This has got to be one of the most important chapters that I have ever written. It just means so much to Draco and Hermione's relationship. I enjoyed writing this so I hope that you guys would also enjoy reading it.

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Chapter 8 – Unsave Me

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It was a wonderful morning, no less beautiful than all the mornings Hermione had experienced in the days that she had lived at the Tonks residence. Like always, she went out of the house with a cup of tea in her hand just a little before dawn and enjoyed watching the dark sky become colored yellow.

She fell asleep thinking of Draco Malfoy. She had not seen him yet, but she heard his voice. It was recognizable but so different. She had never heard him so defeated and weak. What would he be without his arrogance? What would Draco Malfoy be without his memories? Probably still the same, she thought.

Her acceptance of the favor Andromeda asked was too easy. She realized that she had not thought about it thoroughly. Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe he did not really forget. Maybe he was there to prove that he was indeed, evil. Maybe he was doing a twisted Death Eater mission. Maybe they knew that she was at the Tonks residence and they would use her to get to Harry. The thought made her shiver. She couldn't allow that. She decided that she would find out the truth. She would do everything in her power to unravel the mystery behind Draco Malfoy's missing memories. She regretted her decision, but she knew she could not take it back, so she inhaled and accepted her fate.

No matter what beauty was presented before her eyes, she could not savor it anymore. The thought of Draco Malfoy-egotistical prat and Death Eater-could surely ruin anything, no matter how bright and wonderful that thing was. Hesitantly, she walked inside the house and went to Draco Malfoy's room.

Her knock was different, not so gentle anymore. She did not give a damn whether the person inside the room woke up or died, for that matter. She just needed to do what she was asked to do, to mute her guilt for having a little taste of paradise in the middle of a wretched war.

"Malfoy?" She tried to keep her voice down. Of course, he's going to be bloody difficult. "Malfoy?" Her voice was too loud the second time, leading Tonks to open her door.

"Go away," or what sounded like it, was muffled behind the door. Before she could yell one more time and break down the door, she heard Tonks' voice.

"Hermione, is anything wrong?" Tonks stood in front of her door, still in her pajamas, her blanket wrapped around her.

"No, nothing is wrong." Hermione smiled. "Go back to sleep, Tonks."

"Are you sure?" Tonks murmured while her eyes were still closed.

"Absolutely. You need to rest. Go back to sleep, Tonks." Hermione gave another smile. Her cheeks hurt because she was not really amused by the situation.

Hermione waited for Tonks' door to close before she gave her last knock. She counted up to ten, giving the git on the other side time to answer her. She waited for three breaths and whispered, "Alohamora." She made sure she did it quietly. She murmured, "Muffliato," to make sure that no one would hear whatever would transpire between them.

She opened the door, more quietly than she desired. The prat was still lying on his bed, his face towards the wall. She wanted to clear her throat to announce her presence but the sound of sniffing stopped her.

Oh, this is good, she reckoned. If Draco Malfoy thought that she was going to buy what he was selling, well, he was dead wrong.

"Is the great Draco Malfoy actually crying?" she mocked.

"If a door is locked, it means you have to stay out. Go away." The voice was now free from any trace of crying. Hermione could almost feel the rage emanating from it.

"Awww. Too weak to be away from Mum, eh?" Hermione continued. She decided to take small steps towards the bed.

"I said, go away." She almost flinched. The voice was powerful and commanding but she was determined to discover his plans. She took the final few steps towards the bed.

"Why are you here, Malfoy? Did you come to spread your little Death Eater terror? Are you here to redeem yourself and finally prove that you are indeed, evil? Tell me, come on." Hermione paused, waiting for Draco to answer. "You've got a good show going, with your tears and all. They all believe you. But I don't." She sat on the bed and moved closer to Draco.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco breathed in deeply, controlling his fury. "I said, go away. Consider this your last warning." Draco pushed her away and walked towards the window.

