10/23/99
Hermione,
I have begun this letter so many times and each time I find I am without words to continue. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that this is unusual for me. Actually just a few short months ago you would have said that that was unusual about me and therein lies the rub. I suppose I should start by reintroducing myself. I am Draco Malfoy. I was once nearly your enemy and then one of the most important people in your life. Well you were one of the most important people in my life. In all honesty you still are which is why I have written this. Now as I'm sure your head is spinning with questions at this moment I want you to stop reading this letter and ask Potter for the letters he is holding. After you have read them and talked to him then continue reading this.
She looked over at Harry sitting in the chair on the other side of the fireplace, "I don't understand. Who is this Draco and how does he know me? Why would someone I've never met, never even heard of say that I am one of the most important people in his life?"
Harry stood and held out two pieces of parchment, "I'm pretty sure he wanted you to read these. I know they will answer some of your questions but I also know it will leave you with a lot more. Read them and I'll answer anything I can."
She took the letters from him, placing the first one on the side table. He stepped back and filled two glasses with Firewhiskey thinking she might need a drink after reading them and knowing that he needed one to fortify himself for the interrogation to come.
He watched as she read and reread both letters, flipping back and forth between them, chewing her lip, mumbling to herself, taking out her wand and casting any number of enchantments on them before she finally looked up at him confusion shining in her eyes.
"This is my handwriting; I know that," she hesitated, "but I don't understand. I dated a Death Eater? I would never… would I? Who is this Draco? I don't… there don't seem to be any gaps in my memory. No, this couldn't be… it must be an elaborate forgery. Was I Imperiused at some point, that would make sense? But what would be the good in that?
Harry handed her the glass of Firewhiskey and let her continue thinking out loud. He knew it was best when she was like this to simply let her wear herself out on questioning before trying to actually talk to her he wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise anyway. So he just sat and listened.
"He cares deeply about me if he was willing to leave the country, move halfway across the world. If this is real that is? And if I really submitted to Obliviation I must have cared for him deeply as well, but how is… How? How could I love someone that was on that side of the war? Did it start before the war? Our relationship that is?"
She stood up and began to walk around the sitting room, "His name, it seems somehow familiar, not that I know it or him but as if I've seen it somewhere before, but where? Was he in the paper? Oh there must have been stories written in the Daily Prophet about him and his trial. I can simply go look for back issues. I could do that now."
At this point Harry stood up and took her gently by the arm, "I have copies of all of the articles that mention Malfoy and those that mention the two of you but for now let's start here," he led her to the wall and pointed, "this is probably where you have seen his name most recently."
She reached up and touched the name on the tapestry, "I don't… he's a part of the Black family? Well of course he was if he was on Voldemort's side in the war. It only makes sense. But how… Harry have you been to Mungo's for a physical lately?" she asked suddenly.
He shook his head, "We had our annual physicals for the auror department just this week Mione. No one has cast anything on me. I have a clean bill of health - physically and mentally. This really is real. You were in a relationship with Draco Malfoy as hard as that is for any of us to believe."
She stepped back and raised an eyebrow, "You didn't know?"
He shook his head again, "Not until after the war. You kept it a secret from us not just Ron and me but all of us. Which was understandable Malfoy and I had been enemies since day one of our first year at Hogwarts. Somehow at some point you two became study partners, then friends, then a couple from what I understand."
"From what this Draco person told you," she scoffed.
"No, from what you told me," he said.
"Me?" her eyes went wide.
"Yes, we sat here in this room many nights before and during his trial and you shared with me some of the details of your relationship. You nearly tore apart the library here trying to find something anything to help in his trial. You were the one that sent me with that letter you wrote to give him personally."
This time it was her head that shook, "I just don't…" her voice trailed off as she again turned to look at the tapestry, reaching out to touch his name once more but pulling her hand back at the last second, "Kingsley, I need to see Kingsley." She turned to head to the fireplace.
Harry stepped in front of her with yet another piece of parchment. "This is from Kings."
"How did he… you told him? This really is real?" Her eyes were wide and her voice shook.
Harry simply nodded.
