~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Chapter 15:  The Race is On ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"We got creamed out there" Tonks said.

"They were picking us off one by one" Kingsley added.

"And there were only ten of them!" Tonks exclaimed.

"And we lost one auror" Harry spoke up.

"We need all the help we can get" Kingsley concluded.

"We should recruit more to the Order" Fred offered.  A murmur of consent followed.

"And who will teach and train them?" Snape asked.

"Harry will, naturally" Dumbledore finally spoke up.

The room was quiet with shock.  Harry was floored.

"Me?!"

"Yeah, Harry can do it.  He's done it before" George said enthusiastically.

"If I may say so Headmaster, but this isn't some petty school club.  This is real life.  With a very deadly enemy" Snape said coolly.  Harry threw him a nasty look.

"And I can think of no one better to lead this battle than Harry" Dumbledore said proudly.

"But sir, I—"Harry began uncertainly but was cut off.

"Good.  It's settled then.  Bring your potential candidates to us in two days."

Neville and Ron waited for Harry to come home.  As soon as he stepped through the door they ambushed him. 

"What did Dumbledore say?" Ron asked.

"He wants to recruit into the Order" Harry answered.

"That's great!" Ron shouted, but his joy was hampered by the lost look in Harry's face.  "What's wrong?"

"He wants me to lead the new group."

"Wow.  Where do we sign up?" Neville asked him.

"He wants me to put a list together in two days.  You two will be on it of course and there are a couple of other names."

"Hang on a minute" Ron said as he raced into the other room.  He came back shortly with a parchment and quill.  "Go on.  Start naming them."

Harry rattled off names as Ron quickly wrote them down. 

"Don't forget Ginny." Neville said quickly as Ron wrote the last name down.

"No!  I want her to stay with Hermione.  Voldemort knows I'm back and I'm not taking any chances.  In fact, I want someone else down there that I can trust" Harry said as he paced back and forth.  "You, Neville!" Harry suddenly barked out causing both Ron and Neville to jump in their seats.  "I want you to join them.  You will stay with them and write back to me daily.  I want to know what she's doing, who's she's talked to, all of that stuff.  Mostly, I want you to keep an eye on her…on them both" Harry quickly added.

"Neville?  Why should Neville go?  I'm her brother" Ron complained.

"Ginny would rather have Neville tag along with her than her brother" Harry told him.

Ron gave Neville a scathing look before he began to argue with him.  Harry walked out of the room not wanting to hear this.  He walked into the kitchen and grabbed some butterbeer from the fridge.  He opened the bottle and leaned against the counter in deep thought.  The empty ache crept up on him again.  He needed Hermione.  He wouldn't last in this war without her.  Maybe he could ask Neville to convince them to come home. 

A knock at the door silenced the household.  Ron peeked out of the eyehole in the door.

"It's Cho!" Ron whispered aloud to Harry who had reappeared from the kitchen.

"Well, open the door" Harry told Ron as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Ron nodded and opened the door.  Cho stepped into the living room still wearing the red dress.  She spotted Harry and gasped.

"So it's true!  You're back!" she said as she moved to him.

Harry wasn't sure if he should stay put or run seeing that his reunions with his female friends haven't exactly been pleasant.  But Cho just walked up to him and hugged him.

"We should, uh-"

"I've got to go and uh-"

Ron and Neville made hasty exits.

"Welcome home, Harry.  I'm so glad you're back" she sighed against him.  "Why were you in disguise?"

"Long story.  Listen, did you and Luna make it back okay?" he said stepping away from her.

"Yes, we're fine.  I heard about what happed though, are you alright?" she asked bringing her hand to the bandaged cut on the side of Harry's temple.

"Yeah, I'm fine."  It was beginning to get hot in the room.

Cho's hand left his cut and slid down to cradle his cheek.

"I had a great time tonight.  Much better than our last date, huh?" she joked.

Harry smiled, "We were a lot younger then."

She moved closer to him. "I wonder if everything has improved with time" she said as she brought her lips to his.

It was a slow and tentative kiss at first.  Harry's head was swimming as he slid his hands around her waist pulling her closer to him, deepening the kiss.  She moaned as Harry's lips left hers and began to kiss her neck.  She pulled away from Harry.

"I should get going.  It's late."

Harry walked her to the door.  "Do you need me to walk you home?"

"No, I can just apparate" she kissed him again fully on the lips.  "I'll see you later, okay?"

