Chapter 51

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Note: Baby number 2 has just been born, I'm hoping to get more writing time in the next few weeks... Thank you all for waiting all this time!

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By the time they reached the restaurant, it was closed for the night. Hermione looked up at the cloudy sky and steeled herself to face her attacker.

"Okay Theo", Draco said, holding her hand. "Where did you leave him?"

"Right here", he answered, leading them to a dirty grey dumpster in the small alley next to the restaurant. "I put a muggle repellant charm on him and a disillusion spell."

Cautiously they approached the dumpster, their wands held out in front of them.

When they were in reach, Theo removed the cloaking spells and cursed under his breath.

"He's gone", he said grimly. "Someone must have found him."

"How did they know where to look?", Draco mused, trying to find a clue. "Our spells should have kept him under and hidden for a few more hours at least."

"He had a phone right?", Hermione said critically. "A muggle smartphone?"

"Yes, I believe so", he answered, turning to her with curious eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Given the circumstances, there are three possibilities", she told them. "Someone saw you..."

"Not bloody likely", Draco scoffed. "Next option."

"In that case", she shrugged, "Either his buddy came looking for him, heard the sound from his phone and found him or his buddy didn't trust him and put a tracking app on his phone, thus being able to locate him."

"Ingenious", Theo clapped, "I want a smartphone."

"Might as well go home and order you one", she said soberly, "There's nothing more to do for us here."

Draco hugged her close and together, Theo brought them back home.

"Listen", he said when they landed, "You probably don't want to hear this, but I think that you should tell Potter."

"Really Theo", she sighed, "I don't want to tell him how someone tried to sexually assault me. He's already overbearing towards me, he'll probably want to lock me up in a golden cage when he hears this."

"I have to agree with Theo Sweetheart", Draco said, pulling her into his arms. "It might be related to the other attacks."

"It doesn't look anything like the previous attacks", she said sceptically. "And judging from what you told me about his phonecall to his friend, he wasn't there for me specifically."

"All true", he agreed, giving her a soft kiss. "But I don't want to take any chances."

"I'll call him", she conceded after kissing him back just as gently. "You should go though, I don't want to tell him how we fixed it and it's easier if you're not here."

"If I have to", he sighed. "Come to The Manor afterwards?"

"I will", she promised, kissing him again.

Reluctantly, he took a step back and watched her pull her phone out of the side pocket of her handbag. She did a few swipes and taps before she put the phone to her ear.

"Hi Harry", she said when he picked up, "Sorry to call so late..."

Draco gave her a little wave and finally apparated away.

"Yes, I'm okay, I'm at Theo's", she continued her call as she watched Draco go. "I need to report something... Yes... No that would be best... I'll text you the address and I'll see you in a few minutes. Bye."

"He's coming here", she told Theo, "I probably should have asked you first."

"That's okay, we don't want to attract any unwanted attention like the press or something by meeting him at the Ministry", he waved her concerns away. "I'll make us some tea."

In that moment the bell rang and he motioned for her to open the door before turning to make the tea.

He could hear her talking to Potter and even if he couldn't understand the words, the concerned tone of his voice said it all.

"Do you have somewhere where we can discuss this quietly?", Harry asked when they walked into the kitchen.

"You can sit here", he answered for her. "I'll just go to my room and pretend that I don't exist until you're done."

"Thanks Theo", she said, hugging him when he walked past her. "For everything."

He kissed her on the top of her head before she let him go. The door clicked shut behind him and he didn't even have to count to three before he could hear Potter cast some privacy spells. Someone should tell that bloke to start with a silencing charm first.

"So, let me just summarise", Harry concluded after she'd finished her story. "You went to the restaurant, had to wait at the bar, drank wine with some stranger out of pity, got poisoned, cursed the bloke, came here, popped a bezoar in your mouth, fainted, went back there with Theodore Nott Jr., saw the guy was gone, came back here and then called me?"

"Sounds about right", she said, sipping on her tea.

"I just have a few more questions", he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How the hell could you have been so stupid?!"

"It was a muggle restaurant Harry", she shouted back at him, "And I saw him pour himself a glass from the same bottle, how was I supposed to know?"

"Fine, fine", he snapped annoyed. "Why did you come here? Why didn't you come to me or, I don't know, St. Mungo's?"

"I knew Theo would be able to help, we'd just talked about how important bezoars were last week", she snapped right back at him. "And I didn't want the publicity I would have gotten at the hospital."

"Are you having an affair with him?", Harry asked her bluntly.

"For fuck's sake Harry", she sighed, "No I'm not! He's just a friend, like a brother of sorts. Kind of like you."

He watched her sharply, trying to figure out whether she was lying or not.

"Alright, I need to go to the Ministry to add all of this to your file", he huffed, sounding a little deflated.

She watched him as he took the privacy spells off.

"I want you to go straight home", he said firmly. "No more trips on your own until I deem it to be safe."

"Harry!", she said angrily, "I'm not a child!"

"No you're not", he said, putting his cloak on. "But you are the Minister of Magic and I'm Head Auror, therefore I am responsible for your safety."

"Harry, really...", she said, following him out of the kitchen.

"Don't make me put an Auror out to guard you", he said, crossing his arms.

"Fine, alright", she gave in, "I'll go straight home and stay there. Happy?"

"Quite", he answered, nodding to Theo when he passed, "Put the location tracker on your phone on, I'll check on you regularly."

"Harry!", she said angrily, but he didn't gave her a chance to protest any further and apparated away.

"I guess that means Draco will be very disappointed tonight", Theo quipped, earing himself an angry glare of his own.

"Poor Theo", she picked, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. "You have no idea what you can do with our mirrors, do you?"

"What?", he smirked, watching her walk out the door.

"Use your imagination", she smirked right back, before apparating away.