Gaining Memories
A/N: Flashbacks are in italics. I just know some people will kill me for this cliff hanger.
Chapter 12 - Time is running out
I need some help
-
The large, wooden clock swayed from left to right, two pairs of eyes following it. As the clock struck 9 PM, the person stood up and walked out of the green with silver clad room. Dark shoes walked upon the floor, while a black robe flew briskly after its owner. The owner had this kind of aura surrounding him. A sad, grey aura, that was making him sulk. But he was always sulking, so that didn't matter much.
Draco was always fashionably late. All Slytherins were, and Draco was no exception. Even if Snape himself told Draco to be there at 9 PM, he would still arrive a good ten minutes later.
So here he was, already ten minutes late, wandering through the dark corridors located in the dungeon. It was then he heard voices. Draco's ears perked up as he slowed his pace, making sure he was walking soundlessly. The voices were getting closer and soon he recognized them as two female voices. He came to a halt at the corner leading the way to the voices and Snape's dungeon.
Wasn't it a bit too late for students to be wandering around here? Curfew had already started, and now there were two females students in the middle of the dungeons, talking. They surely weren't Slytherins.
Draco leaned his back against the stone wall and looked at the shadows of the two students on the wall opposite him. It was now that he heard one of the girls sobbing quietly, so he started listening to their words.
"I just can't - I saw him today." The voice was squeaky but also harsh, like it had been crying forever.
"J-just when it took … all of my courage to come and have c-classes again, h-he came to my first class in weeks," the girl choked back the tears and Draco saw that her shadow made a move to hug the other girl.
"W-why?" She said silently, sobbing through her words. "Why n-now? Why … m-me?"
Draco was almost tempted to turn the corner and dock some points fron the two girls. Not only were they getting on his nerves, they were making him a bit more late than was fashionable.
"I-I can not .. believ-ve h-he doesn't -"
"Sshh, why don't you go back up to your room, I'm sure Snape will understand." The other girl finally said something. Draco recognized that voice, it was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't place it. Wait, did she just say Snape? Were they in some kind of detention? Draco screwed his face and tried to think. This morning when he had gone to Snape, there was an explosion wasn't there?
It seems like I now know who had gotten the detention.
"Just go already."
Draco saw the shadow of the smaller girl moving away as he heard the small steps on the floor. He waited a bit before he finally turned down the corner.
"Malfoy!" Screeched Hermione Granger in surprise, like she had just been caught red handed. Draco just raised his eyebrows at her - it wasn't as if he could give her detention, she was Head Girl after all.
Then he sneered at her. "Why are you here, Mudblood?"
Granger looked at him with sympathy before she turned her gaze into a death glare at him. Draco was a bit surprised that it took her that long before she finally start glaring at him. Maybe the Mudblood had finally lost it, which would just make his day.
"It's not like you care," she snapped back.
Draco smirked at her and grabbed the doorknob of Snape's dungeon. "True, but you never know what filthy plans you have underneath that horrible hair of yours." Draco pushed the door open but before he could enter the classroom, he was shoved out of the way by Granger as she stepped inside.
Draco glared at her back and released the doorknob. But he didn't enter right away, he stood there for a moment, looking at the corridor were the two girls had been talking. Something was up - he could just feel it. Something was going on and he had the feeling he was in the middle of it all. Draco gave one look in the direction from where he had heard the girl's footsteps before he entered the classroom.
-
She was on the verge of collapsing on the ground, and she knew it. The silent tears fell down her face as she pressed her back against the wall, clutching her heart with her hand. Her breathing was unstable, going from long breaths to short, panting breaths. It was all because she heard his name. The effect it had just by mentioning his name, imagine what would happen if he were there in person.
And he was.
Ginny felt her lip trembling, tasting her tears as they flowed like a waterfall. Her heart was pounding through her chest. It was beating fast, and it was hurting her with so much pain. It felt like it had been shattered in thousands of pieces. She had felt that her heart had started healing again since yesterday, but then today - today it felt much worse than the first time it had shattered.
Another flow of tears welled up in her eyes. Why could the pain not go away? Why did it stay to hurt her, haunt her forever in this dwelling madness? How could he have such an impact on her? Why was it that her heart ached every time she thought about him? Why did she feel like all of her happiness had been sucked out, leaving an empty shell of sadness behind? Why couldn't she just forget?
Just like he did?
"No!" Ginny screamed out in her harsh voice. She pushed herself off the wall, running away from the corridor which he had been standing in just moments ago.
"I will remember." Her tears flew in the air as she ran. Her heart was beating faster with every minute, her tears were growing bigger.
"I will not forget." Her legs were wobbly, but she didn't notice as she ran away. She cried out in her pain, forgetting the world around her. Her mane of red hair followed her closely. Then she came to an abrubt stop at a dead end.
She touched the wall with her small hand, slowly leaning into it as if she were asking for support.
"I will remember him." She pushed out her last flow of tears before her strength left her falling to the ground, hopelessly alone in a cold dungeon.
-
"I didn't know you read fairytales."
"It's not like I hate them - they are just stories after all."
