Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Disclaimer: **All of the Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Only Olenair belongs to me.

**Notes: **Ah yes, another fic, I just hope this hasn't been done before (lol). For this story, there are a couple of important notes:

**o1. **Lucius is still in Azkaban.  
**o2. **Hermione and Draco have graduated from Hogwarts, and are both employed at Gringotts.  
**o3. **From now on, italics are flashbacks.  
**o4. **This whole story (except for the flashbacks)is from Draco's POV. :)

I hope you enjoy this fic :) Feedbacks are appreciated.

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_In a place far away where darkness ruled the sky, and was uninhabited by humans and animals alike, laid a dark and buried secret. This secret hid itself for centuries unknown to the world, except for two people. One of them was the original owner. He was a small, frail man who had nothing except his son, and his workshop. However, he did possess something that was very valuable, but decided to keep it hidden and away from prying eyes by going to the outskirts of London, where it was deserted and buried it there. He had cast a very strong protection spell, and the only key was another valuable – a necklace - that he had made. It was simple, and he knew no one would think twice of it so he wouldn't need to worry._

_However, he was wrong. There was also another person who knew of his secret. He had heard from one of his sources that there was a very valuable treasure hidden somewhere, and that it belonged to an old man. This person was very greedy, so when he had heard of the news, he wanted to search for it right away._

_The only obstacle that was in his way was the old man, and he needed to get rid of him._

_There were different versions to the story, however. Some say that the evil man had found the owner and killed him, managing to possess the key to opening the buried secret._

_Others had said that the owner had somehow escaped, carrying his key with him, to a location far from England. The other man, who was more than furious with the news, had killed something the owner had cherished very much – his son. _

_Quite a few had said that the son had found out how deep in trouble and in danger his father was in, and fought to save him, dying in the end as a hero. _

_No one knew exactly what had happened, but they didn't mind as they can just create their own version of the hero versus villain story, or they can tell the story that their previous generation had told them._

_The real events, however, were comprised of bits and pieces of these different versions, along with other happenings that no one knew of. _

_The real story lied within the necklace that was used as a key to the buried secret. It was hidden somewhere in London, but no one seemed to have found it and unlocked its history._

_Until now._

_It's time for the true tale to unfold..._

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**TBC.  
**please R**_&_**R. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Secrets From Beneath**

**Notes: **

Hafthand - Thanks for your comment :). I'm waiting for the next chapter on your story!!

Black Vampire Mistress - lol funny. Thanks for reviewing :)

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**Chapter 2**

It was quite interesting if one remained quiet for a moment and listened only to the sounds surrounding them, especially if it was in a workplace setting. Bits of gossip can be heard from a few of the women, the voices of businessmen negotiating contracts and deals can be heard throughout the room, and of course, the scratching of quill against parchment.

The best sound of all was, obviously, the mumbled curses that were coming of Granger's mouth. She was very irritated with the loads of work she was given, and the fact that she hadn't accomplished much of it was due to, well, me. You see, for the past few hours, I have managed to make her very frustrated by saying or doing anything that may distract her from her work, and my plan had worked marvelously. The reason for my nonsense? The fact that I was bored out of my mind with my own load of work may have contributed to me finding some sort of entertainment; and besides, I love the look on Granger's face when she gets mad.

"Malfoy!!"

"What?" I asked innocently. "Something the matter?"

"You! And everything you do!" she hissed through gritted teeth. She would never want to get in trouble with the boss for yelling at a colleague, so whenever she was infuriated, she would try to put on a straight face. However, I knew that inside, she wanted to explode; I've made it one of my life goals to see that very moment when she does.

"What did I do?" I could practically see steam coming out of her ears now.

"Would you please stop being so disruptive?! There are other people here besides you, you know," Granger scolded.

"I don't quite know what you're talking about. I'm just sitting here doing my work, minding my own business. Perhaps you should keep that temper of yours down," I suggested in my usual calm manner.

"Shut up, you stupid git," she mumbled, turning her attention back on the papers in front of her. I chuckled to myself at how I caused such a reaction from Granger. It was quite amusing, and I wished I could continue distracting her, but the boss was coming our way.

Great, it's time to work. Now, where's some blank piece of parchment when you need it?

