Chapter 7
.
Hermione huffed in irritation before she handed over the documents that she was looking over to Harry. "It was a long shot."
Harry's jaw tightened. "It was a long shot to think that he would at least pretend to be selfless for his own self-preservation."
Biting her lip thoughtfully, she looked up. "He has a point, you know. We're running blindly trying to find anything that could possibly stop what's happening. Malfoy just happens to be the collateral damage."
Surprisingly, Harry looked up at her, his eyes sparked in anger. "Are you and Malfoy friends now?"
"No…" Hermione said patiently. It had been a long week and her nerves were just as raw as her best friend's. She'd rather try to keep herself in check to prevent a possible argument. "It's just that… We knowthat there is a connection, but we don't know what it is or how it will change things. If it will change anything at all, that is," she muttered reluctantly.
"We would know," said Harry, strongly. "If Malfoy was willing to think of others besides himself for once."
Sighing, Hermione decided to proceed cautiously. It would not do to anger her best friend when he was so obviously on edge. "You have to admit we're asking him to take a big risk."
"He has nothing to lose, Hermione."
"Nothing but his memories and his sanity. That's all he has left, Harry. How can we ask him to do something that could leave him in a similar state as a victim from a Dementor's kiss?"
He stared at her. "Why are you defending him?"
"I'm not," Hermione said quickly. "I simply understand what he's going through."
"I would willingly understand what he was going through if hewould understand what thousands have been going through because of these disasters. Sometimes, a sacrifice must be made for the greater good. You know that as well as I do. We've all done our part. Now it's Malfoy's turn."
Hermione stayed silent, her eyes going back to the report that Professor Ryer had prepared for her. "It's not easy to make the sacrifice."
"It never is." He smiled at her kindly. "But you did it."
Her smile was strained, the memory of the last few moments with her parents burning brightly in her brain. It had been nearly two years since she had last seen them, since she had wiped her existence from their minds. The thought of how they had looked at her in confusion for only a moment before their gazes became empty without any recognition still tightened her chest even after all this time. "I just wish we could find something, a charm or a potion that could simply give us all the information we need."
"You heard Ryer," Harry mumbled distractedly as he decided to scan the papers before him. "The human mind is built to protect itself. There's no way we could differentiate the memories unless Malfoy is comfortable with the idea and willing."
Hermione stared at the pile of paperwork they had, her mind making a connection that she hadn't thought of before.
"Where are you going?" her friend asked, startled when Hermione had stood up and started gathering her things.
"I want to check something," she mumbled distractedly. Mentally, she made a list of all the books that could possibly have the information that she needed as she hurriedly grabbed everything she needed.
"Check what?"
But, Hermione had already taken hold of her purse and an armful of documents, her mind racing with possibilities. "I'll talk to you later, Harry." Before long, she was rushing out, leaving Harry staring after her incredulously.
Draco stared at his visitor. He doubted if any other prisoner was dragged so frequently out of his cell, practically on a daily basis, by those who helped put them there in the first place. After all, his logic followed thus. He had aligned himself with his father who had joined the Dark Lord. Potter and Granger with the obviously useless Weasley was to blame for killing that same Dark Lord and putting all of his followers in Azkaban.
In his mind, his reduced sentence and the lack of Dementors for guards wasn't necessarily Potter's doing, but simple fairness. He was no murderer and he was an underage wizard when he took the mark; therefore he could not be held responsible solely for his actions. There was also the tiny fact that he was coerced into doing whatever he had to do while under the ruling of that red eyed mad man. This meant that he owed nothing to the Golden Trio. And it also meant that having Granger sitting across from him and looking at him expectantly wasn't about to change the opinion he had taken years to cultivate about her. He could reluctantly forgive a person for a lesser lineage, that is something no one could control; but being friends with Potter is where he drew the line.
Draco continued to look at the person Potter had obviously sent to talk some sense into him; and he couldn't help but mock her about that fact.
"Potter had a previous engagement?"
She barely blinked before she replied, "Harry doesn't know I'm here."
Draco lifted a curious eyebrow. "And why areyou here?"
