When Draco entered Grimald Place to find nothing but a yelling portrait and Snape's unoriginal, in Draco's opinion, booby trap, he began to worry. Not that he was concerned for the safety of the trio, but rather the wholesome return of Potter. He didn't fret, however, nor did he try to find them. If they did not return within several hours, Draco would begin apparating to several other locations before turning to the Order. Instead, he poured himself a drink and began ruffling thru the large pile of The Daily Prophet. Deloris Umbridge's picture on the front page of a copy caused Draco to fully read the article. Though he did not care of her new position to destroy Muggle-born lives, he took a long look at her picture. Her toad like features had not changed, though the picture seemed less daunting than her physical form. She had replaced her usual purls for another necklace, Draco noticed. This one was a chain with a locket that hung near her bosom, something a person into retro style might approve of. For whatever reason, he began to study the locket. Maybe it was his father's constant lessons to look at details, or maybe it was to keep his mind busy. Either way, he did, and when using an enlargement charm, a snake upon the front showed clear.
"Salazar Slytherin." Draco beamed. He found a Horcrux. Suddenly, Draco remembered the Horcrux locket they previously thought they had found. He searched his memory for what it looked like. The lettering "R.A.B" was etched into the back. Of course, it wasn't Salazar Slytherin's, it was a fake, he knew that, but now the information was confirmed.
"Who the hell is R.A.B?" Draco asked.
"Someone you should not speak ill of." A gruff voice told Draco. Caught off guard, Draco pointed his wand to the speaker, a three-foot leathery creature.
"Who do you belong to?" Draco asked the house elf his wand not moving from its target.
"Kreature should belong to Bellatrix Lestrange." The house-elf answered.
"I didn't ask who you should belong to, I asked who do you-"
"Kreature heard what you said." The house-elf snapped.
"Then answer the question." Draco demanded.
"Kreature has no tie to Draco Malfoy."
"Fine. We will play it your way. Why are you here?" Draco asked.
"This is the Black house, Kreature's house." The elf answered.
"So, you belong to Potter." Draco deducted.
"Kreature should belong-"
"Yes, I get it, you should belong to my aunt. Big deal. Who is R.A.B., and why shouldn't I speak ill of him?" Draco asked impatiently.
"Regulus Arcturus Black. He was my master before that trader scum-"
"Sirius Black?" Draco asked.
"Yes. And then he died," the house-elf added excitedly, "and Kreature thought he would go to another Black, not-"
"Yes, we have established that you want to serve Bellatrix Lestrange. Why would I have a locket with R.A.B. inscribed on it?"
"Master Regulus was a Death Eater, one of his most faithful servants. Master found one of the Horcruxes and tried to destroy it. Master took Kreature along to the cave, because Kreature was more powerful than he, or that's what Master told Kreature. We found the boat, and sailed across the lake of Infury and found the locket."
"Salazar Slytherin's." Draco supplied.
"Yes. He had to drink a potion to get to the locket. Made him go crazy. Master told Kreature to switch out his locket for Slytherin's and refill the potion. Master told Kreature to destroy it once Kreature was out. Master told Kreature to leave Master behind. Master drank the potion, and the Infury took Master. Kreature switched the lockets, like Master instructed, and left. Kreature could never destroy it though. Kreature tried everything."
"How did she get the locket?" Draco asked pointing to the black and white picture of Deloris Umbridge.
"Mundungus Fletcher stole from the Black family." Kreature said in disgust.
"Mundungus Fletcher. Have you gone after him?" Draco asked.
"Do you not know house-elves boundaries?" Kreature asked.
"The owner's property unless told otherwise by their master." Draco answered with a smile.
"So without Master Potter's order, I cannot leave." Kreature replied with disgust.
"I though you, of all house-elves would have been better at finding loop holes than this." Draco smiled.
"Sir?" Kreature asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"All I'm saying is that that locket is still your property, so you will be able to, say stay at his owner's property until stated otherwise." Draco smiled, "I didn't tell you that."
"Of course not, sir." Kreature agreed, a new loyalty towards Draco now built.
"Now, I assume someday my favor will be repaid, had I told you this." Draco told the small creature.
"Naturally, Mr. Malfoy." Kreature gave Draco a deep bow before disaperating with a snap of his figures.
