Obliviate

Chapter 22

The day had been miserable.

Scorpius pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes as if he could shove the pain back inside his skull. "This isn't a normal headache," he muttered, his voice muffled. "Feels like something's trying to claw its way out."

Lily shifted beside him on the Ravenclaw common room sofa, her quill hovering over parchment but unmoving. She'd been staring off into nothing all day, jerked awake by flashes only she could see: Hermione's furious voice in the heat of an argument, the curve of Draco's smirk, the echo of laughter that wasn't hers. The snippets were relentless, ambushing her at meals, in class, even when she blinked.

"You've got migraines, and I've got ghosts," she said softly.

Scorpius let out a groan. "Perfect match, aren't we?"

By nightfall, neither of them could settle. And it was Scorpius, of all people, who suggested they sneak out. "I can't sit in here with my head splitting open," he whispered, tugging the invisibility cloak from Lily's bag. "Let's walk it off. Library's quiet this time of night."

They slid beneath the shimmering folds of the Invisibility Cloak, the world blurring at the edges. Their footsteps were muffled against the stone corridors, torches spitting low flames as they wound their way to the library.

The air inside was cooler, heavier. The shadows seemed alive, pressing in around them.

And then Lily saw him.

Silver hair catching the lantern glow. Broad shoulders hunched over an open book in the Restricted Section.

Draco Malfoy.

Lily's heart stuttered. This wasn't an Echo from the past...

The Tree's voice unfurled in her mind, like leaves whispering in a storm: "Bring him."

She nearly gasped, clutching Scorpius's sleeve. He followed her gaze, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Dad?" His whisper cracked with equal parts fear and awe.

Draco jerked upright at the sound, his hand flying to his wand. His gaze snapped toward them, suspicion blazing. "Who's there?"

Lily yanked the cloak off. They stood exposed in the lamplight.

Draco froze. His expression twisted, shock, anger, and something raw beneath. "What- how did you-" His voice lowered into a harsh growl. "You shouldn't be here."

"That's our line," Scorpius shot back, stepping forward. "You're not even supposed to be on school grounds. What are you doing here?"

Draco's jaw tightened. "That's none of your concern. I don't answer to children." He made to leave, but then froze, pressing a hand to his temple. His knees buckled slightly.

"Dad-" Scorpius started, but Draco waved him off, staggering to the nearest table. His pale hand gripped the edge, knuckles white.

And then it happened.

The air shimmered, the lantern-light twisting. For a heartbeat, Lily thought she was about to collapse into another vision alone. But this time she saw Draco falter too. His breath caught, eyes snapping wide as if the memory itself had ambushed him.

A scene unfolded in the shifting glow, faint but real.

Hermione, younger, fierce, her curls wild as she snatched a book from the shelf. Draco's hand brushed hers, his sneer faltering for the briefest second. Not hatred. Not rivalry. Something else. His eyes lingered, soft with a longing he didn't seem to understand himself.

Lily's chest clenched.

Draco whispered, almost to himself: "I remember this..." His fingers shook as he pressed them to his mouth, as though trying to cage the truth inside. Then, just as quickly, he snarled, "No. This isn't right."