She took the parchment and read:
Hermione,
Harry has spoken to me about Mr. Malfoy's plan to help you regain your memories. Officially I have to advise against this as the sentencing from the Wizengamot was final and you made the choice to be Obliviated of your own free will.
Unofficially if there is anything I can do to help you, Harry, and Draco please let me know. I will be anxious to see the results.
I wish you all the best in your endeavour.
Kingsley
She sat down in the chair dazed, then spent the next several minutes reading and rereading all three letters in her hands. She put them down in her lap and stared into the fire for a few minutes more before trading them out for the letter on the side table, taking a deep breath and beginning to read.
I hope that you are reading this after reading the other two letters. I'm counting on your investigative nature to want to know all you can before continuing. Potter came to me with your letter and said that you are counting on me to help you recover your lost memories, or maybe you really meant for me to just win you over again but I feel it necessary for you to be fully informed of our past. I have spent the last month or so researching various ways to go about helping you recover those missing pieces. There are spells obviously to reverse the Obliviate but I am positive that neither I nor Potter are strong enough to counter a spell cast by an Unspeakable, so I looked into other means. I don't know if Potter told you but I am living in New Orleans for a number of reasons none of which are important right now but all of which I hope that I can share with you at some point. NoMaj, sorry Muggles have a variety of techniques they use and many are related to diet and exercise. This may sound strange to you but I have included several bottles of vitamins in the package that I mailed to Potter. You should take one each day of the vitamins D, B6, B12 and folate, as well as the Omega-3s, what they all do I don't know however I have been assured by more than one NoMaj healer, doctor, here at the local universities that those vitamins will be a benefit to your brain functions. Also in the box is a book on yoga as daily yoga and/or meditation is suggested to help you focus. Thirty minutes daily of exercise is also recommended and I as I know you do not care to ever simply sit still doing essentially nothing I didn't think that you would want to meditate, but yoga would help you focus and meet the physical activity requirement at the same time.
She looked up at Harry, "He really does know me well, doesn't he?"
"Where are you?" he asked.
"In the letter?"
He nodded.
"Wait have you read it?" she demanded.
He held both hands up in front of him, "No! It's your letter I wouldn't dare read it, however we have been e-mailing and he sent me a letter of my own with instructions so I know much of what is in your letter."
"E-mailing? He was a Death Eater but he's talking to Muggle doctors and using a computer? That makes no sense," she squinted her eyes and twisted her lips in confusion.
"War changes people," Harry said simply, "and it's not just as simple as saying 'He was a Death Eater.' There were, well let's say extenuating circumstances."
"Extenuating circumstances? Wait, Malfoy?"
Again he nodded.
"Malfoy, as in the same family in whose manor Voldemort holed up for the last year of the war. The same manor in which I was tortured and we barely escaped."
"Yes."
"So he was there?"
Harry took a deep breath. He had been afraid that this would happen, "Hermione let's take this one day, one memory at a time. Let him share things as he thinks works best okay. Your questions will be answered. He won't hold back from you and if he did I would tell you as would others."
"But… fine." She returned to reading.
I have also consulted with a local Wiccan priestess and gotten advice from her. I attempted to contact a local voodoo queen as well but they were less receptive. It seems that voodoo is a very secretive religion which is strange especially here in New Orleans the home of the best known voodoo queen of all Marie Laveau. People travel for hundreds and even thousands of miles to visit her grave here. If I hear back from them I may have more to add to what we are doing. In the meantime I have sent a Pensieve and a few vials of memories for you to view. While you are viewing them I would like for you to wear the Discman I sent and play the CD enclosed. I watched my own memories as I was pulling them for you and felt that some of them needed more background more information, or maybe I simply wanted a chance to apologize for some of them. You will hear me narrate some parts of the memories. Potter assures me you can use the Discman in his other house and I have done some investigating and practice to discover that Pensieves can be used in non magical locations. Before you and he view the memories, yes he will be with you as I think it is the best way for him to come to understand our relationship as well, he will say a spell over you that was given to me by the Wiccan high priestess I spoke with. I did not share anything about our magic with her, the last thing I need is to break the International Law of Wizardry Secrecy and be tossed from yet another country. The high priestess assured me that this spell has helped members of her coven recover lost memories. When this is all over I would love to spend some time talking with you about Wiccans. I find members of that religion fascinating. I wonder if many of them are Squibs or if they are simply so in tune to the world around them, to nature that they have been able to tap into that power.
