Warning: a little bit of violence from Draco. And by little I mean it's a short scene and no one dies.

Chapter 30. Regrettably Unforgettable

Hermione sat in the library waiting for Draco to show. He hadn't been in class Monday or Tuesday, and she hadn't had the chance to notice if he had been absent the rest of the week. But he was certainly late for their meeting. She had her hand clasped around the Time-Turner and her book ready to make notes whenever he showed up. They were to begin testing for their thesis Hermione turned in after Draco gave her a copy of it Saturday morning for her review. He had been vaguely flirtatious but Hermione made up an excuse to go work on another project, confirming that they were still on to test the following Friday. Now, however, she was very much alone in the library, at their normal desk, and he was nowhere to be found.

She continued fiddling with the time travelling device around her neck and an idea slapped her across the face. Immediately, she began writing out what had happened to her in the last hour leading up to that moment. Ducking behind a shelf, she spun her Time-Turner enough to travel herself back an hour. When the world stopped blurring past her, she disillusioned herself and crept out of the library. It was empty, which wasn't surprising given it was Friday and most students ought to be in classes. Picking up her pace, she made her way down to the Dungeons and leaned against the wall beside the Slytherin common room entrance to wait. It wasn't long before a seventh-year strode out from the room, allowing Hermione to sneak inside.

Draco was nowhere to be found in the common room so she snuck up the stairs to the boy's dormitories and looked around for the sixth-year room. When she found it, she pressed her ear to the door, hoping to hear if there was anyone inside. Satisfied there was no one stirring, she pushed opened the door a crack and peaked in. Instantly, she wished she hadn't.

Draco Malfoy was poised with his wand pointed directly at her nose the moment she could get a good enough view in the room. She gulped, knowing he couldn't see her but having a wand pointed directly at your nose was frightening enough. Taking one step back, the floor creaked beneath her foot and the blond immediately cast the binding curse hitting her hard in the shoulder. Toppling back, she nearly hit her head on the wall behind her and it wasn't long before she looked up to see her Arithmancy partner standing over her, his wand pointed at her.

"Finite Incantatem," he whispered forcefully, allowing Hermione to take a big gulp of air and scatter up the wall. She had been seen. Awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time and I've been seen, she panicked, staring at him wide-eyed. While she would have expected him to smile at her or make some awful comment about her desperation to see him that she would skip class for him, he just frowned. His trademark snarl replaced his normal pleasantries and he held his wand pointed firmly at her. "What do you want, filthy little mudblood?" His slur made her gasp and step back.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" She demanded, reaching around for her own wand. There must have been someone listening or he would never have called me that. He's changed, I know he has. The Draco Malfoy who loves me would never call me such a foul word, she decided, peaking quickly behind him into the room. The witch didn't get a chance to see anything before he shoved her up against the wall, his forearm pressed against her throat, blocking her airway. She clawed at his hand, trying desperately for air, but got nothing as he continued to glare into her eyes. He's going to kill me, she thought in panic. Her mind swirled with the images of Severus and how he would never get to meet his child because of her stubborn nosiness. "Draco," she gasped but barely got out the noise when he relented his strength just a bit. Black dots began appearing in her vision and her eyes were becoming heavy as her lack of oxygen was prolonged.

Just before Hermione passed out, he let her go, running back to the wall and letting her fall to her knees. The oxygen that filled her lungs burned and her throat felt as though it had been torn from her body. Feeling her neck, she coughed and sputtered, regaining a proper breathing patterned before she managed to stand. Holding the wall for support, she glowered at her partner and withdrew her wand. "Do it," he challenged. "I deserve it. Kill me," he demanded, squaring his jaw and closing the gap, putting his chest to the tip of her wand. "Kill me, Hermione," the blond repeated.

"No," she refused, her voice hoarse. The boy seemed to melt before her, dissolving into tears and holding onto her, and sobbing heartily. The weakness he had caused her made her nearly topple over under his weight but she managed to steady herself and lower them both slowly to the ground.

"Kill me, please. I can't- I can't," he begged, gasping for air as he clung to her.

"Can't what?" She whispered back to him, casting muffliato and a disillusionment charm on the both of them. He didn't answer at first, likely attempting to calm down before allowing himself the luxury of explaining his horrific actions to her.

