The air was thick with humidity, making breathing difficult. Daylight was just about getting in, but Hermione still had to squint to see in front of her. The walls of the cave were rough and jagged, with stalactites and stalagmites jutting out from the ceiling and floor, creating an eerie landscape. She might have been more scared if she’d been alone. As it was, she was with her most aggravating coworker.
“This feels like something a stupid person would do.” Draco said, as the ceiling progressively got closer to the top of his head the deeper they ventured. “We aren’t stupid people, Granger.”
“And yet here we are, going in blind. If we do die in here, at least we’ll be remembered for our bravery, even if it was as a result of idiocy.” Hermione said, adjusting the rucksack on her shoulders.
“No, that’s how gryffindors die. I’m not having a gryffindor death, not for anyone.”
“Bit late for that, I’m afraid.” She replied, waving an arm around the cave. “Not only will they laud you as a courageous, lionhearted wizard, but you’ll be forever linked to me if we both perish.”
“I might be sick.” He shot back, and she laughed.
A while later, deep in the cave, they had to cast lumos to see the way ahead. Hermione turned and grimaced at Draco as her wand illuminated several signs - ‘turn back’, ‘get out’, ‘run’.
“Well those are certainly cultivating a cheery mood for our little expedition.” Draco drawled.
“The Ministry needs to know what’s in this cave before it can be blocked off, you know that. If there are people trapped, we can’t just abandon them.”
“Did I suggest abandoning anyone? Calm down, little lion, you’ll get your ninth Order of Merlin for staging a heroic rescue.”
“I’ve only got two.” She grumbled, kicking the signs out of their way and continuing down the path. “Maybe they’ll give you one this time.”
He snorted. “Like that will ever happen. You might have managed to force yourself to trust me, Granger, but nobody else has. Robards is not-so-patiently waiting for the day he gets to storm the Manor and find my Dark Lord shrine.”
“Then hide it somewhere he won’t think to look.” She smirked back at him, and he huffed out a laugh.
It was at that moment that they came to the end of the tunnel. The wall was flat, too flat to be natural, and carved with several runes that Hermione didn’t recognise.
“What do you think these are?” She asked Draco, who stepped around her to take a closer look.
“It’s not the usual runic alphabet. This is old, really old.” He said, lightly tracing the shapes with his finger. “We should pull our memories for Theo to see. He’d be able to translate it.”
“If we make it out of the cave, that is.” She pointed out, and he turned around and shot her a withering look.
“You’re such a positive ray of sunshine today.” He said, before turning and continuing to look at the wall. “One of these is probably a lock.”
“Well we can’t just prod them all and hope for the best.”
“Why not?” He asked before proceeding to do exactly that. She sighed, but joined him all the same, feeling the latent magic beginning to awaken at their presence. She hit one of the shapes and it glowed, the wall dropping away suddenly. Draco reacted faster than she did, dragging her behind him as if it was second nature.
“Guests? Excellent. I’ve been ever so patient.” A voice drawled, before it all went black.
When Hermione awoke, her head felt heavy. She blinked a few times, and glanced around the room. It was the one that had been revealed by the runic lock, but the wall was now firmly back in place. They were trapped. Wonderful.
“Took your time.” Draco sneered from his place opposite her, leaning against the wall with his knees bent in front of him. “Typical witch, leaving me to do all the work.”
“Are you alright?” She asked, ignoring his dig at her. It had been a long time since he’d meant that sort of thing with any sort of malice, even if his tone was more akin to the Malfoy of old.
“We’re stuck in this bloody hole, with no chance of escape, thanks to you and your lack of foresight. I knew I should have asked to swap out of this mission.” He snapped, folding his arms.
“What?” She frowned. “Did you hit your head?”
“Did you hit yours? Not sure how you’d be able to tell underneath all that hair. It looks like a nest.” She hadn’t seen him pull the face was currently pulling in years, that disgusting sneer that turned his nose up at the end. She blinked.
“Did something happen?” She asked, and he rolled his eyes.
“Nice of you to pay attention, Granger. Were Potty and Weasel the brains of your operation after all?”
“Are you taking the piss? I’m half expecting you to tell me that your father will hear about this. What in Merlin’s name is wrong with you?”
“There’s not a single thing wrong with me, it’s what’s wrong with you that’s concerning me. Being this close to you, I’m worried I might catch something.” He said, and she scoffed as she stood.
