Chapter VII: Obliviate

Hermione spent an entire hour lying in bed, staring up at the material ceiling of the tent. She was wondering whether or not to go find Draco, as she wasn't sure if he'd strayed too far from out of the wards, exposing himself. Sighing frustratedly she grabbed her wand from under her pillow and shuffled across the tent.

Harry suddenly turned over in bed and watched as Hermione slipped out of the tent. He narrowed his eyes and cast a sound enhancing charm towards the entrance of the tent.

Hermione nearly crashed into Draco as she stumbled out of the tent. He was sitting on the floor, staring at a camp fire he had conjured up. The flames flickered across his pale face, contouring his high cheek bones and reflecting fire into his bottomless grey pits.

"Draco?" Hermione whispered as she hesitantly sat down next to him.

"Granger." Draco replied quietly, not looking at her, as he gave the fire a poke with his magic. The fire hissed and crackled at him.

"Do you want to talk? About what happened." Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek nervously, expecting him to yell right in her face.

There was a long silence.

"No." Draco whispered, as he leant back on his elbows and stared across the dark landscape that stretched out in front of them.

"Draco?" Hermione asked hesitantly, her heart banging painfully against the caves of her chest. Draco looked up at her through his blonde bangs.

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you help me?"

There was another long silence as Draco stared at her, his own heart beginning to thump painfully. She was looking at him intently, her chocolate orbs shining with curiosity as she waited for an answer. Draco exhaled painfully.

"I had to." He whispered.

"You could have let me die."

"No." Draco replied, grounding his teeth together in frustration.

"Why did you go against them, jeopardize your parents, your kind, all just to save me?" Hermione asked. "I'm nothing but a lowly Mudblood to your kind."

"Don't call yourself that." Draco scolded before he softened his voice. "Granger, I have my reasons. Reasons which I can't tell you right now."

"But why not?" Hermione demanded, growing hot with rising anger. "I want to know why you saved me."

"Can't you just thank me already and forget about it?" Draco snapped at her, his voice harsh and cutting through her. Hermione flinched at his tone and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Thank you for saving my life, Draco." Hermione whispered, staring at the flames.

"Granger?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Hermione shrugged, glancing at him from over her knees.

"Make me forget." Draco whispered. Hermione stared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Make me forget my parents death." Draco explained clearly. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Draco no-"

"Do it, before I do something I'm likely to regret."

"Like what?" Hermione whispered quietly, tears coming to her eyes. Draco felt a pang in his chest and looked away. He was making her cry, and he had no right to ask her of that. Hermione watched as he winced and looked away, staring at his hands.

Hermione couldn't help but suddenly feel all his anger, his guilt, his anguish as she stared at his handsome face, that had cracked from it's usual expressionless exterior. She couldn't help but feel her own guilt as she felt realisation slice through her core. If she was dead, his parents would still be alive. But if she was dead, Draco would still be in the darkness. Two lives in trading for one. She glanced up at him again, and felt her heart drop.

"Draco?" Hermione whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she held back a heart wrenching sob. He looked up as she raised her wand. "Obliviate."

Xxx

The following morning was awkward. Harry refused to look at Hermione properly as they all sat and ate breakfast which consisted of wild berries and various other foods that Hermione had packed in her bag months ago with preservation spells.

Hermione could feel the tension between the four of them, and felt especially uneasy at the strange resentful glances that she could feel Harry sending her way whenever she wasn't looking. Hermione put down her glass of water and looked straight at him.

"What's wrong, Harry?" She asked, unable to take it anymore. He just looked at her and shrugged.

"Nothing."

"There's obviously something wrong." Hermione argued.

"Honestly, it's nothing." Harry lied through his teeth and Hermione could see right through him.

"You're so transparent you know that." Hermione said, crossing her legs underneath her on the floor.

"You're so unbelievable." Harry snapped back irritably and grabbed a slice of toast before storming out of the tent.

Hermione stared after him with a forlorn look on her face. Both Ron and Draco looked at her.

"Do you want me to ask him what his problem is?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.

"No, I'll go talk to him." Hermione abandoned her breakfast and stepped out the tent.

