Chapter 78

Hermione slowly opened her eyes before shooting up in bed. ‘I can remember.’ she breathed. ‘I can remember everything.’ she squealed. She heard something coming from the common room and then her door opened. ‘Hermione? Everything okay?’ Draco asked rubbing his eyes. ‘I remember!’ Hermione told him with a big smile on her face. Draco raised his eyebrows looking over at her from the door opening. ‘I’ve got my memories back! The ones that I’ve lost!’ Hermione said as tears rolled down her cheeks. A smile appeared on Draco’s face before he rushed over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. She hid her face in the crook of his neck as tears kept coming. ‘That’s wonderful Mione.’ Draco said stroking her hair. ‘I can’t believe it, they’re all back. I can remember every single thing.’ Hermione breathed pulling away and wiping the tears off her cheek. ‘Ron.’ Hermione gasped. ‘What about him?’ Draco asked. ‘He hurt me.’ Hermione said looking up at Draco. Draco frowned and nodded as he looked down at his hands. ‘It wasn’t him, he was under the Imperius Curse, he probably can’t even remember.’ Hermione told Draco. ‘How do you know?’ Draco asked. ‘Pansy told me.’ Hermione said. ‘She did?’ Draco asked raising his eyebrows. ‘More in a way to hurt me, but I guess she just cleared things up.’ Hermione said. ‘Can I ask you something?’ Draco asked, in all seriousness. ‘What is it?’ Hermione asked looking at him, but knowing what was coming. ‘Are you avoiding me?’ ‘I’m just tired and I really need to study.’ Hermione told him. Draco nodded. ‘So everything’s okay?’ Hermione sighed and nodded. ‘Everything’s okay.’ she said. ‘Good, because I’m going to take you out this weekend.’ Draco said. Hermione frowned and shook her head. ‘I can’t.’ ‘Yes you can.’ ‘I need to study if I want to graduate.’ ‘Come on Mione, it’ll be fun.’ ‘I really can’t, I’m sorry Draco.’ Hermione sighed. ‘We’ll go another time.’ Hermione said. ‘I’m keeping you on that one.’ Draco said. Hermione nodded before getting out of bed. ‘Where are you going?’ ‘I’m going to get a shower.’ Hermione said gathering her outfit of the day. ‘May I join?’ Draco asked with a cheeky smile. ‘No, you can’t!’ Hermione chuckled before locking the door to the bathroom behind her. Hermione sighed as she leaned with her back against the door. ‘Keep your distance, before anyone else gets hurt.’ she told herself silently before walking over to the shower.

‘Where’s Hermione?’ Ginny asked as Draco made his way over to the Gryffindor table. ‘She wanted to go to the library right away.’ Draco shrugged. ‘You talked to her?’ Draco nodded with a small smile. ‘Did she say anything?’ ‘She’s got all of her memories back.’ Draco smiled. ‘She does?’ Harry and Ginny said in unison. Draco nodded again. ‘That’s amazing!’ Ginny said. ‘What did I miss?’ Ron asked sitting down at the same time as Blaise did. ‘Hermione’s got all of her memories back.’ Ginny blurted out. ‘She has?’ Blaise asked with his eyebrows raised. ‘Yep.’ Draco smiled. ‘Awesome mate, I’m happy for you.’ Blaise smiled. Draco smiled and nodded. ‘Has she told you anything else?’ Ginny asked. Draco shrugged. ‘Not really, she took a shower after she told me.’ Draco said. Ginny sighed. ‘I don’t know, but I’ve got the feeling she’s avoiding us.’ Ginny said. Draco shook his head. ‘She’s not, she’s just busy with studying. You know how important school is to her.’ Draco said. ‘I guess.’ Ginny said. ‘Try to talk to her, you can find her in the library.’ Draco suggested. ‘I might do that in lunch break.’ Ginny said. ‘Try to keep it casual though, no hard questions.’ Harry said. ‘What did you think? That I would bombard her with questions?’ Ginny snapped. Harry raised his eyebrows. ‘Sorry, I’m just tired.’ Ginny sighed, hiding her face in her hands. ‘It’s okay.’ Harry said rubbing small circles on her back. ‘We all are.’