I struggled with what memories to send you first and in what order. There were several ways I thought of presenting the memories to you. I'll be honest I spent quite a bit of time trying to decide. Our relationship has not always been positive. I was downright atrocious to you for the first three years of school. I have no excuse and you will see those memories so all I can say is I was very much a product of being brought up in a 'Purebloods are best' house and everyone else was beneath notice or worse, again that's not an excuse but as I've discovered Muggles think that would be a case of nurture overwhelming nature, something else we can discuss in the future, I hope. So on to the first I thought I would just send them in chronological order. That would keep me from hiding any memories. You would know I was being truthful because you would see me being a pompous arse from the first time we met. However I was worried that if you saw all of those memories first that you wouldn't want to see any more. I considered that older memories might be more firmly embedded which would mean that there might be echoes of them left in your brain. NoMaj who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease I've learned often retain their older memories for much longer than more recent memories so that might be the same for you. The next thing I thought was start with the good memories, the best ones first. Again though I was worried that that would leave you accusing me of hiding the bad memories. Another thought that occured to me was to send them to you in reverse chronological order. That might jog your memory more easily and it would present the memories to you in a mixture of good and bad. That still didn't seem to be the best way to handle the situation though. So what I finally decided to do was send them in what will seem to be a random order. They seem random even to me but I sat down and made a list of memories I felt it necessary to share with you. Some are very good memories, some are awful, some are nightmarish, still others seem to be neither good or bad but just there. So I've worked out a schedule for sending memories but I will be talking to Potter to see if the ones I'm sending are actually having any effect on your memory, depending on how it works I may change what I send.
I'll be honest this is for me quite a selfish endeavour. I want you back. I want you in my life again. I am also livid that the Ministry and the Wizengamot felt this truly was an acceptable alternative to merely banishing me. I'd love to prove to them that they don't have the power they think they do. Potter has checked with Kingsley and there is nothing in the statement from the Wizengamot that prohibits us from outright trying any of this. They are just that arrogant. We are within the letter if not the intent of the law.
The first memory I have chosen to share with you is actually a chain of several memories from fourth year after the Yule Ball. You'll hear more about them as you watch.
I have waited until the end of this letter to say this but I miss you my darling. I will not give up on you. I will not give up on us. I will do everything I can to reconnect with you. Even if every new thing we try fails, I will keep trying.
Love,
Draco
She sat back in the chair, looked up at the ceiling, once again chewing her lip, and held the letter close to her heart.
Hermione looked over at Harry questioningly "Why are you willing to help me I got the feeling you don't actually like Draco."
Harry thought for a moment before responding "You're right I don't like him, never have and he doesn't like me either or at least he never did. We seem to have come to an understanding now though. You are important to me and I want to see you happy. You were happy when you were with Draco. I may not have known at the time that that was why you were happy but I can see it looking back. You are not happy now; you haven't been happy for months, since before the trial. I'm going to do whatever I can to help you, even if it means helping the person who was once my worst enemy. Well, almost my worst enemy. Like Draco I want to prove the Wizengamot wrong. They overstepped their bounds. They should never have agreed to this. They think they're above reproach. They think what was done can't be undone and I think it can. And it's not just for you. There are implications beyond recovering your memory. There might be others we could help too."
She thought for a moment before replying "You're thinking of Neville."
"Yes," he responded "maybe what works for you will help his parents and others like them who have suffered curse related memory loss."
She nodded and stood "Then let's get started."
He lead her through the connecting door into number 13 Grimmauld to the room he had prepared just for this. It was a small room nearly empty. In one corner sat a comfy chair, an old recliner threadbare in several places, that reminded Hermione of the chairs in the Gryffindor common room though it was not red nor gold. It was a dusky navy blue. Against the opposite wall leaned a rolled-up yoga mat. In the center of the room stood a rectangular card table. On the table sat a Discman next to a slim CD case, a pair of headphones, and a stone Pensieve.
