Authors notes~~ Not mine! Not mine! Trall-la-la-la-la-la!


~~previously~~
"Oh, Albus!" Professor McGonagall jumped out of her chair. "That means we've been looking right at them with the Location Spells this whole time! Oh, gracious. How could we overlook this." Minerva McGonagall sank back into the chair.

"This was unforeseen. However, we must make do with what we have. Harry, go get Virginia Weasley. Ron, please go fetch Miss Granger. We have a lot of work to do.

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Draco felt Adina slipping to the side so he called over his shoulder to her. She was still sitting up on her own, but she was asleep. He decided to stop right where they were and walk the rest of the way. As it was, the town he wanted to stay in was very close and it couldn't be more than half a mile. He could carry her, he supposed.

As he directed the broom downwards, he saw a small, brown shack in the outside of a small clearing. It wasn't visible from the air. There was a faded, wooden sign at the start of a small, red dirt path leading up to the front porch. With the broom still hovering, he read in the nearly illegible red script "Madame Maple Trace's Mystic Retreat". Underneath there was a small hanging sign that read "vacancy". There were two other hooks next to it, presumably to hold a sign that said "no". He looked at Adina and decided to try and get two rooms there. He took off his wizard robes, just in case, and left her and the bags under a tree, under the invisibility cloak, by the sign. He walked up to the front porch in his muggle-style jeans and sweatshirt. The only thing that gave him away as a wizard was his wand, which he stuck into his back pocket. There was another hanging sign, "office" at the front of a short hall way. Once into it, Draco found three doors, one on either side and one in the middle. Hoping it was the office, Draco knocked on the middle door.

An older woman in mauve robes opened the door with a pleasant smile. "Can I help you dear? Er, you are one of us, aren't you?" She asked, he smile slipping a notch.

"Yeah, I'm a wizard." He smile returned to it's original state. "And I'd like to rent two rooms if you don't mind."

"Well dear, I'd like to let you, but I only have one left. Actually, there are only two at all, and they're cabins, really. I usually have someone rent them out for a week or so for a hunting trip, or some such. We've got Mr. Lestrange here now in room one; he's been here for about three weeks now. Keeps to himself, goes out in the woods all day, always to the west, odd if you ask me..." Draco let her ramble on for a few more seconds, then he cleared his throat loudly. "Oh! Goodness me, I forgot all about your room! Do come in for a moment to fill out the papers. I'm Madame Trace, by the way." She opened the door wider, revealing an office with a kitchenette and a door leading to another room. She went to the office part and pulled out a form for Draco to fill out. He hesitated on the name part, and decided to start at the bottom and work his way up.

Vehicle: Nimbus 2003

Type of Payment: Cash

Length of Stay: 1 night

Number of Room Occupants: 2

Name: Grahm Pritchard

Draco didn't know why he didn't use his own name. Being a Malfoy, the woman wouldn't ask any questions, but he had a gut feeling to use another. Actually, he realized, his stomach had dropped when she said the name of the other man staying there. He thought it seemed vaugly familiar, but he couldn't place it. Looking back at the form, he realized he had forgotten to sign it. He looked back at the top to see what name he had written. Grahm Pritchard. Chaser on his Quiddich team. He signed it so that it was illegible and handed it back to the witch. She scanned it, then filed it away, looking at him curiously. "Two, sir?"

"Yeah. Me and my, umm, sister. Going home to see my erm, sick grandmother." He didn't think she bought it, but he was handed a large, brass, old-fashioned key with yet another little sign. This one read "2". He thanked Madame Trace, and went to the hall. She shut the door behind him, and as he looked back and forth at the other two doors, a glowing number two appeared on the one to his left. He went over to it, and as soon as he put the key in the lock the number disappeared. He opened it and looked inside. Madame Trace was right. It really was more of a cabin. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the fireplace. He muttered "incendio", and redish orange flames leapt up within. Leaving the door open, he went to get Adina.

He hung their things over the broom, and charmed it to follow him. Then he picked Adina up and walked back to the cabin. 'Geez, she's heavier than she looks.' He though to himself as he stumbled up the front porch steps, the broom trailing behind. Once inside, he put her down on the couch, then turned to shut the door. He locked it, and moved to light some of the candles that were to be used for lighting the room. It was actually a pretty nice room. When you walked into the dooor, you were in the dining room section, turn left, and you were looking into the living room, straight, and you were looking at a set of stairs that he had yet to discover what they led to. On the opposite side of the stairs was a small kitchenette, complete with food, and the latest cooking spells. Behind the stairs was a hallway, that he found led to the bathroom (which was separated into two rooms, one with the toilet and bathtub and the other with the sinks and a large mirror), a small closet, and a bedroom.

He checked back on Adina before going upstairs, and had to wonder what had happened that could make Hermione so royally pissed and make Adina try and flee Hogwarts, probably the only safe place for her in the world. He also had to wonder what made him not only help her, but go with her.

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"Very good, Parkinssson, Nott. You have restored my faith in your blundering idiocy." The two men stood in front of their lord, incapable of working out what had just been said to them. "You have, however, convinced me of the loyalty of your children. Perhapsss I should give your assssignmentss directly to them next time. Avada Kedavra!" Nott fell to the ground, a confused sort of shock fixed on his features. Parkinson looked on in muted terror, and all the others with benign interest. "Parkinson, fetch me your daighter. She will be our new set of eyes at Hogwarts. Lucius, come foreward."

