1. Prologue

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, well, hi… this is the first full length fan fic I have written in so long! It has taken me about two months to write this, which is pretty good cause I can only work on it at weekends when my partner is away and doesn’t take the computer with him!!!

A few things inspired me to write this fic. I’ve just started a new job in data entry, so I’m listening to my iPod all day. And it was listening to the following songs that got me thinking and I ended up having this idea…

Let Go by Waking Ashland

Take Me Back by The Ataris

Slowdance On The Inside by Taking Back Sunday

There’s No I In Team by Taking Back Sunday

Summer of 79 by The Ataris

Looking Back On Today by The Ataris

My Reply by The Ataris

Edinger by Waking Ashland

Konstantine by Something Corporate

Punk Rock Princess by Something Corporate

These are the songs that end up on repeat when I’m thinking about this fic. The most important song to the development of this fic was the first one, Let Go by Waking Ashland. Most important about that song was a couple of lines that shaped the whole story arc…

You danced with me in the moonlight

And I found my theme

Like roses bloom you inspired me

And the break of day fell upon me

And the light outshone

And you broke the spell that had kept me from loving you

I came to you for answers

I left confused

From listening to that several times a day at work, the general shape of the story came about. For about a week my desk drawer was filled with little scraps of paper with notes scribbled on them with ideas and edits.

And now I’m finished and it’s ready for you to read. I apologise for the long introduction, but I wanted to give you the full background on the story.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to review!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Prologue

She woke and looked around, pulling her legs up to her body and shaking. Where was she? She stood up and noticed that her robe was all ripped and her head was aching. A noise to her right startled her and she jumped.

Ron and Harry burst out of the bushes, looking wild and panicked. All three of them just stared at each other for a few moments, before Harry reached her in two steps and picked her up gently and started to walk back the way he came.

She looked at his face, confused. The feeling passed quickly as she blacked out, knowing she was safe…

‘Have you seen her?’ Harry asked Ron, sitting down at his best friends table in the library. Ron looked at him, perplexed.

‘Hermione?’

‘Yes, Hermione, who else would I be looking for.’

‘Um, she was here, but mentioned something about having to feed Fang,’ Ron said, scratching his chin with his quill and getting back to his essay.

‘How long ago?’

‘Christ, ease up Harry,’ Ron said, looking up again. ‘It was, I dunno, bout half hour ago.’

‘Fuck,’ Harry muttered. ‘Ron- she wasn’t feeding Fang, she was meeting me.’

‘Duh, I’m not dumb,’ Ron said rolling his eyes.

‘Ron, she never made it. And you know Hermione- she’s…’

‘Never late.’

The two boys just stared at each other, before sprinting out of the library and down the stairs. Normally they would go find their friend themselves, but things had changed, and they had grown up a lot. They went to the only person they felt the could trust- Professor McGonagle.

‘We’ve got her!’ Ron called as they burst out of the undergrowth. Minerva came running over and gasped as she looked at the girl in Harry’s arm. She looked like she had been beaten to a pulp. Her robes were all ripped and her face was black and blue.

‘Potter, get her to the hospital wing,’ she said evenly.

~*~

Harry paced the corridor outside the hospital wing. It had been over an hour since they had dropped Hermione off and been shooed out by Madam Pomfrey. And they hadn’t had a single word since- not a single word.

‘Calm down, mate, she’ll be ok,’ Ron said reassuringly. Harry managed a small smile, knowing that if Ron believed what he had just said, he wouldn’t be pacing with Harry the way he was.

They had gotten themselves into a very complicated triangle. Harry had been delighted, yet disappointed and angry when he had found out at the start of the school year that his two best friends were dating. It hadn’t lasted long, with Hermione confiding in Harry that she felt ‘suffocated’. She had ended it in November, after only two and a half months.

Ron, much to Harry’s surprise, had taken the break up well. He had confided in Harry that he was glad it had ended when it did- it had made him realise that he wasn’t as in love with Hermione as he thought.

Harry’s own relationship with Hermione had started over New Year’s. Ron had gone home and so had the rest of the Gryffindor’s, leaving Harry and Hermione completely alone. It was over this period that they had realized what had been staring at them all along- Harry and Ginny had been dating on and off since the end of sixth year, but it was different with Hermione. Hermione understood him, and he understood her.

It had been like world war three when Ron and Ginny found out. Ginny still wouldn’t talk to either of them- she said that Hermione had betrayed her. Ron had been furious at first, but calmed down quickly. He knew that Harry needed Hermione and he was happy for them.

The door to the hospital wing opened and Minerva came out, looking very grey and ashen. She conjured three chairs and indicated to Harry and Ron to sit.

‘She’s fine, as fine as she can be,’ she told them both and they sighed in relief. ‘There is only one problem.’

Harry and Ron looked at each other. They didn’t like the tone of her voice.

‘Miss Granger received several hard knocks to the head,’ she started, sighing as well. ‘Miss Granger is unable to remember anything past six months ago.’

‘So she thinks… she thinks it’s November?’ Ron asked and Minerva nodded.

‘She believes it is November. She also believes…’ Minerva sighed heavily. She had known all the goings on in the romantic lives of these three people and she knew this was the hardest blow of all. ‘She also believes that she is dating Mr Weasley, not Mr Potter’.

2. One

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first part!!! Here’s an early update for you. The update for this weekend might be a bit delayed cause I’m doing a bit of a rewrite of some chapters- not changing the story, just changing the order in which things happen and adding some new stuff (gotta love inspiration!!)

One

They sat in the common room until late that night, neither speaking. Minerva had given them the following day off from classes and she had left Professor Sprout in charge and had gone to speak with Hermione’s parents.

It was daylight before Harry found his voice.

‘So… how will this work?’ He said, his voice wavering slightly. ‘We can’t … we can’t tell her what’s happened since November… she has to remember for herself…’

‘I guess we have to… pretend…’ Ron said, looking disheartened.

Despite what Ron had said to Harry when his relationship with Hermione had ended, he was miserable that it had ended and wished that he could change everything. It was why he had been so furious when Harry had started to see her- he knew that he had no chance of winning her back.

‘I guess we have to talk to Ginny,’ Harry said. ‘After all- in Hermione’s mind, Ginny and I are still together.’

‘I don’t know if Ginny will even talk to you,’ Ron said, laughing slightly. ‘She’s still mighty pissed.’

‘Yeah, but I’ve gotta try.’

‘And I’ve gotta get to the hospital wing,’ Ron stood up. ‘If she still thinks I’m her boyfriend, I’d better act it.’

‘Just don’t touch her,’ Harry growled. Ron laughed.

‘I’ll play it safe,’ Ron reassured him, waving goodbye over his shoulder.

~*~

Ron’s face was the first thing Hermione saw when she woke up and she smiled in the biggest smile she could. Ron smiled back at her and kissed her gently on the forehead.

‘Good morning,’ he said gently.

‘Morning.’

Ron looked at her face, wishing Madam Pomfrey had been able to do more. She still had bruises all over her face and her eyes were still swollen and black.

‘I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,’ she whispered and he smiled.

‘Not quite,’ he took hold of her hand. ‘Do you remember anything about the attack?’

She shook her head.

‘I remember…’ she closed her eyes. ‘The last thing I remember is you kissing me goodbye as I went to see Hagrid.’

Close Ron thought to himself. Very close…

Hermione yawned as they sat in the library, working hard on their Transfiguration essay’s. Ron looked up from his and looked at her and watched her eyes dart around the library. She tapped her quill impatiently for a few moments, before checking her watch and gasping in mock surprise.

‘Is that the time? Heavens, I have to feed Fang!’ she exclaimed and Ron smirked to himself.

‘Oh- ok,’ was all he said, watching as she packed her things into her bag.

‘We’ll finish these later,’ she said, throwing her bag on her shoulder. ‘Bye!’

‘Hermione- wait,’ Ron said, standing up. She turned and looked at him impatiently. ‘I’m not dumb.’

‘What on earth do you mean?’

‘Tell Harry I said hi,’ Ron said simply and Hermione looked bashful.

‘Ok, you caught me. Head girl, Hermione Granger sneaking out to the empty gamekeepers house to have a secret rendezvous with her boyfriend. So shoot me.’

‘Ron- are you ok?’ she asked. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

‘Of course. Just thinking,’ he sighed. ‘I’d better go- class, you know.’

Hermione watched him leave, thinking that there was something very strange going on with her boyfriend…

~*~

‘Ginny!’ Harry called, sprinting down the charms corridor towards the slowly disappearing red haired girl. She turned and rolled her eyes at him and started to walk faster. ‘No! Ginny! Please! We have to talk!’

She stopped and he caught up with her.

‘In private?’ he asked, indicating to the empty classroom they were standing outside. She sighed and nodded slightly.

Once inside, she sat on one of the desks and stared at Harry.

‘Well?’

‘Ok, so, here’s the go,’ Harry started, taking a deep breath. ‘Hermione was attacked in the forest last night, beaten up pretty badly. And, as a result, she’s lost a bit of her memory.’

‘Shall I send a card?’

‘Ginny- don’t be smart. This is pretty serious. Especially since…’ Harry sighed. ‘Ginny, she doesn’t remember anything past last November.’

‘And what does this have to do with me?’

‘It has a lot to do with you- Gin, in Hermione’s mind she is still dating Ron… and I’m still dating you.’

‘So why don’t you tell her that she’s a little behind?’ Ginny asked.

‘It’s not that easy- that could do even more damage. She had to remember the past six months in her own time.’

‘And let me guess- until she remembers Ron is pretending to still be in love with her and you need me to do the same? Pretend like nothing has happened?’

‘Uh, pretty much.’

‘That is just sick!’ Ginny exclaimed, standing up. ‘You’re playing with peoples emotions! Who knows, maybe she’ll never remember and we’ll all be stuck, pretending to be in love for the rest of our lives! And what if Ron realizes how much he still loves her and she remembers you, but then decides that she’s better off with Ron? And what about me Harry? We’ll go around pretending to be all lovey-dovey again and then as soon as she remembers, I’ll be cast off again? Harry, I’m not going through that again! I’ve spent the past six months moving on from you, pretending that we weren’t ever even together! I can’t have you screwing this up for me! I’ve worked too hard!’

‘You’re right- I should never have asked you. I’m sorry,’ Harry said, turning to leave.

‘Wait!’ Ginny called. She knew this would be her last chance to be with Harry. ‘Maybe we could pretend to be together and then break up in front of her? It might jolt her memories?’

‘We’ll talk when she gets out of the hospital,’ Harry said. He got to the door and turned around and smiled at her. ‘Thanks, Gin.’

‘You’re welcome, Harry,’ she said to the closing door with a sigh, before bursting into tears.

3. Two

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Sorry it took me a couple of days to get this chapter up- I’m in the middle of doing some rewrites- plus my partner hasn’t been away like I thought he would be and he has no idea of how I entertain myself.

Two

The news of Hermione’s attack and condition spread through the school like wildfire. Minerva had issued a stern warning that anyone who tried to force information from when she couldn’t remember would be punished severely. Luckily, due to the fact that most of Slytherin hadn’t returned for the year, the students that were at the school liked Hermione and agreed to the conditions willingly.

She told Harry and Ron in private that she would be out of the hospital by the weekend. The only reason she was staying so long was so that the swelling would go down before she had to face other students, and so that the teachers could figure out how to run their lessons without jumping to things that she had forgotten that she had learnt, and without holding back the other students.

Harry braved up for his first visit to Hermione after dinner and he stood in the doorway and watched her for a few moments. She was laying down, her eyes closed. But he knew she wasn’t asleep- it was a look he had seen on her face many times.

