Hermione woke up late the next morning. She used magic to fix her hair while she did her makeup and got dressed, then made toast very quickly and filled a thermos with coffee. On her way to the Floo, she tripped over Crookshanks who she'd forgotten to feed and cursed. By the time she finally did make it to the Ministry, she was fifteen minutes late and had forgotten her uniform cloak. It was unlikely she'd be going out anywhere, but the Ministry was a bit chilly and she found herself regretting not leaving the cloak in her office.

She hastily passed the other offices, keeping her head down so no one would notice her late arrival. Harry gave her a worried look as she passed him, but she waved him off and ducked into her office. As soon as she had stepped into her office, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the door, taking a few seconds to breathe and enjoy the warmth coming from her thermos before she started what was sure to be a busy day.

"You're late."

"Merlin!" Hermione gasped, one hand darting to her chest as her eyes flew open at the voice. At the sight of who was sitting at her desk, her surprise grew. "What the—Malfoy?"

"Who else could it be, Granger?" Malfoy drawled. His feet were propped up on her desk and if he hadn't been reading through her paper files, she would have cared more.

"Those are confidential," she told him, flicking her wand and closing the files he'd pulled out. Malfoy frowned and looked up at her. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"In your office or in the Ministry?" Malfoy questioned with a smirk. Hermione scowled and with another wave of her wand, his feet were forced from her desk. Malfoy's smirk turned into a frown but he didn't let it stop him from reminding her, "It is my vault that your case concerns, Granger. Isn't it reasonable for me to stop by?"

"Reasonable, yes," Hermione agreed, taking a seat in the chair opposite her desk. "Expected, no. And would you get out of my chair before Harry or Larkin come?"

"I'll be gone by then," he said flippantly, waving a hand around his head. Hermione certainly hoped so seeing as she did not want to deal with Malfoy any longer than necessary.

"What are you really here for, Malfoy? I doubt it's to tell me what was taken from your vault," Hermione said. Malfoy hummed and steepled his fingers under his chin, looking at her curiously. Hermione glared at him. "You can either tell me or get out."

"Did you try to run Crabbe's obituary in the Prophet today?" he asked conversationally.

Hermione started, surprised that was the first thing on his mind. However, one thing did stick in hers.

"What do you mean 'try'? It published this morning," she told him, frowning.

Malfoy shook his head and summoned a copy of that day's Daily Prophet. Where Crabbe's death announcement should have been was the testimony of an old wizard that had died the same day.

"What did you do?" she demanded, tossing the paper back at him.

"I kept your Ministry from running a false report," Malfoy replied. Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Crabbe didn't die in my vault and publishing the report would contradict the Ministry records." At her doubtful look, Malfoy said, "Check. You'll see he didn't die this weekend."

"But he did die?" Hermione asked. Malfoy shrugged nonchalantly and Hermione sighed. This was getting her nowhere. "Are you just going to be cryptic or give me something to work with?"

"Is cryptic really an option?" Malfoy asked with a sly raise of his eyebrow. Hermione scowled and he nodded. "Didn't think so." He stood abruptly and fastened his cloak as he said, "As it is, I'm rather busy with one of my rings so I'd best be going. It's been lovely chatting with you, Granger, but I must take my leave."

"Take your—Absolutely not," Hermione exclaimed, standing up as well. "This is your case and if you want it solved, I need answers from you."

"Send me an owl," he told her, pulling his wand from his sleeve. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "I'll promptly ignore it."

"You can't apparate out of the Ministry," she reminded him.

Malfoy looked uncomfortably innocent as he looked at her and asked, "Oh, can't I?"

He disappeared without so much as a pop but Hermione knew he'd apparated. She cursed loudly and stomped around her desk to sit in her chair that he'd vacated. As she sat down, something poked her bum and she jumped up, cursing Malfoy for being who he was.

When she looked down at her chair, however, she saw a neatly folded envelope with the familiar Malfoy seal on the back. She glanced at her door, wondering if Harry or Larkin would come knocking as soon as she picked it up, and gingerly lifted the envelope from her seat. Dropping back into her chair, Hermione broke the seal on the back of the envelope and pulled out a short card and an old key. The only thing on the card was an address Hermione recognised from an old case.

Holding the key up closer, Hermione could see a very small symbol carved in the center. She grabbed her wand and used a magnifying spell to enhance the charm. Three chain links were interlocked to form a triangle and through the center, a long dagger kept them locked. Although it was a carving, it almost seemed to be breathing and Hermione gasped.

