The next morning, I arrived at the Manor alone. Three of my curse breakers were still at St. Mungos, with various injuries worsened by bacteria in the owl's beak and claws. Wes and Matteo were going to be okay, but Calvin was still undergoing surgery to repair his face and treatments to battle infection.
I promised Harry I'd help with this case, but I couldn't risk endangering the rest of my team over it. I'd continue the investigation on my own, and Gohar would cover the department in my absence.
The only consolation was that Malfoy had done what he promised and ensured the top healers in Europe were called and assigned to my team.
Despite the turn of events, I couldn't help my excitement in returning to the library. I could hardly sleep, imagining all the possible sections, books, histories, and magical knowledge the library held. A family as old and wealthy as the Malfoys would have amassed the oldest, rarest, and potentially darkest collection of books. I wished I was there to read, but I'd settle for the opportunity to explore.
Standing outside the library doors, I made a deal with myself. I could not, would not allow myself to touch anything, and I would give every ounce of restraint I had not to focus on the books but instead my spell work. I'd divide the library into manageable sections and eat a hearty lunch to prevent passing out. Then, if, and only if, I'm able to finish two sections by 5 o'clock, I'd reward myself with an hour of looking at all the titles in those sections. Another rule would be that I cannot peruse other sections until I have completed all my scans.
It'd likely take several days to finish scanning the library, but if I work quickly, that could equal several hours of exploring it!
Plan settled, I entered the library.
I ogled, teary-eyed, for probably 15 minutes before I actually took a step in any direction. A noise coming from the South Wing caught my attention, so I followed it.
I walked along the long line of tall windows and tall bookshelves until I came upon a large desk with Malfoy behind it.
"I'm quite surprised, Granger; I figured you would have been here hours ago. Getting a good look before your team got here."
"You were waiting for me?" I questioned, not sure what that would mean.
"No," he scoffed, "The sunlight is glorious in this room in the mornings. Making this an ideal workspace."
I looked around the desk and noticed several rolls of parchment, ink, quill, and then, oddly enough, a laptop. Muggle tech was still so rare and dated in the wizarding community; it was especially surprising to see Malfoy using it.
"Oh," I managed before looking around and heading back toward the library's center.
I mapped out a rectangular area, a perfect day's work for a solo curse breaker... I'd divide it in half, and I would hopefully finish by 5.
"I'll be starting over here and then gradually working my way over to your desk. Hope you don't mind." I added, not caring a bit if he did.
I set my things down in a chair and moved toward a corner slightly out of Malfoy's view, then began reciting the protective charms.
" Salvio hexia, protego totalum, prot— "
"Are you fucking serious?" Malfoy interrupted, startling me as he appeared around the bookshelf.
"What now, Malfoy? I'm working," I relented, lowering my wand.
"You're about to do what you spent 45 minutes every day telling your staff not to do. ' Safety first ,'" he mimicked me rudely.
I rolled my eyes, aware of every precious second of my time he was wasting.
"You're not going to wait for the others?" He continued.
"They're not coming, Malfoy. I'm afraid you're stuck with just me for the rest of this investigation." I replied, readying my wand and facing the wall. "I'm not willing to risk their safety anymore for this case."
"That's daft even for you, Granger. It's going to take you a millennia to get finished here."
If I rolled my eyes one more time, they were definitely going to get stuck.
"You know what, you're exactly right. Thank you for volunteering; this will be much safer and productive with you helping me." I smiled, feigning cheerfulness.
"I wasn—"
"I'll have you perform the protective charms, so repeat after me. Salvio hexia, protego totalum, protego maxima, protego horribilis, fianto duri."
"This is ridiculous," he groaned. Then, to my surprise, he moved in closer and raised his wand. " Salvio hexia, protego totalum, protego maxima, protego horribilis, fianto duri ."
I watched, half stunned, as the protective wards surrounded us.
"Wow, perfect, okay then." I continued nervously. "Now, if you'll hold those, I'll run through each of the scans on this area, then you can rest while I take notes between sections. Aparecium ."