‘Hermione?’ Hermione looked up from her book and saw Ginny walking her way. She raised her eyebrows, shouldn’t she be in the Great Hall for lunch? ‘Hi Gin, how are you?’ Hermione smiled. ‘I’m fine, how are you? Haven’t really spoken to you lately.’ Ginny said carefully. ‘Fine, just studying and all.’ Hermione shrugged. ‘Can I sit down?’ Ginny asked pointing at the seat opposite from Hermione. ‘Shouldn’t you get some lunch?’ Hermione frowned. ‘I’m fine, just wanted to catch up with you.’ Ginny said. ‘Well take the seat.’ Hermione said. Ginny sat down and sighed. ‘It’s a lot, isn’t it? What you have to catch up?’ Ginny said. ‘Kind of is, but it’ll be fine.’ Hermione said. Ginny nodded. ‘How’s everything between Draco and you?’ Ginny asked. ‘Oh fine.’ Hermione said giving her a small smile. ‘You haven’t really been talking to any of us after we came to visit you when you had woken up.’ Ginny said. ‘It’s nothing, I’m just really tired and the only thing I really want to do is sleep, but I’ve got to study.’ Hermione shrugged. ‘Are you sure there isn’t anything else?’ Ginny asked. Hermione shook her head. ‘Really it’s fine.’ Hermione said. ‘Do you want to talk about what happened? You know with Rodolphus and Pansy?’ Ginny asked. ‘Not really,  I rather leave that behind me.’ Hermione said. ‘But don’t you think it would be easier to cope with everything when you talk about it to someone?’ Ginny asked. ‘I don’t have to cope with anything, I’m fine.’ Hermione said irritated. ‘You don’t have to talk to me about it, you could talk to Draco or Harry, Ron, Luna, Neville, Dean, Seamus, even Blaise.’ Ginny said. Hermione shook her head. ‘I don’t-‘ ‘Just please talk to someone, anyone, I don’t want to lose you.’ Ginny said. ‘Ginny.’ Hermione sighed. Ginny stopped rambling and looked at Hermione from across the table. ‘I am perfectly fine, I don’t want to talk about, I don’t need to talk about, so please just stop.’ Hermione said. Ginny sighed and looked down at her hands. ‘But perhaps I need you to talk about it.’ Ginny said looking up and Hermione could see tears welling up in her eyes. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. She wanted to get up from her seat and wrap her arms tightly around her broken best friend, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to keep her distance, she had to create a bigger distance so it wouldn’t hurt them when she would leave. Hermione sighed and bit her lip. ‘You won’t lose me Gin, I’m always here for you even when I’m not really here.’ Hermione said. ‘What do you mean?’ Ginny asked. ‘I mean that when we graduate from Hogwarts we’ll go our own ways, but I’ll always be there for you, no matter what. If  you need me, I’ll be right by your side even if it meant I had to go to the end of the world.’ Hermione said. ‘I’d rather not have you going that far.’ Ginny said. Hermione smiled. ‘Perhaps you will be going that far for you Quidditch career.’ Hermione said. Ginny chuckled. ‘If that will ever happen.’ Ginny said. ‘Of course, you’re a star player.’ Hermione said. Ginny smiled. ‘Would you like to do something this weekend, just the two of us, no boys allowed.’ Ginny said. Hermione sighed. ‘I can’t, I have to study.’ Hermione said. ‘Next weekend?’ ‘Gin-‘ ‘Just tell me, whenever you’ve got time.’ Ginny said. Hermione gave her a small smile. ‘I will.’ ‘Promise?’ ‘I promise.’ ‘Good.’

