Something to Remember

Chapter 21 A Kiss Beyond Fatality

**

Draco was sent back to Hogwarts a few days later and was pampered with gifts and get-well cards from everyone, not just the Slytherins. He was marked as some type of hero, and of course, Hermione knew he always had been. It seemed the rest of the school was just catching on to the fact that Draco Malfoy was NOT the evil sadistic villain that he'd been before befriending Hermione and the others.

Hermione still thought Draco was a bit fragile, however, even though he insisted that he was absolutely fine. Hermione, of course, did not buy it. Draco still had to go to Madam Pomfrey every evening for nightly treatments, which took anywhere between a quarter of an hour to two hours. He would return routinely afterward, looking the same, but Hermione felt Draco was still extremely delicate nonetheless ...

Draco had returned to lessons as normal, however. He was more attentive than ever now, but this came without saying. Their Ordinary Wizarding Levels examination (O.W.L.s) would be in a few short weeks, and Draco was thereby dedicated to achieving top scores. Hermione, too dedicated herself of course (likely more so, in fact), was also insisting Harry and Ron follow in the same footsteps.

The teachers themselves were quite nervous. Not only did they have to deal with the safety of the students nowadays, but they in turn were struggling to review five years of curriculum with the students to prepare them as much as they possibly could. It was especially difficult for the witch who taught Potions, as she had not actually been there with them for most of their schooling.

Meanwhile, Cho and Harry had slipped back together over the course of time after Draco had been back from the hospital. Cho also was spending lots of time with Hermione and Draco as well, just like they had done before. It was quite nice for them to have that back. Ginny hung out with them as well quite a bit, and somehow, she still remained closest to Cho even after it all.

Hermione nowadays resumed close correspondence with Draco's mother. Hermione was constantly worried about her and Lupin, and of course their unborn child. She knew they were in good hiding but even so Hermione was quite apprehensive. With Voldemort at large, one just never knew. It was a terrible time to live in. Even Hogwarts barely felt safe ...

Two weeks before exams begun, and one week before the start of June, something happened that made Hermione more uncomfortable than she'd felt in a long time. An announcement was made in the Daily Prophet that would change the lives of two fellow students at Hogwarts forever. And it affected Hermione as well ... The front-page said it all: "Zabini sentenced to Dementor's Kiss on June 5."

Indeed, Hermione read the headline and of course that was all she had to see. She showed Harry who went as pale as parchment and Ron who cursed loudly. Draco looked absolutely confused and shocked and livid all at the same time. Hermione could not bear looking over at the Zabini sisters, but she could hear the commotion already amounting everywhere. Celeste was screaming. She could hear Blaze crying out loudly, too. People were all around them, trying to calm them down. But nothing but chaos and commotion had been started. Hermione did not know what to do or if she was even at liberty to do anything. Would they blame her or Draco or Harry or the others? It was quite a horrifying view.

"Draco, maybe you could talk to them. You're all in Slytherin House after all. You know them better than we do," Hermione suggested hopefully.

"Oh yes, because there's so much I could say. 'Hello, Celeste, Hello Blaze. Sorry about your father. I reckon that must suck. Goodbye.' Yes Hermione, that surely will make it all better," Draco said rather irritably. Hermione scowled at him, but he nevertheless continued his reply. "Really, Hermione, they're going to lose their father ... Best left alone," Draco said decidedly.

And then Celeste ran out of the Great Hall to the grounds outside with a piercing roar, whereas Blaze ran towards the Slytherin Dungeons. But the commotion remained rampant all through the Great Hall in groups of hushed chatter. It was like each specific circle believed it alone secretly discussed the matter unfolding at hand, although this was obviously not the case. Hermione hugged Draco at that moment, silently begging him to take some control over the situation ... But Draco did not immediately speak. Then suddenly, people everywhere were staring at them now. It was as if the steadfast glances accused that THEY -- Hermione, Draco, Harry, that is -- were the cause of it all, which only made Hermione feel worse, and quite paranoid at that ...

It did not, however, much disrupt the flow of Draco's concentration. "The man almost had me killed. My sympathy is limited," he admitted openly, bland almost in unhesitatingly reminding her of the crucial fact.

