Chapter 33

Flash Back

The dawn hit her eyes and Hessa blinked them open and sat up a little. For the life of her she couldn't remember her dream….where was Draco? She suddenly became aware of his heavy arm around her waist. Everything felt so strange and her head felt fuzzy, dizzy, like it was underwater. Draco looked up and eyed her, watching quietly as she held her head. Memory charms were always a little awkward at first but then they would adjust and settle, yet he had to make sure…

"Good morning, love," he purred.

"Oh…good morning," Hessa held her head a bit.

"Do you have a headache?"

"No…I just feel a bit funny this morning," a small smile graced her lips.

Draco petted her stomach, "maybe you're….?" She tutted at him. "I'm just saying…"

"Hoping you mean…"

"Perhaps. Did you have a bad dream?"

"No."

"Did you happen to have any dreams about….I don't know, Harry Potter?"

"Harry Potter? Why in Merlin would I have dreams about Harry Potter?"

He smiled, "no reason…"

"Didn't he die…after he challenged you in a duel or something?"

"Or something…"

"Do you know anyone named Marius?"

"Why are you asking me about all these strange men? NO….are you jealous again?"

"No…just someone claimed to know you, that's all."

"Alright. Thank the Gods for that…I don't need anyone dying on my account," she huffed.

"Oh, trust me…I'd do more than kill to keep you," Draco said it in such a way Hessa looked at him funny.

"I wish you wouldn't say things like that…"

"But it's very true."

"Even so…anyway, I need to take a shower."

"No, you took one last night."

"I did? Oh…okay then," she slid back into Draco's arms quietly and with no fear or uncertainty. The memory charm had worked, he made certain of it, staying up half the night to make sure everything was done correctly so she wouldn't end up completely dumbfounded when she woke up.

………………………………………………………….

The day went on and Hessa did her studying and chores like picking up extra herbs for potions, which normally the house elves would do, but Draco allowed her to get out of the house…on the condition that two Dark Regime guards be at her side until she got home. He decided this at the last minute; he figured no memory, no running away, yet all her movements were still restricted. No unfamiliar men were allowed to talk to her unless they were shopkeepers and that included other Dark Regime officers that were not assigned. Hessa thought he was being ridiculous but he knew full well that Marius and the others would not stop trying to retrieve her…he knew this because regardless of what Marius wanted to admit…they were very much alike.

In the evening he came home and found her looking out the window with a book in her hand, Hessa looked up and smiled. Draco's heart melted and he immediately took her and hugged her. "Ohhh…what's this?" she laughed.

He petted her face, "nothing…I'm just glad to see you."

Hessa put her hands on his chest, something she always did and something that he liked, "did you have a bad day at work?"

"No…I just sometimes wonder how you could love a monster like myself?"

"You're not a monster, Draco….at least not to me," she buried her head in his chest.

Draco looked ahead and held her thinking, 'if you knew what I had done…you'd think otherwise, I promise you.'

…………………………………………………………………….

It was late at night and Hessa woke up to find Draco not by her side, which was very unusual. He was not in the bathroom or the hallway, nor the kitchen…she sensed he was safe but there was something else. She followed the corridors down and down until she got to a room where she heard unusual noises…there were voices, more than one…two…and another that sounded strangled. The door was cracked open slightly and out of curiosity, Hessa peeked and her eyes widened in fear at what she saw…

There was a man tied to a chair and Draco was torturing him…the other was encouraging it like it was some kind of game he was winning. The fierceness and ferocity at how Draco was doing it sent chills up her spine and finally Draco took his claws and ripped the man's throat out. Hessa made a noise and quickly covered her mouth, tears running down her face and suddenly her head hurt….flashes of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley being cornered…why would she have such visions? She quickly looked up again to find Draco looking at her from where he was standing, he looked angry and surprised at the same time.

Hessa took off immediately in fear…but still the flashes of people's body parts on the floor in some strange house…what?

Draco cleaned off his hands and told the other officer to get rid of the body and left to find her. She should have not have seen it, it cold trigger something and the charm was still a delicate phase. He sniffed her out and ended up in the library, yet he couldn't see her…she was being a little chameleon. "Where are you, my love, why do you hide from me? You know I could never hurt you." It didn't take long before he reached out where her scent was the strongest and had hold of her arm, Hessa squealed as she was pulled and dragged out of the shadows and practically into his chest. He looked down at her, her body trembling…she was scared to death of him. "Why were down there?"

"I…woke up and you weren't there, I thought that something had happened."

"Did you not sense that I was safe?"

"Yes."

"Then once again, WHY were you down there?"

"I just wanted to know…I didn't mean any harm….you…you killed that man…"

Draco stood stiffly, "yes, I did."

"Why?" Hessa asked desperately.

"Those are reasons you don't need to know, reasons that don't concern you."

"But the other man, he was treating like a spectator sport! It was wrong! If you wanted to kill him, why didn't you do it quickly?"

"We had to get information out of him, plain and simple."

She shook her head fiercely, "no, I don't like what you did…!"

He forced her to look at him, "it doesn't matter what you like in this area…it is my job and I did not want you to see it! I have told you over and over to keep away from that part of house!"

She felt dizzy again but it wasn't out of fear…the charm was fighting all the real memories she had that were coming back. "Draco…," Hessa's grip on his arms weakened and he knew something was wrong, her eyes were shutting in pain. "Draco…help me."

He caught her as she collapsed, now he was the one panicking, nervously petting her head. Draco took her to their bedroom and immediately started to give her a deep sleeping drout. It would be dangerous to try another charm and he wouldn't risk it. This episode would have to pass on its own, it would but right now he didn't know which side would win, her real memory or the false one…