The Silver Envelope

Keeper of Hearts

Though this city was many miles away from home, it was nearly as gloomy and gray as London had been, though the air seemed different somehow. Draco surveyed the small, enclosed courtyard in which they had appeared. No one was around at the moment. He kept his hand firmly grasped around Hermione's and led her through a nondescript doorway and into an apparently deserted building.
"Where are we?" Hermione asked, just as they rounded a corner of the dark hallway and nearly ran into the security guard stationed at a little desk near the door.
*Wands, please," he said in an American accent, holding out his hand.
Draco proffered his wand immediately, so Hermione followed suit. They were directed to walk through an odd archway, which buzzed and beeped as they did.
"Day pass?" the wizard asked.
Draco confirmed with a nod of his head.
"Where are you two headed?"
"The library," was all Draco said.
The wizard at the desk nodded and handed back their wands, along with a small, silver pin for each of them. Hermione examined hers curiously.
In very small lettering, it stated her name and the word "VISITOR" underneath.
"Exit through that door," the wizard informed them in a bored, practiced tone, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "And cross the street. Library's on the left. Elevator code is 1776 to get to the lower basement. If you want to visit another building, you'll have to submit to another security check. Make sure you return your pins here when you leave. Enjoy your time in Washington D.C."
Hermione's mouth fell open. Draco suppressed a smile as he put a hand on her back, gently coaxing her forward and out the door.
"We're in America?" she hissed at him.
Draco grinned wickedly at her, saying nothing as he led her across the street. She gaped at the buildings around her, taking in the foreign architecture and the many people walking along the street.

"Do try not to look so much like a tourist, Granger," Draco teased her.
To his amusement, Hermione snapped her gaping mouth shut.
Ahead of them, the huge, blocky shape of the library loomed. Hermione's eyes went wide.
"Draco, you didn't!" she said, clutching his arm in excitement.
He looked at her, enjoying the brightness that had been missing from her face for days now.
"I did," he said simply.
"The Library of Congress?" she squeaked. "The biggest library in the world?"
Her excitement was palpable as they walked. He was almost surprised that she didn't break into a sprint for the doors.
"I've been here several times on Ministry business," Draco said before they reached the doors.
"The library has always been my favorite bit."
He led her inside and to the lift with ease, stringing Hermione along as she gaped and bounced with excitement. Perhaps it was because of the holiday, but very few people were in the library at the
moment. at least compared to the usual rush. Only one muggle was on the lift with them. and once they had exited, Draco drew his wand and used it to punch the numbered buttons in the sequence the security wizard had given to him. The lift began to lower, to the basement and onward, down past every floor that was accessible to muggles. Finally, the doors of the lift opened, and Hermione let out a gasp.
The Library of Congress was indeed the largest library in the world, both for muggle and wizardkind, though only wizards were able to access the lower floors. The cavernous room in the depths of the library appeared to be carved into the earth like a cave, with several levels winding in circles along the perimeter, until the lowest floor spread out far below them. Above, the ceiling had been enchanted to mimic a skylight, the soft gray sky illuminating what seemed like millions of shelves, all stuffed with books.
Hermione looked as if she had walked into a dream. Her delight fed Draco's soul. Some primal, inner part of him roared with triumph at the knowledge that he'd brought her here before anyone else, and had the pleasure of witnessing her amazement.
"Well then, Granger," he said, "Where shall we go first?"
She looked at a loss for words.
Grinning, he took her hand and brought her to a wooden podium that was stationed near the
banister
"This is the catalogue," Draco explained, pointing to the huge tome that was propped up for them to peruse. "If you tell it which book you're looking for, it will open to the page that shows its location. Or, if you don't have anything specific in mind, we can simply wander and browse."
Hermione wasted no time. She immediately began to recite the names of several titles, bouncing happily on her toes as Draco quickly noted the locations of each volume on a pad of paper. He quickly realized that she was trying to stump the catalogue by naming the most obscure books she could think of, but one by one, the catalogue found them for her. By the time he had written a dozen titles, he stopped her.
"Hermione, don't you want to see the actual books now?" Draco said, holding back a laugh.
"Yes!" Hermione said, snatching the paper away from him and practically dancing off to find the
redrest one.
Draco trailed after her, good-naturedly keeping quiet as she told him all about the books she was most excited to find. Draco conjured a cart for her, proclaiming that if he had to carry all the books she picked out, his spine would snap in half. It wasn't long before she settled into a seat by an enchanted window and became absorbed in the pages of a comically large tome. He'd explained to her that she needn't take the time to read here, that they would make a trip to the replicator before
they left (a clever device that spat out perfect copies of the pages you needed from each book, which anyone was free to bring home with them). Still, she seemed happiest with her nose in a book, so Draco didn't stop her.
"I need to find a few things for work," he told her quietly. "T'lI come back here when I'm done."
She nodded absently, murmuring a brief farewell.
Before he left, he glanced back, and suddenly stopped.
The image of her, lounging with her feet tucked under her, completely mesmerized by her book, the enchanted window light streaming in behind her and causing a few strands of her hair to glow...it was like something out of a painting. Draco wished he had a camera, wished he could capture her like this, and carry this moment with him in his pocket wherever he went.
She turned a page. And, reluctantly, he left.
He hadn't been lying; he really did need to find a few books for work. The section on alchemy was familiar to him, and it wasn't long before he found what he needed. Knowing that Hermione wasn't supposed to see what material he'd selected, he made a special trip to the copy machine before going back to her, shrinking the replicated pages and stuffing them into his pocket as he
MenT
When he made it back to the window she had occupied, he stopped short. She was nowhere to be found. Instead, a middle-aged librarian was levitating several of the books Hermione had left behind, gently sending them floating back to their shelves
"Excuse me, have you seen my friend? Woman with curly brown hair?" Draco asked the witch.
She smiled and nodded, pointing to shelves beyond Draco.
"She's in that fiction area, just over there. She let me know she was done with these," the witch said, indicating the books she was levitating.
Draco thanked her and strode off to find Hermione, annoyed that she had wandered off while he was gone. He quickly combed through the shelves the librarian had indicated, searching for Hermione with growing panic. This place was endless. If she wasn't in this section anymore, he didn't have a hope of finding her.