Sunlight streamed through the large airy halls as he walked the familiar corridors, he considered for a moment the substantially beneficial improvement the reconstruction had provided. The school really had never looked better and the layout of the new dormitories and classrooms were much more convenient for their use. As a public display of his deep remorse for his Fathers actions he had funded the majority of the rebuild so had seen the plans for the building but nothing could compare to seeing the real thing.
He had just arrived, it was early Saturday morning, in the distance he heard the roar of the crowds at the inter house quiditch match taking place. He was grateful, it had given him the peace to roam and familiarise himself that he had so desired. The newspaper fell from his leather briefcase, the picture he had spent the entire journey here staring as gazed up at him. The black and white animation of Granger cutting the ribbon at the Re-opening ceremony of the very place he was currently standing whilst Weasley and Potter stood watching in the background. There was no denying it, whilst he had spent the last year drowning his sorrows and assuming all responsibility for the extensive Malfoy Empire Granger had spent it rapidly becoming the whole worlds Golden Girl. He smiled to himself, it was general knowledge that Potter had firmly turned down the lime light following the war and Ron, well he was a hero but he was hardly "face on merchandise" material, so most of the publicity had fallen to Hermione who bore it rather well actually he almost admired her for it. Of course she had always been opinionated, fiery and extremely moral, part of him wondered whether she took delight in now having such a captive audience. Suddenly the ball of frizzy hair and raging hormones had turned into the perfect picture of kindness, elegance and diplomacy, the world was lapping up her act, they loved her for it… and that's what he was counting on.
The crowds made their way from the stands, flooding into the open fields back towards the school. Hermione laughed as Harry and Ron ran ahead of her up the path, the war felt like such a distant memory now that occasionally she found herself devastated by guilt that she no longer grieved daily. It all felt like a bad dream, almost as though it hadn't really happened. Over the last year they had clung to each other and finally managed to heal together in the safety and warmth of the Weasley Burrow, they knew that despite everything they had no option but to look forward to a brighter future.
The three of them had returned to Hogwarts on the first day of term amidst the regular media frenzy that had somehow begun to feel so very familiar. The light September sun sat high in the sky as she ran to catch up with Ron and Harry. Feeling completely at peace and happy just as she had every other late summer she'd spent in these grounds. As she reached them, the boys had stopped and the closer she got she saw ginny looking utterly distraught in front of them.
The swarming crowds around her stopped in their tracks as everyone erupted into hushed whispers, huddling into small groups as whatever was being discussed appeared to spread like wildfire back down the hill, infecting its way right back to the recently packed stands.
Ginny's face was even paler that normal, Hermione noticed as she finally got close enough to hear her words. "He's back, he's…. HE'S BACK." Hermione felt her stomach drop as a cold sick feeling crept slowly through her entire body.
Ron erupted, turning slightly red "Bloody hell he is! He can't be, they should have put a restraining curse on the whole bloody place by now, after what his father did."… He took off into the building fuming as he went, Harry and Ginny following closely on his heels. Hermione said nothing and spoke to no one, she returned to the castle in silence and headed straight back to her rooms to come to terms with this new information in peace.
Draco's chest had been unpacked in the unreasonably large and lavish room he claimed as his own, the one benefit to having been involved with the rebuild was his ability to design the "Malfoy Suite" or so it would be called, once he had returned his family name to encapsulate the grandeur it deserved instead of the suspicion it currently raised. He intended this place to be passed down each year to the reigning king and queen of Slytherin house. It really was spectacular, a large living area with a grand private dining room and kitchen. Two large bedrooms with spectacular views, dressing rooms and a connecting grand bathroom. He was sat in his large office chair, staring intently at a small bottle of dark purple liquid which rested on the desk in front of him. It had finally arrived at his home yesterday afternoon and was undeniably the reason for his sleepless night. The bottle bore no label, simply the letter L scrawled in twirling cursive hand across the front. He'd had Fumri order it weeks ago and had anxiously awaited its arrival, this was a rare concoction for which he had given specific instructions. It's production was a long and precise process, a delicate balance had to be achieved, strong enough to provoke an unavoidable reaction but gentle enough to not fabricate falsities. The bottle bore no label as this concoction was illegal amongst the magical community and to be caught with such a powerful potion meant certain reprimand for the owner. Draco knew this, Draco didn't care.
He tapped his fingers against the cold oak of the desk in agitation, he thought back to his fathers words – "History books are written by those who succeed and survive, do what you must and when you win, paint yourself the hero."
His sharp chiselled jaw snapped to the corner of the room "Fumri, you know what I need you to do." The little elf appeared by his side, accepting the small bottle as Draco offered it to him. "You understand why this must stay our secret" The tension of his expression explained that this was at best a rhetorical question. The small elf nodded and spoke in a quiver of a whisper "The great name of Malfoy will be restored Master." With that he was gone.