A Treasure Hunt

It was the last day of their Seventh Year and all was good for Hermione Granger until he ruined it for the umpteenth time. Yes, it was his habit—ruining someone else's life because his was just beyond repair. They had been arguing for a while actually. There were a lot of suspicions, assumptions and denials coming from both sides. One refuted from being called a crook and the other had disallowed to be called judgmental for being just honest. But finally after gazillion milliseconds, he gave in and admitted that he took something that belonged to the Gryffindor Princess.

"Malfoy!" she yelped. Now, she was utterly furious. It's a very important possession—a gift from her deceased mother which was the very thing that kept her memories alive but he, being a total bastard, just cold-bloodedly took it from her.

"Why are you being so feisty?" he mockingly asked which just made her angrier and almost pushed her to the thought of wanting to actually rip him apart. "Didn't I say I will return it to you? I am not a thief Granger." He added, sounding almost serious.

"You're not?!" she snorted. "You just bloody stole, without any disgust or whatsoever, someone else's possession! My possession! My locket! With my initials engraved on it. Oh yes, you're not a thief! You actually just took something that is not freaking yours, but mine!" She found herself panting after yelling that much. Oh, she hated having her period during these terrible moments. Hermione then stomped her foot, crossed her arms and glared at Draco who, at the moment, was half gawking and half smiling at her.

"Shocking," he said and then smirked. "Okay then. I'm a thief. But still you won't get your locket." He teased with a brilliant smile plastered on his face.

Hermione was about to retort when Draco suddenly stood up from the couch and approached her. With that close proximity, she could smell the manly cologne he used that whenever she breathed in its scent, would always make her addicted to it.

"Hey, what are you doing—" However, she was not able to continue her sentence because he surprised her by forcefully unlocking those firmly crossed arms of hers and then swiftly grabbing her wrist. For a moment, she thought he would drag her somewhere but what Draco did was more shocking to her. He suddenly held her captive hand and pulled her closer. The feeling of his warm hand on hers and that very small distance almost boiled down that growing anger she was feeling towards him.

As his gaze enveloped the beautiful maiden in front of him, he carefully waded in his hand inside his pocket, taking something he needed to start a little game he had planted for the Gryffindor Princess.

"I see a little pimple on your left nostril Granger," he softly murmured. At that instance, Hermione quickly stepped backwards and heaved her arm away from him but he did not let it go.

"Will you take your hand off me?" She demanded, but his grip remained firm.

"Is that for me or for Weasel?" he jeered as he continued to stare at her nose.

"Leave my pimple alone and again, take your hand off me!" Draco was now laughing at Hermione whose face was just totally scarlet. But he quickly shut his mouth when he felt her wand sticking on his neck. "Take it off," she said menacingly and he obliged.

"I didn't see you take your wand. That was brilliant," he said, sounding really pleased with what had happened.

Hermione dismissed his statement and then extended an open hand in front of him. "Hand over my locket."

"You're pretty terrifying Granger," he said as he dive his hand once more in his pocket. Hermione followed his hand with her eyes as it went down and then up again. "But not enough to scare me off." At that moment, he dropped on her palm a small roll of parchment.

Hermione could not help but to crumple the little scroll out of her frustration as she was still trying to fight the desire of hexing the boy.

"Malfoy, I am playing no games," she said fiercely but Draco, in return, just smirked at her.

"Well now, you would have to." He began taking steps backwards but still did not dare break his gaze on Hermione. "And a little piece of advice. Don't think of throwing that parchment onto the fire because truthfully, that's the only key that would aid you in finding that glinting gold possession you value more than your life." He finished his sentence with a teasing wink which made Hermione want to jump out from the window for thinking that it was rather sexy than annoying. Unfortunately, her sudden contemplation had put her defenses down that she was not aware that Draco Malfoy had just used a disarming spell on her which sent her wand several meters away from her.

"You annoying little coward!"

"I say: good luck to you," he said with another wink and then, set off like a bullet towards the portrait hole to escape. So even before Hermione could utter another word, he was gone, leaving her only with a piece of parchment within her hand.