‘Hey, she said without opening her eyes. Harry smiled to himself and approached the bed and sat on the foot of it.

‘Hey yourself.’

‘So what took you so long?’ she asked, opening her eyes. ‘I thought you would’ve come to visit before now.’

‘I-uh, was busy,’ he said. She winked at him and his heart melted. He wanted to just grab her and kiss her.

‘I’ll bet,’ she said cheekily. ‘How’s Gin?’

‘Ok, I guess, haven’t seen her today,’ Harry lied.

‘So who were you busy with?’ she asked and he sighed.

‘No one,’ he said. ‘Despite what you think, I’m not a typical man, devoured with thoughts of the finer sex all day long.’

The broom closest was small, dark and cold, but Harry wasn’t noticing any of that. All he was noticing was the girl with brown hair who had her arms wrapped around his waist and was kissing him gently.

‘We… have… to… stop… sneaking… around… like… this…’ he managed to say in-between kisses. She smirked at him.

‘It’s so much fun but,’ she kissed him again. ‘Besides, I know you spend all day dreaming of these moments.’

He kissed her this time and smiled.

‘You just know me too well.’

‘I know,’ she smiled up at him. ‘I love you.’

He brushed a stray hair out of her eyes and kissed the top of her forehead.

‘I love you too.’

‘Whatever you say,’ she laughed.

‘I should go,’ Harry said suddenly, jumping up. She looked at him curiously.

‘Why?’

‘I dunno- I get the feeling that Ron will be mad,’ he said, his heart breaking. She sighed softly.

‘Harry- can I ask you something?’

‘Anything.’

‘Is…’ she paused and regarded him. ‘Did something happen to me that I’m not being told?’

‘What makes you ask that?’ he asked, maybe a bit too quickly.

‘I dunno… everyone seems so… weird around me,’ she looked at him, her eyes sad.

‘I think it’s just because we’re all in shock,’ he said reassuringly. ‘You were attacked, on the school grounds, and we don’t know who by or for what reason. It’s a scary thing- especially after how the rest of the year has gone.’

Hermione seemed sated with his answer and laid back in her bed and smiled at him. He had to be right- the year had been hell. After the way the last year had ended, they knew things were going to get worse and they were right. The summer had seen complete chaos in both their world and the muggle world. The muggles were at a loss, their Prime Minister was under incredible pressure to resign and the whole muggle community lived in fear, just like the magical world. No witch or wizard was safe, especially since Dumbledore’s death.

‘Goodnight, Harry,’ she said sighing again. Harry just smiled at her.

‘Goodnight, Hermione.’

~*~

Harry couldn’t face going to the common room after he left Hermione. He didn’t want to see Ron, or Ginny or anyone. So instead he walked up to the top of the astronomy tower.

It was here that things started to go wrong. It was here that he and Hermione had released Sirius. And now Sirius was dead. And it was here that Snape had killed Dumbledore and taken away his only mentor.

It was here that Hermione had wanted to meet, the night she was attacked, last night, but Harry insisted on Hagrid’s hut. He didn’t know why he had insisted on the hut, but he had. And now, because of his insistence, she couldn’t even remember him.

‘I should just stop loving!’ he cried, falling to his knees, allowing the tears to finally stream down his cheeks. Everyone he loved got taken away from him- his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, now Hermione.

‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered hoarsely, tears flowing freely. ‘It’s my fault.’

~*~

The rest of the girls in Ginny’s room were asleep, not after they’d spent almost two hours talking about Hermione and asking Ginny a hundred and one questions. They had seen her duck into the classroom with Harry and had wanted to know what they were talking about (they knew only too well how much Ginny hated Harry and Hermione at that point in time).

But did she? She remembered when Hermione came to her, just before New Years, asking for advice on a guy that she liked. Ginny had been so oblivious- she didn’t even realise that Hermione was talking about Harry. Had she been on the ball a bit more, she would’ve known and she could’ve stopped it before it all happened.

Coming back to school after New Years hurt Ginny like nothing else- she had spent the whole break thinking about Harry and rehashing what went wrong between them. She had been so desperate to come back to school to see him and talk to him and make things right between them- she did, after all, love him.

But he hadn’t wanted to talk to her. For three weeks he brushed her off every time she went near him. Not knowing what was going on, she went to Hermione, who surely would know what was going on in Harry’s mind. But she had done the same thing- she had brushed Ginny the exact same way as Harry did.

Even then, things didn’t add up for Ginny. It wasn’t until that night… that night had changed everything…

Ginny was walking back from the library, a pile of books under her arms. Professor Flitwick had given them an almost impossible Charm’s assignment and Ginny was struggling. She turned the corner leading onto the corridor that led to Gryffindor tower and she ran straight into someone.

‘Oh!’ she heard Hermione gasp, as they both bent down to pick up the books that had spilled everywhere. ‘Oh, Ginny, I’m sorry.’

‘It’s ok, Hermione,’ Ginny said. ‘I’m glad I ran into you.’

‘Oh,’ Hermione said stiffly, straightening up.

“I just want to have a chat.’

‘Oh, now?’

‘Uh, yeah, if it’s not a problem,’ Ginny said casually, noticing for the first time how harassed Hermione looked.

‘Ah, well, I was…’ she trailed off. Ginny just grinned and winked.

‘Go. I’ll wait in the common room for you.’

Hermione looked even more worried for a moment, before smiling. She patted Ginny on the shoulder and headed off down the corridor. Ginny headed towards the Fat Lady, gave the password and climbed inside. The common room was virtually empty and she set herself up at one of the good tables up the back. She read for an hour before she saw Hermione come back through the portrait hole.

‘Hey, Hermione, could you help me with this?’ she asked and Hermione nodded distractedly. ‘Are you sure you’re ok?’

‘Fine.’

‘Hey- I never asked,’ Ginny said suddenly. ‘How did it go with that guy?’

‘Um…’ Hermione couldn’t quite meet Ginny’s eye. The portrait hole opened and Harry walked in and walked straight past them. ‘Ok, I guess. So what do you want to talk to me about?’

‘Harry,’ Ginny said simply. ‘He’s avoiding me.’

‘Oh.’

‘Before Christmas we were starting to get along again, sort of, but since the holiday’s ended, I haven’t been able to talk to him at all,’ she paused and sighed. ‘I think he might have another girlfriend.’

‘What gave you that idea?’ Hermione asked shrilly.

‘I dunno… I just get that feeling… just like I get the feeling things went better with that guy than you’re telling,’ Ginny looked up and Hermione blushed. ‘Does Ron know anything about it?’

‘Heavens no!’ Hermione exclaimed.

‘So who is it?’ Ginny asked, flipping through her Charm’s notes. Hermione stayed silent and Ginny looked up at her.

‘Gin…’

‘Harry?’

‘I swear it…’

‘You went behind my back with Harry?’

‘Well, not…’

‘After that conversation we had where you told me about ‘this guy’ and I told you about how well we were getting along?’

‘See, the thing is…’

‘And you’ve been lying to me- to Ron- since, when? Summer?’

‘Now, just see here…’

‘And this all happened what, like two days after you broke up with Ron?’

‘Ginny, calm down…’

‘And that’s why you’ve been avoiding me… both of you…’ Ginny looked at Hermione with disgust. ‘I should’ve believed my mother- you are a scarlet woman.’

‘What? How dare you!’

‘It’s the truth! You strung Ron along like a puppy dog all summer before you agreed to go out with him. And then you dumped him for his best friend!’

‘Ginny, it’s not like that!’

‘It’s what it looks like to me,’ she said rudely, standing up and storming up into the dormitory.

She stomped around before climbing into her bed and shutting the curtains and simmering with rage. They had been lying to her. And Hermione- Hermione had known. Ginny had written to her, telling her that she was going to fix things with Harry. And she had still done this…

Harry and Hermione had betrayed her. She had been feeling nothing but hate for them for so many months. But now… she sighed heavily. She was furious with Harry with what he had asked of her, but she was more furious with herself for how she had acted. Her brothers had been telling her to grow up for years. Maybe it was time she did.

She climbed into bed and stared at the canopy. First, she would apologise to Harry for how she acted. Then, she’d think about the rest…

4. Chapter 3

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Ok so here’s the next part. Big thanks to all those who are reading and reviewing- it’s what makes me keep writing!!! There might be a delay in getting the next chapter posted I’m not sure when I’m going to be able to get a chance too. Hopefully it won’t be too long, but enjoy this one anyway!!!

Three

The nights were long and boring for Hermione. Madam Pomfrey tried to give her a sleeping potion but she refused it. She didn’t want to become dependent on something to help her sleep. She had to sleep of her own accord.

Her private reason for not wanting the potion was that every night when she was alone and everything was quiet, she could see things that seemed so familiar to her, yet so foreign. She didn’t know what was going on- she had a feeling that the attack had sent her crazy and no one would tell her.

So on her last night in the hospital wing, after the usual argument with Madam Pomfrey over the sleeping potion, she laid back in her bed and stared up at the stone ceiling. Breathing deep, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the thought that she had had that morning whilst Ron was visiting.

Was she really in love with Ron?

They had only been together for two months after being friends for six years, but every time she saw him since her attack, she wanted him out of her sight. And she had begun to suspect that maybe he felt the same- as much as he visited, it always seemed like such a chore.

She hadn’t really known what to think at first when Ron had first asked her to consider being more than just friends. She had spent most of the summer agonizing over it, added onto the stress of helping Harry search for the final horcruxes. They had been in Godric’s Hollow when she finally relented. At first they had kept it quiet, but had told Harry and Ginny on the train on the way to Hogwarts for the school year.

Oh Harry… she sighed heavily. Whenever Harry came in whilst Ron visited, Ron would bolt from the room. She was confused- both boys seemed to know something she didn’t. It was a feeling she had had the day after her attack- sometimes she would mention things and people would look away. And Ginny- her only female confidant- hadn’t even come to see her. Harry had blathered something about she was on detention, but she could tell when Harry was lying.

‘What are they keeping from me?’ she wondered aloud, sinking back into her bed further. ‘There’s something there… I just don’t know what it is…’

~*~

Lavender and Parvati wanted to throw a party for Hermione for when she got out of the hospital wing, an idea that Harry and Ron both vetoed quickly. After the shock of her attack and her condition had worn off, people had begun to realise what Minerva had realized from the very start. That things were a lot different six months ago…

And that was the reason the idea was vetoed. Because of the complications around the intricate details of what Hermione thought and what was real. A party would highlight the fact to Hermione that Harry and Ginny were hardly on speaking terms. Ginny had tried to talk to him and apologise and it had worked for a moment… but then they had reverted back into their old habits. The friendly conversation turned into an argument and now they were back to where they were before.

So no party would be thrown. She was expected to be discharged shortly after breakfast and Minerva spent most of the evening before her release in the common room with the students, going through what was expected of them. She had had similar talks with all the other houses, however it was going to be hardest on the Gryffindor’s, as they were the ones who spent every day with her. It was a hard thing for them all to adapt to and Minerva knew that she couldn’t shield Hermione from the truth forever. She knew that one day it would come to her.

But until that day, she didn’t want anything harming her. She had been hurt enough.

~*~

Hermione felt like the only feeling she could feel was confusion. The strange behaviour of Ron around Harry, the fact that Ginny wouldn’t visit her in the hospital wing… she knew that there was something wrong.

The point was drummed in more on the morning she was discharged from the hospital wing. She arrived back at the common room on her own and everyone said hello quickly and looked away. With a huff she sat on the lounge next to Harry and followed his gaze into the fireplace.

