Obliviate - A Short Draco Malfoy Story

The Last Happy Memory (Natalie)

Draco had finally decided to interact with me. I received a letter past curfew, telling me to meet him by the black lake in twenty minutes. He looked half dead as he slowly walked towards me, waiting at our meeting point. His skin was pallid and paler than usual, and the slight shadows under his eyes had turned to dark purple blotches. I could see how harried stress made him, and I just wanted him to stop it all and tell me what was wrong. Last year, we had spent almost every second of the day with him, and now, I was lucky if I caught a glimpse of him at meal times. It didn't help that he was spending more time with Pansy, too. She made sure I saw it all. When she spotted me, she got extra touchy with him, insinuating something more passionate between them. I hardly every saw him pull away.

The tension in the air became palpable as he sat next to me, staring at the stars. I felt suffocated with my emotions, and couldn't hide the tear that fell out of my eye and hit the grass. Based on the lump in my throat, there were many more about to come crashing down. I said his name, shattering the perfect silence.

His head immediately lifted as he realized the tone of my voice. "Yes, Natalie?" That was another new thing. He hadn't called me Natalie since our first years at Hogwarts. It was always Love, Nat, or Darling, but never Natalie. "Are you crying?" he asked, his voice anxious.

I finally sat up, wiping my eyes. "We need to talk." I looked back to see a flash of terror on his face before he carefully wiped it away, a blank slate once again.

"Okay."

"What's been going on? Do you-," I cut myself off, taking a deep breath. "Do you want to break up?"

Draco grabbed my face, pain in his eyes. He forced me to look up at him, wiping away tears that I hadn't realized were soaking my cheeks. "No, no, Nat, that is the furthest thing I want."

"Then why are you being so distant?" I wasn't even trying to hold back the emotions anymore. Everything from the past months was spilling out, finally breaking free from the cage I'd so carefully kept it all in.

"It's too much to explain, I don't know how to-"

"Please, just try. Say anything. I can keep up. I just can't do this anymore."

He sighed deeply before pulling away, scratching his arm in what seemed like an absentminded gesture. "I don't want you to hate me."

"I could never hate you. Just tell me."

He rubbed his eyes before yanking his sleeve up, showing me his forearm. A gasp caught in my throat. It was the mark. "Draco?" I asked, my breath quickening.

He pulled his sleeve down before pulling me into his arms. "I had to do it. I didn't want to, but if I wouldn't have, he would have killed everyone I love, then me. I had no choice. I just wanted to protect you and I can't let any of them know about you. That's why I've been so distant. I'm so sorry that I've neglected you, but I just wanted you to be safe."

I wasn't sure what to say. "I forgive you. You should have talked to me, but I forgive you. You should know by now that you can trust me with anything." I felt like a shadow had fallen over me. Everything made sense and no sense at the same time. I kissed his cheek softly before pulling away. "Are you okay?'

"I'm fi-"

I cut him off before he could finish the sentence. "Don't you dare say that you're 'fine.' be honest, please."

"I don't know what I feel, love. The only thing I know is that I'm not doing good."

"We can get through this together. We'll be okay."

"I don't know," he muttered, grief tracing the lines of his body. He drew his wand, confusing and scaring me. "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?" I stood and stepped back as he did the same, closing his eyes briefly. Realization struck me suddenly. "No. Don't do it. Please, Draco." I had been so stupid. I'd left my wand in my dorm, expecting a peaceful night with no need for magic.

"I love you, he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks."

"No, don't do this. Please, I'm begging you. You can't, Draco." I was crying now, begging for him to let me continue on.

"Obliviate," was the last thing I heard before everything went dark, and everything I knew of him was wiped away. I would forever regret not saying that last, 'I love you.'