Dramione

4* Tampered Memories

Draco smiled at the memory. That was the beginning. He had created his own downfall by chasing after the Granger girl. Try as he might, he couldn't regret it. Especially not when she was standing so close to him, looking at him like he would always protect her. But he knew deep down he couldn't do that.

"Hermione," He said looking down into her eyes. "I love you."

"Draco..." Hermione gasped. He didn't say that often, and when he did, he was usually upset about something and afraid of it. "I love you too." She replied.

"So. How were your classes?" He asked. He kept a tight hold on her hand, but besides that, he backed away.

"Good, as always." She said. "I have a load of homework for tonight though." She squeezed his hand. "How about you? Is anything wrong?"

He sighed. "No. Nothing could be wrong with you here." She smiled, but it didn't erase the worry in her eyes.

Suddenly the curtain was ripped back and their hands flew apart. Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas stumbled towards them. Draco pulled out his wand and aimed at Dean's forehead. "Obliviate!" He said. Dean was stunned, and Hermione shoved the confused boy out into the hall and whisked the curtain shut. Still dazed by the effects, Dean made his way up to Gryffindor Tower alone.

Ginny shook with fear. "Don't." She whispered. "Please..." Hermione stood between Draco and Ginny, unsure of what to do. The girl who had always stayed strong, the one who resisted the Dark Lord in her first year, began to cry. "I won't tell anyone. Don't touch my memories. Please."

Draco held his wand steady, but didn't cast the spell. On one hand, he had a secret to protect. On the other, he knew why this girl treasured her memory so much; the last time it had been tampered with, she had been used by the Dark Lord in an attempt to murder muggle borns. She stood, shaking, crying, pleading, but never breaking eye contact with him. There was still fire in her eyes.

"I'll make an unbreakable vow." She said without a tremor in her voice. She wasn't afraid of the consequences of that promise. "I won't tell a soul."

Draco suppressed a shudder. He knew the weight an unbreakable vow carried, since he had made one a few months before. He lowered his wand. "Not a word."

Ginny nodded solemnly, relieved he hadn't taken her up on her suggestion. Now that Draco had relaxed and the danger had passed, she turned to her friend. "Hermione? Really?" She tilted her head at Draco. "I mean, no offense but... I'm confused."

Hermione smiled. "So was I at first. But he's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" Ginny scoffed. "Did you forget what his father did to me?" She said.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I didn't forget. But you don't know that he's actually the reason I figured out that the creature was a basilisk!" She glanced at Draco. "He gave me a scrap of paper in the library second year."

Draco crossed his arms, uncomfortable. "You knew it was on purpose?" He asked.

"Of course I did you git." She laughed. "You walked up to me while I was researching the ways to petrify a person, and started causing a ruckus. Saying you couldn't wait for the thing to get me, so you wouldn't have to see me in classes waving my hand about trying to answer every question." Draco rolled his eyes. "As you walked away, you dropped a piece of paper. I picked it up, intending to throw it at you when I noticed it was from a book. A page about Basilisks. That explained everything."

"Just in time too." Ginny said. "They found you petrified right after. Scared me to death, thinking I'd done it."

Hermione nodded. "I'm lucky I had a mirror on me that day. Usually I didn't carry one. It fell in my bag by accident that morning."

Draco's breath caught. He had been so lucky that she was still around.

The girls noticed his reaction. Ginny grinned like her twin brothers would, and Hermione reached for his hand. "Don't worry, I'm still here." She reassured him.

"Yeah." He squeezed her hand.

"Well, I'm very happy for you two." She grabbed Hermione by the shoulders. "I cannot believe you kept this a secret from me, but I can't wait to hear more about it." She hugged her tight. "Congratulations." She said into Hermione's bushy hair.

"Thanks." Hermione replied, hugging her back.

Draco glanced up at a brick in the ceiling, and started following the lines across the archway.

Ginny waved and slipped out through the curtain and went to find Dean.