15 August 1996
Hermione had been sitting in the smaller dining room when the Daily Prophet arrived via a golden brown scrawny owl. She untied the news, placing a sickle into the owl's pouch. The owl swooped through the open window, allowing Hermione to read of the ongoings of the British Wizarding World. She had barely taken a sip of tea when she spotted the front page, "Death Eater Escapes Ministry, Could It Be An Inside Job?". Being curious, with the trial coming up, she read the article.
Death Eater Escapes Ministry, Could It Be An Inside Job?
We have just been informed that as of half-past eleven last night, one of the three Death Eater prisoners being held within the cells in Chamber Hall 11, Wizengamot Level 3, has escaped. Antonin Dolohov was being held for trial on three charges, according to our sources in Magical Law Enforcement. He had broken into a home of one of our Sacred Twenty-Eight, attacked two of our most prestigious fellow witches, and had turned his wand upon his own kind; killing Rodolphus Lestrange. Whilst we thank him for killing one of the most unstable escapees of Azkaban, it is still a crime. We wish to extend caution to anyone that may be in his path. The guards on duty just before his escape have come forth stating that he had moments of insanity pleas, screaming of killing 'Black', whilst we hope he meant darkness, we cannot be too cautious in these times.
"Antonin Dolohov's escape has been kept quiet. Whilst we can tell you he no longer resides within our chambers, we cannot gain access to how he escaped. There were two guards on duty last night, and under Veritaserum, both have denied giving the prisoner leave." An unnamed Auror stepped forward to speak with us. The question remains, if the guards did not allow him freedom, who did? Anyone with information regarding Antonin Dolohov and his whereabouts, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or the Auror Department.
Setting the news down, Hermione called for Pitsky and asked if she would gather everyone in the library across from her chambers. Research needed to be done, and a plan needed to be made about Antonin's escape. The witch finished her tea and headed to the third storey of her wing. Deciding she would wait and see if everyone had eaten, she stood just to the side of her destination, the locked library.
She had not waited long before people began to enter the corridor. Narcissa and Remus were the first two to arrive, followed closely by Harry and Luna, who looked to be half-awake. Draco was still within his chambers, or at least that was what the general census was. Narcissa knocked on his door before turning the handle and gaining entry.
"Draco is not here. Where is he, then?" she turned and questioned everyone waiting to gain access to the library. No one seemed to have any clue, with the shaking of their heads, Hermione knew she would require one of her elves to handle this. Sighing, she resigned herself to call on Pitsky, again; she really hated calling on her house-elves to do anything for her, but she knew they loved it.
"Pitsky!" the brunette called out, awaiting a response.
"What can Pitsky do to helps young Mistress Hermione?" Pitsky bowed as she apparated in front of her master.
"Do you know where Draco is? He is not in his chambers".
"Draco not kind to Pitsky, sent her away. He refuses to listen. Draco is in the Mistress's study. No elf cans enters. He spells the room," Pitsky's voice was shaking in fear.
"It's going to be fine, Pitsky. Thank you for informing me of our situation. Please, see to it that everyone here is satisfied with their meals from this morning, and if they are not, ensure they are cared for. I will take care of Draco for you. Cheer up, please," Hermione gave a soft smile. Pitsky loved caring for others, and ensuring everyone there was satisfied would be the best way to put a smile on Pitsky's face.
Storming towards her study, Hermione Selwyn whipped out her wand and pointed it directly at the lock on the door. "Alohomora!" she called out. When that failed, she decided to use a spell she had only ever heard Draco mention before. "Aperti Sesama!"1 her wand emitted a bright yellow light before a clicking sound was heard and the door swung open.
"Draco Malfoy!"
"Bloody hell, Selwyn!" the blonde jumped in surprise. No one knew the counterspell for his lock apart from his godfather, he was certain he had time to take care of his letter before anyone knew he was missing. "Fucking house-elf. Can't even keep her mouth shut," he growled as he realised how anyone knew where he was.
"Malfoy, hold your tongue! You are not supposed to be here. Insult my house-elf for informing me of your incompetence to adhere to our agreement upon entry, and I will lock you in your chambers for days without access to anyone except the house-elf in question. Speaking of, she has a name and it is Pitsky. Address her as such!" Her voice rang through the corridor and there was not a soul in the vicinity that could not hear her. "Now, what exactly are you doing in my study?"
"Fine, Pitsky needs to learn her place! Teach it to her. As for my business, it is none of your concern. I will be taking my leave," he bit his tongue from further provoking the woman that could easily win in a duel against him and stormed past her.
A quick slash with her wand, Hermione was able to cast a silent full body-bind curse and cause Draco to fall face first onto the hardwood floor. "Not so fast. I asked a question, and now, I demand an answer!"
