What If (Drarry)

16. Handwritten Words

Apparating home, Hermione found three pairs of nervous eyes glued to her, the bodies belonging to those eyes sitting around the kitchen table. Hermione dropped her bag on the floor and stepped to the table to kiss her husband.

"We should've talk about what you were going to say to the minister." she said.

"Why? What happened? I didn't say anytging wrong, did I? I just asked him if he knew anything about Harry. I'm his best friend! I thought it wouldn't be suspicious-"

"Shh! Calm down, Ron. You didn't say anything wrong. It was me."

"What?" Ron asked totally bewildered. "You never say anything wrong!"

Hermione smiled and sat down to the table. "I got caught."

"WHAT?" came the unbelieving response from three directions.

"The minister suspects something. So we'll have to be extremely careful."

"But you managed to find the Time Tuner and observe the wards." Draco asked, however it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yes. Actually, I thought there will be more complicated spells around it. But I only found basic guarding spells and disillusionment charms. The only thing I don't know... Well it's locked in a book. And I'm not sure how to get it out of it."

The other three looked at her. Neither of them said a word. They all sinked into their thoughts.

"Well... When will we go?" Draco asked eventually.

"What?"

"We have to break into the Minister's office. When will we go?"

"Oh. Well-"

"I saw Mr. Johnson when I was about to Apparate home." Ron spoke up. "I think it's him on duty tonight. So... Let's go?"

"But Ron!"

"No, Hermione! We don't have time for more planning and observation. Today it's Mr. Johnson's night. If not now, we'll only be able to go next week, because Johnson's only on a night duty once a week. So let's go now, get that damned Time Tuner and let's bring Harry back!"

Both Ginny and Draco stood up, so now all the three of them looked at Hermione expectantly.

"I... OK. Let's go."

***

It was around midnight. The Atrium was completely dark except for the dim light in the corner, indicating Mr. Johnson's cubicle.

The group carefully stalked to the lift, when Hermione abruptly stopped.

"Wait!" she murmured.

"What?"

"We can't use the lift! It's too loud."

"But how do we get up there without using it, then?"

"Well. We should-"

"I'll do it." Draco said, and headed towards the light to the other three's bewilderment.

"Whad d'you reckon he's doing?"

The two girls didn't have time to respond because then Draco reached the small cubicle and coughed a little. Mr. Johnson's head shot up.

"Ah, it's you again. A really funny ghost, that's you are! Now who did you 'kill'?" the old wizard asked jokingly.

"I'm sorry, mister!" Draco pointed his wand at the old man and before he could realize it, he cast a silent stunning spell. When the old man collapsed in his chair, Draco glanced at him with a bit sense of guilt in his throat and modified his memory, so when he would wake up, he wouldn't remember what happened. When he was done with it, he walked back to the others.