Hey, I'm sorry for disappearing. Mental health has been straining during this pandemic. Fortunately, the doctor gave me a new combination of meds so let's hope I'm better over time. I do hope you are well, and now that the ideas are flowing again, I hope this story can get the closure it deserves.
By the time Draco was able to move again, Hermione had fallen asleep with The Crimson Keep on her lap. He felt tempted to shove her in a tiny cage until he finished reading it, but she looked so peaceful in her sleep that he didn't dare disturb her. Instead, he commited her image to memory.
She had transformed his school socks into fluffy, green monstrosities, and his trousers into those — what were they called? Jans, genies? — that she loved to wear. Curiously enough, his sweater had been almost untouched as the witch had barely shortened it an inch. Draco couldn't help but smile: despite the bags under her eyes that spoke of great hardships, she was still as lovely as ever.
The young wizard curiously stroked her cheek, in awe of the poetic duality of their natures that the colour of their skins always reminded him of.
Bravery and cowardice, traditions and change. Light and dark, good and evil.
Draco sighed, deciding to go get an early lunch with his trope of idiots while also reminding himself to get something for Granger. He reckoned she would appreciate eating more human-like foods from that point onwards.
Unfortunately, his friends had sleepily sent him out of their rooms declaring that they "didn't want any bloody lunch" as they were busy catching up on the much needed rest they had forgone the night before. That gave the young Malfoy heir some time for his least favourite activity while he strolled to the kitchens to get his meal: think.
The halls were suspiciously absent of Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Years, most probably still drunk from the alcohol that had certainly been sneaked to common rooms and dorms after the party. The air still had that distinct power it acquired on Halloween, albeit less noticeable than in the morning. When he got to the stairs, Draco morosely thought that his head was spinning as much as the enchanted stone steps in front of him.
They had found Granger, at least. However, she had acquired weird animagus-like powers that were freakishly unstable. According to her, she had lost her memories at the moment of the attack but had been steadily regaining them since — albeit in a disorderly and sometimes crippling fashion. Hopefully, she would be able to control her new powers and remember everything as soon as possible.
Then, they had the kidnappings and the missing Order members to consider as well. They needed to catch the remaining Death Eaters quickly and get everyone back to safety. He hated that the only clue was in Potter's hands and that the prick was stuck in France. Would he have to go and get it? Maybe Ginevra could go during the Christmas holidays… Although he strongly doubted it, as Potter and company were on official Auror business.
Once he was back with the food, the Snake flicked its slim tongue at him in greeting before allowing Draco through to his haven. With a flick of his wand and, working in unison with his magic, the young Malfoy heir set the table for two. Still mulling over the missing pieces of the puzzle, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Granger lazily stretching before she made her way to him, a matching smile of her own across her feline features. He briefly wondered how he had ever thought Lilith was simply a cat — if he looked carefully, he could see her as clear as day, dimples and all. Only more cat-like.
"The smell wake you up, huh?" he asked, grinning as she hopped onto the table after giving him a pleased nod.
"Hey… do you think you can turn into a human again?" he asked, his mind travelling to a not-so-distant past in which he yearned for an opportunity like this — a normal date between two normal students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Granger's whiskers danced as she squinted hard in concentration. The blinding purple light soon followed, but Hermione was able to transform into a clothed version of herself rather than a naked one. She smirked, looking at Draco dead in the eye.
"The more I do it the easier this gets," she exclaimed in triumph, gingerly sitting on her usual spot. On the table lay a decadent spread of mouth-watering delicacies, courtesy of one amazing Blinky. She still kept her distance with Draco, but her hospitality grew a bit with every visit, especially when he brought Theo along. That day, he was almost sure she even spared him the tiniest of smiles. Almost.
Granger's nose twitched like a bunny's while she eagerly eyed her brunch: beans, tomatoes, sausages… apple tart, toast and tea finished the ensemble, making her giddy with excitement. The poor thing had had a diet based purely on different proteins and water for weeks.
