Manacled by Senlinyu

Chapter 59: Flashback 34

June 2003

Draco brought Hufflepuff's Cup to Hermione in less than a week.

She recognized it instantly from the pictures she'd seen researching. "You found it."

He looked down at the ornate goblet in his hand. "I would have had it yesterday, but I'm going through the legal channels for vault access as well. It will be transferred to my name within the next month once the Ministry paperwork confirming Rodolphus' death goes through. Traditionally the process should take months, but it's being accelerated out of concern that Andromeda's daughter might try to claim it."

Hermione studied him carefully. "Is there any record that you've been there?"

Draco gave a thin, closed smile. "None at all."

Hermione's throat tightened. She didn't look at Draco as she swallowed and gave a sharp nod.

They couldn't afford any loose ends—but every death felt like an additional noose around her neck. She shoved the thought away.

She opened her satchel and pulled out the sword of Gryffindor.

Draco raised an eyebrow and studied it. "Do you usually carry a sword?"

Hermione stared down at the blade in her hands. "I got it last week. I knew you'd be efficient. I figured I should come prepared."

Draco's eyes glittered. "How do we do this?"

Hermione gnawed at her lower lip. "I'm not sure. We should probably cast a barrier spell, to try to contain any potential backlash. Then, I suppose I stab it." She gave him a small smile. "I've never stabbed a cup."

"I'll do it." He extended his hand to take the sword.

Hermione shook her head and stepped back, pulling the sword closer to herself. "No. I need to. There's very little information on horcruxes in books. I need to analyse and observe it when it's destroyed."

Draco's expression hardened, and he stepped towards her; his eyes were flint-like. "No, you don't. You said Dumbledore was cursed destroying the ring. Give it to me, Granger."

Hermione gripped the hilt more tightly and jutted her chin out as he closed in on her.

"Dumbledore was cursed because, for some reason, he put the ring on. I'm not going to wear it, I'm going to analyse it and then stab it. Harry stabbed the journal without any problem."

Draco's hand closed around hers. "You're the healer. If it tries to kill us, you have a better chance of saving me than I have of saving you."

She didn't loosen her hold. She looked steadily up at him. "I also specialise in analysing and deconstructing Dark Magic."

He stared down at her, his expression a mask. Her heart started pounding, and she tightened her hold on the sword, half-expecting him to try to wrench it out of her hands.

"Draco, let me do my job."

His expression wavered, and he let go of her hand. "Tell me what to do if something goes wrong."

Hermione unclasped the bracelet on her wrist and held it out to him.

"This charm here," she pointed at a small cauldron, "if you activate it, it sends my location to Severus."

Draco's expression flickered, and his mouth twisted into contempt. "Snape is a double agent. I thought the Order had stopped trusting him years ago."

"He's a triple agent. Reducing his official clearance level within the Order is a cover. He has the same clearance I do. He's known about you since the beginning. He's the one who convinced Moody and Kingsley that your offer was probably legitimate."