They made their way back to the Manor in silence. Night had fallen by the time they had returned, so many of the occupants of the manor had gone to bed. He had walked past the living room into a separate hallway. It appeared to be a study. As soon as they walked in, the fire across the room roared to life. He walked over to the small couch and placed her on it.

She adjusted in the seat and inspected her ankle. There was a bit of bruising on the side. She slowly began unlacing her shoe and rolling her sock down to expose it. She winced.

"Mipsy" The Beast called. A small crack sounded in the room. "If I could please get ice, wrap, a few towels, and some tea I would appreciate it." The crack happened again in no particular area of the room.

The elves were still inhabiting the manor but were invisible like Andy had said.

The room was quiet except for the occasional flicker of the flames. The Beast kept his eyes trained on the ground until the same crack sounded.

A tray appeared on the table in front of the couch with a pale of ice, towels, wrap fabric, and tea.

"Thank you Mipsy." The elf popped away.

He began grabbing the wrap and bringing the ice over to the side of the couch. The beast pulled over an ottoman to sit on as he attended to Hermione's ankle.

"Thank you." She said, breaking the silence.

He stopped his movements and turned to face her. His face was like slate, cold and stoic. "You don't need to thank me."

She bit the inside of her lip and looked down toward her ankle. "I do, you saved me back there. I ran into the forest without even checking if I had my wand on me. If you hadn't shown up, well… I probably wouldn't be alive right now."

She met his gaze. His eyes seemed the most human out of everything. Grey, stormy eyes that brought the most sense of memories out of everything. The flames of the fire right beside him cast shadows of gold onto his eyes.

"You don't need to thank me, Granger. It is entirely my fault you were there. I was– I've been a bit horrible since you've arrived and for that, I apologize."

She smiled softly at him and nodded her head.

She watched as he finished wrapping her ankle and then placed a pillow under it. He wrapped a bit of the ice into a towel and placed it over the ankle gently. As he turned to put away the wrap, she saw several cuts on his arm.

"Oh no, you're hurt." She said as she reached out for his arm.

He winced but shook his head. "I'm fine."

"No, you are not." She grabbed his arm and pulled it toward her. "Hand me the towels please."

"Granger–"

"Malfoy." She warned.

He stopped his protest and gawked at her. It felt almost natural to respond with his last name as such. She pursed her lips and wondered what their relationship had been before her memories had been taken.

He ran his eyes over her face in curiosity. Without taking away his focus he called for the house-elf again, this time asking for an antiseptic. He handed it to her along with the towel and gave her his large arm.

It was a bit difficult to clean with all the fur. First, she had used water to remove any dirt and blood. Then she poured a bit of the antiseptic. He hissed and yanked back his arm.

"Don't be a baby," she chided, "it's to sanitize the wound. It's almost over."

"I'm allowed to feel pain, Granger. I'm used to simply healing wounds with magic, not traditional cleansing."

She rolled her eyes and continued with another wound along his knuckles.

"Speaking of magic and pain, I… I ran out before you could explain what happened to me in the manor." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Could you elaborate?"

He sighed and turned his head to the fire.

"It's not exactly a fond memory, I think it may be a blessing that you can't recall it." He could feel her gaze focused on every word he said. "Before the fall of the Dark Lord, you and your trio had been captured and brought here to be interrogated. We had to confirm your identities. My aunt had a particular disdain for you, especially your blood. You had broken into her vault and taken something; I think. I try so hard to forget." He cleared his throat and rolled back his shoulders but didn't look at her as he continued.

"She wanted to know how you had gotten it. How you had broken into her vault. She—Bellatrix continued to torture you until you would speak. She had carved a word into your arm. 'Mudblood' I believe. It took years for me to stop hearing your screams when I would fall asleep."

Hermione had stopped her administration and stared at the beast in front of her. She supposed it was nice that she had forgotten that memory. She looked down at her arm and could now make out the symbols as letters that loosely formed that word.

"Malfoy I–"

He turned away from the fire to face her. She noticed the faint cut on his right cheek and grabbed the towel to start wiping.

He didn't stop her but dropped his gaze. "Granger I'm so sorry. I never told you that before, I was too ashamed to even talk about it with you. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I know we weren't friends in school, but I never wanted that to happen to you. I wanted to stop her, to help you. I couldn't, I wasn't able to do anything to help you. It would've only added to your pain. I-I'm so sorry. I don't know how I would've lived with myself if you had died that day."

"There are several things we had to do because of the war; several chances we didn't take to protect others. I don't think… Malfoy I don't hold it against you. Even if I could fully remember it, I know that I wouldn't hate you for it."

He shook his head keeping his eyes down.

She nudged his chin up to look at her. "Hey, it's because of you I am alive today. I have you to thank for that."

He gave a crooked smile as she continued to clean the cut on his cheek. She returned the small smile and noticed the absence of fur on his cheek. The fur on his entire head had faded and for a second she saw a glimpse of the man underneath. She gasped and within seconds his appearance had shifted back to the beast.

"What? What happened Granger?"

"Oh, I thought I saw something, never mind that. Just brace for the antiseptic." She gave a light chuckle.

The corner of his mouth rose before she began to disinfect the wound.

She would have to look more thoroughly into this curse.


.