"I know, Draco. But Celeste is so young, she's only twelve, a child," Hermione tried to say patiently.

"Beyond her years though, just like we were," Draco said shortly.

"I don't know about WE!" Hermione exclaimed instantly, suddenly finding herself laughing.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, be quiet," he just said, smirking at her.

It was certainly true, one could easily gather that they had not been friends in their earlier Hogwarts years. Hermione remembered Draco as a completely insufferable racist asshole. That person certainly didn't example any of Draco's maturity. It was quite funny to her that he would even suggest that just now. But of course, Hermione was not at all interested in lingering on the subject of 'pre-rehabilitated' Draco. None of that mattered anymore ...

Ginny had ruffled over to them. She looked rather harassed by the whole thing. It would be Ginny, of course, to be the one to be annoyed and not feel any sorrow. She gestured a hand right in front of the two of them, interrupting, and immediately took the spotlight. "Pity about their father, but he tried to kill Draco, so who the ruddy cares? I'm thrilled the bastard's worse off than dead," Ginny expressed a bit coldly, excessive in her statement's strength. "And not to mention he also TRIED to kill the rest of us, too, just he didn't succeed. My sympathy is definitely limited."

Draco nodded at her. "Now, it is still especially terrible for Blaze and Celeste, because they are unfairly victimized by the whole thing. But yes, Ginny. You're right. We should all be celebrating this," Draco commented evenly, then curled his tongue at an afterthought. "Well, everyone except, of course, the many, MANY people who hate the idea of the Dementor's Kiss, that is. Haha."

"What do you think of it, Draco?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I think people perform Unforgivable Curses and other heinous actions sometimes, and therefore deserve unforgiving heinous punishments," Draco said almost casually, as though they spoke of what they were having for breakfast. "Like what Voldemort did to Harry."

"I think so too," Ginny agreed, also as though discussing something absolutely casual.

"I don't think it is humane to do that to any human," Hermione said firmly. "It's terrible."

"Well what Voldemort and Zabini have done is terrible, too," Ginny remarked.

"Yes, but does any human deserve such a cruel and unusual punishment?" Hermione posed intelligently.

"Yes ... For some things." It was Harry who spoke now, in a tone static, hollow, and barren as a ghost. He had been completely quiet until then.

And this ended the conversation.

**

Draco did deep down somewhere feel more than a bit sorry for Blaze and Celeste. He had spent almost six years now in school with Blaze, and although she had always been a rather quiet girl, she had never done anything mean to him. She'd always been the girl who kept to herself all the time, only talking to a few close girlfriends sometimes and showing very little interest in boys, even the great Draco Malfoy. She did not spite all things deserve such a fate. Blaze had never done anything remotely terrible to deserve to watch her father become something worse than death, a soulless, empty creature. As for Celeste -- a girl of only twelve no matter how "beyond her years" -- she had it even worse. She needed her father the most.

Of course it was all ultimately their father's fault. He had nearly killed Draco, and in that respect, Draco had no sympathy. Zabini had not been the father he should have been to his children. Instead, he did services to the Dark Lord and ignored his fatherly duties. In the end, karma just hit him harder than he would have expected. Yet the unfair part was that Blaze and Celeste, some of the most normal and good people (even by Slytherin standards) that one could search for, would be dealing with something like this. So in a way, Draco felt he had a duty to at least speak to Celeste and Blaze on the subject. But he didn't know what to say. It wasn't going to be easy, as it would be extremely uncomfortable for all of them.

But it was that night in the Slytherin Common Room that Draco found Blaze, shut to herself in a corner silently crying. She and Draco had never bonded, but he felt as though leaving her there alone was simply inhumane. He slowly approached her, completely unknowing. It was almost like a natural magnetic attraction spontaneously drew him to Blaze that, once he was very close to her, he barely realized had come over. But then he slowly looked eye-to-eye upon her directly, trying to appear sorrowful. He was speechless at first --

"Blaze ... Err, hullo," Draco started, but he must have said something terribly wrong because Blaze cried even harder. She seemed to be incapable of controlling herself, and it made it twice as hard as it already was for Draco. "Blaze ... Please."

