Draco woke up the next morning, stretching as he faced the early morning sunlight before realizing he still had Hermione laying underneath his arm, curled up in his bare chest from the night before. Nothing had happened between them, nothing more than the two of them sitting there in front of the fire warming them in the chimney of the Shrieking Shack, both sitting up as Draco got drunk on the sound of Hermione's laugh and the twinkle in her eye while Hermione teased Draco affectionately, causing him to occasionally laugh out, showing a sparkling white smile that she could only describe as mesmerizing until they both saw the warm orange color of the early morning sunrise peaking through the cracks of the Shack, neither wanting for the night to end as they laid in bed and eventually drifted off to sleep.
As Draco looked down at Hermione sleeping on his chest, her peaceful figure as her hand was curled up next to her face, her hair surrounding her face sloppily. He couldn't hide the smile as he watched her sleeping before it clicked in his head. She looked innocent when she was sleeping, perfectly innocent. That was what he had to do to protect her, he had to keep her safe from what he was about to become and now, he knew exactly how he was going to do it.
Draco carefully moved out from underneath Hermione's sleeping body, cautiously getting dressed while trying to stay quiet as she stirred awake.
"Draco," Hermione whispered, looking at him in betrayal, wondering if he were trying to leave her there alone.
"Relax Hermione," Draco answered, shaking his head. "I am simply getting dressed. We can't exactly go to that muggle cafe with me shirtless." He said before smirking, "Hate to see what Hermione Granger would do if she actually had to duel to keep a man, especially dueling a muggle."
Hermione shook her head in disbelief at the sound of Draco's words as she sat up herself, stretching as Draco's mouth dropped open. It was truly a beautiful sight, watching her flexed back as she stretched her back, her stomach muscles tensing up around her naval as her breasts, still contained by her bra, forced upward into the air. Don't think about her naked, Draco reminded himself, trying to fight against the natural urges of his manhood, Today is about enjoying her mind, her thoughts, her soul. Hermione stopped flexing, blushing as she watched his mouth dropped open.
"Sorry about that," Draco whispers, looking down himself with a blush. "We should probably get dressed, aye?"
Nodding Hermione stood up and got dressed, tossing her grey, long-sleeved shirt over her head, brushing her hectic, frizzy hair out of her face, thankful simply to have it back to her own hair again as she threw on a pair of jeans and the familiar scent of fresh parchment and Draco's spearmint gum filled her senses again, nearly causing her to melt to her knees as his lips softly met her neck as did a cold metal.
"What is? No, Draco." Hermione said, fingering the familiar necklace around her neck, not having to look at it to realize tht it was the one they had bought the day before. Turning around, she looked to face him, himself wearing his black slacks, white button-up shirt, and the traditional Slytherin tie. "I can't wear this." She said, before he hushed her, putting his finger up to her lips.
"I want you to," He whispers, hugging her close. "Otherwise, all this was for nothing. My mother can not have two of the same necklace, it would raise suspicion. Keep it with you, at home of course." He said, already knowing his plan. "It would look a bit out of the ordinary for you to be wearing it at Hogwarts." He said with a smirk.
Hermione nodded her head, still feeling bad for taking a gift that had cost him so much but holding it close to her heart. "I'll keep it." She whispers, "Close." Softly she kissed him before they headed down the stairs of the Shrieking Shack and out into the yard. It was safe for them to walk down to Hogsmeade to floo out to Leaky Cauldron, their backpacks that Dumbledore had packed over their shoulders as Draco held Hermione's hand.
"It is rather nice, you know." Hermione said with a smile. "School is over, we can walk freely together." She said as the smell of freshly cut grass filled her nostrils and the cold touch of Draco's hand against her own, his fingers intertwined with hers as she felt his class ring against her own ring finger. "The village is more like a ghost town then anything." She said with a laugh.
Smirking, Draco led her into one of the pubs, opening the door for her as he bowed slightly, "After you, mi'lady," He said with a smirk, causing Hermione to giggle as she entered the building, tossing in a handful of floo powder before floo'ing them both to the Leaky Cauldron to head to the cafe.
Draco took his last memory of Hermione in the cafe, the way that the sunlight shined off of her curls as the couple walked into Dumbledore's empty office after eating a typical muggle breakfast in the cafe.
"Granger," He whispered as Hermione placed the time turner around both of their necks, looking at him oddly.
"Yes Draco?" She asked, confused as to why he was calling her by her surname once more, and concerned by the thought as well.
"Kiss me one last time," He whispered, a tightening choke in his throat as he asked the question, knowing it may be the last time he ever got to feel her gentle lips against his own.
