Promise

Chapter 15

Hermione gasped as the spell broke. Her head was pounding and her eyes watered. Her mom had passed out when it happened. Hermione looked around at her surroundings, physically nothing had changed. The office still looked the same, her parents still looked the same but there was a nagging feeling in her mind that something had changed; something very important had changed. Her father was holding her mother, shaking her gently and trying to wake her up.

"What's wrong with her? Why isn't she responding?" There was a slight desperation in his voice as he addressed the curse breaker sitting with them.

"It's just the shock," the curse breaker replied, "she'll wake up after her magic settles." Hermione was still astonished at the amount of magic it must have taken to cast a spell that big to begin with. She had a new found Respect for the woman who had taken care of her and raised her.

Things were a blur after that, Hermione's mother was admitted until further notice, her father was allowed to visit and was given a port key he could use at any time since he still had no magic of his own. The nurses promised to contact Hermione as soon as anything changed and she was sent back to Hogwarts before she knew it. She stumbled into McGonagall's office still shaken from the whole experience. McGonagall was sat at her desk, waiting patiently. She looked somewhat absentminded, like she had been reminiscing about something from a time long past. She looked up as Hermione stepped out of her Floo and quickly rushed to young witch's side.

"How are you feeling, Hermione?" The older witch asked. Hermione wasn't sure how to answer. Her head was still pounding and she still had the insistent feeling that she was missing something important. So instead of saying anything, she just shook her head. McGonagall understood immediately. She walked Hermione back to her dorm and deflected the gazes of any students they ran into on their way there. Hermione had never been more grateful for anything so simple before. She was glad to step into her dorm and collapse on the couch. For the first time that entire day, she was alone.

Draco was exhausted. Slytherin house had been hit hard when the spell broke. Many of the students had been part of families that knew the Beaufleurs. The sheer amount of shock when the collective memory returned was enough to knock some of the students out. Some were inconsolable, others outraged, but he knew his friends had been hit the hardest. Even as she helped to console other students, Draco could see tears escaping Pansy's eyes. Blaise kept punching things in random outbursts; Draco had never been more grateful for a Weasley's presence. Ginny had been the only level headed one there. Eventually, everyone had been convinced to return to their dorms. Ginny had promised to take care of Blaise and Pansy for him so Draco was able to return to his dorm as well.

He stumbled into the entrance of the dorm and kicked off his shoes. His focus was on making it to the kitchen where he could treat himself to a nice cup of Firewhisky. He poured himself a generous serving and took a swig before walking into the living room. He was Hermione curled up on the couch, staring into the fire. He wondered how he hadn't noticed her there before; she was usually the first thing he saw in any space. He went and sat down beside her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her softly. He didn't want to disturb her peace but he was also worried about her. She was the one who had been most affected by the entire thing, after all.

"Tired. I'm tired." She shifted and finally looked at him. Draco met her eyes and felt, for the first time, that was seeing him; really seeing him. When Hermione began to cry, he panicked. He wasn't sure what he had said or done to upset her but the tears wouldn't stop coming.

"Shit. Hermione, I'm sorry. What did I do? What it something I said? Shit shit shit shit shit shit." He rambled on while trying to find a way to comfort her. He got up to get her some tissue but stopped when she grabbed his arm.

"I-I promise t-that no matter what hap-happens I will love you. Always." Hermione got out between the sobs racking her body. Draco froze. She remembered. Of coarse she remembered. The spell was broken, if everyone else got their memory back, why wouldn't she? Draco sat down and held her. He rubbed her back as she cried and wondered what to do now.