"Hermione!" The boss, who was a goblin by the name of Olenair, called out. He had always viewed Granger as his most dependable and responsible employee; so much so that he was on a first-name basis with her. However, it wasn't the same with the rest of his staff.

I quickly shuffled through my pile of papers, pretending to look busy, as he came closer and closer. I could hear Granger quietly snickering to herself at my actions, but I only gave her a scowl back in response. That should silence her for a moment or two.

"Yes, sir?" she asked, giving Olenair her full attention.

"It's getting quite late now, are you almost done your paperwork?" he asked politely.

"No, I haven't, sir. I've only finished almost half of it due to some... disturbances." Once she said the last word, she gave me a quick glance, to which the boss followed Granger's gaze onto me.

I reckon I'm going to work late tonight. And it's all because of her.

"I see," Olenair said, knowing fully what she was saying. "You seem awfully tense after today. Why don't you go home and rest, and I'll take care of this paperwork for you?"

I could sense that Granger was bursting in happiness. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped; her expression seemed to have matched that of a child who had gotten the latest model of the Nimbus broomsticks. Actually, that reminded me of well, me.

"Oh, thank you, sir! I appreciate your generosity very much, thank you!" she exclaimed happily. I knew she was on the verge of embracing her boss, but thought better of it.

She turned back to me with an expression of total dislike on her face. She knew I loathed the fact that she was better than me, and how our boss seemed to have placed his full trust on her only. Oh, how I hate her so.

Once she finished cleaning up her workplace and was now exiting the floor to return home, Olenair turned to me with the same look of dislike as Granger gave me moments before.

"As for you, _Mr. Malfoy_," he said with a sneer. "You better get working, or you'll be here for a long time."

With that, he placed the rest of Granger's unfinished work on top of my own and left, leaving me shocked. I knew I would be staying late tonight.

I hate Granger.

No, I hate her _very much_. Yes, I do.

I must remind myself to kill her when I see her tomorrow morning. Hopefully, the workload won't kill me first.

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_2:00am..._

Finally finishing the last of the paperwork, I quickly exited my department floor. I didn't want to stay in there for too long and decided to just leave all my papers and documents in messy piles, so that I could sort it out later. After all, I DO need some of my precious sleep in order to function. I just hope the boss doesn't complain about it.

When I finally arrived at my Manor, I was much too tired so I was practically stumbling my way around, trying to change into my nightclothes and managing to take a quick shower, all the while feeling very miserable. I wanted to satisfy my hunger also, but since it would only be a few hours before I have to return to work, I decided I would have to sacrifice food for some sleep.

Once I had reached my bedroom, I collapsed on top of my bed right away. Immediately, I felt a sense of warmth and comfort, as I pulled my comforter over my head, hoping to get some goodnight's sleep.

And I did. I was dreaming that I was the rich boss, replacing Olenair in managing Gringotts, and also torturing Granger by forcing her to do endless amounts of paperwork and other things that needed all the intelligence that she could muster. Ah, how I wish that dream would never end.

_4:13am..._

"Malfoy."

"Malfoy!"

"MALFOY!!!"

I woke up with a start. I had dreamt that Granger was begging me on her knees to spare her a day off or two, and that she was calling my name repeatedly. I was about to say a particularly nasty remark when I was rudely interrupted. I looked around my bedroom, wondering if I did indeed imagine my name being called out, when I saw a horrible sight in my fireplace.

It was her face.

"Holy shit, Granger! Do you really want to scare me to death with that face of yours?" I yelled out, breathing heavily and clutching my chest.

"Oh, so I have scared the Great Draco Malfoy, have I now?" she ridiculed.

"Me, the Great Draco Malfoy," I echoed, trying out the name. "I like the sound of that. Why Granger, I never knew you thought of me that way."

"I-I-" she was at a lost for words. "I would never!"

Even if it was dark, and her face was in the fireplace, I could tell she was blushing madly. She was so easily gullible.

"I really need some sleep, Granger, so if you came here for a reason, tell me now. Unless you disrupted me for other particular reasons," I said, waggling my eyebrows and giving her a suggestive wink.

She looked at me, astonished, and blushed even more. This was definitely a lot of fun on my part.