"I can't watch you die." His voice broke with his confession, but it only left her more confused. Since when am I dying in front of Draco? She wondered, feeling him cling to her just a bit tighter.

"I'm not going to die, Draco, not yet. Not unless you try to kill me again," she insisted. The brunette wanted to reach up and rub her throat, which ached considerably having just been nearly choked to death but decided not to risk moving her arm out from under him. He wasn't all that heavy, but he was dangerously close to her abdomen and she was not about to risk him landing on her hard.

"Yes, you are, you're going to die and it's my fault." He replied desperately.

"What are you talking about Draco?" She greatly wanted some water, looking around in hopes there was a goblet nearby she could fill with something to soothe the pain developing in her oesophagus. The dryness of her throat was beginning to force tears in her eyes as she willed her mouth to produce more saliva to help calm it down.

"The Dark Lord is going to kill you because I love you," he declared. She didn't respond to that. She knew he had feelings for her, sure, but she wouldn't have gone as far as to say he loved her. They had really barely spent any time together outside of class, and he knew she had feelings for Severus. Given she had led him on a bit by partially agreeing to his conclusion that she felt something for him too. But now she was sitting underneath him and he was prophesizing her death. She had millions of questions. How does he know this? When am I going to die? Is it real or just an assumption? Does Severus know? Why hadn't he said anything? He's been avoiding me an awful lot lately, is that why?

"When?" She voiced finally.

"Easter Holidays," he replied quietly. "Snape wants me to save you, but I can't. It's you or my parents and I can't choose. I don't want you to die, but if I save you, my mother will die. My father," he added quickly, explaining his position. Gritting her teeth, she held back the anger that was developing in her chest of Severus' omission.

"I will figure it out," she whispered comfortingly. She was angry, yes, but not with Draco. He was obviously wildly torn up about how to save her life while also not risking those of his parents. It would definitely tear her apart if she had to choose between saving Severus and her own parents. He was the father of her child, she loved him. But her mum and dad raised her, taught her everything they could, loved her with all their might only to have her run away to Hogwarts and abandon them. The guilt from that action alone followed her everywhere, and she definitely couldn't bear to sentence them to death.

"You sound just bloody like him," he chuckled, snuffling slightly and sitting up. He ran his fingers through his hair and wiped his face on the backs of his hands, attempting to make himself more presentable after his meltdown.

"Who?" She knew exactly who he was referring to, but she felt the need to distance herself from him, feign ignorance. The less he associated Hermione and Severus, the more likely he was to conveniently forget that she ever confessed to having feelings for her professor. It was embarrassing and she really didn't want to blow his cover. Draco was more volatile than she had thought, and he could very well blow up and change sides at a moment's notice.

"Snape," he stated, looking at her blankly.

"Oh," she replied quietly. The witch wasn't sure what to say. If there even was something to say to that. There was a moment of silence where she was focusing on the laces of her shoes but couldn't steer her mind away from Draco's earlier confession. I'm going to die over Easter Holidays and Severus never bloody told me? He knew and he never told me? The betrayal only seemed to cut deeper the more she thought on it and it was starting to hurt her heart more than her throat was stinging.

"Are you sleeping with him?" Draco asked, shocking Hermione from her internal debate. Blinking at him, the witch attempted to register exactly what it was he had said to her and felt herself begin to worry.

"What?" She questioned, hoping she had heard him wrong. Her heart pounded a little bit harder in her chest and her cheeks became very flushed and far too hot. She felt her stomach begin to churn as it always did when she got anxious. Surely, he didn't just ask me that again, she panicked.

"Snape," he answered, looking away from her as if to prepare for the worst. As if she would finally confess to sleeping with her professor.

"No, Draco, we've been through this," she lied. "He would never do that. I'm his student, he's a professor, it's wrong. Even if I liked him and he knew it, he would never break that code," the witch insisted. The more she repeated the lie the more divorced from reality she became. Whoever this Snape was that she was being accused of sleeping with was not her Severus. Snape the professor wouldn't break any codes, and Severus her partner wouldn't have any codes to break. It was genuinely beginning to feel like they were two different people and it was helping her keep the lie alive and slightly believable.

"He said the same thing," Draco muttered, but she caught it.

