Draco
Hogwarts
After the final battle
"Are people still giving you dirty looks?" Pansy asked the two Slytherins flanking her.
Draco remained silent on the matter, keeping his eyes peeled for his witch who had run off with Potter and Weasley.
Theo shrugged, adjusting his body to pull Luna in closer to him. "Not so much"
Pansy, acting aloof, searched for something off in the distance. After a beat she finally asked with a heavy dose of snark, "so where is the Golden Trio? Do they already have another mystery to solve?"
"You'd think after fighting alongside them you wouldn't be so…uppity about them," Draco drawled, continuing to monitor the crowd for Granger.
"I can hardly trust your judgment on the matter. You went and fell in love with one of them," Pansy scoffed, rolling her neck a bit.
Draco let it slide, because there was nothing to refute; he had fallen in love with one of them. "The three of them needed time alone."
Pansy rose her brows and nodded, her mouth forming a silent 'oh'.
When Pansy didn't continue, Draco peered over and found her still sweeping the area, seeming uneasy.
"Why do you care where they are?" Draco asked suspiciously, directing his full attention towards her. This piqued Theo's interest.
"I was just wondering where they were," Pansy shrugged, sticking her hands out in defense.
Draco watched Pansy in a way she hated, like he could see right through her. On her other side, Theo did the same but in a less effective manner.
After Pansy squirmed for a few seconds longer, and with a keen idea of what piqued her interest, Draco smirked.
"I'm sure Weasley will be back soon, Pans." he made the comment like it was an inconsequential statement; as if it was common knowledge that Pansy now harbored a crush on Weasle. Pansy's posture stiffened at his side.
"I don't care where Ron - Weasley is," Pansy corrected herself, pushing her lips into a frustrated purse. "This is ridiculous, we've been up for what…24 hours? I'm delirious."
"I knew something was up," Theo added, shaking a finger at Pansy. By then she had hid her face away behind her hands.
Luna leaned over Theo, smiling brightly at Pansy. "I think he quite likes you too, from what I saw."
Pansy peered out from between her fingers at Luna.
"Luna's very good at sensing these things," Draco teased, though he earnestly meant it. It had been the Ravenclaw back in sixth year who understood what was developing between him and Granger, perhaps even sooner than they had. He went on. "She has a real knack for it."
"Thank you Draco!" Luna gave him a dazzling smile.
Out ahead, the crowd parted, and through it came Granger and Weasley. His witch searched around briefly until she found Draco, and hurried over.
"Draco!" Granger called out eagerly, speeding up her last few steps before reaching him. When she was arms lengths away, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her playfully into him.
"Granger," he greeted her cooly, leaning down and grazing her cheek with a kiss. She blushed and smiled up at him.
"Harry wants to talk to us," Hermione told him, angling herself up closer to his face.
He peered over Hermione's head and saw Ron awkwardly standing to the side, his attention moving around where Pansy stood but never seemed to settle on her. Draco chanced a glance at Pansy and saw her body language all contorted with nerves.
Draco angled Granger around in his arms until she faced away from him. "Show the way, Granger."
Before getting too far away, he latched eyes with Theo. First he darted his attention to Pansy, then to Ron, and back to Theo. Theo's brows rose before he nodded.
"Let's go find a place to sit, Luna," Theo offered, pulling Luna away from where they all once stood, leaving Pansy and Ron.
The ginger and raven haired witch stood awkwardly in front of one another as everyone else faded away.
Pansy flipped Draco off before he was out of sight.
Potter had explained to Draco the mechanics of the Elder Wand, specifically how the power had transferred to him after disarming Dumbldeore, and how it subsequently transferred to Harry when he took Draco's wand in the dungeon. Potter stood before him, holding the Elder Wand with its distinct markings in his right hand, and Draco's wand that chose him at eleven in his left. Potter extended out his left arm, and Draco took back his own wand.