"If you think I am scared of you because of the violation you made to your forearm, you are dead-wrong." Hermione decided to stand up and walk around the room.

In a blink of an eye, Draco was able to corner Hermione. She was against the wall and his arms were locking her in. She could feel his hot breath on her face as he spoke. "I do not know what the fuck you are talking about."

"Get off me!" Hermione tried to push him away but he was too strong. It surprised her that someone that seemed so weak could have that much strength.

"No, listen to me first." His eyes pierced through her, making her shudder.

"I won't." She paused. "I am not afraid of you." She tried to intimidate him with her gaze but her voice gave her away.

"Then why does your voice tremble so?" He whispered into her ear. "Listen to me, silly little girl. How I wish that this was all a ruse, a mission to spread my 'little Death Eater terror,' as you put it." He inhaled and searched for her eyes. "But it is not." She could feel his arms and his whole body trembling.

"What is this then?" she spat.

"This," he took a deep breath, "is real." He moved his face closer to her and tried to speak calmly. "I do not have any fucking memories, so whatever you think I was, I do not remember. I have no fucking recollection, so I am afraid that I am not that person anymore. I do not know myself, so it is impossible that you do." He paused and then screamed, "You do not get to say shit about me." Draco shoved her to the side, making her lose her balance. He caught Hermione's arm before she could fall.

She shook his hand off and yelled, "I know everything I need to know!"

His voice was louder and more powerful. "Explain to me, how you could know me if I don't even know a fucking thing about myself?" Draco jeered. "What? Are you this woman?" Draco threw the portrait with his mother at Hermione.

Hermione caught the photograph. She looked at it for a moment and fell silent. Then, she gently laid it on the table. Her voice was calmer. "No, but we went to school together. I've known you for six years."

She really wanted to mention the Dark Mark, that he sold his soul to the most evil wizard of all time, but Narcissa's sapphire eyes stopped her.

"And you think that's fucking enough?"

"No, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"Fucking no, right? So shut up. Quit it. I am having a hard time as it is. Stop insisting that I am the person you think I am because you. Don't. Fucking. Know. Anything." Draco took a deep breath and whispered with a trembling voice, "Leave."

Hermione was not one to keep quiet after an argument. She was almost never wrong but she knew that this time, she could be.

She left Draco's room and entered her own. She lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Unwelcome thoughts entered her mind, thoughts that made her feel guilty. She closed her eyes and wished for sleep. She couldn't. Her heart was racing. It seemed like her conscience was running after her, physically exhausting her even though she was perfectly still on the bed. She put her hands on her face and inhaled.

Draco Malfoy, the arrogant bully who made her time in Hogwarts as uncomfortable for her as possible. Now he was nobody, a man without a past and a very uncertain future.

Draco Malfoy was prejudiced towards her and her kind, but after what had occurred between them, she realized that she was a bigot, too. Didn't she judge him? Didn't she act like she knew everything there was to know about him? Wasn't she too hasty to put a label on Draco Malfoy? She could not allow that. She could not hate being called a Mudblood and prance around judging other people. She was not even sure if this Draco Malfoy who shoved her and held her was still the same Draco Malfoy who bullied her to no end. More importantly, in a war, there is no place for division, only unity. Draco Malfoy may not yet be on their side but he was under their care. Residing here and without his memories, he might as well be a member of the Order.

She thought of the enticing woman with long champagne-colored tresses and kind blue eyes. Narcissa. The very same woman she tried to Stupefy days ago. She felt sorry for her. In this world, they were the two people who understood each other. Hermione loved her parents but she made them forget her. She took herself away from them and cultivated false memories. She made them believe that they had another surname, led different lives and that they never had a daughter.