“Right. You’ve clearly decided now is the time to regress back to your childhood, that’s fine. I’m going to take a look around, see if there’s an obvious way out.”
“I hate you. It astounds me how much I hate you. I wish you’d died on that drawing room floor.” He replied, and she nodded, knowing that he’d never say something like that. Something had happened when they opened the door, something that had hit him but not her as he had thrown himself in the way. The walls were covered in wiry looking script, Latin if she had to guess, and she was doing her best to read what it said. “Mudblood, don’t turn your back on me.” He snapped, and she turned around, eyes wide. She hadn’t heard that word in a very long time, not from his lips. She willed herself not to be hurt by it, but it was hard. Especially when he was looking at her like that. He smirked and tilted his head. “You thought I didn’t think about you like that anymore? You thought us equals? Poor, misguided little mudblood. You should have been more careful with your heart.”
She took a deep breath and resolved to ignore him, going back to looking at the wall. It read ‘hubris hominis ruina eius erit ut pergo pascere’. The hubris of man? What could it mean?
“You think I haven’t noticed? That you aspire to something utterly foul? As if I’d ever lay with you.” Draco continued, and she quickly brushed away the tear that had escaped. The hubris of man will be his downfall, the script said. She racked her brain for the translation of the end, ignoring the blonde wizard that was doing his best to wind her up. It clicked, ‘as I continue to feed’. The hubris of man will be his downfall as I continue to feed. “You’re hardly much to look at, even if you ignore your dirty blood. I’m sure there’s someone out there that might take pity on you eventually, Granger, but you’re really going to have to be patient. Or go out and find somebody incredibly desperate, I suppose.” He waffled on, and she swallowed heavily as she read another line from the wall. ‘Grata ad fanum mendaciorum tuorum’ - ‘welcome to the shrine of your lies’. Just as positive as the last sentence had been. “It’s little wonder Weasley cheated on you. He might be an idiot, but at least the bloke finally came to his senses. Who wouldn’t go elsewhere when they have to look at you?” He said, and she snapped. Her wand was at his neck, and he was grinning.
“Stop it.” She whispered.
“Why? Does the truth hurt too much?” He asked, eyes twinkling.
“That isn’t the truth. None of that is the truth.”
“Then why are you crying?” He smiled. Behind him, above his shoulder, the wall read ‘homines non volunt esse honestum’ - ‘men do not choose to be honest’. She frowned.
“There was a voice when we first came in here.” She said.
“No, there wasn’t.” Draco replied quickly. She stood, removing her wand from his throat.
“There was. We both know it. But you can’t tell the truth, can you?” She looked at him, and he scowled, his jaw tensing.
“Enough, little girl. You’re ruining my fun.” He snapped, before black smoke poured from his mouth and into her. She blinked, staggering back at the sudden force. Then she smiled.
***
“Will you stop touching me?” Granger said, struggling against the hold he had on her shoulders as he looked her over for injuries.
“If you’d just tell me if you’re alright or not, then I wouldn’t have to check.” He replied, and she scowled.
“Surely you’re used to women not wanting to be near you? I’m sure nobody wants to see that thing.” She nodded at the exposed dark mark on his forearm, his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He stilled.
“What?”
Granger scoffed. “You’re telling me scores of women are queuing up to be with a death eater?”
He blinked. “You’ve hit your head. You must have.” He said quietly, trying to gently look through her mane of curls for any cuts. She jerked away from him.
“Get away from me! What makes you think I want your help? You should be in Azkaban, where you belong.”
“Granger, you don’t mean that.” He replied, half begging her to not mean it.
“Yes I do. It’s your fault we’re stuck here. I knew I never should have trusted you. Now I’ll forever be associated with you.” Her tone was completely different from earlier. It had been light and teasing as she joked with him, but now she was looking at him in the way she used to. The way that still haunted him sometimes.
“I’m sorry, I know. We’ll get out of here, we just need to work together-”
She cut him off with a mocking laugh. “Work together? As if I want to work with you. I despise you. I hate how often I have to see you. You can’t begin to imagine the amount of times I’ve gone to Robards and begged him to reassign you.”
