Disclaimer: See page one. Not mine etc. etc. etc.

Chapter 1: Dumbledore's Office

As Harry led them through the last few corridors, he wondered if Dumbledore even slept in his office. If he didn't, they were stuffed. He also wondered where Hermione was, whether she was OK, and if Malfoy really did have anything to do with it. He'd said he didn't, but there was just something about Malfoy's personality and sly looks that Harry didn't trust. Funny about that.

If he's hurt her … Harry didn't want to say out loud what he'd do to that piece of scum.

'I'd keep her around trained wizards if I were you.' Did Malfoy's threat really mean something? Would he and his father really kill Hermione? Surely not… surely it was just one of the things Malfoy used to get them riled up.

Harry glanced up in time to see the stone gargoyle that was Dumbledore's door. He stopped in front of it and Draco nearly walked into him. He glared at him, before turning back to the matter at hand.

'Er … Cockroach Cluster?' said Harry tentatively. Nothing happened. Draco snorted.

'You planned to take me to Dumbledore to confess my horrible crime, yet you didn't even get the password beforehand?'

'Shut up, Malfoy.' Ron poked him hard in the back with his wand. Draco glared at him, but said nothing.

'Ice Mice?' Harry tried. 'Um … sugar quills? Bertie Botts? Sherbet lemons?'

'What?'

Harry glared at him.

'He likes sherbet lemons,' he said defensively.

'Of course he does,' said Draco innocently, but the glint in his eye betraying him.

Ron resisted the urge to hit him across the back of the head.

'Um …' Harry, Ron and Ginny ran through all the sweets they could think of, with Draco rolling his eyes and making tut-ting noises.

'Shut up, for Christ sakes, Malfoy!' exclaimed Ginny finally, turning around to glare at him. 'You're not exactly being helpful!'

Draco stared at her.

'Helpful?' he asked incredulously. 'Why in Merlin's name should I be helpful? You're trying to convict me of a crime that hasn't even been properly explained to me! Why should I help you do that?'

There wasn't much she could say to that, so Ginny turned back to the gargoyle.

'I give up,' said Harry, glaring at the gargoyle. 'I can't think of anything else!

Ron and Ginny nodded, even though it hurt them to do so. They all looked at Draco.

'If you've hurt her –' Ron began, but Draco interrupted.

'I haven't done anything with Granger!' he exclaimed, sagging a little. How could he convince them of that?

'You better not have, but I think we should show you what would happen if –'

'If what, Mr Weasley?' said Dumbledore, as the gargoyle slid away. 'What's going on?' He looked curiously at Harry, Ron and Ginny, then his eyes travelled over Draco, widening as they took in his Muggle clothes and dishevelled hair.

'What in Merlin's name - ?' he stopped and glanced up and down the hallway. 'Come in.'

Harry and Ron exchanged a grateful look, as Dumbledore saw all four of them up to his office. No one said a word until they were in his large office. Some of the portraits stirred and looked at them lazily.

'Now that's a sight you don't see every day!' exclaimed a witch in a nightdress, pointing at them. 'Gryffindors and Slytherins working together!'

No one bothered to correct her.

'Please sit,' said Dumbledore, as two more chairs joined the two already there.

They all sat, but Draco pulled his chair a few feet from the Gryffindors'.

'Would anyone like to tell me what's going on? Why were you at my office door in the middle of the night?'

They all began to talk at once, Draco stopping after a few sentences. Dumbledore held up a hand.

'One at a time. Why don't you start, Mr Weasley?'

Ron nodded, and with a glare at Draco, finally began to explain what had happened.

'We haven't seen Hermione since just after lunch, Professor. We searched the entire castle - using Ginny to check the girls' bathroom, of course!' he added hastily.

Dumbledore nodded again. 'Of course.'

'Yeah,' Ron squirmed uncomfortably. 'And when I say we searched everywhere, we searched everywhere! We even looked in the places we're not supposed to.' He hung his head in shame when he said that.

'I understand,' said Dumbledore, 'no punishment will take place.'

'So we went to get Malfoy to confess.' Here, he glanced at Draco, a look of pure loathing on his face.

'Confess?' said Dumbledore sharply, looking at Draco himself.

'Yes, it's silly, really,' said Draco casually. 'They marched into the Slytherin dormitory – how they knew where to find us, that's what I'd like to know! – grabbed me out of bed, and marched me up here.' He leaned back in his chair. 'Ridiculous, the whole thing.'

'On the contrary, Mr Malfoy,' said Dumbledore, 'I can see why they got you.'

'What?' cried Draco, sitting up straighter. 'I didn't kidnap anybody! Where would I hide her? Why would I kidnap her?'

'We all know why, Malfoy, it's just a matter of how!' said Harry furiously. Draco ignored him.