Narcissa loved Draco, but she made him forget. She even erased his name from his mind. Hermione was glad that her parents did not know that they were missing anything. The knowledge of saving them from pain dulled the longing that she felt. At that moment, Hermione decided to give Draco a chance because she could not imagine, with her thirst for knowledge, not knowing a single thing about herself. But her decision was done more for Narcissa, with whom she completely identified. She would not want anyone to make her parents miserable, especially after the things they all had to give up.

She felt tears streaming down her face. She missed her parents but she knew she was also crying because of guilt. Her tears were for Draco and Narcissa, too. She wept for them, for a mother who had to give up her son and for a boy who had to lose everything just to be alive. It hurt her. She may not like them, but she understood. She cried and cried until her eyelids were too heavy and she had to close her eyes.

Her darkness was illuminated by thoughts of the platinum blond man. The row between her and Draco was her fault. She provoked him. He was already wounded, and she insulted his injuries. She even questioned his credibility, judged his hurt. It made her exactly like him when they were still in Hogwarts. She hated herself for that. Maybe everything could change. Maybe he and she could mature.

What would Draco Malfoy be without his arrogance? What would he be without his memories? Hopefully different, she now thought.

Hermione pondered and pondered. There was a growing voice inside of her saying that she was wrong, that Draco Malfoy was right. Who was she to judge him and who was she to claim that she knew him? Back in school, they shared nothing but taunting moments. It was true that Draco Malfoy was a bully but he was not evil. It seemed like Draco Malfoy already outgrew his bullying because since Voldemort's return, the all-powerful Malfoy family was reduced to mere pawns. A taste of one's medicine is the perfect cure for one's illness. Yes, he let the Death Eaters enter Hogwarts, but his family was on the line. Yes, he almost killed Dumbledore. He had the chance. Dumbledore was defenseless. If he could not perform the Avada, the old man was just a push away from death. Yet, he did not do it. Maybe, just maybe, there was really something good in Draco Malfoy.

Everything went dark again but she heard the sound of crying from a distance. She walked and searched for it. The weeping seemed to be done out of hopelessness, as if the person was already at the breaking point. She took a few more steps and found the back of a woman whose golden hair seemed to brighten the dark and empty space. Hermione moved closer to her and tried to reach for her. Before Hermione could touch her, the woman had already turned around. Hermione could see her red and puffy eyes and fresh tears flowing from them. Hermione just looked at her, unable to say something.

The woman took her hand and begged, "Please, help him. Help me."

Just when she was about to say something, the woman disappeared and she was engulfed by the darkness once again.

Hermione opened her eyes. Rays of orange filled the room. It surprised her that it was already dusk. It was the longest sleep she'd had in days. It was the most restful too, save for the dream about Narcissa. A few minutes into consciousness and she was already deep in thought. Hermione didn't think she would fall asleep. She certainly didn't expect to dream of Narcissa. But those things happened and she believed that everything happened for a reason. Maybe she needed the slumber so that the universe could send a message. She should help Draco Malfoy, if not for his own well-being, then for Narcissa.

She stood from her bed and rummaged through her trunk to find a quill and a piece of parchment. She was rarely wrong but when she was, she knew she needed to apologize. She was too ashamed to be able to look him in the eye and say that she was sorry. She did the next best thing.

"Draco Malfoy,

It was wrong of me to do what I did. I am sorry.

Hermione Granger."

It was a simple note but she meant it and she wished that it would be enough. She folded it and went out of her room. She slid her letter down the crevice at the bottom of the door. She knocked and ran towards the stairs. Her actions almost made her laugh: a bloody Gryffindor, running away because of guilt. Why she couldn't face him, she really didn't know.

Hermione went outside to clear her mind. As she laid her eyes on the beautiful sunset, her thoughts drifted to her parents and her heart wished that they were happy and safe. She imagined Narcissa, on the other side of the war, wishing the same thing for her son.

In that moment, she resolved that she would do everything in her power to protect Draco Malfoy.

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I would like to thank my betas, Ariana and Daena for helping me with this fic. Of course, thank you readers, you keep me going! Reviews are loved!