Discovering Love and Lost Memories

Harry stepped out of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place and walked down the street for a while. He felt a bit numb, and that sort of scared him. He realized he hadn’t really been feeling anything lately…for the past four months or so. And he realized that it wasn’t normal. He used to be able to smile honestly, with real feeling behind it. Now every smile was forced.



He turned into a small café on the street which he was now walking, and ordered himself some hot coffee. Perhaps the strong bitterness of the coffee would break him out of the funk he was feeling. But then, if he had gone months like this, and nothing had helped before, why should black coffee help now? He sighed and glanced over at a man at a table nearby, who was trying unsuccessfully to stop his young son from throwing bits of cookie at the man at the front counter.



The little boy bounced happily whenever the cookie pieces bounced off the counter worker’s apron, but frowned and looked determined when the pieces fell short. The father looked absolutely exhausted and fed-up.



Harry imagined that was how Draco would feel just about now. His mate had left him alone without comfort or support, and pregnant. Though Harry knew he should be rushing to Draco’s side, and arguing with the Ministry to let him leave, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Something held him back, but oddly, that part inside of him did not feel like it belonged in him. He supposed he should ask Snape about it at their meeting.



Speaking of that meeting, it was getting later in the morning and Harry had to get to Hogwarts pretty soon. That was where Snape had agreed to meet Harry. He didn’t really want the younger Potter in his home. Harry didn’t blame him.



So Harry stood, and paid for his hot coffee, took a sip, and left the café. He headed to an alleyway he knew of; one that was perfect for apperating. A pop was heard from the alleyway, but anyone who went to check the noise out would find nothing.



-xxXxx-



Harry apperated to the outskirts of Hogwarts, somehow managing to keep his coffee with him, but also managing to spill some on himself when he landed. He frowned and muttered a quick cleaning spell before continuing onto Hogwarts grounds.



Hogwarts was how he remembered it, though quieter and more hollow now that its students were gone. He supposed the enchanted building missed people when it was practically empty. Even the air felt different now.



He walked to the Potions classroom and knocked on the door only once. Once because the door swung open in the space of that single knock, and he was again face to face with Severus Snape.



“Ah, Potter. You arrive early. How uncharacteristic of you. Perhaps you might enlighten me as to why you requested this meeting?”



Harry stared at Snape for a moment, and then spoke. “I found out that about four months ago… some people altered my memories. I don’t know what method they used, but I regained those memories recently. I was hoping you might be able to help me get whatever spell or potion they used on me out of me.”



Snape watched him silently, hearing him out. “This is about Draco Malfoy, isn’t it?”



“Well…yes.”



“How you’ve treated him is appalling. I wasn’t allowed near him when his father and Voldemort imprisoned him, but if I had fathered children by a man like that, I wouldn’t have left him to rot in dungeons. In fact, Potter, if you are so bloody heroic, why aren’t you at the Ministry right now, getting your Mate out of that cell?”



Harry started to feel angry. “I’m telling you, Snape! I think there’s some spell on me to keep me from Draco. I need your help.”



“Fine Potter. Let’s see about this claim of yours.” He led Harry into the back area of his classroom, where Snape’s private laboratory was. He grabbed a potion out of his cabinet and thrust it at the younger man. “Here, drink that. Any spells on you should be easily diagnosed once that is ingested.”



Harry nodded and swallowed it down. It tasted horrible, as usual. He immediately felt something inside him lurch to the forefront of his energies, something that was defiantly not part of him.



Snape cast the diagnostic spell and ran his wand up and down Harry’s body. “Ah…the potion form of Imperious. I don’t expect you to know, or be able to say its proper name Potter. Who gave this potion to you?”



“I assume it was one of my friends…or Dumbledore.” Harry answered, starting to feel the world a bit differently now that the potion had been lurched away from what it had been doing before. “Can you get this out of me?”



“Of course Potter. That’s why I am a Potions Master.”



Harry rolled his eyes as soon as the Slimy Git turned his back to get a potion from the far back of his cabinet. He handed it to Harry, and watched The-Boy-Who-Lived swallow it down without complaint.



“It will take several hours before the first potion is neutralized. I suggest you take that time to go over to the Ministry and discuss Draco’s release. I expect you to take care of him, Potter. Draco has gone through more then enough to have to deal with you too.”



Harry nodded. He turned to leave, but turned back at the last moment. “Thanks, Snape.” And he was gone.