'This is just great, isn't it?' he spat at Dumbledore. 'Saint Potter and friends accuse me of something, and you automatically take their side! It doesn't matter that I was in bed the entire time, does it? It doesn't matter that I have several witnesses; they're all Slytherins, what they say doesn't matter! The only people who have anything truthful to say are the Gryffindors!' He was on his feet by this time, yelling. But Dumbledore was watching him calmly.

'Sit down, Mr Malfoy; no one's accusing you of anything.'

'Ha!' But he dropped back onto the chair.

'Professor!' stammered Harry, glancing from Malfoy to Dumbledore. 'We know he did something with her; just this morning he said he and his father would kill her!'

Oh-oh. That was a little shot to Potter and co. Draco glanced up at Dumbledore. He was still watching him.

'Is that true Mr Malfoy?' His tone was calm, level, but his eyes were like a blue fire. Draco suddenly felt very insecure.

'N–no,' he stuttered, not looking Dumbledore in the eye. Usually he could lie quite well, but he was tired, and Potter'd shocked him with that little bit of information. He'd completely forgotten about their little brawl. Well, actually, no, that was a lie. He hadn't forgotten about it at all; just what started it. In fact, he was still fuming about Granger setting his robes alight. 'I didn't say that!' After all, that was true, wasn't it? He hadn't said he'd kill her. Well, not in those words, anyway.

'Liar!' Ginny screeched suddenly. 'I was coming out from the Dungeons at the time, and I saw you nearly choke her!'

Dumbledore's sharp eyes flickered form Ginny to Draco.

'You tried to choke her?'

'She insulted me!' Oops. Draco knew instantly he'd said the wrong thing. Dang the time of night! He thought angrily; if it'd been in the middle of the day, he knew he'd be much more composed and not so easily rattled. 'And besides,' he added, trying to salvage himself, 'I wouldn't have actually killed her.' But that didn't seem to satisfy Dumbledore, nor the others.

'Mr Malfoy,' said Dumbledore loudly, and he stood up. Now he just looked plain scary. 'You have been attacking the students?'

'Just one,' Draco squeaked, instantly kicking himself. 'But I wouldn't have actually hurt her, I swear!'

'You're promises are all lies!' yelled Harry, leaping to his feet. He'd never been so furious in all his life. He could feel the hatred pumping through him, like acid. All he wanted was to grab Malfoy and punch him until you could no longer see one inch of his palomino skin; he'd be completely covered in bruises.

Draco seemed to sense that, and he stood up too, ready for a fight.

'If Granger was my friend, Potter, I'd have come to Dumbledore much sooner, so don't you try and put yourself on some high pedestal!' bellowed Draco, fury taking him over too. 'You could've come so much sooner – what if she really was kidnapped? You could have stopped her being taken out of the castle if you'd acted sooner! But no, you had to act the hero and come ARRET ME!'

Harry paled and he quickly turned to Dumbledore.

'Do you think she's been taken out of the castle?' he said anxiously.

Draco felt like rolling his eyes.

'So now you think of that,' he snorted, sitting down again. He felt someone watching him, so he glanced at Ginny and Ron. They were both staring at him. 'What?' he snarled.

'What do you mean, if Hermione was your friend?' sad Ginny curiously. Everyone stopped and looked at Draco.

'What?' he said stupidly.

'Did you want Hermione to be your friend, Malfoy?' Ron asked him.

'What are you on about, Weasley?' said Draco, 'I just said that as an example of how dumb Potter is. What on earth did you think I meant by it?'

Harry, Ron and Ginny shared another look.

'Nothing,' said Ron quietly. Draco smirked and was about to make another snide remark about how Ron never thinks, when Dumbledore interrupted him.

'You say she's been missing for –' he checked a thing hanging from his neck that could only be described as a watch. 'Twelve hours?'

'Yes.' Harry nodded. Dumbledore bit his lip, than looked at his watch.

'Right,' he said slowly. 'In the morning we'll start a search of the castle and grounds. Every student and teacher will be involved. If we've searched three days without finding her, we'll notify the Ministry. Until then Mr Malfoy,' here he rested his blue gaze on Draco again. 'You will not leave the grounds, nor be unaccompanied during any time of that period. You, I'm afraid, are our number one suspect if Miss Granger really has been kidnapped. I suggest you all get some sleep, however.' He held up a hand to stop the torrent of 'Morning?' and 'Three days?! She could be in another country in three days!' and the rest.

They all got up to leave, quite disgruntled.

'Not you, Mr Malfoy.' Draco turned around.

'What?'

'You cannot return to the Slytherin common room. You will stay here with me. I shall make you up a bed and you will spend the night here. Just in case.'

'Just in case? Just in case what?'

But Dumbledore didn't answer; he waved the Gryffindors out the office, and then waved his wand and a camp bed appeared.

'This is unbelievable!' muttered Draco, sitting on it, glaring at Dumbledore. 'So what, I'm under investigation?'

'You could say that,' murmured Dumbledore, seemingly distracted.

'But I didn't do anything wrong! I did not kidnap Granger!'

'We will see. Goodnight Mr Malfoy.'