Granger let out a low breath, almost as if she was about to say something unpleasant. "Harry seems to think that you're a lost cause-"
"He's right."
She looked at him seriously. "But I happen to think that you're not."
He scoffed. "You're fooling yourself."
"Am I?" she asked softly. "You asked me to be there for the exercises that Professor Ryer was planning on putting you through. Why is that?"
"I don't need to answer that since I'm not going to undergo anything."
"I don't know about that, Malfoy. I think you want to."
He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh yes, please. The only danger is losing my mind. What does that matter as long as I'm hauled up in this place?"
She let out a tired sigh. "Things could be much worse for you. You know that."
"Yes. And I also know that things could be much better. If you think you can change my mind..."
"I knowI can change your mind."
He raised a mocking eyebrow at her, his interest suddenly piqued. "Oh really? How?"
"Freedom."
She said one word, and that was all it took for his heart to beat that much faster.
"I can't guarantee it," she stated hurriedly, "but what I can do is work on getting you an earlier hearing and become your character witness." She looked at him pointedly. "I have no doubt that you need one."
Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "I need a guarantee."
"I told you I can't give you one."
"Then we have nothing more to discuss." He huffed moodily before leaning back and appraising her curiously. It was like a game with her. In all the years he had known her, she had never been the type to take it lying down. Actually, she had never been the type to take anything without giving it back ten-fold. He couldn't help but eye her expectantly, wondering what she had as her plan 'B'. After all, this was Hermione Granger; she wouldn't step out in to public without a back-up plan.
When she sighed, he knew he had been right. "I didn't want to do this."
His curiosity was instantly increased by her expression. "Do what?"
She hesitated a moment before continuing with a despondent sigh. "I know about the cuts on your arm."
His smirk fell, his eyes narrowing in anger. "You don't know anything."
"You're wrong. I know that you do it to stop yourself from feeling those dreams. That's it, isn't it, Malfoy? You feel what you dream."
He shifted uncomfortably, keeping the mask of detached boredom across his features. "I don't believe that's any of your bloody business."
Granger sighed then, almost as if she was dealing with an unruly child. "We are giving you an option here."
"And what option is that?" He snapped.
She paused slightly before she said, "The option notto submit you to St Mungo's."
Draco felt a chill travel down his spine. "What do you mean?"
"The recent Ministry stance is that any dangerous behaviour to oneself or others are to be treated if that person is not serving a life sentence or destined for the Kiss."
"And what does thatmean?"
She seemed to understand his badly articulated question. "That means that if you are submitted to St Mungo's for treatment, once you're cured, you will be brought back to Azkaban to serve the rest of your sentence."
"The rest of my sentence?" Had a he found a loophole? Could he really just pretend to be a nutter and be locked up in a room with heat, proper meals and a bed? What could be better than that?
The woman opposite him seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him. "I don't think you understand, Malfoy. If submitted, your incarceration will be paused. It doesn't matter if you spend years in St Mungo's. The moment you're deemed cured, you will be sent right back to conclude the remaining days of incarceration that was left from the day you left for St Mungo's."
Draco stared at her in disbelief, his jaw tightening painfully at what she was obviously hinting at. "What you're saying then, Granger, is that I really have no bloody choice. If I let that good Charms specialist of yours into my brain, I'm as good as a saliva spitting vegetable who can easily be released to St Mungo's to spend the rest of my days like Longbottom's parents. On the other hand, if I refuse to undergo this inhumane treatment, you will simply wave your political pull and get me thrown into another prison; one that would gladly give me comfortable quarters in exchange for declaring me insane, which I'm sure that you and your Gryffindor friends would gladly enjoy. And once I'm healed, I'll be sent right back here to serve my sentence. Brilliant options, really. I feel like I have all the hope in the world."
At least she had the decency to look unhappy. "Look, I promise you that I won't let any harm come to you. As much as I would like the idea of you not being able to spout that mouth off at anyone for the rest of your life, I'm not so cruel."
"Really? Could have fooled me," he mumbled darkly.
"Malfoy," she began in a pleading tone, "I'm sorry that you've been put in to this type of situation. No one wants something like this on their shoulders. But I believe that you can do some good here. Something that can acquit you in the eyes of all those who still see you as a guilty Death Eater."
