Coffee and Spearmint Toothpaste - Dramione

49-The Pensive

Hermione pulled her face from the water and staggered backwards, bumping into a table. She couldn't tell if she had been in there for seconds or hours.

"Draco I had no idea you went through all that."

He was stood almost shrouded in shadow as he leaned against one of the bookshelves. "So now you know why you should leave."

"WHAT?"

"You have seen the things I have done, you have seen what I'm going to have to do, I can put you in touch with the resistance or you can go and live with your parents. You need to forget about me, being here is only going to put you in danger."

"What, no I'm staying here and I'm helping you."

He looked deep into her eyes. "I know that you want to help but" he looked away "I care about you too much, if you got hurt or if you died. I wouldn't forgive myself."

She covered her eyes with her hands. "I can't believe you're saying this, after everything we've been through together."

"Hermione it's the only was I can keep you safe. This house's magic will only protect people in the Malfoy family, so if someone came here with the intention of harming me, they wouldn't be able to get in, but with you they would. I can't completely protect you here."

"Why are you saying this all of a sudden, why do you care now." She rose her voice.

"Hermione don't, please." He sighed turning away.

"No I will, you have never cared about me, not even when we were friends, not really, so why now. WHY DO YOU CARE?" She yelled.

"I'm in love with you." He yelled back.

All that followed was silence. He was in love with her. She couldn't believe it. She had know that there was something between them, or else nothing would have happened at the masquerade, but she thought that it was just a thing of the moment, nothing more than a mistake but now she didn't know.

"You are in love with me?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be, you are the most incredible person I have ever met. You are smart and funny and beautiful and I can't believe Ron couldn't see that. But nothing can happen between us."

"Why can't anything happen between us?"

"Because of this." He rolled his sleeve up and showed his dark mark. "There is a chance every moment of every day that Voldemort may call on me to his bidding, to fight the resistance, to torture a spy, to kill innocent muggles. Every time I go, when the dark lord looks at my memories and wipes them there is a chance that he will see you, and then he will try to kill you."

"But I'm in love with you too."

There was a look in his eye that she had never seen before as she spoke those words, was it hope? "When this is over I will find you."

"No I'm not leaving and you can't make me leave."

"I will persuade you."

"Not today you won't." With that she walked to the door and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

She didn't know where she was going, she just kept walking though the hallways. She hadn't gone far when she heard taking when she turned a corner. It was Pansy and Blaise. She opened the door to the room where they were, it seemed to be Pansy's bedroom. It was a very similar room to her own only the colours seemed brighter and more vibrant and rather than books adorning all other walls it was art. One wall was plastered floor to ceiling in drawings, some of them recognisable, drawings of Blaise, Draco, other Slytherin students and even one or two of herself.

"Hermione." Pansy jumped up of her bed and wrapped her arms around her. "I've missed you." She squeezed her so tightly that she couldn't breathe.

Once Pansy let her go Blaise came and gave her a quick hug. "I missed you as well." He said shyly. At least the two of them could still make her smile. "I have to go, I need to go and send a letter." Blaise turned to her. "It's good to have you back Hermione."

Blaise left the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to talk to you."

"I need to talk to you too." Hermione laughed as she slumped down on her bed.

"Draco being an idiot?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"I've got you covered." Pansy leaned over and pulled a bottle of whiskey from he bedside table draw.

"Oh my god." She laughed. "Are you solving all your problems this way."

"Oh don't worry, this bottle is just for Draco related issues."

"Well it is just what I needed."

"So what happened." Pansy said as she took a swig from the bottle and handed it to her as she slumped down onto her bed."

"He told me he was in love with me."

"Wow." Pansy almost spit out her drop off whiskey. "He actually said that?"

"Yeah." she responded as she too took a sip of whiskey, the amber liquid burning as it went down, leaving her chest feeling warm.

"Well that's good isn't it? I mean you like him to right."

"Yeah, but...wait how did you know."

Pansy flicked a pice of invisible dirt from her shoulder. "A woman of my expertise just knows these kind of things." Then she laughed.

"I think I'm going to do something reckless." She said.

"Oh do go on."

"I want to break into the ministry of magic."

"Oh my god, are you serious."

"Yes I am serious, and you are going to help me."

"Why are we breaking in exactly?" She took another swig of whiskey.

"Ginny stole a book from the ministry, a book on blood magic that Draco used to bring me back, but she stole the wrong one. I want to steal the other one."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I remember reading about three books in the ministry that contained band magic, I think the one we have is the first one and I think there are two others, I'm getting the others, and I think that the reason why Ginny was trying to steal it is because she wanted to find out why Voldemort needs Harry again."

"Right, what do you need me to do?"

"You yourself can't go into the ministry because of you are spotted then your position as a sort of spy would be compromised."

"Yeah, and?"

"Firstly I need you to get my wand back off Draco, secondly next time you are in the Ministry as a job for you know who, get some hair so I can add it to a polyjuice potion."

"Where are you even going to get a polyjuice potion from?"

"I have a hunch."

"I can do all that by tomorrow evening."

"Then I'm going tomorrow night."

"This is very risky Hermione."

"I know."