A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you guys liked the last chapter. I know it ended on a cliffhanger, and believe me, that ending line has been planned since the very beginning. But if you know me, then you know I love Draco, so I obviously wouldn't torture him that much. Read the A/N at the end to find out when the next chapter will be out. On with the chapter!

"W-what?" Draco blinked at her. "I-I don't understand. What are you talking about, Hermione? And why-"

"Who are you?" Hermione repeated. 

"Who am I?" He frowned. "Are you seriously asking me this question? Who am I?"

She did nothing but blink at him.

"Look, I don't know what game you are playing at, but this is not a funny, Hermione." Draco sighed. "Oh wait, I get it. You are trying to punish me for how I treated you, aren't you? Hermione, I know I deserve that and much more than that, but please, please stop this game of not knowing who I am-"

"I am not playing any game!" Hermione exclaimed and sat up on the bed, letting go of Draco's wrist in the process. When he moved to stop her, she shoved him away. "I don't know what you are talking about. And who is Hermione, huh? I am not your Hermione."

"Oh really?" Draco raised his eyebrows. "Who are you then, huh? Come on, tell me. If you are not Hermione, then who are you?" 

"I am-" She suddenly stopped and gasped. "W-who am I? I-I don't know. I don't know who I am. What is my name? I don't know anything."

As she clutched her head, Draco took her hand in his, and sat down next to her on the bed, despite her attempts of shoving him away. "Relax, Hermione-"

"I am not your Hermione!"

"Okay, okay, you are not Hermione." He took a deep breath. "You are not her, and you are not playing any games. But please, just try to relax, okay?"

She snatched her hands from him and pulled her knees up to her chest. "S-stay away from me." She whimpered. 

"Please listen-"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Hermione cried.

Draco knew he should have listened to her, but at that moment, he didn't care. He didn't give a damn about her attempts of pushing him away.

He knew he should leave her alone and call for a Healer, but he also knew that she was having a panic attack. He recognised the signs perfectly.

Draco slid closer to her and grabbed one of her hands in his, placing it on his chest. "Take deep breaths okay? Try to match your breathing with mine."

To his surprise, she did the same.

"Okay now, tell me five things you can see around you, right now." Draco told her.

"What?"

"Just do it. Tell me the find things you can see."

"I-I can....." Hermione took a deep breath. "I can see you, some books, a couch, blanket and a water bottle."

"Good." He smiled at her. "Now tell me the four things you can feel."

"Your touch, wind blowing through my hair, the bed I am sitting on, and a bandage around my arm."

"You are doing great." Draco encouraged her. "Now tell me three things you can hear."

"Your voice," She whispered, "Rustling of pages and birds chirping." She glanced at the open window as she said the last part. 

"Good good." He nodded. "Tell me two things you can smell." 

"Smell of books and-" 

Draco mentally rolled his eyes. Typical Granger, always focused on the books. 

"-your smell." She scrunched up her nose. "Must be an expensive cologne." 

"As if Draco Malfoy would wear anything except an expensive cologne." Draco smirked at her, feeling happy at the way the corners of her mouth turned up a little in a small smile. "Okay last, tell me one thing you can taste." 

"I-I don't know-" She started panicking. 

"It is fine, it is perfectly fine." He squeezed her hand. "Okay, how about you tell me which taste you like the most?" 

"Uh chocolate, I guess? I don't know why, but I think it is my favourite."

"That's awesome." Draco grinned at her. Hermione's favorite flavor had been chocolate for as far as he could remember. "And how do you feel now? Do you feel okay?"

"I-I do." She nodded. "Thank you for that, it helped me. I really needed it."

"No problem." He muttered. "After all, you may not remember this but you have done a lot more for me than this in the last nine years."

Hermione stared at him in a weird way, like she couldn't understand why he was here.

Well she probably didn't. Which reminded him-

"Oh Salazar, I totally forgot to call the Healer-"

"You mean doctor?"

"Um no, well, sort of, but whatever." Draco shook his head. "I will be just a moment."

While he walked to the door and opened it, Hermione wondered, "Who is Salazar?"

Draco came back after a few moments. "Healer Rick is not here right now, but he will be back in a few minutes."

Hermione nodded as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her gown.

"If you want me to leave, then I can." Draco awkwardly said, leaning against the wall. "I will inform you when Healer Rick comes."

Hermione stopped him as he moved to open the door. "No wait! You can stay if you want."

"It is fine, Her- I mean, it is okay." Draco sighed. "I am obviously causing you distress so it is better if-"

"I don't like being alone." She blurted out. "I-I may not remember anything, even my own self, but I know that I don't like being alone."

Hermione was the same way, he thought. But well it is actually Hermione, she just doesn't remember that.

"If that's what you want." He whispered and made his way to the couch, moving the books he had brought to the table.

The two sat awkwardly in silence for a few minutes before Hermione finally broke it. "So, which book is that?"

Draco looked at the first book, which she was pointing at, and smiled. Of course she would ask about this book.

"Hogwarts: A History." He answered.

"Sounds interesting." She smiled at him.

Well some things never change, do they? Draco thought. Should have known that even if she forgot everything else, she wouldn't forget that stupid book.

"Do you want to read it?" He asked her.