Putting aside the pain of his heart shattering in his chest, Draco decided to be productive. He began reading the walls, ignoring the way Granger continued to berate him. ‘Sacrificium tu es, suscipe me, donec nihil restate.’ He sighed. Granger was far better at Latin than he was, but it was clear she was in no mood to help, not as she sank down to the floor and threw dirty glances at him every so often. It was something about sacrifices sustaining until there was nothing left. His gut told him that he was that sacrifice, and so he continued to search the small room.
“We all talk about you, you know. How much we all hate you. How much we wish you’d just piss off back to your Manor and leave us all alone. Robards is right, you probably are trying to get the other death eaters back together. They were the only meaningful friendships you’ve ever had.” She sneered, and he took a deep breath as he willed himself to ignore her. More script on the wall - ‘per electionem mortalitatis signature, electio mentiendi vel verum dicere’. Something about mortality and a choice? The choice to tell the truth or to lie. “I really hate you. I should do the world a favour and avada you right now. I’d mean it. Merlin knows I’d mean it. As if I’d ever choose to have you in my life.” Granger scoffed, and he frowned as something he’d read once came to mind.
“Is that the truth, Granger?” He asked, spinning around to face her.
“Of course it is. I hate you.” She answered quickly.
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“When is your birthday?” He asked her, and she frowned.
“What on earth does that have to do with anything?”
“Answer the question. When is your birthday?”
“Like you’d even know.”
“Depascitur mendacium. You’re a pascimend.” He said, and she scowled.
“I have waited for so long for people to play with. It’s just my luck I got you two. So clever, working it out.” Her voice wasn’t her own as she sneered. “She got it quicker than you. You, pathetic little boy, wallowing in your pit of self-deprecation. She didn’t believe a word I said when I was you. Boring little wench.” She spat, and he smiled despite himself. The creature would almost definitely have called her a mudblood, fishing for that sort of reaction now that it was the furthest thing from Draco’s mind. He was glad she knew he’d never use that word anymore, much less use it in reference to her.
Granger’s whole body convulsed as the pascimend left her, manifesting in the form of a small goblin-like creature between them. Draco lurched forward to catch her as she stumbled.
“Are you alright?” He asked, and she nodded, breathing heavily.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She gasped. “You’re ok? You know what it is?”
“It’s a pascimend, yes.” He replied, still holding onto her arms as she gripped his shoulders.
“Feeds on lies. It just got too obvious.” She turned to the creature, which was scowling up at them.
“You’re still stuck here. I’m still getting stronger.” It sneered, and Granger raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting. It’s inclined to lie so…” She turned to Draco. “There’s a way out.”
“No there isn’t!” The creature exclaimed, and Draco smirked.
“Rather revealed your hand there, mate.” He said, and it stamped its foot on the ground like a toddler having a tantrum. “I think I read about them once. If we only tell the truth, it’ll be weak enough to contain.”
“What sort of truths?” She asked.
“They hold more power if it’s something nobody else knows, but I think anything will work.”
“I don’t hate you.” She said immediately, and he smiled.
“I don’t hate you either.” He replied, looking at the pascimend as it tried to hide the pain it was in. “You’re my favourite colleague. The others make too many mistakes in their reports.”
“I’ve been badgering Robards for months about getting you some sort of recognition for all the work you’ve done. I made a petition, and everyone in the office signed it.” Granger said, and he blinked.
“Everyone? Seriously?”
“Everyone. Malfoy, you are one of the best aurors we have. It’s ridiculous that you keep being sidelined for people less competent.”
He smiled at her for a moment, slightly taken aback by her words, before looking down at the creature and finding it smiling at them.
“Granger, was that a lie?” He asked quickly, and she huffed.
“You’re not one of the best aurors, I think you are the best.” She clarified, and the pascimend clutched its stomach as the words cut through it like a knife. “Gods, even if we get out of here, I’m not sure your ego will fit through the cave opening.” She muttered.
He snorted. “I’ll do my best.”
“We need more. Something really serious.” She said, looking at him with panic in her eyes. He nodded.
“Look, I won’t hold anything you say against you. You know that, right?”
“Of course.” She replied, avoiding his gaze. He then watched as she gathered her gryffindor bravery and looked him right in the eye. “I love you.”
He blinked, the world falling away around them. The pascimend was writhing in pain, but he could barely hear it.
“You what?” He whispered.
