𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 [𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

HERMIONE whirled around at the sound of heavy breathing.

Malfoy had abruptly sat up, his chest heaving as sweat rolled down his face. He was evidently panicking. His hand clapped over his chest as his eyes fluttered shut, though it didn't calm him down.

"Are you alright?" Avery asked him, in which he glanced over at the two witches. He swallowed hard, his hand sliding up to his neck as clawed at his skin. He looked petrified. "Mister Malfoy, are you al—"

"No." He shook his frantically, his breathing still heavy with that same look of pure panic on his face. "I'm not alright. I'm not alright at all."     He swallowed hard again before continuing. "I just—I saw—I—I can't breathe."

Hermione turned her back to him briefly, reaching for a clean hand towel and wetting it under the sink. Avery was standing by Malfoy's side at that point and Hermione hurried over before wrapping it around his neck, careful to avoid his eyes.

"You had a nightmare." said Avery, her face softening as she tilted her head sympathetically.

"No, I didn't." Malfoy's hand slipped down to rest back on his chest as he tried to calm himself. "That was real—I felt it—it was real."

"I know it might seem that way, Mister Malfoy," Avery spoke in a condescending tone, only making Malfoy visibly frustrated. "But I can assure you, it was a nightmare. It wasn't real. I promise."

"No."

"It wasn't real. You're okay. It wasn't r—"

"He's right." Hermione's gaze went to the door as Aaron stood in the frame, slowly stepping into the room and approaching the bed. She furrowed her brows and shared the same puzzled look with Avery. "It wasn't a nightmare. It was a memory—a flashback."

"But how is that possible?" Hermione asked him. "He hasn't even taken the counter-obliviation potion yet."

"You're quite right, Hermione." The other healer nodded as he walked further into the room, his hands clasped together behind his back. "However there is no proof that Mister Malfoy was obliviated in the first place. You even said it yourself that you don't believe this to be true. So if that were the case, the counter-obliviation potion would be completely useless to him. Ergo his memories would be coming back on their own." He then stopped as he stood at the end of the bed, his hand resting on the frame. "I have studied obliviation and amnesia for years, and the percentage of his first memory being one that's quite crippling is about eighty-seven percent, meaning it's very common." Aaron then turned to look at Malfoy. "And considering your reaction, Mister Malfoy, the memory certainly wasn't a pleasant one, was it?"

Malfoy shook his head. "No, it was far from it."

"Can you describe it for us?" Aaron asked patiently. "Hermione, write this down."

"Healer Silverspoon left me in charge Aaron. However I will take it down, solely for his benefit." Hermione scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly before scurrying over to the nearby counter top, grabbing a piece of parchment, ink and a quill. She then pulled a chair over to Malfoy's side and prepared to write.

Malfoy sighed as the silence in the room lingered for a few moments. Hermione simply waited for him to pull himself together, though she didn't rush him. He steadied his breaths before parting his lips to speak, and words followed.

"I remember I was sitting at a desk in a rather large room. There were open books in front of me, but I wasn't particularly focused on them. Instead, I was staring at this moving image of a younger version of myself and two other people; a boy and a girl. I couldn't tell you their names. I didn't even recognize them."