His Girl by greenflowerpot

Chapter 12

- NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @greenflowerpot ON A03!!

"No," said Draco shortly. He rose to his feet, arm reaching out to pull Hermione closer to him. "We're not getting involved in this."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"How can you say that?" she asked. "Potter could take down the entire regime, could kill the Dark Lord! This might be the only chance."

"Typical Malfoy cowardice," Potter said. "Don't do anything unless it benefits you."

"Carry on with your plan for all I care," Draco hissed. "I won't tell. But if Hermione is in danger for knowing what the horcrux is then she's better off keeping that memory locked away. I need to be getting her somewhere safe, somewhere nobody can find her, not keeping her here just so she can be a clue on your fucking scavenger hunt."

"Draco," Hermione said. "I'm not going anywhere. This is it —this is what it means for you to be a better man. We have to help him, we have to do our part and make things right. Especially if I'm the only one that can access this memory."

"This is far too dangerous," Draco whispered urgently. "We need to move, we need to get you—"

"This is it," she repeated firmly. And Draco knew she would not budge.

He clenched his jaw.

"As soon as you get what you're looking for we're leaving," Draco snapped to Potter.

If Hermione was dead-set on doing this then Draco was going to get it over with as fast as possible. He sent a communications spell through the wall to the nearest guards requesting one of the Pensieves the prisons used for interrogation while Hermione untied Potter and used her wand to remove the charms that hid his memory vial from view. It hung from a Disillusioned cord around Potter's neck, small and tapered. Through the glass Draco could see the glowing threads of Hermione's memory.

Within minutes the white stone basin was delivered outside and Draco levitated it in, dropping it with a hefty thud in the center of the room.

Hermione's fingers shook as she lifted the vial to the light, her own missing memories in her hands at last. She uncorked the glass, poured the silvery substance into the Pensieve and all three of them watched as the liquid within shimmered and twisted until it formed the scene of a dark forest.

"Ready?" she breathed, looking to Draco.

He nodded though his stomach still twisted with unresolved alarm. Hermione touched her fingers to the surface of the Pensieve and they fell in.

──⊱⁜⊰──

They were standing in a dense wood.

The trees grew gnarled and twisted, the roots protruding from the ground as thick as the weighty branches that hung above them. Everything was cloaked in the inky darkness of night and ahead of them Draco could see five figures. Three were adults and two looked to be children. One of them floated a lantern ahead to light the way.

From the shivering light of the lantern flame Draco saw that one of the children was Hermione. Her pale face was tracked with tears.

"Please let me go back," she whispered to the other child. Draco saw with a surge of hatred that it was Dmitri. "I'll tell Draco to let you go, you won't get in trouble."

"This is better, Hermione, I promise. The Malfoys are no good. You'll be happier—"

"Stay quiet. Something's not right."

It was the man at the front of the group, the one floating the lantern. He had shed the mask he was wearing when he took Hermione and Draco could finally see his features. Graying, scruffy beard, bags under his eyes. Fear in his face.