The Veil of Forgotten Spells

Chapter Three: Whispers in the Dark

The Burrow had never felt quite as heavy as it did now. Hermione stood in the doorway, the sound of the door closing behind her muffling the tension that filled the air. Harry had just told her that Draco was involved in something dangerous, something dark. It wasn't just a vague suspicion—it was real. And somehow, she had been swept into it without even realizing it.

The warmth of the Burrow's hearth, the familiar, comforting aroma of Mrs. Weasley's cooking, all of it felt distant now. As much as Hermione tried to push away the overwhelming sense of dread that had taken root in her chest, she couldn't. Not when she could still hear Harry's words echoing in her ears: "He's in over his head."

"Harry, tell me what's going on," Hermione said, her voice betraying the urgency she felt. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to say more or if she wanted him to stop altogether. But he was already pacing again, the familiar look of uncertainty on his face making her stomach churn. She'd seen that look before—after battles, after fights, after things had gone horribly wrong.

"We don't have all the details yet," Harry said, still pacing. "But there's a growing movement in the wizarding world, something that even the Ministry doesn't fully understand. It's been whispered about in certain circles, and Draco has been trying to investigate it. Whatever it is, it's...dangerous. And it's getting closer to us. To you."

Hermione felt the blood drain from her face. "How close is it?" Her mind raced, searching for answers, trying to connect the dots.

"It's not just a matter of him getting involved. It's more than that," Harry said, his voice tight. "There are people working in the shadows. People who don't want the truth to get out. They'll do anything to keep it hidden."

A chill ran through Hermione's veins as she thought about the things they had fought against—dark wizards, curses, lies—and how much darker things had become in the aftermath of the war. She had hoped that things would settle down, that life would return to some semblance of normality. But now, as she stood here in the Burrow, she realized how naive she had been.

"I'm going to find out what this is," Hermione said, her voice steady. "I need to. I have to understand what's going on. It's too close to home now. And if Draco's involved, I... I can't just sit back and do nothing."

Harry's face softened, though his eyes still held a sense of urgency. "Hermione, be careful. Whatever this is, it's bigger than we're prepared for. And Draco—he's not the same person you remember. This isn't Hogwarts anymore. People change."

Hermione shook her head, her mind swirling with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "I don't care how much he's changed, Harry. I don't believe he would do something like this willingly. There has to be another explanation."

Harry sighed, clearly frustrated. "You're right. But we can't keep pretending everything's fine. This is dangerous, Hermione. It's not just about Draco—there's something much larger going on, something even worse than we've ever faced before."

Hermione felt a pang of worry twist in her chest. She didn't want to believe it. But Harry's words lingered in her mind, like an ominous warning she couldn't shake. Still, there was something inside her that refused to let go. The Draco she remembered—arrogant, proud, yet with a vulnerability hidden beneath the surface—wasn't capable of being caught up in something so dark without a reason.

---

The next few days passed in a blur for Hermione. She threw herself into her work, diving deep into her writing, hoping to keep the thoughts of Draco and whatever dark forces were encroaching on their world out of her mind. But no matter how much she tried to focus on her manuscripts, her thoughts kept returning to him. The way he looked at her in that alleyway, the fleeting moment that seemed to hold so much weight between them. She couldn't help but wonder if she was being foolish. She had worked so hard to move past him, to put everything behind her. And yet, here she was, pulled back into the same uncertainty.

She had always prided herself on being logical, on thinking things through. But her instincts were telling her something else. And when it came to Draco, her instincts had never steered her wrong before. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't turn her back on him.

It wasn't until later that week that she received another owl from Harry, this time with more details.

Hermione, I've been doing some digging. There's a gathering tonight—an underground meeting of sorts. I'm not sure who exactly will be there, but I think it's a lead. We need you to come. This is bigger than anything we've dealt with before. If Draco's involved, we need to figure out where he stands.

The message left Hermione restless, caught between her desire to protect Draco and her fear of what she might uncover. She knew she had to go, that she couldn't ignore this any longer. The truth was just out of reach, and the only way to find it was to step further into the unknown.

---

That night, Hermione found herself standing outside a nondescript building in Muggle London, its windows dark and its door locked. She had no idea what to expect. Her pulse raced with a mixture of excitement and dread, and her fingers brushed against the pocket where she kept her wand. This wasn't like her—rushing into something without knowing the full consequences—but Harry's warning, combined with the uncertainty that had been gnawing at her for days, pushed her forward.

The door creaked open with a barely audible sound, and she stepped inside, the dim light of the hallway offering little comfort. The space was empty, save for a narrow staircase that led down into the shadows below. She hesitated, but the pull of the mystery was too strong. She descended.

At the bottom, the air was thick with tension. A small group of people were gathered in the room, their faces mostly hidden in the shadows. Hermione's heart skipped when she saw Draco standing among them, his platinum blonde hair glinting faintly in the low light. He wasn't alone—there were others here, too. Wizards and witches with faces she didn't recognize, their eyes cold and calculating as they exchanged murmurs in the darkness.

Draco's gaze shifted toward her, and for a moment, everything else in the room seemed to fade away. His eyes locked onto hers, and for a brief second, the world seemed to stand still. The warmth she had felt when she saw him last resurfaced, but this time, it was laced with something more. Something dangerous. Something she couldn't quite place.

Hermione swallowed hard, stepping further into the room. "Draco," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's going on here? What are you involved in?"

His expression was unreadable as he looked at her, but there was no denying the flicker of something in his gaze. Regret? Guilt? Or something darker? She couldn't tell, but it made her pulse quicken.

"You shouldn't be here, Granger," he said softly, his voice carrying a warning. "This isn't your fight."

But Hermione didn't move. She couldn't. Not now, not when everything was beginning to fall into place.

"I'm not leaving until I know the truth, Draco. What are you doing here? What's this all about?"

For a long moment, Draco didn't answer. Instead, he motioned to the group behind him, and Hermione noticed a few of them turning to glance at her with thinly veiled curiosity. A dark, heavy silence filled the room, and for the first time since she had walked in, Hermione felt completely out of place.

Draco stepped forward, his voice low. "This isn't just about me anymore, Granger. It's bigger than both of us. And you're already involved." His gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "You've always been involved."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't sure if he meant it as a threat or a warning, but either way, she wasn't backing down. Not now. Not when she was so close to understanding the truth.

"I'm not afraid of you, Draco," Hermione said, her voice steady. "But I won't let you drag me into whatever this is. Not without knowing everything."

Draco's lips tightened as he took another step toward her. "You should be afraid, Granger. There's more at play here than you realize. And some things... some things are better left untouched."

But it was too late for that. Hermione was already too deep in, and there was no turning back now.