Hermione could not believe it still. She woke up this morning feeling unusually sated and horny at the same time. She had many dreams of being pleasured to great heights and in many different ways. Once she was deep in a jungle, another time was on a beach, in another dream, she was on a boat drifting under the stars. She saw many such dreams that night, but the man who gave her pleasure remained the same. Malfoy.

It took a few moments for her foggy mind to register the events of the day before. She groaned and put her head in her hands in shame. She could not believe how wanton she had acted with Malfoy!
She wished she could vanish from the face of the planet.

What had she done!

She could never face him again! She knew he had kissed her first, but she was the one who had egged him on. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not forget how good he had made her feel. Her toes tingled every time she thought of how his fingers had plunged into her and brought her to ecstasy. She could still feel the ghost of his kisses all over her skin.

But the truth was that no matter what, she possibly could not face him. No way in hell. So she did the only possible thing she could think of.
Find a way to avoid him and keep away from him or else her treacherous thoughts might make her do something she would regret later.

Draco had spent the night at the Manor in his childhood bedroom. Blaise had left sometime around ten at night after endlessly teasing Draco about the bushy haired brunette.

As he woke up, he could only think of Granger's face scrunched up in sheer pleasure. Pleasure that he was giving her. He was willing to do it every day if he knew he would be able to see her moan his name with such rapture. He smirked at the memory but then the realisation that she might never want to even see his face washed all over him.

He sat up amidst the silk sheets as he heard incessant tapping on the window. Draco was in no mood to ever leave his bed, but he knew he eventually would have to get back to his research and face Hermione.

He groaned as he left his toasty bed and was met with the chilly air. The tapping was grating on his nerves. He pushed aside the heavy drapes in one swift movement and was met with a rather plain looking brown owl. 'Who would owl me at this ungodly hour?' thought Malfoy as he opened the door to let the bird in.

He untied the letter and fed the bird a treat. Once the owl was gone, he shut down the window, put a shirt on his naked torso and sat at his writing desk.
The moment he opened the letter, he saw the slanted cursive script and knew who had written the letter, almost immediately. He had been reading the very handwriting off his parchment of notes since a few days now.

She had written to him saying that it was all a huge mistake and that she cannot work with him any further. He was sure of that. She must have even placed a replacement request with the Ministry. He dreadfully opened the letter and almost did not want to read it, but one had to man up at times.

Malfoy,

I have realised that since only one person can go through the journal at a time, you could try and check if it has anything of relevance to us. Also, if you have the time, you can look over the last remaining books in your library.

I thought it would be the best if we visited the scene of crime soon. It would not be safe for both of us to go together as in the event of some mishap, both of us would be endangered and all the research would also be in peril. Harry agrees and thus he and Terry would accompany me to investigate the Marshlands. Might you remember Terry Boot from our Hogwarts days? He was in Ravenclaw.

I shall keep you posted about my findings. You would not be able to owl me but can leave messages with Harry's secretary, Miss Ghosh.

Best,
Hermione Granger

'So formal? And no mention of last night at all?' were Draco's first thoughts. He mentally lauded Hermione for coming up with such a clever solution to entirely avoid any interaction or awkwardness and at the same time still continuing to work. She really was a brilliant witch. However, what he really wanted to do was see her reaction when asked about last night. Would she blush and brush it aside or would she go all feisty and righteous on him? Probably the latter he would have imagined. But the fact that he was surprised with her reaction would have been the understatement of the century.

Draco put aside the letter and summoned a house elf to prepare his breakfast while he got ready. Despite the fact that he could not get the images of Hermione writhing in pleasure, that he was giving her, out of his head, he knew they had work to do and people to save.
He would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried for the trio that was to go to the Marshlands. So he did the only thing that he thought was possible to contribute to their safety in his own way. He wrote to Harry.

Harry,

Hermione owled me about your plans to go check the Marshlands. We are still not very clear about our findings, but there is something you should know before you visit the area.

I do not know whether it is a myth or a rumour, but as a child, I was often told that the Marshlands has a hidden treasure or at least a building of some kind. Do not venture near it at any cost. I don't know what might happen if you do, all I know is people who have done so, were never found again. And please make sure that this fact/myth stays confidential. I will explain the reason later.

Stay safe.

D.M.

Draco posted the letter as he left to take a bath. He really hoped that Potter received the letter in time. Hermione might not listen to him because what all he just wrote was never mentioned in any of the texts that they had gone through. But he knew that Harry would have the sense to listen to him. Even if he used his hero complex and went in, Harry would keep Hermione safe at all costs.
Malfoy had just divulged a piece of information that had been passed on to him by his forefathers. Malfoys were told to never go near the Marshlands for it held an untold treasure, one that was possibly cursed. Malfoys had never let dark magic or unclaimed treasures to determine their actions, however, the fact that each of them was instructed to stay away was enough proof of how sinister could the curse or spell prove to be. He had heard his grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, once tell Lucius that the place must not be entered at all costs, the threshold must never be crossed. A fact that had let the youngest Malfoy believe that the place must be a cottage or at least an enclosed building of some kind.

He wanted to protect the secret as much as he could, but now it was about Hermione, Harry and even Boot's safety. He had had enough of Malfoy secrets to last him a lifetime, anyway.

Harry read the letter and quickly put it aside as Ginny sat with him at the table. "So, you both are going to the Marshlands today? I think it is a bad idea." Ginerva Potter neè Weasley was as blunt as you could get. "Well yeah. But we have to do what it takes before any more people turn up dead Ginny."