"You have a very distorted mind," she stated, looking disgusted. "But yes, I did come here for a reason."

I raised an eyebrow. "Go on, I don't have all night, you know."

"I'm quite aware of that. However, I come bearing news," she paused. "Bad news."

"What is it?" I asked, becoming more interested in what she had to say.

"Olenair"-here, I gave a shudder. I truly hate that name-"told me that you were working late tonight. Have you seen anything unusual?"

I contemplated that question for a while. I haven't really seen anything that was out of the ordinary, well, except for that one moment when I was taking a quick break and I discovered a green hair in my usual blonde. Oh, and there was that time when I was taking another break, and I noticed that when I did my well-known smirk in front of a mirror, it just didn't seem quite right – which reminds me, I must practice my smirk more. I wonder if those bizarre incidences were what Granger wanted to know?

"By unusual, what do you exactly mean?"

She sighed heavily. "There was an attack just right outside of Gringotts a few hours ago. You were working late, so you should have been aware of it."

I was utterly shocked. "No, I haven't. I was probably too tired from completing YOUR work that I hadn't noticed anything else."

Even in the strangest of times, I still managed to throw insults. It must be one of my natural skills.

"Well, you probably would have avoided the situation if you hadn't spent all your time disrupting me from my work! Sometimes, I wonder how you even _got_ this job!" Granger yelled out.

"I do have the skills and intelligence for this job, you know! More than you have yourself, I'm sure!" I retorted.

"Is that so? Then I must ask why you've been so negligent to your work ever since you've been employed at Gringotts? Why Olenair respects _me _more than _you_? Why I'm the top employee and am currently being considered for a promotion?"

I knew she was gloating, but I couldn't say anything since I knew that what she had said was all true. Did I say how much I hated her?

"Anyway," she said, interrupting my thoughts. "We're getting _way_ off-topic here. I need you to come down to Gringotts immediately."

"Maybe I don't want to. I'm not going to take any instructions from you."

"Malfoy, shut up, please. I'm not even the one giving out these instructions, so go complain elsewhere. I really don't have time for this. Just get your arse down here, or you'll be doing even more work than you did tonight," she stated, before her face disappeared from the fireplace.

I let out a loud sigh, and reluctantly got out of bed. I should make another life goal to spend more time sleeping in it. Yes, I should do that soon.

I unhurriedly changed my clothes in a groggy manner in order to stall for some time, and then finally apparated to my workplace. Now, let's see what all the fuss was about.

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**TBC.  
**please R**_&_**R. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Secrets From Beneath**

**Notes:**

Ptrst - Thanks for your comment :)

Sabi4ever - Thank you :). I think there'll eventually be a romance, but I'm taking it really slow to keep it a bit realistic.

rising waves - lol thanks so much! I hope this chapter lives up to the last one.

Pranks Are So Siriusly Padfoot - lol thanks for reviewing :). I hadn't read many stories with Draco's POV, so I thought I'd try it out. I'm glad you found the last chapter funny, it was very fun to write :D.

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**Chapter 3**

When I arrived at Gringotts a few seconds later, I noticed that there were several people there already – a few goblins (including my boss), a couple of unidentifiable witches who may be from the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Magic, and of course, Granger. She looked very calm as if she wouldn't even budge one bit if, say, a dragon was breathing down her neck. Speaking of which…

"Granger!" I yelled in her ear, causing her to jump.

"Malfoy! Don't ever sneak up on me like that again!" she chided as she caught her breath.

"Oh, and what you did to me earlier wasn't any different?" I asked curiously, remembering the incident vividly.

"I had to wake you up for important matters! But YOU didn't have to yell just now. My ears were functioning perfectly, if you must know."

"How can you be so sure," I mumbled under my breath, earning a death glare from Granger.

"Anyway, am I needed for anything here?" I asked, eagerly wanting to return back to my bed. Ah, my sweet, luxurious bed.

"There may be some people who want to question you, since you were present at the office when the attack happened. There were also several people who heard the two men argue, but there were no eyewitnesses, however."

"But had exactly happened?"

"I wasn't really informed about the specifics, but supposedly, a man had attacked another in some sort of robbery situation, but both men had disappeared before anyone knew what was really going on."