But this had been absolutely wrong for him to say. Blaze sobbed still harder, and glared at Draco as though he was a demon approaching a priest. She looked as though she wanted nothing more than to run over and strangle Draco. Draco had never seen Blaze act like this previously. "Please, you say? PLEASE!? Tell me that when your father is having his soul sucked out of him! Of course you never will because your father is too rich to ever have such a sentence! As long as he is stuffing money into the right people's pockets, he'll be out of Azkaban in no time!" Blaze yelled unrelentingly. She had no remorse in her eyes. There was only hatred and despair. She had no regret it seemed for what she had just said.

Draco was infuriated. How dare she speak to him in such a fashion? Had he not been rehabilitated? Had he not long-now looked back on his father with spite and rejection? Had Draco not been the one who worked the hardest to put him in Azkaban for his actions? Did she realize for even a second how hard it was for him? She somehow spoke to him like he was a villain here ...

"Fuck you, Blaze. Go to bloody hell," Draco found himself hissing at her. "I do not have a father for future reference, you twisted little bitch."

Blaze was perhaps now more full of tears than she'd been before. Draco just glared at her with all the hatred inside of him. It was not his bloody fault that the law felt extremely unfair to her right now. Her father had nearly killed him and he had actually wasted his time attempting to console her!

"Draco, please don't mind her," a quiet, gentle voice spoke behind him. Draco looked back. It was a depressed, moping Celeste. Her eyes were bloodshot red. "Please, come with me."

Draco looked at Celeste and followed her. She, someone much younger than her sister, was actually attempting to make reason of this situation. At that moment, Draco really respected the young girl that he had once found terribly annoying. She walked him out of their Common Room. She looked at him upon their departure. She looked as those she hesitated to show her emotions. He had learned from Hermione and Harry not everything had to be justified. Sometimes it was okay to just be angry or sad or happy or even murderous. It was okay to show your emotions.

"Don't worry, Celeste. Cry if you need to," Draco said in an almost unrecognizably soft, compassionate voice. He was never that gentle with anyone. He felt such compassion for her. She was a young girl forced to become a woman right now in such a short space of time. He hugged Celeste at that point. She was in a shower of tears. "I'm so sorry."

"I should be sorry. My father nearly killed you. I was so worried about you, really," Celeste said softly.

"I know, I heard you were in the infirmary with Hermione," Draco said kindly. 'Thank you for that."

Then Draco patted her on the back, and for the first instance in a long time he felt his eyes burning and a tear came falling down his eye. The world was such a war, so very cruel, so very highly unmerciful, and so bloody unfair to those who deserved the best in life.

**

Hermione and Draco agreed to go with Celeste (specifically Celeste, not Blaze) to the very last visit in Azkaban for Tim Zabini. Celeste asked Draco to go, and Draco could not refuse her. The worse part of it all was the day the "kiss" would take place would be on none other than Draco's own birthday. Hermione was so sorry about this, but Draco did not seem to mind.

"Harry has something planned for the evening, Hermione, it's fine," Draco said, shrugging Hermione off whenever she brought something up. "We owe it to Celeste."

"And Blaze," Hermione said, as though this was obvious as she thought it was rather was.

"We owe that piece of dirt nothing, Hermione, nothing." And Draco explained to her what she had done. Hermione was enraged at this newfound information.

"How dare she?!" a very astounded Hermione said so angrily. "That complete cow. The nerve of her, you know?"

"Yes, I know. But Celeste was quite mature about it all," Draco said fairly, though he didn't go into any details of the incident with Celeste, preferring to keep it private. Hermione did not question him further on the subject at all. "Anyway, we have to study. The exams are so soon and all."

And so they studied like normal for a while.

**

Draco was honestly apprehensive on the day of his birthday. He could not believe he was already sixteen, and in a new perspective, he was quite happy to have lived to become sixteen now. He was joyous in a lot of way. The last year of his life could not have been more eventful. In ways, he could not remember being happier. And in others, he couldn't remember being sadder.

And he had to go with Hermione for the last rights of Tim Zabini with Celeste. Harry had also decided to come with them. They decided it was probably better if less went, so they did not invite Ginny or any of the others. They had to leave at noon in Dumbledore's office, though he requested for the three of them to come a bit early. Draco was barely surprised.

