antidote ✞ dramione

part five

_
as they both returned to the ministry they headed straight back to the records room. while draco scurried up all of the death eater files with surnames or forenames beginning with 'c', hermione continued to study the copies they made at the inn.

the map was a basic layout of the ministry with a few notes here and there, like where the ministers office is located and the names of each department.

why would amycus and her small death eater rebellion need a map of the ministry if not for a future break-in? were they planning to overrun it, to put the strange, awfully protected hooded figure in power besides shacklebolt and start wizarding war three?

hermione sighed loudly. she leant back in her seat as draco placed the files on the table, sitting opposite her. "how's the analysing going?"

hermione rolled her eyes at him. "i have a theory."

draco raised an eyebrow, picking up the file on the top of the pile. "oh, do share."

hermione spotted the name 'barty crouch jr' on the file before she launched into her theory of the group wanting to overrun the ministry so they can put their 'chosen one' in power and rule over the wizarding world.

"as far-fetched as it may sound, it's definitely something death eaters would want," draco said, agreeing with her. "and crouch jr is a dead end, he was given the kiss years ago."

draco tossed the file and picked up the next one. "of course he'd be a dead end," hermione scoffed, picking up another file. "he wasn't exactly 'stocky'."

file after file they were tossed aside because of the impossibility those death eaters would be involved. soon enough they were left with vincent crabbe alone.

draco breathed heavily and pressed his temples, eyeing the brown file. "the only person it can be," he murmured, tilting his head back.

"they said they were in the room to help you," hermione said, picking up the file. "you wouldn't go with them so they came without you."

"fucking told them it wasn't worth it," draco said, picking up the other files. he placed them into a neat file. "well, go ahead."

hermione flipped open the file, coming face to face with a picture of crabbe. since he 'died' it wasn't a mugshot but a family photo with his face circled.

"if he's really alive," hermione began as she scanned the files contents, "he's doing a surprisingly good job at hiding. either he's suddenly grown brain cells or—"

"someone finds him valuable enough to protect," draco murmured. "his mother—she's free, isn't she?"

hermione read over the small section dedicated to known associates. "his mother—marilyn crabbe—lives on her own in a small manor on the outskirts of bristol."

"he has to be staying there—theoretically, anyway," draco quickly added. "it's not confirmed he's alive."

it was only just gone two and they'd cracked far more than the aurors that were on the case from the start. kingsley definitely knew what he was doing when he chose us, hermione thought.

"we can't officially find out unless we get a warrant to search her manor," hermione paused, biting her lip. "or you go to that meeting on saturday."

draco nodded. "way ahead of you, granger. if it's me they want then it is me they shall get—but not my loyalty."

"any guesses on who that hooded figure could be?" hermione asked, putting crabbe's file separate to everyone else's.

draco shook his head. "not a single clue—hopefully i can find out on saturday."