He couldn't help but be moved by her honest admission; if only, partly. "Granger, what you're asking me..."
"I wouldn't ask, unless I was sure."
He raised his eyes curiously at her tone. "Sure of what?"
The grin that she gave him made the corners of his lips quirk in a small smile, which he then proceeded to forcefully turn into a frown. "I've been discussing things with Professor Ryer, and we think we might have a way of ensuring that you don't suffer anything from his treatment."
Unconsciously, he leant forward, finding himself quite unable to hide his interest. "What have you found?" Now thishe could handle.
"Well," Granger began in that matter of fact tone of hers, "we realised that the problem with the Memory Modification Charm compared to the Obliviate spell is that we are not simply lifting a curtain and letting you see what has been there all the time. Your memories have either been removed or have been made dormant to such an extent that messing with those memories could damage your mentality."
"You're not exactly pointing out anything good, Granger."
But the woman simply leaned forward, her eyes shining brilliantly with excitement. "What if I was to tell you that we could get through the charms that were cast on you, extract the memories we need and you wouldn't be any the wiser?"
He grinned, unable to hide his own happiness at the thought of undergoing no pain and finally finding out what had been plaguing his mind for the past few weeks. "I'd say you're bloody brilliant."
A pretty blush coloured her cheeks, which confused Draco greatly. "Yes, well...um..." she sputtered, making him wonder if she was even used to getting any complements at all. The way she acted all embarrassed was the perfect tell. He knew instantly that she had been the one to find this factor that could be his salvation. Whatever it was, she was currently finding it hard to articulate.
"Granger," he said, somewhat gently, his main objective being to coax what she clearly wanted to say out of her, while to himself, he was determined never to admit that he was.
She looked at him with a small smile, which he had to admit had never really happened before. Maybe they weren't wrong; maybe it wasthe end of the world. And maybe, he should stop staring.
"Sorry," she mumbled, before a quick breath proved to be sufficient for her to go back to her usual know-it-all self. He would never admit that he found the way she switched her moods that fascinating. "We think we found the perfect potion that could enable us to keep you in a calm state which would keep your mind is open, help us find out what was modified in your memories and make sure that if you don't suffer any pain. In fact, we believe you will have no recollection of it at all."
She looked at him expectantly, almost as if he knew what she was talking about. Draco, on the other hand, had absolutely no bleeding idea what she was on about.
"Veritaserum," she said excitedly. "It's perfect. You can undergo the magical procedure with no problem since your mind will be so welcoming."
He had to admit, it sounded perfect. "Will it work?" He couldn't help but notice how she used the words 'we think', which wasn't very reassuring, especially to a person in his current predicament.
She chose to side-step the question he asked. "It's your best chance."
Draco hated to admit it, especially since he would be invariably giving a compliment to the person sitting opposite him, but the need to lose those dreams were undeniable. They haunted him when he slept and seemed almost worse when he tried to be awake. He let out a despondent sigh. "If it works, then I wouldn't mind undergoing what that Professor of yours had in mind."
Granger smiled brilliantly at him. "I thought you would say that." She turned around and nodded to the guard who opened the door quickly to reveal Potter and the Professor.
Draco turned an accusing glare towards her. "You knew I would say yes." He hated that he was so predictable. What he hated more was the fact that shehad known what he would choose.
Granger didn't look half as ashamed as he thought she should have been. "I hoped you would." She amended unapologetically as she stood up and joined Potter.
"Now, Mr Malfoy," the Professor began as he took the seat she had just vacated. "Let's begin, shall we? We have a lot of work to do."
Even before he could say anything else, Potter and Granger stepped out before the door closed behind them like an ominous thud.
Draco felt a familiar shiver travel along his spine; one that was some parts apprehension and some parts fear. Yet, despite what he felt, he couldn't help but think about the look his childhood nuisance had given him just before the door had closed behind her. She had smiled softly, her expression one of growing respect. With a pang he realised that no one had looked at him the way she just did in a long time. No one had ever given him the impression that they had faith in him to do the right thing.
What worried him the most was how he really wanted her to look at him like that again.