A/N: And once again I'm back from the dead…rather nice vacation spot, wherever I was…it was a bit warm…but hey, who's complaining?

Saving Grace

Chapter 11

(Did you know that the number 11 is a palindrome?)

"Draco, these cross continent Floos seem to cost an awful lot…"

"Oh, shush, Harry. Not nearly as much as your precious Firebolt."

"Point taken." Harry moved from fireplace to fireplace, trying to find the right one. "Umm…Draco, what are these places…there's Alabama…and Utah….and Hawaii….hmmm…Hawaii sounds interesting. The woman said this was the American room, right?"

"Harry, did you ever take geography?"

"Oh, so these are states!"

"Yes, Harry, you pick a state and it transports you to the normal Floo system in that state. Now….which one to pick."

Harry leaned on the mantel, trying to stifle a yawn as he felt the effects of staying up after midnight after a hard day of flying…sort of flying…all right, more like crashing. He pushed his glasses up on his forehead and rubbed his eyes with his left hand, his right was occupied with both his and Draco's bag. "Draco…what are you looking for?"

"Maine…let's see…over here Harry!"

"I'm coming…" Harry half carried and half dragged the bags over, wondering if he really should have packed his potions book…but if Severus found them…then at least he wouldn't kill him for not studying. "Draco, why Maine?"

"Because the ocean is next to Maine. Cassie once told me that when she grew up she wanted to go to Maine, because even when I was in school at Hogwarts if she stood by the ocean she'd be able to see me. And if we both looked at the same time we could talk to each other. So, we'll go to Maine. We went to this little town called Ogunquit once. Mom and Dad hated it, probably because Cassie loved it. That's the first place we'll check."

(After Arrival...oh, about an hour or so later...)

Harry hated the Floo…in fact the only thing he hated more than the Floo was Voldemort…of course, both of them did make him want to throw up afterwards. When Draco saw Harry's queasy look he stole his bag back from him and made him sit on the hearth ledge until he didn't look like he was going to throw up. "Come on. I made reservations at a wizard cottage while you were packing. We'll stay there and go looking tomorrow…Have you ever been to the beach before? No one should be on it now…I mean, it is two in the morning…Come on, I'll show you."

The stars were clear, and the tide was out. Harry had dropped his bag and was running through the sand in his bare feet, every once and awhile, splashing into the cold water, only to jump out seconds later. "It smells…so…clean…I mean its…"

"Ahh…the sea is a wild virgin that many men have tried to tame, only to find she has as many moods as creatures in her depths. She is pure, and she never hides her emotions, but will always show them openly. Harry, look, up there, Orion…" Harry followed Draco's line of vision to see the belt and scabbard of a man who appeared to be holding a bow and arrow. "And over there is Sirius, his guard dog."

"Really?"

"Well, I don't know about the guard dog part, but Sirius is the dog star…do you pay attention in Astronomy?"

"No, to tell you the truth, I usually fall asleep…but here, if we had the class by the ocean…I think I could name stars forever." He began to spin around, his arms out wide as he watched the stars being sucked into the twirling vertex he was creating by going faster. A second later he had tripped over an offending shell and landed on the sand, only so smile and scoop it up and watch the white grains run through his fingers. "Let's make Uncle Severus come out here. Just think of how happy he'd be and…"

"It's different during the day. Lots of snot nosed brats running around in sunscreen…"

"Then we'll make him come at night!"

"Come on, Harry. It's almost three. I want to get up at dawn, and I figure that you may want some sleep tonight."

"Oh…fine." He ran one last time to splash in the icy water, and exclaiming much as a five-year-old would at its coldest ran up the beach collecting sand on his feet back to where he had dropped his bag and shoes. "Hey, Draco…" He paused, trying to brush the sticky wet sand from his feet so he could put on his shoes. "It's almost eight back home…Uncle Severus is gonna be getting up soon…You think he'll know where we went?"

"Harry, he has fifty states to chose from…He has a 2 percent chance of finding us…it's not very likely."

"Okay, let's go to that cottage place."

(The Next Morning)

Harry woke to the smell of his own dirty socks being wafted back and forth in front of his nose. "Wakey wakey…"

"Draco what is that…" Harry opened his eyes to see his socks floating right above his face and Draco's head peering around the corner of his room. "Draco!" He was up in an instant and chasing Draco out of the bedroom that they had shared and into the kitchen.

