Chapter 9: A Proper Goodbye

AN/ The chapters song is Boston by Augustana. At the moment i am planning to finish the story around 20 chapters. This is a slow burn story. The next chapter will contain NSFW material so just a warning.


To her credit madam Pomfrey is an extraordinary Medi-witch. A few days of her potions, and constant prodding and i'm feeling back to my normal self. What a waste, using her skill to tend to a bunch of careless adolescents, it's a travesty. Certainly St. Mungo's could benefit from having someone like her on their staff.

Today is THE day, and i've just swallowed some relaxing potion i took from the medicinal cabinet. Pomfrey thinks she's locked it properly, but it turns out i am getting rather good at sneakery. The potion is helping, but i was already pretty keyed up. 5 points from Slytherin for stealing i laugh to myself as the icy liquid pours into my throat. I wonder how many points might get taken for murder? Then my little jokes not so funny.

Grace, and Weasley have both been here in the hospital wing with me the last couple of days. None of us have interacted terribly much. Once Weasley offered her some of his chocolate frogs, which Granger keeps bringing. Grace politely declined. I came dangerously close to actually throwing myself out of the window. Weasley had an ever present visitor in the form of some dimwit girl from Gryffindor. It was obvious she and Granger do not get along, and i had been forced to listen to their love triangle unfold. Disgusting.

On the second day of our stay i remembered the cut i had seen on Grace's hand, after the poison had nearly killed her. Then later i watched as Pomfrey bandaged it freshly for Grace. What had happened i was dying to ask her, but i knew it was better not to. It was better to put some distance between Grace, and i before i left.

Now that i've had my pepper up it was time. Everything was going to fall into place soon i just needed to play my part. Snape, and i had went over everything in fine detail last night. It was all set. But before i could work on the dark lords plans, and unleash the death eaters upon the castle, i needed to take care of Grace.

My feet feel like anchors as i slide them over, and out of my cot. Weasley's curtain is open he's thankfully asleep. Peeling back the curtains at Grace's bed i see that she is asleep as well. It's still early, the sun has not yet risen. It's a shame, i would have liked to see one last sunrise at Hogwarts, they really are magical. 6am on the dot, and not a second sooner Snape had said.

Gently i nudge Grace awake. Her eyes flutter for a brief moment then lock onto me with apprehension. She should be wary of me. I am up to no good. I am a death eater which she knows now. I am soon to be a murderer. Absolutely, she should be apprehensive. Her hair is mussed, and her eyes are still heavy with sleep.

I motion for her to be quiet for Weasley's sake. We don't need him to wake up. "Come with me?" She clutches at her blanket suggestively, and i step out to give her some privacy. When she steps out her headband is in place, and her hair slicked back in a bun. The Unicorn hair coat was wrapped around her primly. She seems ready for battle the way her arms are defiantly crossed against her chest.

She follows me silently as i head for the door to the hospital wing. My good girl.

As soon as the door has shut behind us she laces her fingers in mine. She steps into me, and i let her. No one will be out around the castle at this hour. She holds me, and i breathe every bit of her shampoo in. Savoring it, committing it to memory. Wishing i could smell it everyday.

Her fingertips skate across the skin at my neck. "I love you." She proclaims. She loves me even still. After everything i've admitted. I have never deserved her.

"Everything i'll ever do is for you. To keep you safe. You know that don't you?" I beg her to know.

"Yes." She breathes.

Grace is love, and kindness. Shampoo, laughter, and incredibly strong coffee. I could hold onto her forever, and die a happy man having never left this spot. But then we pull apart, hands still entwined. We start to walk. To her it's just a simple walk, but for me this feels like a death march.

The beginning of my life was before Grace. Together with her is now, but how will there be anything after her? Heading to the next step in my plan feels like dying. Like how it felt when Potter sliced me up, and nearly killed me. Floating in a puddle of my own blood on a dirty bathroom floor seems like nirvana compared to this.

When we've made it to our destination. She peers around the doors near Snape's office. She's not quite sure of what we might be doing here, in this part of the dungeons so early. She's suspicious. Her eyes are darting from me to every nook and cranny around us. None of the dots in her head connect until Snape steps out of his office. It must be 6.