"Of course." She grinned at him as he gave her the book.

Draco had just picked up another book when she called him. "Um..... I don't mean to pry but why do you have those books here?" 

"I read those books to you. I thought it would make you wake up." Draco said. "You may not remember this, but you loved to read, you still do in fact."

"I can guess." Hermione whispered as she ran a finger down the spine of the book. "This- reading, it feels familiar. This book feels familiar."

"It would if you spend almost a whole day at the library." He teased her. "And I don't know how you haven't gotten bored of reading that stupid book even after you have read it hundreds of time."

"Be quiet." She stuck her tongue out at him and went back to reading.

Just as Draco had opened the book, she called him again. "Who is Hermione Granger?"

"Why do you have to ask so many questions every time? Bloody curious as ever." Draco muttered. "And why are you asking that?"

"That name is written here."

He frowned and stood up, walking towards her bed to see what she was pointing at. There, on top of the front page, two names were written.

From Draco Lucius Malfoy

To Hermione Jean Granger

"She is my best friend." Draco whispered. "This is the very first version of this book, which she liked so much. I had given this to her on her nineteenth birthday, she refused it of course." He let out a dry chuckle.

"She thought I didn't have to waste my money on this." He continued. "But she was worth more than any amount of money, worth more than anything, even if I hadn't realised it back then. When I insisted that she should just accept the gift, she came up with a compromise. Said that we both should have the ownership of it, and we could read it whenever we wanted."

"Hmm......" Hermione nodded to herself. "She sounds like a good person."

"She is." Draco smiled as he thought of their memories, not realising as he did so. "She is a very good person. Amazing, really."

"You love her, don't you?" She whispered. "You are in love with her, right?"

"Why are you saying that?" Draco's eyes widened. Hermione was so oblivious, then how in the hell did she realise that he loved her now? 

"The look in your eyes when you talk about her was enough to tell anyone that you love her." She smiled at him. "And, when I had woken up, you sounded really sad and stressed when I shouted at you that I wasn't Hermione. I am sorry for that, by the way. I shouldn't have shouted at you."

"Nothing you haven't done before." He shook his head. "But it is okay. I shouldn't have pressured you either. I just thought that you were messing with me."

"I shouldn't have hit you either."

"Again, nothing you haven't done before." Draco chuckled, rubbing his nose as he said it. "You are very violent, you know? Which is an irony because you are always telling me not to pick up any fights."

"I am sure you would have deserved it anyways." She chuckled. "You can sit on the bed, you know? You don't have to keep standing."

He wondered why she wasn't freaking out. He was a complete stranger to her, for she didn't remember anything about him, about them.

But perhaps, she could remember the trust she had in him. The trust which she had for almost a decade now, and didn't they say that the emotions and feelings don't really go away?

Draco nodded and sat down next to her legs, placing his hand next to hers on the bed. "Do you want to know anything else?"

"Can you tell me more about your Hermione?"

She watched as his eyes became sad when she said that.

She swallowed and placed her hand on top of his. "I am sorry, but I am not your Hermione, and I don't want to pretend that I am her either, because that will obviously hurt both of us."

Draco nodded, but his expression didn't change.

"Your name is Draco, right?"

He again nodded.

"What kind of name is it?" She rolled her eyes, in an attempt to lift his mood up. "It is so weird."

"Like Hermione is any better." Draco smirked at her. "It is a freaking mouthful. Most of the people can't even get your name right."

Hermione wondered why she didn't correct him this time that Hermione wasn't her name. That she wasn't the girl he was in love with.

But perhaps, she thought, it didn't matter because his mood had already been lifted up because of this.

The two chatted like this for a while until Draco tried to hide his yawn from her, but she saw it anyways.

He had never been able to hide from her.

"You should rest, you know?" She squeezed his hand, and it was then she noticed that she still had her hand on top of his. "You are obviously tired, and what time is it actually?"

Draco looked at his watch. "Almost six o'clock."

"Did you sleep at all?"

"Well, a couch isn't really a great place to sleep." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Specially for four days straight."

"You have been sleeping on that damned couch for four days?" She gasped. "Why?"

"You were in a coma." He answered. "Healer Rick said that one person should always be here with you all the time, so I obviously wasn't going to leave you."

"But didn't anyone else volunteer to take over your watch duty?"

"They did." Draco nodded. "But I was too stubborn to listen to them. I wanted to stay right next to you until you wake up. I didn't want to fail you."

"Go and take a nap."

"But-"

"I will wake you if somebody comes." Hermione tried to make him get up. "I promise. Now go and sleep."

Draco reluctantly nodded and went back towards the couch. Even without her memories, Hermione was as bossy and stubborn as before.

It hadn't even been ten minutes since Draco went back to the couch to take a nap when the door opened. 

"I am so sorry for taking too much to come here." Healer Rick panted. "The Aurors have put up wards around St Mungo's, so I had trouble coming here. Had to prove my identity."

Draco nodded, he had been one of those Aurors who had put up the wards, considering he could put up impenetrable wards, as he had done many times in his time as an Auror.

Even if the Death Eaters had been captured, and they had a fair idea as to why one of the leaders had attacked Mini Hogwarts, they couldn't take any risks, so they had to put up security wards around the building.