"I see." I couldn't believe all of this had happened right under my very nose. I must've been VERY tired and over-worked to have noticed the incident. I blame Olenair, and Granger, of course.

"I understand why I'm here, but I don't understand what you're here for," I questioned, realizing her unexplained absence.

"Olenair was informed about this incident, and then he contacted me. He instructed me to speak to you, and find out if you've noticed anything out of sorts," she explained coolly. Ah, I should have known. Little Miss Perfect would do anything for the boss if it meant that she would receive some sort of reward at the end. Why on Earth haven't I figured that out?

"Well, I haven't witnessed anything, so can we just get this over and done with? I'm feeling very tired after I was woken up with such an awful appearance," I said impatiently. I saw Granger frowning deeply, but didn't retort my response.

"You ungrateful, little-"

I didn't hear the rest of her mumblings as she had already walked off furiously, but I was simply delighted. Who knew Granger had some mental disabilities, talking to herself like that? I should send her to St. Mungo's to investigate on her mental health. I mean, one must take careful precautions especially when working with a woman who was completely and utterly insane.

When I realized that I was standing alone smirking to myself, I quickly changed my expression and looked around to see if anybody caught my action.

Nope, nobody. Good.

I quickly searched the area for any sign of an insane woman with extremely frizzy hair that could secretly please me in hexing, or a short, plump goblin who was in dire need of some satisfying entertainment in his life. Alas, I saw the two of them chatting away with one of the investigative witches near the front entrance of Gringotts. I walked towards them, hoping to catch a bit of their conversation, but as I got closer, they all glanced at me, wearing frustrated expressions on their faces.

Oh, how I felt so at ease in their company.

"That's him," Olenair pointed his stubby finger right at me. I suddenly felt as if I was the criminal, being caught in the middle of doing an illegal act. Except that I didn't do anything wrong… this time.

"Hmm," the witch from the Ministry of Magic checked me from head to toe. I was about to say that I wasn't interested in middle-aged witches who looked as if they hadn't slept, and bathed, in ages when she spoke first.

"So, Mr. Malfoy, would you mind describing to me your account of what had happened?" she asked sternly.

"Well, I was working late due to-" I paused when I saw Olenair's disapproving face, "to certain circumstances. I had a huge amount of workload to complete in such little time, which was not my fault in the first place. I mean, I did not do anything wrong, so I didn't know why I was punished to-"

Olenair interrupted me when he faked a cough to stop me from going any further.

"Well, anyway, as I was saying, I was too occupied with other matters that I, in fact, haven't noticed any other peculiar noises in the neighbourhood," I concluded very nicely, if I must say so myself.

"I understand," the witch nodded slightly as she jotted down a few notes. Being the curious person, I leaned forward a bit to find out what she was writing about, but unfortunately, she seemed to have sensed my looming presence and immediately looked straight up. I, somehow, managed to have repositioned myself in time, pretending to be dusting off my clothes, even though they were completely free of any lint, hair, or any other such things.

Oh, wait, what was that? Did I just spot a hair on my robes? No, no, it just couldn't be. It was probably just my imagination. I couldn't possibly be losing so much hair at such a young age. Preposterous.

"Well, seeing as Mr. Malfoy hadn't witnessed much of the attack due to his own affairs, I think we're done here. We'll be in contact if we have any further information," the stubby witch said, shaking Olenair's hand, and then Granger's. Strangely, she ignored me and went towards her co-workers.

I knew I didn't like her from the very first impression. I just _knew_ it.

"I must be taking off, if nothing more can be done. The bank's opening in a few hours and I must need to rest. I'll see you in a while, Hermione," Olenair said, giving her a warm smile.

He then turned to me with a cold expression and simply said, "Malfoy," before apparating back to his home. I really do hope that the dream that I had not long ago would come true.

Granger and I were left alone with an uncomfortable silence that made me more interested in my shoes than ever before. What was the name of the shop that I bought them in? They were pretty expensive and I hoped that I could purchase another pair, just in case.

"So, Malfoy…" Granger started, hoping that I would start a conversation. However, I had no intention of doing that; I was more engrossed with my shoes than I'll ever be with her. And that's saying something.

"Malfoy…" she repeated, but more intolerant this time.

