CHAPTER 26

October 1st 2001

Draco Malfoy laid awake wrapped in the itchy blue sheets of the cottage's spare bedroom. He had not been able to indulge in a moment's sleep the entire night. His brain was partly to blame, overthinking endless worse case scenarios for his venture to kill his own father, again. But in truth, the soft snores coming from Granger's room across the hall was his main distraction.

Granger had been wearing an awfully bewitching silk nightgown when he had said his goodnight. The image was replaying in Draco's mind on a continuous loop, and the small view he had of her sleeping did not ease his imagination. Even in the darkness he could see her petite frame drowning in the oversized master bed. The empty space she naturally left beside her looked devilishly inviting for him to easily slip into, but Draco had to resist the urge.

A glimmer of sunlight peeking in through the curtains advised him that the next day had arrived, and the time for hunting down deranged purebloods was to begin. Draco took a deep breath and heaved himself off the mattress. His warming charm had faded and the cold morning air was crisp against his pale skin until he pulled his briefs up to his waist. Elastic snapping upon its release.

The floorboards creaked as Draco slinked out of his room and into Grangers. He couldn't help but lift the corner of his mouth in a small smile at the sight of her peaceful sleeping. Her curls spread across the pillow like a fan, and her hands were tucked under her cheek causing her lips to spread slightly ajar. It was not angelic in any way, but he could have looked like that at her all day.

"Is there a reason why you are watching me sleep?" Granger croaked, snapping her eyes open to glare at Draco.

"Fuck me!" He jumped in shock. "Do not do that."

For a moment there, Draco thought his heart had leapt into his throat. He clutched his chest to double check it had not. Granger sat up scowling, and let her legs drop off the mattress.

"You weren't going to pull some silly prank were you?" She asked, still with a morning rasp.

"No, Granger. Fuck." He answered with more anger than intended. "I highly doubt a life dependent getaway calls for jokes. I was coming to wake you up."

"Sorry…" She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "Old habits die hard, I suppose."

Draco's temper started to lower as he watched her slowly wake up. She stretched, lifting her arms above her head, causing the trimmings of her dress to rise up her thigh. He immediately spun on his heel as he felt the material of his underwear start to tighten. His feet moved fast but still with casual grace, walking out of the room, trying not to throw off any suspicion of his sudden arousal.

Malfoy clicked the bathroom door shut and twisted the shower tap, hoping that the scalding hot water would relieve his early morning sexual appetite for the olive skinned girl. After a few minutes of the scorching stream washing down his back, he finally gave in and let himself go to the memory of the blue silk dress.

Once he had finished, no matter how hard he scrubbed, soap did not clean the shame that clung to his skin. Having to watch her sleep and know what her hair looked like in the morning was torture for him. It was giving him hope for a future that was nowhere near a possible reality.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Draco headed back to the blue bedroom and found that his sheets had been tucked back in along with a set of clothes sitting at the end of the mattress. Granger must not have any experience living with men who know how to clean up after themselves. He did not doubt that over the years at Hogwarts, she had developed motherly instincts over Weasley and Potter.

Pulling his prearranged all black outfit on, Draco headed downstairs to see Granger sitting outside on the porch through the kitchen window. She glowed basking in the sunlight with a cup of tea in her hand, also dressed in all black. A very odd sight.

Draco opened the backdoor and leant on the frame with his hands in his pockets. A habit he found restrained him from getting too close to the witch that was like a magnetic draw.

"This is not a vacation, Granger." He rumbled, watching her swing back and forth on the white hanging chair.

"I am well aware." She took a sip from her cup without looking over at him.

Draco lifted himself off the frame and stalked over to the swing, gripping it at the chain and forcing it to stop moving. Granger looked up with a frown of annoyance, but he did not care to offend her time wasting.

"We are going to the manor." He growled at her annoyed expression.

"You are an arse, you know that?" She hissed in return.

"I am well aware."

"Do you know what exactly we are looking for there?"

"Last night I studied the map Potter and I found in Lucius' office. I have a fair estimate of where each tunnel is hidden."

Granger jumped off the swing and bumped his shoulder on her way back inside. Draco clenched his jaw. He did not mean to be angry, but he was already ashamed of his shower indulgence, and did not need her snarky attitude to piss him off further.