And because of this, they had no choice but to wait for Healer Rick to himself come up here.

Draco would have gone down to the reception, or even went outside to send his patronus, but he didn't want to leave Hermione alone. He knew Harry had left the building, he had felt that because of the change in the wards, and he didn't want to disturb anyone else by asking them to come here.

And Draco couldn't even ask any other Healer, as only Healer Rick had been the one to use the Potion, so only he would know why the potion had caused Hermione to lose her memory.

"I see you have woken up, Auror Granger." Healer Rick came towards her bed, carrying a file in his hands. "How are you feeling, Auror Granger?"

"I am not Granger!" Hermione exclaimed. "How many times should I say that I am not your Hermione? Why is everyone treating me like I am her?"

Healer Rick looked at Draco in confusion who sighed and stood up from the couch, and walked towards the bed.

As soon as he came near, Hermione grasped his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Tell him I am not Hermione, Draco, tell him I am not her." 

Draco wondered if she preferred his company over the Healer's. Perhaps she did, after all, even if they both were complete strangers to her, at least Draco had been there with her for the past one hour.

Perhaps she wanted him near because she thought that he now knew she wasn't his Hermione, nor was he pressuring her to accept that she was her.

"Auror Granger-" Healer Rick started but was cut off by her scream.

"I am not her!" Hermione exclaimed, and clutched her head with her free hand.

Draco immediately took her other hand in his as well, and squeezed it gently. "It's okay, just calm down, okay? Calm down. You are not Hermione. You are not her, nobody is saying that you are her, okay?"

Hermione nodded and took deep breaths. As she did this, Draco looked at a confused Healer Rick standing there and nodded his head towards the door.

Healer Rick looked at the witch sitting up on the bed once more, and then left the room, nodding at Draco as he did this.

The blond Auror looked back down at the witch who had his hands in hers. "You mentioned that you love chocolate, right?"

"I did." Hermione smiled, glad that he was treating her normally.

"Well then I guess you will like it if I told you that this place has the best chocolate cookies ever?" He loved the way her eyes lit up at that. "Okay, so you wait here for me, and I will be back in a few seconds."

With that, he exited the room and found Healer Rick waiting for him outside. "What was all that about Auror Malfoy?"

Draco sighed and cast a Muffliato around them, in case Hermione was listening to them, and then told Healer Rick everything.

"I just...... I don't know why this is happening." He said. "There was no mention of memory loss ever when I had studied about the potion, and she doesn't remember anything. She doesn't even remember this whole magical life."

"I think I know what may have happened." Healer Rick nodded in thought. "Tell me, Auror Malfoy, was Auror Granger ever obliviated?"

"W-why are you asking that?" Draco's eyes widened, but he tried not to freak out.

"Just answer the question, please."

"S-she was." He closed his eyes. "She was obliviated around eight years ago. Do you think the spell might have affected the potion? But if so, then why did she forget each and everything about herself?"

"Magic is a complex thing, Auror Malfoy, specially memory magic." Healer Rick shook his head. "Was the obliviation process complex?" 

"Complex as in?" 

"As in were two timelines removed from her memory? Or perhaps two different time periods with a gap in between?" 

"They were." Draco nodded. "I mean, not two whole timelines, but parts of it. And I had-I mean, some of her thoughts were changed too. Some memories were not completely removed, rather, they were changed to just...... not include some parts. Most of the first timeline was modified."

Draco remembered how nervous he had been when he was performing the Obliviation on Hermione those years ago.

Not only he had to remove their relationship from her mind, but he also had to remove her memories of him coming to build Hogwarts, because that was when she had started falling for him, as she had told him later on, and the main thing Draco wanted to remove from her mind, besides their relationship, was the fact that she had loved him.

Hermione had told Ginny, who was the only one other than Blaise and Theo to have an inkling about the Head Boy and Girl being head over heels for each other, that she liked him. She never told her that she was actually in love with Draco.

He supposed he had to be thankful to the fact that due to certain rules of Azkaban, Headmistress McGonagall and the guards couldn't tell anyone that Draco had played a role in rebuilding Hogwarts. And nobody other than Hermione had seen him there.

Draco wanted Hermione to move on. To have a life without him, and to do that, he knew he had to remove the thoughts of her loving him from her mind.

Perhaps that's what caused her to have certain flashbacks, because whenever she asked him about weird things, things which were a part of their relationship, Draco had suspected that maybe she was viewing those memories in her dreams.

"Well then I guess that's what must have messed up with the affects of the potion." Healer Rick said. "That Healing Potion is in itself a complex piece of magic, and it got affected by another complex piece of magic, the memory spell."

"Will she-" Draco gulped. "Will she ever remember everything now?"

"She will remember each and everything about her life in a few hours, Auror Malfoy." He smiled at him. "Memory loss because of a potion is not a new thing. And because we know exactly which potion has affected her when she was in a coma, we will be able to treat her and she will be fine very soon."

As Healer Rick walked away to call someone, Draco knew that he had understood who had obliviated Hermione. Because from the way Draco had talked about it, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. 

Just as he had sat down on the bench in front of Hermione's room, he saw his parents coming towards him.

