"Any luck as yet?"
Kingsley Shaklebolt stood at the window in his office and was hoping for some good news. They didn't come.
"No. They are not saying anything. We have established, that they are Romanians, but that is about everything we have on them."
"And it is sure, that these are the attackers?"
"I will have the witness here in an hour. We will be certain after that. Though, I have to say, he would not have been as eager to get them captured, if they were the wrong men."
"Good. I want an update the moment you get anything from them. Anything."
"Sir."
Harry left the minister and walked slowly back to the Auror Office on the next floor down. He was so lost in thought, that he collided with somebody, as he rounded a corner.
"Charlie? What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for you! Hermione has gone AWOL!"
"Oh, bloody hell!"
"I left her in the garden for about five minutes to get her a drink and when I came back, she had vanished. We have searched all the outbuildings, the reed field, the house, everywhere."
Harry just groaned. This day had started not too good and it got worse by the minute.
"Okay, what is the Lurker doing?"
"Trying to establish, if she was kidnapped. So far he is quite sure, that she wasn't. Dad has been organising everybody into search parties, they are combing through the whole of the surrounding area."
"Charlie, if you had just found out, that you are in love with your worst enemy, where would you go?"
The Weasley son was looking at the younger man a bit taken aback.
"Is that why Ginny has told me to make sure, I keep my hands of her? Because she is going out with somebody?"
"That somebody is her body guard. And also..." Harry cast a quick Muffliato and then turned back to Charlie. "You remember Malfoy?"
"Voldemort took over his house as base, didn't he? That was where Hermione was tortured, in Malfoy Manor."
"Yes. Draco Malfoy was with us at school. He was a right foul git and for some reason he has become her body guard and as such saved her life."
He could see that the man used to working with dragons tried to get his head around this info.
"Anyway, the worst bit is, that they are..."
Harry stopped. For long moments he was looking at his soon to be brother-in-law.
"Do you speak Romanian?"
"Yes, I do. Why?"
"We need you as translator!"
Charlie found himself rushed into the Auror Office and then passed to a perplexed looking Dawlish.
"Let him speak to the Romanians!" Harry told him before rushing off.
Draco was strolling down Diagon Alley. There was still time before Harry awaited him at the ministry in order for him to officially identify the men, they had apprehended earlier that morning.
He was lost in thoughts. All the memories this street and its shops were holding. Madame Malkin's, he had met Harry there for the first time. Olivander's, bad memories came with that shop. The poor wand maker had spent more than a year in the Manor's cellars and straight ahead was Flourish & Blotts. A sad smile played around his lips. This would have to be one of her favourite shops. He had a look through the shop window and was about to walk on, when something caught his eyes.
He wasn't quite sure, what exactly he had seen, but something had registered in the depths of his mind. He slowly scanned the part of the shop, he could see. Customers moved about and as tall boy moved, he saw what had caught his attention: Hermione!
She was sitting in the small reading area towards the back of the shop. For a moment he wondered, what he was going to do. In theory he was still her assigned protector. So he might as well do some protecting. Though he didn't want to alert her to his presence.
He went into the shop, making sure that his back was turned towards her as he passed by. He positioned himself in the aisle behind her and leant against the wall. Watching her closely he realised, that she wasn't reading. She just seemed to be staring at the same pages without actually seeing.
He surveyed their surroundings, shelves, books, customers and Mr. Flourish behind the counter He could also see the entrance and part of the alley in front of the shop. For long moments he was wondering, what he was going to do, when it was time for him to go and meet Harry at the Ministry. He couldn't just leave her here, but how was he going to take her with him? Another thought surfaced, why was she here? Shouldn't she be in the hospital? Or at least with the Weasleys?
Something wasn't right! He could feel it. Now he had just to find out, what was going on. His gaze fell onto somebody ginger haired in front of the shop. Tall, short hair, official looking? Which of the Weasleys was that again? He looked somewhat familiar, though Draco couldn't say why exactly. The other man seemed to have seen Hermione as well, as he now came into the shop. Though he did it rather slowly, deliberately. Strange...
"Hermione?"
Her head shot up.
"Percy?"
He came closer, stood in front of her for awkward moments.
"Why did you slip away from Charlie? We were worried sick about what happened to you."
She didn't answer. Draco moved slowly as to be able to see a bit of her face. She looked down at her book again. Percy squatted down in front of her.
"Hermione, Charlie would be blaming himself for the rest of eternity, if anything would be happening to you."
"I am sorry." Her words were barely audible.
"Come, let's get you back to the Burrow."