Marching back to the living room, he was surprised when she threw an apple for him to catch. He caught it with his right hand and immediately took a bite.

"Nice catch." She raised her eyebrows in awe.

"Seeker reflexes." He spoke through a chew.

Granger squinted her eyes before turning on her heel and storming to the front door. Draco followed with long strides behind, double checking the security of his wand on the inner pocket of his suit jacket. They were definitely going to need it.

"I thought I told you we were apparating." He barked out to her now standing on the front veranda, holding the door open for him.

"We are. I just want to test something first."

Draco stepped onto the driveway gravel finishing the apple in his hand, astonished by the open fields that spread across the planes on the other side of the cottage road. He had not noticed the farm animals grazing last night. This was a truly beautiful place to live.

He had not been enjoying the tranquil view for long before a sharp blast hit him in the back, sending him to the ground on impact. Green apple flying from his hand. His forehead smacked onto the small rocks below him. Draco groaned, turning over to see Granger standing above him with a sinister smile painted on her cheeks.

"What was that for?" He coughed in agony, swiping his head to check for any blood.

"For being an arse." She chuckled at his pain. "I don't know what got into you this morning but we cannot afford for your temper to get in the way of finding your father. Drop the temper so we may go."

Granger offered her hand. Draco scowled at her in humiliation but took the aid and pulled himself off the floor. He truly hated how easily she made him out to be a fool. It was both equally demeaning and arousing.

He dusted the dirt off his pristine clothing prior to gripping Granger's wrist and angrily apparating them to the outskirts of Malfoy Manor. The pull on his stomach did not leave even after they landed inside his childhood bedroom. Being within the manor made him feel ill to the core.

A haunted house for both the witch and wizard.

Letting go of Granger's wrist he marched over to the door, not giving her even a second to admire the inner memories of his youth scattered around the bedroom.

"Ah, yes." She grinned, picking up a photograph of his younger self on the side table. "Just as moody and privileged as I expected your room to be."

"Did you frequently imagine what my childhood chamber looked like while in Hogwarts, Granger?" He teased, taking the frame out of her hands and back onto the table.

"Very funny."

"Let's keep moving, shall we? First tunnel is behind a family portrait."

With a nod of agreement, Granger followed him cautiously out of the bedroom and out into the open hallway.

Draco peered cautiously around the corner of the passage. His vision was skewed but it was enough to see that there was no one in sight. Tapping her on the wrist, he indicated it was clear for them to continue passing onto the next wing.

The witch and wizard kept their bodies pressed against the cold clement walls as they tiptoed down the wide hall, careful not to knock the abundance of framed paintings. It wasn't until they reached the end, barricaded by a railing that oversaw the grand foyer, that the echo of a female voice halted their movements.

Quick on his feet, Draco swiftly spotted a small broom closet and pulled Granger in behind him. Clicking the door handle quietly, he turned in the darkness to be faced mere inches away from her frame. She was so close her nose was brushing against his chest. He could feel her warm breath through his shirt.

With his back pressed against the closet door, he swallowed, anxious as she lifted her eyes to look up at him. Even in the dark tightened room he could still make out the glimmer in her brown orbs. It took everything in Draco to not bend ever so lightly and change their friendship forever.

Luckily for him, the ever so familiar click of his mother's heels pulsating, switched his attention to the other side of the door.

"I am well aware of my son's dating life, darling." Narcissa faked laughed at whomever was walking with her. "Draco is merely using this Greengrass girl as a distraction."

"He may end up more invested in this relationship than you think."

Draco and Granger frowned at one another. The second voice was someone that they both recognised. Pansy Parkinson.

"The Greengrass family is bankrupt, child. Even if my son wanted to invest in that of a poor pureblood, I would simply not allow it." The elder woman's voice was so clear it was as if she was standing right beside the door.

"I know Draco, more than he likes. He cannot have what he truly wants, therefore he will settle for Astoria. Just you wait." Pansy reasoned with confidence.

Draco started to panic, subconsciously begging his school friends to refrain from revealing the deal he had made with his receptionist. He struggled to keep the emotions from being written all over his face for Granger to read like a book.

