The Art of Secrets

Chapter Three: Going Back to Hogwarts

The rest of the summer passed languidly. Erica and Draco spent lazy days together in the gardens of the Malfoy Manor, soaking up the last of the summer sun, the only real excitement being when Draco would sometimes take to the sky on his broom to practice a few throws, preparing for trying out for the Slytherin team when they returned to Hogwarts. He was determined to become a Chaser, much to Erica's amusement, and refused to relent, constantly badgering her to get up on a broom with him, though she adamantly refused, still not keen on most forms of wizarding travel.

There was a brief period of to-do when they eventually managed to get in touch with Harry and Ron, using the telephone back at Erica's home in lieu of letters, and together they apologised for Lucius' behaviour, but it turned out to be water under the bridge as they didn't hold it against them.

"Put it this way," Ron had said, practically shouting down the ear piece even after the multiple times they'd told him he didn't have to, just to make sure they'd heard, "You can't get a much worse father than Erica's, so don't sweat it."

They let it go after that, and Erica left Draco to it when the call turned towards Quidditch and the current league positions of their favourite teams, which was almost a daily argument between the three of them that she quickly grew tired of after the first minute.

It was after going out for ice cream one day that Erica finally decided that it was time to confront Draco, a few short days before term was due to start again. After hanging up her jacket on the coat hooks in the hallway and kicking off her sandals, she took a hold of Draco's hand and proceeded to drag him up the stairs, ignoring his protests.

"Draco, something has been off lately with you. Pan says you smell like dark magic," Erica wasted no time as soon as they reached her father's study, collapsing into her chair with a sigh as Draco took Severus', lounging back with his head tilted back against the smooth leather.

"I was in father's library a lot over the summer, trying to find out what your locket may be, any spells that might help us, and any clues your father might have left. You know, research," he rolled his eyes at the ceiling before letting them fall closed, sighing heavily as he relaxed further into the chair. "I found an old blank journal with your dad's name in it; Tom Riddle. I asked dad what it was doing there but he wouldn't tell me, even though there was nothing written inside, and I haven't seen it since. He must have taken it out of the library to stop me from taking it, or messing with it, or something."

"So you don't know where it is now?" She frowned, tapping her wand against her desk in frustration, another bad habit that she had picked up from Nicolas over the summer.

"Nope," he popped the 'p', drawing his knees up and digging his feet into the chair, using the desk to propel him as he spun on it idly, "It was blank anyway, but the way father reacted leads me to believe that it was something important. I've searched the whole house and been unable to find it though, so I don't see what we can do now."

"I get my father giving yours a journal. He was a top Death Eater, and Severus got one as well, but his was full of advice and things," she murmured, talking more to herself now than him, though Draco's interest was piqued as he opened his eyes and stopped spinning, staring at her with a raised eyebrow. "So why..."

"Severus got journals as well?" Draco interrupted her, "How did I not know this before now?"

"It was over Christmas break and he read me out a passage from it. I didn't know either," she continued to frown, drawing up her own knees so she could rest her chin on them, "This is all getting really confusing. I've been reading through father's journals again, the ones that he left me, and I'm around halfway through, but I still feel like there's something I'm missing."