The smell of coffee stirred him, and he found Ginny sitting on the floor, holding a mug up to his face. Grinning tiredly, he took it and let the hot liquid slip down his throat before putting an arm around her lightly.
"Thank you," he said softly, kissing her hair. "How's your hangover?"
"Stable," replied Ginny. "I've had more coffee in the last hour than in the last week." She turned to look at him, chewing her lip. "What are we going to do?" she asked softly.
"I don't know, but I've been thinking about something Pansy said. She figured out that I had more than our time together taken away – any mention of you was gone, too." He sighed. "I hate this. I only know what you and Blaise have told me, though he was more about pulling us apart at the time." He caught her expression. "Don't. He's not responsible for this."
"We'll make new memories," she promised.
He smiled.
**
There was a knock on the door. It grew urgent before Ginny opened it. Blaise stood there, looking disheveled and pissed about something. He didn't wait to be let in. Approaching Draco, he sat on the couch and shook his head.
"Theo's back," he announced.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
"I don't know, I didn't actually see him. Pansy told me."
Ginny looked at them. "Who?"
"Theodore Nott," Draco informed her. "He was an asshole and I don't particularly like him. But I'm not sure why that is."
"You don't remember?" Blaise shot Draco an incredulous look. "He tried to take her from you." He nodded toward the redhead. "You never let him have her, though. You fought tooth and nail to keep her." He glanced at Ginny. "Did you know any of this?"
She didn't. "No. I don't remember him at all."
"I don't believe he erased any parts of your memory," Blaise told her, as if reading her mind. "Because if he had, he would have kept the ones of himself. But you say you don't remember him."
Draco's voice was full of quiet rage.
"Did he do this to me?"
"I don't know," Blaise answered truthfully. "But it would explain why you don't like him. Though, Pansy told me what she figured out, and if that's the case – if he took your memories of Ginny and everything related – then you would have no reason to dislike him."
Draco put his head in his hands. "That doesn't make any sense. It has to be Nott."
"Why?" Blaise wondered. "Why does it have to be him? Maybe whoever it was, maybe they're dead. Did you ever think about that? Maybe it doesn't matter anymore. You have her back. What more do you want? Revenge? Will that make you feel better?"
"He wants answers," Ginny said quietly. She was sitting on the floor. "If someone took your memories, wouldn't you want to know why?"
"Well, yes, but–"
"That's it," Draco said firmly. "There's nothing else to discuss." He stood up went to his bedroom. Once clothed, he opened the front door. "I want answers and I am going to get them, with or without your help."
"Do you think he'll find him?" Ginny asked as they both stared at the closed door.
"Theo doesn't go far from the bars," Blaise told her. "Here, sit, it may be a while." He dropped onto the couch and crossed his legs, leaning back. "I suppose we ought to tell Pansy what's going on, since she knows he's back."
Ginny rubbed her temples. "Why don't I remember him?"
"I have no idea," Blaise explained. "Memories of Theo have been erased, as well, because they are linked to his interaction with you. That's why Draco didn't remember what happened, but it doesn't make sense that you wouldn't remember him. No one tampered with your mind. Anyone you came in contact with, at any point in your life, you should be able to recall. You and Draco are two separate people."
"I remember being with Draco," she said quietly. "No one could take that from me."
"He probably thought the same thing. But someone had other plans." He looked over at her. "I wonder, though, if you two should really be focusing on that now. You may never know who the culprit is, and you should just be happy you're together."
"You sound sad," Ginny acknowledged softly. She smiled. "This wasn't you. You wouldn't have jeopardized your friendship. If you did this, you'd remember."
"Perhaps," he said thoughtfully. "But I've been thinking – theorizing, actually. What if the person who did this to you doesn't want to remember? So much so that they erased their own memories of that time?"
That was absurd, of course. But deep down, she wasn't so sure.
He knew where he'd find Theo – where he always did before the man left London – in some dingy, small bar with a glass of gin in front of him. Any bar would do, Theo wasn't picky. As long as he could get a drink and drown his day away.
Stepping into the bar he frequented recently, he scanned the customers. His eyes fell on a man hunched over a half empty glass of liquid. The man looked up, his eyes widening. And he stood, almost as though he knew what Draco was there for.