Harry closed the door behind her.  Harry had just gotten back and already he felt like he was jumping into something he shouldn't.  Hermione had been gone a week, without a word to him, things were over between them.  He constantly ached for her though, and being with Cho had temporarily relieved him of that loss.  He knew that Cho was just a rebound, but losing Hermione hurt so bad that he welcomed anything to relieve himself of that pain.  But did he really want that?  A part of him felt that that pain was the only thing he had left of Hermione.  He was too confused.  All he wanted to do right now was sleep and not think about anything.

He was riding on his Firebolt, flying over beautiful beaches, the white sand illuminated by the glow of the moon.  He spotted a grand building with balconies and he set himself down to land on one of them.

"Hermione?" he called out.  He walked over to the glass sliding door and peered in.  There she was, looking like an angel at rest.  He tried to open the door but couldn't.  He realized that she wasn't alone as he saw the form of a man lying next to her.  Alarm bells went off in his head as he banged and yelled at the window, screaming for Hermione to wake up.  The man was awake and slid his hand underneath his pillow drawing out a long sharp knife.  Harry screamed and pleaded for Hermione, but the stupid door would budge and he couldn't break the glass.  The man swiftly straddled atop Hermione and plunged the knife deep in her chest as she screamed out.

Harry woke with a start, sweat drenched his pajamas and bed.  He was panting.  He leapt out of his bed, throwing off his clothes and putting on jeans and a hooded sweatshirt.  He had to get someone down there right away.

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Draco was pissed.  Damn Potter never could resist the spotlight.  Now that he had revealed himself to the world it was only a matter of time before Voldemort knew.  He had to find Granger.  Stupid mudblood took off to who knows where.  He was drinking in the dark of his office drowning his sorrows in a bottle of Firewhiskey.  He heard someone in the hallway then a door open and close.  Curious, he walked over to his door and peered out.  The light in Potter's office was on.  He crept stealthily over to his door so he could hear better.

"Neville?  Neville, I need you to leave right now.  Yes, now.  I'm arranging transportation for you to Cannes.  Go get her and bring her back now.  Drag her back kicking and screaming if you have to, but I want her here" he heard Harry say.

Cannes.  So that's where she is.  Draco quietly stepped away from his door and towards the lifts.

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Harry heard a sound outside of his office.  It was the lifts.  Was someone coming?  He ran to the elevators and saw that one was going down, not up.

"Shit!" he swore as he ran back the offices. 

Only one door was open, Malfoy's.  He stepped inside his office and flicked the light on.  A bottle of Firewhiskey sat on his desk.  Harry picked up the bottle and sniffed it.  It was a fresh bottle.  He ran back into his office, where Neville's head still was in the small fireplace.

"We're leaving this instant.  I'm coming with you."

Harry ran back to the lifts jumping into one and pushing the button to the lobby. 

"Come on, come on, come on.  Can't this fucking thing go any faster?!" he shouted to no one in particular.

The doors opened to the lobby as Harry shot out of them.  Neville had just flooed in at that moment.

"Come on. Let's go!" he told Neville as he stepped into a fireplace grabbing a pinch of floo powder. 

"The Floo Network building" he ordered and with a swoosh he disappeared.

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Draco dusted himself off in the lobby of the Floo Network building.  There had to be a better way to travel.  He ran up to the counter showing his auror badge.

"This is an emergency.  I need an immediate connection to Ashley Montgomery's room at the Sun Riviera Hotel in Cannes" he barked out his orders to the wizard behind the counter.

"Yes, sir.  Right away, sir" the nervous wizard spoke as he fiddled behind the counter.  "How will you pay?"

"Just charge it to the Ministry account, you idiot!  Is it ready yet?!  This is a matter of extreme urgency.  I have no patience for your stupidity right now!"

The wizard behind the counter flustered, "F-f-fireplace three, sir."

Draco ran to the fireplace, grabbed some powder and stepped inside.

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Harry and Neville ran up to the counter in the Floo Network.

"This is official ministry business.  I need a connection to Cannes immediately" Harry told the wizard behind the counter.

"Popular place tonight"

"Did a blond man come here?" Harry asked him.

"Yes, I gave him a floo connection to Cannes about five minutes ago."

"Connect us to the same one."

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"What the hell are you doing here?  It's fucking three o'clock in the morning!" Ashton yelled out in surprise.

Draco had flooed in on him in the middle of the night.

"Where is she?  I know you know where she is, and don't even think about lying to me!"

Ashton was stuttering a bit but Draco noticed his eyes flick toward his bed.  Draco looked over and saw a sleeping form of Hermione under the covers.  Draco shoved Ashton up against the wall.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HER?" he roared at him.