Hermione walked to the table. Her eyes wandered over each of the items. She picked up the CD case and opened it, inside sat a disc with something written on it. She looked closer the writing on the disc said simply "play me with first memory." She removed the disc from its case and placed it in the Discman then plugged in the headphones and put them on her head. She turned to Harry and said "I'm ready."
Harry stepped up to the table next to her, picked up the vial of silver fluid, opened it, and poured it into the Pensieve. Then he turned to face her and recited the spell Draco had asked him to say "Powers and emotions, tied to a witch's heart is where it hides, help her through her agony, bless her with her memory." he then turned again to stand next to her by the table and took her hand before saying, "All right."
Hermione pressed play on the Discman and they both leaned over placing their faces in the pensieve. The sensation of falling over took them for a moment. When they landed she looked around and could see that they were in the Hogwarts Library. It had been so long since she had spent time in the library it felt as if years had passed.
She noticed herself sitting at a table. She stepped closer with Harry at her side. She looked again it was a much younger version of herself or at least it seemed to be a much younger version of herself. Time she felt had not been kind to her. Though only 19, she felt, and felt as though she looked much older.
Looking at the table in front of her younger self, seeing the books splayed before her, hair pulled back and not nearly as bushy as it had one been she realized that this was as Draco had said not long after the Yule Ball. As she considered these things she heard Draco's voice in her ears. She assumed it was his voice as she had no memory of what he sounded like and it wasn't a voice she recognized.
"As you look around I'm sure the first thing you'll notice is yourself sitting at the table furthest back, almost in the corner. You were sitting alone this first time, which was a good thing for me. I would never have even ventured into the same section of the library as you if Potter and Weasley had been with you. Keep looking and you'll see me in the same section but as far from you as I could be."
She turned and looked behind her seeing a boy with white blonde hair sitting neary curled up at a table, hiding behind his Runes textbook. As she watched him she noted that every minute or so he peered over the top of the textbook to the young her.
"I was a Slytherin, in case you can't tell. Some of our lot may be brave like you Gryffindors but I was not one of those. I didn't dare be brave enough to approach you after the way I had treated you and your friends for the previous three years so I bid my time, coming closer every other day or every few days and moving a seat or table closer to you, as long as you were alone that is, if you weren't I slunk back out. Watch you'll see what I mean."
Days seemed to go by almost as if someone was flipping the pages of a picture book. She saw him come in and sit closer, she watched him come in seeing her with Harry and Ron or other friends, watched his face fall and his shoulders drop before he turned and, well yes slunk away.
"I thought for ages about what I could say to you. What I might be able to ask you that you would respond to? I practiced a number of things in my room alone while the others were off doing Merlin knows what. I had become quite fascinated with you. It probably bordered on obsession, but it wasn't that I wanted you and was determined to have you. Rather I wanted you to like me, to see me for who I felt I could be. Before you ever spoke a kind word to me, you made me want to be a better person. Now if my timing is right it's time for me to stop talking and let you watch. The disc will continue to play though you won't hear anything until the end."
The days continued to flip by until Draco was sitting at the table next to her younger self on the same side so he would be less obvious when he looked at her. She found herself eagerly searching his face, wondering what he looked like now, how much he had changed over the four years since this moment. She hoped for some spark of recognition but none came. Frustrated she continued watching as the young Draco looked over his notes, looked at his Runes book, looked to young Hermione, opened his mouth and promptly closed it.
The blonde took a deep breath, turned to the young girl and spoke quietly, "Granger, I seem to have mixed up at least two of the Runes from lecture today. Could you please help me sort them?"
She looked at him, mouth pursed, eyes squinting, brow furrowed. Adult Hermione could almost hear the gears turning in the head of her younger self as she tried to determine if this was a trick or set up of some kind. Finally she nodded though all she said was, "Show me."
He slid the parchment containing his notes to the end of his table, purposely not using his hand to float it to her. Then he sat with both of his hands in clear view quite obviously, at least to the adult viewers, trying to appear non-threatening.