But he didn't run.
Draco approached him, and sat down, his eyes narrowed. "I was under the impression you were never coming back here again."
Theodore Nott looked less weedy than he had years ago. He ran a hand through his dark hair and smirked. "I had business to take care of. Did Parkinson tell you that I was back?"
"Blaise," Draco informed him. "Have you spoken to Ginny since you'd been back?"
"Ginny?" Nott looked confused.
"Weasley."
Theo's smirk widened slightly. "Oh, her. No. I didn't know she still lived here. I haven't seen her since Hogwarts."
"Right," muttered Draco, as he ordered a shot of vodka. "Didn't you want to date her then? I think she was with someone else at the time."
Nott shook his head. "I don't know. It was a long time ago. Why are you asking me about that girl? Are you with her or something?"
"Yes," he answered. "I am." His drink arrived, but he didn't touch it. Instead, he folded his hands in front of him and leaned forward. "A funny thing happened, though. It's hysterical, really. You're going to laugh. Are you ready?"
"She's probably a great lay," Nott said, smiling. "I always wanted to know if I could make her scream."
Draco's vision grew hazy, and his head hurt terribly. He'd felt this way before. Just once. He knew what was happening. God, Theo was looking at his memories. The recent ones. To find her.
In a flash, he had his hands around Theo's neck. He'd tackled him to the floor, the glasses of liquor broken behind them. People shouted, but he didn't let go.
"You destroyed my memories!" Draco hissed as he felt the crunch of bone underneath his fist. He didn't stop. Theo's lip split beneath his knuckle, blood sprayed along his fingers. "You bastard," he whispered hoarsely. "Why?"
Theo's bloody lips twisted into a heinous smile, then he shoved Draco off. Rolling onto his side, he stood up slowly. "You always did get everything you wanted, my friend. Frankly, I was sick of it." He spat onto the floor. Then his fist slammed into the side of Draco's temple, causing him to sink to his knees.
Draco gasped, his head throbbing, as he watched Theo walk out of the bar. He heard a voice above him, felt a hand on his shoulder. Someone was going to help him. They healed his wounds, and when he stood, he could only think of one thing.
He had to get to Ginny before Theo did.
"Thank you," he said softly, kissing her hair. "How's your hangover?"
"Stable," replied Ginny. "I've had more coffee in the last hour than in the last week." She turned to look at him, chewing her lip. "What are we going to do?" she asked softly.
"I don't know, but I've been thinking about something Pansy said. She figured out that I had more than our time together taken away – any mention of you was gone, too." He sighed. "I hate this. I only know what you and Blaise have told me, though he was more about pulling us apart at the time." He caught her expression. "Don't. He's not responsible for this."
"We'll make new memories," she promised.
He smiled.
There was a knock on the door. It grew urgent before Ginny opened it. Blaise stood there, looking disheveled and pissed about something. He didn't wait to be let in. Approaching Draco, he sat on the couch and shook his head.
"Theo's back," he announced.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
"I don't know, I didn't actually see him. Pansy told me."
Ginny looked at them. "Who?"
"Theodore Nott," Draco informed her. "He was an asshole and I don't particularly like him. But I'm not sure why that is."
"You don't remember?" Blaise shot Draco an incredulous look. "He tried to take her from you." He nodded toward the redhead. "You never let him have her, though. You fought tooth and nail to keep her." He glanced at Ginny. "Did you know any of this?"
She didn't. "No. I don't remember him at all."
"I don't believe he erased any parts of your memory," Blaise told her, as if reading her mind. "Because if he had, he would have kept the ones of himself. But you say you don't remember him."
Draco's voice was full of quiet rage.
"Did he do this to me?"
"I don't know," Blaise answered truthfully. "But it would explain why you don't like him. Though, Pansy told me what she figured out, and if that's the case – if he took your memories of Ginny and everything related – then you would have no reason to dislike him."
Draco put his head in his hands. "That doesn't make any sense. It has to be Nott."
"Why?" Blaise wondered. "Why does it have to be him? Maybe whoever it was, maybe they're dead. Did you ever think about that? Maybe it doesn't matter anymore. You have her back. What more do you want? Revenge? Will that make you feel better?"