A week went by, quicker than Hermione had hoped it would be and Hermione had to attend the classes again. She dreaded having to go back into classes because that meant she HAD to spend the whole day with her friends. ‘Ready for your first day of classes?’ Draco had asked the first morning while leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom. ‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’ she had answered before walking, for the first time since she had gotten back at Hogwarts, downstairs to the Great Hall. She had told herself to try and distance herself more and more throughout the weeks. She had to, if she wanted everyone to be and stay safe. She hated the thought of having to leave her friends and most of all Draco behind, but she knew it was the right  thing to do. Two weeks had passed when Draco broke right in front of her. ‘Why? Why are you doing this?’ Draco asked, hurt crossing his face. ‘Why am I doing what?’ Hermione asked looking up from her book. She was sitting in front of the fireplace, reading a book for Defence Against the Dark Arts. ‘Pushing me away.’ Draco said. Hermione frowned. ‘I didn’t even touch you.’ Hermione said. ‘You know what I’m talking about, you won’t even let me properly touch you. Whenever I’m trying to give you a kiss you give me your cheek, whenever I want to hug you, you quickly turn around to get something.’ Draco said angrily. Hermione looked up at him, shocked of his sudden outburst. ‘Did I do something wrong?’ Draco asked with a broken expression on his face. It looked like the only thing keeping him up standing was the slight anger rushing through his veins, because he seemed completely broken. He was extremely pale, dark circles under his eyes, an exhausted expression on his face, but Hermione could see behind the exhausted expression stress, pain and concern written all over his face. It broke Hermione’s heart to see him like this, she couldn’t believe she had caused all of this, she caused him to break. She knew she should stay in her seat, because she had to push him away, she had to keep her distance, but the other side of her mind was screaming for her to get out of the damn seat and rush over to him to pull him into a tight hug, to tell him everything was fine and he didn’t do anything wrong, it was her, not him. To just let him kiss her, just like she wants to, but knows she can’t, because it’ll only hurt him more when she wants to go away. Hermione sighed and shook her head. She placed the book beside her on the seat and pushed herself slowly out of the chair. She walked over and took his face in between her hands. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong.’ she told him softly. Draco looked down into her eyes, trying to find the answer he’s looking for, why is she pushing him away? ‘Why are you pushing yourself away from me then? From everyone.’ ‘It’s not you.’ Hermione sighed wiping the little tear that had escaped Draco’s eye away with her thumb. ‘It’s me, I’m just scared.’ Hermione told him softly. ‘Of losing you or anyone else.’ she said. ‘Why? We’re not going anywhere.’ Draco said. ‘I wasn’t going anywhere either, but Rodolphus kidnapped me, kept me prisoner.’ Hermione said letting her hands drop back next to her body. She looked down. ‘I wasn’t scared of being in there, I was scared they had taken you too.’ she said. ‘I was scared they would hurt or kill you.’ ‘Why are you pushing me away now? Rodolphus is gone, Pansy is taken care of-‘ Draco started. Hermione shook her head. ‘I just have to cope with everything, that’s all.’ Hermione said. ‘But let me help you.’ Draco said. ‘You can’t, I have to do this on my own.’ Hermione said looking up. ‘Hermione please, stop pushing me away.’ Draco said placing his hand on her cheek. ‘Please.’ Draco begged. Hermione looked at him, into those beautiful grey blue eyes she loved so much. The guy she loved was standing right in front of her, doing his best to get her back, to make her stop pushing him away, to make her happy again, like she used to be when she was with him. And in her heart she knew she wanted him to, she wanted him to make her happy, but she was too scared. She was too scared he and the others would get hurt again because of her. Hermione sighed. ‘I’ll help you.’ Draco said. ‘Draco-‘ Hermione started. ‘No Hermione, I won’t stop fighting for you, no matter how hard you’ll try to push me away, I won’t leave your side.’ Draco said softly. Hermione could feel heat rising up to her cheeks making her blush as Draco looked at her. She was scared he could look right through her, that he could look right into her brains. ‘Please.’ he said softly as he moved closer to her. His lips softly touched Hermione’s and she felt the warm sensation traveling from her stomach through her whole body, like she’s used to whenever she kisses Draco, or whenever she kissed Draco. Hermione slowly closed her eyes and started kissing him back. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her, deepening their kiss.