***

Come now and climb up, puppet. You would have to start at the start if it is end what you seek.
Pretty easy, isn't it?

Those words contained the roll of parchment he had given her. And now what to do? As she sat on his previously vacated couch, she contemplated on her choices. On this wise, she was stuck to choose from being idiotically immature or just immature. She could run down the Great Hall, chase him and hex every single gut he has to be able to retrieve her locket. Or, she could save the energy, humiliation and a little stress by just succumbing to this little game he wants her to play. Hermione looked once more at the scroll. This is more preferable, I guess.

She stood up from where she sat and began to walk towards her room which she guessed as the area he was referring to in his clue. Start at the start was the phrase that gave her the hint. It is as if, it was telling her to begin at the place where he stole the locket—such act that started this setback.

When she got in her room and approached her jewelry box, there was no expectation from her about seeing the locket but just another clue to divert her to a different area. But still and all, Draco Malfoy did not fail in perplexing Hermione Granger. Under the jewelry box were a pile of parchments as thick as the half of her potions book. She removed the wooden box on top of it and examined the parchments.

And it struck her. Those parchments were the study that she made for her application to a Healer's Academy in Australia. It was an essay that she spent a month doing and she believed that she lost them on that very day, the deadline for submission. On that same day, she took it as a sign and decided to give up the thought of wanting to be a Healer. But it was not supposed to be that way if he bloody didn't take it! Oh he really planned ruining my life!

Hermione tried to control her anger to be able to go on with the stupid hunt he created. But inside her mind, she was planning for her vengeance. If she would be facing Draco Malfoy again, she swore he would pay to what he did. She scanned the parchments to see if the clue was with it, but it was not. Her eyes caught sight of the wooden box and it seemed to glow as if it was telling her the next clue is inside it. So, she opened it and there, she saw another roll of parchment—almost identical to the first one though bigger in size.

Do you hate me now, Granger? Oh, why did I bother asking? Silly of me, isn't it. That's a fact that every soul in Hogwarts know. But the best thing here is, it doesn't trouble me at all! And taking your essay was something I was really proud of. I was frantically ecstatic because ever since, I've always wanted to do something such as that to you. So it could be remembered that one Draco Malfoy ripped off someone's dream. (Now, hear my evil laugh!)

I am darn sure you've now imagined a hundred of ways how to get rid of me. But then let me give you a nice idea here. Imagine. I am standing right in front of your door. (Granger, I would bet all my wealth that you just turn your big head towards the door). And now you pretend, one of us as a cat and the other a mouse. Now there's the chase! One is drooling to eat the other. (see? it's a very comical yet nice thought) Surely, one of us would want to hide to escape that evil fate. Now the question, if it was me, where do you think I would hide?

Fact number one, she hates Draco Malfoy but not loathing at every sight. She hates him then another moment it would turn into liking. Yes, she somewhat found him a decent man a moment or two but he was really good at backing up his good deeds with annoying ones. Just like now. Fact number two, he was right. She did look at the door! Was she really that predictable? Or she just had that overflowing desire of hexing him. Fact number three, she felt thrilled. She was eager to solve this problem. And she's totally sure again that she got the answer.

Of course, he's a coward little mouse who would hide anywhere as long it cannot be reached by the gallant yet frightening cat, which is me by the way.

Hermione then began to look for mouse holes—crawling all around her room to see if there's any crack that could be considered as a hiding place. But a sudden realization hit her as she crawled outside her room. There couldn't be any mouse holes inside their common room. The almighty Draco Malfoy made sure that no mouse could get the golden opportunity of setting foot on the mahogany floor of their area. And she began laughing. Hermione just remembered a very good picture of him shrieking at the sight of a mouse. "He looked so gay!" she cried, still on her knees. But if it's not inside a mouse hole, then maybe, it's under the furniture? She began then to peek under every furnishing all around their common room. But to her dismay, she did not see anything that it made her to return to her room to reread again the clue. And boy, she's also tired. Holding with both of her hands the parchment, she read it as she plummeted onto her bed.