Young Hermione hesitated, staring for a moment at the boy then frowning at the parchment before using her own wand to float it to the table in front of her. She bent over the parchment reading through it quickly, picked up her quill, made a few changes then floated it back to land in front of him without a word.
"Thank you," he said.
She merely nodded once stiffly.
They continued studying silently for a bit longer before the girl collected her belongings and began to leave.
As she did he spoke once more, "Thanks again Granger."
This time she looked at him but responded in no other way.
The scene shifted, this time the boy sat at the end of his table in the seat nearest hers. They both studied in silence. He was writing with his quill on a piece of parchment. He would write, stop look at what he had written, compare it to his book, write again, look back at his book, finally he threw down his quill in frustration. She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I can't get this rune drawn correctly," he answered her unspoken question. "Would you show me how to do it? I'll owe you one, or rather I guess I'll owe you two since you helped me last week with my notes."
She looked at him for a moment longer before standing and replying, "Which one?"
"Runespoor," he said.
She stood up and moved to stand next to him, "Show me how you're doing it."
He picked up the quill, dipped it in the ink, and drew, before he had reached halfway she said, "Stop. You're holding the quill wrong to draw that one, to draw most any rune. Have you noticed how Professor Babbling holds hers?"
He shook his head, "I never looked at her hands no, I look at the board and what she's written and drawn. I don't recall reading anything in any of the books about holding the quill a certain way. Show me please."
She picked up his quill and showed him how she positioned it in her hand then drew the rune to show him, "It's similar to how you have to hold a calligraphy pen," she said.
"Calligraphy? What is that?"
She looked at him, dropped the quill, and stepped back to her own table, "Nothing that would interest you."
He thought for only a second before replying, "So it's something Muggle, what is it?"
"What do you care? You need something else to look down on us for?" She snapped.
He held up both hands, "I deserve that-"
"That and more," she retorted then turned back to her work in a huff.
"It's something that helped you learn a better way to hold a quill and draw Runes than I know so I'm curious that's all," he insisted.
She peered at him through the hair that had fallen over her face as she'd leaned into her books.
He waited for a while longer just looking at her before giving up, "Okay I get it you don't want to talk to me. No worries, I'll leave you alone, but thanks again for the help."
He stood and began carefully piling his books, collecting his ink and quills, and putting all of it into his satchel. He had just hold the bag over his shoulder and turned to leave when she spoke, "It's a special form of Muggle writing, a particular style done with certain pens or markers, almost the Muggle equivalent of a quill."
He looked over his shoulder and smiled, "interesting, thanks again. Don't forget I owe you one."
"Two," she shot back and then ducked her head to hide the ghost of a smile on her face but not before he had caught a glimpse.
The grin on his face doubled in size as he walked away.
Once more the scene shifted, through the windows on the far wall Hermione and Harry could see that it was now spring. No longer bare, green leaves sprouted in the trees, small buds, flowers appeared as well.
The two adults looked to the table where the young Hermione had been sitting in each of the previous memories. The teens were both in the library studying. This time however they sat at the same table on the same side with a chair between them. Each had their own books and notes spread out before them. They studied in silence; a silence that was for once not completely uncomfortable.
After only a few moments young Hermione spoke, "Um Malfoy... nevermind." She turned quickly back to her books.
Young Draco looked over at her, "What is it? Did you have a question?"
She shook her head, "It was nothing, nevermind."
He sat up straighter, "You have a question. I owe you one anyway."
"Two," she muttered.
"Okay I owe you two. Whatever it is ask, it's not like I'm going to think you're dumb I already know you're bloody brilliant."
She turned face him fully and whisper yelled, "What is this? Why are you here?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"This," she leaned forward and gestured to the table, his books, his papers, and him sitting so close to her, "You hated me from the first time you laid eyes on me."
Draco thought for a moment, "Maybe I did -" he began.
She huffed.
"Okay I did. It wasn't you I hated really; it was the idea of you. I mean I hated that a muggle-born was beating me in all of my classes."
