Title: Tabula Rasa

Author: Padfoot

Disclaimer: I'll keep this short: I own nothing, I'm making no money out of this and JK Rowling is the undisputed queen of the universe.

Summary: Harry loses his memory and is dense about pretty much everything. Off all people he asks Draco for support. HP/DM. This story is Harry/Draco. If this ship doesn't float your boat, don't sail on it. (Get it? Ship, boat, sail? *sigh* I know I'm lame)

The first two Chapters aren't Beta'd because my Beta is a lazy bum. I hope there aren't too many mistakes

Chapter one:

The 7th year Gryffindors and Slytherins had been assigned to make a potion which made it possible to absorb an unusual amount of information for a select period of time. If the notes on the blackboard were followed correctly, the end result should be a purple fluid which evaporates a turquoise mist.  As usual, this wasn't the end result of many. In Harry Potter's case, it had resulted in a turquoise fluid with a purple mist.

"My my! It seems that mister Potter has neglected to follow the correct instructions. Again".

Draco turned around in his seat to get a good view at the scene that was enveloping behind him. He loved this part of the lesson where Snape would pick out an unsuspecting student to bash his or hers failed attempt in brewing a decent potion. Especially when this unsuspecting student was Harry Potter.

        "Drink it" Snape commanded.

        "What?" Potter asked bewildered.

        "Did you go both dense and deaf, mister Potter?" Snape sneered. "I said: drink it!"

        "You must be joking" Harry frowned.

        "As you must know by now, mister Potter, humour is not a frivolity I care to participate in. There is nothing lethal in that solution you dare to call a potion. Now DRINK!"

Draco had to physically restrain himself not to bounce up and down with gee when Potter filled his flagon with the turquoise fluid and took a large gulp from it. What would it do? He hoped it would be something painful. Or embarrassing.  Yes, yes, yes: embarrassing. Seeing Potter in pain was something that occurred frequently and was getting quite a bore really.  Embarrassing him... was still entertaining. Several moments passed where nothing seemed to be happening, but then... Potter started blinking sort of oddly a couple of times. Next his body went rigid and he fell of the chair, cascading against the floor.

        "HARRY!" Hermione yelled and jumped off of her chair to grab Harry's limp body. She started shaking him heavily, but he didn't respond. His eyes were open and stared into space.

        "What the hell is wrong with him?" Ron asked as he joined Hermione on the floor next to Harry. As he got no answer he redirected his question to Snape "What happened to him?"

        "Well mister Weasley, it seems that mister Potter suffered some sort of fit" Snape answered with an indignant smirk. "I suggest you and miss Granger take him to the hospital wing. No use keeping him here like this".

Snape looked over the rest of the class as if nothing peculiar had happened and told them to leave a flask of their potions on his desk before they were dismissed. As Draco left the dungeon he made a playful skip over Potter's limp form, receiving a threatening glance from Ron.

        "Ron! Grab his feet!" Hermione commanded. Next they both lifted him of the floor and waddled their way to the hospital wing.

*

Two whole days passed without any sight of either Potter, Granger or Weasley. This left Draco rather curious about what happened to the Gryffindor Golden Boy. To his delight, the next morning at breakfast, his questions were answered by one of his fellow Slytherins.

        "He what?" Draco coughed as he tried not to spill his pumpkin juice through his nose.

"Potter lost his memory" Blaise Zabini repeated as he sat himself across Draco at the breakfast table. "Or so I heard".

At this Draco burst out into laughter. Potter lost his memory by a so-called intelligence-enhancing potion? Snape wasn't kidding when he gave him potions-tutoring last year.

"And how far does it extend?" Draco asked after he collected himself a bit. After Blaise gave him a frown Draco sighed and explained himself a bit further.

"Can he still remember who he is or is he like a somewhat alert vegetable?".

Blaise leaned forward and changed his voice into a scheming whisper.

