Timeless

Chapter 37

Present Time: January 2005 / Draco's Time: Same as present

Draco Malfoy

Draco laughed to himself when he saw the Hermione Malfoy hand on the family clock in his father's study. He was pleased the house recognized her as a part of the family, even given her blood status. He was also amused that it didn't accept her stupid, hyphenated name. He wondered how his father felt having to look at her name on this clock every day.

Right now, Hermione's hand was at the Social Engagement spot and his parents' hands were still at Traveling. He looked at his own hand at the Malfoy Manor end of the clock and sighed. He loved this house and wished he could come here more frequently, but that wasn't a good idea with his father attempting to obliviate him every time he got Draco alone.

Draco turned away from the clock and sat at his father's desk. It still smelled a little like him, that mixture of fresh ink, bergamot, and pipe smoke that was unmistakably Lucius. He ignored the pang in his chest and started to open the top drawer, but his hand paused on the knob.

Even though he was no longer a boy, a part of him was hesitant to rummage through his father's things without permission. He reminded himself why he was here, then shook his head and opened the drawer. He was interrupted by Potter just a few moments later.

"Have you found anything yet?"

Draco sighed. Potter and his friends talked too much. "Assume no, unless told otherwise."

"You're grumpy today..." Potter muttered as he turned back toward the bookshelf he was inspecting.

Of course Draco was grumpy. He was currently rifling through his father's study like a common thief. Who had to spy on their own parents like this?

"Check to see which of those books he's read most recently," Draco called to Potter.

"I was already planning on it," Potter grumbled, and Draco saw a blue string emerge from the tip of his wand and begin to crawl along the spines of the books like a worm. Potter looked back at Draco and cocked his eyebrow before saying flippantly, "I don't need your help doing my job."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Why did I agree to bring you?"

Potter shrugged and turned back to watch the blue string's progress. "Because I'm a very talented Auror?"

"No."

"Because I defeated the Dark Lord, so Lucius Malfoy is hardly a match for me?"

Draco looked over at him and saw he was smirking. "No," Draco said firmly. He'd learned in the past few years that Potter was actually one of the humblest people he'd ever met. He never bragged about anything in front of his other friends and reserved this mock arrogance for Draco alone.

"Oh, right, I know why. Because Hermione told you to."

Draco didn't respond and went back to the desk. He'd found a well-worn scroll with a few pages that were heavily marked with his father's thin scrawl. "That's what I thought," Potter muttered to himself.

"She doesn't control me," Draco said defensively as he skimmed the scroll.

"Oh no. I get it, really. Ginny doesn't control me either, but it doesn't stop me from choosing the path of least resistance whenever I can." Draco smiled to himself at the accuracy of that statement and when he looked back at Potter, he saw the spell had finished and three books were glowing blue.

"Which ones was he reading?" Draco asked.

"These are all books on time travel. No surprise there." Draco was about to tell him to make copies, then saw Potter was already working on it, so he focused back on the scroll in front of him.