"You hated it? Or was it your father that hated that a Muggle born was beating you in all of your classes?" she asked.
"Yes, it was my father, but that made me hate you," he replied.
"And you just suddenly changed your mind? I'm supposed to believe that?" she was incredulous.
"No, I know you won't. I wouldn't expect you to. I wouldn't believe me if I were you, but I have to start somewhere. I've realized not everything my father says is right. He's not always right. I'm beginning to wonder if he's ever right."
Hermione sat back, "You're serious aren't you?"
"Yes."
"You're really wondering if what you've been taught at home is correct."
"Yes."
"What in Merlin's name made you think that?" she asked.
"For starters, you," he said simply.
"Me? I don't understand."
He sat forward, "You know I was raised, as were many of our pureblood classmates, to believe that those of muggle blood were less. Some believe they don't belong here at all. My father may have followed Voldemort but once the man was gone, well let's just say Lucius has always been practical. He believes everyone has a use. Mother's family was much more strict in their hatred of not only Muggle borns but also of half bloods. She doesn't seem to feel quite the same though I'm not sure why I think that. She's never said anything outwardly positive or negative about Muggle borns. She doesn't participate in those conversations that others in our circle do. Maybe I'm finally paying more attention to her I don't know. All I know is from the first day of potions you knew everything. You were the first to master every charm, every spell. You were even better at potions that I was and I'd been practicing potions for years with Snape even.
It just makes me think. You are a Muggle born and it all comes to you so easy. I have to study for hours on end."
She laughed roughly, "Why do you think I'm sitting here? I started miles behind the rest of you."
"But you catch up fast," he protested, "I'm seeing that it's not that Muggles aren't smart. They just don't know magic. You're not the only one. Even I've heard the rumors about Potter's mother. My mother once muttered about how perfect Lily was. Even the Slytherin boys had their eye on Lily Evans and all because she was like you, bloody brilliant. Not that any of them really would have tried to date her especially not once she'd hooked up with Potter's father."
"I know I do well in class, but was has you so convinced that I'm bloody brilliant?"
"Are you kidding? Do you think I don't know who got Potter through the first task? Like he worked out how to use Accio all by himself. You taught him that. Am I right?"
She bit back a grin and dropped her head.
"I thought so," he said smugly.
"You don't have to be so superior about everything you know," she said.
"I know."
"This isn't some elaborate joke," she asked.
"It's really not."
"Then what is this all about?"
"I think... I don't…" he stammered.
"You don't know what?"
"That's the thing. I don't know what I don't know. I know are a Muggle born and you're brilliant and an amazing witch. Then, well Potter is not Muggle born but he he lived with them his entire life and he's not dumb. I know you have to be the reason he does as well as he does in classes but honestly you and he are smarter than Weasley. I mean he took to flying like I've never seen anyone do if they didn't grow up doing it. It just makes me think that if you're that smart, if it's all that easy for you when it's not for some of the Purebloods in our class, then maybe that whole philosophy is wrong," he explained.
"Well when you hang around with Purebloods like Crabbe and Goyle," she commented slyly, "almost anyone is going to look bloody brilliant."
He rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah yeah, like Longbottom is such a brain."
"He's a right natural when it comes to magical plants," Hermione protested.
"I was joking Granger," he replied.
"Oh. Are we done insulting each other's friends now then?"
"Aw but it's so much fun," he winked at her.
This time she rolled her eyes but didn't respond merely turned back to her books.
"Did you really just want to ask why I was sitting here or did you did you have a study question?"
She looked down at her book and then up at him, "Well since you owe me anyway…"
"Yes," Draco prompted.
"Could you explain this Arithmancy problem to me I'm just not getting it and numbers seem to really be your thing."
"Sure," he said and slid into the chair right next to hers pulling her parchment over to look at it and picking up his quill.
As the two teens discussed the problem in front of them the two adults turned to each other both beginning to speak at once and then both stopping. Harry gestured for Hermione to go first.
"This is all just so surreal. I see that that's me. The work is work I did. I know I studied here. I can remember sitting here alone or with you and Ron many times in this exact spot in the library but all of this," she waved her hand at the memory still playing out before them, "it's all just not there. I don't remember any of this."