The three of them were wearing their best wizard robes. As they walked into Dumbledore's office, Draco had never seen Dumbledore look so tired. It was almost frightening to watch. But he had to remind himself that Dumbledore really was an old man.

"I see you received my invitation to arrive a bit early," Dumbledore spoke, as though begging to not be forced to have to repeat himself. "Please sit down."

And the three of them did. They eyed Dumbledore curiously. He looked rather ill.

"I have spoken to you on your acts of bravery previously and you understand how proud I am of you all," Dumbledore began. "But regardless, today is a very difficult day for us all." He took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and continued. "I beg you to please give your respects to Tim Zabini. I understand he was not kind to you. You will receive a chance to see Tim Zabini as a kind and loving man he once was," Dumbledore said sadly, something like mystifying in his whimsical tone.

Here, obviously, Draco did not agree in the slightest bit. He was not nearly as forgiving and understanding as Dumbledore was and never would be. Draco remained silent out of respect. However, if Dumbledore had been in better spirits, he might have said something.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Malfoy -- do have a happy birthday, now." And there was more color in Dumbledore's face than they had seen since first entering the office.

**

Hermione watched Blaze and Celeste enter together looking so terrible as though they were dying and they both looked much older. Blaze was holding her sister and they with tissue were crying unto themselves. They did not speak at all. Dumbledore was extremely gentle and Hermione just lied in Draco's arms ...

It was time to go. Hermione knew this would not be a pleasant visit. She had never been to Azkaban before and he honestly was very frightened at the idea of it. It was rather far away in the North Sea. But a portkey would still be taking them. Dumbledore meandered along them, constantly looking as though he was going to speak up. But he never did ... No one did. It remained entirely silent.

And so they touched the portkey and Hermione's heartbeat was thumping through her. She had read a lot about Azkaban and even had a few conversations with Hagrid about it and it was not a pleasant place. She was so scared really ...

And then she was no longer in Dumbledore's office. She barely knew where she was and could not even open her eyes. All she felt was chills and cold for a moment. And then flashes of terrible memories encapsulated her --

She was with Draco in the hospital ... She was watching Harry after the third task ... Ron wasn't speaking to her ... She was walking out of Divination ... Thomas was stunning her ... She was waking and she was bleeding ... She was being hit by the Cruciatus Curse ...

And Hermione tried to shake it off. She could not bear these thoughts. She just couldn't do it. She had expected it upon going to Azkaban, but even so, it was so terrible. She looked around. It was a beach with cold waves splashing onto the seashore. There were no trees. She could see the other end of the island, though it was pretty big. And she saw many facilities. And it was terribly dark for midday. And it was so cold --

She was seven and that terribly boy Evan pushed her again ... The Mountain Troll was coming after her ... Ron had made her cry ... Snape was being killed ...

She shook it off again and fell into Draco's arm. But Draco was so cold. He looked terrible. There was nothing but fear and emptiness in his eyes. It was terribly frightening. All she knew was to follow Dumbledore. He would lead the way.

Draco didn't understand what was going on. His brain was going back and forth and the only permanent emotion was complete and utter fear and chills running through his body. And he was having terrible flashbacks ... Of the worse points in his life. He felt weaker than he had been in his entire life.

And Harry had fainted twice now. They were viewing the cells of Azkaban and Draco kept giving Harry water to keep him strong. Many people wouldn't understand this, but Harry and Draco and Hermione had had worse memories than many in a lifetime. Hermione had fainted once. Somehow, Draco had not fainted yet.

"I'm so cold, Hermione," he whispered desperately. He felt like death would be appropriate. Terrible, terrible memories were rushing through him ... Many of his father ... Finding Hermione after the rape ... It was too much to take. He couldn't do it ... Draco Malfoy gave in for once.

He fainted helplessly.

**

Harry, Hermione, and Draco were seated in a corner. Blaze and Celeste were visiting their father once last time. They were in a small room wherein the Dementor's Kiss was to take place. They were allowed to watch it. They honestly would rather not, but knowing Celeste and Blaze would be doing it, they were too.

