Chapter VIII- You Can Play My Partner in Crime:

Almost two arduous months passed after Ginny's death and subsequent funeral where Hermione heard nothing from her father. She maintained her cover, sobbing about her lost childhood companion and comforting her faux boyfriend and brother... but she was struggling. He'd given her one job, and Hermione had failed to complete it, instead destroying a part of her father's soul. He must be furious with her, and he certainly wouldn't be entrusting her with any serious tasks anytime soon. It didn't help that she hadn't been able to speak to Draco to gain some emotional support. Of course she'd seen him around school, but it had been too dangerous to sneak out with a suspicious Dumbledore's increased security after what happened that night, and during the day the boys were suffocating her even more than they had been before. The whole of her house was, actually. Banding together to comfort each other and honour the loss of another Gryffindor hero, although Dumbledore hadn't actually told any of them what had happened so they were just taking his word on the 'blameless', tragic circumstances of her death.

By March Hermione had concluded that she'd been abandoned, and fairly so, when she sat down in Ancient Runes, opened her book and found a note inside. Luckily, this was one of the only spaces she had free from Harry and Ron so she could read it free from worry of any infringement on her privacy. Still though, something made her turn to check no-one was watching. Everyone was getting their materials out, everyone except Draco's friend Zabini. He dropped his gaze as soon as she looked over, which was odd in itself for his usually confident bordering on cocky self. He was at the other end of the classroom though, there was no way he'd be able to read the note from over there. Fingers shaking a little, she unfolded the note and read it, expecting some lengthy letter telling her what was going on but all she got was five unimpressive words.

Saturday. Outside the Hog's Head.

And then the note crumbled itself up and there was a pile of unintelligible paper left on her book. Sweeping it to the side, she turned to the directed page with the hint of a smile on her face. This weekend she'd finally get to see Draco again.


'Going to the bookshop' was always the best way to lose the boys. She made sure to tell them she could be there for hours. They nodded dismissively and waved her off as they headed into Honeydukes. Pulling her cloak hood up over her head, she took the side road that led down to the pub less frequented by Hogwarts students. She'd never been here, in fact. She'd always been warned against it. As she got closer she could tell why. Whereas the Three Broomsticks was tight in a clean, cosy way, the Hog's Head looked dingy and claustrophobic even from the outside. Unable to stop herself, she went up to the dirty window and peered in to see an interior that reflected the grimy walls. She barely had time to take it in before a hand on her arm made her turn around, excited, but instead of interlaced fingers, an object was pressed into her hand, giddiness and nausea overwhelming her as she fell, landing on the ground in a heap in an entirely different location. "Oof!" She cried as she stumbled to her feet, ripping back the hood of her assailant to see Zabini himself. "What the hell?" She hissed at him.

"Look Granger," The Italian rolled his eyes. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, at least not before I've explained what's going on."

"You kidnapped me!" Hermione pointed out stubbornly, but she folded her arms over chest and reluctantly nodded anyway.

He gave her a mocking, gracious little bow and then explained that he knew who she really was. "I'd noticed Draco sneaking around even more than usual lately so one night just before the Christmas holidays I followed him-"

"What a trusting friend you are," she observed dryly.

He shrugged. "I think you're confusing me for a Hufflepuff, cara. Anyway," he continued. "Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across the two of you locked in an ardent embrace, arms locked around each other, his ere-"

"Yes I know what kissing is," she interrupted. "Get on with it!"

Smirking at her suddenly red cheeks he continued. "As any good Slytherin knows, the pillowtalk is when all the secrets come out, so I waited patiently-"

She scoffed. "I'm sure!"

"Who's holding up the story now?" God he reminded her of Draco before they started dating. Were all Slytherins this bad? Maybe it was a good thing she'd been sorted into Gryffindor after all. "So after you'd finished your 'sette minuiti in paradiso'" having learnt Italian over the summer, she flicked him a backwards V. "I listened as Draco promised you that your father would 'make them all pay soon' and he'd gladly help. You said you were nervous it was taking so long and he told you that the Dark Lord isn't the type of man to give up or fail on his vengeance." She remembered that conversation, and it was undeniably damning evidence. "After you'd gone I revealed myself to him. He was pretty confrontational," Zabini grinned at her. "He loves you." It made her tingle, even though she already knew it. Having it reaffirmed by someone on the outside...it just made it even more real. "And I was a little scared he'd kill me and bury the body with his own hands to protect your secret, but thankfully for the good of womankind I managed to persuade him otherwise." She raised an eyebrow and for the first time his tone was serious. "We may be serpents, but we're loyal to our own. He's my friend, and you're one of us now too." He dug into his cloak, pulled out a bottle and handed it to her. "Polyjuice potion," he offered as explanation. "Hufflepuff's cup is still within his aunt's Gringotts vault. Draco was supposed to go with you disguised as Order members to acquire it but Dumbledore's keeping a pretty strict watch on all Death Eaters's children. Bigoted prick," he said under his breath. "Though in this case he's right." She smiled and he caught it before she could wipe it off her face, matching it with one of his own. "So what do you say, bellissima? Willing to take a chance on a different partner in crime today?"


