A/N Hello readers! A thousand apologies for not updating this story sooner; I've temporarily run out of inspiration for it. I'm telling you guys now that updates to this story will be somewhat infrequent, especially since I'm a little preoccupied with one of my other stories, Renegade. I hope this doesn't make you hate me, and that you continue to read this story. (I will cry otherwise.) So please forgive the hiatus…es this story takes! Please? *offers cookies*
Here is the next chapter! I will reiterate –there will be NO chapter from Hermione's POV. That would just be too random and weird.
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"Draco?"
Something nudged Draco. He could feel it in his state of semi-consciousness. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't; he was still sleepy. He couldn't remember where he was. The air smelled stale, like sickness, and he was wrapped around something warm and soft. He shifted his head, and came into contact with something that smelled faintly, so faintly, of strawberries. Hermione.
The thought shocked him into consciousness. Could it be-? Was she-? He pushed himself up from the bed, examined her face, his heart racing. Hermione-? But she was still asleep, her face pale, the fingers of her left hand closed around the locket. Draco exhaled sharply, his eyes feeling very dry, and almost laughed. How could he have been so foolish as to think that her saying his name meant she'd remembered everything? Such silly thoughts.
"Draco."
Something nudged Draco on the shoulder once more and Draco looked up. Harry was standing beside the bed, consternation written all over his face. For a moment, an odd expression flashed in Harry's eyes –was it jealousy? Anger? Regret? But his face smoothed over. "Good news, mate."
Draco rubbed his eyes, sat down next to Hermione's sleeping form. "What?" he whispered, so as not to wake his wife.
Harry held up a letter and grinned. "I got one."
"Got what?" The letter looked suspiciously like the Hogwarts acceptance letter they'd received when they were eleven. Had Harry gone mad too?
"A Pensieve, you dolt." Harry lightly tapped Draco on the head with the rolled-up missive. "It's been approved. I'll have it in my office by tonight."
"Tonight?" Draco blinked, suddenly utterly confused. Tonight. They'd be able to delve into her memories tonight. The thought set his heart racing. No. He wasn't ready, not yet. It was too soon. And yet–! Hermione shifted on the bed, and her hand fell across Draco's, and the locket glinted in the morning sun. Draco gritted his teeth and stiffened his resolve. This was a chance. He had to know who'd done this to his wife. He would make them pay.
"Tonight." Harry's mouth was set in a grim smile. Then, seeing as Draco was still overwhelmed, he patted him on the shoulder. "Go home first and get dressed. Come to my office at 6 o'clock."
Draco nodded, then glanced down at Hermione. "Should we-?" he asked, gesturing at her forehead.
"I suppose we should." Harry brought out his wand, but Draco put out a hand to stop him.
"I'll do it," he said. Harry looked down at him for a long moment, then nodded once. He produced a small vial, handed it to Draco, and stepped back.
Draco looked down at his sleeping wife, and for a moment felt the urge to hurl the small glass vial in his palm, to break it, to leave this mystery unsolved. He'd been hoping all these long years for a cure, but now that the opportunity was staring him in the face, his mind was plagued with doubts. Did he really want to know what happened to her? Did he really want her to get better? After so many months of loneliness, of pain, of missing her more and more every day, was he ready to have her back in his life?
As if reading the traitorous thoughts in Draco's mind, Harry moved forward and laid a hand on Draco's shoulder. He did not speak, but he did not need to. Draco squared his shoulders and thought, this isn't just about me. Harry, Ginny, the twins, Luna –they were all hoping for Hermione's recovery. Slowly, he withdrew his wand from his pocket, touched it lightly to his wife's temple. Then with all the strength he had in his broken soul, he lifted the wand away.
A strand of a silvery substance –not quite liquid, not quite solid– came off with the wand, and Draco pulled at it gently until it broke off, and lowered it into the vial. Again and again, he repeated his actions, until the vial was full. The silvery stuff swirled around, almost like smoke. The vial felt so fragile in his hand; he felt that if he closed his hand around it tight enough, it would shatter and all the memories would turn to ash. Again, as if sensing his thoughts, Harry reached down, took the vial, and corked it. As the vial was sealed a soft sound escaped, almost like a whisper, though it might have been Draco's imagination. Against him, Hermione shifted again, and murmured something incoherent. He touched her hair, her cheek, and under their lids her eyes shifted. Draco froze, his fingers resting lightly on her jaw line. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Draco?"