"Nothing!!  I swear!  She just had a little too much to drink so I brought her here to sleep it off!"

Draco let go of him and ran to Hermione's side.

"Come on Granger.  Get up" he threw the covers off her and brushed her hair off her face.  Draco was thankful that she still had her dress on.  She mumbled in protest as Draco lifter her out of the bed.

"Come on, we don't have much time" he ordered Ashton who was gathering his things together. 

"I'll have a car waiting for us downstairs" he said.

Ashton grabbed the suitcase he had and Hermione's purse, then he and Draco, with Hermione in his arms, walked down the hallway toward the lifts.

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Harry and Neville flooed into an empty room.  Neville picked up the phone as Harry continued to search the room.

"Yes, Mr. Montgomery?" a voice on the other line answered.  Neville quickly hung up the phone.

"I think this was Ashley Montgomery's room" he told Harry.

"DAMMIT!!" Harry roared as he overturned a small table in his rage, scattering items all over the floor.

"Harry, calm down!  It doesn't mean anything."

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  He opened them again to have them settle on a small plastic card on the floor.  Harry quickly snatched it up.  It was the size of a credit card but with the number 612 printed on it.

"What's that?" Neville asked.

"What's the room number here?"

"Uh, 717.  Why do you ask?"

"Come on, follow me."

They walked down the stairwell to the next floor.  Harry slipped the card in the keyhole and unlocked the door.  Neville ran to Ginny's sleeping side.

"Ginny, Ginny, honey wake up."

"Neville?!  What are you doing here?" she asked turning on the light and sitting upright.  She gasped when she saw Harry.  "What are you guys doing here?"

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked her.

Ginny thought very carefully before answering.  "She's with Ashton Montgomery.  I saw her leave with him tonight."

"Well, she's not there!  How could you let her leave with him?"

"Harry this is NOT Ginny's fault!" Neville stood up angrily.

"Are you saying it's mine then?"

"It's not her fault if Hermione doesn't want to be with you anymore!"

Harry whipped out his wand.  "Watch your mouth Neville" he threatened.

Ginny jumped between the two.  "Stop it!  Stop it both of you!  Now, what happened?"

"Hermione and Ashton are not in his room.  We followed Malfoy here." Neville explained.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something but the power in the hotel went out at that moment.

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Draco set Hermione down on the floor of the elevator and reached into his robe and pulled out a small vial of Pepper Up potion.  He poured the contents into Hermione's mouth.  She swallowed then coughed and spluttered.

"Where am I?" she asked coming out of her drunken stupor.

"We're in an elevator.  We have to leave immediately" Draco answered.

Hermione opened her eyes to see Draco's face just inches above hers.  She gasped and scrambled to her feet, hugging the elevator wall.

"Malfoy!  What are you doing here?"

"The aurors have found out you're here.  They're coming to arrest you."

"No!" she whispered as terror filled her eyes.  "How did they find me?"

The elevator stopped suddenly and they were plunged into darkness.

"Stupefy!"

"What the fuck?  Stupefy!  Lumos."

Dim wand light filled the elevator cabin illuminating the crumpled form of Ashton on the floor.

"Draco, what did you do?" Hermione gasped.  She had felt Draco pull her to him in a protective hold when power went out.

"What did I do?  Mother-fucker tried to stupefy me!" he let go of her and bent down to grab her purse.

"What?!" she said disbelieving.  Draco looked just as surprised as she did as he nudged Ashton with his foot.

"Come on.  Let's get out of here" he said as he pulled apart the elevator doors.

"What floor do you think we stopped on?" she asked.

Draco propped open the door and look above him.  "In between the third and fourth floors."  He pried open the second set of doors.  "You got your wand with you?  Good.  I'll help you up."

Hermione put her wand between her teeth as Draco hoisted her up through the opened doors.  A wand blast went whizzing past her head.

"Shit!" Draco swore as he yanked Hermione back into the elevator. 

"They're down here!  I found them!" he heard a man shout.

Draco sent out a wand blast to the man shutting him up as he dropped to the floor.  He quickly hoisted Hermione back out of the lift before following her.

"Oh my God.  It's a Death Eater" she said.

Draco walked over to the man, yanking his robes up his forearm revealing a Dark Mark.  These weren't Death Eaters, at least not Voldemort's new ones.  Running could be heard in all directions coming toward them.  He reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Come on.  Let's get out of here."

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"Lumos" Harry spoke and his wand tip lit up the darkness.

"What's goi—"Ginny began but Harry cut her off.

"Shh!"  He motioned for them to be quiet. 

