Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, only the story built around them, J.K. Rowling has that pleasure.

Warning: This story is rated M for a reason. There will be scenes of death, murder, and extreme violence.

A/N: Welcome all to my second fanfic! I took a bit of a break between posting this fic and the end of my last fic. If you've read my last fic, you'll find this fic is very different. With my other fic, I stayed on a very strict schedule of posting every Monday. I am going to try my best to do that, but it may or may not happen. Please let me know how this fic compares to my last one! Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this fic. - DCP

The Girl in The Yellow Robes

Part 1:

Draco tossed and turned in his bed. Another fucking restless night. He was sick of it. He stared at the ceiling.

It wasn't getting any better.

Every night he woke up in a cold sweat. Always the same bloody dream, always the same bloody people.

His eyes mapped out the faint constellations he had charmed on the ceiling. Their faintness indicated sunrise wasn't far. Sighing he crawled out of bed.

He supposed that he had better get his day started anyways. He had a prospective tenant coming this morning to check out the upstairs loft. His mind healer, Jennifer, had suggested he look for a roommate to help with the supposed crippling loneliness he was suffering.

Maybe a man just wants to live alone, Jennifer. To do…. manly things. There is nothing weird about that.

Nonetheless, he begrudgingly agreed to at least meet with a tenant. Jennifer had suggested a friend she knew from her healer training days. This so-called friend was going to arrive at 8'o o'clock sharp, giving him a lovely and definitely not lonely two hours to at least look somewhat human. He took a long shower, took way too much time picking out his clothes, and sat down to breakfast.

"Thanks for breakfast, Huddy."

A house-elf dressed in a prim white dress popped out by his elbow, "Yes of course, Master Draco. I made the eggs the way you like them. Another sleepless night, I presume?"

He nodded, "As always, Huddy. I'll need the potion tonight if you don't mind. I think all this lack of sleep is going to make me lose my head"

Huddy nodded and curtsied, "I'll prepare it later today."

She popped out of sight and Draco picked up the Daily Prophet. The articles were all rubbish, of course. You'd think after five years they would lay off praising the absolute shit out of Potter and Weasley. He swore every week there was a story about Potter's prowess as an Auror or Weasley's Quidditch achievements. It was curious though, Granger was never mentioned. Guess she wasn't doing anything noteworthy. Yet as he thought about it, Granger not doing something noteworthy was extremely out of character.

Ring, Ring, Ring.

Draco put down the Prophet and glanced at his watch.

7:55

Must be his prospective tenant.

He rose and yelled, "I've got the door, Huddy."

As he got to the door, a sharp knock sounded against the wood. Seems like his tenant was a bit eager. Lovely. He sighed and opened the door.

"Ah yes. Malfoy. Good morning to you."

The figure breezed through the door and walked past him. His brain took a bit to process the figure.

Wait, was that Granger?

"Granger?"

The figure turned and faced him, "Why yes. Who else would it be?"

His eyes focused on the woman and he couldn't help himself scanning her up and down. Golly, the years had done her a service. The formally frizzy hair had calmed down in soft waves that fell around her face in a long bob. He always knew she would end up being beautiful, no matter what he said when he was in school.

"Why are you…"

She cocked an eyebrow, "Here? I thought it was obvious. I'm here to inspect the flat."

He stared at her incredulously, "You are the one Jennifer recommended."

"Never thought you were thick Malfoy. Why of course I am. Flat is upstairs, correct?"

He nodded slowly, "But.."

Granger turned on the spot and apparated presumably upstairs.

What the bloody hell just happened? And how the hell did she just apparate inside his house? His wards shouldn't have allowed it.

He turned and popped upstairs after her. Granger was inspecting the space with the utmost care.

She turned to him, "It comes furnished, I presume?"

He nodded, "But how did you…"

She waved a hand at him, "You should check your wards. It's too easy to get passed them."

His mouth gaped at her. His wards were blood wards. They were some of the best money could buy.

"When can I move in? I only have one bag," she held up a small beaded bag and jingled it at him.

"I…"

"Is today too soon?"

He waved both hands at her, "Wait, wait, wait. We haven't discussed rent or anything like that. I haven't even decided if I want a tenant."

Granger strode up to him, "I need a place, you need a roommate. You have nightmares and sleepless nights, correct?"

"How did you..?

She turned and went back to inspecting the various furniture, "I smell a dreamless sleep potion brewing. I doubt it's for your house-elf."

