The next morning, I arrived at the Manor at 9, determined to get a better look at the place and lay out a plan for my team. If Malfoy wouldn't give me blueprints, I'd draw my own.

I didn't linger in the drawing room and instead went down the stairs and into the reception hall. I'd start at the front doors and work from right to left.

Starting with the gallery, I mapped my way through the South Side of the ground floor, discovering numerous guest rooms and even an exercise room. I paused to update my sketches but soon entered the North Wing.

Fuck me, a pool? Wow. I'd always enjoyed a good swim, but it'd been ages.

Moving on, I ventured through a formal dining room toward the welcoming sunlight seeping in from an adjacent doorway. I wondered if the Manor's countless windows simply repelled light; I was glad to be wrong.

My excitement to enter the sunny room proved short-lived as I collided with something large, hard, and…smooth underneath my fingertips.

Before I could open my eyes or realize what had happened, Malfoy's voice sounded just above my forehead.

"I said 10 o'clock, Granger."

Immediately, I all but jumped out of my skin as I pushed myself away from his bare chest.

"Wh-wha-where are your clothes?" I stuttered, tearing my eyes away from him and to my pen and paper scattered across the floor.

"In my closet…" He groaned, unamused, as I grabbed my things and backed into a different room.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I demanded as he followed me into a large kitchen. "My team will arrive soon; go get dressed!"

I yelped as I backed into the corner of a large island in my attempt to get away from him, averting my eyes as if one look at his abs would burn me to a crisp.

"Fuck off, Granger, if you'd arrived at 10 per my instructions, you likely wouldn't have seen me today." He mused, circling the island and heading toward a corridor at the back of the kitchen.

"You'll stay out of our way then? Perfect." I stated, pleased with the thought.

"You're in my house, remember?" He scoffed, disappearing into the next room.

I knew I still needed to map whatever room he had just entered, but at the risk of it being his room, I paused. I'd come back to it, of course, but not right now. Hopefully, the rest of the ground floor would be enough to keep my team occupied today.

Xxx

"Alright, everyone, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: safety first. We are in an environment we do not know and cannot anticipate what we will encounter. We want to be prepared if and when we encounter old magic, dark magic, curses, and/or hexes. We also want to be mindful of the energy expended when doing spellwork of this difficulty level for extended periods. You know the drill: we'll work in pairs, protective enchantments first, then scanning is done by your partner. Take your time; do not touch anything you absolutely do not have to. Remember, we are only collecting data and documenting our findings on this round, so if you encounter anything noteworthy, you must have my explicit approval before taking action. Am I understood?"

I waited for confirmation, then continued.

"Great, I've made a rough blueprint of the areas we'll be scanning today."

I passed out my sketches and divided everyone into pairs.

"Gohar, you're with me; we'll start with the Gallery. Wes, you and Matteo start at the front of the entrance hall. June and Calvin, start at the opposite end and work your way forward, staircases excluded. Find me when you're finished, and we'll divvy out the rest of the rooms in the South Wing. Good luck, and remember, details are vital; document thoroughly. We do not want this project to drag on any longer than it has to due to misscans, injuries, rescans, or insufficient data."

Xxx

Gohar and I had just started in one of the bedrooms when my phone rang. Poor thing, she had just begun her protective enchantments and nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound.

"I'm so, SO sorry!" I exclaimed, quickly reaching into my pocket and silencing the call.

"It's alright." She said, exasperated, before starting her spell work over. "Salvio hexia, protego totalum, protego maxi—"

My phone rings again, making us both jump out of our skin. I immediately silenced the call and profusely apologized a second time.

"Surely, they'll get the picture and leave me a message! Go on then, third time's a charm," I blushed.

"Salvio hexia, protego totalum, protego maxima, protego horribilis, fianto du—"

Again my phone rings, and I nearly lose my shit.

"Who in their right mind has something SO important to say—" I start, removing my phone from my pocket and looking at the caller for the first time.

Ginny Potter

I'd been so preoccupied with the case that I hadn't once called her back or texted her since Harry had left.

"Godric, I'm so sorry, Gohar, this could actually be medically urgent. Take five while I answer this, and I'll meet you back here in a moment." I said before scurrying out into the empty entrance hall.

"Gin, hello, everything alright?"

"No."

"What is it?!" I ask shrilly as my heartbeat elevates.

