familiar ; draco malfoy

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The following day, upon opening her eyes, immeasurable excitement engulfed Ramona like a warm blanket. Pansy's groan- a now usual and rather annoying alarm that never failed to wake her- indicated a day full of classes; or as she saw it, a day of distractions.

Reflecting upon her decisions and actions, the previous night had been nothing but e a blur of worry that she was glad to be rid of. Tomorrow was her birthday- a day so dreadfully horrid that she was going to exhaust herself beyond measure just to be able to fall asleep that night.

So trampled by her own thoughts, Ramona found herself distracted enough she could not perform the simplest of tasks such as putting on her shoes; having put the left shoe on her right foot twice already, there was no denying that she could not control the way her thoughts ran free- a wild horse on an open field can rarely be stopped, and her thoughts were racing at full throttle.

The quick-witted witch was someone soon noticed around Hogwarts. It bore very little resemblance to her previous school, but yet her extensive knowledge and sharp mind were traits many of her professors took notice of.

However, by the time Potions class came, her day took an unexpected turn. Snape began the lesson just like any other, yelling at someone to keep quiet, when Ramona saw the title of the page she'd just been told to open- the Memory potion.

Becoming aware of how sweaty her palms were, Ramona wiped them against her robes. The trembling of her fingers prevented her from holding the quill, dooming her to fold her hands in her lap to hide the shake. But her entire body was soon overtaken by chills, despite her best effort to keep calm, and a heavy sense of dread sat upon her chest; it penetrated her, the venom spreading from her chest to her toes, making it nearly impossible to keep cool through the entire lesson.

No matter how busy and distracted she found herself, there always seemed to be a reminder that she could not escape her life, no matter how much she wanted it. Her complicated inner world came to surface with small triggers, overtaking her entire system and shutting it down as she came down from the high.

Over the years, Ramona realized that there were very few things that could break the Memory charm that was cast onto Draco. It had been years since his memories were altered and the possibility of restoring one's erased memory was not a thing often spoken of.

She did not entertain those thoughts too often and found her mind racing back to them only when painfully bored- but this time, those thoughts swarmed in without a warrant, fueled by years of suppression.

One of the ways to restore one's memory after being Obliviated was torture- and it was safe to say she wasn't very keen on that one. The other one, as some assumed, was indeed the Memory potion. Though the reason it was only assumed that it worked was because there was little to no proof of it working. There were many risks when using a Memory potion not prepared properly and carefully.

It was apparent that Draco's talent at Occlumency played a big part in some of his memories coming back. His body was rejecting the Memory charm the more he was exposed to certain triggers.

During class, Ramona couldn't exactly go up to Snape and ask him hypothetical questions about Memory charms and potions- especially about Occlumency how to restore someone's memory. It was clear that she was going to find that out on her own.

If the option of restoring Draco's memory was going to dangle in front of her face, then she would by all means grab it and examine it to the slightest detail. There was no better way to keep her mind from wandering- she needed to know everything.

For the remainder of that afternoon, the library had become a sanctuary. So terribly engulfed by fear and dread, she roamed the library as if her life depended on it, breathing in every possible piece of information she could find.

Inside her stomach brewed a concoction of excitement and fear; the rush to find out weather there was an actual possibility of Draco remembering her was both terrifying and intriguing. If there was a way to get his memories back, she needed to know- even if she'd never be brave enough to try it.

With that in mind, Ramona refused to admit to herself that deep down, she still hoped he'd remember. Despite the monster sitting on her shoulder, spitting fear in her bloodstream, she entertained the thought of a reality in which Draco would remember her, and let her close.

Though much like any dream, this reality was a mere fantasy- if Draco knew who Ramona was, perhaps he wouldn't be as kind as she thought. Perhaps he'd turn even more cruel, directing his inner demons towards an external enemy that left him in his miserable life once upon a time.

Caught up in her own dwellings and scattered between many volumes of books on potions, Ramona didn't even notice that someone was approaching her. A gentle hand on her shoulder startled her; she automatically shut the book before her with such force it sounded loudly, startling the person behind her.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, "I didn't mean to startle you." The friendly smile of Hermione Granger eased Ramona's heart, still racing from surprise, and she found herself rather delighted to see her there.

"It's alright," said Ramona, returning a smile she hoped was equally friendly.

Hermione's gaze ran over the many opened books before Ramona. The bright witch curiously observed the pages Ramona spent hour staring at and reading through, trying to piece together anything and everything she could.

"The Memory potion?" Hermione asked. "I see you like getting to the smallest of details."

Hermione's smile brought Ramona at ease. The friendly tone she used was one that could loosen anyone up, as well as the large, bright eyes that revealed the sincerity behind her words. Ramona hoped she'd look like she was studying very hard and not on her life's mission to stop fear and doubt from ruling her. Still, Hermione's wandering eyes took in every single book laid out before Ramona with thought.

Sitting down beside her, Hermione pushed one of the books away and smiled warmly at Ramona.

"What's got you so interested in the Memory potion?" Hermione asked lightheartedly.

"I just wanted to know a little more than what we learned in class," Ramona explained, hoping Hermione wouldn't her question about it too much. But no matter how paranoid she was that Hermione would find out, the bond of understanding between the two- even though they didn't know each other well- was so strong that Ramona couldn't be too afraid of anything Hermione could draw from this.

"So you've decided to read absolutely everything Hogwarts had to offer on it?" she laughed. Her laugh was rather loud; slapping a hand over her mouth and smiling, Hermione whispered, "Impressive."

"Yeah," Ramona sighed, fully hoping that Hermione would be on her merry way soon. As much as she liked her, she wasn't really ready for conversation- nervousness seeped through the sweat on her forehead.

"Well, if you ever decide to tell me what you actually need it for, I'll be happy to help," Hermione concluded, smirking.

"Um-" Ramona stuttered. "What?"

"You're clever. I'm surprised you aren't a Ravenclaw, but it's not like we can chose," spoke Hermione. "And you opened that book without using your wand a couple minutes ago, so I doubt that Snape's class has you cramming so hard. I'm not going to ask you to tell me what you need it for, but if you need help with anything, find me," Hermione offered with a wink.

"I can't be late for class, but I'll see you around," she said, tucking a book she brought below her armpit and giving Ramona a small wave goodbye. The offer she put on the table left Ramona intrigued, but not convinced. However, having Hermione's help- if she were ever to need it, which she doubted- couldn't be a bad thing.

Ramona sat still, a tight knot in her stomach.

Well, at least she didn't ask any questions, she thought.