Draco started upstairs without a question. He grabbed night shirt from the bed, pulling it on as he went back into the livingroom.
"What's this about?" He asked, leaning against the nearest doorframe.
"I need your help." Ginny said, sitting down on the sofa.
Draco moved to the arm chair opposite Ginny, sitting with as much grace as he could muster, considering how nervous he felt. It seemed to him that nobody needed his help unless it was something big.
"I need you to find Ron." Ginny said, feeling it best to be straightforward. She went on, ignoring Hermione's sharp intake of breath. "Nobody has seen him for a couple of weeks. I want to know why he wasn't with Harry last night."
Draco sat in silence for a moment, thinking, "And you're under the impression that I could find him?" he asked, in a voice so drawling, Ginny was momentarily reminded of Professor Snape.
"I know you can."
"Do you?"
Ginny looked fleetingly at Hermione, who caught the subtle hint. "You know, I think I'll make that tea anyway." she said. She kissed Draco lightly on the head before walking to kitchen.
Draco and Ginny watched her leave, then turned in unison to face each other. Ginny spoke in a hurried whisper.
"Harry told me about you little side job." Her words had an instant, if only brief, impact. One second Draco wore the face of a child caught in wrong-doing. The next second, he was back to his smooth, confident self.
"I don't know what-"
"Stop playing around!" Ginny snapped, raising her voice. "He told me you did some work for the Aurors. Finding people they needed found. According to Harry, you're better than most of the Ministry. Well, I need someone found."
Draco sighed heavily. "I only did that to earn enough moeny to leave the Manor. I didn't want my parents' money." He answered her questioning look. "I didn't want to be associated with how it was, for want of a better term, earned. But that's neither here nor there. I don't have to... assist... the ministry anymore. I have a real job now."
"I'm aware of your position at Hogwarts." Ginny said. "But last I checked, term doesn't start until for another week. If you can't help me by then by all means, leave. Go back to your dungeons." When he didn't answer, she continued, "Harry also told me of a time when you helped him. So know that I wouldn't ask if it weren't something just as equally important to me as that was to him. Please."
Draco sat up straighter and locked his gray eyes on her brown eyes, staring for a moment that, to Ginny, stretched on for hours. She forced herself to stare back, waiting for his answer.
"I can't make any promises." He said, as a whistle coming from the kitchen announced the tea was finished. "So don't go into this thinking I'm going to find him. Instead," he lounged back, accepting Hermione's offered tea. "expect me to fail, but hope I get lucky. That's how it usually happens, anyway."
Ginny stood, and Draco caught a glimpse of ablue from her wrist, before it was hidden beneath her sleeve. "Thank you. I'll meet you here tomorrow morning. Sorry, Hermione." She added, as her friend laid down the tray, looking confused. The two women hugged, before Ginny left, leaving Draco to confide as he wished to his girlfriend.
He took a slow, deliberate drink before replacing the cup on the saucer. He raised his gaze to meet Hermione's conserned eyes. "There was a time, after we started dating," he began, motioning for her to sit in his lap, "when I came to realize that I had to leave my family home. As much as I love my mother and father, I was no longer their responsibility. They had quite enough trouble looking after themselves."
Hermione sat down on his offered knee. "Draco, you've told me this. What does this have to do with Ginny?"
He continued as thouigh she hadn't interrupted. "Mother was heartbroken, of course. I think she felt at that time that her only purpose was to watch after me. Make sure I was safe. And Father, well, he was too... busy... to care or even notice."
Hermione took his face in her hands, "You know it was the right thing to do. Please, tell me what's going on."
Again, Draco went on as though he hadn't paused. "I knew I would need money. And I couldn't bring myself to take from our vault at Gringhotts. Just the thought of touching the fortune built on others' livelihoods made me nauseous."
"Draco." she said his name in a whisper that barely touched his ears. Yet he could hear the concern in her voice.
"I went to Harry." He said, continuing his story, "I told him about my situation, and after I refused his charity, he suggested a type of freelance manhunting. Like a Snatcher, but looking for the bad guys. He said the Ministry had rewards out for most of them, and it would be a great way to earn some quick money."
"So you were a bounty hunter?" he looked confused. "It's what muggles call individuals who bring in criminals for law enforcement in exchange for monetary gain.
He smirked slightly. She always talked as if reading from a dictionary when she was nervous. "Something like that." he said, suddenly turning serious again. "I was good. I took a lot of people down. For a span of about 3 months, the Prophet was talking about a vigilante on the loose."
"I remember." Hermione said, "they were going on about how baffled the Magical Law Enforcement was. That was all you?"
"Like I said, I was good. Having the name Malfoy gets you into places most people don't even know about. It gets you in with the right people, allows you to hear the right things. It was really simple, for the most part. But the Prophet made me out to be some enigma, fighting for the good of the people. But in the end, it was all just a job. Once I raised enough money, I bought this place, and went to McGonagall about a job."
"I remember Harry talking to me about that." Hermione said, smiling. "Apparently she called on him for advice. She was worried, you were, shall we say, repeating history?"
"Well, she was rather reluctant." he said, pulling her in closer, "But becoming Potions master meant I wouldn't have to be a... bounty hunter... anymore. Until now, anyway." He sighed into Hermione's hair, "Ginny wants me to find Ron. She thinks he might know something about Harry's death."
He expected her to bolt up, or shout, or maybe even cry, but all she did was release a slow beath on his chest. "I've been thinking that too. It just doesn't make sense for him to disappear like that."
He wanted to talk more about it, but knew he would need rest before going out in the morning.
Hermione seemed to read his thoughts. As she stood up, she kissed him on the cheek and said, "It's been a long night. What do you say we spend the rest of it in bed?"
Draco caught the tease in her voice, and stood to follow her upstairs. The tea set lay forgotten on the table.