"Syndicate," she murmured. She looked at the symbol closer, but she would recognise it anywhere after seeing it pop up on so many odd cases. "How did you get this?" she mumbled to herself.

A knock at her door startled her so much she fumbled the key.

"Come in!" she called, stuffing the envelope, card, and key into a drawer of her desk and closing it quickly.

Harry stepped into her office with a stack of papers in his hand and a grin. Hermione smiled back and leaned back in her chair while Harry took a seat across from her.

"The spell breakers just sent up the results," he told her, sliding the papers across the desk to her. "No magical trace, but the results are interesting."

Hermione read through the notes quickly, unsurprised to see a curse against muggles and muggleborns was included. An old pureblood trick to prevent heirlooms from being touched or stolen by muggleborns. She'd learned about it once in her advanced history of magic class and still found it demeaning even if the practice was widely frowned upon now. However, it did confirm that whoever possessed the signet ring was part of the Sacred 28.

"Were they able to identify the family crest?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head and Hermione frowned. "Any new leads?"

"Yes, actually," Harry said, brightening up at the thought. "We know whoever broke into Malfoy's vault was also connected to Crabbe, so we were able to draw up a few connections that are possible. A team of aurors went out first thing this morning to bring some in for questioning."

At the mention of Crabbe, Hermione remembered what Malfoy had told her and frowned.

"Harry, did the Prophet publish Crabbe's obituary like we asked?" she asked. Harry nodded, then frowned and paused.

"I thought so," he said. He summoned a copy of the Prophet and skimmed it quickly for the announcement on Crabbe. "Huh," he muttered. "I'll owl and ask what happened to it."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said, taking the Prophet from him. Already knowing she wouldn't be contact the Prophet at all, she said, "I can do it. You work on questioning the possible suspects. I have to owl Zabini and Malfoy anyway, so I might as well do it all at once."

Harry agreed and after confirming lunch plans, he left her office. She waited five minutes before slipping out of her office and making her way all the way down to the records room. As she passed the empty front desk, she went straight for death records.

"Crabbe, Vincent," she said. The bookshelves shifted and books fluttered all around her until the Crabbe family record floated down into her hands.

She flipped to the very last page and glanced over it. It was certainly Vincent Crabbe the book mentioned, but his death date was listed as a year prior. With a frown, she read over the page again.

Crabbe, Vincent Angus. Born 3 June 1980 at Crabbe Estate. Died 9 November 2003 in Gringotts. Cause of death: curse. Avada kedavra.

Hermione's frown deepened. Someone had used the killing curse on Crabbe and it had been in Malfoy's vault, but it hadn't been during the reported break-in. What's more, the goblins hadn't reported the body so either they hadn't seen the vault themselves or they had something to do with it.

As much as Hermione despised working with the goblins, she knew she'd have to go back and ask them more about the break-in and who had been the one to inspect the vault. It was incredibly unlikely the goblins had anything to do with Crabbe's death, but previous cases had come up where the goblins could be offered the right thing and convinced to do something for a wizard. Even if it was unlikely, Hermione couldn't just leave it be.

Hermione went straight from the records room to Gringotts. Seeing as she didn't have her cloak, she didn't bother stopping by her office and Harry was likely already questioning the possible suspects that were being brought in.

As she stepped into Gringotts, she felt some of the goblins' eyes on her but didn't let that stop her from walking up to the center desk and demanding business with them.

"I need to speak with anyone who entered the Malfoy vault before and after the break-in," she informed the goblin. He grunted disapprovingly.

"You'll need an appointment," he said. Hermione scowled. "And we're all booked out."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine. Who is your next appointment?" Hermione asked, glancing down at what he was writing.

"That would be me," said a familiar voice from behind her. Hermione turned around to see Blaise Zabini grinning charmingly at her. "Pleasure to see you again, Granger."

"Mr. Zabini has a booked appointment," the goblin told her with a snicker. "You'll have to come back later."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but Zabini beat her to it.

"Miss Granger is here on my behalf, Hook," he said, winking at Hermione. "Her business is my business."

Hermione and the goblin—Hook, as he was apparently called by Zabini—scowled at Zabini but Zabini didn't look put off. Instead, he held out his elbow to Hermione and gestured for the goblin to lead the way.

"I believe a private office would be best, my friend," he said.

Hook slid off his chair and waddled to the back offices of Gringotts. Again, Zabini offered his arm to Hermione, but she didn't take it. With a roll of her eyes and a small smile, she followed after Hook and let Zabini take up the rear. She could figure out what he was up to later. At the moment, she was willing to just let him do whatever he was doing.