"What is it you want?" I snapped. "Did you want me to comment on how lovely the weather was today? Or how entirely outdated your wardrobe is? Or how sickening it makes me feel whenever you act all perfect around the boss?"

Granger looked shocked by what I had just said. To be honest, I was too. I hadn't expected that those words would come out of my mouth so freely like that. I should do it more often.

"N-no," she said, clearly upset. She seemed to have wanted to say something, but changed her mind, and instead kept her mouth shut. I wondered what she had wanted to say.

"Look, Malfoy, I understand that you have some issues against me. It has clearly been evident for a long time now, ever since all those times you had made fun of Harry, Ron, and I, and called us numerous childish names. But I want you to know th-"

By this time, I had tuned out of Granger's little speech. If she had expected me to listen to what she had to say, especially after mentioning Potter and Weasley, she was wrong. I wanted no part in this conversation, which was why I began looking at everywhere but Granger's face. I was beginning to feel extremely bored and was almost about to hex her to shut up, when I spotted something on the ground behind Granger. It was partly covered in mud and hidden along the edge of the building, which was probably why no one else had retrieved it. I was beyond fascinated at the unknown object and decided to investigate it myself, when Granger's voice came back into my mind.

"-which was why I wanted it for quite some time now. What do you say?"

I looked confused. What had she been telling me just now?

"I say…," I said hesitantly, desperately thinking of an answer. "…it's fine."

My response seemed to have worked since Granger's eyes had widened in surprise. I _am_ so good.

"Really? Well, I would never have… I…" she stuttered, trying to find the right words. "That's…great! Just great!"

I couldn't distinguish whether that was a bit of sarcasm or just happiness, but I could go either way. I didn't care, as long as she would get out of my way so that I could find out what that object was.

Goodness' sakes, why is the woman still talking?!

"I should have proposed it much earlier if I had known you would actually agree to it! I just… I… I don't know what to say!"

Good! Now sod off.

"I just… this is… I mean, this could be the start of a new beginning, do you think?"

"Yes, yes, whatever you want," I said impatiently, my eyes still on that object. It was shimmering in the dirt now, daring me to come closer, except I couldn't – Granger was still talking.

"I never knew that you would agree to it so quickly. I had gone through what I had said so many times in my mind because I had no idea how you were going to react, but I just-"

"Granger!" I shouted out, my eyes now on hers. "Would you stop blabbering? I have a headache right now, and can't be bothered with anything else."

"Oh. All right, then," she said, a bit confused. "I guess I'll see you in a bit."

She still remained where she stood, and just when I was beginning to wonder when she will ever move, she apparated herself away. Finally.

My eyes went back to the shiny object, still glistening in the dark. I came closer towards it, and carefully reached for it. When it was in my hands, I realized how lucky I was to have possessed such great eye vision. The object in my hand seemed very valuable; it was a silver necklace, and from it, dangled a pendant that was in the shape of a small creature which seemed dragon-like and entwined with another creature – a snake. I looked closer, and to my surprise, they were actually moving around creating some sort of tiny diamond in the middle. The sight was really very beautiful, and I was glad I didn't have to share this new discovery with anyone else. Making sure that no one was around me, I carefully put the necklace in one of the pockets of my robes so that I would be able to examine it more at home-

Which reminds me, I must get back to my bed soon, or else I wouldn't be able to get up to work in an alert manner.

But I'm never alert and willing to work, so what would it matter if I overslept an hour or two?

Nope, I'm certain Olenair wouldn't care at all.

----X----

**TBC.  
**please R**_&_**R.


	4. Chapter 4

**Secrets From Beneath**

**Notes:**

rising waves - Thank you for your comment! :) I think that's a good idea; it's definitely the most realistic way to write their relationship. Oh, you gave me so many ideas! I'll give you credit on that ;)

Karana Belle - Hello! Don't feel bad.. at least you left me a review, and I really appreciate that! Draco seems to be in his "own world" so I thought it was pretty cute how he agreed with Hermione without knowing what it was. I'll give you a bit of clue about it: the thing that he agreed to isn't a really big factor to the plot of this story, so you shouldn't worry about it too much, but I think it'll help push him and Hermione's relationship in the right direction a little;)

Hafthand - Thank you so much for reviewing. I hope you like this story so far; I'm totally in love with all of your stories! I seriously can't wait until YOU update your story! ;)

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**Chapter 4**

Well, believe it or not, I was wrong.