She had lifted the curse and replaced the bind with a simple 'Relashio' before he even thought of speaking. Draco was enthralled at her display of anger and control. He would be lying if he told himself that she was not frighteningly beautiful when she was angry. Playing with those lines was among his favourite memories from Hogwarts, but he knew to stop the moment her anger took over instead of her misery. Now, he would not have a professor or any of his "friends" to assist him in retreating from this wrath. 'Being a Slytherin is all about self-preservation. Do what you must to gain what you desire,' his mother used to tell him. Sighing, he realised the best way to get out of this situation as unscathed as possible, was to just play along.
"If you must know, I was looking for an inkwell and parchment. There is a letter I must send," he drawled.
"Malfoy, if the answer was truly that simple, you would have given it and saved face. Now, give me the honest response or I swear to Merlin, I will hex you," the brunette glowered with her wand at the ready for another curse.
"I was looking around. This is one of the only three rooms I am not permitted to enter without your accompaniment, hence, I figured you have secrets and I wanted to know them," Draco looked away, hoping that his answer would be satisfying enough to allow his release.
"We all have secrets, Malfoy. Would you like me to expose yours?" Hermione glared at him before releasing the ropes. "Stay out of rooms that are not permitted for your entry. Meet me in front of the doors to my private library. I will be there in a moment".
Draco left without another word, relieved that she had not caught onto his facade. She began casting spells to figure out what had been moved and touched. Inside her desk, there were several items moved, but none that were of actual importance. A bookshelf that housed several books about wards had, also, been touched and from the looks of it, the books had been moved. She scanned the shelf further and noticed that there was something being hidden behind one of the books. Pulling the book out, Hermione watched as a silver scroll fell to the ground. Picking it up, she examined the scroll and noticed that the name read 'Hermione Jean Granger' in elegant calligraphy. This would be interesting as she was no longer Hermione Jean Granger.
Taking the scroll, the young witch made her way to the library. It had only been a few minutes since Draco had arrived and Hermione could tell that Narcissa had taken it upon herself to scold her son for his behaviors. Hermione did not fail to notice Draco's gaze falling to the scroll, nor the way he immediately had to school his expression from that of brief anxiety to a blank stare. Instead of acknowledging his discomfort, she smiled at the group and let them in the library to research more information on horcruxes, the Founder's heirs' privileges and rights, and different spells and potions they may require for protection at Hogwarts.
Harry and Remus had discussed heading to their wing in order to prepare information for the meeting tomorrow, and everyone agreed that would be ideal. This allowed Narcissa, Draco, and Hermione time to begin their research on Hogwarts protection and her rights as a Founder's heir. The threesome had worked together until late in the morning before anyone had come across an informative book. Hermione had noticed there was a book with runes on it and spotted several runes that she recognised as 'Hogwarts', 'Heirs', 'Magicks', and 'Blood'.
Pulling the book off the shelf, she attempted to read the title in its complete form. It took a few tries to recall every rune she had learned, but it was only minutes before she had a possible title, 'Hogwarts Heirs, Magicks, and Blood Rituals'. She called out to Narcissa and Draco, explaining what she had found. Narcissa took a moment before confirming Hermione's title. Together, Narcissa and Hermione translated the first chapter, which was a short introduction to the heirs and how they required a drop of blood in the Great Hall or the Headmaster's office in order to even be recognised as a Founder's heir.
It was around two o'clock in the afternoon when Pitsky had poked her head into the library and offered lunch. Narcissa immediately thanked the elf and accepted her offer. Smiling, Hermione began to realise that Narcissa had a kind heart and cared about creatures. This was enlightening as Draco was the exact opposite, or, at least, he acted like it. Lunch had appeared on an empty table and the library's inhabitants had paused their work to eat.
During this time, Harry had come over to join them, explaining that Remus had gone to Dumbledore's office whilst he had the chance in order to extract replicas of memory vials and take the originals, allowing the sodality to learn of Dumbledore's true plans and thwart them. Remus was due to return shortly after Hermione and Draco were to begin their translations. Narcissa offered to translate the runes for Hermione, as it would be more efficient that way. Harry would wait for Remus and together they would explore the memories. With a plan made for the afternoon, everyone agreed that they would meet for supper and, after, they would discuss Antonin's escape.
xXx
After a mishap with Mipsty fleeing from another round of owls and resting, Hermione had decided to open the window in her library to prevent any further issues. This, now, meant Herny would have to tend to the library and watch for owls. Mipsty was currently ordered to take the day off, as she was startled by an owl attacking her ears viciously and had difficulty calming down, even when Hermione had held the poor being close and healed the small nips. The black barn owl, whilst rare, was notorious for its aggression. Unsurprisingly, the slip of parchment that was tied on the owl had matched the owl's personality.
Miss Hermione Selwyn,
I have awaited your response to the meeting between our families and have found it extremely disrespectful that you continue to ignore my efforts. Unless you plan on becoming like your mother, a meeting between the Black Family and the Nott Family is required. We will need to discuss any dowries you may require when you marry my son, Theodore. You will need a strong, wealthy man to assist your name in our society, so you will do well to remember that I am only extending this out of pity for you. One week. That is all the time you have remaining before the offer is no longer available. There are other females that are more worthy of Theodore's hand.
