Happy Birthday Malfoy

Part 2

The room was beautiful in its simplicity. The walls and furniture were a burgundy red and a soft brown that blended nicely together. There was a wood burning fireplace that probably doubled as a floo. There was a mahogany desk with a journal resting on top of it and an ink and quill set beside it. The bed was moderately sized and the sheets were unmade. The bed looked well-loved and for a moment the thought burned at his throat before he pushed it away not even daring to inspect it further. Hermione inspected the book-shelf gasping at the plethora of muggle books he had. Some were even American. Ron opened the desk drawer since the Journal was clearly warded to his complete disappointment. Inside he found a file system. He called them over and Harry managed to tear his eyes away from the small childlike glasses on the bed-side table. He'd distinctly remembered throwing those away...

In the cabinet there were all of Collin Creevey's confiscated photos. He'd filed them away for black mail. "Pansy", "Dean", "Seamus F.", "Granger." When they got to Ginny's they'd all taken an audible gasp. Her face had been violently deformed and she looked repulsive. Everyone was there except Harry whom they knew had a thousand photos on those camera rolls. They searched the whole room until Harry uncovered a cabinet in the corner of the room under a disillusionment charm. It that held a locked box. It took all of Hermione's knowledge before it finally opened. Harry's photos were tucked away there but Hermione sensed magic covering them. She flicked her wrist and performed the identification spell to find that the photo's had been charmed to appear blank and burn if someone who wished the person in the photos harm were to look upon them. Judging by the length of time the spell had been sitting upon them she surmised that Draco had cast the spell on it to keep the photo's from Voldemort. They were plain photos but in the wrong hands they easily exposed Harry's weaknesses. As she explained in a rush, she gasped again.

"Oh Harry, don't you know what this means?"

"Um not really."

"He put the spell on them and they didn't burn!"

"So?"

"Oh honestly! He doesn't wish you any harm, not really or they'd burn!"

"Uh great. I'd kind of gathered that when he didn't pass us up on a silver platter to Voldemort."

"No, no you don't understand. This goes for all harm, emotional, physical, and psychological. He doesn't wish you any harm, hasn't for all these years!"

"I'm not following. He bullied us, Hermione. He wished us some harm."

"Maybe not. Maybe he desired something from the bullying but it wasn't to harm you. The spell would have burned the photos the moment he cast it if he did." They argued for a bit until Neville opened the cabinet. Inside a pensieve swirled with Draco's memories lined up neatly on a shelf.

"Oi, want to find out?" Hermione looked at the three eager boys, sighed and shrugged. They would do it with or without her. Might as well go with them. If she was being honest to herself, she was curious.

Within moments they were all inside the second to last memory off the shelf. It stood out as a much darker color than the others.

"You go to Hogwarts with him Draco. Lure him out to Forest so I can finish this." Draco's body trembled under the weight of the Dark Lord's stare but he stiffened his spine and pushed the fear away. No use in being afraid now. He was as good as dead. At least, he'd finally have some peace. Hermione gasped at she felt Draco's thoughts in her mind. That was different. She'd have to research it later.

"I can't. I won't."

"You dare defy me?"

Draco swallowed hard. "Yes, V-voldemort." His voice shook but the message was clear.