Narcissa immediately hugged him and after asking how he was, she asked about Hermione. "How is she, my dragon? Has she woken up yet?"

Draco nodded, and before he could say something, Narcissa squealed and walked towards the room. But before she could open it, Draco grabbed her arm and led her away from the door.

"Calm down, Mother, you cannot meet her now." Draco told her, earning confused looks from his parents.

"But why?"

"She wouldn't want to meet you now." He simply said.

But it was enough to shock them. "What do you mean she wouldn't want to meet me, my stupid dragon? Did I do something wrong?"

"You don't have to call me stupid." Draco muttered and sat back down. It was becoming too much for him. "Why would she want to meet someone whom she doesn't even remember?"

"What are you talking about, Draco?" Lucius narrowed his eyes at him.

Draco sighed and told them everything. How Hermione had reacted when he had called her by her name, to what Healer Rick had told him. When he reached the obliviation part, he hesitated, but told them everything, except who had obliviated her.

Because he knew he didn't need to.

"You obliviated her, didn't you, Draco?" Narcissa asked him, too shocked to be angry at him. "That is why you knew each and everything about the obliviation."

Draco closed his eyes and nodded, telling them why he had to do so. A few moments later, he felt two hands on his cheek, and someone kissing his forehead.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his mother silently crying as she stood before him. "I am sorry you had to do that, my sweet dragon, but don't you worry, Hermione will be alright in just a few hours."

As she hugged her son, she tilted her head and narrowed his eyes at Lucius. "Be prepared to face my wrath later for breaking them up." Narcissa hissed.

Lucius gulped.

He wondered if perhaps Narcissa will forget about this all later, that the thought that he was the reason her son had to end his relationship with Hermione, will vanish from her head.

Lucius looked sheepishly at her and then sat down next to Draco, slowly rubbing his back as his son broke down.

A few minutes later, Narcissa pulled away and cupped her son's cheek once again. "You don't have to occlude yourself now, my precious dragon, it is okay to show emotions, you know?" She looked into his grey eyes as she said this, clearly recognising the signs of Occlumency.

"I have to." Draco whispered, moving his face away from her. "If I don't, then I will panic and I won't be able to stay strong. And I can't afford to do that now. I don't want to be weak."

"You are not weak at all, my strong dragon." Narcissa whispered. "You are so so strong. And so brave. Please don't think otherwise."

But knowing he wouldn't listen to her, she sighed and told him that she will get him something to eat. Narcissa grabbed Lucius' hand, and led him towards the cafeteria.

"I can't tell you how angry I am at you right now." She glared at him. "Well I am angry at Draco as well, but I am angrier at you for doing this to them."

"Narcissa, you know what I used to think that time." Lucius tried to explain his actions. "I hated muggle borns, specially Miss Granger."

"And you just had to hide this all from me, didn't you?" Narcissa hissed. "Just you wait till we go home, Lucius Armand Malfoy, you will have to face my wrath. And let me tell you, I have learned some new spells now as well."

"Narcissa, please listen to me." He pleaded, but of course, she wouldn't listen to him.

Not when she knew that Draco had indeed been in a relationship with Hermione, the girl she had liked ever since she had seen her for the first time at Platform nine and three quarters during their first year.

And she would deal with Draco later. How dare he hide this from her? 

----------

A few hours later.......

"No, James you cannot paint the walls blue here- Ah stop it!" Harry exclaimed. "Stop trying to cover me in paint-"

"Now you see what I have to deal with everyday." Ginny rolled her eyes as Blaise, Pansy and Theo snickered as they watched Harry trying to control James and his accidental magic.

"Get back here, James. I said- Stop it, you troublemaker. Oh stop pouting- No, you can't- Can you all stop laughing and help me?" Harry narrowed his eyes at them.

They just laughed harder.

"Oh come on, surely you must have that helpful instinct in you, right?" Harry groaned. "Help the poor wizard here."

"Oh stop whining like Draco, Potter." Blaise rolled his eyes. "You want me to help you? Fine, me being the nicest person ever, will help you."

The Italian wizard caught James as he tried to ran past him and picked him up. "Now what do we have here, huh?" He tickled his stomach, causing the four years old to giggle at him. "Do you want to know a secret?"

When James nodded, Blaise leant in and whisper-yelled, "Athy is missing you terribly."

"Really?" He gasped and grinned when Blaise nodded.

"Of course." The ex Slytherin nodded. "She just told me that she misses her best friend and wants to meet him. So what say? Should we go and meet her?"

"Yes!"

"Uh huh, but there is a condition." Blaise shook his head. "You will have to leave the box of paint here if you want to meet her. Think you can do that? For her?"

James looked at the box for a moment and then quickly nodded. He jumped down from Blaise's arms, kept the box in a corner and then came back. 

"This is how you do it." Blaise smirked at Harry.

"I wonder why I didn't think of that." Harry muttered.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you don't like the idea of Athy and James being together?"

"Being together?" Harry gasped. "They aren't even that old yet. Besides, who is to say that they will get together? They are just kids right now."

"Just you wait, Potter, just you wait." Blaise continued smirking at him, and the others nodded. "Don't come and whine when that happens. Oh and I think Draco will do that too. He doesn't really like James much after all."