Hermione nodded, pressing her lips against his, still tasting the spearmint of his toothpaste on his tongue as the kiss deepened, the two of them wrapping their arms around each other in a tightened embrace. Hermione felt her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she tasted a different, yet familiar taste on Draco's lips. A salty taste that she couldn't quite place, but knew she had tasted on her own lips before. As the two pulled away, Draco avoided eye contact as Hermione spun the time turner, knowing that no matter how much she spun it, as the time turner said 'I have yet to outrun the sun', meaning that it would not go any further in time than where they had originally left.
People sped past the couple, items moved, sunlight and darkness fading in and out of the room as simply as moments and seconds until the sights made Draco sick them moving so fast, forcing him to close his eyes to fight the nausea of losing Hermione and speeding through years as if they were only eye blinks.
Finally as the room stopped, Draco opened his eyes as Hermione pulled the necklace from around Draco's neck, tucking it in her shirt and both teens turned to face an empty room. Hermione slowly walked over to the calender, knowing Dumbledore was still upstairs in his living quarters above the office.
"June 1996," Hermione read off, "We are back." She said before embracing Draco in a hug. "We did it!" She said with a laugh.
"Yea," He answers distantly, "We did. Should probably go check on Potter and Weasel-bee. I'm sure you miss them." He said distantly as Hermione nodded her head in excitement and her and Draco headed to the spiral staircase leading down to the exit of the Headmaster's Quarters. Hermione knew, and Draco assumed, that Dumbledore would probably never again mention the task he had sent them on. It was dangerous and highly illegal and only a fool would mention it, Draco told himself, as Hermione walked in front of him. He knew what he had to do.
"Hey Granger," He said, stopping on the stairs as Hermione turned around quickly, only to face Draco's hawthorn wand.
"Draco..." Hermione whispered in fear, tears welling up in her eyes. "What...what are you doing?"
"I'm protecting you." Draco answered, his face tense as he fought back the urge to cry, his jaw tense as his wand shook in his hand and his voice pleaded with her. "Can't you see Hermione," He asked, "I...I have to do this. You are a mudblood. You...you are not safe with me...I have to keep you safe." He said, his voice cracking with tears.
"Don't Draco," Hermione begged as tears fell down her own cheeks. "Please, I love you." She pleaded, asking him not to do what he knew he had to.
"I love you too." Draco whispers through a cracked voice, his throat tensing up around the tears he was choking to fight back. "Obliviate."
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes glazed over as the memories of the past two months, and yet, the past 30 seconds, wiped from her mind. All the kisses her and Draco had shared, the nights they had spent expressing their hatred and then their love in conjoining bodies, and the triumphs and tribulations of fighting of the Blasted-Ended Skewrt, teaching each other magical tricks, and facing Borgin and Burkes left her mind, the only thing left as a reminder being the emerald and silver necklace that she had taken off before they came back and placed in her pocket. She stared in confusion as to where she was and what she was doing there at Draco, getting ready to ask, until footsteps headed up the stairs and turning around, she faced the coldened face of none other than her Potions professor, Severus Snape.
"Going somewhere?" He asked coldly, looking from Draco to Hermione and raising an eyebrow.
"Ye...yes sir." Hermione answered, rubbing her head, still confused as she moved past him, making sure to move against the wall and not touch him as she slid past. "Just ummm...down to see Harry and Ron in the Hospital Wing." She answered, remembering that much.
"And you?" Snape asked, eyeing Draco suspiciously.
"To pack my things," Draco answered with a hardened snarl, trying to hide the emotion he had just let out and cover it carefully with hatred and spite as he brushed past Snape coldly.
"Well?" Dumbledore asked once Snape entered his office. "Are they back?"
"Like they never left." Snape answers coldly, "Caught the tail end of their conversation and-"
"He protected her?" Dumbledore asks, already knowing the answer.
"Precisely." The Potion Master answered coldly, "Although it is rather distasteful of you. Using children as pawns in your own game." He said, already have a foul taste in his mouth for what the Headmaster had asked he himself to do.
"Ahh Severus," Dumbledore answers, moving over to his window to look out upon the Black Lake as he spoke, nearly to himself instead of Snape. "They weren't pawns. Call it instead, inter-house bonding. Don't you agree that the battle between Gryffindor and Slytherin has gone on for far too long?"
Snape ignored the comment, knowing this was another reference to him being rude to Potter for his father's actions, instead focusing on the task at hand. "And yet," He answered, his voice hardened, "You promised to help Draco Malfoy. How do you intend on doing that if you want me to- to-" He couldn't even finish the words without feeling his own stomach curl.
"That's simple Severus," Dumbledore answered, turning around to face him as Snape looked into the eyes of the wisest wizard he knew, the one that vowed to keep even him safe against all odds and, although not being the same way the young man had planned, had in fact succeeded. "You see, when he comes to kill me, I simply won't fight back."