Lost Memories

xxxii. kisses

"Try me, I'm all ears," he grabbed my hands and started to fiddle with my fingers– a habit he kept since the time I yelled at him in the dungeon. "I promise to keep your secret."

"No one knows, but Dumbledore, so if I hear it from anyone else, I know it'll be you," I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Char, trust me. Not a single soul," he kissed my fingers lightly.

Over the last couple of weeks, Draco had gotten extremely affectionate towards me and I grew quite fond of it. Little kisses on my forehead or fingers, pulling me close to him, or holding my hand through our cloaks, he always felt the need to touch me.

I took a deep breath and stupidly put all of my faith into him.

"So, I'm not muggleborn," I said slowly.

Draco nodded, not understand why it was such a big deal, "okay..."

"And I'm not a half-blood, either," I continued.

Draco nodded again, listening intently as he laced our hands together.

"I was adopted, by muggles, when I was a little over a year old."

"So you technically grew up a muggle, but then found out you were a witch and went to the wizarding school in America, yeah?" Draco recalled the information Professor Dumbledore had announced to the school, on my first day at Hogwarts, last year.

"But there's more," I winced.

"Okay, continue."

"I found out who my birth parents are– this is the really important part you are never allowed to repeat. To anyone," I warned, looking around for any ghosts or poltergeists who could hear our conversation.

"I promise, Char. Never," Draco smiled.

"Dumbledore gave me my adoption papers and birth forms—"

Draco nodded in understanding.

"—and I found out I'm a pureblood..."

Draco's eyes widened slightly as he continued to listen and nodded for me to continue.

"...from the House of Gaunt—"

"Isn't that—"

"Yes," I answered quickly. Draco looked awestruck. "You can't tell anyone, Draco—"

"I already promised you, I wouldn't. Trust me," Draco pulled me close to him, letting me rest on his chest.

"There's more," I whispered. "That bloodline is on my birth mother's side. I found out who my birth father is..."

Draco hummed in response.

"Professor Snape," I breathed. From my position, I could hear Draco's heartache increase at the new information he learned.

"Charlotte," Draco paused, "does he know?"

"Yes."

"Have you spoken to him about it?"

"No."

"Do you plan on it?"

"I don't know," I looked up at Draco, who looked down at me in wonder. "I'm scared. He gave me up. Victoria Gaunt, died before giving birth to me– a-and Snape, h-he didn't want me."

My voice cracked at the last bit and Draco noticed. He leaned down and kissed me softly as if I would break if he were to apply too much pressure. He'd never kissed me before and him doing so sent a hoard of butterflies throughout my stomach.