I came to work late this morning due to sleeping in for a bit longer than I thought, and hadn't had much time to change my clothes from last night. Thankfully, when I made my entrance "fashionably late", I hadn't spotted my boss anywhere. Thinking it must be my lucky day, I slumped on my chair, slowly organizing my papers that I had left in cluttered stacks the previous night. I had been busy doing this for several minutes that I hadn't noticed that someone was approaching me.

"Malfoy," Granger hissed in my ear. I turned around, managing to conceal my shocked expression from her unexpected call.

"What do you want, Granger?" I asked lazily. "I haven't got the time for a chit-chat right now."

"Why did you arrive so late?" she inquired curiously.

I only shrugged my shoulders in response, which seemed to have made her a bit upset. What, did she actually expect that I would reveal my whole life story in front of her? I think not.

"Malfoy…" she said in a displeased tone.

"What is it?" I said impatiently. "You know, I'm beginning to reconsider your hard-working and devoted appearance."

"Why would you think that?" she asked, confused that I would say such thing to her.

"Well, you're always around me when you're supposed to be completing your work. Is there something that I should know about?"

She didn't respond for several seconds, and looked surprised at my sudden question. Then, without a warning, she suddenly blew out an aggravated sigh and walked off, causing quite a few stares at my direction from a couple of other co-workers. Well, it was entirely Granger's fault for trying to converse with me when I was clearly busy. That should teach her to stop talking to me whenever she wanted to; I don't think that I could be around such a mad woman.

There was hardly any cool air circulating around the floor, so I decided to take my robe off and hastily placed it, using my wand, on one of the new hangers that my department floor had purchased not long ago. I then went back to my work, but when I stared at the endless amounts of paperwork that I had to accomplish within a day, all the focus and concentration that I had minutes earlier had disappeared. All I could do was gape at how much time that I would have to spend completing them, instead of doing something even more interesting. Well, that just basically described my whole, entire life.

I will do this, yes I will. I will complete every task that was expected from me, and surprise each and every one of my co-workers, especially Granger and Olenair. I will do such an excellent job that would make Granger full of pure jealousy, while the boss would give me a raise, promotion, or any similar sort of reward.

Now that I had my mind extremely determined and motivated, it was time to set my plan into action.

Except for the fact that I couldn't. My hands remained in the same place, instead of reaching for my quill to start the day's work. I reckoned that I just couldn't motivate my body as easily as my mind.

I guessed it was time for a break.

I leaned back on my chair carefully as to not break my wooden chair, closed my eyes, and began massaging my temples. In an attempt to decrease the amount of stress I was having from my work, I tried to imagine a small, serene place to clear my mind. I pictured myself wandering around in a forest, breathing in nature's scent and marveling at the scenery. The sky would be a clear blue colour with few white clouds lingering about; the trees were marvelously tall and full of healthy, green leaves and birds that were perched upon the branches, singing out loud for the whole world to listen. I could hear the sound of water splashing about in the river near by, and for once, I actually felt at peace.

"What's this?" a female voice asked.

Who was that? Why was there a female voice inside my head, inside my imaginary forest? I should be the only one in that place!

"It's so pretty," she cooed.

There she was again. I looked around my forest, but saw no one. This was not right. This was supposed to be MY imagination; I invited no one into my "secret" place!

"I wonder if it belongs to anyone," she said, her voice penetrating through my mind.

I suddenly woke up, my eyes alert and searching the surroundings. I was still at Gringotts, but I must have slept for a few minutes and dreamt about exploring the forest. Hmm, I should do this more.

"Oh, I want to keep this very much," the female said.

My ears heard that same voice again, and I looked for any woman whom it may belong to. My eyes rested on Granger, who was not far from me, holding something in her hands. The sight seemed very peculiar to me, so I tried to figure out what exactly she was doing for several moments, before I finally figured it out.

She was stealing my necklace! The same girl who believed in morals, ethics, and laws; the same girl who scolded me whenever I did something "wrong"; the same girl who was the first to complete any task assigned to her! That girl was currently taking an item of mine, without my consent, which by the way, I would never give to her.

