Save Me

POTION

Malfoy walked out of the house towards the woods. He needed some air; he was beginning to feel cooped up in the small house after a few days. Draco wandered until he found a small creek, and sat down throwing rocks into the water. His mind wandered in a million directions. What were they going to do? We just need more time. I can fix it. He heard a twig snap and reflexily grabbed his wand pointing it in the direction of the noise. It was Hermione.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey."

She wandered over and sat down on a rock near him. She rolled up her jeans and put her feet in the water, fidgeting with a small patch of grass on her left side while looking at Draco on her right.

"Harry and Ginny said you were looking for me."

"Yeah," he said looking at his ring. When he glanced over at her hand, there seemed to be a haze that hovered, dissipating for a moment until he saw her ring.

"A notice-me-not charm. Smart. Why?"

"I wanted you to remember on your own," she said.

"Why hasn't mine been working? I can't feel how you feel."

"When I found yours, the connection was broken. But my ring still picks up on your physical and emotional state."

"That's how you knew my arm hurt, and how I was tired when I said I wasn't."

She nodded. "Hurts, not hurt. It still hurts."

He asked how strong they had rendered it to be. Did they actually feel what the other person was feeling, or where they just aware?

"Eventually we perfected the magic. It was quite brilliant actually, once I caved into using the Blood Magic, we each used a drop of blood on the other person's ring in combination with the wards. Then, we actually felt what the other person was. Snape taught us to use our occulmency to isolate our feelings from each other, but if it was too strong it could take over."

"Is that how mine broke? My emotion was too strong it overpowered yours?"

"I don't know, nothing like this has ever been made before."

Malfoy shook his head. "I don't remember everything yet, I need more. Can you fix my ring?"

"Yes."

–

Back at the house, Neville was brewing something that Draco thought smelled like his Azkaban chamber pot. "Bloody Hell Neville, you want me to drink that?"

"I, er- sorry. I couldn't find the plant that normally absorbs the flavor from the bubotuber pus. No time."

"Right Neville, if Scrimgeour doesn't kill me, this might," Draco said while Neville handed him a tall glass of the brown and yellow looking concoction. Hermione walked over and sliced Draco's finger with a kitchen knife.

"Ouch Granger. A warning next time?"

"You're the one who wanted me to fix your ring."

"Tough crowd today," Harry said, "Now drink. You'll have to wait a few minutes for it to set in."

Draco thought he was going to die drinking the potion. He gagged repeatedly trying to swallow the thick pudding-like drink.

"Great," Hermione said, "Your ring is ready and I'll slip it on once you're asleep. You'll have to re-learn to control it, unless you remember in a dream of course."

"Thanks."

"Priming you with information seems to help," Harry started, "Knowing something specific that you need to remember can bring it from your long-term memory to the front of your mind. Let's use this as a test. Try to remember how you lost your ring."

"Oh, and," Ron said, "the potion might make you a little loopy mate. Try not to say anything you wouldn't say to your mum."

"My mum's dead."

"Right. In that case, you should be good."

Draco could feel the effect setting in. Everyone was in his room now, staring at him. His mind felt hazy and his entire body felt heavy- like he was drunk. He reached up to grab Hermione's hand. He was so drowsy. "Hermione," he said as he drifted into sleep.

–