Harry couldn't take it. Tears were splashing down his eyes. It was so unfair to Celeste they had been stuck with such a fucked up father with his priorities mixed up and a basically unfair justice system that depended on how much money you had. Of course he had zero sympathy for Zabini. He was a tyrant. But Lucius Malfoy had not had the kiss ... Did he want Lucius to have the Dementor's Kiss as well? It was a difficult question. It was Draco's father. But he was more the Draco's father. He was a monster. It was hard for Harry.

And so Blaze and Celeste and Dumbledore and others walked in. And they saw Amelia Bones and many other Ministry officials. It was quite a sight. Harry felt sick to his stomach. It was more than he could honestly bear. He was actually falling in Draco's arms. The three of them were bundled together ... And Celeste was having a panic attack. She was screaming and crying and threatening to kill herself. Blaze was begging for the mercy of her father. A few men were holding them back ...

Tim Zabini was brought in. He was screaming for his life. There was a true fear and terrified look on his face. He was screaming for Blaze and Celeste and his wife and his family and now Hermione was crying. And Draco ... Harry watched his friend cry for the first time. Harry felt the tears rush down his eyes.

Dumbledore spoke a few consoling words. They did a prayer for his soul. The man was screaming for forgiveness. Blaze was screaming and begging for them to spare her father. Their mother was also there ... She was crying harder than ever, yelling her husband's name, begging for his mercy.

But there was no hope. This man was not to be spared. The Dementors did not know mercy and they never would. And the hardest part was coming. The three of them simply held each other, waiting. A Dementor was brought in and he was approaching Tim Zabini.

"Celeste, Blaze, please listen ... I love you, I'm sorry I wasn't the father I should have been," he said in his final, lethargic breath. "Meredith, my beautiful wife, I love you."

And Harry didn't know what made him do it. He called out to Zabini. "And you shall die a man clean of guilt," Harry yelled passionately, loud enough for all to hear. "You have said the final words to those who matter."

And the Dementor approached him ... And it happened ... And it was happening so fast ... Harry could see it happening ... The soul was being torn apart from him ... And he could not bear to look at the sisters in their despairing agony ...

And Tim Zabini was no longer anything -- a soulless vessel doomed for all eternity.

"Draco Malfoy," called an unexpected voice. Draco turned around. It was Amelia Bones. She was not smiling at him. But there was still somehow a kind gesture involved. Perhaps it was pity.

"Your father wants to see you," Amelia Bones spoke firmly. "If you are willing only, Draco."

Draco stopped dead. He had not really thought about the possibility of this. He just wanted to leave Azkaban. But there was a terrible burning curiosity in him. And a terrible desire to see his father inside him too. Draco thought about it, but he knew he had already made his decision. "Take me to my father," Draco said. "But I want Harry and Hermione with me."

So ordered.

**

"Draco, Draco," Lucius said. Lucius Malfoy was pale as ever. He looked like he had died and came back as the living dead. He had never looked so unhandsome before. "My son ... How you have changed."

"Lucius, how you haven't," Draco defied his father as he spoke. "You put Voldemort before the ones who mattered. I have no father."

"Dare you deny your own father?" Lucius hissed provokingly at him.

"I have no father. My family stands by me now," Draco said.

"The Mudblood and the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived', eh, Draco? Is that truly what you have succumbed to?" Lucius sneered at Draco from his cell.

"Harry is my brother," Draco said quietly. "And Hermione is my love, the love of my life, my everything."

"You call Harry Potter your brother, do you? Draco, come back to the right side ..." Lucius bluffed laughingly, his unimpressed response dismissive of Draco's serious code of allegiance.

"I am on the right side." Draco had never sounded so firm, so awing with confidence, by any conviction in his life.

"Really? Have I raised you to cower onto the easy side?" Lucius heatedly imposed upon his son.

"No. But I've taught myself to go to the right side," Draco retorted.

"Then you are right. You are no son of mine." Lucius looked away in repulsion. "Your mother has gone the same route. But you are Potter's man through and through now."

Draco then concluded with the enunciation of one absolutely final, composed, passionate response. "Yes. Potter's man through and through. I'll go to hell with him and come back. We won't rest until justice has been reached and revenge has been achieved."

And the three of them left the scene before them just like that.

**