‘Harry,’ she started. ‘I-‘

‘Hermione, I’ve already told you,’ Harry sighed, expecting her to ask the only question that was on her mind- whether or not there was something she wasn’t being told.

Hermione clicked her tongue impatiently.

‘For your information, I wasn’t going to ask that,’ she huffed. ‘I was going to ask if you had seen Ron.’

‘Oh,’ Harry blushed. ‘No, I haven’t. I think he’s in the library with Ginny.’

‘Great- let’s go see them!’ she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

Harry forgot himself as she held his hand. He knew he should let go, but he couldn’t. He squeezed her hand slightly and she jumped like she had been shocked with electricity. Realising what he had done, he quickly went ahead.

Hermione watched his back retreat. She was seeing some strange flashes in her mind…

‘C’mon, Harry,’ Hermione moaned, pulling on both of his hands. ‘Come see the sunset with me!’

‘Hermione, it’s minus seven outside!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘I’m not going to sit in the snow and watch the sun set.’

Hermione kept her hands firmly in his and he squeezed them gently.

‘Pretty please?’ she asked, tilting her head and giving Harry her puppy dog eyes.

‘Oh, alright,’ he sighed, standing up, still holding her hands. ‘But if we get sick, I’m blaming you.’

‘Hermione?’ Harry called from beyond the portrait hole. She shook her head, wondering why she was day dreaming about Harry…

~*~

Harry excused himself from the trip to the library en route, claiming that he didn’t want to see Madam Pince as he hadn’t returned a library book. Hermione walked the remainder of the way on her own and was glad to spot Ron and Ginny as soon as she walked in. She waved and watched Ginny scowl and quickly pack her books up, muttering to Ron.

‘I’m so sick of this,’ she whispered to herself, approaching the table. ‘Hey guys!’

‘Hi,’ Ginny said shortly. ‘Sorry. Got to dash. Things to do.’

She bolted out of the library and Hermione sat in her now empty seat and sighed.

‘Ron, why is everyone avoiding me?’

‘I dunno- why don’t you ask everyone?’ he said blankly, flipping through a book mindlessly.

‘And why is everyone avoiding that question?’

She stood up so quickly her chair fell backwards and the leg broke off. But she didn’t stop to fix it. She had to get out of there. And fast.

Ron opened his mouth to call her back as she bolted from the library, but he couldn’t find his voice. He just watched her disappear down the corridor and out of sight.

~*~

Harry climbed the stairs to the astronomy tower two at a time. He was used to coming up here, especially since Tuesday when Hermione had been attacked. It was the quietest part of the castle, especially since Astronomy lessons had been cancelled. Minerva didn’t like the idea of students being out in the open, especially out in the open in the spot where Dumbledore had been murdered.

Harry knew he had to get back into researching the last horcruxes, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Especially when the person who had most of the information, couldn’t even remember what month it was meant to be.

Thunder clapped overhead, following by a bright lighting bolt. They were heading into storm season and Harry didn’t flinch as the rain started to fall gently on him.

From where he was, he heard the back door of the castle bang open. He looked down to see who it could be, expecting to see Filch in a fit of rage over Peeves. But it was a girl, with brown bushy hair, who was running as fast as she could.

Harry wanted to leap off the tower, down to her and kiss her long and hard, as he had been wanting to do for almost a week. But he couldn’t. Minerva had warned him of the consequences of forcing her memories on her.

‘Can’t we just tell her?’ Harry argued, pacing around the headmistresses office. Minerva was a patient woman, but her patience was slowly starting to wear with Harry over this issue.

‘We don’t know what would happen if all that information was just given to her at once,’ she repeated for about the tenth time. ‘Potter, it could cause her more damage and that’s the last thing we want!’

‘But what if she is remembering, can we help her?’

‘If she shows signs of remembering but needs a push in the right direction, then yes, we can give her that push.’

‘Why can’t you just remember?’ he sighed, watching her figure get smaller and smaller until it was barricaded in Hagrid’s empty hut. ‘For us.’

5. Four

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

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…

6. Six

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Trying not to give spoilers here… the line comes from ‘This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know)’ by Taking Back Sunday. It was going to be something else, but I had that song on repeat and it fitted… you’ll know it when you see it…

Five

‘Hey.’

Harry jumped as he sat on the desk in the empty classroom, staring out at the grounds. He looked up and saw Ginny standing in the doorway.

‘Hey yourself.’

He sighed and jumped down from the desk and faced her. Ginny smiled softly at him and he returned the smile half-heartedly. They hadn’t spoken in two weeks.

‘So…’ he said, walking a bit closer to her and leaning against a chair. ‘You wanted something?’

‘It’s been hell,’ she said, starting to pace. ‘Harry, why can’t we talk without arguing?

‘I don’t know Gin, I really don’t,’ he sighed and looked at the floor. ‘Perhaps because the woman I love thinks I love you?’

‘We’ve been fighting since before this.

‘I know,’ she laughed and stood in front of him. ‘Quite a mess we’re all in, really. It’ll be funny in a few years time. Something to tell the kids…’ she paused. ‘Harry…’

‘Gin…’ Harry started, but Ginny took a few steps forward until she was eye to eye with him.

‘Harry… I miss you…’

Harry placed his hand over hers and looked down into her eyes. This was going to be the hardest thing in the world.

‘Gin… I don’t miss you…’ he paused and moved her hand off his arm. ‘I miss her.’

She looked away and wiped the tears from her eyes.

‘I know,’ she said, looking back at him and smiling.

‘And you asked… why we’re always fighting,’ he exhaled softly. ‘Perhaps this is the reason- we feel two totally different things.’

All Ginny could do was nod. She was ready to burst into tears. This was worse than the arguments, worse than all the times they had broken up. This was final…She turned and started to head towards the door.

‘Gin- wait,’ he called and she stopped, but didn’t turn to face him.

‘Can we just be friends? I still want you in my life. In some small form- you’re still important to me.’

She turned to him at those words and gave a faint smile.

‘Of course.’

With a swish of the door she was gone and Harry fell into the seat he was leaning on. The past two weeks of his life had been hell. Pretending to Hermione that they were back in the past was taking its toll on him emotionally. It hurt him every single time he was near her, which was why he had taken to spending a lot of time hiding in classrooms all over the school. It was easier than facing her and listening to the same things he had listened to six months ago about how Ron didn’t treat her right.

At least he didn’t have to see her in class. He was grateful to Minerva for coming up with the solution that she had. It saved him from a lot of unneeded heartache through the day. It saved everyone from having to pretend.

It was getting close to dinner time and he pushed himself out of the chair and started to make his way slowly down to the great hall. He knew all the short cuts in the castle and took the ones that would mean he was less likely to run into people he knew.

It seemed amazing to Harry that no matter what was going on in his life, he always ended up alone. It was the pattern in his life. Left alone by his parents. Left alone by the Dursley’s. Back in first year, he was left alone to face Quirrell. Left alone in the chamber of secrets at the end of second year. Left alone to fight the dementors at the end of third and Voldemort at the end of fourth.

And now he was left alone to find the last horcuxes. Ron didn’t give a damn, he had Hermione ‘back’ in his life again- Harry had hardly spoken to him over the past two weeks. And he didn’t care too- Ron was better off with Hermione.

‘I don’t need you!’ Harry bellowed as he stood one of his shortcuts. ‘I’m doing fine on my own! As always!’

‘Harry?’

Harry spun around and had to grab the wall. Hermione was standing there, watching him with a curious look on her face.

‘Harry, are you ok?’

‘Fine,’ he said through gritted teeth.

‘I haven’t seen you around much.’

‘Researching,’ he grunted, turning and starting to walk away.

‘Why won’t you talk to me?’ she called after him and he stopped and took a deep breath.

‘Harry,’ she said, her voice laughing and teasing him. ‘Harry, c’mon!’

‘Nope- not talking to you,’ Harry said, turning his face away from her.

‘Harry- it was an accident. An accident.’

‘Oh sure, an accident, whatever you say Hermione- I’m still not talking to you,’ he said, turning his whole body away from her. ‘And don’t make that face at me!’

‘I wasn’t making a face!’ she exclaimed. ‘C’mon Harry, I’m sorry! Talk to me! I really didn’t mean to kick you there!’

He turned slowly and looked her in the eyes.

‘You’re so cute,’ he whispered and she laughed.

‘Even when I hurt you?’

‘Well, no. But you’re cute when you’re begging for me to talk to you.’

‘What do you mean?’ he asked, standing still, his palms going sweaty.

‘What do I mean? I mean you’re avoiding me- we’ve hardly spoken since I got out of the hospital! I get attacked and need my friends near me and my best friend decides he needs to ‘research’?’

‘Well, I don’t have much longer left to use the Hogwart’s library,’ he said evenly.

‘That’s the biggest load of bull I ever heard.’

He stayed where he was and could hear the sound of her shoes clicking on the stone floor as she made her way towards him.

‘Harry, you’re hiding something from me,’ she said quietly. ‘I know you are. I know everyone is. I just don’t know what it is.’

Harry could look at her. He knew that if he looked into those deep, brown eyes he would see his Hermione lurking there. The Hermione who made him feel like a person. The Hermione who loved him. Not this… imitation Hermione. He wanted his Hermione back and he was dying being so close to her and not being able to say anything.

‘Please, Harry,’ she whispered back. ‘Help me.’

Harry’s senses were working in overtime. His head was telling him that he couldn’t. His heart was telling him that he should. And his stomach was telling him that it was time for dinner.

He didn’t reply. He didn’t know how. Instead he just walked away, down the corridor and out of the tapestry at the far end. Hermione watched him go, tears rolling down her cheeks. The last two weeks had been hell. Trying to adjust to what had happened to her in the forest, trying to remember what had happened to her, trying to adjust to her new lessons… she was so all over the place that she almost didn’t know left from right.

She walked the opposite way to Harry, back up to the common room. She knew Ron would be at dinner and it would give her time alone. Ron was number one on the list of things confusing her. Harry was second and then everything else on her mind all jumbled up and became number three.

She sat down at the window seat in the common room and watched the storm rolling across the grounds. The rain was slow and steady and the lighting was beautiful. Despite the fact that her mind was moving at a hundred miles an hour, she fell fast asleep.

When she awoke the room was completely pitch black. And a note had been left in her hand. She was curious- who would be leaving her notes like that. She held it in her hand for several moments, before carefully opening it.

Drop everything, start it all over. Remember more than you’d like to forget.

‘Drop everything, start it all over?’ she said to herself, rereading the note over and over again. ‘Well that’s just stupid.’

She scrunched the note up into a ball and threw it in the fire, before heading up to her dormitory.

7. Seven

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Two updates in a matter of days! Yay! Only cause my partner has gone away for a bit longer this weekend so I’m alone for longer to be able to update! Yay! To all the people who are reading this, thank you! To all those people reviewing, thank you even more! I love nothing better than to check my e-mails and see lots of new reviews! I promise that I will eventually reply to every review, but it takes time. I swear I will but!!!

Six

Walking briskly across the grounds, she checked her watch, before quickening her step.

‘Shouldn’t have stalled for so long,’ she muttered to herself, breaking into a jog, her feet barely touching the dewy grass. She could see the outline of the gamekeepers hut and there were lights on inside. He was waiting for her.

They came out of nowhere. There was three of them, in masks. She couldn’t see them. She tried to scream, but they had muted her voice. She tried to kick, but they had pinned her legs.

They lifted her easily and carried her into the forest. She was trying to scream and trying to reach for her wand, but she couldn’t. Her arms were pinned, like her legs.

She felt a curse hit her chest and her whole body burned in pain. When it stopped, she could hear voices… voices that seemed so familiar…

‘Hello, Granger,’ the person with black eyes hissed to her. She tried to scream their name, but her voice was muffled. ‘I’m going to enjoy this.’

