The Inevitable

Chapter 16 - Memories and Tears

A/n: this chapter will be longer than the others...like sooooo much longer, so buckle up. In this chapter Hermione and Draco will be going through several of their future selves memories. It may get confusing at times, but I'm going to try and keep it clear throughout the chapter. Also the timeline I said was going to happen at the beginning, I'm not too sure this story will stick to that. I will say the events will be more sped up compared to the actual timeline though.

Hermiones POV

"Okay...here it is," Harry said as he waved his wand in front of one of the many bookcases in the study. We watched as the shelves began to move back into the wall. The books disappeared with magic and the center of the bookcase opened up one piece of wood at a time. Once the back of the bookcase had been fully removed, we stared in awe at the small room before us. "Pretty impressive eh?" we followed Harry into the room and the wall of the bookcase reappeared to close us in.

"I never knew about this place," Draco whispered tracing the shelves holding several vials. It was a small circular room lined with shelves. In the center sat the pensieve with light from above.

"That's because it doesn't exist in your time. Once everything had settled, and you became head of the Malfoy family, you built it. Dumbledore gifted his pensieve to you in his will. It took quite a few months to get it all cleared through the ministry, but we eventually got it." Draco snapped his head to Harry with utter shock and confusion written all over his face.

"He left it to me? Even after I...I mean I- I did it?" I saw sadness in Draco's eyes. I was confused...did what?

"You didn't do it. Snape ended up doing it for you. I assume by now you know he made an unbreakable vow with your mother?" Draco nodded in reply adding to my confusion.

"What? What are you two talking about?" I asked wanting to know exactly what they were talking about. Harry looked at Draco and offered a shrug.

"You might as well tell her mate. She's going to find out once you two go in," he said pointing to the disc floating in the middle of the room. Draco looked down at the pensieve, then back at me.

"What is he talking about Draco?"

"You know I had to take the mark, but what you didn't know is...I was given a task." He hung his head low in shame, shame for something he hadn't even done yet. I walked myself back through the small bit of conversation that had just happened. Picking up on the context clues, it was simple to conclude what his task is.

"He told you to kill Dumbledore?" Harry chuckled causing me to look at him in confusion.

"Your brain never ceases to amaze me Mione." I looked back Draco who couldn't even look me in the eye. "Don't be too hard on him. Dumbledore was already dying, or is in your case. This is getting a bit confusing." Harry sighed rubbing his neck.

"Hermione I don't want to do it, I guess I don't really, but I never wanted to hurt him." Draco began to try and defend himself. I wasn't angry with him. I was upset he hadn't told me after we spoke about his mark.

"Mione," Harry spoke drawing our attention to him. "Before you guys hash it out, you need to watch the memories. If you know yourself as well as I know you, you'll know that the future you will have put everything you need to see into the pensieve. It will all be explained." I nodded in reply because he was right. What better why for him to explain than for me to watch it all unfold. "I'm not sure if either of you have used a pensieve before, but usually only one goes in. You'll need to stay holding hands or one of you may end up lost in the memory. If you get lost in it...well I'm not sure what happens, but obviously you're both needed, so please don't let go of each other." Harry looked nervous. I was more scared than anything. What would we see? Draco grabbed my hand causing my head to snap up.