"Ouch!" She felt a hard thing just hit her lower back. She quickly sat up and removed the thin comforter that was covering her bed. There's a leather book--brown, antique-looking and really thick. Hermione moved closer to it, held it with one hand and then discovered that it was not a book.

"No!" she cried. "This is my diary! I hid this somewhere! Oh my, he could not have read it." Hermione stared at the book and she didn't want to open it. But what if he did read it?! She started feeling embarrassed and scared. But she had no choice. She would have to face the worst, for the sake of her locket. Hesitantly and with a shaking hand, Hermione opened her diary. At the very first page, there was another scroll.

I would again guess that you concluded that I am the mouse and I would want to hide. You probably exhausted yourself from looking beneath everything inside the common room that you dove onto your bed which is fortunately where this thing is. But I'll enlighten you why it's here. In the first place, I am not a mouse. You know how I hated those ghastly creatures. I just asked you to pretend but not consider me as one. And also, I would consider myself as the cat not the mouse Granger. You would not want to eat me. But I would. I would advance to you like a man, to scare you off, of course. And I know you'll be pretty shocked. Then you would help up your wand and point it at me. But I will continue going forward, and you backwards, until your legs hit the bed and then, I would continue to come nearer to you, force you down onto your bed and then you'll hit it! But you didn't think that way, again, I would suppose.

The letter ended there. She felt relief. Nothing embarrassing here. She thought. Contemplating on what he said, she would have to admit that he was right. She would not want to eat him. No. It was disgusting. But what an imagination! She could not believe either that he could do that to her. Well, okay, yes, he could. He actually did, once. And honestly, having him near her took her breath away. His scent that she would never be fed up of smelling. His eyes that penetrated the deepest part of her soul and that smile he gave off that silenced every word that was supposed to come out—she remembered them as if it was happening now.

But after reminiscing, she realized he did not left a hint about the next place. She scanned her diary and then there it was—attached at one of the pages of it--dated on that day. The very day when the incident that she just replayed in her mind happened! Hermione began to feel cold. She knew how detailed she could become when it came tp writing events in her diary. And that day was not an exception.

I am laughing here Granger. Totally! Now you realize how connected the first part to this one? What I imagined was almost the same as our own encounter with each other! Wasn't it cute? And may I say, you described it in a very interesting manner here in your diary. You're a pretty good writer. The way my scent filled your nose, how our body touched—skin to skin, the warmth of my breath, the details in fact made me think that Hermione Granger…lusts me! Oh please, don't be embarrassed. Every girl actually does, it's normal. So don't worry.

But then, it was just a theory, so not in totality proven as a fact. I consulted the previous accounts and I found out that Draco Malfoy was just a fling. A fling! Because you are actually foolishly, blindly, nauseatingly and disgustingly, in love with Weasel. I've always thought that you are. And it actually made me cry…from incessant laughing. Speaking of crying, do you remember? I've witnessed it. One night, I saw you cried.

Her fears had come about. Draco Malfoy did read her diary! Not only that, but he read the very account about him. And he said that I should not be embarrassed about it?! I should be! And I will always be! He even thought that he was a fling? No. He is not. He's… "How did he find it anyway?" she suddenly asked herself. But she found it irrelevant to trouble herself with. She has another business to do. The locket must be found and dealing with him would come later. She returned her attention to the clue. His final words referred to a moment where he saw her cried. He did? Then, she pondered when.

And it was not hard to remember because it was one of those rare moments that she thought the Slytherin Prince has a heart—a good heart. It was during fourth year, after the Yule Ball. She found herself crying at the garden, just beside the Great Hall, after having a row with Ron regarding matters about Viktor Krum. She was totally devastated that night but then he suddenly surprised her by appearing out of nowhere and acting nice as he handed her his obviously expensive handkerchief. She thought first that it was an evil scheme; that he would make fun of her in a moment as she groveled in sorrow. But when she stared at his stormy gray eyes, she saw sincerity. That moment, she did no more hesitate. It wasn't only that which surprised her. Before he left her, he muttered words she never imagined one day he would say to her.