All three of her attackers raised their wands and pain beyond any pain that Hermione had ever felt soared through her body. She couldn’t scream, she couldn’t do anything. Her mind was slowly fading on her. She tried to fight back in her mind, but she couldn’t. She could feel herself slipping away.

And then it stopped. The magic stopped. Her limbs all felt like they were shaking and filled with hot lead.

The first hit with the branch came out of nowhere. She still couldn’t scream. Over and over again they hit her all over her body and she couldn’t take it… it just hurt so much…she tried to scream but she couldn’t… she had never been so scared… why wasn’t anyone coming for her… how did they get in… she was in so much pain as the branch hit her again and again and the spells were relentless…

Harry’s face swam in her mind and her heart soared slightly… he would come for her… surely he would…

Her voice came back, very briefly, enabling her to give out one loud scream. This startled the attackers, so much so that the mask fell off one of them.

The black haired man hurriedly put his mask back on, but the damage was done. She had seen him.

Watching fearfully, her voice once again muted, she watched him stalk over to the one holding this stick. He grabbed the stick roughly and came back over to her. He kicked her hard in the side and with such force that she rolled over.

She didn’t see him raising the stick into the air, but she felt it collide with the back of her skull, before she blacked out…

With a scream, Hermione sat up in bed and panted for a few seconds. For the first time, she had dreamt about her attack. She was still shaking as she looked around the dark room, noticing that neither Parvati or Lavender had awoken with her screams. Which was good.

Quietly as she could, she slipped from the bed, drew on her dressing gown and headed down into the common room. The dawn was grey and the rain was still hanging around, although quite misty. She made her way to the fireplace and picked up the poker and began shifting through the ashes.

She was surprised when she found the note that had been given to her last night. It had hardly been singed. She opened it again and reread the words.

Drop everything, start it all over. Remember more than you’d like to forget.

She slipped it into the pocket of her dressing gown and ran towards the portrait hole. Her feet seemed to guide her themselves and she found herself climbing the stairs towards the astronomy tower. She burst out the door to the top, into the rain, and found Harry standing there, watching over the side.

He turned around, in shock. It was very early in the morning and he wasn’t expecting anyone to come up this way.

‘I have to ask you something,’ she said, stepping out and letting the rain crash on to her. Within seconds she was drenched, but she didn’t care.

‘Yeah?’

‘When… when I was attacked… did it… did it do something to me… something inside?’

‘What?’ Harry’s heart was thumping so loud he was surprised she couldn’t hear it.

‘I think I know why everyone has been avoiding me for the past three weeks,’ she said and Harry turned to face her. ‘I just had… had a dream, about my attack… the whole thing… every detail…’

Harry stepped closer towards her. She looked at him, tears slowly falling from her eyes and mixing with the rain on her face.

‘They hit me… with a branch… over the head… and…’ she paused. The look on her face said the words she couldn’t say. She didn’t know how she had figured this out… she just had. Her dream had made pieces click into place in her mind and she knew. She knew.

Harry didn’t speak and she started to cry even harder.

‘I’ve… I’ve been having… odd thoughts… weird things… I can’t explain…’ she began pacing, not noticing her tears that were mingling with the rain. ‘Like why are we heading into Christmas, without snow? Why isn’t everyone excited about the holidays?’ Why is Lavender’s hair so much longer?’

Harry said nothing. His fists were clenched.

‘Harry… I think… I know… I lost… something… something is different… you all know it but… but I don’t… and I think I… I think I know…’ she paused whilst she walked over to him and looked him in the eyes. She was crying her hardest yet. ‘Have… have I lost… my memory?’

Harry made no noise or movement and she fell to her knees on the wet stone, almost screaming.

‘How… much…’ she managed to gasp.

‘Si… six… six months,’ Harry said, his voice breaking up.

She cried even harder, falling sideways onto the stone wall and drawing her knees up to her chest, burying her head in them.

‘C’mere,’ he said gently, bending down beside her and taking her in his arms for the first time in almost a month.

~*~

Harry held onto Hermione until the tears had subsided. The rain still beat down on them steadily and he let her cry herself hoarse. When she finally couldn’t cry and longer, he led her down the stairs, through the castle, into see Minerva.

And it was outside Minerva’s office that he had been waiting for almost three hours. He had promised her that he would wait outside for her. He wondered if Minerva was telling her everything, or whether she was explaining about why she had lost six months of her life in an instant.

The office door opened and Harry jumped to his feet. Hermione looked even worse than she had in the hospital. Her face was red and tear stained, her hair was frizzy from being out in the rain and she just looked miserable.

She walked straight past Harry, in a daze. Minerva looked at him softly, before moving aside from the door and indicating for Harry to enter, which he did, his mind more focused on the footsteps he could hear running down the stone corridor.

‘So…’ he said, looking Minerva straight in the eyes.

‘Miss Granger is aware of her condition,’ she answered hastily. ‘However, she did not wish to be told anything.’

‘What?’ Harry was confused. If it was him, he’d want to know everything straight away.

‘She wants to remember on her own,’ Minerva reached into her pocket and pulled out the crumpled up piece of parchment. ‘However, she did give me this.’

Harry took the note from Minerva and read it slowly.

‘What does this…’

‘It’s a good question, Harry,’ Minerva said, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. ‘Miss Granger does not know who wrote the note. However, I have a feeling of who it might have been.’

‘Who?’

‘Ginny.’

‘Ginny?’ Harry repeated, staring at the note again. ‘Why?’

‘Miss Weasley has changed over the past few weeks, something I know you would have noticed. Perhaps, part of this change, involved growing up and realizing that the love of her life… loved someone else.’

Harry stared at the note. Only the day before Ginny had been trying to get him back… surely she wouldn’t have gotten over the fact that Harry no longer thought of her that way overnight…

~*~

Hermione just ran. She forget Minerva’s dire warnings about being on her own on the grounds. She bolted for the only safe place she knew, Hagrid’s. She wished that Hagrid was there, but he had been away for almost the entire year. Dumbledore’s death had hit him as hard as it had hit Harry, if not harder. And he and Grawp had gone on a ‘mission’ at the start of the school year.

Of course, Hermione didn’t know why they weren’t back yet. She had to know, on some level, but it hadn’t come through.

She was so unfocused that she didn’t see Ron calling out to her as she ran past him, nor did she notice him following her. She reached the hut and run inside, throwing herself on Hagrid’s giant bed and just sobbing her heart out.

Ron entered the hut moments later and waited in the doorway until her tears had subsided. When her moans became hiccups he approached gently and sat on the edge of the bed and patted her arm gently. She looked up and smiled meekly at him.

‘Hi,’ she said hoarsly.

‘Hi,’ he replied. ‘Rough morning?’

Ron had been coming down the boys stairs when he had seen Hermione pull something out of the fire and then run out of the common room almost in tears. He had spent the morning looking for her, without any success. That was why he had followed her from the castle- he was worried about her.

‘Not the best,’ she said, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling. All the crying had bought back the headache she had had for the first few days in the hospital wing. ‘I just never… I mean, it’s so hard… it’s like…’

‘Can you speak in normal sentences?’ Ron said and she almost laughed.

‘You’ve always made me laugh,’ she sighed. ‘And you’ve always made me mad.’

‘That’s me,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘One extreme to the other.’

‘Ron, I,’ she looked at him and he felt his heart clench up tight. He knew that look…

‘Ron, can we talk?’

It was late. The common room was empty. Ron had been sitting up, staring into the fire. He and Hermione had rowed, earlier before dinner and he had stomped up here in a bad mood. Everyone had avoided him all night.

‘Er, sure,’ he said, not taking his gaze from the fire. She had only said four words and his heart had already packed its bags and left him. His stomach was on its way and he knew his brain wouldn’t be too far off it.

She sat down next to him and stared into the fire.

‘When… when we, you know, talked this summer…’ she paused and sighed. ‘We agreed, to, well, give this a go… and then… if, you know, it didn’t, just, well… go back to being friends…’

Ron took his gaze from the fire and stared up at the roof, willing the tears that had sprung up to roll back into his head.

‘I guess that’s what you want,’ he muttered. She placed a reassuring hand on his knee.

‘Sometimes two people just aren’t suited for each other.’

Ron couldn’t speak. He got up and slowly walked out of the common room and up to his dormitory. He put a silencing charm on his four poster before he dared let the emotion out.

He cried every night after that. Always with the silencing charm on.

‘I think we’re better as friends,’ she said slowly and carefully. Ron shook himself out of the memories of the last time they had this conversation.

‘Oh, ok,’ was all he managed. She sat up and took his hand and looked into his eyes.

‘I just…. I just don’t think it’s a good idea… what, with me thinking it’s November…’ she said and Ron almost fell off the bed.

‘What?’

‘Ron- it’s ok,’ she said, smiling properly for the first time. ‘I know. I know I’m behind a little.’

‘And what else do you know?’ he asked carefully.

‘Aside from the fact that I’m missing six months of my life, not much,’ she sighed. ‘I’ve just got to focus on remembering what I’ve lost. And, well, I just think…’

She looked at Ron curiously.

‘I get the feeling…’ she said softly. ‘That we had a very similar conversation.’

‘We did,’ Ron said honestly. ‘We did.’

Hermione just nodded.

‘Come on,’ he said, standing up and offering her his hand. ‘Let’s go back up to the castle.’

She allowed Ron to lead her outside and back up to the castle, all the while thirteen words going through her mind.

Drop everything. Start it all over. Remember more than you’d like to forget.

8. Eight (And a note on the chapter numbers)

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing and thanks to the person who recommended this story! It’s my first ever recommended fic! I’m so happy! I just can’t remember who it was and I can’t check! Now, someone has noticed yet that I totally botched up the chapter numbering (it’s what happens when I’m having to update very very quickly because of the fact that I’m picking up my dad’s wireless network connection and it drops out continually cause it has to travel through the house and halfway down the backyard to get to my room and I can never find my memory stick to put the update on before I go to use his computer…). So forget the chapter numbering, I’m over it and I will continue to mis-number my chapters cause I’m stupid…

Eight

Hermione, being Hermione, wasn’t content to let her memory come back to her as it happened. Being Hermione, she was certain that it was something that a book could help her with.

That being said, the book that she needed had gone missing. Ron, her confidant to what she was trying to do, had explained that Minerva had taken all objects from Hermione that would twig her to something.

Including her journal.

But Hermione, being Hermione, was not deterred. Harry was startled when he walked into the common room that night and found that Hermione had set herself up at one of the tables up the back of the common room, working on a rather large bit of parchment.

‘Hi,’ he said approaching the table. She held up a hand, telling him to be quiet whilst she finished what she was doing. He stood at the edge of the table, patiently waiting.

‘Sorry,’ she said, looking up. ‘Had to get that down.’

‘Er, what exactly are you doing?’

‘Something to help me,’ she said brightly. ‘I’m recording everything that has changed since what I remember- well, what I know has changed, see,’ she held up the chart. ‘And I’m going to focus on remembering them all one little thing at a time.’

Harry looked carefully at the chart. In the very centre of the very bottom he saw his name written in big, bold letters.

‘Uh, you remember who I am,’ he said carefully.

‘I know,’ she said, spreading the chart back on the table. ‘But I have to remember things to do with you- like things I’ve helped you with.’

Like things I’ve helped you with.