"Hey…is this anyway to treat the man who made breakfast!" Draco yelped, diving under the kitchen table and popping out the other side to take off behind the couch.

"You made breakfast? What is it?" As with most teenage boys, Harry's stomach began to rule his mind.

Draco peered out from behind the forest green couch. "Well…actually…I walked down the street and bought a couple éclairs for you…and I ate this lemon tart thingy on the way back…It was rather good…so I got another one and ate that too…"

At this point, Harry had long tuned out to dive upon the box sitting on the table that held the chocolate and coffee éclairs that signaled breakfast. Draco figured he was safe and quickly uncharmed the sock that was currently floating behind Harry's head. As he watched it fall to the ground he was rather glad he hadn't used Harry's dirty boxers to wake him up with…he doubted even éclairs could have stopped Harry then. And that would have been bad for Draco's hair. Very Bad.

(Four hours previously in a school called Hogwarts…about 8 a.m.)

"Harry, Draco! Boys, I know that you don't have classes for another hour today, but I think you should go eat breakfast…Boys!" Snape's brow furrowed when he heard no response from either room. "Boys!" He tapped his foot impatiently, and hearing no response swept to Harry's room much like an overgrown bat. "Harry! Open this door immediately!" He turned the handle and the door slid open smoothly. Harry's bed was made, a habit that Harry did have, but his schoolbooks and bag were missing. "Next time I'll make sure he understands to inform me before leaving for class…he must have slipped by when I was in the shower." He moved to Draco's room to find the same thing had happened there. Sighing, he made his way to his first period class.

(After the Mysterious Disappearence of the Eclairs)

Harry was in a much better mood and seemed to have forgotten all about the sock incident. Draco was carrying his school bag, but he had left his textbooks in the cottage. All that was currently in it was the photograph, the doll, and some American Muggle money that he had exchange for at the Floo shop. Harry was jabbering about something that Draco was only half listening to, something about how wonderful the ocean was, and he couldn't wait to go again, and why were there guys holding hands, was that some American tradition? And did they have to hold hands too? "Look Draco, pretty rainbow flags…can I have one?"

Draco thought back quickly and quickly said no, realizing that the conversation had been headed this way for some time, and he should have stopped Harry sooner. And then he explained to Harry the symbolism behind the rainbow flags. That was when Harry moved a good foot away from Draco and kept his hands in his pockets.

Draco, meanwhile, was scanning the faces of people as they walked up the street and past the historic looking houses and cozy looking cottages. He stopped a young woman, who looked like she'd be his sister's age, but blonde, not a brunette, and asked if she had seen the girl in the picture. "Funny, Mr. Malfoy. I know a girl that looks just like her, well, just about everybody does, know her that is. But her name's not Cassandra. It's Elizabeth…well, she goes by Lizzy around here."

"Could you tell me where she lives, Miss? I'd really appreciate it."

"Take a right and then a left. The third cottage down right by the ocean. She lives there alone. Well, she has a funny hawk that hangs around, but other than that, she lives there alone."

"Thank you so much."

"Why, it's no problem. You're not from around here…and," she looked at Harry. "You aren't pushy about your ways like some of the tourists are. Anyways, you come back if you have another problem. Remember, right, the left, third cottage on the right."

"Thank you, again. Come on Harry."

(Fifteen minutes into first period at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)

"Severus!"

"Minerva, is there a reason that you are interrupting my potions class? If not, I suggest you leave." The second years attempted not to snicker at one teacher being rebuked by another.

"Severus. Can you explain to me why Potter and Malfoy are not attending my class and are not in the hospital wing, and I can't find them? They are your responsibility."

"Minerva, they have not left this school. They have their schoolbags and textbooks and…Oh no…they…Minerva, watch my class…when I get my hands on them…."

"But Sev…" Before she could protest that she had her own class to attend to he had disappeared in a cloud of billowing robes.

A/N: That's all for now folks, I've got to go. Lots of stupid AP summer assignments. Great fun those are…in fact…any flames I get will be used to burn them after I turn them in. Have a great day, and don't get too bored over summer break.

P.S.: R/R please!