"Some idiot, Weasel is. He's not worth it, so stop crying, please. You are far worthier than you give yourself credit for Hermione…Granger."

She remembered how her name came out gracefully from his mouth that night. The sound of it pleased her, and the memory just made her smile.

Hermione stood up from her bed and approached her closet. If he was pertaining to the Yule Ball, then it might be here. She thought and opened a drawer where she usually put her handkerchief. And so, she was right. There it was—another roll of parchment. However, the ease of finding the next clue did not comfort her at all. Her face was flushed and it seemed like a fumbled drawer was behind it. "Draco Malfoy, you are really dead!"

She carelessly took the parchment with the cloth and heard something dropped. But she did not mind it. Sitting on the floor, she read the third clue.

Now please excuse me Granger. I had no idea that your handkerchiefs are actually organized with your undergarments, meaning your perfect-sized bras and cute, sexy underwear. I also just intend to put the next clue inside the drawer but my curiosity won over. Could you blame me for that? Yeah, I know curiosity killed the cat. But will you murder me if I tell you that your drawer gave me the best entertainment of my entire life? Those cute strawberry-filled cups of your bra and that underwear with bunnies are my top pick!

But you see, my critically acclaimed comment about your undergarment isn't what this letter is about. This scroll had my handkerchief tied around it. I am returning it to you. I thought that you would want to keep it, since its Draco Malfoy's. Everybody wants it, but you returned it to me. Now seriously, I want you to have it because I know you cry a lot. And having a silk handkerchief worth a hundred galleons to wipe off those salty tears would make you feel better. Trust me.

And then there's this hairpin. Please, don't think I stole it from you. It's not my type of thing woman. I saw it at the garden that night. I went back to tell you not bother returning my handkerchief. But you were gone but there was the hairpin. I picked it up and kept it. Do you know that you touched that thing fourteen times during the ball? You loved it too much as if it was the source of your beauty that night. But it was not. It was you. Ah, scratch that. I meant it was the spell that YOU used. Nothing seemed impossible with magic, isn't it?

Hermione paused from reading to look for the hairpin he was talking about in his letter. She crawled a little and saw it under her bed. It was silver and had four aquamarine stones that formed a simple flower. And she could not help but smile at the sight.

She could not understand how Draco Malfoy did it. She felt like a yoyo. Bouncing up and down—just like her emotions. He flustered him with making her angry and embarrassed but lifted her up by giving such sentimental thing back. But then, he would finish her off by putting her back down. She looked at the underlined words which seemed to emphasize his immense dislike to her. And that was the second, by the way.

Hermione went on reading. The second page was shorter than the first.

This letter is becoming too long. Well, it is because you're almost at the end. This little treasure hunt is about to come to a close. Now, if something's closed, securely locked, why is it so? A treasure chest, a vault and what about a room?Try opening them, you'll find something very interesting. A treasure perhaps? But every chest, vault and a room, needs a key to be locked and be opened. The key is the password. And what of the password. That would be the trick here woman. But I will give you a clue. If a key could open them all, only love Hermione, could open a heart.

Hermione read again the last statement. Did Draco Malfoy just talk about love? And she believed he was serious about it. Love? And wait, is he trying to make me enter his room? His room was a totally secured place. He even charmed it, making it password- protected. But look who's crashing someone else's room. She thought.

Hermione then, stood up from the floor and walked towards the front of his room. She stared at it. There were a lot of things that came into her mind. If there was a thing she would never affixed to Draco Malfoy that would be love. She did not even consider him to know what love is. He was too heartless, despicable and has a view to the world that evil men only have. Well, she was exaggerating a bit. But still, they are each other's enemy. She just got glimpses of the other side of him. Give the man a chance Hermione, you know he's a good man.