"What are you going to do with the Elder Wand?" Draco asked as he gripped his familiar wand. It buzzed with warm magic being back in the hands of the wizard it chose so many years ago.
"Well," Potter took out a mangled wand from his pocket, "I wanted to repair my wand and then destroy it."
Draco nodded. Hermione stood next to him, leaning her weight against the side of his body.
Without further ado, Potter laid his broken wand on the ground, angled the Elder Wand until it was trained on its target, and restored his first wand to its original condition.
With that business taken care of, Potter adjusted his focus back to Draco and Hermione.
"Hermione did ask for one favor though, before we destroy it." Harry checked in with Hermione who nodded from him to go ahead. "She wants to use it to restore her memories."
Draco took in Granger at his side; a hopeful look gracing her features.
"I realized you cast the memory charm with the Elder Wand unknowingly," Hermione explained. "If we want a decent shot at doing this, we should try to reverse the spell with the Elder Wand."
Draco monitored her for any hesitation. "Are you sure?"
Hermione nodded, a resolute grin on her face.
"I want to know it all." She told him, and turned back to Harry. Draco's apprehensive glare followed.
"Don't screw this up Potter."
Surprisingly, Potter laughed.
"Actually, I probably would screw it up. So this is the plan." Harry stepped towards Draco and held out the Elder Wand. "Take it from me."
"What?"
"Disarm me, then the power will transfer to you again. You should be the one to reverse the memory spell" Harry explained. "You're the only one who knows exactly what the modifications were."
Draco analyzed the outstretched wand before glancing back at Potter. He took a stilted breath before taking the wand; his hand thrilled with the intense magic coursing through him.
"I don't want to keep it once this is over," Draco clarified, feeling instantly guilty abandoning his chosen wand that he just got back.
"See, I had a thought about that," Hermione perked up, bouncing onto the balls of her feet. "The power transferred to your chosen wand when you disarmed Dumbledore. I believe the power now exists in both your wand, and the Elder Wand."
Draco watched Hermione, waiting for the part that explained where he wouldn't have a target on his back for possessing the most powerful wand in the wizarding world.
"I believe you will be able to destroy the original Elder Wand with your wand, using its own power, thus severing the connection, destroying the power, and returning your wand to normal."
Draco considered her logic, and sighed, knowing she was likely right.
"Alright then," he sighed. Nerves quickly crept up on him though, feeling jittery at bringing back Granger's memories. He could mess it all up: make her forget, permanently damage her brain. He could lose her all over again.
Sensing his apprehension, she reached up, placing a hand on his chest.
"I trust you Draco," She smiled and settled back down on her feet, preparing herself in front of him.
He took a centering breath. Pointing the wand directly at Hermione's head, he uttered, "Memory Restorit"
Several seconds passed as he kept the utmost focus in sorting through the specifics of their original modification, and undoing the restraints he planted.
His wand stuttered slightly, and he had to remind himself to breathe.
With the last pass of the reversal spell, he lowered his wand slowly, waiting with baited breath to see if it worked.
Hermione's eyes flickered open, finding his immediately. A second passed, and something familiar, a look behind her honeyed brown eyes that had been missing, flickered through to the surface.
Without warning, she leapt up into him, pulling his face down to her, kissing him fiercely. Draco laughed, consumed by her joy. To the side, Harry awkwardly rubbed his neck at the scene.
"You brought back my memories and kept the new ones!" She exclaimed, kissing him again.
"Seemed only fair," he told her between kisses.
Harry coughed over to the side. Neither released the other, instead they both scrutinized Harry as if he intruded on something.
"As much as I love to watch this, we should probably take care of this Elder Wand business, right?"
Draco reluctantly let go of Hermione, and nodded. He placed the Elder Wand down on the ground, and with his own wand, leveled it to strike.
A powerful spell exploded out of Draco's wand, and when it hit the Elder Wand, a louder than expected crunch emanated from the broken wood.
They all gaped at the ground to see the once, most powerful wand in the world, broken in two.