He held out his hand to her. She looked at it. Then very slowly she stood up, without taking his hand. She closed her book and turned to put it back onto the shelf behind her. Her brown eyes met his grey ones before he could react. He just froze. She came slowly closer.
'Oh, Merlin...'
He could see her hand shake as the slotted the book back into its place. Her gaze never leaving his.
'Please, I.."
His head had gone completely blank. All he could think of were her wonderful, gentle eyes. She was now standing only inches away from the books in front of her, the books that were separating them like a ten feet thick wall. A tear was slowly making its way over her pale cheek.
"Hermione?"
She broke their eye contact, turned and left the shop with the Weasley, that had discovered her.
It took Draco several minutes to get his senses back. She had seen him, but she hadn't screamed or just run away. She had looked at him. He felt like she had just performed the most powerful legilimency spell on him, he had ever encountered. She had seen right into his heart, into his very soul. Though what had she seen?
He groan softly. At least now, he knew that she was save at the Burrow. Why did she leave there, seemingly without telling anybody and causing quite a stir?
His gaze felt on the oval clock over the door. He better hurry. Harry would be waiting for him at the ministry.
"Minister?"
Shaklebolt turned round. It was Harry that stood in the door. His face was a bit flushed.
"Any news?"
"I got Charlie Weasley to talk to the Romanians. He found out, that they are friends of Viktor Krum's younger brother. He seems to have vanished at some point. I have contacted Viktor, to see, if he can tell me anything more."
"Good! Now I can at least give the Romanian Minister of Magic some kind of explanation as to why we have arrested them. This was starting to turn into an international mine field. Good work, Harry."
"Thanks."
He left and went back to his office. Percy was there and also, to Harry's utter astonishment, Hermione.
"What...?"
Then he just walked over to her and gave her a big hug.
"I was so worried. Why did you just run off like that?"
She didn't answer. She just held onto him and after a few moments he could hear her quietly crying. Harry looked at Percy.
"Thanks." He mouthed. Percy just nodded and left them alone.
"I'm so sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry. Charlie was so kind and I didn't want to get him into trouble, but I just needed some space."
"I understand, Hermione, I understand. It has all been a bit much."
He led her to his chair and had her sit down. He perched himself on the edge of his desk.
"I don't know, what to think and feel any longer, Harry. Everything is so strange. I seem to have lost all control over my life and I hate that!"
"Nobody likes to become a feather on the wind of fate."
"I was becoming quite content with him being with me. He never pushed himself forward. He was always a gentleman. It seemed important to him, what I wanted, what I felt. Ron never..."
She started sobbing again. He sighed. She was right. His best friend was somewhat dense, when it came to her. He had always been like that. Never really caught on, that she liked him, that she loved him. He was stupid enough to cheat on her. And now he was paying the price. She had found somebody that was smart, caring and made her feel safe. Pity that this person had to be Draco Malfoy...
"Harry?" Dawlish popped his head round the door.
"Hi, there."
"Your witness has just shown up. He seems to be in a bit of a state though. You better talk to him."
'A bit of a state?' That didn't sound good.
"Hermione? You stay here. I'll have to meet an important witness. Nissa can get you a cup of tea, if you like."
She nodded.
"And do not dare to leave, before I am back. Okay? The day has been eventful enough as it is. I don't want to have to explain, why I lost you as well."
She nodded again. He left the room.
Draco was leaning against the wall by the door. He seemed to be at ease with the world and himself, but Harry's auror training told him, that that was only on the surface. He really was in inner turmoil. Something had seriously rattled him.
"Okay, let's go. I want them out off my hair asap."
"Have you found out anything?"
"I had Charlie Weasley talk to them. It seems to have something to do with Viktor Krum. Or his younger brother. We don't know yet. I'm waiting for an owl from Viktor."
"How is Hermione?"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned to face the hooded figure next to him.
"I found her in Flourish & Blotts. She was sitting in the reading area staring into a book. Then Percy Weasley discovered her and brought her back their family home."
"Ah..."
"I'm still officially assigned to protect her."
"Of course you are..."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know, if you remember our talk in the hospital, but I have talked to her as well. After having spoken to you."
He started walking again. Draco followed suit.
"The two of us will have to have a serious conversation, once we are finished with the Romanians."
"Do we?" There was a mixture between smirk and snarl in his voice.
Harry stopped again.
"Listen, ferret, I told you, that I would haul your sorry arse into Azkaban, if you broke her heart. So you better think twice about not wanting to talk to me about her..."
The threat was too open as that the other man could have misunderstood it.
"Right."