Bathwater

The Link That Threw It All Away

"He won't hurt her," Harry said with an absolute certainty.

"What exactly happened with the potion, Harry?" asked Kingsley again as he sat on his chair. "It cannot fail. Since the passing of the Marriage Law, we have had twenty cases nation wide for the removing of memories. They were all successful. What was the defect in Hermione's case?"

"Well, Minister, if you recall, all those cases ended one way or the other," interjected the Obliviator. "Either the person asking for the removal recalls how extraordinary their magic is and refuses to take the potion, or they end up accepting their corresponding partner."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "So no one's actually done it?"

"No one has made it to the second phase," said the Obliviator.

"The purpose of the first phase is to make the drinker remember every single memory that has defined their life as a witch or a wizard," continued Kingsley. "Like most lessons in our lives, the potion helps you see that no matter the circumstances giving up is not the answer. You can't run away from destiny. You know that very well, Harry. And not to mention that no one really wants to forget."

"What exactly happened, then?" asked an Auror from the background, still curious and confused as Harry dropped himself on the chair across from the Minister with a grin on his face.

"The effect of the first phase did not affect Miss Granger because she had resigned on her life as a witch," explained Kingsley. "Reliving those memories did not cause her more pain than she already felt, but when the final phase washed over her system the potion died. Its full effects were useless because she is defective."

"Defective?" repeated the Auror.

Harry laughed. "The potion can't cause a change if there is an unbreakable link to the life being left behind."

X

It was Hermione's turn to watch the figure before her pace back and forth. She could see the war within himself as he muttered curse word after curse word. It was starting to annoy her, but he deserved these minutes to untangle whatever it was that was haywire inside of him. Still, it was time for the truth.

"Can you sit down, please?" she asked. "You're making me dizzy by all your pacing."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Draco hissed, stopping for a second to glare at her.

Hermione took a deep, calming breath. "Please," she pressed through clenched teeth.

Silence took over the open space between them for a long pause. There was a natural inclination inside of Draco that made him see red, that fed the venom in his blood that was always wanting to turn him back into the monster he was before he fell for the saint of all humankind. He had promised to learn to cope with his flaming emotions, but it could not be contained. He still felt the pain of losing her in his chest. How was he ever going to be the same after that horror?

"You like everything your bloody way," he roared. "Do you really think that with a snap of your fingers I'm going to do anything you want?"

"Please sit," she said once more. 

It really was the way the white light of the moon hit her eyes that made Draco stomp to her like the snake was hunting the lion. He didn't give her the satisfaction of sitting beside her, however. 

"How could you do this to me?" he continued with his same loud, furious tone. "How could you even think that leaving me was the right choice? You're supposed to be the Brightest Witch of the Age, for Salazar's sake!"