her and me in a dark room. She seemed to have aged several years from the time I had glanced down at her from the air. She was sitting at the end of a long antique looking table, reading a rather large book, seemingly illuminating the pages with a stick with a lighted end.

Wand echoed through my mind.

I was pacing beside said table, incessantly running my hands through my hair.

She was pointedly ignoring me, face set in a determined grimace, as her eyes moved back and forth across the page.

I finally flopped myself ungracefully into the chair beside hers.

She finally glanced up at me and questioned, "What is it! You've been pacing around like a madman for over ten minutes. You know I'm reading as fast as I can--"

I cut her off, "Hermione, I know. It's just that I'm not very good at waiting."

Her name was Hermione.

She gave me a small smile and lightly teased, "You know, patience is a virtue."

I mocked ignorance and questioned, "Vir-what?"

She pushed the book she was reading from her and rose from her chair, moving to the place where I was sitting. She brushed a lock of hair out my eyes before kissing me on the cheek.

I looked up into her brown eyes, seemingly having lost my voice for a moment.

I reached out, grabbing hold of her hands and pulled her closer to me, her forehead coming to rest on mine for a moment before her lips met mine in a soft kiss. It was almost as if the world had dropped away, leaving the two of us entirely to our own devices. The moment didn't last nearly long enough though, she brought her lips away from mine and returned her forehead back to mine.

I relished simply being in such close proximity with her, only breaking the silence after a good five minutes had passed, whispering, "There's gotta be a spell to make moments like this last forever."

She moved slightly away as she outright laughed at my comment and I soon found myself chuckling too.

But the moment grew serious once again when I caught her eyes boring into mine. She finally whispered back to me, "You're just too much. Can I keep you?" she paused to graze my jaw-line with the tips of her fingers, hand finally coming to rest on my shoulder before finishing her question, "Forever?"

Neither of us laughed that time though.

I rose from my chair and quickly pulled her into an embrace, burying my face into the top of her head...

And that was my dream -- my memory.

Now fully awake I knew --I remembered-- there had been something looming over us, something huge. We both had known it would be not only life altering but world altering. We had a mission, a purpose; and that came well before any personal feelings we wanted to pursue.

But I had no idea what that had been. All I knew was her. And that was enough for now and quite possibly enough for forever.

Suddenly I recalled a dream I'd had months ago, she had been the girl I was picking up in the rainy parking lot. She was the one I was never supposed to forget; and yet, I had.

Now I had remembered her. All I had to do now was find her.

Somehow.

o o o

For the next week or so I avoided Malfoy like the plague. I can only assume he'd taken to doing the same with me as well. It was just that he was really not someone I was equipped to deal with now -- or ever. He could still unnerve me seemingly without any effort on his part. And if there was one thing I liked less than most anything else in the world, it was feeling unnerved.

Despite this, part of me wanted to seek him out and give him a piece of my mind. Whenever I considered doing so, however, was precisely when I'd remind myself that doing so would be quite foolish; especially since I couldn't be sure how I'd react to being in his presence since... it happened.

I really couldn't figure out why he'd done it; I'd spent hours trying to figure him out, only to feel even more confused about everything that was him. He was impossible to read, and I was sure he liked, wanted, and maybe even needed to be that way.

I wasn't stupid though. I knew I wouldn't be able to evade him forever. But avoiding him for awhile was working pretty well, as far as I was concerned.

Apparently McGonagall had a different opinion concerning our situation though.

That isn't to say she knew what had happened that night outside the dining hall. As near as I could tell, no one did... especially Malfoy and myself. Regardless, there she was one afternoon after I had excused my fifth year students, walking down the aisle of my classroom, stating she needed to speak with me.

I rose from my sitting position, an expectant look spreading across my face rather quickly.

She reached my desk and conjured a chair for herself, sitting in it and motioning for me to sit as well.

She sighed slightly and began, "Well, Hermione, I suppose you know why I'm here?"

I, however, truly had no clue, "No, Headmistress...?"

My response didn't seem to please her too much, and she spoke almost as if she were talking to herself, "I don't know what I was thinking. You two are still obviously such children. To think I honestly believed you'd be able to teach other children--"

I opened my mouth to protest, even though I had no idea why she was so upset.

She cast me a dispassionate look, "You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

I slowly shook my head, still trying to figure out what she was on about.

"It's you and Draco."

Well, now she certainly had all my attention. ...What did she know?