Slowly, the silver-haired much older version of Draco Malfoy dragged himself out if the corner into the center of the circle. "Luciusss Malfoy. I hold you personally responsible for the behavior of your only son, who was to join our circle this next week. He would have been very good for me, you know. Crucio!" Lucius fell to the ground, writhing in agony for the third time just that day. "Finite. Stand up." Lucius stood, very slowly. Pain was clearly etched across his features and he swayed wildly.

"However." The dark Lord paused dramatically. "However. Your information was correct. Join the Circle." Lucius did as he was told. Parkinson remained in the middle, shifting nervously, glancing wildly from the exits to You-Know-Who, to Nott's body, still where he fell. The Dark Lord reached down from where he was sitting on a throne-like chair on a raised platform to pet his snake, Nagini. He looked at her and hissed softly, glancing at the nervous man in front of him. Nagini slithered forward and a chilling shadow could be seen on the wall opposite the fireplace, the only source of light in the underground room. "If you have not noticed yet, our circle is once again missing several members. Snape, whom I believe is gone for good, my once right hand rat, Wormtail, Avery, Goyle, Nott, Parkinson... How many more before you idiots do something right!?! Yet there are new faces. Baddock, Wensby, Wensby, Dippet, and, ironically, Weasly, who is out on a mission of his own. Go."

This was, apparently the cue for, well, to go. A number of small pops could be heard as the Death Eaters all apparated away, except, of course, for Nott and Parkinson.

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Ginny say on the side of her bed, fixing a necklace that she had broken earlier. She was stringing on the last beads when she heard a soft knock on the door. Knowing that all the others were asleep, she went to it. Upon opening it, she dropped the necklace with surprise. It was Harry Potter. In the girls dorms. In the middle of the night. "Harry! What are you doing here?" Ginny whispered.

"Getting you." Harry answered with a smile. Ginny's eyebrows raised.

"Why? Where's Ron and Hermione? Are you three sneaking out again?" Ginny raised an eyebrow in mock disapproval. "Well I'm thrilled to be included in your bought of rule breaking, perhaps we could all get expelled at the same time, eh?"

"Actually, Ginny, there's no danger of being expelled in this nighttime adventure. You coming?" Harry winked at her and turned on his heel. Ginny curiosity was piqued. She ran and grabbed her cloak, which was drapped across the foot of her bed and followed Harry, who was just going out through the portrait of the fat lady.

"Harry! Hey, Harry!" Ginny quickened her pace so that she was walking right next to him. "Common, Harry, tell me what's going on. Is it something about Peeves' freak-out earlier?"

"Nope, and yes."

"What? This is no time to be laconic!"

Harry slowed. "Laconic? What the hell is that?"

"Short answers, not talking much... Hey! Don't change the subject."

"Shhh. You'll see in a minute."


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"Hey Herm?" Ron stepped hesitantly into the dorms where Hermione was going through Adina's things. Or rather she was sitting in front of Adina's things and staring off into space. "What are you doing?"

"Yes, Ron." Hermione said, in a soft, dreamy sort of voice that reminded Ron of Professor Trelawney. He furrowed his brow and moved towards her. As soon as he touched her shoulder, she snapped out of where ever it was that her mind had gone. "Wha-Where... Ron?" She asked incredulously upon noticing him.

"Hey, Hermione. It's nice here, how was it where you were?" He asked with a smile. She blushed furiously, then pouted at him, rather angrily. Noticing, he said ", Dumbledore wants us all back at 'headquarters'."

They put all the things back into the trunk and closed it. Hermione opened the door, then waved her wand about, muttering something Ron didn't catch. "What was that all about?"

"I took off the silencing charm. Honestly Ron, there were three other girls in there. Don't you think our talking of moving things about might have woken them up?"

Ron's eyes widened and he flushed a light crimson color. "There were other girls in there?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

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Adina opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She was in a dark, quiet room, completely alone. For a second she couldn't understand why she wasn't in her big, safe four poster bed at Hogwarts, but then the events of last night came flooding back to her. "Draco?" She called softly. No answer. "Draco!" She tried a little louder. She saw a faint light coming through a hallway to her left.

She stood up, and felt pain shoot up her legs. She sat down quickly and looked down. /Oh, I forgot about my knees./ "Hello?" She called out one last time. The light at the hallway moved into the room and she saw that it was Draco carrying his wand. "Draco, where are we?"

"You fell asleep, so I stopped at this hotel or whatever it is. I booked a room for a night."

"We're in a hotel room? And you booked it?" Adina asked incredulously.

"Ye-es..." Draco answered suspiciously, his words drawn out.

"You didn't use your name, did you?"

"Well, no. I was going to, but I had this feeling..."

"You don't know anything about being on the run, do you?!? You probably paid with your father's credit card, too. God, Draco, do you know what 'inconspicuous' means? It means not easily noticed. I'm trying to be inconspicuous. I'm on the run Draco, and ever since you ran out behind me, you're on the run too." Adina's face fell. "And my knees hurt."

Draco just looked rather confused at what to do.


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Okay, so you've read. Now who can tell me what the next step is? You, there in the back. .........NO! Leave the poor cat alone! What kind of person are you?.........*blushes furiously * That's also incorrect.....YES! You Review!!!! Here's a cookie if you do! (::) See, it's even chocolate chip!
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