"Accio necklace!" I said, pointing my wand at her. The necklace flew right out of her hands and into mine, to which I then placed the piece of jewelry in the pockets of my pants where it would be much safer from Granger's dirty hands. If she ever tried to steal it again, she better think twice.

"Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, questioning my actions. I _knew_ what she was up to; there was no need to use those tricks of hers.

"What are you questioning me for? I should be asking what _you_ were doing!"

She walked a bit closer to where my desk was, and placed one hand on her hips. "For your information, I was just observing that object, which was on the floor. Is that some sort of crime?"

"However, it was mine. I caught you stealing MY necklace! So to answer your question – yes, it was a crime!"

She only rolled her eyes, which made me feel even more infuriated. Honestly, how could _anyone_ like that woman?! She was obviously a nutter.

"Well, I didn't know that it belonged to you, otherwise I would've left it alone. What was it doing on the floor anyway?"

It must have fallen from my robes while I was sleeping… er, I mean, working. "I have no idea. I should ask _you_ that."

"Really, Malfoy," Granger sighed. "Don't you think you're blowing this out of proportion? I really didn't do anything wrong."

Why must she sound so innocent all the time?! I know her little secret she was keeping from everyone: she may seem polite and ingenuous on the outside, but deep inside, she was full of defiance that was ready to come out of her. I can just _feel_ it.

"You don't call embezzling my necklace _wrong_?" I said with disgust. "Well, Granger, I'm afraid of what you do think was right."

She looked defeated, but she wouldn't admit to it. I could sense how stubborn that woman was.

"What exactly do you want me to do, then?"

Ah, that particular sentence was music to my ears. I was more than pleased at the amount of possibilities that were going through my mind at the current moment. There were just too many situations that I wanted to torture Granger with that I couldn't think straight. Now, what was number one on my list again?

When I didn't answer her straight away, she continued on. "Do you want me to apologize? Do want me to beg you for forgiveness? What Malfoy, what, pray tell, do you want me to do?"

I do wish that Granger would calm down for once. I mean, she had never, and probably never will, ask these questions again, so I needed time to think of the perfect answer. Maybe I could have her beg on her knees or find another way to humiliate herself in front of the people who she admired. I glanced at her appearance; I think I could have her participate in any tasks that I need, to have my Manor spit-spot clean since she seemed to have already dressed similar to the fashion style of my house-elves. I grinned devilishly at my ingenious plan.

"I thought we agreed to something!" she exclaimed.

"What are you talking about, woman? I could never agree on anything with you! Well, except for your extremely outdated sense of style," I sneered. I always found it amusing when I made fun of Granger; the look on her face made it worthwhile.

"I knew it," she whispered, almost tearfully. "I knew it was too good to be true. How could I have fallen for your ruthless tricks? Some things can never change."

Before I could let a word out of my mouth, she had walked off and disappeared into another room. I doubt I could ever understand women.

Just to make sure, I checked the pockets of my pants to verify that my necklace was still there. Yes, it was, safe from prying hands. Satisfied, I turned back to the work that I still had not completed. I checked the time and saw that I still had seven more hours until I could return back home.

I think it was time for another break.

* * *

**TBC.  
**please R_**&**_R.

(oh, by the way, I'm just curious but is there any other evil villain besides Voldemort??)


	5. Chapter 5

**Secrets From Beneath**

**Notes:**

Pranks Are So Siriusly Padfoot - Thanks for your reviews :). I'm really flattered by your comments and I'm glad that you adore the way I wrote this story :).

Ron's Only Girl - That must've really hurt :(. But don't worry about it. I'm glad you had the chance to review my story :).