He couldn't help but think that her ever present light flickered like a candle in the wind.
Draco swallowed his nerves and hid behind a mask of nonchalance, aiming to be the perfect host. "Tea?" he offered, chuckling when he saw Granger's hands reach hastily towards everything, barely getting to nod before she stuffed her face. She must've been starving.
He carefully poured Hermione a cup and added three spoonfuls of sugar. She immediately stopped and looked at Draco questioningly, her eyebrows raised in mild surprise.
"How did you know I like my tea with three sugars?" she asked, taken aback.
"Uh… lucky guess?" he joked, handing her the steaming beverage. "You told me in Fifth Year."
Hermione scrunched up her nose, deep in thought. "Were we even on speaking terms by then? Everything from Fourth onwards is still fuzzy" she wondered, lowering her toast. She rubbed one of her temples quickly, the pain apparent on her face.
"Yeah, a little. Do you remember anything?" he asked hopefully. Draco really wished she would get her memories back quickly.
"I don't know why I have these flashes of us speaking… but it must be a dream" she said, dejected. "We would've never been able to speak in the open, or not by then at least."
Draco chuckled, amazed at how close she was to the answer. He didn't want Hermione to strain herself, however, so he just let it be. Either way, memories tend to come back gradually. There was no point in rushing things. He quickly realised that the young woman sitting in front of him sported a bittersweet smile on her visage.
"I feel like I haven't seen Harry and Ron in years…" she whispered fondly. "They were angry at me for not joining them in the Auror Programme. Said it was a waste to spend one more year at school if we could basically have any job we wanted only for being us." Hermione's eyes quickly watered, avoiding Draco's gaze.
"I told them it was the easy way out. I want to earn my place in this world fair and square" she continued, her voice unsteady. "Besides, I needed some kind of…"
"Closure," Draco finished for her, nodding understandably before handing her a handkerchief. Hermione nodded and laughed at the sight.
"Seriously, how many of those do you have?" she asked, surreptitiously drying the tears that were dangerously close to spilling.
"More than I need, that's for sure," Draco answered, looking the other way to offer her a shred of privacy. The question prompted one of his own for her, and he briefly wondered whether he should ask or not before throwing caution to the wind. He didn't have much to lose at this point, so it had kind of become his way of living as of late.
He awkwardly cleared his throat before speaking. "Where's the one I gave you?"
Hermione paused mid-bite, slightly cocking her head to the side in thought. "I suppose it's in the hands of the DMLE," she said. "They have all my things, right?"
Draco nodded, ignoring the fluttering feeling of his heart in his chest. How that witch in front of him made him feel was beyond his understanding. She'd kept it. After all that time. And she was bringing it to Hogwarts before everything happened.
They ate in silence for a while, only enjoying each other's company. It had been such a long time since they'd been able to do something like that… even though Hermione still didn't remember it.
Draco let her eat and drink to her heart's content. As the minutes ticked by, however, his anxiety grew. They had to do something about the strange happenings. They needed to catch the one who cursed her, and those who were kidnapping the members of the Order. They needed to get her memory back.
"Hermione," he said softly, gauging her reaction to his voice muttering her name. She seemed surprised, yet not displeased. Draco swallowed the heavy feeling of shame washing all over him — how dare he treat her with a fondness she didn't remember he had towards her? — and let out a heavy sigh. "We need to talk about what's happening."
Her shoulders dropped, and her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "I was hoping we could have kept this up for a little longer." He looked away, his face solemn. "Me too."
Over the next hour, Draco painstakingly recounted everything that had happened since the beginning of the term — including her "disappearance." Her eyes watered at the mention of her missing friends and comrades in arms, but her mouth was kept in a straight, firm line. She drank all of the information stoically, asking all of the necessary questions. As he spoke, he could see the determination in her expression and the cogs turning in her head. If there was anybody who could solve this, it would be her.
When he finished, she set her eyes on him, drying the single tear that had run down her cheek. "We need to speak, all of us. Including Theo and Blaise. They should know I'm back."