"Okay, maybe he did fall in love," she said to the door. "And maybe, she's the password, the one who opened his heart; the one who made him fall in love!" she told herself. Then, Hermione began to think of a possible woman that was romantically involved with Draco Malfoy. It need not of a minute for a name to pop up. This was easy. She thought, smiling. "Pansy Parkinson!" she eagerly exclaimed. But the door did not budge. It's supposed to open it in its own accord, well if, and only if the password is correct. "Tough luck… no, let me try this again. Pansy? Pansykins? Panpan? Pansybunch? Pansy my love? Pansy the eternal love of my life? Baby Pansy? Ugggh! What kind of endearment does he use to call that pug?!"

Hermione started on walking left and right trying to think for another possible name. But Pansy Parkinson was the only girl she knew he was involved with. Yeah, because no other girl wanted him. But she suddenly stopped from her tracks. No, she was wrong. Almost every woman in the school wanted him! "And every girl in the school could be a possible password." She walked again. "No, they might have wanted him but maybe it was different with him. The girl could be close to him. Maybe he sees her every day." But that's just possible in Hogwarts. She stopped again and decided to just guess."Lavander Brown?" Oh she's a Gryffidor. But he sure is a type who loves pretty girls with hot body. "Parvati Patil? Padma Patil?" The Patil twins are also good candidates, but they're out? "Millicent Bulstrode?" she chuckled with such wild guess. "Well, I would just have to recite all the names of women that I know right? Now, you're really going down Draco Malfoy!" Hermione started on saying names that she knew even if they were at the lower years. She didn't notice that a pair of stormy grey eyes were watching her and laughing at her attempts of opening the door.

"Merlin's balls! Who the heck is she?!" She was already tired. She must have said a hundred of names. But the damn door would not budge at all. "Minerva McGonagall? Oh I thought he's got a thing with the professor." Oh wait. Maybe it's not a she! "Severus Snape?"

Draco almost wanted to puke when he heard her say a man's name, especially, Snape's name. Now she thinks I am gay?!

Hermione was hopeful but it didn't open. However, instead of feeling irate, she actually laughed at herself from having such an idea. "Gregory Goyle? Oh wait was it… Gregory Crabbe?" she laughed again. Hermione finally sat down onto the floor and rested her back on the door. "Hmmm… is he in love with Harry Potter?" Nothing happened. "What about Ronald Weasley?" She sighed. "Hermione Granger what has gotten in to--" And it came as a surprise or much more like a shock to her. Her back just hit the cold mahogany floor. Oh yes, the door just opened. He saw it and he knew it was his time to go back to the Great Hall.

***

Hermione remained lying on the floor with her mouth slightly opened. Was the password Ron's name or hers? Am I out of my mind it could not be me "…nor it could be Ron," she said weakly. It could not be me. Not me. No. He hates me! She kept telling that inside her mind.

She helped herself up and brushed the idea to examine his room. It was a typical Slytherin's room but she did not imagine it to be clean and very much organized. He loves books? She questioningly looked at the big bookcase that housed different kinds of books, even those which was written by Muggle authors. As she continued going around the room, she almost forgot that she was there to look for her locket until a sight returned her to her mission. Another roll of parchment was lying on his bed. It was on top of something—a photo of a girl in a yellow dress which was being swept by a strong wind of the beach and the sunset was the beautiful background that made it perfect.

"This picture…didn't I…" lost it? Her heart started to beat like a thousand drums. She was frowning out of confusion. She didn't know what she was feeling. Is Draco Malfoy… is he? Did he?

Now, I would admit I committed the crime of stealing. I stole this picture from you during Christmas last year. You were away that time. And I thought it's effective in scaring those sickly mice. Desperation called. But do you know what happened? Well, I realized you were popular among the mouse population. They thought you were beautiful. So, I was forced to agree with them for them to leave me alone. Are you buying my story? Or am I confusing you? Well, this is the end of this little treasure hunt. I bet you didn't enjoy it. But I hope you're pleased to get your things back. Now, do you realize what a sloppy person you are? So this is good—Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Your locket—the very essence of it all. Just go down to the Great Hall, and it will reveal itself to you even from afar.