Her last words rolled around in Harry’s head as he bade her goodnight and headed up to his bed. It was still only early, but he didn’t much fancy hanging around in the common room. Ginny had been trying to catch his eye all afternoon and Ron… he didn’t really know what had been up with Ron that day. He had seemed so had yet so happy when Harry had stumbled across him in the library. Harry was still reeling from how bizarrely he had been acting when Luna Lovegood had appeared and starting talking about something so baffling that Harry couldn’t even remember what it was.

Hermione had hit the nail on the head, wishing to remember things she had helped Harry with since the previous November. She had helped him with so much. If only she could remember just how much…

~*~

The ground of Hogwarts were covered with snow and it was the first sunny winters day they had had all winter. It was also the first day of the Christmas holiday’s. Harry and Hermione had said goodbye to everyone from Gryffindor that morning- they would be the only students staying at school over the break. Hermione stayed because she wanted to use the library, to study for the NEWT’s. Harry had stayed because he wanted Hermione’s help with research on the Horcruxes and because Hogwarts was the only place he felt safe, although not as safe as he had felt whilst Dumbledore was still alive.

They had spent most of the morning in the library, Hermione writing out a list of assignments that she wanted to complete over the break, Harry sitting there alternating between watching her and looking longingly out the window.

‘C’mon, let’s not waste the entire day,’ he said mid-way through the afternoon. They had only left the library for lunch.

‘But I’m almost done on this essay,’ Hermione said briskly.

‘Hermione, it’s a brilliant day outside. Let’s not waste it!’

She considered him for a moment, then looked back at her half finished essay. She hadn’t written anything new on it for about twenty minutes.

‘Oh, alright.’

They hurried back up to Gryffindor tower, where they put on their boots and cloaks and then headed out onto the grounds. They walked along the shore of the lake, talking about different things. They talked about how strange the year so far had been. It was a different school, since only a handful of Slytherin’s had returned. There were no Slytherin’s from fourth year up, only one or two from each of second and third years and six new first year Slytherin’s. It was strange to not come across Draco Malfoy and his cronies and Hermione confessed she even missed Pansy Parkinson’s snide comments.

They sat down in the snow, beside the lake as they sun started to set and they were quiet for a few moments.

‘This is nice,’ Hermione said simply.

‘What is?’

‘Being here, with you and only you.’

Hermione awoke with a start and for a few frenzied moments couldn’t remember where she was. Giving her eyes a chance to adjust, she realized she had fallen asleep at the table where she had been working on her ‘remembrance chart’. She looked at the chart, at the bottom where she had written Harry’s name.

They had been alone over Christmas, she remembered now. Her dream about the day in the snow was real, it had happened. Hermione could see it all clearly now. The way they had talked, the snowball fight that had happened in the dark as they had headed back up to the school. They had eaten dinner in the common room, in front of the fire and they had sat up late, drinking hot chocolate and dreaming of their life after Hogwarts.

She could see it all so clearly, but could not remember why it seemed so significant.

Taking up her discarded quill, she dipped it in ink and in small hand writing, wrote a small note underneath Harry’s name.

Christmas. Walk in the snow. Talking.

She then rolled it back up and packed her things up and checked her watch. 2am. Yawning, she gathered her things in her arms and headed up to her dormitory.

~*~

Hermione woke at daybreak after having a dream free sleep once she had gotten into bed. As quietly as she could, she pulled her chart from her bag and found her eyes immediately drawn to where she had written Harry’s name and her note. A thought had come to her as she was climbing into bed and she looked at the broken line she had drawn between Harry’s name and Ginny’s.

She had realized when she was climbing into bed that Ginny had snapped at her ‘because you’re with him’. Could that have something to do with the dream she’d had the night before?

‘It would explain a lot,’ she muttered to herself, drawing out her quill and scribbling those words along the broken line.

She dressed in her school robes quickly and stuffed her chart into her bad. Her first lesson that morning was with Minerva and it was straight after breakfast. She would show the chart to her and see what she thought.

Ron was already up and in the common room when she headed downstairs and they had gone to breakfast together. Ron had seemed so much happier since the conversation they’d had in Hagrid’s Hut. He was positively beaming whilst they ate breakfast and she broached the subject as they were climbing the stairs for her to go to her lesson with Minerva and he to go to Charms.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ she said and he looked at her with a smile.

‘Sure.’

‘That conversation we had yesterday. The one we’ve had before,’ she said and he slowed down a bit, the smile fading slightly. ‘We- we had it before Christmas, right?’

‘Um, yeah,’ he said. ‘In November.’

‘And…’ she paused, unsure of how to say it. ‘And since then, have you… you know, started to see someone else?’

Ron stopped dead and seemed to not want to answer.

‘Sorry,’ she said quickly.

‘What for? It’s just…’ it was his turn to pause as he looked at her. ‘I hadn’t actually told anyone.’

‘Who is she?’

‘Just someone,’ he said vaguely.

‘Well, whoever she is, she makes you happy,’ Hermione said almost wisely. ‘You’ve looked so much happier since our talk yesterday.’

‘Yeah, well…’ he trailed off.

‘So, who is it?’ she asked again as they started to walk. Ron mumbled something and she didn’t catch it. ‘Sorry?’

‘Luna,’ he said quickly and Hermione felt like her jaw was sitting on the floor. ‘Don’t laugh.’

‘Was I?’ she said, smiling at him. ‘I’m happy for you, Ron.’

‘Just don’t bloody tell anyone,’ he growled as she reached Minerva’s classroom.

‘I promise, I won’t.’

10. Nine

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Yes! An actual update!!! *cheers* The rewrites are going well- haven’t had much time to work on them but- had a lot of stuff going on lately (don’t ask). But I should get a whole heap written tonight which means you will get an update next weekend too! Yay!

Nine

The note was delivered by a very stressed looking Professor Flitwick, who’s only words were to tell Hermione that the note was from Minerva and that all her lessons would be cancelled for the day Hermione was thoroughly disgruntled by this news and she muttered to herself the entire way back up to Gryffindor tower about how unfair it was.

She was, however, very confused when she arrived in the tower, as the entire of Gryffindor was waiting in the common room, looking panicked and worried.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked Ron as she found her way over to him. Harry was nowhere to be seen.

‘Dunno,’ Ron said. ‘Got to Charms and Flitwick was talking with Minerva, who looked very harassed about something. Flitwick then sent us to our common rooms. Everyone else has pretty much the same story.’

‘Where’s Harry?’ Hermione asked, her face drawn with worry. ‘If something is going on…’

‘I’m right here,’ Harry said, coming up behind them. ‘And I don’t know what’s going on so don’t ask,’ he added, looking at Ron.

Hermione felt weird. This was the first time since her attack that she had been with both of her best friends at the same time. Though, she couldn’t figure out why it was so weird.

‘Come on, let’s find some seats, I’m not going to stand up forever,’ she said, putting an end to the awkward silence.

They left their school bags where they had been standing and picked their way through the crowd and found that the window seats were empty. Hermione sat down immediately and saw Ron and Harry both hesitate over the seat next to her.

‘I don’t bite,’ she sad playfully and they both laughed, a bit too eagerly. Harry eventually took the seat and he was sitting so far away from her that she was starting to think she was contagious.

An hour passed. People were starting to get restless, they weren’t used to being shut up in the tower in the middle of the day. A few games of exploding snap broke out, however they caused more problems than they solved, as people didn’t like cards blowing up behind them as they were packed in.

After what seemed like an eternity, Minerva made her way into the common room and a quiet fell at once.

‘I apologise for the secrecy and panic this morning,’ she started calmly. ‘There has been an incident in Hogsmeade this morning. Three known death eaters were spotted by the Auror’s patrolling the visit and a scuffle broke out.’

The whole room tensed at the news that death eaters had been so close to the school.

‘Luckily, the Auror’s were successful on this occasion and I’m pleased to tell you that Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape have been arrested.’

A murmer broke out through the students. The fact that a former student and professor had been arrested caused much more interest- and that they were caught so close to the school!

Hermione had gone deathly white at the mention of the three names. Minerva was still speaking, but she couldn’t hear anything that she was saying… the room was so hot… why didn’t they have any windows open…

‘Hermione!’ Harry cried suddenly, throwing out his arms to catch her as she slipped off the seat into a dead faint.

~*~

Hermione opened her eyes and for a moment was confused as to why exactly she was in the hospital wing.

And then it came back to her.

The death eaters in Hogsmeade. The heat.

She had fainted.

Harry and Ron were both beside her bed, looking very worried. She smiled weakly at them as she became more aware and they both seemed to exhale at the same time.

‘You gave us such a fright,’ Harry said, relief evident on his face. ‘Don’t do that again, ok?’

‘I’ll try not to,’ she said, realizing how weak she felt. ‘I just… I just don’t know what came over me.’

Both boys nodded and Ron muttered something about going to tell Minerva that she had woken. Harry stayed right where he was.

It was Harry who had carried her to the hospital without saying a word. She had been out for a few hours and it was that that had worried Mineva and Madam Pomfrey. Especially after such serious head injuries so recently.

But now that she was awake, Hermione didn’t seem to care about that. She had only one thing on her mind and she had to tell Harry.

‘I know why they were in Hogsmeade,’ she blurted out suddenly. Harry seemed to not know what she meant for a moment, before remembering the events of the morning.

‘How?’ was all he could ask.

‘Harry…’ she paused and closed her eyes. She could see it all so clearly now. ‘They were the ones who attacked me.’

Harry stood up slowly.

‘Snape? And Malfoy?’

‘And Bellatrix,’ she added softly. ‘I think I know what happened… they thought I was dead from the branch they were hitting me with… but they hid to see what happened… but I was alive… they botched up… they were meant to kill me… so they stayed in hiding in the forest and they were trying to make a run for it…’

‘Are you sure?’ Harry asked and she nodded.

‘It just… hit me, when Minerva said the names. I knew it was them, I just couldn’t get the words out. That’s why I fainted. Except…’

Ron came back into the room with Minerva and both of them looked curiously between Harry and Hermione. Hermione stopped in the middle of her sentence.

‘Go on- tell them,’ he urged and she repeated what she had told Harry, but for some reason she didn’t finish what she was about to tell Harry earlier. Minerva said nothing, just nodded her head and told Hermione to eat something and get some sleep, before hurrying off. Harry watched her go, before excusing himself and following her.

‘Well, it’s just us then,’ Ron said, pulling his chair closer to the bed. ‘Chocolate frog?’

~*~

‘Are you going to get the Order to confirm what she said?’ Harry asked Minerva as he followed her down the corridor. Minerva nodded shortly.

‘Of course I am, Potter,’ she said, speaking her password to the gargoyle and they both started climbing the spiral staircase. They reached the heads office and took up their usual seats- Minerva behind the desk, Harry in front of it.

‘It’s almost time,’ Harry said and Minerva just looked him straight in the eyes.

‘Harry, it was time a few weeks ago,’ she said, only half sternly.

‘I know,’ he said bashfully. ‘I just…’ he sighed. ‘I just didn’t want to leave without… without her remembering.’

‘Today just proves that you can’t put it off any longer,’ she said gently. ‘Potter, you have to go search for the horcruxes. I cannot help you. Miss Granger and Mr Weasley can only help you so far. Don’t you remember the conversation we had at the start of the year?’

‘How could I forget,’ Harry said softly.

He could never forget sitting down with Minerva and telling her everything that Dumbledore had told him about the horcruxes. She had listened with interest, but being Minerva wasn’t happy to live in the world of speculation. So Harry had told her his plan. He didn’t care about exams marks any more. He only came back to school for one reason- to have access to the library. He was honest with Minerva back in September and told her he didn’t expect to be at school still by exam time.

But exam time was agonizingly close and he was still at the school. And they both knew it was because of Hermione. He wasn’t going to go until Hermione remembered what he was to her.