"That's because it's the truth, Draco. I know you're worried, but you don't have to be. I promise we'll figure this out. I'm a vital character in this war," she joked, hoping to lighten his mood. He sat up and inhaled deeply. His eyes were bright red and puffy, and he definitely looked like he had been crying a while before she got there. He had crusted snot beside his nose that he had obviously tried to wipe away earlier. "I have an idea," she whispered finally and he perked up, cupping her face and moving to kiss her but she placed her finger on his lips. "While I have an idea, I do believe that perhaps making Vol- You-Know-Who believe that we aren't together anymore might take the target off my back," she explained. It wasn't part of her plan, to have the Dark Lord believing that they weren't an item anymore, but it was certainly a nice side effect.

"We should stage a fight then," he offered. "So that the gossip might get back to some Death Eater parents and subsequently back to the Dark Lord."

"Yes, so we should definitely be near Slytherins… Who... will be back any minute now! Classes are nearly over. I will be back in an hour to find you, okay? Stay here and maybe find a lady to snog out in the open so I can stumble upon it and really sell it." He nodded, managing to stand. The blond held out his hand to help her up and pull her to full height as well. For a minute she was worried she would be a bit heavier considering she was carrying another human being in her uterus, but quickly dismissed the idea as ridiculous. "I'll see you soon, Draco. It'll be okay, I promise." Hermione paused for a moment, remembering back to before she had travelled in time, and pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth for a second. "Were you going to come to meet me in the library?" She wondered out loud.

"I was. I was angry with you, or scared, but I was going to calm down a bit and go confront you. But you got here first and it caught me off guard and-" he stammered but she quickly cut him off.

"But you were going to make it to the library?" She inquired, the pieces clicking together a bit in her mind.

"I had intended on it, yes," he shrugged, scratching his head and squinting as he likely thought back to their encounter.

"I'll see you in a bit Draco," she repeated. He nodded again and she cancelled her disillusionment charm on him. Keeping herself invisible, Hermione tiptoed out of the Slytherin common room. There were a couple more students lazing on the couches than there had been before but she managed to sneak out unnoticed, as they were likely too wrapped up in their own lives. The witch was grateful, at that moment, for the selfishness of teenagers as she made her escape.

Her first stop was Snape's office. Oh, was he in for it. Fuming as she stormed through the halls, grateful she was invisible or someone would have definitely noted her angry rampage. Normally she wouldn't care what people thought, but as she was also supposedly in the library which could possibly have some disastrous side effects. Pounding on his door, she stood outside until she heard his impassive "enter," before powering into the room. She opened her mouth to yell at him but noted his looking through her. Quickly she cancelled her charm and charged forward.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" She demanded. His eyes widened in shock from her sudden appearance and sputtered for a moment. Hermione breathed through her rage, determined to keep as composed as her pregnant self could be.

Severus stood up, his expression hardening and he slowly approached her before he spoke. "I wanted to figure out a solution before I presented you with the problem-"

"Problem?!" Hermione interrupted, feeling her throat almost tighten at the word. "My life is at stake and you didn't think you ought to tell me?!" She questioned, channelling her anger into her arm movements. The witch wanted to swing just a bit more and punch him in the face but her logical side kept her from abusing her partner.

"I wanted to figure out how to save you- save the baby-" he stammered, stepping just a bit too close for her. She knew if he remained in that zone too long her logical side would not be the winning team.

Stepping back, she spat, "Oh, shut up! It's been a week! A full week and you've done nothing but avoid me!" Biting her tongue, a pang of betrayal shot through her as she remembered how distressed she'd been when she'd ran into Crookshanks and there was no parchment wrapped around his collar. Given she hadn't sent him a note, she had still been holding out hope he'd reach out. "I thought you were regretting the baby," she admitted quietly.

"I would never-" he continued, but she was in no mood to hear apologies or excuses. She wanted to vent and rant and be heard. He had left her out of her own life and the abuse of her confidence sunk deep.

"I said shut up!" She snapped. "I am the planner in this relationship! You should have come to me, you arsehole!" Hermione wanted to continue, but she didn't know what to say. Instead, she stood there, seething and clenching her fists and jaw. The witch noticed the man standing before her bite his lip in anticipation of more anger, but she finished with a quiet "I can figure this out of my own," before turning on her heel.

He caught her arm and turned her back towards him. "Hermione, I am unbelievably sorry. I absolutely should have told you, come to you first thing. I wanted to provide a solution but I should have known you would know better." Okay, an apology might have been just what I needed, after all, she considered, watching him cautiously. The older wizard stepped towards her a bit more and placed his hand on her cheek. Involuntarily, she leaned into his palm and sighed, feeling a tear run down her cheek and onto his skin. "I love you," he breathed.