The high pitch scream of Hermione pulled Draco out of his thoughts, and he raced to the door in time to see Ron, Hermione and Harry shielding themselves in pure terror.
"Isn't this grand? I've got a team of wimps to destroy Horcruxes. How did I possibly get this lucky?" Draco asked sarcastically.
"Oh shove it, Malfoy." Ron snapped.
"Are they safe?" Hermione asked quickly pulling herself together. Their dress clothes were now replaced with jeans and tee shirts, the idea, Draco deducted, of Hermione.
"Yes. The Death Eaters left when they figured out Potter wasn't there." Draco responded.
"I heard Ginny scream, what happened to her?" Harry asked.
"She fell. Everyone is safe, and no one was killed." Draco answered stiffly.
"What about injured?" Ron asked.
"Nothing major." Draco responded.
"Good." Hermione sighed in relief.
"And while you three were enjoying the sights, I found a Horcrux." Draco responded.
"Where is it?" Hermione asked.
"Five, four, three, two..." Draco paused for the 'crack' signaling Kreature's return, "one."
"Hello, Kreature. I hope you found everything ok?" Draco asked politely as the group entered the kitchen.
"Kreature found her sleeping. Kreature took it without her waking." Kreature answered proudly holding Slytherin's locket.
"Excellent work, and I can tell you how to destroy it." Draco smiled.
"Will Mr. Malfoy ask for another favor in return?" Kreature asked.
"No. No, I will leave you without favors as long as you follow these instructions very carefully." Draco replied.
"Kreature is listening." Kreature answered.
"You need to make a trip to Hogwarts." Draco told the eager house-elf.
"But no one can apparate inside or-" Hermione began.
"Or outside Hogwarts, I am well aware. However, house-elves do not have such restrictions. So if you will be ever so kind to leave this to me, we would all be very gracious. Go to the Chamber of Secrets and bring back four fangs of the Basilisk. Oh, that's right." Draco turned to Harry, "Potter, tell Kreature to go to Hogwarts and get the Basilisk fangs."
"Er," Harry looked lost between Draco and Kreature, "Yeah, Kreature do what Malfoy just told you."
"Kreature will return soon." Kreature responded before disappearing from the kitchen.
"What the hell Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"For starters, I would prefer if you would allow my schemes to unfold before accusing. Second we are about to destroy a Horcrux. Or is that not what you want?" Draco asked.
"Of course I want them to be destroyed. But you let Kreature leave with the Horcrux!" Harry yelled.
"Yes, I did think that was rather clever." Draco smiled as he took his glass from earlier and swirled the amber liquid before taking a sip.
"Cleaver?!" Harry yelled, "That was as stupid as you could get!"
"No, that is where you are wrong. Stupid would be taking the locket from Kreature, as you are his master and he would have to comply. Then we would be stuck with a Horcrux that we would not know how to destroy. Then You-Know-Who would be able to track us." Draco drawled.
"Vold-" Harry was cut off by Draco, who had suddenly jumped to his feet, holding Harry in a full body bind. Immediately, Ron leapt towards Draco while Hermione pulled out her wand. In that split second, Draco froze Ron in mid leap and Hermione with her wand raised.
"No one can say that name again. When referring to You-Know-Who, we must use You-Know-Who or the appropriate pronoun. Last summer there was talk of a tracking curse so they would be able to find anyone who dared to say his full name. I do not know if they have figured it out, but I do not want to take chances. Am I understood? The last thing we need is to be caught. Now, before I let you go, I will leave you with this: I took an unforgivable vow to keep my loyalty to the Order of Phoenix. So it might have crossed your minds, but I am a man who values his life, and am not about to waste it." With that, Draco flicked his wand, which sent Ron, Hermione, and Harry to fall against the floor.
"Bloody hell." Ron swore rubbing his face, which had broken his fall.
"Next time, don't test me." Draco responded.
"It's just a theory." Harry complained.
"Lesson one, don't underestimate your enemy. You do that, you die." Draco told the group.
"Remus told you that?" Hermione asked.
"No, that was a lesson courtesy of Lucius Malfoy." Draco responded.
"Why the hell should we take advice from your father?" Ron asked.
"Because I was trained to become the Dark Lord's left hand. You only become that when you become the best Death Eater there is." Draco answered.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron asked.
