Title: Remember To Forget
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Towards the end of a very strange seventh year, Hermione is attacked late one night by an unknown assailant. It is this attack that causes her memory to reset, taking her mind back six months… back to when she was dating Ron, not Harry…
Authors Notes: Ok so I'm here with an update! My estimate on the number of chapters left could have been an over estimate- I'm drawing ever nearer to a conclusion that is just wonderful and fitting and I can't wait to share it all with you! But in the mean time you'll just have to be content with this update :p So I'm going to leave you to it and go back to writing more :D
Ten
Hermione had no idea why Harry had absolutely bolted once he had kissed her on the forehead. She had thought of it as a very nice way to say thank you for remembering such minor information. Ron had left not longer after, though on the orders of Madam Pomfrey.
It wasn't very hard for Hermione and Madam Pomfrey to slip back into their normal argument over Hermione taking potions to help her sleep. Madam Pomfrey gave up after a while and stomped back into her office, muttering about stubborn people and how they always think they know better.
Hermione laid back in her pillow and stared at the ceiling. Without realizing she was doing it, she reached a hand up to her forehead where, only half an hour before Harry had kissed her…
~*~
It was Christmas Eve. For some reason, Hermione found that she was the most excited about Christmas that she had been for years, something which greatly amused Harry.
'Calm down!' he said as she jumped from seat to seat as they tried to have a nice quiet chat in front of the fire.
'I can't!' she exclaimed, standing up again and pacing the room. 'It's Christmas tomorrow!'
'It won't be if you don't sit down,' Harry said, standing up and guiding her to the lounge where he had been sprawled in front of the fire. 'Can you stay still for two seconds? I mean, I'm getting exhausted just watching you!'
Being forced to sit down had calmed her a bit.
'Oh, it's just this feeling I get on Christmas Eve!' she exclaimed, looking at Harry, her eyes bright. 'I loved Christmas when I was little. It was so magic. We always decorated the tree on the first weekend in December. Mum and I would do that, whilst Dad decorated the house. And Nanna and Poppy would come for the day to help. And then Christmas Eve we would always have a party. Mum and Dad would have all the people from the surgery and some friends and stuff and we'd have a nice dinner and sing carols. I was always made to go to bed at 10pm though, because Santa wouldn't come if I was up later than that, because that was classed as naughty. And on Christmas morning, I would be first up and I would climb into bed with mum and dad and wake them up, then we'd open our presents under the tree, before mum cooked ham and eggs for breakfast.'
She fell quiet and looked at Harry. She was so stupid, blabbering on about family Christmas's when Harry had never had a decent Christmas.
'You know what?' she said and he looked at her. 'I'm going to show you how fun Christmas can be.'
'What do you mean?' Harry asked shrewdly.
'You'll see,' she teased and looked at her watch. 'Heavens! It's almost 10pm! We'd better go to bed!'
More to humour Hermione than out of tiredness, Harry allowed himself to be shuffled up the stairs to his dorm, where Hermione told him to stay put. She then went to her own dorm and climbed into bed, setting her alarm for 5am.
She had been having a wonderful sleep when the alarm went off, but it was easily silenced and she stole down the girls stairs, back into the common room and then crept up the boys stairs and into the seventh year dormitory.
Suppressing her giggles, she crossed the room and drew the curtains on Harry's four poster back quietly and laid down on top of the covers beside her sleeping best friend.
'Merry Christmas,' she whispered into his ear. He awoke with a start and seemed confused by her smiling face. He looked at his own alarm clock and groaned.
'Heermiioonee,' he whined. 'It's 5am. Go back to sleep.'
He promptly rolled onto his side and fell back asleep.
'Fine,' she said. 'But I'm sleeping here.'
Harry rolled back over as she laid down and kissed her on the forehead.
'G'night, Hermione,' he said dreamily.
'G'night, Harry.'
~*~
Harry found himself pacing around the dormitory for long after Neville, Dean, Seamus and Ron had gone to bed. He had been given so much to think about that night, since his conversation with Minerva, then with Hagrid and then with Hermione. He knew beyond a doubt that Hermione was right. The necklace was what she had been researching just prior to her attack.
And then there was the fact that it was Malfoy, Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange that had attacked her. Harry felt sick to his stomach to think that they had somehow managed to break the security spells and enchantments and get onto the school grounds. And they had gotten past the Auror's too… well, once at least…
And he had been so stupid as to kiss Hermione, even if it was just on the forehead. She was showing no sign of remembering what they were and he was starting to get a crushing feeling in his heart that she wouldn't. She seemed to be closer to Ron, more closer than she had ever been, and it hurt him so badly. What if everything backfired… what if she fell back in love with Ron?
But he was glad that Hagrid was back.
Angrily, Harry stalked across the room to Ron's bed and ripped back the curtains.
'Ron,' he said shortly. 'Wake up'
'Harry…' he moaned, rolling over and opening his eyes blearily. 'Sleeps.'
'I have to talk to you,' Harry said. Ron sighed and hoisted himself up on his elbows.
'What?'
'I'm leaving soon.'
Ron was suddenly wide awake.