"I heard they had to perform several spells just to get him to remember how to speak".

Draco's eyes popped out of his skull and fell into another laughing-fit.     Then suddenly he gasped loudly, making some people jump up in surprise.

        "Is it permanent?" he asked Blaise with an evil glint in his eyes.

        "They don't think it is, but they can't be sure" Blaise said. "Apparently time will tell". 

"This is just too good to be true" Draco declared, triumphantly leaning back in his seat. "Potty lost his marbles".

*

First lesson of the last day of the school-week was Transfiguration and was shared between the Slytherins and the Gryffindors. Draco was quite pleased to see Potter joining his classmates. Apparently Madame Pomfrey found it useful for his recovery to follow his regular routine. From the moment he stepped into the classroom (flanked by Granger and Weasley) it was clear there was indeed something wrong with him. His way of movement was somewhat edgy, like it would be in a place he'd never been before. And he kept his gaze mostly at the floor trying not to make much eye contact as if he was surrounded by strangers and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"Well, if it isn't Potty, Granger and Weasel" Draco sneered as the 'amazing trio' walked by towards their seats. "I see Potter's overnighter in the hospital-wing hasn't caused any permanent damage to your three's hip-attachments".

        "Shut up Malfoy!" Ron sneered.

        "Although it did seem to have a slumping affect on your wit, Weasley".

        "Come on Harry, let's go" Hermione said as she tugged on his sleeve and guided him to his seat between her and Ron. It seemed Blaise's information was rather correct. Potter did seem rather passive at his insults and showed no sign of recognition towards Draco.

Professor McGonagall was very understanding about Harry's condition and said he needn't worry if he couldn't perform the spell (transfiguring a teabag into a Hedgehog) correctly. Good thing really, cause the only thing he seemed to be able to do with his wand was to erupt a large amount of sparks. This to great merriment of the Slytherins.

        "So Potter, bad wand-day? Draco sneered gleefully as he passed Harry's desk at the end of class. "I hope you were planning your future career choice somewhere in the line of fire-work production, cause that seems to be the only thing you can do".

Harry shook his wand one last time, making a bunch of red and gold sparks come out of it's end. He shrugged and said: "I think it's pretty".  

        "You think it's *pretty*?" Draco asked frowning. He expected some snide retort, even if Potter didn't remember who he was.

Harry looked up at Draco as if he only just noticed he was there. There was a strange look on Potter's face he hadn't seen before. Usually, when Harry looked at him, there was anger, annoyance or frustration in his face. Now there was none, and it was strangely unsettling.

        "Draco, wasn't it" Harry said, more a statement then a question. "would you mind if I hung out with you for a couple of days?"

Draco's eyes bulged out of it's sockets. Of all things Harry could have said, this was the last Draco had expected. If Colin Creevy was around he surely would have taken a picture of Draco's face at this moment and sold it at the highest bidder. And he would sure receive a lot of money for it.

        "What?" Draco sputtered.

        "I asked you if you'd mind hanging out with me for a couple of days" Harry repeated.

        "Why?" Draco asked suspiciously.

        "Because you seem the be the only one who knows me who doesn't look at me as if I just died" he shrugged. "As I believe you know, I'm still getting familiar with everything and it's a little restraining when every time you ask a simple question you know you might set someone off into tears. And it doesn't seem like you're the kind of person to do that, so that's why I'm asking you".

Draco thought for a moment. He could very well imagine those sappy Gryffindors getting all soft cause their Golden Boy lost his memory and it might be permanent. Doing Potter a favour isn't exactly the kind of thing he'd usually jump at. But on the other hand, being given an excuse to hang around him would be a good chance to get some leverage over the boy if or when he gets his memory back.  Indeed it would. He smirked as if Christmas had come early this year.

        "Alright Potter. You can follow me around for a couple of days starting tomorrow" he said while he walked away to leave the classroom. "Just make sure you can keep up".

TBC