"The ferret says he doesn't like him that much yet he converted him to a Tutshill Tornados fan." Harry muttered. "And somehow James think it is alright to paint everyone and everything blue." 

"Oh Draco game him that idea actually." Theo chimed in. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that. Just don't tell Draco that I did. He wouldn't trust me with his secrets any longer."

"Draco trusts me more than he trusts you, Nott." Blaise rolled his eyes. "You are a prat, after all. Though, if you think, Draco is a prat too."

The two wizards were interrupted when someone tugged on Blaise's jeans. "Can we go to Athy's room now?" James asked.

"What do you say when you request someone, James?" Ginny asked him.

"Can we quickly go there?" James asked.

Ginny sighed and glared at Harry. "This is all you, you know? Pretty sure he inherited this mischievous trait from you. I wouldn't be surprised if he roams around late every night when he goes to Hogwarts."

"Seems like you have forgotten the shenanigans you used to do, Gin." Harry chuckled. "James is a half Weasley as well, and he loves the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes products."

"Oh remind me to forbid George from giving those items to him next time." Ginny sighed. "He would combine them with the Invisibility Cloak to cause trouble every time."

Before James could get any more impatient, Blaise interrupted them, saying that they should go to Athy's room now.

After he had made Harry put spells around his paint box so that nobody will touch it, James immediately starting leading the group towards Athy's room.

Even if he didn't exactly know where he was.

As Harry followed them, he couldn't help but gaze at the hallway where Hermione's room was. Draco had told him earlier that she had woken up but she had forgotten everything.

After getting the reassurance that Hermione would be perfectly alright just in a few hours, Harry had decided to not tell everyone else about that. 

Because he knew that if he did, they would ask a million questions about who had obliviated her, and why.

And he knew Draco wasn't ready for them to know, even if they were his friends and he trusted them.

Besides, Blaise and Theo were two of the worst liars ever Harry had ever met, and they couldn't keep secrets from their fiancée and girlfriend respectively.

And it wasn't Harry's place to tell anyone else about the Obliviation, even to Ginny. He didn't like keeping secrets from her, but he wouldn't betray Draco's trust like that.

And also because he actually wasn't supposed to know about it as well. It was just because of his nosyness, and his confrontation with Draco that he had gotten to know about it. 

"Athy!" James immediately exclaimed as soon as he entered the room and if weren't for Theo to stop him, he would have jumped on the bed to hug his best friend tightly.

"Careful there, James." Theo chuckled and picked him up, bringing him towards the bed. "You could have hurt yourself. And don't hug her too tightly, okay? Save it for when she comes back home."

James quickly nodded and wrapped his little arms around Athy's neck, who had sat up on the bed as Theo had leant James forward.

As James sat down next to Athy, and Albus followef him, the elders sat down on the couch and conjured a few chairs as well, as only three people could have sat on the couch.

"So who wants to hear how exactly Harry and Draco became friends?" Ginny asked them.

"You mean the one where Draco was forced to accept Harry's handshake because of Hermione?" Blaise raised his eyebrows.

"Can we not talk about that awful memory?" Harry groaned. "I was literally drunk that time, and didn't know what I was doing."

"Being drunk is not an excuse, Potter." Theo snickered. "You were perfectly sober when Hermione forced you and Draco to become friends. We even have the recording after all."

"Okay how about we hear the story of when Hermione had punched Draco?" Harry tried to change the topic. "After all, most of you weren't even present there tthat time. 

"As much as I would like to hear Hermione calling Draco a foul loathsome evil little cockroach, I have got a better idea." Theo smirked, thinking how Draco will react when he would hear this.

He continued, "How about we hear the story of when me, Blaise, Hermione and Draco had played Truth and Dare in front of Narcissa during the Winter Holiday of eighth year and Draco had confessed that he had a crush on Hermione?"

"Wait, why have we never heard this story before?" Ginny wondered. "This sounds interesting. I can't believe you all never told me about this before." 

"Exactly." Pansy nodded. "You didn't even tell me, Blaise." She smacked her fiancé's arm. "And why didn't you call me there with you in the Holidays?"

"Need I remind you that you had gone to Paris with your parents for the Holidays, darling?" Blaise wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Besides, I think Draco has asked, no, requested us to not tell anyone about that."

"Oh please." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Since when have you guys listened to whatever rubbish Draco has said?"

"Better, since when have we all ever listen to Draco?" Pansy chuckled. "Poor ferret. We should treat him with respect, shouldn't we?"

"Oh right." Theo nodded. "Call him ferret and then think about respecting him. Besides, Draco knows that we love him. And our making fun of him is just a way of us expressing our love."

"Why are we actually listening to stories though?" Blaise whispered to Harry. "Shouldn't we go and check on Hermione? Has she woken up?"

Harry looked around to check if anybody was looking at them. "We are listening to stories so that the others don't ask me about Hermione." He whispered back. "I will tell you what has happened later on, but Healer Rick has assured us that Hermione will be fine in a few hours."

"Okay, who is ready to listen to me now?" Theo asked. "I am getting impatient. I want to tell everyone how Draco confessed that he liked Hermione in front of her and Narcissa-"

"-You mean how you forced Draco to drink Veritaserum and do that." Blaise raised his eyebrows at him.