'What!' he exclaimed.
'Tonight made me realise that I can't put it off any longer- I have to go and find those horcruxes before it's too late. It's been almost a year since Dumbledore died- I have to do this and finish it now.'
'But what about Hermione?'
'What about her?' Harry said moodily. 'She has no idea of what's happened. I can't wait any longer.'
Ron just regarded him for a few moments.
'Just talk to her first, ok? You'd be surprised,' he said softly, very well aware that Harry had hardly spoken to Hermione. 'She's doing heaps better than what you think- she took the news well and she's keen to know.'
Harry ignored what Ron was saying. He shut Ron's curtains and stalked over to his bed and threw himself on to it. He was leaving as soon as he could, and he didn't care what they thought.
~*~
Ron was the first awake and he scurried out of bed quickly and threw his cloak on over his maroon pajamas. He knew that there would be hardly anyone awake in the castle, and he was only going to see Minerva. He took a few shortcuts on his way to cut down on the time it would take him to walk from Gryffindor tower to Minerva's office and he spoke the password to a sleeping gargoyle who hardly even seemed to notice him.
He knocked on the door at the top of the spiral staircase and for a panicked moment realized how foolish he was being- what if Minerva was still in bed?
'Come in,' her voice said and relief flooded over him. Did she sleep at her desk?
His silent question was answered when he walked. Minerva appeared to have not slept at all. Her hair that was normally in a tight bun at the nape of her neck was loose and disheveled and her face looked care worn and old.
'Yes, Mr Weasley?' she asked as Ron approached the desk and sat down.
'Um, so I had a weird conversation with Harry last night,' he started without preamble. 'He said he's going to leave soon.'
Harry had told both Ron and Hermione that he wasn't still going to be at school by exams, that he was going on his own to search. He had told them this whilst they were holed up in a cheap motel room in Godrics Hollow after visiting his parent's house and graves. Both had protested, especially when he told them he was going alone. But his mind was made up, nothing could stop him. He had talked to Minerva upon their return to school and since then they hadn't once spoke of it. Ron was secretly hoping if they didn't talk about it, maybe he wouldn't go.
'I am aware of this,' Minerva said, looking at him sternly. 'But I know that is not why you have traipsed all the way to my office at dawn in your sleepwear still.'
'No,' Ron said with a shrewd laugh. 'It's because of Hermione. And Harry.'
'What about Hermione and Harry?'
'Harry's… Harry's given up hope on her,' he said simply. 'He think she'll never remember him for what he is to her- he's put this off in hope that she'll remember, right?'
'Yes, you are correct,' Minerva said with a short nod.
'But she is remembering,' Ron said and Minerva looked at him in interest. 'Last night, after both of you left the hospital wing, she told me about these weird dreams she's having and she's convinced it's her memory coming back to her. They're all about Harry.'
'And why have you come to me?'
'Persuade him to stay. From the way he was sounding, I think soon might be within two or three days. Just to see if more comes through, because the floodgates are opening slowly. Soon they will explode and she will remember. She just needs a little more time.'
Minerva sighed.
'Ron, you do realise what you're asking?' she said softly. 'Put off destroying Voldemort's soul for love?'
'But don't you see? Love is what will save Harry in the end. Love is what saved him to begin with and love will save him again. He needs to feel that love before he goes.'
Minerva regarded him for a moment.
'I will speak with him. I'm not going to promise that I will change his mind, but I will do my best.'
Ron stood up to leave and as he was walking out, his eyes met with the portrait of Dumbledore. The painted Dumbledore was smiling and nodding at him, making Ron more certain than ever that he was right.
~*~
The fact that Ron's bed was already empty didn't escape Harry's notice when he woke up. The other boys had risen already as well, no doubt eager to spend a day outside in the brilliant summer sun before hitting the books hard to study for the NEWT's.
He dressed slowly, before making his way just as slowly up to the hospital wing. He paused outside the door and peered inside. He sighed heavily when he saw Ron beside Hermione's bed. They were both laughing.
He sighed and then opened the door. They both jumped and looked at him.
'Hi,' Hermione said brightly. Harry smiled forcefully and sat down beside Ron.
'Hi,' he said almost as brightly. She looked at him weirdly, but then shook her head and continued smiling.
'So…' Ron said, looking between them, breaking yet another awkward silence.
'Hagrid's back,' Harry blurted out. 'I forgot to tell you.'
Both looked delighted at the news.
'When did he get back?' Ron asked.
'Yesterday. He wants us to come have tea with him, when Hermione gets better,' he said and Hermione rolled her eyes.
'I am better. Madam Pomfrey just isn't letting me out of here,' she said sulkily.
'It's for your own good,' snapped Madam Pomfrey, poking her head out of her office. 'Students always think they know what's best for their health. But are they fully trained healers? No, of course not! Why would you need to be fully trained to know if you're well or not?'
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous glances.
'Miss Granger, leave if you feel you know best,' she added and slammed the door shut. Harry and Ron jumped up and left Hermione alone for a few moments to get dressed and as soon as she was dressed the three of them scurried out of the hospital wing as fast as they could.