Hermione never imagined it would come to this. But it had. It really had.
As she made her way towards the Ministry's library, her mind raced through the countless laws they were currently breaking. Of course, the more she thought about it, the longer the list grew—so much so that she wasn't sure anymore if this life of reckless decisions was really what she wanted instead of sitting idly all day.
Her caramel eyes scanned the dimly lit corridor, the soft glow of lights casting eerie shadows as her footsteps echoed down the hallway. It was a sensation she never thought she'd experience again, especially not on the cusp of turning thirty. Yet, when Harry's footsteps followed close behind, it was as if time had rewound, and they were back in their Hogwarts days. It served as a sharp reminder that no matter how many decades passed, nothing could erase the Gryffindor courage that still pulsed through their veins.
"You alright, Hermione?" her best friend's voice broke through her thoughts as he came up beside her.
"I'm fine," she replied with a nod. "Just...thinking about what we're doing and whether it's really worth the risk."
"You know we can do this," Harry said, trying to reassure her. "And we've got a good reason for doing it."
"I know we can," Hermione answered, though there was an edge of uncertainty in her voice. "But... it's just... every time we get involved in something like this, it never quite ends the way we expect."
Harry smiled faintly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We've been through so much, Hermione. Think of this as just another mission—one that'll bring a bit of excitement back into our lives."
She sighed. The truth was, she wasn't one to shy away from danger, and she was probably just as reckless as Harry. But perhaps it was adulthood that had slowly gnawed away at her childhood courage, leaving her devoid of the thirst for adventure she once had. All that remained was her—a woman weighed down by worry—who felt as though growing up had drained the color from her world.
She glanced at Harry once more, her eyes reflecting her unease, then nodded wearily. "Alright, let's go."
Around the next corner loomed the grand doors of the Ministry's library, towering in the darkness. These doors separated the outside world from the secrets of time and history. They also separated her from Draco Malfoy—a man she was forbidden to think about. Hermione took a deep breath, reminding herself that, in life, there would be moments of foolishness. And this, surely, was one of hers. It wasn't just the matter of defying Ministry rules, but the undeniable personal feelings she had refused to acknowledge.
She missed him. She always had—despite knowing she shouldn't.
The smell of the library—aged books and old ink—filled the air, making her heart race, though not in the same way as it had the day before. This time, though she still felt like a young girl again, the situation was vastly different. Researching Papilio Mansion didn't exactly feel like "breaking the law," unlike what they were doing now.
Inside the vast, somber hall stood Madame Delphilia, positioned in the far corner with papers scattered across her desk. The deep lines etched into her forehead betrayed the stress and worry she was trying to conceal. As Harry and Hermione approached, Madame Delphilia lifted her gaze to greet them with a faint smile—one that clearly showed she was anything but at ease.
"You're just in time. Thank you for helping me tonight," Madame Delphilia greeted softly. "I know it's all rather urgent and... not entirely legal."
Hermione met the librarian's deep blue eyes before glancing at the scattered papers on the desk. "Has something gone wrong?" she asked.
The librarian let out a long sigh. "In truth, something's been wrong since last week—"
Before she could finish her explanation, the library door creaked open, followed by a subtle fragrance that filled the room before the owner of the scent appeared. The familiar mix of cedar and bergamot hit Hermione, causing her to freeze. Her heartbeat slowed—so much that she feared it might stop entirely. She turned toward the door slowly, though she already knew, without looking, who had entered the library at this late hour.
The moment she laid eyes on him, everything about him seemed designed to captivate—his clothes, his accessories, each meticulously chosen as if crafted to suit him perfectly. She had to admit, he looked even better than he had three years ago—so much so that it seemed as if someone had been tending to his appearance more carefully than she ever had. Hermione couldn't deny the flutter of emotions stirring inside her. She tried to mask it with a cold stare and a composed face, but the moment she saw him—smelled him—those buried memories and feelings she thought she had locked away rushed back with an overwhelming force.
Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, yet it was long enough for her to hold her breath. His stormy grey eyes still held that familiar arrogance, though now there was something missing. The love they once carried for her was no longer there. That realization hit her hard, forcing her to quickly avert her gaze back to the scattered papers on the librarian's desk.
His presence forced her to confront a truth she had been denying for far too long—she could no longer pretend that the feelings she had once harbored for him had faded away. They hadn't diminished in the slightest.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy," Madame Delphilia was the first to break the silence. "We've been expecting you."
Draco said nothing, merely offering a slight nod before stepping closer to the table scattered with papers. Hermione glanced at Harry beside her. He looked back at her knowingly, understanding the myriad emotions she must have been feeling. Though guilt flickered in his eyes, he could do nothing more than offer her a small, supportive smile.
Madame Delphilia stood at the front of the table, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at them all. She didn't waste any more time. "The truth is, something strange has been happening since last week. I started noticing that certain books—books that shouldn't have been moved—began disappearing from the shelves without a trace."
"But everything should be clearly recorded, shouldn't it?" Hermione asked, furrowing her brows.
"Yes, it should," Madame Delphilia nodded. "At first, I thought it was my own mistake, so I conducted a preliminary investigation. But eventually, I was certain that it wasn't an error on my part. Something... something is causing these books to vanish."