“I love you. I have for months. I didn’t mean to, but you made it so hard being irritatingly perfect and competent and kind all the bloody time. What was I supposed to do?” She exclaimed. He blinked again.
“I wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball.” He said, regaining his faculties. The pascimend whimpered.
Granger frowned. “The Ministry one?”
“That too, but no, I mean the Hogwarts one. When we were kids. Before the war. I’ve admired you for years, Granger. For a decent amount of my life, actually, and I never knew what to do with those feelings, so I allowed my father to twist them into something ugly. It’s always been you, for as long as I can remember. I never said anything because I thought there was no way on earth you’d ever look at me with anything other than the hatred I deserve for everything I’ve done to you.” He rambled on, feeling physically lighter as the secret of his life was finally shared. A tear rolled down Granger’s face. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, and she shook her head.
“Don’t apologise, you giant idiot.” She said before grabbing his face and pressing her lips to his. The pascimend screamed at their feet as Draco clung to her for dear life, wondering if any of this was even real. If he woke up now, he’d be royally pissed off at his brain for conjuring such a cruel, perfect dream. He decided to ask her.
“Is this real?” He asked softly, his forehead pressed to hers.
“Gods, I hope so.” She replied with a grin. He chuckled.
“I love you.” He said, and her smile widened as she gripped his hand, looking down at the creature.
“Do you think it’s dead yet?” She nudged it with her toe, and the pascimend groaned. “I’m not sure I’ve got much more to tell.” She frowned. That was ok, Draco thought. He had a thousand more secrets to share.
“In eighth year, when Weasley said he sent you that wildflower bouquet, that was a lie. They were from me, he just hid the card. He’d gotten you red roses for your birthday because he didn’t bother to find out that you don’t like them.” Draco said, and she looked at him.
“I hate Ron. There, that’s a truth. He stole so much time from me. From us, as it turns out.”
“The Inquisitorial Squad hid most of what we saw from Umbridge. We all knew what you were up to, but we didn’t tell her.” He said, and she huffed in surprise. They were barely looking at the pascimend anymore, only each other.
“You covered for us? For the DA?” She asked.
“No. I covered for you.” She smiled softly as she looked at him. He could tell she was racking her brain, but it wasn’t in her nature to keep secrets, she didn’t have many left. He pushed on. “The drawing room in the Manor doesn’t exist anymore, I blasted it to hell after my trial. It’s part of the gardens now, Mother planted wildflowers. In third year, I found the Mirror of Erised in some forgotten room in Hogwarts, and I saw you, me, Potter, and Weasley. Just friends, you accepting me. Um…Oh! I know it was you that knitted us all socks when we were kept in Azkaban briefly before our trials. I still have mine, so do Theo, Pans, and Blaise.” The pascimend spluttered, clutching its stomach. “I was supposed to marry Astoria Greengrass when I turned 21 but I refused. My father threatened to disown me because of it, and I would have been ok with that. I think Theo has a crush on Potter and is scared to tell me because he thinks I’ll disapprove but I really wouldn’t, not in the slightest. I’m a lot of things, but a hypocrite isn’t one of them.”
“Draco…” She whispered, and he suddenly realised he was crying.
“I don’t deserve you. That’s the truth. But I’m horribly selfish, so if you want me then even Merlin himself could not stand in my way.” He said, and she laughed, tears rolling down her face too. “You remind me of wildflowers. They remind me of you.”
“They’re my favourite.” She replied. “Delicate, but resilient. Considered weeds, but still beautiful to the right people.”
He nodded, before he sniffed sharply and looked down at the creature. It was no longer moving.
“I think he might have been gone for a while.” Draco said, and Granger laughed before shrinking the body and levitating it into her bag.
“How much of this are we giving Theo to go over?” She asked, rubbing her face, and he grimaced.
“Edited highlights, I think. He won’t thank me for telling you about Potter.”
She grinned. “Harry likes him too. That isn’t a secret as such, he blabs about it all the time when he’s drunk. ‘Mione, have you seen the bloke’s arms?’.”
Draco snorted. “Brilliant. They’ll be horrible together.”
“Absolutely foul, I imagine.” She agreed, stepping towards the door and prodding the stone. It fell away at her touch, and she looked back at him. “And us?” She asked.
He grinned. “Even worse.” He grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers, and all but dragged her out of the cave, back into the light, towards the rest of their lives.