I continued through each of my scans in utter disbelief. He was actually helping.
I didn't trust Draco Malfoy to tell me the truth; how could I trust him with my safety during this process? I mean, he's a talented wizard, my former academic rival in classes, so I knew he could handle the task, but it wasn't like he gave a single shit about me or my safety.
But then, why did he say anything to begin with?
I used more energy trying to find the logic in what was happening than in the spell work; before I knew it, we had already completed the first section. I took my notes, and we moved on to the next area.
We didn't speak; we simply worked in silence, save for spells. Every now and then, I'd look over at him, expecting to find him glaring at me, but he only watched with subtle curiosity as I did my job.
The silence between us, combined with the close proximity was awkward, to say the least, but as the day drew on, my joints lost their stiffness, and the tension in my shoulders eased.
At least when he wasn't talking and he was actually helping, he wasn't insulting me or pissing me off. I could stomach this version of Malfoy, and I'd take advantage of it while it lasted.
We worked like this well into the afternoon until my arm needed a break, and my stomach was growling.
"Erm, thanks for your help; I think now is a good time for us to take a break." I offered as the clock struck 2 o'clock. "After we eat, we can finish up this area here and over to your desk.
"I don't have all day; I have my own affairs that need attending to." He remarked, collecting his things from the desk.
"Oh, that's understandable," I said nonchalantly, pleased with the progress we'd made and thinking of all of the books I'd get to explore. "You've really been a great help today; I couldn't have gotten this much done without you."
He paused his exit and turned to face me.
"I have a few calls to make, but I'll return at 4. I'm sure you can find something to do here until then."
He doesn't realize giving me 2 hours to kill in his library is like giving drugs to an addict, but who was I to stop him? I grabbed a sandwich from my lunch bag and nibbled while I explored.
Xxx
Like clockwork, he returned at 4 o'clock.
"Let's get this over with," he demanded crankily.
"Alright," I replied, and we began.
Over the next hour and a half, we finished the southernmost wall of the library and began working on the desk area.
As we continued, Malfoy's mood seemed to decline, and he started combing his hair back with his fingers every so often.
I realized why as my scans began picking up on something near the South Wing exit. I continued, pretending I wasn't detecting or seeing anything, but Malfoy was eying me like a hawk. There were immensely powerful concealment spells at play here; I had a hunch what it was; I just needed to find a weak spot.
" Aperecium ," I held my breath as my spell revealed letters carved into the edge of a shelf.
Sanctimonia Vincent Semper
I knew the Malfoy family motto could only mean one thing, and I had seconds to make my next move.
I grabbed Malfoy's wand, the element of surprise working to my advantage as I pulled it from his hand and threw it behind me. Then, as he moved to grab for it, I grabbed his wrist and sliced into his palm with a cutting spell.
He was quick to pull away, cursing me as he stepped back, but I got what I needed. I smeared his blood across the carved letters.
Blood Conquers All .
Malfoy moved to retrieve his wand, but I ignored him as the bookshelf opened into a doorway.
"You better start talking right now, Malfoy!" I demanded, noting the lack of surprise on his face at the revelation of a new room.
Before he could respond, I began casting protection spells around myself and entered through the doorway.
I stepped into a narrow passage lined with books. Continuing further, the passage lit up, revealing a spiral staircase that went down multiple floors. It was like a second library that stretched upward within the walls of the Manor.
"They're journals, mostly." Malfoy interrupted from close behind me, making me jump.
"What the fuck?!" I exclaimed, looking at the books more closely and then taking one off the shelf.
I opened the simple leather-bound journal and read.
Property of Abraxus Malfoy
I gasped, going to the next shelf and grabbing another one. Abraxus . I put it back and shoved it past Malfoy to get to the shelves closer to the door.
I grabbed another.
Property of Lucius Malfoy
I turned the pages, searching for a date.