Ginny sighed as she held his right hand in her left and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I know. Just stay safe you two. You might be the Boy who Lived and Killed Voldemort, and Hermione might be the Brightest Witch of Our Age who literally stopped Voldemort with her wits, but still there are secrets of the Wizarding World that you both don't know of. All those who grew up in the Wizarding World have heard stories of horror about the Marshlands. You are venturing into something none of us has any clue about. Not even Hermione. I just want you all to be safe."

She took his hand and put it on her round belly and said, "I just want his Daddy and his Godmother to be safe and sound for when James decides to come into the world in a few months." Harry looked at her with a sad smile and gave her a long kiss to soothe her nerves.

"I promise not do anything stupid. I know you keep telling me this that I have done my fair share of saving the world, but it's not enough. Though, I know that this time I am not the only one who must do it. Don't worry, we will all be safely home by dinner. I promise."

Harry decided it was best to not tell Hermione anything about what Malfoy had told him. He would simply stick with her and make sure she stays safe. He knew that the moment he told her, she would get more curious and would jump into this curse-ridden place at the first chance. He briefed Terry vaguely about what to look out for and what to stay away from before Hermione appeared in his office at half past nine. Within the next fifteen minutes, they were ready to apparate, with special permission from the Ministry, to the Marshlands.

The crack of the apparition echoed in the forest as they appeared. They were wearing muggle gum boots to protect their feet from the mucky grass and bushes beneath their feet. They had charmed their robes to repel and mud or water and had cast a warming charm to battle the chill.

As they stepped into the deep part of the forest, Harry noticed a wisp of light from a far. He saw it as a warning rather than as a thing to chase. So, instead of following it right ahead, he decided to approach it stealthily from the side. He gestured to Hermione and Terry to follow him quietly as they made their way towards the wisp of light.

As they got closer, they saw that the place was full of such mini lights. Hermione knew what they were! They were Wil o- wisps! She had read about them in muggle books of natural phenomenon and even myths and folklore!

Her mind automatically raced to the delusions they are said to cause, causing the people to eventually die. The cause and manner varied from tale to tale, but the end was always the same- death.

She paused and held back the guys as they gave her a questioning look. She nodded a no in the direction of the lights to tell them to back off. She pleaded with the two until they reluctantly agreed to move towards the clearing that they had come from.

As they reached the clearing, Terry asked, "Why did you ask us to move back? Am pretty sure those lights have some significance!" Harry looked like he wanted to ask her the same.

"Well, as you know, Malfoy and I have been pouring over every possible text ever written about the Marshlands but there has never been any mention of the Wil o- wisps. I have read about them in muggle science and folklore, but there is no mention of them occurring in this area, ever. Don't you find that startling?"

Hermione did have a point. It was only quarter to two and these wisps were said to usually occur at night. They knew that the forest was so dense that barely any sunlight reached through the canopy, whatever the time of day maybe, but that did not justify their unaccounted presence for centuries! Something was amiss, and they had to know more before daring to go after the said lights.

After a light lunch with the duo, Hermione decided to go to the Manor and discuss her findings the Malfoy. She was dreading seeing him, but her surprised and curious thoughts were overpowering her embarrassment. She got Harry to give her some books from the Ministry, about the topic, and was off to the Ministry Floo to go to the Manor. Miss Ghosh had just told Hermione that Draco had left a message for him. It simply said,

Granger,

Don't let your curiosity kill the cat, or you. Stay safe.
If you get this later, then let me know me once you three are back. Owl me all the details too.

D.M.

Hermione was glad it had no mention of last night, but at the same time was a little sad, just a little, that he had shoved it into the back, just like she had. She was secretly half hoping he might bring it up, even if it was simply to take a rise out of her. But as it turns out, Malfoy had actually matured.

At the Malfoy Manor, the Slytherin Prince could feel his head reeling. He had started to read the journal sometime around ten in the morning and the things he had found were beyond his imagination! He was half sure that his ancestor was simply high on those muggle medicines or plants, whatever they were, called drugs.

His ancestor was clearly delusional, but if even a bit of it was true, then the three were not only in grave danger, but also never to be seen again! He had then immediately flooed to the Ministry and ran to Harry's office. There really was no way to contact them and one couldn't apparate or reach the Marshlands on a broom or by foot after the Ministry set up special wards to keep people away. He had tried asking for access but was told that Harry had explicitly told to keep him safe and away. Damn Potter for treating him like some china doll. And damn Hermione for feeding him the idea.

So he had simply done all he could do, left a message for Hermione with the secretary. He asked her to simply say that he had owled the letter and to not mention anything about his haphazard pleading to the Ministry officials. She had chuckled and kept the letter. She knew that the Malfoy had his pride to save and a reputation to maintain, but it was surely a rare sight to see him so flustered and out of place.

Malfoy had then, come back to the Manor and continued reading and making notes to avoid his mind from worrying about the three in the Marshlands, particularly for one curly haired dame. What he found later had staggered his mind further, to the point where he was sure he was reading a work of fiction. No wonder his father had hidden the journal!
Draco was stupid to have skipped this portion to read the bits about the family feud. This was far crazier, that was for sure. Now all he needed to know was how much truth lay in it all.

(A/N)

Hello everyone, hope everyone liked the previous chapter and is having a good new year!
The main plot line begins now. Hope you will all like it!

-Mili