He sniffed the air. He didn't smell anything.

"Still, Granger, I haven't even decided on anything."

He lost sight of her as she banged around the flat's kitchen.

She called out, "I'll pay 100 galleons a month. I assume you don't need any more than that."

"I…"

She walked back into the room and started to push him towards the door, "It's settled then. Now Malfoy, if you don't mind I need to unpack."

She pushed him fully outside the door and shut it in his face. He stood there for a few moments trying to process what had just happened. He went to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

Of course, she had already warded the door. He went back downstairs and sat in the nearest chair he could find.

"Huddy?"

The house-elf popped in front of him with a steaming tea, "Yes, Master Draco?"

He took the cup, "Well it looks like we have a tenant."

"Yes. I felt the wards shift in the house to allow it."

He took a sip of the scalding tea and burnt his tongue, "Ah fuck."

"Language Master. Shall I clean and cook for Ms. Granger?"

He cast a quick cooling spell on his mouth, "Cooking is fine if she permits it. Perhaps only light cleaning here and there. I doubt she would want any help from a house-elf knowing her reputation."

Huddy pursed her lips, "Ah yes. She is quite famous in the house-elf world. I do hope she doesn't try to surreptitiously free me."

He narrowed his eyes in the direction of the staircase, "You and me both, Huddy. You and me both."

…..

The week went by in utter normalcy. He didn't see any sight of Granger throughout the whole week. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she hadn't left.

After five days of not seeing hide nor tail of Granger, he decided to ask the eyes and ears of the household.

He put down his fork, "Huddy?"

The house-elf stopped pouring his morning coffee, "Yes, Master?"

"Have you perhaps seen Ms. Granger."

The house-elf resumed her pouring, "No, Master. She hasn't left since she arrived."

"Wait. Are you sure, Huddy?"

She nodded, "I would feel the wards, Master. Even the wards she put in place can be felt by a house-elf."

"Do you think she's…"

"Dead? No, Master. She is alive. I can feel that as well."

Draco rose from his seat and made his way to the staircase. He looked up at the door and narrowed his eyes.

With a determined look on his face, he made his way up the stairs and knocked firmly on the door.

"Granger? Granger, are you in there?"

He waited a few seconds for a reply and knocked again, this time even harder, "Granger? Granger! Grang…"

The door flew open and smoke poured out.

Draco waved the fumes away from his face. As the smoke cleared, the face of Granger peered out.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

He peered around her into the flat, "What the blood hell is with all that smoke, Granger?"

She looked back into the flat, "Oh that? Just a bit of an experiment I'm doing. Care to come in?"

Instead of waiting for him to answer, she turned and set off towards the kitchen. Draco gingerly stepped inside. He didn't remember the flat looking quite like this. It was filled with odds things such as various instruments he had never seen before. The walls were plastered with sticky notes full of strange words such as "cerebral" and "voyeurism."

He looked towards the mantelpiece and nearly fell over in shock, "That isn't a real skull is that Granger?"

She poked her head out of the kitchen, "What else would it be? Now come here. I need you."

He backed away slowly from the fireplace and walked slowly towards the kitchen. A small cauldron was bubbling away on a flame. Wait, wasn't there a muggle stove there before?

"Granger, what is…?"

"Do have a seat, Malfoy," she said pushing him down into a waiting chair.

Draco watched her as she ladled out some of the inky black mixture into a mug. She set it in front of him and motioned for him to drink it.

He fingered the mug and drew his hands back, "But what is it?"

Granger crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, "I can't as well tell you, Malfoy. It'll ruin the results. Now drink."

He looked towards her and assessed her. Surely Hermione Granger wouldn't poison him.

Or would she.

He turned back to the mug, "Fuck it," and took a deep swallow of the hot liquid.

Granger pulled a notepad out from seemingly nowhere, "And how do you feel?"

Draco paused, "Warm and relaxed. Actually I feel fantastic."

Granger wrote furiously in her notepad, "Good good. It worked perfectly then."

The notebook vanished from her hands, "What was that?"

Granger went back to the cauldron and began putting it in waiting vials, "I created a potion based on some Muggle drugs."

Draco took another drink and gestured for her to continue.

She stopped bottling and turned to him again, "Basically, it's a synthesis of a few drugs given to veterans of wars. Figured I knew a few people this might actually help. This might help you go outside."

