Lost Image | dramione

26 | the writer

Draco was in shock. Why did everything come down to that same horrible grotesque book? Why were the people around him into such dark reading material?

Hermione looked very interested, now. She jumped off the couch, walking over to Pansy.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Relax, Granger, it's fake."

"I know it's fake. The question is, how did you know it's fake?" Hermione asked, paging through the book as Pansy handed it over.

"I'm not stupid- that text is supposed to be hundreds of years old. Does that book look hundreds of years old to you?"

"It could be a reprint," Hermione suggested, prying for information.

Pansy raised her eyebrows. "You said you know it's fake- how do you know? Have you read the original?" She meant the last as a joke, and laughed derisively, but when Hermione didn't answer right away her eyes widened. "But... I didn't think any copies existed! How...?"

"Don't ask, because I'm not giving any answers," Hermione said, sitting back down on the couch with the book. Draco cringed as she passed an illustration of a man with snakes bursting from his eyes, screaming as a witch ate something that looked very much like a human heart in front of him. How could she calmly read with that staring back at her?

Pansy was silent for a moment, then sighed. "There's a clue on the inside cover," Hermione flipped the book to the front. The inside cover was blank.

Hermione pulled out her wand and whispered, "Aparecium."

The hidden writing began to flow onto the page, and Draco leaned over to get a good look.

Sanctimoma

To protect the righteous and dwindle the target.

Vincet Semper

Death will always overcome.

Draco was shaking as he read the words. They sank deep inside him, though their meaning was obviously lost on Hermione, who squinted at the page.

"Latin?" she asked, a finger tapping her lip as she thought. "Purity... to protect the righteous and make the target small.... this must be referring to the fact that-" she stopped, abruptly, looking at Pansy. The girl was watching them both very carefully, her eyes narrowed.

"You can say it- I've already figured it out," she snapped, returning to her husband's side. She sat on the arm of the chair, glowering at Hermione. "The book says only muggle-borns will do for making a Horcrux. I have read this fake book, Granger. I'm not stupid."

"Then how do you know it's fake?" Hermione asked for what felt like the millionth time.

"Because of the crest... oh, I'm sorry, you didn't catch that part?" she asked snidely.

Hermione gave her a blank look.

"The original was written by Owle Bullock.. Draco, care to explain why we know that this one was probably not written by a Bullock?"

Hermione turned her gaze to him, now, and he cleared his throat, trying not to look nervous. What would she say? How would she react?

Because he knew who had written the fake book, now.

"The first part is about only muggle-borns being killed to make a Horcrux... Pansy is right. And the second part means "will always conquer." To have death always overcome, wouldn't that mean the opposite of a Horcrux, from what you've told me?"

Hermione nodded warily, still watching his face carefully. She knew something was up... she could read him too well, these days.

He cleared his throat again, looking about the room. It was nicely furnished, though quite small for Pansy's standards. He wondered how she was getting along here? And had her opinions changed as much as his did recently, since she loved her husband? How could she love him if she didn't think of him as her equal?