Eyebrows raised at me. Not in defiance, but what looks like acceptance has painted Grace's face. She knows i've played her. I've lured her here. Why isn't she mad? I had expected her to rage. To lash out at me. Maybe hit me.

"You've asked him to obliviate me?" She asks me with no emotion behind it. My clever girl. She knows i'm shit at memory spells, and Snape well there's not alot he cannot do well.

Snape doesn't waste a greeting on us he pushes the door open wide in invitation to Grace and i. Grace dawdles at the door, i step ahead of her.

If she tries to run will i go after her? Force her back in the room, and hold her down as Snape does what has to be done. I'm not sure i have the stomach for that. I decide against forcing her in any way, and i can see Snape is visibly restraining himself from hurrying her. We do have a deadline after all. The death eaters need to be let into the castle. Grace seems to be weighing her options. Run or submit. I see a flicker in her eyes as she relents. She glides passed me carefully avoiding the hand i attempt to put at her back. She may not be lashing out as i'd expected, but she's not happy about this.

Grace is smart. She will have worked this out for herself. She will have come to understand, that this was the only way to keep her out of the dark lords path. I had told her everything about the dark lord, his mind reading included. I had told her i was leaving her. Until now though i don't think she understood what i had meant. I wasn't simply breaking up with her. I was erasing her memory of me entirely. Snape would continue to work with me on Occlumency, and i had to believe that it would be enough to ensure Grace's safety.

Grace is shaking, her nerves have gotten the better of her. Not surprising. My godfather is about to poke through every memory she has. A blush creeps at my cheeks, at the things he might see. I had kept Grace, and i from the actual carnal act. Mostly we had kissed, but that's not to say she won't have had dreams or thought about me outside of that.

From the start i had always known i couldn't keep Grace, i could never make her my wife. So i had decided that i would not take her most pure virtue. Her virginity.

I knew after I inevitably left her, she would resent me. She deserved to have her first time with someone who could marry, and love her properly. A part of me also thought that perhaps if i left that line uncrossed maybe leaving wouldn't hurt so bad.

Snape is opening, and closing the cabinets at the front of the classroom looking for something. I don't know what. Grace, and i have settled near the back a few seats away from one another. Neither of us having anything to say to one another.

"Will it hurt?" She asks with a tear gliding down her cheek.

I close the gap between us, and answer honestly. "I'm not sure, my love." She lays her head into the crook of my neck, and i aim to comfort her in the enveloping embrace i give her. I've made her cry one to many times.

A cabinet door slams with a bang, and Grace grips me tighter. "He seems in a hurry." She says in a questioning way.

"He is. After he's obliviated you, we have to leave."

"When i asked if you were leaving me.." she's realizing her own misunderstanding.

"I wasn't breaking up with you. I really am leaving. After i've dealt with Dumbledore i won't be able to stay here." I say.

"Draco please. Don't ki-"

"Grace. I've explained what i have at stake. If i don't go through with this my family is as good as dead."

She goes quiet.

"I will ensure you remain untouched by the death eaters. I won't let them come after you or your mother." I swear.

"My sister?" She suddenly, somehow becomes even more nervous.

"I will do what i can for her. I wish you had listened to me and sent her away though."

"How much time do we have before.. you know?" She asks.

"A couple hours." She nods, glancing back at Snape momentarily.

"I'm sorry." She says then from inside her pocket pulls a vial that she slams onto the stone floor. "I can't say goodbye without.."

For a moment Snape, and i are both caught unaware but then it dawns on the both of us. That vial. I had seen one recently, in Slughorn's classroom. When we brewed Amortenula.

The potions effervescence fills the space around us in heavy plumes. Billowing quickly around the room. Snape narrowly gets to the door before it hits the spot where he just stood.

He's looking at Grace with equal parts contempt, and pity. "There's no helping it now Draco." He says to me coldly. I'm staring at him slack jawed hoping there's some way we might undo what's been done. "The potion will continue to progress until you have satiated it. I advise you do quickly. I will return shortly." Then he's gone having sealed us in.

"Grace what the hell are you thinking!" I demand of her. She's not the least bit remorseful. This was calculated. She had been planning for some time to use the Amortenula to her own device. She knew there was no other way, i might give in.

"I wanted a proper goodbye." She says.