"Weasley, how many people have you watched die?" Draco asked.
"Well- none." Ron answered.
"And Granger?"
"None."
"Potter? And no, your mother does not count, unless you remember every detail."
Harry stared at Draco daggers in his eyes before answering, "Three."
"And there you have it, folks. A Death Eater must accept death long before he can kill without emotion involving his decision. Remember emotion is your enemy when dueling." Draco answered.
"Well how many people have you seen die?" Ron asked smugly.
"28." Draco answered without hesitation, "And I can name everyone. I can name what killed every victim, when they died, where they died, why they died."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"I told you, Granger. The rest is none of your business." Draco answered. A swift 'crack' broke the silence, and Kreature appeared with the Horcrux around his neck, and four Basilisk fangs in his hand.
"Excellent work, Kreature." Draco complemented, "We are going to destroy this locket. A fang, please." Upon request, Kreature handed Draco one of the fangs, and the locket.
"Very ready to see this go, I see." Draco smiled.
"Kreature will have finally completed Master Regulus' work." Kreature told Draco calmly.
"Who's Regulus?" Harry asked.
"R.A.B." Draco answered quickly.
"The owner of the locket?" Hermione asked.
"No, I was referring to another R.A.B. so you would have no idea what I was talking about." Draco answered sarcastically.
"You have Master Regulus' locket?" Kreature asked.
"Of course." Hermione answered kindly.
"May I see it, miss?" Kreature asked humbly.
"Why of course! Here, you can keep it." Hermione answered handing Kreature the locket from her pocket.
"Kreature should not take such possessions touched by Mudbloods." Kreature told her firmly.
"Merlin!" Draco swore, "Potter tell Kreature to take the damn thing."
"Kreature, take the locket and don't ever call Hermione a Mudblood again." Harry ordered.
"Now come over here and open this." Draco asked exasperated.
"How?" Harry asked holding the locket in his hand.
"Parseltongue." Draco answered.
"Open." Harry ordered in English staring at the locket.
"Parseltongue, Potter."
"Open." Harry repeated, this time staring intently at the snake that posed on the front of the locket. Suddenly, it opened showing a swirly image of Ginny and Lucius Malfoy.
"I will kill her, because of you." Horcrux Lucius told Draco.
"It's ok, because I love you." Horcrux Ginny smiled sadly.
"I have hurt her, because you hurt this family." Horcrux Lucius reasoned.
"No, you won't." Draco whispered before stabbing the locket with a Basilisk fang. In an instant, the kitchen held an eerie silence.
"Lucius doesn't even know you love her." Hermione broke the silence. Pulling his head from his thoughts, he realized Harry was as stunned as he was. What shocked him the most, however, was when Hermione comforted Harry, as if it was Harry who loved Ginny, as if it was Harry the locket was directing it's philological magic towards.
"You're in love with Ginny? It's so cliché I don't know how I missed it." Draco scoffed.
"And what would you know about love?" Harry shoved back.
"So why haven't you asked her out? I haven't seen you two acting like a couple." Draco asked changing the subject.
"I wanted to wait until after the war. That way I wouldn't hurt her if I died." Harry replied. For the third time that night, Draco Malfoy was stunned. Harry had acted in selflessness. He had protected Ginny far better than Draco could. He decided not to become romantically involved with Ginny until he knew it was safe to do so. Draco had fallen in love with Ginny, kissed her many times without a thought about the consequences. Had his father taught him nothing? Emotions only become your enemy.
"Let's find a place to sleep, we have all had a long night. I'll take the first watch. I'll wake Granger for the next watch. Snape's booby trap should alert us should anyone come, but a guard can't hurt." Draco told the trio.
"That's Snape's?" Ron asked.
"Yes. He rigged it after Dumbledoor died. No matter what they say, this is still the Headquarters for the Order of Phoenix, and intruders are not wanted." Draco explained.
"But Snape?" Ron asked.
"This is war, Weasley. The separation of good guys and bad guys are not as clear as those in storybooks. Goodnight." Draco answered.
"Goodnight." Hermione answered back.
"Kreature would like to thank you for your knowledge." Kreature told Draco softly.
"Sure, sure." Draco answered waving his hand in dismissal. Nodding his head in a half bow, Kreature left the young Malfoy to his thoughts.