Chapter 2 - Lost

Hermione laid on her bed, her hand resting on her stinging cheek. Except it was her heart that stung now, instead of her face. She listened quietly for a turn of the door, a sign that Draco was home. Two hours past... three... four... Before long, Hermione fell asleep.

It was 2 a.m. when Draco finally came home. He walked silently, making sure he avoided stepping on the second, fifth and eighth step that creaked.

He stopped outside Hermione's room, debating whether or not to enter. In the end, he gave up and opened the door.

The atmosphere of the room was still and tense. Hermione's steady breathing could be heard across the quiet room. He could practically sense her emotions in the room.

Draco stepped out from the hallway and into the room. He quietly tiptoed to the bed Hermione was sleeping on. Her face was flushed and strands of hair were all over the place.

He paused, feeling awkward as he did not know what to do. Then, on impulse, he leaned forward and his lips grazed the crown of Hermione's head. Finally he sighed and left.

Hermione stirred and woke up with a start. She whipped her head to see the time on the clock. 6 a.m.!

She scrambled about, dumping clothes into a backpack and was just about to leave when a fleeting thought came into her head.

Hermione dropped her bag onto the bed and summoned her quill and parchment to the desk. She plopped onto the chair, quill poised over the parchment as she thought of what to write. Six pieces of parchment and a half bottle of ink later, she finally came up with a reasonably short letter.

Draco,
When you proposed to me, you promised never to abuse me again, no matter what I do. You said we would sit down and discuss the problem calmly.
You lied. - H. Granger

With one last look, Hermione adjusted her backpack and disappeared into dawn.

When Draco woke up, he felt strangely lost. This was weird as he was in his own house and Hermione was safe-

Hermione! his mind screamed. Draco jumped up from his bed and walked briskly to Hermione's room. He flung open the door and saw the wardrobe stripped of its contents. His eyes wide with fear of losing Hermione yet again, he climbed onto the bed to get to the other side of Hermione's room and found her note.

Draco scanned through it and his jaw dropped. Reading the message over and over again, he fell over the bed in defeat.

Ginny swallowed her stale bread and started to sip her bitter coffee. She watched the first few minutes of Days of Our Lives, then rolled her eyes and switched off the television. She was about to wash her mug when the doorbell suddenly rang. Ginny jumped and almost dropped her mug.

Cursing Harry or whoever was at the door during this ungodly hour, Ginny set her mug down and yanked open the door. And stared. And stared.

"M-Malfoy?" she sputtered.

A disheveled Draco leaned on the door, looking physically and mentally unstable. A pungent smell rose in the air.

"You're drunk!" Ginny exclaimed, pulling Draco into her apartment without thinking. She made Draco lie on the couch wile she went to get a warm towel. When she returned, Draco was mumbling Hermione's name repeatedly.

"She's missing..." Draco croaked and closed his eyes. "You're hiding her here. Give me her now."

Ginny gave him a look, which he did not see. "Why would Hermione be in my house?" she questioned. "She isn't in danger, is she?"

A piece of parchment dropped onto the floor. Ginny, being curious, read it. She gaped.

"She didn't even write out her name!" Ginny exclaimed again. "It all sounds so... formal."

Draco groaned and turned away from the redhead. "State the obvious, will you?" he tried to drawl, almost succeeding to sound like his old self.

"She must be really mad this time," Ginny commented.

A disgruntled "duh!" was sent to Ginny.

"Now you've done it," she said. "Serves you- "

"You don't know anything," Draco interrupted, opening his eyes wearily. "So be silent."

The redhead shot him laser glares.

"I saw the way she was looking at your boyfriend yesterday," he continued, ignoring the looks directed to him. "And I didn't miss the one on your face either." He paused. "Aren't you jealous?

Ginny's face turned red. She opened her mouth to snap at him when Draco's mouth covered hers. Tingles of pleasure passed through her.

"Love you," Draco murmured sleepily and fell into a deep slumber.

She grasped her backpack tightly. She shivered although it was not very cold. There was something chilly about the place.

Her left hand touched the green and silver band dangling from her white gold chain. A tear ran down her cheek but the brunette made no attempts to brush it away. Her heart felt as if a hole had been drilled into it.

Just then, someone pulled her into a dark alley. Caught by surprise, she lost her balance and collapsed into the stranger. She glanced at the stranger and screamed.

Draco woke up, his eyes flashing. He took in the shabby place and frowned. Where was he?

A redhead came into the room and blushed when she saw that he was awake. Ahhh. Ginny's.

His mind flashed back a scene that happened a few hours ago and he grimaced. Oh, right. He had kissed the redhead.

"Weasley- " he began, wincing at his headache.

"Hangover?" she asked, her voice surprisingly sweet.

"No thanks. Already have one," he muttered. "Uh, about just now..." he trailed off. How was he going to tell her?

"Tea?" Ginny offered.

"Weasley," he tried again. "I shouldn't have kissed you just now. It was a mistake."

If he had known Ginny for a long time, he would have seen her face drop.

"I-I was drunk."

"I understand," the redhead said carefully.

Draco gave her a relieved smile. "Let's go find Hermione. Where do you think she is?"

"Can't you sense where she is?" Ginny asked, not looking at the blonde.

Draco closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He shook his head in frustration. "I can't find her. Perhaps... perhaps that's what our rings do. Perhaps she's not wearing hers."

"Maybe... maybe she's at Harry's," Ginny contributed, sounding uncertain and even a little annoyed.

The two of them locked gazes for a moment and Draco nodded. "Let's go."

"Let me out!" the brunette yelled, pulling and pushing on the hard bars of the dungeon, her eyes wide with fear.

"In your dreams," cackled a voice from behind. She spun around and gasped.

"What do you want with me?" she cried, her fingers touching the surface of the cold dungeon wall.

She could practically feel his smirk. "Relax. I will not kill you," he said. "You are just acting as a bait."

The brunette glared at him. "I am not your bait!" she yelled. Tears filled up her eyes. "Who do you want? Why me?"

He chuckled. "Young lady, I can't tell you any answers," he sneered. "But do not ask any more questions or attempt to leave this adamantine cell, which is impossible to, for I will not hesitate to harm you."

With a last cruel laugh, he left the poor and lost brunette crying on the floor.

][ A u t h o r 's N o t e ][

In the next chapter... (1) Draco and Ginny visits Harry. (2) Draco and Harry devises a plan to save Hermione.

*I might not be able to update next week. It's my holidays! (Finally!) But I might, so do come back once in a while to check for updates!