The tone in the castle had transformed to a mixture of relief and mourning. After the initial shock of defeating Voldemort had worn off, the reality of what had been lost, and what needed to be rebuilt again, settled in.
Hermione wanted to be alone with Draco, just for a moment, before the hard work began. He had a similar thought, and was leading her to a lush patch of green grass just outside the western gate.
Standing in the open-air courtyard, she peered at their surroundings, and it hit her.
"This is where we made the snowman." Hermione smiled, taking a seat in the grass, followed by Draco who lowered himself down next to her.
"That terrifying snowman," he joked, kissing her cheek after settling into a leisurely seated position, his arms outstretched behind him, his legs straight out in front of him.
"Draco?"
The voice came from behind the damaged column they had taken a seat behind, hoping not to be found. It was perhaps the only voice which would have pulled him out of his time alone with Granger.
"Mother?" he rushed to stand and turned back to Granger, helping her up with him.
Just beyond where they stood was his mother, appearing worn for the wear, but much more put together than someone who had just been in battle.
The Malfoys were not ones to show heaps of emotion or affection plainly. He recognized the relief he felt at seeing his mother safe, and wanted to say something, but felt mute from years of practiced repression.
They approached one another, Granger a step behind, when his Mother's face broke and tears like he'd never seen her shed fell from her lids. She pulled her son into a bone crushing hug, and Draco couldn't help but return it.
After a time, Narcissa stepped back and centered herself, taking a stiff breath and lengthening her spine. Her focus trailed to Granger.
He could tell Hermione was a ball of nerves; her hands wringed together and her pupils could not find a place to land.
Narcissa cleared her throat and probed expectantly towards Draco. He brought himself to his senses, realizing his mother was requesting a formal introduction.
"Mother, I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my mother, Narcissa Malfoy."
Narcissa walked deftly towards Hermione. "It is so wonderful to meet you Miss Granger," his mother said brightly. Narcissa reached out and took hold of Hermione's hand, bringing it into hers.
"And it's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione responded with trepidation, searching Draco for reassurance. He nodded her along.
"Please, call me Narcissa," she responded, letting Hermione's hand go delicately. "You saved my life after all."
Hermione blushed, glancing away before sweeping back to her. "Draco told me you stopped Bellatrix's cursed knife from killing me, so I should thank you."
Narcissa gave Draco a confused expression.
"Griphook the goblin saw you do the countercurse. He's the one who told us," he explained.
His mother nodded and brought her attention back to Hermione, but her focus drifted down until it landed on the locket Hermione wore. Draco tensed.
"I had a feeling you must have given the Black locket to Miss. Granger," Narcissa commented conversationally.
Granger's face contorted with questions. He had planned to tell her eventually, but didn't want to hurt her. To her, the locket was the last present her parents ever gifted her.
When her attention drifted to him, he knew he had to explain.
"Yes, this is a Black family heirloom." He gestured to the locket. "I had planned to give it to you last year, but everything fell apart before I could."
Granger had taken hold of the locket, nestling it in her hand. Draco watched her carefully, bracing for any emotions at realizing it wasn't her parents who gave her the piece of jewelry. She stared at the locket, mesmerized.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I know you believed your parents gave it to you. I only wanted you to have something to take with you; to represent both sacrifices you had to make."
Narcissa stood to the side, a demure hand touched her mouth in shock, realizing she may have spoken out of turn.
Draco was about to press on, uneasy Granger still had not said anything, but her heart shaped face turned to him; her eyes glistening.
"Thank you," the words came out forcefully and she squeezed the locket tightly in her hand. "At times, this was the only thing getting me through the darkness."
He reached out, cupping her face with his hands, not at all hesitant or concerned at showing affection in front of his mother. Before Granger, he would have never considered doing such a thing, but she had changed him; body and soul.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want this to take away from any memory you had with your parents." his thumb caressed her cheek.