Behind him, Draco sensed Harry had drawn his wand. Draco found himself unable to draw his hand away. His heart was racing. But she raised her hand to his, and entwined their fingers, and Draco almost collapsed with relief. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, ran his lips over her smooth skin, kissed every finger. She smiled and his heart warmed. He heard the door close, and realized Harry had left the room, presumably to give them some time alone. He sent a silent thank you to his friend.
"Hello," he whispered to Hermione, who smiled and raised herself, and pressed her lips to his. Hungry for the touch of her body, for the kisses he had gone so long without, he kissed her eagerly, ran his hands through her tangled hair, down the graceful curve of her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his heart began to race. Merlin, how he'd missed this; holding her against him, her warm body pressed against his, her soft lips moving fervently on his. He could feel her smiling, could feel her hands exploring his hollow cheeks, his thin shoulders. He hadn't felt her touch in so long; it felt as though her fingers were burning him, trailing sparks as they moved over his body. It was electrifying and nostalgic and painful all at once, and Draco wished it would last forever.
But it could not. With a happy sigh, Hermione withdrew and smiled up at him, and the locket glinted and reminded Draco of what ought to be done. He reached up and brushed a few unruly strands of hair from her eyes. She caught his hand, held it to her cheek, and again Draco's heart melted and he wished more than anything that this was all happening in their room, back at the apartment, and that in a few moments they would cook dinner together and he could fall asleep with his arms around her. Merlin, how he wished it. He would give anything. But his wish was not for him to have, and so he cupped her cheek, kissed her forehead, and whispered "I'll be back." And he tried his hardest to ignore the regret, the anguish, and he stood up from the bed, withdrew his hand, walked away.
"I love you," she called, just before his hand reached the doorknob, and his heart broke and he gripped the doorknob tightly, almost wrenching it from the door, in order to restrain himself from going back to her side and never leaving. He had to do this. He had to found out what broke her.
"I love you, too," he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. He did not look at her. He could not. Looking at her would shatter his already cracking resolve. "More than my own life." The words he'd used in his wedding vows. They were still true. With a heavy heart, he turned the doorknob. When the door clicked shut behind him, he sank to the floor.
After what felt like an eternity, Draco felt Harry place a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you home." Slowly, feeling as if he were weighed down with boulders, Draco stood and followed Harry out of the ward. They were silent as they descended in the elevator, as they stepped into the fireplace, as they Flooed to his apartment. Harry said his goodbyes, but hesitated as he was about to leave. Finally, when Draco had the apartment all to himself, he sank down onto the couch and burst into tears, the memory of her kisses and her smiles all too clear in his mind.
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He didn't remember falling asleep, but when Draco lifted his head from the couch, feeling rather groggy, it was a little past four in the afternoon. His stomach rumbled, and he got up and padded into the kitchen. The motions of cooking and the smell of basil pesto (he was a little too sleepy for anything more complicated than pasta) cleared his head a little, as did eating. He washed the dishes, and headed upstairs to bathe and change.
As he stood in the shower, the warm water beating down between his shoulder blades, he thought about what he and Harry were about to attempt. Would this even work? What if whatever it was that had driven her half-mad had also damaged her memories? And if ever they were clear, what would her memories show them? Would they be of any help? He felt it again, the doubt, the fear of what he might see. Did he really want to do this?
He stepped out of the shower, patted himself lazily with a towel, put on a dark gray button-down and some dark jeans. As he stepped into the living room, his gaze fell on Hermione's diary, lying on the floor. It appeared to have fallen out of his coat pocket. He picked it up, traced the worn binding. Yes, he decided, he did want to do this. For Hermione's sake, he would. She did not deserve to be locked up in that hospital ward, far from everything she loved. She was his wife. She should be with him.
With this newfound determination, he put on his coat, pocketed the diary, faced the fireplace. He grabbed a fistful of Floo powder, flung it into the flames, and said, loud and clear and determined, "Ministry of Magic!" And then he stepped into the fire and whirled out of sight.
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A/N Again, my apologies for the delay. I hope this chapter is worth it! Coming up is the chapter you've all been clamoring for –the chapter of the Pensieve. What will Harry and Draco see, and what will it lead them to? You'll see (hehe). I'll try to update soon!