January 3rd, 1983
I put it back and began searching for a more recent date; all the while, Malfoy stood watching with his hands in his pockets.
By the time I found what I was looking for, the sun had begun to set, dimming the once-bright light of the library.
I flipped through to the last page. It was dated seven months before his death.
"You think this is funny, don't you!? Where is it, Malfoy?! Where is Lucius' last journal?!" I exclaimed, frustrated beyond belief.
"That's something you'd have to ask him." Malfoy shrugged dismissively.
"You fucking ferret," I yelled, pointing my wand at him, "I ought to take you to the ministry now and lock you up for tampering and withholding evidence!"
He opened his mouth to respond, but I continued.
"How could you let Harry and Ron work on this case for six months, the murder of your father, no less, and keep this from them? Unless you're the one who murdered him!" My lip trembled as I approached him, my wand inches from his neck.
"For the same reason, every Malfoy Heir before me has kept this room hidden, even from their wives, Granger." He snarled, stepping backward toward the door. "To protect centuries of Malfoy secrets from getting into the hands of the Ministry or The Prophet or anyone else who could use it against us!"
My wand faltered as Malfoy exited, and my mind began reeling over all of the possible information that would be hidden in these pages.
I followed him, noticing several empty bookcases near the exit.
"Prove it. Show me your journals, Malfoy," I demanded, propping the secret door open before following him through the library. "Hmm?! Where are they?!"
I should have him disarmed and bound already; I should already have Aurors alerted and heading this way! What was I doing?
"First of all, Granger, if you really thought it was me, I wouldn't be walking away from you right now," he quipped as he began descending the North Wing staircase. "Secondly, I've never been much of a journaler, never found purpose in writing about my day. You won't find any of mine because there are none to find." He stopped and turned to face me on the 1st floor landing. "Lastly, unless you're going to arrest me, I've had quite enough of your bullshit for one day."
He towered over me, glaring as he waited for me to make a move. I froze.
"Didn't think so." He spat before entering the hidden door that led to his suite.
I groaned loudly after the door closed behind him. I spun around to go back up to the library, then turned around again to go to the drawing room. I needed to think.
I had absolutely no logical reason for not believing Malfoy murdered his father, none. Harry and Ron would be on their way to Azkaban with him now if they were here. I just couldn't get past the lack of motive. Malfoy is a liar, a prick, and a lot of other loathsome things, but a murderer of his father, he is not. At least, I didn't think he was.
Merlin, I definitely couldn't tell anyone about this, not until I'd figured out who the real killer was. I'd gone days without finding any clues, and now I'm finally onto something. I just needed to find Lucius' last journal.
Malfoy knew where it was, he had to, but the odds of him telling me were slim to none.
Think, Hermione, think!
Closing my eyes and pressing a palm to my forehead, I thought back through every moment I'd spent here, every room, every feeling…
When it hit me, I took off running. I tripped in my heels and decided to kick them off. Barefooted, I continued across the overlook hallway to the master suite and into Lucius' office.
Malfoy had blood on his hand that day I first saw him here; he'd accidentally rubbed it off on me.
I lit a fire in the hearth, trying to remember everything about the encounter. Fire whiskey. I spilled his fire whiskey when he came in, then he…
Then he… poured a new glass. He said his father always kept the good fire whiskey here .
I ran around the desk, knowing that Lucius Malfoy likely kept other important things in his desk.
It seemed like Malfoy had retrieved it from a central drawer, but there was no knob, no ridge to grip onto, no lock requiring a key underneath the center of the desk.
I got on all fours and crawled underneath the desk.
" Lumos !"
I traced my fingers over the intricate carvings on the old wood desk until I found a little give. I pressed my finger into the knoll and squealed as a drawer appeared.
I quickly crawled back out and into the chair, then opened the drawer. In the miscellaneous clutter, there was a bottle of fire whiskey and, to my utter excitement, a leather-bound journal.
I could hardly contain myself as I took the journal to an oversized chair by the fireplace, settled in, and began reading.