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: Sorry if this chapter feels like a filler!! I promise that there is loads of stuff coming up soon!!! Just some stuff I have to get out of the way first!!!
Four
Hermione knocked on the headmistress's office door with trepidation. The owl summoning her had come over dinner, and Hermione had never been summoned in such a way.
'Come in!' Minerva called brightly and Hermione opened the door. Her headmistress was sitting behind Dumbledore's old desk, shuffling through some papers. 'How are you feeling?' she inquired, standing up and indicating to Hermione that she should sit down.
Hermione took a seat, her feelings of fear increasing.
'I'm ok… aside from headaches, and the general feeling that I'm a leper.'
'Now,' Minerva ignored her statement and put the papers down and folded her arms over them. 'Hermione, I've been going over your grades for the year so far-'
'I know, I've dropped a heap, but that's because I've been helping-'
'You're not in trouble, Hermione!' Minerva exclaimed. 'Good heavens girl! I'm trying to tell you that your grades are outstanding!'
'Oh,' was all Hermione could say, blushing deep red.
'Your grades are so good, that, after consultation with all the staff, we've decided to try something new and exciting with just you,' Minerva watched the young girls eyes grow wide. 'Starting from tomorrow, you will no longer be attending normal classes.'
'What?!'
'Your classes will take place one on one with your teachers, in their free periods,' she beamed at Hermione. 'Hermione, you are the brightest witch to pass through this school and regular classes are holding you back! We know you are helping Harry with Dumbledore's final task, which is why we are doing this. Without having to be in lessons, you will have more time freed up to research.'
Hermione couldn't speak. She was being pushed ahead of her entire year! She would be having one on one lessons! She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
'Wow… thank you,' she stammered.
Minerva took a sheet of paper from the pile and handed it over to her.
'This is your new timetable,' she said. Hermione stood to go and Minerva watched her walk to the door. 'Oh, and one more thing Miss Granger- don't let me catch you going to Hagrid's hut on your own again. This school isn't as safe as it once was and… well, we don't want events to repeat themselves.'
Hermione blushed and nodded shortly, before dashing out the office door. Once the office door had shut, Minerva sat down and sighed.
It had taken several days, but the teachers had finally figured out a way to deal with Hermione being six months behind. It was the only way they could do it without holding the rest of her class back, so close to exam time.
But a small part of Minerva was ashamed of the lies they were all having to tell. She wished so much to just tell the girl the truth. She knew that when she found out she would be mad at all the lies that had been told.
'But it's for your own good,' Minerva sighed. It hurt her to see this girl this way. She agreed with Harry, that they should just tell her and have it over and done with. But they had researched pretty thoroughly and she had been looked at by specialists over that first night, something that Harry and Ron weren't aware of. And they had all come to the same conclusion- that she has to remember in her own time.
She picked the papers up off desk and looked through them again. Ron had bought her all of Hermione's schoolbooks so that she could remove all the work done past when she could remember. She would open her books as if nothing had changed. At first, she had planned to burn the papers, but at the last minute had decided to keep them. Knowing Hermione Granger as well as she did, she knew that if she did remember, she would want them back.
If she did remember.
Minerva's biggest fear at that moment in time was that she would never remember. All the information that she and Poppy had gained on amnesia like hers said that she should remember within about two to three weeks. It had already almost been one.
All Minerva could do was pray. Pray for Hermione and her friends who were suffering just as much.
~*~
After leaving the headmistress's office, Hermione headed straight for the library. She knew that if she was being given this chance to be taken ahead of her classmates that she had better act like she was serious about being serious.
She pulled a book down from the shelf and settled herself into her favorite spot and was soon engrossed in a history of the dark arts. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice the library empty out, or the fact that Madam Pince had extinguished the torches. It was 2am before she closed the book and startled herself with how empty and dark it was.
It was a terrifying journey through the castle, afraid that Filch would be waiting for her around every corner. The fat lady hardly stirred when Hermione gave the password and she stumbled into what she thought was an empty common room.
'Oh, hello,' she heard Ginny say. She jumped slightly.
'Gin, you scared me!' she exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart. 'I haven't talked to you in a few days- well, since before the other night at least!'
'Oh, yeah, um, I've been, um, busy,' she stammered, reenacting her actions from earlier that day in the library and hurriedly packing her bag. 'I, er, didn't realise, um, how late it, um, was.'
'Same,' Hermione said, watching her closely. She seemed so nervous whenever Hermione entered the room- not to mention angry. 'Gin, why won't you talk to me?'
Ginny dropped her bag and let out a cry of exasperation.
'Because you're with him,' she hissed through clenched teeth. Leaving her bag and contents where it was, she turned and stormed up the stairs.
Hermione sat down on the nearest lounge, hurt. Ginny had always said that she was happy that she and Ron had finally figured themselves out. She had always said she didn't care that she was dating her brother. Besides, she had Harry to keep her busy.
Was that it? Had she and Harry broken up again and she was jealous because Hermione still had a boyfriend and she didn't? Hermione cursed the fact that she had never had many female friends growing up- she just didn't know what went on in their heads, despite the fact that she was a female.
But surely Ginny wasn't mad at her because of Ron…
Her mind jumped to the bizarre moment she had experienced earlier when she had hold of Harry's hand… had she perhaps dreamed about him while she was knocked out and maybe said something in her sleep? Was Ginny thinking that she was in love with Harry.
She laughed at the thought- she was with Ron! Yes, he suffocated her sometimes, but she believed in her heart of hearts that she loved him… occasionally.
Sighing and with a heavy heart, she stood up and headed up towards her dorm. She was so confused by the last few days. Something was being kept from her… and she knew it was something to do with Harry… and Ron… and Ginny…
She just didn't know how to find out what it was.
~*~
Ginny watched Hermione walk past to her own dorm from the door of the sixth year dorm and sighed. She had lost her temper, she hadn't meant to. She and Harry had sat down and had the best conversation they had had in months. And all the hatred Ginny had felt for months had fully left. She realized how in love Harry and Hermione were.
But then, they had quarreled… as usual… and now Ginny didn't know what to think. She was trying so hard to move on from him, but it was Harry and he just did something to her…
But she shouldn't have said what she had said. She kicked the wall in anger and felt slightly better.
Shutting the dormitory door, she sat down on her bed. She had to find a way to get Harry to talk to her again. She just had to…