Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Shoutout to Chris,
You're a motherfucker.
Bandit XX
Chapter
The letter went unopened for three days. Hermione was growing impatient, as was Malfoy. They'd taken turns trying to crack the enchantment while the other tried to figure out how to work the body spell so that they could discover new injuries on the past victims. They'd taken their work home with them each night. Malfoy had insisted at staying at her flat- or his- using excuses of safety.
She wasn't complaining.
He sat at her kitchen table now, wearing only a pair of black pajama bottoms and nothing else, his white hair messy from sleep, sipping on a cup of coffee as he made a list of unsuccessful spells as he attempted to open the letter.
She slid into the seat near him, taking a sip of her tea. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead before turning back to his work. He cast another charm. The letter started to smoke at the corner, the paper not quite catching fire, but coming close. He frantically grabbed the nearest stack of papers to smother it. She would've laughed had he not almost destroyed the evidence.
"Malfoy, please try not to set the letter on fire," She said with a pained expression.
"You try something, Granger," he grumbled, reaching for his coffee once more. Hermione had discovered on the first morning he'd spent with her that he was not a morning person- by any means. In fact, she'd had to kick him out of bed. Literally. She'd tried to climb out of bed herself the first night he'd slept over, but he wouldn't release her, his arm tightening around her waist with every attempt she made to escape. He'd been very cross to find himself tumbling over the edge and onto the floor.
"Hand it here."
He pushed the red envelope towards her. She took it gingerly between her fingers, rubbing at the tiny scorch in the corner. The paper was still intact, just a bit dark. She'd been trying to find the solution for three days and the lack of an answer was starting to irritate her. Hermione Granger always found answers, so she was going to find this one.
She flipped it in her hands. "I'm going to go to the Ministry library and see if I can find anything there."
"There's the Know It All Granger from school!" Malfoy laughed, "always running to the library!"
"Don't act as if you didn't spend just as much time there as I did," she pointed a finger at him accusingly, "I saw you Malfoy; don't pretend I didn't."
He grinned and rolled his eyes. He turned back to the files in front of him, pulling out the notes Auror Steinbeck had made. He'd figured out how to cast the charm easily enough, the shimmering blue form of the first Victim, Samantha Wright, floating in the middle of Hermione's kitchen. He was currently trying to modify the spell, attempting to change it and do scans for unseen cuts. Hermione had to force herself to focus on the letter or she'd watch him puzzle it out. She was devastatingly attracted to intelligent minds and watching Malfoy use his extensive knowledge of magic was proving distracting for her.
"Should we even bother going into the office?" Malfoy flicked his wand at the image. He frowned in frustration when nothing happened. "All of our files are here."
"We have that meeting with the aurors-"
"-you have that ridiculous rule that we can't fuck at work-"
Hermione snorted. "We have to be at that meeting to discuss the case, Malfoy. We're supposed to show the Minister our progress and we still haven't managed to open that letter," she dropped her face in her hands. "He's going to take me off the case; I'm not living up to the work I usually do, and he's going to find someone better-"
Malfoy barked out a laugh. "There is no one better, you silly witch."
She turned her face in her hands so that she was propped up against the table. She gave him a little smile. "I have to open this letter, Malfoy."
"Well obviously," he said, "but you're going to work on it carefully. Just you. We don't need another 'Malfoy almost set the evidence on fire' incident."
"Well that is true. Start back on that spell."
"Bossy, " he muttered fondly. He turned back to his scan and tried another charm. The body turned in the air, spinning slowly as if it was on a spit over a fire. Malfoy sighed tiredly, scrubbing a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his seat.
"Wait!" Hermione cried, seeing something. Malfoy jumped next to her. She stood and rushed forward, Samantha Wright's hair falling to the side as she spun. "I found it!"
"Where?"
Hermione followed the body crouching as it spun. Malfoy stopped and turned the image so that Samantha's face was pointed towards the floor. Hermione leaned forward and waved Malfoy over.
"The back of her neck, you can just see it through her hair."
Malfoy leaned forward. Sure enough, there was the mark, an ornate G, poorly carved into the girl's skin.
"How did I not notice it?" He frowned down at the mark.
"It was difficult to see with her hair. We now have three letters documented, A, E, and G. Age? Aeg? Gae?" she started to work the letters out as an anagram, then shook her head, "this is odd, Malfoy."
He was frowning down at the image, lost in thought. She moved back to the table to make a note of this development, writing, anagram (?) next to it. She glanced up through her hair. Malfoy continued to stare at the body, his shoulders folded across his chest, occasionally tilting his head to look at the victim's neck.
