Anyone But Me

Chapter Thirty

He walked over, picked up the book, checked for damage and slipped it back onto the shelf before turning around to look down at her.

Her brain was still trying to catch up to the fact that she had unknowingly had a little jaunt through the Malfoy's Private Library. It was without a doubt the creepiest thought and a horrible idea to ever do again... But there was no denying the potential wealth of dark knowledge at her fingertips if she could figure out what titles would actually help her.

While the older Malfoy had lost much of his Dark Arts collection during the raids after the First Wizarding War, everyone had heard that he was able to re-assemble most of it through deals made with Ministry employees and various black market dealings. It was hard to imagine he would not have put protections in place to keep the most important pieces from prying hands again. There was a high probability that the elusive answers for Harry about horcruxes were right there in front of her...

Her eyes snapped guiltily over to Draco and her cheeks flooded with her shame. She shouldn't even think of using him like that... The self-reproach made her shift her gaze down to the ground before she finally responded to his teasing chastisement from a few moments earlier. "Sorry. I didn't think you were here..."

"Do you make it a habit of going through people's things while they are not there?" He asked her as that antagonizing smirk slid across his lips.

"No... I was curious. Bookworm here... I figured there had to be some kind of trick to it."

"Well... I guess we should consider ourselves lucky you didn't stumble upon some cursed addition of 'Legal Rules for Roving Sprites' or something." He sighed.

"True... I thought that they were summoned from the Library. I didn't even think that the books could be coming from somewhere else." She told him honestly. And she really hadn't. It was still hard for her, even after six years, to remember that her normal escape from the world could be turned into a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. Just like with that jewelry box, she had let her guard down and could have gotten herself cursed or killed because of it.

He took her hand and led her over to the bed. Leaving her to stand and make the choice to join him in much the same way he had the other night. When he slipped his hand from hers, he went and laid back on the bed. He slipped his arms behind his head causing his shirt to fall open and the fabric to pool around his hips, giving a better view of his sinewy upper body.

Once again she found herself standing there, unable to move. Frozen in her bafflement on how she could get so lucky... How two months ago this scene could have starred in a humiliating nightmare instead of a snapshot straight from one of her best memories. There was no other word for it... She was completely and utterly baffled.

Draco sensed her hesitation and his eyes flashed that dark gray of an approaching thunderstorm before settling back down. He cleared his throat and started with a heavy question. "So... How would Pothead be able to see us hidden in a rarely traveled hallway, Granger?"

Her eyebrows came together as she decided to tell the truth. Or as much of it as she could give. "I can't tell you specifics. He just... He... He has a way of seeing where people are in the castle sometimes. In here, whatever blocks other people from finding it unless the current occupier gives permission must work on... Other kinds of magic as well."

He scowled up at her as what she was trying to say registered. "Wait... Golden Boy is watching me?"

She couldn't remember if she had actually said that Harry was watching him specifically but she nodded anyway. "Yes... Closely, I might add."