"Yeah but whatever he said next and how he danced with Hermione was not because of me." Theo raised his hands as if surrendering. "Okay, so what actually happened was-" 

Just then, a panther shaped patronus appeared in the room.

"Auror Potter, you are required to come to the Ministry right now." Robards' deep voice said. "I want you to first look at the files and gather as much information as you can about the Death Eaters and then interrogate them later on with Auror Malfoy."

Harry sighed and got up. "Looks like I need to go now." He quickly kissed Ginny, and also James and Albus' foreheads and exited. "Don't you dare tell the story now, we will listen to it later on." He said before exiting the room.

On his way out, he met Draco who had been convinced by his mother, threatened more likely, to go home and take a proper rest.

Harry told him what Robards had said, and before Draco could decide to come to the Ministry with him, Harry told him that he would call him once he had gathered enough information. 

--------

Few hours later......

"Dada! Dada!"

Draco turned on his back in his sleep and slung an arm over his face, muttering, "Athy, let Dada sleep, please."

But of course, Athy wasn't a Malfoy for nothing.

She was stubborn.

Actually, saying that would be an understatement.

She would perhaps get the first position if there ever was a competition for having the most stubbornness in this World.

She pulled back the blanket and climbed on top of him. "I am hungry, Dada! Hungry!"

"But didn't you just ate the pies before coming here?" Draco, not in the mood to wake up, grumbled.

Apparantly that was a wrong thing to say.

"Pies!" Athy gasped. "I want pies! I need pies! Make Apple pies, Dada! I love pies!"

"You are not going to let me sleep, are you?" He removed his arm from his face, and slowly opened his eyes.

"Nuh uh." She grinned at him.

"Give me five minutes then." Draco sighed and closed his eyes.

One minute later, and Athy was getting impatient.

Another trait of being a Malfoy.

She wanted her apple pies. Now.

As she was thinking of how to wake up her father, she looked towards the en joined bathroom.

She could throw cold water on his face.

But then again, she couldn't possibly carry the bucket all the way from the bathroom to here and then climb on the bed with it.

So she would have to think of another plan.

Suddenly, she remembered how once she and Hermione had woken up her father by tickling him.

"Did you know that your father is very ticklish, Athy?" Hermione smirked at her.

Grinning, as she remembered where exactly her father was the most ticklish, Athy slid back a little, placed her hands on his stomach and immediately started tickling him.

"Athy, stop!" Draco managed to say between his laughter as he was woken up by her tickles. "Athy, please!" 

But the little Malfoy didn't stop until her father finally conceded defeat and got up from the bed. "Fine, you little devil, I will make the pies for you."

Mission successful.

Draco rolled his eyes as he looked at his daughter grinning and clapping her hands together. She was a real evil princess.

Thanks to his best friend, Hermione, of course.

"Still stuck up on best friend, are you?" His mind asked as Draco followed his daughter downstairs. "Still think she is just your best friend?"

"Okay, I am not in the mood to talk about this right now." He muttered.

"Oh no you don't." He could feel his mind smirking at him, if that was even possible. "You literally confessed your love for her four days ago, so now you can't say that she is just your best friend."

"Doesn't mean that Granger still loves me-"

"Oh back to Granger, are we? Whatever happened to your habit of calling her Hermione since the past four days?"

"I have always called her, Granger, and you know that old habits die hard and also-"

"Wait, we were talking about your and Hermione's relationship-"

"I am not in a relationship with Granger! That was years ago, in our eighth year-"

"Yeah yeah and you two are star crossed lovers who can never stay away from each other." His mind said. "Just like those Muggle romance Hermione likes. There was one which you liked too, right?"

"Oh please, I don't like Romeo and Juliet at all. It's rubbish."

"Funny how you assumed that I was going to say Romeo and Juliet." His mind snorted. "But don't think I have forgotten you secretly reading that book so many times after Hermione had left, and even in these past few months."

"That was supposed to be a secret." Draco gasped.

"Oh well you did go to Muggle London to get that book as well, didn't you?" His mind continued, ignoring him.

Yeah right as if his friends ignoring his comments wasn't already enough.

"Right, I would appreciate it if you don't tell this to anyone else, because I am pretty sure my mother has her control over you or something." Draco rolled his eyes. "So do we have a deal?"

"No."

"Should have expected that." Draco groaned.

"Well there will be a deal when you will finally confess your love to Hermione," His mind said, "Properly, you know? And she still loves you, that is what she said on the phone anyways, before you said those three words to her."

"Be patient, will you?"

"We have all been waiting since forever." His mind sighed. "How much longer will you take now to get together with her?"

"Right, this conversation is over." Draco muttered and headed towards the kitchen, where his daughter was impatiently waiting for him.

"Pies, Dada!" Athy grumbled as she stomped her foot on the ground.

"I am afraid you will have to be patient, my princess." Draco chuckled at the angry look she sent her way. "Patience is the virtue, after all."

"Pies now!" She exclaimed.

Draco rolled his eyes. "She gets her stubbornness from you, Astoria." He muttered and placed the apples on the counter.

A few minutes later, as Athy was happily eating her pies, Draco decided to go to the portrait room.