"What happened to your parents?" Narcissa asked, startling them. His hands dropped down, as did Hermione's face to the ground. Draco decided to spare her and answer on her behalf.
"Hermione modified their memories to have them flee the country before the fighting began," he reached up and squeezed Hermione's shoulder. A thought crossed his mind, sending a bout of anxiety through him.
"We shouldn't have destroyed the Elder Wand," Draco mumbled, shaking his head in frustration at his oversight. "It could have helped bring back their memories."
"No no," Hermione waved him off, but tears were pooling at her lids. His heart broke for her. "I'm optimistic there is a way we can restore their memories." The words felt hollow, like they lacked faith.
"Of course we can restore their memories."
Naricssa stepped forward, appraising each of them individually.
"I know the best witches and wizards in the world. In fact, a witch I went to Beauxbatons with is an exceptional mind healer. Oh! And another who lives in Laos who I met at a function while in Egypt. Yes, I can have the best people tend to them and bring them back."
Hermione gave Narcissa a watery smile, shedding tears as she nodded her thanks.
"I think I'll leave you two for now. I'll start work on contacting my sources." Narcissa smiled kindly at Hermione, taking hold of her hand one more time. "I am truly so happy my son found you."
Warmed by her gesture, Hermione smiled tightly, doing her best to not shed even more tears in front of Mrs. Malfoy.
Narcissa apparated on the spot, leaving Hermione and Draco alone once more.
"Granger are you OK?" He brought a hand to her cheek, brushing away a tear. He hated seeing her like this. "I'm so sorry you found out this way. I would have wanted to tell you in a more delicate manner."
"Draco," she stopped him and reached out for his face. She mirrored the same brushing motion with her fingers against his cheek and smiled. "I cannot thank you enough."
She was too perfect. He never wanted these moments with her to end. As he re-memorized each contour of her face, her smile widened.
"What?" his voice somber as he questioned her growing grin.
"Always so serious," she beamed up at him, her thumb brushing against the curve of his lips. He couldn't help but smirk.
"Would you like me to loosen up?" he teased, edging into her inch by inch, his arms falling down her back. Her head cocked to the side, not taking her eyes off him.
"No," she smiled. "I love you exactly how you are."
He leaned down slowly, holding her gaze until finally their lips touched. Hermione's hands had found his neck and was now moving through his hair.
After a few blissful minutes of once again kissing the witch he loves, she moved her lips away, which he tried to chase after. She jerked her head back in protest, lifting a devious brow.
"Now that the war is over," Hermione started, her tone low and somewhat mischievous. Her fingers ran through his hair, "and you've defected to the good side, there's nothing stopping us from being together."
"Not to mention Potter declared our love for the world right before killing Voldemort," he interjected coolly, keeping his face close to hers.
"Are you worried at all?" she asked, losing what bravado she had, now sounding apprehensive. It was like she was worried he may just change his mind about her after everything they had been through.
He inspected her, taking her jaw tenderly with his hand. "Are you asking if I have any hesitations, now that we can properly be together?"
She nodded slightly, her stare boring into him. Those honeyed eyes, the ones he would dream about when he thought there was no chance they could ever be together, were now his.
"You're asking if I have any reservations, any worries about being with the most talented, beautiful, cunning witch I will ever come to know? A witch whom I happen to be deeply in love with?"
Granger nodded, her smile back, a blush flushing her cheeks.
"I'm not worried, Granger," he breathed, leaning into her once more, inches away from a kiss, "I'm fucking ecstatic."
Thank you for reading my story! I will be posting an epilogue in the next few days, but this concludes the story itself.
This was my first fan fic, and I am so grateful to everyone who read it. I spent the better part of a year working on it, and at one point, scrapped the whole thing at 120 pages and started from scratch :)
It would mean so much to hear your thoughts about the story. I know it may sound desperate, but it gives me so much joy to hear how people reacted to what I wrote.
Stay posted for the epilogue!
