The Malfoy Mystery

17 • life's dusk

The winter break had finished, indicating the commencing of final examinations for the 7th year. They'd already learnt half of their course the previous year, and their term had been significantly shortened. The graduates could use this time to figure out their prospective careers, complete their social service sentences and apply for internships.

For once, Hermione didn't heed the corridor rules as she glided across, a paper wavering in her hands. She'd been hanging out at the Gryffindor dor with her old friends when owls flew in with their mark sheets. Needless to say, Hermione was ecstatic with her result.

She frantically ran towards the Great Hall, giddy to flaunt her perfect grades and rank with the group. "I'm number one! One!"

"Did you get your results?" Hermione sat opposite them, eagerly waiting for their responses. Blaise sighed as he mildly glanced at his result, whereas Theo was beaming. Draco was indifferent, his expressions masked with agitated Hermione.

The blonde muttered, "I'm ranked second." Hermione playfully smacked his arm, "Shouldn't you be happy about it?" Draco pointed towards Theo and Blaise, blaming them for his moodiness.

Theo puffed out his chest, "I, for one, had a great result." He turned toward Blaise, his smirk annoying the Gryffindor. Blaise gasped dramatically, "I'm just one rank behind you."Draco enunciated every syllable he spoke, mocking the idiotic pair of boys, "So what rank did you get?"

"49." "50." Both the boys chimed in at the same time.

"Unbelievable. Aren't there a total of fifty students last year?"

__________________

As the sun set, so did the journey of last years at Hogwarts. It was mesmerizing, painting the sky in beautiful pastel shades. It was disappointing to watch the sun set into darkness. The temporariness of the moment made it even more memorable. Hermione was glad to have taken on her seventh year at Hogwarts again.

After consulting with McGonagall, Hermione had decided to make the club Draco had gifted her into a support club for muggle-descended wizards and witches. She signed up for the Minister Of Magic position, planning to run for elections next winter. She focused on social service, the aftermath of the war and policies for the upliftment of minorities.

Blaise decided to redesign his manor as a resort. He presented a business proposal to investors, hoping to make a living out of his properties. Despite paying a large sum of taxes, Blaise instilled the habit of donations to his colleagues. Over time, he hoped to build a hotel empire in the wizarding community.

Following his passion for culinary and herbology, Theo rented a tiny cottage where he worked with several graduates. He aimed to find herbal cures for uncurable diseases. Part-time, Theo worked at Blaise's resort, providing luxurious meals to the guests. Though Theo claims he only joined Blaise for the hefty pay, everyone else knew he was being supportive.

Harry pursued his dream of becoming an Auror after months of examinations. The council was unwilling for Harry to work, as he only knew the disarming spell. After intensive training, he became a permanent member of the Junior Aurors. On the other hand, Ginny became a world-renowned chaser for the team Hollyhead Harpies, winning two tournaments back-to-back.

Ever since muggles had known the presence of the wizarding community, their economy had been prospering. Even the simplest of products were attracting huge sales.

To everyone's surprise, Draco decided to teach at Hogwarts. He was inclined towards Potions and had been offered to start as an intern next year. Whereas his personal life couldn't have been better. Whenever he went home, he was treated like a Weasley, not that he wasn't one by blood. Home. It still felt funny for him to call Burrow his home.

Reporters were thrilled when they spotted Draco walking with either member of the Golden trio, writing pages about some rumour. The funniest one yet was "Has the Handsome Malfoy Finally Poisoned The Hearts Of The War Heroes?"

The group was at the Burrow, removing winter accessories as the heat had finally increased.Theo cried, "Drake, you really have to work at Hogwarts? We wouldn't be able to meet up that often."

Draco said without missing a beat, "Exactly."

Theo overdramatically clutched the cloth above his heart, "Ouch. Years of friendship are being treated this way. I expected better from you, young Weasley."

Draco threw the Christmas lights at Theo, attempting to strangle him as he was called a Weasley. The blonde tried to jump off the nearest couch but was stopped by Hermione. Meanwhile, Theo was figuratively cowering behind Blaise.

Hermione glared at Theo, "Do you not savour peace, Theo?"

Theo peeked over Blaise's shoulder as he declared, "Our future Minister is threatening me over a trivial issue. Should I tell the press?" Roles were reversed, as this time Draco was holding Hermione from physically attacking Theo.

Theo sighed with relief as the doorbell rang, as Hermione went to attend to the door, sparing his life. Hermione was frustrated as the doorbell rang once again. She opened the door to find a young woman with similar features to her.

"Hello, I'm sorry I rang the bell twice. I thought you didn't hear me the first time."

Hermione politely interrupted, "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"Ah, I apologize. I'm Dr Wilkins, Mr Malfoy's therapist. I came here to give him his transcript if that's okay."

Hermione welcomed the woman inside, signalling everyone except Draco to leave the hall. After half an hour or so, Dr Wilkins bid her goodbyes. The young blonde noticed the subtle frown on Hermione's face, and he pulled her aside.

"Granger, you're okay?"

Hermione hesitated before she answered, "I had obliviated my parents to protect them from the aftermath of the war. Later, I went to reverse the spell, but the longevity was not curable. They were forever living under the name tags of Wilkins."

Draco remained silent, gently placing his arm over Hermione's shoulder as she continued to vent.

"I discovered they had adopted another girl, slightly younger than me. Her features looked the same as mine. My parents had already replaced me with her, and I couldn't rob them of that. I'd already made their lives burdensome after joining Hogwarts."

Draco questioned, "Do you want to meet your parents now?"Hermione shook her head, "As much as it hurts to acknowledge, that chapter has already closed." Draco tightened his grip on her shoulders, not willing to let go anytime soon.