He needed to talk with Astoria about a very important topic. 

"Are you okay?" Astoria asked as soon as he entered the room. "You aren't hurt now, are you? Are you feeling fine? Or does it-"

"I am fine." He cut her off as he stood in front of her portrait, raising one hand to touch her cheek. "I am fine, Tori, everything is fine."

"I am glad." She closed her eyes and it was then that Draco realised that tears had been glistening in her eyes. 

He wished he could wipe them away.

"How do you know about what happened anyways?" He asked her, before she could fuss over him even more. 

"Narcissa told me." Astoria opened her eyes and wiped her tears. "She and Lucius had been staying here since the past four days. She kept me informed of everything."

"Oh Salazar." Draco gasped. "I am so sorry, Tori. I had completely forgotten about informing you about that. Please forgive me, love, it completely escaped my mind-"

"It is okay." She tried to smile at him, but it turned out to be more of a grimace. "I-I was just..... I was so scared, Draco. Narcissa didn't exactly tell me how much hurt you had been at first, but she eventually did."

Draco leant forward to rest his forehead against hers. "She didn't want to worry you."

"I know." She nodded. "And when she told me that you refused to be healed, I swear I had never been angrier at you than ever before in my life. How could you, Draco? How could you do that?"

"Because I deserved it!" He exclaimed. "I deserve to be hurt for the way I treated her. She got hurt because of me, and I deserved to be punished."

"Draco-"

"And what about the pain I made you suffer through? What about all those times that I made you sad? That I made you cry? And this? Don't even ask me about this. I can't believe I just ignored you like that. I had made a promise to never do that, to be with you forever at our wedding, and I broke the vows, Tori. How could you still stand to look at me?"

"Draco, my love." Astoria whispered and he looked away her. She wished she could reach out and make him look at her. "You didn't do anything wrong. I understand why you didn't tell me, and I don't hold it against you. And what pain you are talking about, Draco?"

"The pain you felt when I used your attraction towards me to make you fake date me towards the end of our eighth year to push Granger away." Draco answered, his eyes still downcast.

"You listen to me right now, Draco Lucius Malfoy." She exclaimed, knowing that he would immediately look at he. 

And of course, it worked, just like always.

"I knew what I was getting into when I decided to be your fake girlfriend." Astoria continued. "And what about when we started dating for real? What about when you professed your love for me? What about all those times you made me feel loved?"

"Astoria-"

But she wouldn't listen to him, she was on a roll now.

"I enjoyed my time with you, Draco." She smiled at him. "And you know that I will always love you, just like I know that you will always love me. But Draco, you are not mine anymore, even if I will be yours. Forever."

Draco closed his eyes, he was on the verge of tears. 

But before he could say something, he was interrupted by a patronus.

More specifically, Harry's patronus, calling him at the Ministry.

"Listen, Astoria, I need to talk with you about a potion-" 

"We will talk later, Draco." She cut him off. "You need to go the Ministry now. It's sounds urgent." 

Draco reluctantly nodded and called Athy upstairs. "I will see you later, Tori." He kissed her forehead and went towards the door.

Before he could leave, Astoria called him, "Draco, I hope you will do what's right later. Just listen to your heart, okay?"

And Draco knew she was talking about his decision about being together with a certain muggle born witch. 

-------

"Sod off, Potter." Draco grumbled as he saw Harry waving at him from his office.

"Oh well good morning to you too." Harry grinned at him as the blond entered his office.

"It is afternoon, Potter. Don't wear the watch on your hand if you don't understand how it works."

"I know but that's usually what people say." Harry shrugged. "Oh and you care about my watch, do you? Figures, you are the one who gave this to me after all on my birthday."

"I didn't give this to you, Potter." He rolled his eyes at him. "Granger forced me to do that. If it were up to me, I would have given you a poster which says I am the stupidest and most annoying person ever."

"Oh were you purchasing that shirt for yourself?" He grinned at him again. "I mean, it would have suited you. Tell me, was it in red colour? I would like-"

"Do you think I care about your likes and dislikes, Potter? I don't give a damn about what you think-" 

"- it if you wear it." Harry finished. "You have never really won red before, have you? Well your colour preferences are boring after all-"

"Tell me one thing, Potter." Draco narrowed his eyes at him. "Did you call me here to give me fashion advice? If so, let me tell you this. First, your fashion sense sucks. Second, I would rather sleep than spend one more second in your company. I am tired anyways."

Before Draco could move towards the door, Harry positioned himself between the blond Auror and the door, leaning against it.

"Don't make me use a spell on you, Potter." Draco took out his wand and pointed his wand at him.

But Harry used Expelliarmus on him before he could do so.

"Hear me out before you decide to hex me, Draco." Harry said. "I called you here because of what I told you at St Mungo's. I have gathered enough information and now we can interrogate-"

He stopped when Draco yawned.

"Are you-" Harry shook his head. "You are seriously tired? You weren't kidding when you said you would rather sleep than be here, were you?"

"No shit, Sherlock." Draco rolled his eyes at him. "You have always been oblivious. I seriously wonder why you got selected as an Auror." 

Harry ignored his comment and instead stepped forward to pat his back.

And Draco took a step backwards.

