Memories - Dramione story

Chapter 17

Hermione's POV

When I woke up, it took me some time to remember where I was. My eyes hurt after I had cried so much the day before. As I stood up, I saw Draco in an armchair near the bed I had slept on. He was asleep, a sheet of parchment on his knees, a quill lying on the floor near him. Light from a window nearby fell on him, making him look almost angelic, accentuating his perfectly balanced traits and pale skin.

I still felt that weird stress and worry from yesterday, but it was way less serious. As I verified the time with a spell, I realized that we had missed breakfast and that it would soon be lunch. I visited the room and found a door leading towards another room with another bed and a small bathroom. I headed towards the sink, washed my face, and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were still red and puffy. It had been horrible; wanting to cry so hard without knowing why. It made me feel overly confused and lost. 

I dried my face with a towel and went out of the bathroom. I silently took the parchment from Draco's knees and put it on a small desk in the room, before taking the quill from the floor and putting it on the desk too. I didn't have any books with me, so I just laid down on the bed and closed my eyes, trying not to think of all that happened yesterday. 

About half an hour passed, during which I simply laid, trying to concentrate on small details like the soft sound of Draco's breathing. I heard him shuffle and turned my head to look at him. He lazily opened his eyes and smiled. 

«Mornin'. Feeling better?», he asked with a caring voice.

«Yes, much better. Thanks for being there for me», I answered, smiling softly. 

Ten minutes later, we were both heading towards the Great Hall to have lunch. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to get there. We had met McGonagall on our way to the Great Hall, and she immediately took us to her office, telling us that she was asking for us. As soon as we entered her office, we noticed the minister of magic. I looked at Draco, who looked just as exasperated as I was. The minister got straight to the subject.

«We found where the thief hides, but none of our Aurors is able to get in. I dismissed a lot of them. I feel like this is something that we should keep as secret as possible. I would like to ask you not to talk about this to anyone», he explained with a serious tone. This was good news. 

«Can we know where he hides?», Draco asked, just as serious, a hint of hope in his eyes.  

«I can lead you there», Shacklebot answered. 

We ended up using the fireplace yet again, before apparating to said place. In front of us stood a huge manor made out of white brick, but it wasn't the Malfoy manor I have been to during the war. I turned around to look at Draco, hoping that he knew something. He looked even more hopeful than before we had apparated. A few Aurors stood around the manor.

«We have tried all the possible ways to get inside several times. According to the information we have, the thief entered and didn't come out yet. We have no idea how much time it might take for him to get out of there. It could take months if he has enough food with him. He sealed the entrances with blood. No spells work», the minister explained. 

«I know a way», Draco said, surprising both myself and Shacklebot. 

He then started walking. I followed, so did a seemingly flabbergasted minister. After a few minutes of getting around the manor, which was very big, we arrived at some stairs that seemed to lead to an extern access to the basement of the building. It was very dark down the stairs, but Draco started going down without hesitating a single second. I watched as darkness engulfed him and heard him whisper 'lumos'. «Draco», I called before darkness could swallow him completely. He turned around to look at me, perfectly calm.