Luna had made it back to the house Hermione and her shared. Crookshanks had been yowling frantically since they had left and only stopped when he made it to Hermione's bed. Luna had spent hours cleaning the rug. She realized there had been a charm on the rug to not be cleaned with magic. Strange indeed. It wasn't her fault that her tea had been given to her too hot, and that the tall rose man had tripped over her shoe and knocked several things into the fire.

She sighed. She had exaggerated a bit too much in regard to the Beast. He wasn't that horrible but being thrown into a dungeon would make anyone frantic. For some reason being in that dungeon in that house stirred awful memories of dreams she'd have of a similar situation. It had probably happened at some point in her life, this one or the next.

She hoped that everything was working out well for Hermione. After all, it was her fate to be there. Which meant she had something to accomplish, probably something with the Beast. Maybe she was meant to break the curse placed on him. How Luna wished she could write to her. She hadn't opened the bookshop since Hermione had been taken and some people were starting to question it.

She changed the sign to say that the owners were on vacation which satisfied many of the regulars. But their friends like the Potters or the Weasleys were starting to worry. Luna had to remind them that an impromptu proposal would shake up anyone. Let alone Hermione who likes every minute of her life planned.

Once she was finished with the rug, she would have to find her way back to the manor. Hopeful without drawing too much attention to herself and her endeavors.


.

Hermione was the second person to awake, only seconds after Draco. He was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Hermione reached for a cup of tea from last night and was pleased to find out it was still warm. After having a few minutes to awaken, Hermione turned toward the Beast resting on an armchair.

"Malfoy" She chimed.

He turned toward her. "Good morning, Granger."

She smirked "Good morning, Malfoy. How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby, the chair is remarkably soft, now I know why my mother would always find my father asleep in here."

She chuckled and sat up straighter on the couch. "I wanted to ask you if I might be able to help you research how to break the curse you are under."

His jovial mood ceased. He stared at her pensively. "I'm afraid you won't have much luck in that regard. I told you we aren't able to provide much detail on the curse itself."

"I am aware, that's why I will have to do the research myself. I will keep track of what I know about its effects and the possible cures. I will go and consult with a friend of mine that specializes in curse breaking, then I will share my findings with you, and we will break this curse."

He rose from his chair coolly. "You are not to share the details of this curse with anyone outside of the manor. Do you understand?"

"What?"

"Granger, need I remind you that I currently am a beast? With a faded death eater mark no less. Anyone that hears your tale will think you barmy. If they believe you, they will have me put to death the minute they see me."

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine, how am I meant to research then?"

He looked at her, folded his arms, and bounced one of his brows. "I have an idea. Andy will come and help you to your room, once you get ready for the day meet me in the west wing second door to the right."

He nodded her goodbye and left without another word.


.

Hermione's damp hair fell on her back as she clung to her towel. She stared at her clothes with a grimace. Her pants had dirt all over them and her jacket needed a wash. She had spare undergarments in her bag and a change of clothes that were fit for summer, not autumn. For some reason, the manor seemed to have an ever-lasting chill that beckoned winter.

"Andy?" Hermione called from behind her bathroom door.

"Yes Hermione," she answered.

"Is there any way I could have my clothes washed and borrow someone else's? I hate to be a bother but maybe some of your old human clothes?"

Andy stayed silent for some time. "Are you alright with dress robes? I'm afraid I was in the middle of moving my items here when the curse passed, so most of my muggle clothing was left in my home."

"Oh." Hermione scrunched up her nose and thought.

She'd prefer to still have pants and a shirt for mobility. A dress robe might get in the way of her next escape, should she need to take one.

"I'd really rather prefer to wear pants. It's fine I'll just wear my old clothes."

"Nonsense, I'm sure I can find something for you in this large house. Give me your dirty clothes to wash and I'll bring you back clean ones."

Hermione conceded with a tight smile and handed the woman her clothes.

Andy came back several minutes later with a white button-up, grey jumper, and black slacks. A bit too formal for Hermione's taste, but it would do for now. She thanked her and closed the door to the bathroom.

The shirt was the perfect size for her, a bit snug on the chest, but loose enough in the stomach and sleeves. She left it untucked over the black slacks and threw on her socks and shoes. The jumper would be great for later in the evening when the cool air began to set in. A pair of crutches had appeared by the door, most likely found by the elves. They looked untouched considering most wizards would just use magic to heal their injuries. She crutched down to the west wing and waited in front of the second door on the right.


.

Draco opened the door before she could knock. The beast looked her over with a smirk before letting her through. She furrowed her brows but said nothing. He followed her to the center of the room and opened up his arms to gesture.

"Welcome to the Malfoy Family Library."

Hermione turned her head around to see the massive amounts of books lining the walls. There were several shelves to the left of her, at least three times her height. To her right were a desk, several chairs, and a small fireplace. The ceiling was immensely high, higher than most of the rooms in the manor. Large windows allowed light to shine through the top level. Despite the dark wood and green carpeting, the room held a warm atmosphere.

She was truly amazed and at a loss for words.

"I think this area will suffice for all your research needs Granger," Draco said as he watched her take in the room.

She surveyed the room one last time before finally meeting his eyes. His smirk turned into a smile and tipped her head. "I think this will do quite well Draco, thank you."


A/N: This chapter was a pain to upload, no idea why. BUT I LOVE IT AHHH. The library scene is my favorite part in Beauty and the Beast truly. Hope you enjoy! :) Much Love! ~UnconsciouslyReading