She looked back down, the copy of the first letter catching her eye. She reread it. Solve my puzzle… she looked down at the second letter, folded and hidden in that red envelope, glaring up at her.
She made a second note; first letter key to second letter (?) She touched the red letter, tapping her finger against it, staring hard. She would have to research sealing charms when she got to the library. She glanced at the clock on her wall, she only had so much time before her meeting.
"I'm going to go get dressed," she said, heading for her room. She was stopped as Malfoy snagged her around the waist.
"I rather like my shirts on you," he eyed the button down she was wearing. She'd swiped it off the floor this morning before going into the kitchen.
She grinned but pulled herself out of his reach, "we're going to be late."
He grumbled but turned back to the files, waving his wand over them so that they'd fly into a neat stack, the morbidly red letter falling on the very top. Hermione hurried to her closet, pulling on a black skirt and dark green blouse, sliding on a pair of simple black flats. Malfoy was waiting for her at the floo, having let to change and return. Her bag was on the floor near his feet, the files shrunk and orderly, the tops barely poking from the top.
"I'll meet you for the meeting," she grabbed her bag, stepping into the floo.
"Don't be late," he drawled, "I'll avada myself if I have to sit with Potter alone for even a moment."
She rolled her eyes, grabbing a handful of floo powder. She tossed it down and in a roar of green fire, her living room disappeared, the library materializing through the smoke. She stepped carefully into the Ministry Library.
The bookshelves towered over her and she took a deep breath, the smell of paper and ink greeting her.
…
Hermione rushed down the hall, turned the corner, and crashed right into Malfoy. He caught her and grinned, then said, "you were almost late."
"Almost is not 'late' Malfoy," she said but couldn't help smiling, "are they inside?"
"Potter said to come in the minute you got here," he said, then asked, "did you find a way to open the letter?"
"I might have!" She said excitedly, "I'll tell you later. I haven't had the opportunity to try the spell yet."
He ushered her into the conference room. Kingsley and Harry sat around an oval table along with three other aurors. Hermione and Malfoy took a seat at empty chairs.
Harry stood, faced the room, and rubbed self consciously at his scar. He met Hermione's eyes with an apologetic look and in that moment she knew what he was going to say.
"We're going to take you off the case, Hermione."
"You can't be serious, Harry." She snapped.
Harry glanced at the minister- who looked uncomfortable- then turned back to Hermione, "That letter was alarming. He addressed you personally."
"Which is why I should remain working! I'm your strongest asset and you know it." She worked to keep her voice from becoming shrill. "You cannot take me off of this case."
"He's attacking muggleborn witches," he stressed, "you can't ignore this!"
She barely stopped herself from standing as well. "I'm not ignoring it. My heritage makes me a target already. He's shown an interest in me already. There's nothing we can do about it now except continue to work."
"She has a point Potter," Malfoy leaned back in his chair, twiddling with his wand, looking bored, "she knew that the symbols on the body were letters, when you didn't, and you want to take her off the case? Who's going to solve this bloody murder if Granger is gone? Me? You?"
Harry looked irritated at this outburst. "Listen here Malfoy-"
"Enough," Kingsley's baritone voice commanded silence, "considering that there is not much else we can do, Hermione will continue to work with Malfoy on the investigation team, but will have Aurors watching her at all times," at Hermione's noise of protest, the Minister said, "At all times. Now, let us go over your notes."
…
Hermione stared down at the letter, glancing at her notes. She took a deep breath, placed her wand against the tip of her finger, and whispered, "revelare." She winced as a shallow cut appeared, a tiny bead of blood bubbling up from her skin. She pressed her bleeding finger to the letter and the air shimmered around the letter before disappearing. She glanced at the door. Malfoy would be back with coffee any minute.
She took a deep breath, and tore the envelope open. A folded slip of paper fell from the envelope, and- to her horror- a photograph. She pressed her hand to her mouth as she lifted it to her face.
The picture was magical, the figures moving without a care in the world. The moonlight lit up their pale skin. Hermione watched herself as she writhed on the counter in the photograph, her back arched, Malfoy's blonde hair between her thighs.
A tear slid down her cheek. She'd known someone had been there- had taken this- but to see it….She felt rage and shame flood her as she hid the picture in her bag.
She picked up the letter, wiped her eyes, and started to read.
Miss Granger,
There was no doubt in my mind you would crack the secret to this letter.
I send you this photograph as a warning.
You see, Miss Granger, I will permit this no longer.
I own you,
Body and soul.
Do not disappoint me.