"Well, for starters, I feel like I have eaten a whole turkey, I'm craving chocolate frogs like a madman, and I am hornier than a Norwegian Ridgeback."

"Oh, well—" I pull the phone away from my mouth and release an exasperated breath.

"And Harry is gone for who knows how long so—"

"Ginny, I'm working righ—" I try to interject, knowing Gohar is waiting for me.

"—I have to live vicariously through you. Pleeeeease, tell me you've made an extravagant return to extracurricular activities of the well-hung—"

"Ginny!" I gasp.

If I was blushing before, my face was beet red now.

"—male variety. Or women, honestly, I'll take anything at this point."

"I told you I'm at work! Now, do you actually need something or—" I panic whispered into the phone as I double-checked the nearby doorways to make sure no one from my team was in earshot.

"What about that bloke Connor or something?" She asked, showing no interest in ending the conversation.

"Calvin? Absolutely n—"

"Didn't you two almost—?"

My palm flew to my forehead in shame; why was she teasing me like this, now of all times? Calvin was just a couple of rooms away, for Godric's sake!

"That was a drunken mistake, and I ensured he understood it would never happen again! AND I will never ever let Harry talk me into having tequila at a work party again! Or anywhere, for that matter!" I was feverishly whispering, spitting more like, into the phone now, trying to get my point through.

"Come on, 'Mione, I'm telling you I'm miserable here, and you're not helping me at all. When are you going to let yourself have fun and date again? PLEASE! I know a LOT of stacked quidditch players that would die to—"

And my blush was back. I had to put an end to this!

"Gin, for the last time, I'm working—"

"You're at Malfoy's house, right, his Manor? How's he looking these days? It's been ages. I bet the git still looks like a bloody model, yeah?"

I wasn't dignifying that with a response.

"It's been pretty interesting so far; they have quite the collection of rare Muggle art - Monet, Rembrandt, Picas–"

"You can't fool me by changing the subject, Mione! He must look even better nowadays, right?! And you're working with him in his home? Blimey, 'Mione, you might actually—"

"Alright, that's more than enough. Got to go, Gin, call you later; bye!" I exclaimed, ending the call before she could respond and quickly turning it off.

If the reddening of my cheeks wasn't enough to disarm me, the creeping sensation of being watched crawling across my skin certainly was. I darted my head left to right between entryways and up ahead toward the stairs. I spun around to face the main entrance: nothing and no one.

A chuckle from above sends me stumbling backward in my rapid attempt to locate its source.

I quickly come eye to eye with the smirking blonde villain leaning over the railings of a first-floor walkway overlooking the entrance hall.

"Something funny, Malfoy?" I snap, pretending not to be freaking out over what he may have just overheard.

"Hilarious." He mused.

"Do tell, I'm all ears."

"Well, I thought you simply abhorred fine firewhiskey, but tequila too? Shameful, really."

"Comical, Malfoy," I drawled, smoothing my hair along my scalp as I turned my attention back towards the wing I'd been working in. "Pitty, I don't have time for more of your jokes; I'm quite busy trying to solve your father's murder."

I was annoyed, to say the least, and desperate to get back to work.

"I bet it's not alcohol you detest; it's the loss of control." He sneered, tone darkening, as I turned back to glare up at him. "You can't stand anything that could potentially unscrew that tight knot of hair you've drilled into your scalp. Merlin forbid you let a single strand out of place or give any evidence of imperfection. You're still that little girl waving your hand in the air, internally screaming, 'Pick me, look at me—'"

His words pricked, but I wasn't 11 anymore, and I had held my ground against men far more powerful than him. Maybe none as intimidatingly attractive, though… With a quick breath, I reset my face and turned back to respond.

"I like wine, Malfoy," I interrupted politely, "pinot noir, especially."

I paused to plaster a pretty smirk across my lips and take in his surprise. Then, as I moved to rejoin my team, I threw one last remark over my shoulder.

"If you want answers, ask; don't let your mind wander and get all worked up over silly preoccupations like my drink preferences."

I could feel his eyes burning into me as I walked out of sight. I held back a grin, knowing I'd just royally checked his ego.

Coincidentally, I didn't see him for the rest of the day. I even managed to map out and complete scans of the rooms I'd missed earlier.

All in all, day one at Malfoy Manor was a success.

Author's Note:

I have created Hermione's "blueprints" of Malfoy Manor to go along with this story. If you'd like to see the first map, you'll have to read this chapter on AO3.