They all took a seat around a small, goblin sized table and the room fell silent. Hook looked at Zabini who was too busy admiring the office to care or notice. Hermione waited stiffly, wondering if she had been dragged along just for laughs or if Zabini had somehow known she'd need this meeting much before she had.

"About the break-in," Hermione said, turning to Hook. He immediately shushed her and Hermione stared at him incredulously. "Excuse me! I—"

"Mr. Zabini is the one with the appointment," Hook reminded her. Zabini looked at them curiously, folding his hands in his lap. "He is the one I will speak with."

"You misunderstand, Hook," Zabini said. He leaned forward in his seat and gestured to Hermione. "I made the meeting, yes, but it was for Miss Granger. Now please, if you would be so kind, answer her questions."

Zabini gave Hook a look that said he had no other choice. While Hermione was confused, she chose not to dwell on it and instead asked Hook which of the goblins had been in the Malfoy vault in the last year, including immediately after the break-in.

"None," Hook grunted, scowling at both her and Zabini.

"Not a single goblin has entered that vault?" Hermione asked sceptically. Hook grunted in affirmation and Hermione glanced at Zabini in confusion.

"The Malfoy vault was cursed against the Gringotts goblins after a break-in two centuries ago," Zabini said shortly. Well, that was at least a little helpful. "Only purebloods can get in past the wards, but Draco doesn't allow anyone in."

"But Crabbe—"

Zabini silenced her with both a look and a hidden flick of his wand. Hermione attempted to speak, but no sound escaped her. Furious, she stopped talking and waited until Zabini lifted the curse. However badly she wanted to ask about Crabbe still, she could tell by the look on Zabini's face he'd curse her again if she did.

"Right," she said, turning back to Hook. "Who was it that reported the break-in then? Who told you it was the Malfoy vault?"

"The Gringotts alarms were triggered," Hook told her gruffly. As for who had told them it was the Malfoy vault? "We didn't know until the vault owner told us."

"The Gringotts alarms went off but Malfoy had to tell you it was his vault?" Hermione asked. Hook grunted once more and Hermione sighed. Unfortunately, that meant she'd need to figure out a way to talk with Malfoy again. "Have you ever thought about an alarm system that tells you where the break-in is?"

"Look, we ain't wizards here," Hook said aggressively. "Gringotts is impenetrable and our alarms are the best there are. Whatever curse that vault has on it kept our systems from telling us."

"Is your alarm system goblin built?" Hermione asked. While she had good intentions with the question, Hook did not seem to take it that way.

"Goblin built alarms aren't good enough for you wizards now, eh?" he demanded. He pounded the small table with a fist and while Hermione leaned back at the motion, she didn't jump. "Our alarm works. It's the damn vault that failed and that's your wizard magic."

Hook continued off in a tirade about how Gringotts had been a secure and trusted bank for centuries and the alarm system had never been considered indecent. Hermione only attempted to cut him off once before giving up and sitting back in her seat to listen halfheartedly.

"Alright, I think we've finished," Zabini muttered, standing up. He offered his hand to Hermione but instead of taking it, she stood up on her own and walked out of the office first.

"Can you relay a message back to Malfoy for me?" she asked as they walked through the halls.

"Depends. Does it involve a clandestine dinner invitation?" he asked. Hermione scowled at him and Zabini smirked. "What do you have in mind, Granger?"

"I need to know what wards are on his vault," Hermione said. She would never get her hands on the Gringotts security system, but if Malfoy offered his up, she could figure something out. "I also need him to stop by my office and actually answer some questions, not just mock my team for finding Crabbe's body a year late."

"I'll see what I can do," Zabini promised. He pulled open the door and followed Hermione out onto the streets of Diagon Alley. "He did send me to inform you that if you're going to use his key, you'll have to use it by tomorrow night then put it back in its little envelope."

"It's his key, is it?" Hermione asked, thinking back to the envelope she'd received from him. "Maybe I'll keep it in evidence."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Zabini replied. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and Zabini twirled his wand casually. "It has the nasty habit of either disappearing entirely or becoming a portkey."

"How does a key develop a habit of becoming a portkey?" she asked.

Zabini just smirked and unhelpfully said, "Hold onto it and you'll find out I guess."

He disappeared without a pop and Hermione frowned. Wherever he and Malfoy had learned their new apparating trick, she was curious to find out. Nevertheless, there were more pressing matters at hand, so she hurried back to the Ministry and up to her office.