"Mmmmm." Narcissa hummed. "It is a shame you are engaged, Pansy. You would have made a fine wife for my son."

Mercifully, the two women continued their conversation down the hall, walking away from where the two intruders were hidden. The click of their heels faded with every step.

Granger kept her eyes locked with his. He flicked in between looking at her left pupil to her right as he kept his breath steady. Without speaking, her expression moulded as if to ask if he was okay. Draco sucked on his front teeth, and nodded.

His mother had always dictated his love life. Now Pansy was in on it too.

Checking the hall was clear, Draco and Granger sneaked out of the closet and resumed their light footed journey to the east wing. With a quickened pace and few narrow turns around corners they finally made it to the enlarged family portrait.

With a swish of his wand, he swung the painting open and boosted Granger up into the darkened tunnel. A casual 'Lumos' helped guide their cautious footsteps down the abandoned underpass.

"Has your mother always had such a territorial hold on your dating life?" She spoke in a hushed tone, afraid that someone would hear them.

"I knew you would not be able to let that moment slide." Draco shook his head.

"Sorry. How could I not?"

He sighed in annoyed surrender. "If you must know. Yes... However, I tend to ignore her ongoing exasperating lectures about the primitive traditions expected of the Malfoy heir."

"Prey tell what are those customs so highly demanded of you?" She sarcastically pressed for more.

"It was once taking over the family business, and marrying a heeding pureblood witch good enough to aid in extending the Malfoy lifeline with sons."

"And now?"

"The same. Only now I do not care."

Granger seemed satisfied with his answer by her lack of response, although Draco had a feeling it would not be the last time that she would feel the need to also intervene in his relationship with Astoria. He made a mental note to be prepared when that time came.

The blackened tunnel grew wider the longer that they walked, and the travel length seemed much shorter through this time round seeing as the dim glow of the end portrait was soon within reach.

Draco bared his ear down against the canvas to ensure that there was no one on the other side before pushing it open. As the witch and wizard jumped from the wall and into the room, it dawned on them as to why there was a bright glow peaking through the crack of the portrait.

The second secret room hidden within Malfoy Manor was a vault stacked with layers of gold. Piles of galleons were hoarded as far as the eye could see, all sparkling from the sunlight beaming down through the guarded crate. It appeared that they were still within the Malfoy property, only underground and far into the gardens.

"Merlin's pants." Granger gasped with her dainty fingers covering her mouth in shock.

Draco's eyes widened in awe at the sight of his family's hidden wealth. "Fuck me."

He walked over to a large chest of jewels that was overflowing in a corner of the room. Crowns, necklaces, pearls, all stashed into only one of the many wooden boxes attempting to contain them.

"Do not touch anything! We do not know if anything is charmed or not."

"Why would anything be charmed?" He asked, looking back at her with confusion.

"Bellatrix used spells on her vault to ensure no one stole a Horcrux hidden in her possession. Trust me when I say it is not easy to break out of."

Draco had forgotten that Granger not only broke into his aunt's highly guarded vault in Gringotts, but also managed to escape successfully on the back of a dragon. Merlin, that woman could get away with anything.

Scanning the chaotic riches, the look of a brown burlap bag caught Draco's attention. Written on the front was a name that he had known too well.

CRAWFORD

Hermione Granger could not believe the overwhelming glimmer of gold that was in front of her. There had been a small image of what she expected Malfoy's heritage to entail, but if this was a vault hidden in the depths of the manor garden, what did their official Gringotts account look like?

She noticed Malfoy in a corner hunched over a full sack, his hands slipping into a pair of leather gloves stuffed prior within his jacket.

"Be careful." She insisted.

Malfoy ignored her, taking no precautions in prying the drawing string of the bag open. As Hermione took a peek as to what was inside she noticed a thin piece of parchment sitting on top of a ridiculous amount of galleons.

"What does it say?"

He took the paper into his fingers and held it up for her to read without having to touch.

ACCOUNT: CRAWFORD

PREPAID ADVANTAGE: 100,000 GALLEONS

MONTH OF: DECEMBER 2001

REFERENCE: HERMIONE GRANGER & DRACO MALFOY

She felt her heart drop into her stomach. Oh God.