Kadir Nott
Laughing at the presumption that she would ever oblige any wizard's fantasy of wedding their son or themselves, she placed the parchment on the library desk she had continued to reside at. The pile of owls from Mipsty's tragic incident had been quite astonishing due to Hermione being well hidden within her ancestor's manor.
Draco entered the library and took the seat next to hers, as planned. He glanced at her and noted her lip between her teeth as she swallowed a laugh. Looking at the parchment in her hand, he laughed with her. Kadir Nott had a tendency to attempt to climb the social ladder, as if he was not high enough in their ranks. Kadir was notably one of the darker Death Eaters and whilst he spared Theo from enlisting, he had forced Theo to attend every meeting. Hermione turned to face Draco, hearing his laugh. His melodic laugh held no mirth towards her. "He is ridiculous". She heard Draco say before he pulled 'Magie et de Héritiers des Fondateurs a Poudlard' towards them and opened to the first chapter.
xXx
Three hours later, the members of the house were sitting around the table, eating a feast for supper. Hermione and Draco explained what they were able to translate. Narcissa handed Hermione her translations of the runes. Conversations became lighter until Remus brought up Dolohov.
"I know you responded that you would not need an escort, but given the threats, I believe you should have an escort," Remus pleaded with Hermione.
"Remus, doing that puts the rest of the rebellion on the line. I will not. We need to make it through this year, if what Snape said is true. Dumbledore will not be a problem before year end, which leaves Voldemort" she saw Draco and Narcissa wince "and the two organisations that work for the two Dark Lords".
"Take Harry, at least".
"He is an underaged wizard, no. Not until the Trace is off of him," Narcissa added in.
"Tonks, then," Remus pushed.
"Gives away your role," Hermione defended. "We can handle this. I can handle this. Narcissa will have her wand that day and I trust Narcissa to protect me". She offered her aunt a smile.
"You trust—" his thought fell short as Remus saw no one would defend his line of thought.
"It is settled, on the twentieth, we will go into the Ministry on our own. We will prepare ahead of time, with a portkey, but we should be able to enter and exit with minimal detection and interference," Hermione closed the argument.
"Dolohov is more of a concern. He might go back to the cabin, Hermione. Does anyone have a suggestion to re-capture him?" Harry inquired.
The remainder of supper was spent discussing Dolohov, learning as much as they could from Narcissa and Draco on his patterns and predictability. They were certain he would eventually make his way back to the cabin in an attempt to locate something to break through their wards. Remus suggested placing the cabin under a Fidelius Charm with Narcissa as the Secret Keeper.
Hermione, Remus, and Narcissa stood in the cabin where the rebellion had freed Narcissa and Draco less than a week prior. Remus showed Hermione how to cast the spell and after several attempts, Hermione had been successful. It might not keep Dolohov out permanently, but it would allow them time to create a better plan. They returned to the manor, just as the house was turning in.
xXx
Just before midnight, having freshly bathed and slipped into an emerald green negligee that hardly covered her and amplified her chest, Hermione took the matching night robe and draped it over herself before exiting the bedchambers to the patio. She stared at the stars briefly before a knock at the door sounded. Startled, she found her wand on the bed before calling out to assuage who was there. Noting it was Draco, she placed her wand onto her bedside table and opened the door, forgetting to wrap herself in her robe properly.
"Sel—" Draco's mouth dried as he took in Hermione's attire. His gaze fell to her feet as he took in deep breaths and slowly lifted his gaze back to hers, taking in every inch of her body. His eyes lingered on her chest and neck before finding hers, a flush on both of their cheeks. Hermione hastily wrapped herself as Draco committed her to memory. Licking his lips, he attempted again, "Hermione… I wanted to see if you would go outside with me and watch the stars, but I see you are ready to retire for the night". He took a slight step backwards, a battle began to wage in his head. Lust and his deep attraction of the witch standing in front of him were fighting his practicalities, not for the first time. His eyes darkened the moment she stepped forward, back into his space, and closed the door to her chambers behind her.
"I can come out for a few minutes, Malfoy. Thank you," her soft voice only added to his lust and he groaned audibly. The groan felt like an ice bath for Hermione as she snapped out of it, "Or since your offer was to toy with me, I will just retire for the night". She turned to open the door when she felt his hand on her wrist.
"Don't. You're beautiful and right now, I want to spend time with you," Draco's voice deepened and became huskier as he stepped closer to her and could smell the vanilla and fresh citrus of her soaps and shampoo.
A shudder of excitement ran down Hermione's spine as she turned to face him, the contact at her wrist being the source of the heat filling her body, "Draco…"
She barely got his name out before Pitsky apparated down the corridor and began running towards them, "Hermiones! Hermiones! Danger coming!"
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading!
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