Blissful Oblivion

Chapter 4 - Mind games

Over the next few days, Draco didn't try to talk to Hermione and so Hermione didn't try to speak to Draco. Hermione sat in her room  staring at the wall, lost in thought, until she finally decided that she'd had enough of sitting in her room trying to avoid Malfoy. She figured that they couldn't practically live together without running into each other all the time. She was wrecked with nerves as she left her room quietly and approached Draco's bedroom door. She hesitated for a brief moment before knocking gently, her hand shaking. She had no idea why she was so nervous. He didn't answer and so she knocked again, this time loudly, and again she was met with silence. Fine. If he wants to be immature. She thought to herself. At least she had tried to be reasonable.

'Are you looking for me?' A familiar voice whispered in her ear from behind her. His voice made her jump and she gasped, shivers travelled down her spine. She spun around and his face was directly in front of hers. She half expected him to move backwards, but he didn't.

'Um, yes, I wanted to apologise for the other day. I shouldn't have said anything, I didn't the whole story.' She said without pausing for breath and taking a step backwards.

'You shouldn't be the one apologising and you still don't know the whole story. I might as well take this time to say it but I really am sorry for the last 6 years, there is one time that I just can't stop thinking about.'

She looked at him dumbfounded. 'What are you talking about?' She asked.

'That day at the manor. Bellatrix tortured you and I did nothing, I just stood there and watched. I should have tried to stop her, I should have done something.' He looked away, ashamed. She could tell that he meant every word he said.

'It's okay.' She whispered, wincing at the memory.

'No it's not.' He said, taking her arm and rolling up her sleeve to reveal a faint scar of the word mudblood on her arm. She took back her arm and pulled down her sleeve.

'It doesn't matter.' She said. 'Can't we both just please forget about everything and start again?'

'Fine.' He replied and held out his hand. 'Draco Malfoy,' He smiled slightly and she took his hand. 'Hermione Granger.' They both laughed. Hermione realised that she had never actually seen him really laugh before.

'I will see you tomorrow.' She said baffled, as she walked to her room, still laughing at the idea that she and Malfoy might actually be friends.

Hermione sat down the next day in charms class. It was a fairly large room with dull black/grey walls. They were sat at long, wooden tables that had decayed with age. Ten minutes after the class had started, Malfoy showed up and casually strolled into the only spare seat, next to Hermione.

'Nice to see that you have finally graced us with your presence, Mr Malfoy.' Professor Flitwick noted sarcastically.

'Nice to know that you consider my presence a grace, Professor.' Malfoy smirked.

'Anyway.' The professor continued. 'Today, I will attempt to teach you a very advanced charm. Some of you will have heard of Occulency.' Hermione gasped, remembering when Snape had tried to teach Harry Occulency in order to keep Voldemort out of his head.

'Used properly, Occulency will help to shield you from someone trying to enter or control your mind. You will partner up with whomever you are seated with. One of you will attempt to penetrate the others mind, and they will try to resist. The spell you need in order to do so, is 'Legilmens'. You may begin.'

Draco had been trained in Occulency by Bellatrix Lestrange in order for the plot to kill Dumbledore to remain a secret. He was able to do so by becoming emotionless, although, he had changed since then and was scared of the thought of Hermione being able to enter his mind. Everybody stood and turned to their partners. They both took out their wands as they faced each other. Hermione aimed her wand at Draco as he tried to mentally prepare himself. He closed his eyes, concentrating.

'Legilmens.' She said calmly. She could feel Malfoy try to resist but the images from his mind started flowing into hers. She was confused at first, as she saw herself, laughing. The image changed into something darker, his head was full of painful memories. She saw Lucius Malfoy smiling and standing over a beaten and bloody Draco. She could feel his hatred towards Voldemort and how scared he was of him. She could see the night at the tower when Draco had been ordered to kill Dumbledore, he was lowering his wand. She felt the amount of regret and guilt that he bared, how he longed for things to be different, for forgiveness and acceptance. She could see how much Draco hated himself.

They snapped back into reality as Malfoy shut her out of his mind. He stood, breathing heavily, a look of horror on his face. Hermione stared at him, not knowing what to say or do. His grey blue eyes were open wide with shock.

'Well done Mr Malfoy!' Congratulated Professor Flitwick.

Malfoy snapped out of his trance as Hermione looked around the classroom at the others who couldn't yet perform the spell correctly. Somehow, Neville had managed to destroy half of the classroom in the process.

'Now you try Malfoy.' He said enthusiastically.

'Legilmens.' Draco said, pointing his want towards Hermione.

Everything went dark. Draco could no longer see the classroom as he was inside of Hermione's head. Images of her and Draco talking the night before flooded her current thoughts. The way he whispered in her ear, the way their faces were so close together. He could feel the way her mood changed when she was in his presence. The images became deeper. He could see her happiness when the sorting hat placed her into Gryffindor house, her friendship with Ron and Harry. The hurt she felt when Malfoy called her a filthy mudblood and how good it felt to punch him afterwards. He could see her sorrow. The moment that she saw Dumbledore's dead body and when Dobby was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, the funeral they had for him on the beach. He saw all of the pain and suffering and fear. The battles she had fought, the people she had lost. Fred, Reemus, Tonks, Mad eye, Sirius. He saw her take her parent's memories of her away. He saw Snape, slowly dying, covered in blood. The moment of sheer numbness when Hagrid carried the body of her dead best friend towards her.

The scene changed again. He could see her remembering being tortured in the Malfoy Manor. How it felt to be under the Cruciatus curse. Suddenly, it all faded away. Hermione was stood in from of him, screaming loudly, and tears running down her face. She was shaking violently, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her hands covering her ears. Draco put his hand on her arm and she opened her eyes. Still crying hysterically, she threw herself into Draco's arms. He hugged her back. 'I'm sorry.' He said, with pain in his voice. 'I'm so sorry.' She buried her face into his shoulder.

He realised then that the classroom was empty apart from Professor Flitwick, who stood their stunned. 'I sent everyone out to their common rooms when Miss Granger started screaming.' He explained. 'I suggest that you two both do the same.'

Draco nodded and led Hermione back to their common room.