‘Harry,’ Minerva said softly. ‘I think you might just have to leave.’

Harry didn’t say anything. He was afraid she was going to say that. He couldn’t speak. He stood up and headed out of the office, down the spiral staircase and back out into the corridor. He was distracted by his thoughts as he wandered aimlessly back towards the tower. He was so distracted that when he ran into something solid he tried to keep walking.

‘You alright there, ‘Arry?’ a loud voice said. Harry looked up and delight rushed through him.

‘Hargid!’ he exclaimed, wrapping himself around Hagrid’s leg. ‘When did you get back?’

‘This mornin’,’ Hagrid said. ‘Had to get Grawpy back up in the mountains. Got to ‘Ogsmeade just as Snape and Malfoy and that Lestrange woman came out of the forest. Helped the Auror’s and the Order stop them from escaping.’

‘Well it’s good to have you back,’ Harry said, feeling the happiest he had felt in weeks.

‘So what’s been goin on?’ Hagrid asked as they started to walk towards the hospital wing.

‘Let’s see…’ Harry paused and tried to look as if he was thinking. ‘Where shall I start?’

‘At the start,’ Hagrid said. ‘I’ve been away all year.’

‘Well the year started with a bang, what with all the Slytherin’s not returning and those Ravenclaw’s getting chucked out for their connections to the Death Eaters. Kept going in the same vein, people leaving cause of the Death Eaters or because their families had been killed or because their parents wanted them at home. And then…’ Harry paused. ‘Snape, Malfoy and Bellatrix were trying to make a run for it after they half killed Hermione.’

‘WHAT!’ Hagrid’s bellow echoed through the stone corridor. ‘Hermione?’

‘Yeah,’ Harry nodded. And as they walked, he explained the story of what had happened. ‘And then when Minerva told us this morning about them being caught, something happened and she fainted. She’s still in the hospital wing.’

Hagrid shook his bushy head.

‘I dunno what this world is coming to,’ he said sagely. ‘When Hermione gets better, you all better come down and have some tea with me.’

‘We will,’ Harry assured him as they reached the door to the hospital wing. Harry then bade him goodnight as entered.

‘Hey, Harry, you’re just in time!’ Ron said, patting the seat next to him indicating for Harry to sit. ‘Hermione’s little faint seemed to have been a good thing- she’s remembered some stuff.’

Harry couldn’t put his finger on the feeling, but it annoyed him greatly that just two days after Hermione had found out that she was missing six months of her life, Ron had become her best friend and most trusted confidante. It made Harry’s stomach feel like it needed to move to a new home somewhere higher up his torso.

‘So, what new things can you remember?’ Harry asked, trying to sound brighter than he felt.

‘Well,’ she started. ‘When you and Minerva left, I asked Ron what it would all be about and he mentioned the horcruxes and it was like an avalanche hit me. It was strange, I could suddenly remember all this stuff about the horcruxes!’

‘Like what?’ Harry said, suddenly eager.

‘Like…’ she dropped her voice so that Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t be able to hear her. ‘Like the necklace.’

‘What about it?’

‘Harry, the necklace is at headquaters.’

Harry was struck dumb. He remembered the locket that they couldn’t open when they had been cleaning, that summer between fourth and fifth years. He had never connected that locket and… he gasped.

‘R.A.B.,’ he said and Hermione nodded.

‘Regulas A Black,’ she said with a smile. ‘Are you glad I fainted now,’ she said, batting her eyelids.

‘Very,’ he said and without realizing what he was doing he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

11. Ah I forgot what chapter no I was up too lol

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

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.

12. Chapter Eleven

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: So you get two update in one weekend! Wow! Aren’t you all so lucky? But it’s the next update you’ll be anticipating, as I might have some news for you… just a note for this chapter- Hagrid is a character that I don’t write too well, so just ignore if he seems OOC cause I can’t write him, but this chapter was kind of needed.

Eleven

Hagrid opened his door after only one knock and his face was almost split in two by the grin he got. He ushered them inside and made them all a cup of tea, served up some biscuits and just sat back in his chair and looked at them.

‘I can’t believe how grown up you all are,’ he said gruffly. ‘Seems like only yesterday you started here.’

‘Sometimes it seems like I’ve never lived anywhere else,’ Hermione said sadly. ‘I’m going to miss Hogwarts when we’ve left.’

Harry felt his stomach grow heavy. Hermione’s words had been so true- he was going to miss Hogwarts dearly.

‘So, tell us Hagrid, what have you been doing all year?’ Ron asked, helping himself to some biscuits.

‘What, you mean you don’t already know?’ Hagrid said cheekily and they exchanged looks.

‘Well, no we don’t,’ Harry said. ‘We’ve got guesses, but we don’t know for sure.’

‘I’m shocked,’ Hagrid said with a chuckle. ‘Never known three for knowing more than they should.’

‘Well tell us so we don’t break the cycle,’ Ron said through a mouthful of biscuit. Hagrid chuckled again.

‘Oh, alright then,’ he sat up a bit straighter and looked at the three of them. ‘Before Dumbledore died, he had been talking to me about a forest in Albania, the one where You-Know-Who was hiding before he came back. Dumbledore needed someone to go on a mission to the forest and find out what sort of creatures dwelled inside- he never said why, but he felt it was important.

‘I spent the summer with Grawp and Olympe, at Olympe’s school in France. She helped with maps of the area and planning routes and stuff. I came back to Hogwarts only very briefly, as you three well know. I told Minerva my plan and then I left with Grawp.’

‘So what happened?’ Ron asked excitedly.

‘Took us a while to reach the area- could only travel at night with Grawp.’

‘Why take Grawp then?’

‘I had no idea what was in that forest- for all I know it could be jinxed so you’d never find your way out.’

‘And how could Grawp beat a jinx?’ Hermione wondered outloud.

‘By smashing the forest to smithereens- he’s good at that you know,’ Hagrid said darkly. ‘So, as I was sayin, we left the school and traveled by night and without magic. It was winter when we arrived. We set up a camp just inside the forest and outside of a small village. Through the day we explored the forest, through the night we watched the village. I had a strange feeling about that village.

‘We explored the forest for two months. What we found strange was the area in the middle was so…’ Hagrid paused. ‘Sounds stupid, but evil is the only word to describe it. No creatures dwelled in this area. You could feel the dark magic in the air.’

Harry shivered at Hagrid’s description.

‘Did you see anything in there?’

‘Only one thing,’ it was Hagrid’s turn to shiver. ‘You remember Bertha Jorkins? You-Know-Who didn’t do a very good job of disposing of her.’

Hermione went pale as death, Ron looked slightly green and Harry knew he looked no better.

‘The weather was starting to warm up by then. I’d done what Dumbledore had wanted, I’d scouted it out. There was no dark activity in there no more. We decided to camp for one more night, have one last look around and then start heading home. It was that night…’ Hagrid’s voice faltered. ‘That village on the edge of the forest. I’d had a strange feeling about it since I arrived there, that something wasn’t right…’

Harry, Ron and Hermione moved to the edge of their seats.

‘The ruddy Death Eaters had put half the town under the Imperius curse. That last night we were there it was…’ Hagrid choked up. ‘Muggles killing Muggles, then killing themselves. It was a blood bath.’

Hermione clapped a hand over her throat to stifle a scream.

‘I read about that… in the Muggle papers…’ she whispered, pale as a ghost.

‘It was Death Eaters,’ Hagrid said. ‘I watched ‘em after the Muggles had finished each other off. A few survived, but not many. The Death Eater’s finished them off. Once I knew what was happening, I contacted the Order, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. And I would have been no use to the Muggles, would’ve scared them more than anything.’

Hagrid fell silent and Hermione wiped away a tear. Ron was still green and Harry just wanted to go out and get revenge for those poor Muggles who had no idea why their friends and neighbours had suddenly turned on them.

‘We left the next night. Was hard too- Muggle Auror’s from the next village swarming everywhere. If they had’ve seen us, we would have been dead. And then we get back in time to see three black haired people coming out of our forest.’

‘Three black haired people?’ Hermione asked confused.

‘Snape, Malfoy and that Bellatrix.’

‘But Malfoy doesn’t half black hair,’ Ron said quickly.

‘He does now,’ Hagrid said. ‘A lot has happened to Malfoy since last year.’

Harry burned inside. If it wasn’t for Malfoy, Dumbledore would still be alive.

‘Lucius is still in Azkaban and his mother Narcissa renounced the Dark Lord,’ Hagrid told them. ‘Narcissa ran away, too scared without Lucius. No one has seen her or heard from her since last June. Which left Draco in a tight spot- his parents were blood traitors. So he changed his hair colour to black to be more like the only family member he still considered ‘worthy’. Bellatrix Lestrange.’

Harry looked at Hermione who was looking strange.

‘Are you ok?’ he asked worriedly.

‘I’m fine,’ she said, breathing slowly. ‘I just think I should perhaps go back to the castle and get some rest.’

‘I’ll take you,’ Ron said at once and drained his tea cup. Harry and Hagrid waved them good bye from the front door.

‘So they’re still going out?’ Hagrid queried Harry as he started to clean up. Harry stood with his back to Hagrid, watching them out the window still.

‘No,’ Harry said sadly.

‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ Hagrid said airily.

‘She’s meant to be going out with me,’ Harry said, turning and facing Hagrid. Hagrid dropped the teacup he was wiping dry.

‘What!’

‘Yeah… only problem is, thanks to Snape, Malfoy and Bellatrix, she can’t remember that…’

Hagrid looked at Harry sadly.

‘It’ll all be ok, Harry,’ he said warmly. ‘She’ll remember.’

‘I hope so,’ Harry said and before he realized what he was doing, he had flung himself at Hagrid in tears. ‘Why is everything so damn hard?’

13. Twelve

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: You guys must really love me, getting so many updates lately!!! I’m just updating when I get the chance cause well, I’ve finished writing this and I’ve… started work on a story to follow on from this… More details will be coming soon, but I’m going pretty good with writing it, so far. I’ve got the idea and you should see all the notes I’ve got hidden all over the place! If I didn’t have to hide my fan fic writing habits from my bf, I’d have wall chart detailing the plot, but I can’t, so I have to make do with my little notes and maps everywhere! If get a chance on the weekend, I’ll scan and upload some of the story maps and notes that go with this, so you can see just how much thought goes into this story!!!

I just also want to thank the people who have been reviewing this story so far. I love checking my e-mails and seeing all your wonderful reviews. It’s what gets me through the day, waiting to come home and see my reviews!!! Reviews are what keeps me going!!! So keep ‘em coming!!!

Twelve

Embarrassed by his outburst in Hagrid’s hut, Harry hid himself in the library on his return to the castle. Hidden in his favorite little hiding place, he looked at the books he had selected from the shelves in the restricted section. All three of them contained the darkest magic that Hogwart’s would allow in books, even those hidden away in the restricted section. Harry had read them several times cover to cover now and they contained very little information. It was frustrating- he’d come to realise that he would need to use Dark Magic to destroy the Horcruxes, the only problem being that nothing in the Hogwart’s library would help him. He needed somewhere with books solely on Dark Magic… somewhere like…

He gulped, the answer coming to the forefront of his mind at once. The same answer that had been coming to his mind for weeks, months even. The answer that perhaps would also lead him to a horcrux, but would lead him to a place he never wanted to see again…

Grimmauld Place.

He closed the cover of ‘Foulest of the Foulest’ and sighed. He jumped when he heard his sigh mirrored. Looking up, he was looking straight into the brown, almost hazel eyes of Ginny Weasley.

‘Oh,’ he said softly, looking back down.

‘Don’t sound so happy to see me next time’ she said, dragging over a chair and sitting opposite him.