"He wants answers," Ginny said quietly. She was sitting on the floor. "If someone took your memories, wouldn't you want to know why?"
"Well, yes, but–"
"That's it," Draco said firmly. "There's nothing else to discuss." He stood up went to his bedroom. Once clothed, he opened the front door. "I want answers and I am going to get them, with or without your help."
"Do you think he'll find him?" Ginny asked as they both stared at the closed door.
"Theo doesn't go far from the bars," Blaise told her. "Here, sit, it may be a while." He dropped onto the couch and crossed his legs, leaning back. "I suppose we ought to tell Pansy what's going on, since she knows he's back."
Ginny rubbed her temples. "Why don't I remember him?"
"I have no idea," Blaise explained. "Memories of Theo have been erased, as well, because they are linked to his interaction with you. That's why Draco didn't remember what happened, but it doesn't make sense that you wouldn't remember him. No one tampered with your mind. Anyone you came in contact with, at any point in your life, you should be able to recall. You and Draco are two separate people."
"I remember being with Draco," she said quietly. "No one could take that from me."
"He probably thought the same thing. But someone had other plans." He looked over at her. "I wonder, though, if you two should really be focusing on that now. You may never know who the culprit is, and you should just be happy you're together."
"You sound sad," Ginny acknowledged softly. She smiled. "This wasn't you. You wouldn't have jeopardized your friendship. If you did this, you'd remember."
"Perhaps," he said thoughtfully. "But I've been thinking – theorizing, actually. What if the person who did this to you doesn't want to remember? So much so that they erased their own memories of that time?"
That was absurd, of course. But deep down, she wasn't so sure.
He knew where he'd find Theo – where he always did before the man left London – in some dingy, small bar with a glass of gin in front of him. Any bar would do, Theo wasn't picky. As long as he could get a drink and drown his day away.
Stepping into the bar he frequented recently, he scanned the customers. His eyes fell on a man hunched over a half empty glass of liquid. The man looked up, his eyes widening. And he stood, almost as though he knew what Draco was there for.
But he didn't run.
Draco approached him, and sat down, his eyes narrowed. "I was under the impression you were never coming back here again."
Theodore Nott looked less weedy than he had years ago. He ran a hand through his dark hair and smirked. "I had business to take care of. Did Parkinson tell you that I was back?"
"Blaise," Draco informed him. "Have you spoken to Ginny since you'd been back?"
"Ginny?" Nott looked confused.
"Weasley."
Theo's smirk widened slightly. "Oh, her. No. I didn't know she still lived here. I haven't seen her since Hogwarts."
"Right," muttered Draco, as he ordered a shot of vodka. "Didn't you want to date her then? I think she was with someone else at the time."
Nott shook his head. "I don't know. It was a long time ago. Why are you asking me about that girl? Are you with her or something?"
"Yes," he answered. "I am." His drink arrived, but he didn't touch it. Instead, he folded his hands in front of him and leaned forward. "A funny thing happened, though. It's hysterical, really. You're going to laugh. Are you ready?"
"She's probably a great lay," Nott said, smiling. "I always wanted to know if I could make her scream."
Draco's vision grew hazy, and his head hurt terribly. He'd felt this way before. Just once. He knew what was happening. God, Theo was looking at his memories. The recent ones. To find her.
In a flash, he had his hands around Theo's neck. He'd tackled him to the floor, the glasses of liquor broken behind them. People shouted, but he didn't let go.
"You destroyed my memories!" Draco hissed as he felt the crunch of bone underneath his fist. He didn't stop. Theo's lip split beneath his knuckle, blood sprayed along his fingers. "You bastard," he whispered hoarsely. "Why?"
Theo's bloody lips twisted into a heinous smile, then he shoved Draco off. Rolling onto his side, he stood up slowly. "You always did get everything you wanted, my friend. Frankly, I was sick of it." He spat onto the floor. Then his fist slammed into the side of Draco's temple, causing him to sink to his knees.
Draco gasped, his head throbbing, as he watched Theo walk out of the bar. He heard a voice above him, felt a hand on his shoulder. Someone was going to help him. They healed his wounds, and when he stood, he could only think of one thing.
He had to get to Ginny before Theo did.
Leave a Review