The Laboratory

A few days after the initial meeting with Hermione, Narcissa was having breakfast in Malfoy Manor when an owl arrived. She saw the familiar handwriting on the envelope and smiled to herself. It was Hermione's response to her request for help in investigating what happened to Bellatrix. She opened the letter and read,

Dear Narcissa,

I have thought about what you said and I am willing to help you. I propose we meet at the Leaky Cauldron this afternoon and start our investigation. Please let me know if this is convenient for you.

Yours sincerely,

Hermione Granger.

Narcissa couldn't help but feel grateful for Hermione's willingness to help her find answers. She quickly penned a reply and sent the owl on its way. As she finished her breakfast and went to get ready for their meeting, she couldn't help but wonder what they might uncover.

###

As Narcissa walked into the Leaky Cauldron, she scanned the crowded room looking for Hermione. Her eyes quickly landed on the young witch sitting at a table in the corner. Narcissa made her way over to the table, her heart warming at the sight of Hermione. However, when she got closer, she noticed the bruising on Hermione's cheek. Her eyes widened in shock as she took a seat.

"Hermione, darling, what happened to your face?" Narcissa asked, her tone full of concern.

Hermione told her the whole sordid tale of Ron following her to their meeting, accusing her of cheating on him with Narcissa, and his violent outburst when she broke up with him. Narcissa was aghast at Ron's behavior and wished that she could get her hands on him to teach him a lesson. "You don't deserve to be treated like this, Hermione. You're a brilliant witch and anyone would be lucky to have you." Narcissa said with a hint of a smile.

Hermione blushed at Narcissa's compliment but quickly regained her composure. "Thank you, Narcissa. I appreciate your kind words, but let's not talk about that right now. We have a mystery to solve," she said, handing Narcissa a handwritten note that gave the secret location of her apartment.

Narcissa took the note and looked at Hermione. "Are you sure you want me to come to your apartment?" she asked, unsure.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I trust you, Narcissa. Besides, it's the safest place for us to discuss this matter."

Narcissa wondered for a moment when she looked at what Hermione had named the apartment. She decided to indulge in her curiosity and asked, "So the translation of the location I can see makes perfect sense for you. But why in Irish?"

Hermione looked pleased that Narcissa was able to understand the name and decided to indulge her question. "I used Irish for two reasons, one my maternal grandparents are from Ireland and loved the language, and two the chances of Ron being able to pronounce anything in Gaelic are slim to none."

Narcissa laughed delightedly at the reason and with that they both got up to leave. They made their way to the fireplace and Narcissa helped Hermione with the Floo powder.

As they arrived at Hermione's apartment, Narcissa looked around in awe at the luxurious surroundings. "This is quite a stunning place you have here, Hermione," she remarked.

Hermione smiled warmly, happy to have Narcissa there with her. "Thank you, I'm glad you like it," she replied. "Shall we move towards my lab?"

Narcissa nodded in agreement, and they made their way through the apartment. As they walked, Hermione could see Narcissa looking around at everything with a sense of wonder and amazement.

As they entered the library, Narcissa's eyes widened with excitement. "Oh, this is wonderful," she said. "I haven't seen such a collection of books in a long time outside of the generational collections of wizarding families."

Hermione smiled, proud of her extensive library. "You haven't seen anything yet," she replied.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow at Hermione's reply, giving her a slightly flirtatious look. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little distracted by it, but she quickly shook off her thoughts and went to grab a book from the bookshelf.

As she reached for the book, Hermione accidentally grabbed the wrong one, causing nothing to happen. Hermione made a quip about it being the "wrong lever."

Narcissa chuckled, "It seems you've been watching too many muggle films, Hermione."

Hermione laughed with surprise that Narcissa understood the reference. She then grabbed the correct book, 'Hogwarts: A History,' and as she pulled it, the bookshelf opened up to reveal a wall filled with an impressive mural of the Hogwarts castle. Hermione took out her wand and tapped the location of the Gryffindor dorms and said "I solemnly swear, I am up to good." The mural disappeared, replaced with a secret passageway.

Narcissa chuckled again. "I like that variation. I take it you had some experiences with my dear cousin's map."

Hermione simply grinned in response and began the journey through the passageway. Hermione explained how it led to her laboratory where she had all of her most prized possessions, including her most important books, artifacts, and inventions.

They finally reached the end of the passageway, and Hermione opened the door to reveal a large, open room filled with shelves and workstations.

"This is where the real magic happens," Hermione said, beaming with pride.

Narcissa smiled, "I can see that."

Narcissa examines the room with interest, taking in every detail. She noticed on the shelves, expensive and rare wizarding texts, next to what looked like muggle scientific and engineering texts. "This is quite the collection," she comments, running her fingers over the spines.

Hermione smiled proudly. "I like to think it's the best of both worlds. I believe in the importance of combining magic with muggle knowledge to create something truly innovative and groundbreaking."

Narcissa continued to look around the room with great interest, her eyes moving from one object to the next. Scattered throughout the space were little muggle toys. A Rubik's cube, Star Trek figurines, a stuffed Mr. Peabody. Narcissa chuckles at the sight. "I remember Andromeda used to collect these sorts of things, obviously she hid it from our parents. You two obviously would be kindred spirits."

Hermione laughs, "Yes, I have a bit of a soft spot for muggle pop culture."

As she made her way to the back wall, Narcissa noticed what looked like a large screen and console, emanating a strong magical aura. Narcissa pointed to it and couldn't help but comment on it. "So, is that the way back machine?" she quipped.

Hermione smirked and replied, "Not quite, but it's awfully close."

Narcissa's eyes widened in disbelief. "I remember hearing a rumor that all the time turners were destroyed and yet you mean to tell me that you've brought back the ability for time travel?" she asked in amazement.

Hermione's smile grew wider. "Yes, I have."