They exited the alleyway and made their way closer to the house.
"Have you still got the time turner?" Hermione whispered to her blond partner-in-crime.
"Yeah course, because I have a million time turners in my pockets! I thought you had it?" Malfoy glared at her.
"I dropped it once we hit the ground before. I was under the impression that you picked it up?"
"I didn't see it!" Malfoy retorted, his hair was sticking up in all different directions.
"Well I'm not in charge of it!"
"You sure act like it bossy beans!"
"It's bossy 'boots' NOT 'beans'. You ignorant twit…" Hermione trailed off when she didn't hear Malfoy's usually instant tut or huh. She glanced upward and saw him staring at something in the distance.
A girl with wavy bleach-blonde hair was sitting on the front lawn of the Granger-Malfoy house quite close to a fake well complete with hanging rope. She looked no older than 4 years old and was wearing a beautiful and extremely frilly red dress that fanned out on the grass where she sat. As the sun was setting there was a tree's eerie shadow, which towered over her small petite frame. But as Hermione adjusted her eyes to the fading light she noticed the little girl fiddling with some kind of contraption.
"Surely not…" Hermione breathed as she recognized the brilliant golden chain and familiar circular shape, twisting and turning.
Suddenly the door of the quaint little cottage opened. Light poured out the doorframe and a silhouette of a woman appeared.
"Katheryn! Come inside darling. You'll catch your death in this cold and besides, the bities are coming out now." She said with a motherly voice.
The woman was in her early 20s to 30s. She had waves of dark brown hair cascading down her back and was wearing black high heels with a white blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt. Her mouth was formed into a loving smile as she enveloped the girl in her arms and led her inside talking about 'the mischief garden gnomes get up to in the night'. Hermione and Malfoy were mesmerized by the sight and had totally forgotten what they were arguing about before. It was a while before Malfoy nudged Hermione in the ribs and motioned her to follow suit and search the gardens for any sign of their missing time turner.
Hermione looked around the entrance of the well for the piece. Malfoy looked around the bottom of the well.
"I can't believe that was me…" Hermione muttered as she searched for the time turner, "I look so accomplished…"
"Found it!" Malfoy cried as he stood up suddenly, knocking Hermione off her feet as his head collided with her knees.
"Ooofff!" She grunted as her hand shot out to grab whatever was closest to her. Unfortunately it was Malfoy's unprepared neck and she dragged him down along with her.
Instantly they heard the oh so familiar Hogwart's victory hymn being whistled close by. They froze immediately. A man wearing a suit and carrying nothing but his wand was walking along the street. The man had dirty blonde hair and darker coloured stubble. He turned in the direction of the house and made his way up the door not seeing the two teenagers frozen on top of each other behind a well. He opened the door and walked into his house. Suddenly Hermione and Draco's vision blurred and they shut their eyes to block out the flashing lights all around them.
"Where is she!?" Ron's worried voice echoed in the nearly empty classroom that consisted of only Harry, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and himself.
"Mate, we're all asking the same question here." Harry said as he exchanged a glance with Professor McGonagall.
"Mr Weasely and Mr Potter I suggest you retreat to you dormitories. If any sign of her or Mr Malfoy is found I will notify you myself." McGonagall's stern gaze made the boys shrug and slowly turn around and leave the classroom.
"Albus. What do you think has happened?"
"I don't know, Minerva. I don't entirely know."
"But you know something.."
"Yes. I know something"