"Don't you dare." He warned Harry. "Stay where you are, Potter. Don't make me punch you."

"But I want to congratulate you for saying another Muggle thing correctly. But wait, I thought you didn't like muggle literature? How do you even know about it?"

"I don't like those cheesy stories, Potter." He rolled his eyes. "Romeo and Juliet for example. I don't understand how Granger even likes it."

"Romeo and Juliet, hmm? Wonder which couple it reminds me of?" 

"Granger and I are not a couple."

"Did I say your or Hermione's name? Or say that you were a couple?" Harry smirked at him.

"Let's look at the files." Draco changed the topic and grabbed the file which was lying on the desk.

"Sure, whatever you say." Harry muttered. "Anyways, I found something which will help us interrogate the Death Eaters, specially Dolohov and Carl Roger."

"And what that might be?"

"It says here that Dolohov is responsible for Roger's brother being killed." He answered. 

---------

Draco sighed as he and Athy made their way inside St Mungo's. He had just come here from the Ministry, and he wasn't in a good mood at all.

Despite their findings, him and Harry had not been able to interrogate the Death Eaters properly, they just refused to talk.

And seeing that they could only try to get the permission of using Veritaserum on them from the Wizengamot tomorrow, Robards had told them to go home and rest, but instead Draco had come here and Harry had told him he would do the same, after he informed his wife about that.

"Auror Malfoy." Healer Rick gestured for him to come towards him. "I have some news for you."

"Hermione's alright, isn't she?" 

"She's perfectly fine." He smiled at the Auror. "In fact, we finished treating her an hour back, and she has woken up just now. And her memories are back."

Draco gasped. "You mean-"

"That she remembers each and everything about her life? Yes. She even remembers the talk you two had a few hours back."

"Can I go and see her?"

"Of course." Healer Rick nodded. "You would like to know that Auror Granger asked for you as soon as she woke up."

Damn, he mentally swore. Hermione asked for him? Was he in for a lecture or scolding now?

Healer Rick walked away after telling him to only talk with her for a few minutes as she needed her rest. Athy looked at him with the puppy dog eyes and he couldn't stop her from meeting Hermione.

After all, Hermione wouldn't hex him in front of a two year old, would she?

Surely she wasn't that cruel.

Taking a deep breath, Draco opened the door, and found himself staring at the familiar pair of hazel brown eyes.

The pair of eyes that he had fallen in love with.

But before he could say or do anything, his daughter ran towards the bed and tried to climb up on the bed. When she couldn't, she called him and Draco found himself standing next to the witch he loved as he helped Athy up on the bed.

While the little two year old hugged Hermione and immedi started talking with her, he was left to think as to what he should say to her.

Should be apologise to her first?

Or perhaps he could tell her why he acted cold towards her?

Scratch it, first he was going to make sure he was okay. Because even though they had fought, she was still his best friend, and will always be. No matter what.

As he saw Hermione yawning, he told Athy, "Okay, that's enough, princess. Your Mi needs her rest now."

"But I want to talk!" Athy pouted.

"You can do that afterwards as well." Draco picked her up, ignoring her protests, and headed towards the door.

Only for Hermione to stop him and say that she wanted to talk with him. 

He nodded and after dropping Athy off at the Potters', he came back to St Mungo's, and headed straight towards her room.

Before Hermione could say something, Draco crossed the room in three strides and immediately wrapped his arms around her, feeling her tears as they dropped on his shoulder.

"I was so scared, Granger." He whispered. "Never do that again, you understand? I wasn't kidding when I said that I will throw away your books."

"And I wasn't kidding when I said that you loved them." Hermione chuckled as he pulled away from, sitting next to her legs.

"Granger, look, about how I treated you earlier, called you a killer and all that, it was-"

"Just an act." She finished. "I know. Astoria told me before I went to Mini Hogwarts that day that you had read all those letters and knew how much I wanted to tell you about the curse."

"I told her not to tell you." He sighed. "I can't take back what I said, Granger, nor can I vanish the hurt. But I still want to explain everything to you. I want to tell you everything, and if you decide to not talk with me after that, I would understand."

"That will never happen." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I am not naive, Draco, I know there must be something because of which you acted like that. But no matter what, I will always love you, and I am not going to run away from my feelings any longer."

So he told her. He told her everything about how they had started dating in eighth year, and how he had obliviated her.

"I need time to think about it." She said after a few moments. "That was a lot to take in. To think that we were together and I don't even remember it......."

"I understand." He nodded. "And if you still want me in the end, then I will be here."

As he moved to get up, she stopped him, asking him what he was doing. "You said that you needed time, Granger."

"But I didn't ask you to stay away."

Draco grinned and rested his forehead on hers. "Just don't ever leave me, please?"

"I will stay with you." Hermione kissed his cheek. "Forever." 

A/N: That's it for this chapter. It was 8500+ words. Hope you guys liked it. So longest chapter till date, and only because I got carried away with two scenes. Anyways, I told you I wouldn't torture Draco much. Almost everything's been cleared now, so do you think Draco will finally confess his feelings to her properly? Random question: A thing you like about Draco? Answer in the comments below. Vote, comment and please share my story. Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you! 

Next chapter on 28/3/21(Sunday). 

Until next time.