"I love you too," she grumbled, looking away from him with a smirk threatening her lips. She sniffles a bit before he kissed her cheek and enveloped her in his arms. They stayed like that for what felt like a luxurious amount of time, and there was nowhere she would rather be. His arms were home to her and every time she felt the pressure he invoked to keep her as close to him as possible, she felt all the love he wanted to pour into her.

"What's the plan?" He asked, letting her go. The absence of his warmth made her sigh, which made her keenly remember the water she had been wanting. Peering behind him, she summoned a goblet from his desk. "What's that?" He questioned, making her look at his expression while she filled the goblet with water. His placed his fingertips to her neck and she flinched instinctively before downing a bit of her drink. The coolness of the fluid easily brought her relief. "What happened to your neck, Hermione?" He inquired again, ever more concerned.

"What is what?" She rebutted, taking another sip of her water.

"The massive bruise around your neck!" He demanded, his anger for whoever caused her the pain to be vividly apparent. She attempted to cover her neck with her hand, having been unaware that she had a bruise, to begin with. "Who did it? I will kill them," he moved as if he was prepared to fight whoever hurt her, as if they were standing right behind her. Gripping his arm, she brought him back and looked him intently.

"Draco, he didn't mean to. He didn't know it was me," she fibbed, attempting to de-escalate the situation. Severus clenched his jaw and was quite ready to commit a crime at any moment. "Severus, we have more important things to focus on right now. My life, our child's." That brought him back to her and he visibly relaxed, wrapping his arms around her once more.

"So, what's the plan?" He repeated, stepping back from her once more. He was tense under her hands and she inhaled deeply and decided on how she would start explaining her idea.

"We'll need Draco," she began.

"What for? He won't save you over his parents, I already tried persuading him-" he interrupted, stopping only when he noticed her unamused glare. Conceding to her, he teetered on his heels and motioned for her to continue.

"Draco should be able to go back in time on that day and rescue me from my death. He wouldn't have to watch me die and You-Know-Who would be none the wiser."

"Your Time-Turner," he whispered.

"Yes, and speaking of which, I am also in the library right now and have about..." Her voice trailed off as she cast a tempus charm. "15 minutes before I have to be back there. Then I'm going to stage a break up with Draco in front of Slytherins-"

"You can't," Severus interjected, making Hermione frown. The witch was speechless, staring at him as she waited for him to explain or for her brain to come up with an appropriate questionnaire to send his way. "The Dark Lord must believe that he knows something that Draco doesn't. He must continue to believe he has the element of surprise and that his plan will go as he wants. If not, many more lives are at stake than simply yours. I understand the desire to remove his temptation, but he is basically a child. If you take away something he wants, he will lash out. Likely in the form of a raid on a muggle town or mass murder of muggleborns in the wizarding world," he explained, taking her shoulders in his as she began to shake at his prophecy. "There is nothing I want more than to keep you out of Riddle's line of sight, but you've already been slammed in his face and I can't make him forget you, Hermione. You're regrettably unforgettable," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers.

She knew that he was directly referring to his own feelings for her, but it didn't help qualm the fear that came with her safety net dropping out from underneath her. "I have to go to the library, but you got find Draco and explain to him why the plan is off. He may hate you for the moment, but we need to be in this together." Severus nodded and moved to leave as she readied herself to cast her disillusionment charm. "And Severus?" She called after him, making him turn to face her. "Do not kill him, promise?" She demanded, casting a healing charm on her neck to disperse the bruising.

"I promise, Hermione," he assured before departing.

Hermione let out a huff, casting another tempus charm and noting she had just enough time to make it back to the library before her time ran out. So, the witch took off back to where she came from, ducking behind a shelving unit and watching herself flick the time turner back an hour. When her former-self disappeared through time, she walked over to the pile of books and notes she had taken and reviewed them. Draco had yet to show up, but now she knew why. He had been busy with her. Her going back in time was fated to happen, it was supposed to occur so she could find out that Severus had kept her impending death from her. Given her a chance to figure out her plan to keep herself alive.

Sorry that took so long to update, work has begun and I had to work on righting my sleep schedule to wake up in time!