Hafthand - Thanks for your review! Yup, there's always tension between those two... it's more fun that way and i can't have them falling for each other just yet :)

Karana Belle - Thanks for your review :). hmm, yeah, his followers are pretty evil... maybe i could use them :). haha, trust me, what they agreed on isn't that important... there'll be bigger things later ;)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_It was a dark, starry night with the moon shining every so brightly above Parca, a small, unknown village in London. The town consisted of a few hundred residents, all who maintained a healthy sense of friendship between each other. Everyone, by now, would have gone to bed, exhausted from household chores, and jobs that required as much strength as one could muster up. The children would be sleeping peacefully, dreaming about the wonderful day that they had playing to their hearts' content and enjoying as much of their childhood as they possibly could. There was a feeling of peace throughout the whole village, which was what made it seemed very ideal to others who had not lived in it for long._

_Although the night seemed silent, faint sounds can be heard if one listened closely. Traveling closer to one end of the village, where the houses were a bit farther apart with trees and bushes surrounding them was a small, old workshop where the faint noises were originated. Light was streaming through the windows, piercing the darkness of the night. Inside the workshop contained a wooden table and a matching chair to accompany it. Papers were clustered all over the table in such a messy manner that no one would be able to comprehend what they were all about – except for one person. That one person, however, was ignoring the papers completely, not wanting to deal with the issues of the outside world. _

_He was, instead, leaning against the window frame, muttering his thoughts out loud. He didn't care; no one was here besides him to hear them._

"_Got to go. Got to get out. Got to go. Got to get out," he said disturbingly, repeating these phrases many times._

_He clutched his hand tighter, and rocked his feet up and down. "Must go, we must go. Must not stay here."_

_Deciding that the light in his workshop was a great distraction, he took out his wand and turned it off. He then went back to his original spot, and peered out the window, looking only at how the leaves on the trees were swaying about from the wind. _

"_You're not safe here, darling, no you're not. Come with me, we mustn't stay here. You'll be safe with me."_

_One would be more than curious at this point, since there wasn't any other person inside the workshop. He was not mad; he was a brilliant man but was driven to insanity by his own creation._

"_Where shall we go? The farthest place from here, I suppose. Yes, I'm sorry, we must leave it here. We can not do anything about it," he paused, letting the silence sink in. "Yes, I know, he'll be left alone, but he can handle. I need to protect you now. Don't worry, darling, everything will be all right once we escape."_

_A sudden shiver went through his body, which made him even tenser than he already was. He grasped his hand even tighter, holding it against his chest, and slid down the wall._

"_Oh no, oh no, oh no," he murmured frighteningly, shaking his head. "It's too early, too early."_

_Outside the wind was howling, making noises as it passed his window, but the old man paid no attention to that. His eyes and mind were completely transfixed on the door, opposite to where he was sitting. Feeling as though he was about to suffocate, he closed his eyes momentarily, taking the time to recover to breathing properly._

_He sensed that someone was approaching, and he prepared himself for the worst. If he used his tactics correctly, he would be able to live through the next day. If not, then at least he had fulfilled his ultimate goal. He started silently mouthing words to a prayer, hoping to be saved from this torturous situation. He would do absolutely anything to receive one more chance at life._

_He could hear someone trying to open the wooden door, but as much locks and spells that he had placed, he knew that they would be able to open it with one flick of their wand. It was simply impossible to escape. The door was slightly opening now, and he inhaled sharply, expecting to face his death._

"_Papa?"_

_He immediately opened his eyes and saw, to his relief, a tall but sturdy boy standing by the door. _

"_What are you doing here, Papa?" the boy asked curiously, walking closer towards his father. "You need rest."_

"_Yes, I know, Salvador," the man said, trying his feelings of fear and anxiety. "I will be fine."_

"_Would you like me to accompany you back to the house, Papa?" his son asked, helping his father stand up. _

"_Yes, thank you."_

_Seeing some sort of shimmering object inside of his father's clutched hand, he decided to help his father carry it, in case it will get lost._

"_Papa, I will help you carry that," Salvador said, as he reached for the object._

"_No!" the old man suddenly exclaimed, frightening his child with such action. When he realized the person he was talking to, his cold expression quickly softened._

"_I'm sorry, my dear boy. That was completely unacceptable of me," he apologized, trying to calm his son down. "Forgive me; I've had a very long day. I'll be fine once I have some rest. Let's head back to the house, shall we?"_

_His son nodded and continued helping his father walk out of the workshop, and towards their own home, which was close by. _

_Little did they know that they were being watched from behind the bushes. _

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**TBC.  
**please R_**&**_R. 

(I apologize if this chapter reminds you of Lord of the Rings somehow, since it isn't my intention. It's very different.)


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Harry Potter, Romance