"Aaww, who knew you had such a soft side?"
"Probably only you."
"Sounds about right."
"Do you know I love you?"
"..."
"Why?"
"Mister Malfoy!" Draco's mind jolted back to reality as he looked at his teacher's red face. It seemed like he had just zoned out for a moment.
Why was he hearing these conversations? He recognized his own voice, but he couldn't place the female one. Was this an actual conversation between him and the female voice? Did this actually happen? Was this something real, something that occurred in the period he couldn't remember? Was he starting to remember things?
"It seems like I'm talking to a brick wall. Mister Malfoy, I would like you to listen to what I have to say - oh, this is hopeless, please go to the Hospital Wing," Snape said indignantly, pointing towards the door.
Draco blinked a couple of times at Snape. "I'm sorry?" He earned a big loud sigh from Snape.
"Hospital Wing - now!"
Before Draco could object, he was literally being pushed out of the classroom by Snape. The door slammed shut and left Draco in the cold corridor. He pondered who was more mental, him or Snape? Maybe it was a good idea to take a visit to the Hospital Wing, but then again, if he was starting to remember things, wasn't that a good thing? Draco shook his head and returned to the Slytherin common room.
The following morning, Draco was rudely awakened by the loud voices of his dorm mates. He grunted deeply and turned to the other side in his bed.
"I mean, good riddance wouldn't you say?"
"Sure, they're a big lot, they surely won't miss one."
Draco threw his blankets off his bed and started to get dressed; he wasn't getting any sleep soon if his dorm mates kept chattering away. After putting on his shoes, he walked to the Great Hall, sitting at his regular spot at the Slytherin table.
There was something about the Great Hall today. The mood suddenly went from a cheery one into one that was, well something other than cheery. Draco's grey eyes scanned his field and rested on the Gryffindor table. He was receiving some very nasty glares from both Pothead and Mudblood. Draco just smirked arrogantly at them and proceeded to eat his breakfast, ignoring their Glare of Death.
The Hall started to get more packed and soon voices were heard all over the place. But there was one particular voice that got all the attention it wanted.
"MALFOY!"
Draco choked on some cereal chips as he spluttered out the milk by the mention of his name. He saw a very, very angry Ron Weasley coming his way. His head seemed to match his hair, and his eyes were blazing with madness. Complete and utter madness. Weasley was out to kill him.
"Bloody hell," Draco muttered and looked around for Crabbe and Goyle, who were of course, not there when he needed them the most. How was he going to handle a Weasley that looked like he was on the verge of killing? Had Draco done something to him recently? Draco furled his brow and decided now was not the time to start thinking of that. There was still a crazy Weasley coming his way.
So he did the only thing that seemed right; stand up to face the Weasel. Draco clutched his wand in his pocket as he slowly advanced towards the red haired boy. But it seemed there was no need for spells, Weasley clearly wanted to feel his neck in his hands.
It was when Ron started climbing over the Ravenclaw table to get to him that Draco started to get nervous. In all the fights they had been in, this one, that hadn't even started, seemed like it was going to be the worst one of all.
"MALFOY!!"
Draco gulped and gripped his wand even harder. It clearly looked like that even if the Weasel had six stunning spells cast on him, he would still try to reach out his fingers to grab Draco's neck and strangle him to death. Running didn't seem like a bad idea right now.
He could see the Mudblood running after the carrot, trying to calm him down, while Pothead remained a distance.
"Stop it Ron! It's not his fault!"
Weasley gritted his teeth, and when he was finally in reach, he tackled Draco to the ground. They both rolled on the floor while Ron dealt out some punches which were directed towards Draco's jaw. Draco groaned out loud while he tried to pry the Weasel off of him - he had gotten too strong for him to control.
And just like Draco expected, both of Weasley's hands shot towards his neck and were now squeezing the life out of him.
Just as soon as it started, it had ended. Snape had pulled the raving mad man off of him and placed a binding spell on him. McGonagall swept in and took off the spell cast on Weasley - if it had been Draco's choice, Weasley would have never moved again.
"Outrageous! Not only am I ashamed by these two students, but also you professor Snape, placing a spell on an unarmed student!"
"Excuse me McGonagall, but your student was clearly out to kill one of my finest student."
Draco closed his eyes. He was just glad he had survived a mad Weasley attack.
"It's entirely his fault! She would have never been in this state if it wasn't for him!" Screamed out the outraged Weasley. He was held back by the Mudblood. It was taking nearly all of her weight to hold him back.
"Look what he has done to her! All because he has lost his me -" The Weasel was cut off because the Mudblood, it seemed, had placed a silencing charm on him. A look of betrayal and anger washed upon his red face.
Draco finally picked himself up, wincing in pain as he felt his jaw move in a way it shouldn't. Then, suddenly, he zoned out.
"Are you crazy!?"
"Why, yes I am! Mwuahah!"
"No way are you going to do that!"
"Well, this is what we call, the Weasley attack, enjoy the ride …"
"You're such the devil, I wonder why I ever fell in love with you."
"…"
"Draco?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember when you fell in love with me?"
"Yes I remember."
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