Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. Thank you J.K.R. for allowing them to come out and play.

Note: Jade, this is thanks for the review-I am dedicating this chapter to you. You are my fiercest critic and first audience.

There Is a Piece Missing

"Harry, are you home?" Draco called through the floo at 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Yes, Draco." Harry called back. Taking a cup of tea he sat on the floor near the fireplace. "What do you need?"

"I received a cryptic owl and want to know what you think," the blonde wizard replied. "May I come through?"

"Certainly," Harry replied standing and moving toward the table. "Is this a professional visit or a personal one?"

"A little of both." Draco stated as they settled across from one another facing the teapot and tray of biscuits. "I need your professional opinion as an Auror, but also as a member of the family."

Harry poured the tea into another cup and pushed it toward his former classmate. He gestured toward the sugar, cream and lemon, "Help yourself. The biscuits are almond shortbread. They are quite tasty if I do say so myself."

Draco eschewed the condiments, but took a sweet and bit into it. "Nice, where did you find these?" he asked holding the cookie up in his hand.

"Baked them myself," Harry answered matter-of-factly. "I did a lot of cooking before I started at Hogwarts. At least I learned something practical from the so-called family I lived with. I won't starve if left to my own wits."

"So, you shared the cooking chores with Hermione when you were on the run?" Draco stated.

Harry chuckled, "She was a little better than Ron who was useless. But then what can you do with mushrooms, tree roots and the odd fish? Once in a while we would come across a chicken house and have eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner before we moved on." Harry sat back and sipped his tea. "So what do you need?"

"Always straight forward are you?" Draco also took a drag on his drink and then bit the biscuit and chewed it thoughtfully. "I think there is something going on between my mother and her sister that they are hiding from us. I do know that separately they asked me if I would request access to the Black Family Library here. I don't know what book they are looking for, or if they are even looking for the same one. Both are quite secretive when they want to be it. Mother I can understand. Why Andromeda would approach me seems strange. I thought you were closer to her."

"I really don't know a lot about the library," Harry answered thoughtfully. "Hermione and Sirius spent a lot of time together after fourth year in the parlor and library, but they also were looking for something in some other books. Ron and I didn't pay much attention because we were too busy avoiding the work Molly had for us."

"Trying to keep you busy and out of trouble," Draco smirked. "I would avoid that, too."

"Why don't we ask …"

The two were interrupted by a Lynx patronus. "Harry, we need you at work. I know it's late, but there is a missing baby."

"Kingsley?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Harry answered. "I have to go. Can you show yourself out after you look at the library? I am closing the floo and setting the wards on the front door. There is a shed in back where you can apparate from, but you won't be able to reenter until I am back. It keeps the riffraff from partying to hard while I am out."

Once Harry had left Draco went up to the parlor and through to the library. "Where to start?" Draco walked around the desk and comfortable chairs toward the shelves. He could see Hermione's touch on the organization. "It looks like a freakin' library." He noticed that she had it organized with muggle picture books and wizarding children's books near the bottom where the children could easily reach them. The next few shelves around the room were muggle literature, science, history, and art books. Just about eye-level for Draco began the shelves of school texts and references associated with them. Next came more Wizarding law and history books, books on astronomy and ancient runes, books they would not have needed in school, but interesting none-the-less. Above all these and only reachable by a movable library ladder were locked barrister cases with what seemed to be rare and dark arts books. These were quite protected, but seemed to be incomplete because there were gaps where a topic reached a certain point, but abruptly had no more information. "I wonder if Harry knows about the missing books," Draco mused. He would have to save that question for another day. He picked up his cup from the desk and took it back to the kitchen where he was greeted by Kreacher.

"Master Draco," the aged house elf greeted him. "Can Kreacher get you anything?"

"No, thank you," he responded. "I will show myself out. Please tell Potter that I would like to return and look at the library in more depth at a more hospitable hour."

"I will tell Master Harry," Kreacher answered. He watched as Draco went out the rear door and walked to the shed from whence he apparated. Kreacher then locked the door with a snap of his fingers and then put the tea cup into the sink with the half-full one Harry had abandoned.

/

"Minister, you needed me?" Harry asked as he stepped through the floo in the office of the Minister of Magic's office that had been opened for him when Harry was summoned.

"Andromeda Tonks contacted me," the dark skinned wizard stated. He looked every bit an African King, regal and exotic in his bright robes. "She said she had laid Teddy Lupin down for the night and went into the kitchen for a cup of tea when she heard the wards alarm then wane. She went to check on Teddy and he was not in his crib."

"That is strange reaction for the wards," Harry commented. "Have you heard of this happening before? They should keep anyone not keyed in out."

"Years ago, during the first war, there was a case where a family member who was many generations removed had just enough family magic to allow them into a large estate where they stole several artifacts and murdered the patriarch." Kingsley Shacklebolt reminisced. "By the time they caught up with her, she had sold everything in Knockturn Alley and bought her way into the outer ring of the Death Eaters, just a step above the snatchers." He thought for a moment longer, then asked, "Who is living that is related to Andromeda beyond the obvious?"

"Narcissa and Draco Malfoy are obvious, as am I, but shouldn't I be removed from this case because of conflict of interest?"

"You wouldn't stay away if I removed you, would you?" Kingsley asked. "No, I thought not," he answered his own question.

"If you go back far enough in the family tree, everyone except the Parkinsons and Greengrasses are related to the Blacks," Harry chuckled remembering Bulstrodes, Flints, Yaxleys and Rosiers to name a few.

"Do you think I might take a gander at the tapestry?" asked the Minister. He remembered seeing it in the house when it was the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. "Who knows where we will get a lead. There certainly aren't any in the Tonks house."