She was welcomed by a chilly frosty morning, the grass glazed with morning dew. Hermione breathed in sharply, smelling the scents of an English morning.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, coming up behind him as he stood just inches away from the ending of the wards she'd set up yesterday.

"How could you do it, Hermione?" Harry asked heatedly as he spun around to face her. Hermione looked at him bewildered.

"Do what?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Harry replied through gritted teeth. "You Obliviated Draco!"

Hermione stared at him with horror.

"How would you know that?" She cast a silencing charm around them, pretty sure the other two boys were being nosy.

"I was listening in." Harry said, guiltily, casting her a quick apologetic glance. Hermione's face flushed.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded, her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I was just, well, curious." Harry shrugged and refused to meet her angry and penetrating gaze.

"More like bloody nosey." Hermione retorted. She folded her arms as Harry bravely looked up at her, with the sense to look guilty.

"Why did you do it?" Harry asked her again. Hermione suddenly looked uncomfortable, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I had to Harry." Hermione whispered. "He was so hurt, and angry and.." Hermione gulped. "Was it wrong Harry? Did I do the right thing? I couldn't bare to see someone like that. I was also afraid he'd break the the vow because of his guilt."

Harry's face softened.

"I think it was wrong." Harry replied and Hermione's face fell. "But do you think it was wrong?"

"No." Hermione said instantly without hesitation and Harry smiled at her.

"Well, there you go."

xxx

"What do you think they're talking about?" Draco asked as he dipped a spoon in Hermione's cereal.

"Not a bloody clue." Ron said, staring furiously at the cartoon of orange juice like it had just tried to send a Dark Curse towards him.

"Has that orange juice offended you in the past?" Draco joked lightly, and Ron snapped his head up. "It's just you're staring at like it's just tried to strangle you."

"Yes, that bloody juice tried to drown me." Ron replied sarcastically. Draco chuckled.

"Do they do that often?" Draco glanced towards the door.

"What? Have private little glances between one another like they're talking without speaking and then go off and have a private little chat? Oh yes, all the bloody time." Ron threw his slice of toast across the tent in a fit of rage. Draco raised an eyebrow and watched as the toast flung across the room and landed in the kitchenette.

"Hm. I see." Draco nodded in a knowing sort of way.

"See? See what?" Ron looked bewildered as he stared at Draco.

"Is there something going on between them two?" Draco asked, as he fixed his eyes on his breakfast.

"I-They say not." Ron shrugged as he eyed the front of the tent with contempt. They couldn't hear a bloody thing that was being said outside, and they'd concluded after about five minutes that they had cast a Silencing charm. They had then tried to remove it, but it seemed Hermione had it firmly in place.

"But you don't believe them." Draco mumbled. Ron shook his head.

"I don't, the locket-" Ron stopped short and shovelled five berries into his mouth. Draco looked up curiously.

"The locket?"

"The locket, one of Voldemort's h-" Ron stopped, remembering that the word Horcrux was currently tabooed. "The locket contained bits and bobs of Voldemort." Ron chuckled humourlessly. "It shows your worst nightmares. It-"

"It what?"

"It showed Harry and Hermione. They were kissing." Ron dug his nails into his palm.

"It was obviously trying to trick you." Draco said, feeling alarmed at the sudden drop of his stomach.

"What if there was some truth in it though?" Ron asked. "What if there's something going on between Hermione and Harry?"

"I doubt it, Weasley." Draco said and reached over for the juice. "They're like brother and sister, even I can see that. Don't allude yourself that she'd ever chose the likes of you, though."

"See, there you go!" Ron shouted suddenly. Draco raised a smart eyebrow. "We were actually having a civil conversation, which, just to let you know, I decided would be okay because I'm fed up of all the tension, and then you ruin it by insulting me."

"Oh, but you see Weasley, this acquaintance wouldn't be half as exciting as it is without my regular insults and your regular mood swings from said insults." Draco smirked.

"You bloody Slytherin." Ron mumbled and Draco chuckled to himself, reaching over for another spoonful of Hermione's delicious honey cereal.

I promise that the next chapter will have a bit more action – maybe they'll find another Horcrux?... :) Please review, and thank you for all the ones so far! :)