Malfoy placed the parchment back on top of the galleons and tied the drawstring back together, ceiling the burlap sack shut.

"Bastard." He growled before punching the wall in an outrage.

Hermione had known that Lucius Malfoy was out to get her, but the high price for their death cemented the seriousness of it all. Feeling a little woozy, she stumbled back before catching her own feet and standing back up again. It felt like Voldemort all over again.

"Wh-Who is Crawford?" She stammered to the blond clutching his injured hand.

"A snake." Malfoy spoke through gritted teeth. "A snake that owes me 50,000 galleons."

Not feeling the need for a story time to elaborate his answer, Hermione took a deep breath and began carefully maneuvering around the piles of jewels and gold. They needed clues. Anything that would lead them to Lucius.

"We need to move quickly." She yelled out to Malfoy. "Start looking for anything that would help us trace Lucius."

As much as they hoped this room would aid them in their search for Malfoy's father, sifting through a plethora of riches only led them so far. Temptation mainly. Agreeing they should not take any on the off chance that someone would notice, the witch and wizard concluded that the hidden vault was a dead end.

Climbing into the tunnel once more they began their journey back to the manor.

"Granger?" Malfoy grunted as they slid through the dreary passage. "There is something I need to inform you of before we go any further."

Despite being in complete darkness, bar their wands, Hermione scowled at him in puzzlement.

"Go on." She encouraged him wearily.

"Crawford is a connection that the Malfoy business hires to hurt people. More recently, I personally hired him to... kill my father."

Hermione came to a halt and lifted her wand shining the light into Malfoy's face. He squinted at the brightness. As much as she had assumed there were foul intentions behind Lucius' death, she truly hoped his own son would not have been at the hand of it. But it did not surprise her.

"Why?" Was all she could ask.

"I had to do it. Before he killed me." He brought his hand up to lower her wand from the jarring closeness to his face.

Despite the selfish intentions Malfoy was letting off, Hermione suspected there was a more harsh reality behind why he had needed to bring an end to his father's life. A reason he was not comfortable sharing with her.

Hermione took an aggressive deep breath and exhaled. "Well, I cannot argue with your objective. Although I struggle to understand why you did not tell me earlier? This revenge aspect of your father's scheme to have us killed seems rather important to be left out."

Malfoy hung his head in shame. Hermione did not care for any excuse he might try to play. Storming off ahead in a huff, she took the lead in walking back to the entrance family portrait. A sheepish wizard followed her tail in silence.

The two intruders carried out their investigation without speaking a word to each other. Tip-toeing through corridors, they travelled through three more darkened hallways only to be welcomed by old forsaken dungeons. By the look of the rusted chains hanging from the walls, it appeared that the old Malfoy family once took up torturing as a pastime. Neither witch nor wizard doubted who exactly would have been persecuted.

During their silent inspection of each room, Hermione had run over a multitude of things she wanted to say to Malfoy when they got back to the cottage. Coming up with logical argumentative points was the only thing keeping her from yelling at him in the middle of their stealth mission.

By the time Malfoy guided them to the final hidden passage on the map, nearly all hope of a clue leading to the whereabouts of Lucius had been lost. But when they jumped out of the last tunnel into an almost pitch black room, their slumped attitude soon changed.

Feeling something stick to her foot, Hermione illuminated her wand to see that she had stepped on a picture. It was a newspaper cutting of her engagement announcement on the cover of the Daily Prophet, with her half smiling face circled in red ink.

Malfoy took it from within her grip, scanning it with suspicious eyes before turning it over to read a note left on the back.

A DEBT FOR A DEBT

"Who do you think wrote it?" Hermione asked, breaking the long winded silence between them.

"Not my Father." Malfoy continued analysing the picture. "But someone who was taught the ways of high society Pureblood literacy. They write their starting letter the way we are taught as children with tutors."

"What? Overly inked, written over three times?"

"Exactly."

Hermione scanned the remainder of the room. It was completely bare, leaving them with nothing but a knowledge of hidden galleons and an old paper cutting. One thing was for certain… Lucius Malfoy had been preparing to kill her for much longer than she realised.