XOXOXO – Draco

PS. ____ should not be there.

"That's it?" she sounded disappointed. Well, she's disappointed. Am I expecting more? Yes. And she was not satisfied with the end. He just left her totally flustered. He did not explain what's with his password. And why he stole her picture. As far as she could remember, he taunted her when he saw that. He said that she has big legs and arms. And she has no right to wear a sundress! She reread the letter again and again to find out if there was a hidden meaning with this last note. But there was nothing else! Only some postscript and italicized words for emphasis. "Italicized words?" That was something to think about.

***

Hermione was now dashing towards the Great Hall. She passed by a number of people who bid her farewell but she felt like not stopping. She could not believe him. He made her ride a roller coaster—twisting her mind, twisting the situation, putting mocking words that he did not mean, when in fact he wanted to tell her those six words.

Those five things he returned to her just made her realized things that were important. She was thankful to the person who stole the study because it was the sign that she would have to let go of trying to be what the people around her wanted her to be. She didn't want to be a Healer. She wanted to make a change. Pursue S.P.E.W. and fight for the rights of those who were treated beneath witches and wizards; Purebloods and half-bloods.

He took it because he knew what I wanted.

The diary—she purposely hid it. Her mother gave it to her when she was twelve. She said it has an enchantment and if one day she wanted to find the person who would want to understand her and would succeed on doing so, she would have to hide it in a place she considered the safest but still possible to be located, and the person who would find it might be the one she's looking for. To find someone who would understand your needs, wants and emotion, is a man you could entrust you heart to.

I wanted Ron to find it, even gave him clues, but HE found it instead!

She's very much near to the Great Hall. The marble staircases that she still would have to pass were already visible.

He was almost always there when I felt like I was at the bottom of a well. He was there to pull me up. His handkerchief. It was really stupid. Returning it only after a year of using it. Since whenever she cried, she always uses it, as if it is also wiping not only her tears but also her sorrow.

And he really was accurate with his assumption regarding the hairpin. She felt beautiful because she was wearing that pin. She did not know why she felt that way during the Yule Ball. And when she lost it, she felt like she was Cinderella who lost the pair of her glass shoes.

And then there was the picture. She still did not understand why he took it. She wanted him to explain that to her, personally, in front of her, speaking words not writing them anymore! Of course those six words were another thing to explain.

Finally, she reached the entrance of the Great Hall but she suddenly stopped…to breathe.

"This is it," she said to herself. Once more, she took a final look at those six italicized words she found.

I've always loved you from afar.

***

Hermione entered the Great Hall and she quickly looked at the Slytherin Table. He was there and their eyes automatically met. She used her Gryffindor courage and started to approach him, to confront him. He would have to explain to her. Explain why he played a bastard and a good man. Why he confused her all these years. Why he backed off when she was ready to accept him. Because deep inside, she knew, she waited. She wanted him too.

"Mione!" But that voice stopped her from going any further. She turned around and she saw Ron. Her heart skipped a beat. How did she forget? "Where are you going? Gryffindor table is that way." He pointed to right.

"Oh yes, yes. I was unaware. Sorry." She mumbled getting more confused than before. Ron took her hand, just like he always do.

"I will miss this place too. That's the reason why you're like that, isn't it?" Hermione hastily nodded so that Ron would not ask any more questions to her. They both took seats that faced the Slytherin Table. And she could still see him staring at her. "Oh yeah, a first year gave me this." He handed her the locket. "And this." Then there was another parchment.

Hermione waited for Ron to get busy with his food and that was when she decided to open the last piece of parchment attached to the final treasure.

You opened my heart Hermione Granger. But I failed opening yours. And so this is goodbye.

She looked over his table again but he was not anymore there. With this last piece of parchment, Draco Malfoy was wrong.

But would he still ever find out? When he has already packed and ready to go away? Away from Hermione Granger who at the moment was screaming in her mind… I love you Draco Malfoy. If you only knew… If you only knew…

Please, please Read and Review!

~emgee~