She looked at me shrewdly, having seen my face change at the mention of his name. She continued, "Just as I thought. I really had expected better from you, Hermione."

I outwardly flinched. After all, I had expected better from myself as well; not that any of what had happened was my fault, though.

Resolvedly she spoke, "Well, that's that then."

Wait. What?

"You two are just going to have to settle whatever happened," she reasoned, "I can't have my professors refusing to speak to each other."

I found this unfair. She had been upset when we had been basically feuding with each other as well. But I didn't voice that particular opinion, it would only have proven her right about the two of us still being nearly children ourselves, despite the things we had lived through.

Clearing my throat, I questioned, "What is it you'd have me do?"

A ghost of a smile flashed across her face as she replied, "I had hoped you would ask."

Uh oh. This wasn't going to be something I wanted to do.

She continued, "Since the two of your are so intent on acting the age of your students, I thought it would only be appropriate to get you two into detention."

All right, so that wasn't exactly what I had anticipated.

"Not that you two, of course, will be a part of the detention; you'll both be holding it in Professor Malfoy's classroom this Thursday."

I barely caught myself from grimacing at the prospect: Malfoy, me, and an odd half dozen or so of Hogwarts' little delinquents. Oh, superb.

But she wasn't done yet, "And you will continue to reside over the detention sessions every Thursday until you two work out whatever it is that's going on between the two of you."

I felt severely deflated. Thursday was tomorrow. I had to face Malfoy tomorrow. And most likely every Thursday for the rest of the school year.

Minerva must've realized I wasn't about to respond to her, "Very well then, Hermione. I'll be popping in to detention tomorrow just to check up on the two of you. I expect you not only to resolve this problem, but also to be civil, respectable professors in the process.

If that's what she honestly expected I knew she had to be seriously delusional about Malfoy. Even more so than I had originally thought.

Growing impatient, she questioned, "Hermione? Is all of this clear?"

I couldn't hide the resentment in my voice when I said, "Crystal."

"Very good. Now, remember, tomorrow in Draco's classroom."

And with that final note she exited rather quickly from my classroom.

o o o

Predictably, the rest of the day passed too quickly, as did Thursday and soon it was time for me to venture down to meet my fate at the hands of Malfoy.

Even though I didn't have much experience with detention, I knew already I despised it. Maybe that wasn't the attitude to go into the situation with, but I really couldn't help it at that point. I was angry. This was all his fault.

When I arrived at his door, I realized I was at least twenty minutes early. I'd forgotten I always set my watch fast. I cursed my desire to be punctual for the first time in my life.

I was just about to turn away and find something to occupy myself for those twenty minutes when I heard a voice calling from inside the room.

"You might as well come in, you know."

I weighed my options: run away and choose to forget McGonagall's request, run away and return in twenty minutes, or go inside the classroom and endure twenty extra minutes with the person I loathed most, who just might be developing a habit of making random sexual moves on me.

Merlin, this was going to be a tough one. Or, you know, not.

I turned to leave, not having decided if I would, in fact, return in a few moments or not. However, I didn't make it very far since an unusually strong Stupefy! hit me in the back.

That bastard Malfoy always did like to get people just when they turned their backs to him.

A/N: Thus ends the self-contemplative Amnesiac. Next time he graces us with his presence he'll be in conversation with someone. Ooh, intrigue! ;)

And what is this? Hermione stupefied and all alone with Malfoy? Huh. Wonder how that'll work out. ;)

To the reviewers:

screwtheperfectlife: Um, I'm assuming you meant the mysterious red-head, now being labeled as the Amnesiac? Well, I fully plan to reveal just that to you and the rest of my fabulous readers in good time! Thanks for reviewing!

Astrianna Glaze: Yeah, blondie can be a tricky guy. You gotta watch out for him. Hopefully Ms. Hermione realizes that. -- I'm glad you like my writing style and even gladder (blah, I don't know if that's a word) yet you are one of the marvelous people who take the time to review!

MysticChibi: Hello new reviewer! Alas, I have become predictable! Yeah, he did have to kiss her though, tricky little ferret. :) As far as getting your hopes up... jeez, I can't really comment on that without sort of giving away the end. So, I'll be frustrating and not really say anything at all. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

Review?

And now for something new: For those of you who wish to do so, Alternative Review Question: Any of you into Harry & The Potters? I've just recently gotten into their music. I enjoy them a whole lot. Their music just fills me with glee:)