‘Just having a rough day,’ Harry said, sighing again. Ginny smiled at him, as if to say ‘tell me about it’.

Silence encompassed them. Harry run his fingers over the embossed cover of ‘Foulest of the Foulest’ and tried to look at anything but Ginny.

‘So…’ she said gingerly. ‘They caught Malfoy. And Snape.’

‘Yeah,’ Harry said vaguely. ‘Here’s hoping all three of them pay for what they’ve done- Sirius, Dumbledore and…’ he trailed off. ‘Hermione.’

It felt strange to Harry, to be feeling worse about what happened to Hermione than the deaths of his godfather and mentor. But part of him had accepted that Sirius and Dumbledore would never be returned to him. But there was every chance that Hermione would be…

‘I know about the note,’ he found himself blurting suddenly and Ginny started slightly. She looked ashamed and withdrew her eyes from his face.

‘I had to…’ she said quietly. ‘I could stand the hurt no more. I couldn’t stand to see you hurting.’

Harry was shocked by her words. And he was even more shocked when he looked up and saw that there were no tears as she said it.

‘Just don’t… don’t let her slip away from you.’

~*~

Hermione sat in the common room with Ron until dinnertime, both revising for the NEWT’s, though not as hard as they should have been. Most of Hermione’s lessons from the past six months had come back to her quickly and Ron was quick to help when she faltered. At dinner when he said he was going to eat, she stayed behind and went upstairs into the dormitory and stood overlooking the grounds and watching the sun set.

She didn’t hear the door open behind her, nor did she hear the footsteps. She was to engrossed in her thoughts.

She did, however, feel the hand slip inside hers and squeeze it softly. She jumped, scared at first, but relieved when she saw it was only Harry.

‘Hi,’ she whispered.

‘Hi.’

Neither made a move or sound. Hermione didn’t even pause to think how Harry had managed to get up into the girls dormitory without the stairs melting into a slide. All she could think of was his warm hand in hers and how… right it felt.

The sun was setting lower and the dark was creeping up on them. The lamps in the dormitory lit automatically once dark had fully fallen and they both jumped slightly, the light a shock to the system at first. But they still had not spoken or moved.

Harry broke the silence.

‘I’m leaving to go to Grimmauld Place, first thing tomorrow morning,’ he said slowly. ‘After what you said and…’

Hermione shushed him and turned to face him.

‘I know,’ she said gently, taking hold of his other hand and looking straight into his brilliant green eyes. ‘I know.’

Harry turned his face away as her eyes bored into his. Having her stare at him like this was killing him… how dearly he wanted to hold her closer and kiss her and tell her that he loved her… but he couldn’t… not yet…

Pulling his hands from her grasp, he turned and headed from the room, not even looking back at her. He shut the door behind him and Hermione slowly fell down until she was sitting on the floor. She knew something significant had just happened, knew there was something that Harry wasn’t telling her… but what was it?

~*~

It was nearing midnight on New Years Eve. Harry and Hermione had spent the night watching the snow fall softly outside the windows of Gryffindor tower, drinking mug after mug of hot chocolate. The holidays would soon be over and Hermione was wishing they would never end- she wanted to spend the next two hundred years living in these moments with Harry, her best friend. They were both so… happy was the only way to describe it.

‘C’mon,’ Harry said, looking at his watch and jumping up suddenly. ‘They’re doing a midnight fireworks display in Hogsmeade.’

‘We’re not going all the way into Hogsmeade at this hour!’ she exclaimed. Harry just laughed and offered her his hand.

‘No, silly,’ he chided. ‘We’re going up to the astronomy tower. We’ll see it better from there.’

‘But it’s snowing!’ she protested, only mildly as she took hold of his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. Harry summoned the invisibility cloak (even though it was the holidays, he did not wish to be caught by Filch sneaking up to the tallest tower at midnight).

Hermione giggled for most of the way up to the tower and Harry kept having to shush her. They took the steps two at a time and dropped the cloak the moment they had step foot out onto the stone.

It was a truly beautiful night. The snow was only falling softly, setting in small mounds on the edge of the tower and covering the stone in a very thin layer. They approached the edge and looked towards the village. Harry didn’t let his hand slip from Hermione’s.

Despite the snow, the moon was still visible overhead, casting a silvery glow over them. It was a beautiful night.

Hermione gasped as the fireworks started. Magical fireworks were so beautiful. They curved and arced around themselves, showering the sky in a brilliant display of colour. She oohed and aahed to almost each one and it was almost twelve thirty before they finished.

Turning to face her, Harry smiled.

‘Happy new year,’ he said and she smiled back at him.

‘Happy new year, Harry,’ she replied, turning towards him more and slipping her other hand into his. ‘It’s so beautiful up here tonight.’

‘It is. It would be a shame to waste it,’ he said. She looked at him curiously. ‘Would you like to dance with me?’

For a moment Harry was afraid she would laugh at him. His feelings for Hermione that had always lay dormant had come on full force since they had been alone together and he didn’t want to waste a moonlight night, alone on the astronomy tower with her.

She didn’t say a word, just wrapped her arm slowly around his waist and pulled herself close to him. Harry’s breath quickened, as did hers.

Harry wasn’t the only one to be having feelings that had lain dormant for so long. Hermione had fallen in love with Harry in the first year, but always pushed the feeling down. But being with him, totally alone, had pushed the feeling back up. And now she was feeling desires she had never felt with Ron or with Viktor… she wanted to be close to him all the time… wanted to know what he was thinking… wanted to know what he was feeling…

They swayed slowly to the music that did not exist, the snow still falling ever so lightly on them. Hermione looked him direct in the eyes, never looking away. Their faces were slowly inching inwards, their eyes slowly closing…

The instant their lips met, Hermione thought she had died and gone to heaven. All the feelings that she had kept pent up for so long flooded out of her as they kissed more and more passionately, their bodies becoming more and more entwined.

Breaking apart, Harry looked down at her almost sheepily.

‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I’ve just wanted to do that for so long now…’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ she whispered back. ‘Never be sorry. I love you.’

The words had slipped out so easily that it even shocked Hermione. They hung in the air for a few moments, before he lowered his mouth down next to her ear.

‘I love you too.’

14. More authors notes

Ok, so this isn't a proper update yet. That it coming hopefully later tonight. I'm going to have some dinner, play some Sims, then I'll tweak the next chapter and get it posted. If it's not tonight, it will be tomorrow morning.

I just wanted to take the time out to thank every single person who has reviewed this story so far. I've gone through and made a list. My original hope was to go through and personally respond to every review, but I don't have that much time!!! I do have a life!!! So I want to extend my warmest thanks for all the support you have given me and this story. Finding your wonderful words in my inbox spurs me on and gets me thinking of twists and turns that I can throw in. I also listen to little things you might say and tweak events in ways that you've suggested.

So this is everyone who has reviewed since the start- I love you all!!!

jeanniefillion

davek

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TogetherForever, H/Hr

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In other quick news, I will hopefully be able to give you links to samples of the thought process that goes into my fics. I just have to decide which ones I can upload that won't give away the plot :p

So you've got heaps to look forwards to- I'll have it all to you as soon as I can!!!

Love, dumbles

15. Chapter Fourteen

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: Ok so here’s the update I promised!!! And, well… it’s the second to last chapter… next one is it!!! So enjoy it whilst you can!!! We’re almost at the end…

Thirteen

Hermione awoke with a start. She didn’t remember getting into her nightgown, didn’t remember getting into bed. It was obviously some early hour in the morning- she could hear Lavender tossing and turning and Parvati talking in her sleep, the normal nighttime noises in the dormitory.

She stared at the canopy of her bed, her mind mulling over the dream she’d just had. Kissing Harry… she could feel it, as if it was real…

She was smiling as she slowly drifted back off to sleep…

~*~

The snow had stopped falling the next morning and Hermione was confused when she woke up in Harry’s bed in the boys dormitory, wearing one of Harry’s old t-shirts.

Then she remembered. Dancing on top of the tower. Kissing Harry. Coming back to his room with him.

He had been a perfect gentleman. After all, they had shared his bed once before, at Christmas. He had lent her a t-shirt so that she wouldn’t have to leave to get changed and they had spent the night wrapped in each others arms.

Harry stirred not long after she did and he didn’t say a word. They just looked at each other for a few moments, before he kissed her gently.

A wave of relief flooded through her. She had been scared that he would say that the night before had been a mistake, that they should only be friends, that he couldn’t do this to Ron.

They spent the morning in bed, not talking much, making up for lost time. It was lunchtime before she disentangled herself from him, desperate to go the loo. Neither of them had thought of going for breakfast or leaving the room- they knew moments like this were too precious.

They decided to leave the bed and Hermione went and got dressed whilst Harry snuck into the kitchens and got them lunch. They ate lunch sitting at the window, looking out over the grounds. They laughed as they fed each other bites of their food and shared long chocolate kisses. It was warm with the fire roaring and the sunlight streaming in the windows.

The sun set as they lay in each others arms, watching it, completely at peace. In three days the rest of Gryffindor house would be returning and Hermione wished they wouldn’t. She was enjoying this too much.

‘So…’ Harry said once night had fully fallen, his arms wrapped around her as she lay with her back on his chest. ‘What do we tell everyone?’

‘Huh?’ Hermione said distractedly. Harry’s fingers had been making lazy circles around her belly button and she had been on the verge of falling asleep.

‘What do we tell everyone? About us?’

She tilted her head back so that she could see his face. She could tell what he was really trying to say. What do they tell Ron. And Ginny.

‘Nothing. Yet,’ she said. ‘Let’s just figure this out for ourselves first. Cause what exactly are we?’

It was the question she had been biting back all day.

‘We’re us,’ Harry answered simply. ‘Us. Harry and Hermione.’

They went back into the comfortable silence for a few more minutes.

‘I don’t want you getting hurt,’ he blurted suddenly. It was a mark of how well they knew each other that she knew exactly what he meant. It wasn’t a question of him hurting her- it was a question of Voldemort.

She adjusted her position so that she was looking him directly in the eyes.

‘I wont,’ she said firmly.

‘But if he finds out, he will hunt you and hurt you to hurt me.’

‘I know,’ she said. ‘But I won’t be anywhere but by your side. Haven’t you realized by now- I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been there for you through everything and I’m not going to let Voldemort get in the way of what we have.’

~*~

When Hermione woke again, it was morning. Peering out from behind her curtains, she could see that Lavender and Parvati had already gotten up. The room was bathed in mid-morning sunlight.

She crawled out of bed and pulled some clothes from her wardrobe and dressed slowly, her mind wandering to her dreams.

Were they dreams? Or had they actually happened? She knew that if they were real, it would explain a lot. Why Harry looked so hurt all the time for starters…

Her mind drifted to the note that someone had given her. Drop everything, start it all over. Remember more than you’d like to forget.

Remember more than you’d like to forget.

She headed down into the common room, her mind spinning in what felt like thousands of directions. She didn’t say a word to any of the students still inside, though it was only a handful of first years and the Creevey brothers, as she walked straight out the portrait hole and along the seventh floor corridor.

She knew of one place to get the answers to the questions she hadn’t asked, knew the one thing that would help her ‘remember more than she’d like to forget’. She spoke the password to a stone gargoyle and it jumped aside and she climbed the spiral staircase to Minerva’s office and knocked sharply on the door. Minerva called her in and she took her usual seat at the opposite end of the desk.

‘Hello, Hermione,’ Minerva said warmly, looking up from her paperwork and smiling softly. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Good,’ she said. ‘I was wondering…’ she paused. ‘I was wondering if I could have my journal back.’

