Chapter 77

Draco looked at her, desperation and hopelessness crossing his face. ‘You can’t remember?’ Draco asked silently. A small smile appeared on her face. ‘Just’ she took in a deep breath. ‘kidding.’ ‘You’re horrible.’ Draco said leaning over the bed, but he stopped when he was hovering just above her face. ‘May I? Or are you going to punch me after I’ve kissed you?’ Draco asked. A silent chuckle escaped her lips. ‘I won’t punch you.’ she whispered before she slowly lifted her arm and placed her hand in his neck, pulling him down to her lips. ‘I love you.’ Draco said after he pulled away. ‘I love you too.’ she breathed.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes to see Ginny and Harry looking at each other as they spoke in hushed voices. ‘Hi.’ she said silently. Both Ginny and Harry’s head turned in her direction and a huge smile appeared. Ginny lurked herself at the bed and wrapped her arms around Hermione. ‘Oh my goodness, we thought we had lost you!’ Ginny sobbed. ‘You haven’t, I’m still here.’ Hermione said softly. ‘How are you feeling?’ Harry asked after he had given her a hug. ‘Tired and I’ve got a huge headache.’ Hermione sighed. ‘I also have a little pain on my chest, but they know about it and they said that they would keep a close eye on it.’ Hermione told them. ‘There was such a long queue at the coffee machine! For Merlin’s sake, they could use a few more! Hermione? You’re awake!’ Ron said after looking up. ‘Hi.’ Hermione smiled. ‘How are you?’ Ron asked quickly coming to her bedside. ‘Fine.’ she said softly. ‘How are all of you? Especially after what happened…. you know, over there.’ Hermione said. Ron looked at her with wide eyes. ‘You can remember?’ Ron asked. Hermione nodded. ‘Oh thank goodness.’ Ron sighed relieved.  

Four weeks passed and Hermione got better by day. She was finally allowed to leave the hospital, but what would she do now? McGonagall had told her she just had to go home, she didn’t have to come back to Hogwarts just to get her certificate, she had proven her abilities and had passed this year, but Hermione had insisted on coming back and finishing her year. Even if it meant staying up night after night to study and getting ready for the N.E.W.T.s that were coming up. She had been having a lot of arguments about the fact that she wanted to go back to Hogwarts instead of coming home with her parents, but she had made up her mind and there was no way anyone would be able to change that. Her parents had accepted her choice at last and send her off to Hogwarts once again, terrified of their daughter’s life. Hermione stepped inside the castle as she looked around her before closing her eyes and taking in the scent and the sounds. She slowly breathed in and out before opening her eyes again and seeing McGonagall standing in front of her. ‘Good afternoon Miss Granger.’ McGonagall smiled. Hermione gave her a small smile. ‘Good afternoon.’ she answered. ‘Welcome back at Hogwarts.’ ‘Thank you professor.’ ‘Dinner has just started, if you like you can go to the Great Hall. If you want to rest, you can go to your dormitory.’ McGonagall said giving her a small smile. ‘I’ve already eaten something, so I think I’ll just go up to my room.’ Hermione told her. McGonagall nodded. ‘It’s good to have you back Hermione. If you need anything, just come by my office.’ McGonagall said. ‘I will, thank you professor.’ Hermione said before McGonagall gave her a nod and turned around. Hermione walked up the stairs to the seventh floor and stopped in front of Snape. ‘Ah it’s good to see you back here at Hogwarts Miss Granger.’ Snape said. ‘Thank you, I’m quite tired though, do you mind if I go in? Time Turner.’ Hermione said. ‘Of course not, get well.’ Snape said before the door opened. Hermione walked into the common room, which was thankfully empty and crossed the room to her bedroom door. She walked in and before she let herself fall on the bed she closed the door behind her. She closed her eyes and sighed before she slowly drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The next morning she woke up extra early. She took a shower and got dressed before she walked off to the library. She got the books she needed and sat down behind a table before opening one.