"You're not supposed to," Harry replied, "and none of us thought that this first memory would make you suddenly regain everything. Malfoy purposely chose this set of memories. We were all a bit afraid of what might happen if you saw one of the more negative memories, like one from the war first."
"Just what were you afraid might happen?" she asked.
"That's the thing. None of us were quite sure. There was some worry that if we shocked you too much you might end up… well…" he trailed off.
"With Neville's parents and Lockhart in Mungo's," she finished for him.
He nodded.
"Who knows about this? You keep saying all of us."
"Draco, Kingsley, me, Neville, and Luna," he answered.
"Not Ron?" she raised an eyebrow, "or Ginny?"
"No," he said, "not Ron. As for Ginny I just haven't had a chance to tell her yet. She's been practicing or out of the country at games since she made the Harpies."
"So why Neville and Luna?"
"Neville was kind of an accident. He was visiting Luna when I went to talk to her. She was Draco's suggestion. It seems she suspected about the two of you. She had made some comment to him while she was being held at the Manor during the war."
Hermione shook her head lightly and laughed softly as if she might disturb the two teenagers in the memory who were once again studying quietly next to each other with only an occasional word passing between them, "She always was more observant that anyone gave her credit for, even me. There was a reason she was sorted into Ravenclaw after all. I haven't spoken to her in so long. I really should reconnect with her."
Just then Draco's voice was in her ears once again as the scene in front of her faded away and she found herself once again standing in the small room at #13 Grimmauld Place, "This is the end of the memories for the first time. I could have sent many more of our study sessions both before and after we began to talk but I didn't want to overwhelm you. There will be more in the future, just particular conversations we had that I think you should be reintroduced to. All of the memories I've chosen are ones that I feel you need to know just in case this doesn't work and your memory never returns. Even if you should decide you no longer want me in your life you deserve to know what was taken from you what you gave up for me, especially if you don't want me in your life. Now I'm going to ask you to pause this for a few minutes and go with Potter."
She looked at Harry, then looked down to the Discman and pressed pause and pushed the headphones back to rest around her neck, "What now?"
Harry gestured for her to follow him, as he led her back through the connecting door and out into the back garden of number twelve he explained, "Some of the other research Draco did turned up the idea of revisiting familiar places to help jog memory so whenever we can we'll go to the places you just saw in the memories he shared."
"So we're headed to Hogwarts?"
He nodded, "McGonagall has given us permission to be on school grounds today."
She cocked her head to the side, "So she knows too?"
He thought for a second and cringed, "Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention her, sorry."
"No, it's okay," she said, "it's just so frustrating knowing that everyone I know knows more about my life in the past eight years than I do."
"I tried to talk you out of it. Kingsley tried to talk you out of it. You wouldn't listen to us," he reminded her.
"I believe you. Let's just go," she said taking hold of his arm.
They turned on the spot together and felt the familiar pulling sensation. They landed in Hogsmeade in front of the Three Broomsticks. Harry turned to her, "Want to go in and have a butterbeer first?"
She shook her head, "No let's go the library quickly while what I just saw is fresh."
He nodded and they spoke not a word as they strode to Hogwarts, through the gates, through the front doors, and up the stairs into the library. She then led the way to the tables they had just seen in the Pensieve. She stood staring at the table she still thought of as hers. Harry stood back and just let her take it all in, waiting.
She walked around the table and sat down in "her" chair, running her hands over the table, closing her eyes. She sat there still for several minutes before sighing, opening her eyes, and looking at Harry, "Nothing, just nothing."
"Did you listen to the last part of his message?" Harry asked.
"Oh I'd completely forgotten," she put the headphones back on and pressed play.
Once more Draco's voice rang in her ears, "I only have three words left for you my darling as you sit in this place where we spent so much time together, this place where I began to fall in love with you. Remember me Hermione."
a/n so now we're really getting going, thought I'd say thanks to all of you following by posting a long chapter after yesterday's short one though it will be a bit til the next one. Reviews always welcomed and appreciated and are often inspirational and help me keep writing ;)