Minerva looked startled. She had been expecting this and hoped against hope that it would come sooner, rather than later.

‘Of course,’ she said, standing up and heading over to the other side of the office. Whilst she was searching through a drawer, Hermione looked around at all the portraits. She could see Dumbledore, smiling serenely as he unwrapped a sherbet lemon and popped it into his mouth. Despite her state, she smiled as she watched him.

Minerva came back and slid the small black notebook across the table. Hermione nodded in thanks.

‘Have you… have you seen Harry or Ron today?’ she asked. Minerva looked at her in surprise.

‘Yes, yes I have- I thought you would have too,’ she said. Hermione looked sheepishly at her.

‘I only just woke up.’

‘But my dear… Harry left first thing.’

Hermione’s stomach dropped.

‘He’s… he’s gone?’ she asked crestfallen.

‘I thought he might have told you,’ she said sadly.

Hermione forgot about politeness. She took her journal and walked out of the office, back down the stairs and out into the corridor. Once standing outside the gargoyle, she opened the journal and flipped through the pages until she found January 1^st.

It was time to find out the truth…

~*~

January 1^st

Dearest journal,

I do not know how to begin. It is late and I’m in my own bed… this might not seem odd, but it is considering where I slept last night, again…

I spent the night with Harry. Again. But this time it was different. This time it was…

Oh to hell with it! I’m in love!

I know I’ve said that to you many times, journal, but this time it’s different… this time its, dare I say it, real…

I’ve pushed my feeling for Harry away for far too long- I’ve always watched him from afar, wishing that perhaps one day he would notice how I looked at him. I watched him stagger through his relationships with Cho and Ginny…

Without once realizing that he was watching me stagger through my relationships with Viktor and Ron…

Oh I am just so happy! I want to climb up on to the top of the tallest building or mountain I can find and just yell the truth from the rooftops. I want the whole word to know that I, Hermione Jane Granger am head over heels in love with Harry James Potter…

~*~

Hermione ran. And ran. She ran down all the stair cases, through secret passageways and then jumped down the last few steps into the entrance hall. She ignored the bemused looks of her professors and fellow students. Ignored the shouts from Filch. Hardly even noticed that she ran through Nearly Headless Nick. Ignored the dungbombs that Peeves was throwing at her.

She burst through the front doors of the castle and ran down the drive way, a stitch in her side…

It was all real… the dreams- they were real memories… she knew now why Harry had been looking so hurt and distanced since she got attacked. Knew what Ginny’s remarks and that note she had received had been about. Knew why Ron had been how he had been…

Drop everything, start it all over.

She had forgotten the most important thing in the whole wide world. She had forgotten that she was in love.

Remember more than you’d like to forget.

Panting heavily, she skidded to a halt at the school gates and clutched her side. She only stopped for a few moments to get her breath back, and then wrenched them open. Standing outside of the grounds, she stared around wildly.

Harry had already left and she didn’t know how much before her he had left. It could have been dawn for all she knew. She ran into Hogsmeade, knowing he wouldn’t be there, but checked all the shops anyway. Stopping outside of the Hogs Head, she knew instantly where he had gone.

Turning quickly on the spot she disapparated, reappearing in the square at Grimmauld Place. She looked around wildly, as if Harry would be standing there.

But he wasn’t.

She didn’t dare enter the house of number 12 on her own. She was too scared of the magic that could be found in that house. And she didn’t know if it would let her- the secret keeper of the houses location was dead…

Hearing the distinct sound of someone apparting, she pulled her wand from inside her jeans, knowing how stupid it was to have just come here out of the blue. Raising her wand high, curses flowing in her mind, she turned around.

And saw Harry standing there, a totally confused look on his face.

16. The Last Chapter

Title: Remember To Forget

Rating: PG-13

Authors Notes: So, here we are… the final chapter. I apologise for the cliffhanger, but well, it was a necessary evil :p I had to leave you stewing over something…

Now, I am going to be writing another story, picking up from where this one leaves off. I will be posting that probably next weekend because I’m meant to be doing some other much more important stuff right now. I just thought if I get this update done, then all I have to worry about it finding the time to keep writing the next one. At the moment it will be called ‘The Light At The End Of The Fight’, but that could change (this story went through six name changes :p).

So without further ado, I give you the final chapter…

Fourteen

‘Hermione?’ Harry said, his hand inside the light jacket he was wearing clutching his own wand. ‘What… how… huh… I…’

He was startled to see her standing there. She had been startled at first, before she remembered that Harry wasn’t terribly good at long distance apparition and would have apparated to safe points between Hogwarts and here so that he wouldn’t accidentally splinch himself.

She couldn’t think of the words to say. She realized just how rash her actions had been.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. He was still staring at her, looking as if he didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or shout.

‘I just,’ she managed to say, before pausing. She just what?

‘Hermione…’ he said slowly. ‘What is going on?’

‘I know,’ she said simply, hoping that maybe he would realise what she meant.

He didn’t. He kept staring at her strangely.

‘You know?’ he repeated.

‘Yes, I know,’ she took a step closer to him. ‘I know about… I know about New Years Eve. About the way we danced, in the snow. About the way we kissed in the moonlight. About the wonderful days we spent in each others arms.’

He looked as if he didn’t want to believe what she was saying. And even as she spoke, more and more memories were flashing through her mind, like a never ending film strip…

~*~

The Three Broomsticks was packed. It was the first time the students had been allowed to come into Hogsmeade for a while. Harry and Hermione had snuck off from Ron early on in the day and holed themselves up here, having learnt in their fifth year that the best way to hide was in a crowd.

Hermione hated pulling herself away from him as they saw Ron enter the pub. Ron still didn’t know about them…

…

‘You’re everything I try to be,’ Harry whispered into her ear as she fretted over her homework.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I wish I was more like you, you know, being able to fit so much into one day, being able to do so much and learn so much… I want to be just like you, Hermione Granger.’

…

‘My dad says to give you a message,’ she said with a laugh as she read a letter from her parents that had arrived in the mornings post.

‘And what’s that?’ Harry asked, looking over the top of her Daily Prophet that he had stolen.

‘Keep your hands off me or he’ll get you with his dentists drill,’ she said with giggle. ‘He’s very protective of me, especially when it comes to boys.’

‘Well, isn’t he lucky that I am too,’ Harry said, leaning forward and kissing her. Both of them pretended to not see Ron and Ginny look away, furious.

…

‘Ugh, I give up,’ Hermione said exasperated. ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to look for to find out what the hell Voldemort used for a Horcrux.’

‘Wow, you must be stressed to swear,’ Harry said, looking up over his own book.

‘Oh, be quiet,’ she snapped, rubbing her eyes. ‘It’s this locket that’s bugging me the most. I just get the feeling I’ve seen it or something and it’s… ugh…’

‘Let’s take a break… let’s go for a walk around the lake and just be together.’

…

‘Harry, I’m worried about Hagrid,’ Hermione said honestly as they walked in laps around the lake. ‘It’s been so long…’

‘He’ll be ok,’ he reassured. ‘But whilst he’s gone, we could take advantage… his hut is empty… perfect for some quiet time alone…’

‘What about the astronomy tower? It’s quiet and alone up there.’

‘If you can get up there before Seamus and Parvati,’ Harry said darkly. ‘Hagrid’s hut tonight, at 7pm?’

‘I’ll be there,’ she said, kissing him on the tip of the nose. ‘But now I have to go and do a charms essay with Ron.’

~*~

Harry couldn’t speak. Was this all a dream? Was this really Hermione Granger, the woman he loved, standing in front of him?

‘Harry… it just hit me like a ton of bricks this morning… I’d known all along that I love you, that I love you like nothing else… everytime I would ask you something and you won’t answer, it would confuse me and I didn’t know why… it just wouldn’t get through, what I couldn’t remember… but it got through… and then you were gone and I knew where you were going… I just had to see you… to tell you…’ she looked into his eyes, her own swimming with tears. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ he said hoarsely. His mind was filled with a chant of ‘this is real’. ‘But this leaves us in a tight spot… you have your NEWT’s… and I have my…’

‘You said it best in first year. What do exam marks matter? If Voldemort takes over he’s not going to care what marks I got,’ she said strongly and firmly. ‘As much as studies matter to me, there is much important stuff.’

‘Like what?’ Harry’s heart was thudding.

‘Like you,’ she paused and gently reached out and took his hand in her own. ‘Like love.’

They stared at each other.

‘I’m coming with you.’

‘What! Hermione, no-’ Harry started to protest, but she cut over the top of him.

‘I’m coming with you. You can’t do this alone. You’ll need someone with you.’

‘Why does that someone have to be you?’ he pleaded.

‘It just does.’

Harry’s heart was torn. He was so incredibly happy that she remembered, that she knew that she loved him, yet he was so full of fear about her joining him. It would be hard, and dangerous and she could get hurt…

But he saw the firmness in her gaze, felt her strong hand in his and he knew, as he always had somewhere deep inside, that she was going to be with him through all this. Hermione had never let him fight alone, she always tried to be there with him. She always encouraged him. And he knew it was pointless to stand in this square and fight with her over this. He knew that she would come, regardless of what he said.

‘So where to from here?’ he asked, his voice quavering slightly.

‘We go into that house, right over there,’ she said, using her free hand to point to where number 12 would appear as they got closer. ‘And we find that damn necklace. And destroy it.’

‘And then what?’

‘We’ll figure that one out when we come to it,’ she said wisely.

Suddenly, Harry couldn’t help himself. He grinned widely and threw his arms around her and swung her around. She laughed in spite of herself and just smiled at him when he put her down.

‘What was that for?’ she asked.

‘I just didn’t think I’d ever get a chance to do that again,’ he said truthfully. She moved one step closer to him and looked straight into his eyes.

‘Did you ever think you’d get to do this again?’ she whispered as their faces yet again drew together and their lips melted.

Nothing had ever felt so right in Hermione’s life, not even their first kiss. They broke apart after only a few seconds and she smiled ruefully at him.

‘Told you I remembered.’

He threw his arm over her shoulders and they began walking slowly towards number 12 which was slowly taking shape in front of them.

‘You don’t have any clothes,’ he said as he unlocked the door with his wand.

‘I’ll write to Minerva, get her to send my trunk. And until then, I’ll apparate to my parent’s house and pick some stuff up. You should come and meet them properly.’

‘And have your father threaten me with a drill?’ Harry said with a laugh. ‘No thanks.’

The door swung open, revealing the usual dank hallway. They looked at each other apprehensively. They both knew that once they stepped over the threshold that they would enter a world where the rules had been suspended, where anything could happen, where the next move they made could make the difference between life and death…

But they were ready for it. They’d taken a difficult road to get to this moment and the road ahead would be even more difficult.

And they would take it as it came at them.

Holding tightly onto the others hand, they half smiled at each other, before taking that step into the unknown world.

~*~

And there you have it!!! Keep your eyes peeled over the next week to two weeks for the follow on story, titled (at the moment anyway) ‘The Light At The End Of The Fight’. I hope you have enjoyed this, thank you for all your wonderful reviews, but there is one major thank you I’ve forgotten…

Thank you to JK Rowling for creating these characters for me to have fun with, even though you don’t seem to want Harry and Hermione together, we do and it should be that way because Harry and Hermione rock :p

Remember To Forget

1. Prologue

2. One

3. Two

4. Chapter 3

5. Four

6. Six

7. Seven

8. Eight (And a note on the chapter numbers)

9. AUTHORS NOTES

10. Nine

11. Ah I forgot what chapter no I was up too lol

12. Chapter Eleven

13. Twelve

14. More authors notes

15. Chapter Fourteen

16. The Last Chapter