Hermione peered at her reflection in the shop window; the lustrous dark red hair, the distinctive green eyes. She truly was beautiful. "Come on!" Zabini, or Sirius, as he currently appeared to be, grabbed a fistful of her cloak and yanked her along behind him.

When they entered the bank a goblin scuttled over, bowing his head respectfully. "Mr Black, Mrs Potter, would you like access to your vaults?"

"Not today," 'Sirius' leant in conspiratorially. "Dumbledore sent us to retrieve something from the Lestrange vault."

The goblin nodded brusquely, gesturing a human guard who held some type of device over. "If you don't mind though, we have a new policy to detect concealment charms- suggested by Dumbledore himself actually." Zabini nodded, although Hermione could sense his tension. "That alright?"

"Of course," She offered a gentile smile, but the goblin wasn't looking anyway, busy thumbing through some sort of guide. She'd only relatively recently started learning non-verbal spells, but what better time than the present to practise one on a real life target. Confundo, she thought with a singular focused intent as the guard raised his probe. His eyes glazed over and the probe dropped to his side as he glanced around confused for a moment before heading back over to where he'd appeared from. Zabini flashed her an impressed look and she granted herself a small victorious smirk before clearing her throat.

"Right," The goblin looked up, saw they were done and waddled off, gesturing for them to follow him. "Off we go then."


As the goblin placed his hand on the vault to unlock it and tamed away the dragon guarding it she couldn't help but think they'd done this the right way. She wasn't exactly in the mood for a dragon duel. "I'll be waiting here when you're done." They thanked the goblin and stepped into the vault, piled high with treasure, so much shimmering gold it made her eyes hurt.

"Acc-" Hermione started but Zabini stopped her wand hand.

"I wouldn't. Draco's Aunt Bella's a pretty crazy woman. I wouldn't put it past her to set up some defence mechanisms. I think we're best off doing this the old fashioned way- and very carefully, at that." They searched the vault without touching anything, or finding anything, and Hermione was about to suggest they try magic despite the risk when Zabini declared at a ridiculous volume "found it!" She rushed around a pile of treasure twice his size that was blocking their view of each other to see him eyeing it carefully. "If I just-" slowly he tried to inch it out, and the treasure above it began to duplicate. They exchanged a worried glance.

"Just pull it out," she suggested. He did, and the treasure began to double at a faster and faster volume, filling the room with it, quickly blocking their exits. To make matters worse it set on fire.

"Fuck!" Zabini swore and grabbed her arm with one hand, the other gripping the cup. They stumbled over the gold, tripping over it at a speed like they were running in water as a wall of flames quickly began to surround them. Hermione felt herself breathing heavily as she remembered the night in the room of requirement as the flames engulfed Ginny. She hadn't liked her, but she had grown up with her. And now she was going to die the same way. Karma, she supposed.

Zabini was shooting spell after spell but they weren't working on the prior enchantments set up. Hermione clenched her eyes as the treasure looked like it would immerse them. She'd never been claustrophobic before, but she supposed anyone would be when when they were about to be smothered to death in gold. She reached out a hand to the wall to steady her but opened her mouth in a stunned rather than pained "oh!" when she felt a pin prick her flesh. Suddenly the gold retreated back and within two seconds it was back to its original volume, all the fires extinguished. Zabini's eyes were as wide as saucers. "What the-"

"I don't," She stopped herself, staring at the blood trickling down her palm. "Actually, I do. I think it recognised my blood and no longer saw me as an intruder."

"I don't care how it worked!" Blaise declared, picking her up and spinning her around as she let out first a shriek then uncontrollable laughter. "We're alive!" He put her down with a celebratory kiss on the cheek and she realised that, just like she had Draco, she was warming up to him.


After they left Gringotts they used another portkey to get back to the Hog's Head, where Blaise bought her a firewhiskey. She would never usually have agreed to such lawlessness but was feeling quite rebellious after their little heist and thought she might as well do the full monty. After their drinks she walked back up to school with a courageous spirit in her blood and marched down to the Slytherin dungeons. Luckily she only had to wait a short time for Draco to come out, and even better, he was alone. She grabbed his hand with a grin, and he looked at her face in the shadows with an expression of shock. "Hermione!" He tried to snatch his hand away. "What are you doing here?"

"We don't need to hide anymore!" She declared, even as he pulled her into an empty alcove and put a finger to his lips. "I have the final horcrux!"

"That's great," For some reason he looked confused. "But your father still needs to take control." He gave her a chaste kiss when he saw the disappointed expression on her lips. "Don't be sad, love. We truly are almost there. Now, can you give it to me so I can send it back to the Manor?"

She nodded and reached into the bag Blaise had given her to carry the cup. Nothing. Her heart thumped and her throat felt constricted. Turning the bag inside out, she turned to Draco, now fully sober and hissed "where the fuck is Blaise Zabini?"