‘She should’ve been here by now.’ Draco said. ‘She could have a delay, don’t worry.’ Ginny said. Draco looked over at her and nodded. He tried to calm down, but he couldn’t, not after everything that happened. ‘Draco! Calm down, everything is fine.’ Ginny reassured. ‘Shall we throw her a welcome back party?’ Lavender suggested. Draco raised his eyebrows. ‘Welcome back party?’ Harry asked. ‘Yes.’ Lavender said cheerfully. ‘We could throw one in the Gryffindor Tower.’ Lavender said. ‘I don’t think Hermione would want that.’ Ron said. Draco, Harry and Ginny shook their heads. ‘Why not? She’ll be able to see everyone together again.’ Lavender said. ‘She has seen us all together.’ Blaise said. Everyone turned their heads towards Blaise. ‘While we were in a life threatening situation.’ Blaise said. ‘Where people were almost killed.’ he added before taking a bite of his mashed potatoes. ‘I don’t think she would really appreciate a welcome back party, not after everything that has happened. She should get rest and we shouldn’t push her to do things she doesn’t want to do.’ Blaise said putting his fork down. Draco nodded. ‘I think Blaise is right, we should take it slow with her right now.’ Draco said. ‘Why is she even coming back to Hogwarts?’ Lavender asked. ‘Because she wants to finish her last year here.’ Draco said. ‘Have you spoken to her recently?’ Blaise asked. ‘Not really, I want to but she keeps pushing me away.’ Draco sighed. ‘What about you?’ Blaise asked turning to Ginny who was sitting next to him. Ginny shook her head. ‘Same, I try, but it seems like she wants to be alone.’ Ginny said. ‘No one has been able to really talk to her.’ Harry said. ‘Perhaps you will when she’s back, you’re sharing a dormitory after all.’ Blaise said. ‘Plus you’re her boyfriend, she should talk to you.’ Blaise said. ‘But what should and shouldn’t happen isn’t really something we can control, that has been proven lately.’ Draco said. Blaise sighed. ‘It’ll be alright.’ Blaise said. After dinner Hermione still hadn’t shown up. Draco walked up to the seventh floor and into the common room. He walked over to Hermione’s room, like he had been doing every night since she had been gone. He opened the door and widened his eyes when he saw someone laying in the bed. He walked closer and saw Hermione was fast asleep, a soft snoring coming from her mouth. Draco smiled down at her before planting a kiss on her forehead and tucking her in. He wanted to wake her so badly, but he knew she needed her sleep, doctor’s orders. Draco stared at her for a few more minutes before he walked off to his own room. Why didn’t she just come to the Great Hall to say hello to everyone? Why did she go up to her room right away? Draco shrugged it off, she probably had a good reason.

Draco woke up the next morning and silently walked over to Hermione’s door, but after slightly opening it he saw she was gone. Draco frowned. There were just two places he could think of she might possibly be. In the library or on the bench in front of the Black Lake. Draco sighed and turned around again, going to get changed. Why was she avoiding him?

The day went by quickly. Hermione had been spending her whole day in the library. She would really start school in a week, but she wanted to come a week earlier to study as much as she could before classes really started for her. As everyone was in class she was seated in the library, at lunch and dinner time she decided to just eat in the kitchen after both were over and everyone had gone back to their common rooms or to other places around the castle. She ate down in the kitchen while talking to Honey. Honey had told her she had been so worried and she had even looked all around Hogwarts to see if Hermione was there, but obviously Honey hadn’t been able to find her. Hermione had smiled at the house elf and thanked her for the effort she put into it. Hermione felt as she had been looking at Honey, who was happily chatting along, that she would probably miss Honey the most after she would be gone from Hogwarts as a graduated witch. Hermione walked back up the stairs at 1 AM, walking from the library up to the seventh floor. She told the password before stepping into the common room. Hermione jumped as she saw someone sitting in the left seat in front of the fire, but as she stayed frozen to the spot and looked at Draco, she saw he had fallen asleep. Hermione sighed and silently walked over to him. She looked down at his peaceful looking face and stroke his hair out of his face. A small smile appeared on her face and she gave him a light kiss on the forehead before getting a blanket from the couch and placing it over him. Hermione walked over to her room and got ready to jump into bed and fall asleep herself. It took her longer then she had expected though. She was lying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts were flying through her head as she slowly closed her eyes and finally, after having laid there wide awake for over an hour, she fell asleep.

Hermione shot up in bed, heavily panting. Everything came back to her. All the memories, everything she had lost. Every single little memory came rushing back. It felt like someone had just hit her in the head. As if someone had been shaking her violently. As if someone had punched her in the gut and her breath was knocked out of her. She remembered. She remembered getting in the train back to Hogwarts on the first of September. She remembered hearing she and Draco were Head girl and boy. She remembered the feeling she had gotten when she had heard she had to share a dormitory with him and the disgusted look he had given her. She remembered the night Ron had hurt her and Draco had helped her out, she felt the tension between them when she had looked in his eyes properly, for the first time. She remembered feeling the butterflies after a while, whenever she saw Draco, the butterflies spreading a warm feeling through her whole body. She remembered the snow fight they had outside, running after each other, throwing snow balls at each other, the laughing, the happiness. She remembered all the talks with Luna. She remembered the masquerade ball, how Draco had looked at her with his date, Blaise, next to him, both smiling up at her. She remembered Ron absolutely neglecting her that evening but Draco wanting to dance with her. She remembered their first kiss, their first time together and all the other times. She remembered their dates, she remembered Christmas and the gift he had send her, the beautiful necklace and the letter. She remembered him saving her from this huge spider. She remembered eating something in the kitchen down in the basement with Honey by their sides. She remembered seeing him change more and more day by day. She remembered  the day all of that was taken away from her. She heard Pansy scream the curse. She felt the pain of the moment she lost her memories, she felt the table crashing into her skull as she was knocked back by Pansy’s curse. She felt the memories slowly flowing away out of her brain before disappearing for, what she thought, would be forever. She could hear Draco yelling her name………. And before it became too much for Hermione’s brain to handle all at once, Hermione heard in a soft whisper, as if he was next to her, the first ever I love you coming from Draco’s mouth and warming her heart.