A soft click could barely be heard as all three of them looked at the door.  The knob slowly began to turn as Harry moved behind it. Neville and Ginny hid on the floor next to the bed.  A hooded figure stepped through the door closing it behind him, wand drawn out.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted as the figure fell to the floor.

"Is that a Death Eater?" Neville asked helping Ginny to her feet.

Harry walked over to the figure pulling up its robes revealing a Dark Mark on his forearm.

"No.  Not a new one at least."

"How do you know?"

Harry didn't answer him.  "Come on.  Let's get out of here."

Since the power was out, they couldn't take the lifts so they had to use the stairs.  Harry led the way, Neville bringing up the rear with Ginny in between them.  Curious muggles that were awake popped their heads out to see if everyone else's power was out.  They quietly walked into the stairwell and down the stairs.  Harry froze when he saw figures moving above and below them.  He heard what sounded like a voice crackling over a speaker coming from both sets of figures.

"They're down here!  I found them!"

"That's the fourth floor!" he heard one of the men shout as the "Death Eaters" hustled to reach the source of the voice.

"That's got to be them!" Harry said.

He and Neville took out the "Death Eaters" above them before all three of them followed the others to the fourth floor. 

"They're not here!" they heard a voice crackle out.

Harry, Ginny and Neville looked at each other before continuing to the ground floor taking out the "Death Eaters" that were chasing Hermione's group.  Around the second floor he saw two figures dart out and run into the lobby.  One of them was a woman with brown hair.

"There they are!" Neville shouted.

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Draco and Hermione ran through the lobby with someone at their heels.  Hermione didn't even chance looking back.  They reached the front of the hotel where cabs were dropping off late night partiers at the hotel.  Draco knocked people out of his way as he shoved Hermione into the back of a cab.

"Hermione!" she heard a voice shout out. 

Draco looked back at the group of three people running toward them.  He jumped into the cab and ordered the driver to the airport…quickly.  He sat back in his seat panting out of breath.  She too was a little winded.  She was almost caught, her vacation was over.  Draco for sure was going to bring her back home.  She began to sniffle softly.  She felt Draco put an arm around her as she cried into him.  She didn't want to go back, not just yet.  She wasn't ready to.  She had never felt more alive than she had this past week, and she wasn't ready to face the misery that her life was.  She felt defeated, like a prey that had been caught by its predator.

Draco helped her out of the cab when they arrived at the airport.  He continued to hold her as he stood in line.  She could tell that he was keeping an eye out for someone.

"This is the Final Boarding call for Flight 623 to New York City" she heard the announcer say.

Draco and she walked up to the ticket counter.

"I need a one ticket to New York, Flight 623.  One way please" he said.

Hermione looked at Draco with confusion on her face.  Draco bought the ticket then they ran to the gate. 

"Why are you doing this?" she asked him as they reached the gate.

Draco spun her around to face him.  "Leave.  Leave here and never come back.  Do you understand me?" he asked her, his voice was beginning to break.

She nodded as tears filled her eyes.  "Thank you, Draco.  Thank you for everything" she touched his cheek. 

He led her to the stewardess who took her ticket.

"Ze plane will be leaving any minute" she told her.

She turned back to Draco who had tears in his eyes.

"I'll wire you the rest of the money in the account then I'll close it.  I'll send you an owl telling you where to pick it up.  But don't write back.  Cut all communication here.  Never let them find you.  Live as a muggle, do what you must, but forget about this life.  Don't ever come back here okay?  Now go before the plane leaves without you," Tears began to fall down his face.

Hermione nodded, tears falling down her cheeks as well as she gave Draco a hug then walked down tunnel to the plane.  She stopped halfway before turning around running back into Draco's arms.  He held her tight as they hugged before he pushed her back at looked into her face wiping away her tears.

"I love you, Hermione.  Never forget that okay?" he said before his lips crashed to hers in a searing kiss, their hands tangling in each other's hair, bodies pressed tightly together.  Hermione broke the kiss and ran back to board the plane leaving Draco behind, not looking back.

Draco watched the plane pull away and head towards the runway.  She waved at him from a window on the plane.  He waved back.  He stayed there until her plane took off in the sky.  He blew a kiss at it then turned around to face a pair of green eyes staring back at him with pure malice.

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A/N:  I wrote the airport scene between Hermione and Draco while listening to "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace.  Kinda fits doesn't it?  Anyway, the next update won't be until sometime next week.  Until then my dear readers…

Coming up soon:  Hermione throws Draco, Harry and Cho a curveball.