"That's nearly impossible," Hermione exclaimed.
The librarian nodded gravely. "Which is why I checked every record, every movement within the library. But nothing suggests that the books were taken elsewhere. And worse still… there's no record of them at all. It's as if these books never existed—not just in the library but in the archives as well."
"This isn't some small matter, like chasing Pygmy Puffs around the library," Hermione groaned, rubbing her temples and shooting Harry a look of disapproval. "We should notify the Ministry for a proper investigation."
Harry was about to speak, but the librarian cut him off. "I know it seems strange not to report this to the Ministry, but you must understand, this is far more complicated than it seems. This library holds secrets—information that could affect the wizarding world, past and present. I've guarded this place for a long time—not just me, but my family—and I'm certain that the Ministry's current situation is not suitable for any investigation... Mr. Potter, surely you can understand."
Hermione glanced at Harry, perplexed. "What does she mean?"
"Well, it's not confirmed yet," Harry began hesitantly. "It might make you upset, but I swear I wasn't trying to deceive or hide anything from you, or—"
"Spit it out," Hermione interrupted.
Harry cleared his throat and continued speaking. "The truth is, there have been some quiet rumors circulating for quite some time—rumors suggesting that there may be interference in the Ministry."
"Wait," Hermione interjected, gripping Harry's arm. "Can we talk about this? I mean, in front of an outsider?"
"If you mean Malfoy... well, he was actually one of the first people to know about it."
"What?" Her face was filled with questions, while the tall figure that had remained silent from the beginning shifted slightly, letting out a small sigh.
"I think we'll have plenty of time to discuss this later," Madame Delphilia interjected before Harry could explain. "But to cut to the chase, there have been internal whispers of a new dark influence forming, trying to infiltrate the Ministry. There were attempts to send Aurors out on missions to track down the source, but none were successful. It was as if they always knew what the Auror department was planning."
"And many have gone missing during these missions," Draco added, his tone grim. "We've tried to report this to the Ministry multiple times in hopes of coordinating with other departments, but nothing has advanced."
Hermione looked at Draco in confusion. She hadn't known any of this—not a single word about what was happening beneath the surface of the Ministry's supposed calm. It also stung that Draco had never once mentioned it to her while they were together.
"I can confirm this, Hermione," Harry continued. "These occurrences date back to before Malfoy resigned. He detected multiple uses of unregistered spells during his time, but strangely, after he reported it, all the leads seemed to vanish into thin air. It was as if nothing had ever happened. So I swear I wasn't trying to hide or deceive you—everything only started going wrong again in the last few days."
Despite feeling left in the dark, Hermione swallowed down the surge of emotions—resentment, frustration, questions—that were building up inside her. For now, her head was filled with only concern, and a creeping suspicion began to form. Could this issue have been connected to the abrupt end of her relationship with him? Or, worse still, was Draco himself somehow involved with this new dark influence? After all, they both knew what he had been capable of in the past…
"That's why... when the security system started malfunctioning, I began to fear that this might not just be a case of ordinary book theft, but rather an attempt to erase evidence or conceal a dangerous truth that could affect all of us," Madame Delphilia spoke again, pulling Hermione back to the present. "I need your help. If there's anything I can do to assist, I'll cooperate fully."
Hermione took a deep breath, trying to organize the chaos in her mind. Her voice, however, was firm when she spoke. "Then we must begin by identifying which books or documents are missing, and what they pertain to, so we can figure out what they're after—or what they're trying to hide."
Madame Delphilia nodded and retrieved a stack of papers from the table. "I've made a list of all the missing books and documents. Though the list is small, each one holds significant importance to magical history."
Hermione took the list eagerly, her eyes scanning the contents. "These are... records of ancient spells that were banned in the 14th century, a map of long-forgotten ancient sites, and some records written in dead languages. People who could even read these are likely long gone."
Draco stepped closer as he overheard this. His expression remained calm, but Hermione knew that meant he was taking this seriously. Even though she was still skeptical of his intentions, she couldn't deny that Draco was one of the few people with deep knowledge of forbidden magic.
"If you don't mind," Draco said softly to Madame Delphilia, "I'd like to inspect the area for a moment."
Madame Delphilia nodded, and Draco slowly extended his hand, muttering a spell under his breath. A soft green light spread from the tip of his wand as he conducted a thorough examination of the library's security system.
"Are you sure these records are accurate?" Draco asked after a long moment of concentration.
The librarian looked perplexed. "I couldn't possibly make a mistake when it comes to the books in the library I've cared for all my life."
"What exactly are you trying to say, Malfoy?" Harry squinted, sensing something amiss.
"From my inspection of the library's security system," Draco replied slowly, "I've detected traces of a memory distortion spell."
"One of the most commonly used unregistered spells," Hermione muttered to herself. "But can't we now track the source of the spell—Dr—um, Malfoy?"
"I hate to disappoint you," Draco replied gravely, "but this is not the same spell. The one we're dealing with here doesn't just alter memories—it also forges evidence along with it."
"So that means—"
"It means that not only might you have made mistakes in your records," Draco said sharply, looking directly at Madame Delphilia, "but in the worst-case scenario, we now have no idea how many books in this library have already been altered."