He looked at her questionably, "I go outside."

"No you don't," she said matter of factly.

"And why do you think I don't."

Her lips twitched in what looked to be almost a smile, "Well it is simple my dear Malfoy. All of your outdoor appropriate shoes have no wear pattern. They are practically brand new. But your slippers are holding on for dear life. Your skin, while always pale, shows distinct signs of Vitamin D deficiency."

"Vitamin what?"

"Furthermore your wards never shift, you never have any outside material on you, and I asked your house-elf."

Draco held his head up, "Well so what if I don't go outside. I don't need to go. It's not like I need to hold down a job."

Granger looked him up and down, "You don't go outside not because you don't need a job. You don't go outside because you are afraid."

"And why do you think I'm afraid?"

"Once I mentioned the outside world, you began to sweat. Yet, you have drunk the potion to the last drop and have been glancing at the remaining potion every so often. What's got you so scared Malfoy?"

Draco looked away, "I…"

A tingle of a bell interrupted him,

"Ah, that would be the floo. Right on time," whispered Granger still looking at him.

Draco cleared his throat, "Go ahead and answer it."

Granger grabbed his wrist and pulled him with her, "You'll want to be here for this."

Granger pushed him into one of the armchairs nearby the fire and waved her wand.

"What do you have for me, Harry?"

Draco peered around Granger's back to see Potter's face hanging in the fire.

Potter's hand snaked up to scratch the stubble on his chin, "There's been another murder. It mirrors the two from last week. Female this time."

"Cause of death?"

"Healers finally pinpointed what killed her and the others. Her wand indicates that she performed the killing curse on herself."

Granger sat down heavily next to him, "And why do you need me, Harry? You know I only take the good ones."

Potter gave a nod in his direction, "Malfoy." He gestured in Draco's direction, "Is he your new assistant?"

Draco stared at her with raised eyebrows, "Assistant?"

Granger glared at him, "Shush. What makes it special Harry?"

Potter turned his head from Draco and back to Granger, "Healers say it's nearly impossible to perform a killing curse on yourself. But there is no trace of anyone at the scene other than the victim."

Draco perked up, "They are right. Wizards can't just perform that sort of curse on themselves. Hence why the majority of wizarding suicides are by poison."

Potter looked at him strangely, "How did you know that, Draco?"

Granger rolled her eyes at Potter, "He's one of the foremost experts in spells. Speciality in dark magic, correct?"

Draco nodded, "Yes. After the war, I went to Germany to study under Reinhard Luhmann who was the foremost expert in dark magic. I took up his research after his death two years ago. I consult with the Ministry sometimes. I'm surprised you didn't know, Potter."

Potter nodded, "I've heard rumours of a dark magic consultant. Had no idea it was you. Good choice of an assistant, Hermione. So, are you interested?"

Granger peered back and forth from Potter and himself as if weighing out her next move, "I'll come to take a look to see if it's worth my time. Coin me the location."

Potter waved, "See you soon, Hermione."

After Potter disappeared from the fireplace, Hermione stood up and whooped, "Yes! Finally! I've been waiting for a case to bring me out of this funk. I've been staring at walls for days, waiting. Come on, Malfoy. Let's get on with it."

Draco raised his hands, "Wait, wait, wait. Case? And why am I your assistant?"

Hermione sighed exasperatedly at him, "I am a consultant like you. But I consult strictly with the Auror department. I solve the cases they can't solve, and in that regard, I only take the cases I know they can't solve. And yes, you are my assistant, so let's go."

"I didn't agree to this. I don't want to go out there. I just want to stay here surrounded by my books."

Granger looked at him, "How about this, just come for 10 minutes. If you decide you don't like it, leave and I won't bother you again. Deal?"

Draco mulled it around. He felt amazing due to the potion Granger gave him. Perhaps it would be nice to at least get some air.

"Fine. Let me fetch my cloak. I'm only going out to get some of this Vitamin D you talked about. I'm coming straight home afterwards. And I am keeping my hood up."

Granger beamed at him, "The hood defeats the purpose of absorbing Vitamin D, but excellent nonetheless. Now let's get a move on, old chap."

Malfoy summoned his cloak with a quick Accio, "Side-a-long I assume, Granger."

Granger pulled a coin out of her jeans pocket and looked at it.

She looked back up and grabbed his arm, "Wouldn't have it any other way Malfoy."

They turned on the spot, and off they spun.