A/N: Woo! Hey people! As you may remember me saying last chapter, this chapter is just a filler to let you know where these guys are so it makes sense later. :-) Not great, I wrote most of this when it was very late at night, hence Ron's obsession with the TV. ;-) You'll get it. Not very long and kind of moves quickly in a slow way … ::yawn:: Please read though, otherwise you'll be confused later!! Oh, there's a more helpful bit in there too with the Death Eaters … :-$ ::shuts up:: Enjoy!! And please – have a muffin! ::hands over a muffin to every single person who's reading this A/N::

ZuvalupaWhy, thank you! :-)

SimplySagittarius: Woo! I have an non-uber-corny story!! ::dances:: Thank you! :-) Yay! Another A/N reader! ::does the 'A/N' dance:: By the way, as both my other fics are one-shots, I'll reply to your reviews here: First of all, thank you for reading all of them (did you know you're the first and only one who's reviewed to "Happy For The First Time". :-) Thank you! (I also thought it was DM until the end – then I had to rewrite some stuff! ;-) But at least I gave you a shock! :-)) Plus, I actually hate that ship, but it just turned into it … bleck. ;-) For "Pills and Pain": Oh, thank you so much for that wonderful review! ::hugs:: I think Draco is a real person with depth and some people – even those who write lovefics with him – just don't convey that. I love Ginny! She's so fiery and cool. I make her a part in every story, even if it's a small one. :-) You rule, SimplySagittarius, please keep reviewing! :-)

Meg: Updating now, though it's not really soon, is it? :-/ Sorry.

Male-chan: Some of them are around that length once I've skipped a line, but they are generally about six or seven pages long. If you want to see a long chapter, check out the Draco Trilogy by Cassie Claire. She's awesome. I first read Draco Dormiens two years ago and that really got me onto fanfiction. Hey, I'm plugging someone else's work! :-$ ::shuts up:: I see about the rape thing. He's very unspeakable. ;-)

EriadorGo the suspense!! :-)

LovinLovegood1: Woo! My first A!! What do you mean, finish sooner??? The chapters are coming as quickly as they can – 2 CHAPTERS TO GO!!! This is a novel fic, unable to be finished in 3 0r 4 chappies. Thanks anyway. :-)

Larthawyn: Yo! Larthawyn! How you doing?! :-) It was nice of Mrs Darling, wasn't it? Convenient for me, too. ;-) Not much happens in this chapter, either, sorry, but the next one will be good. Hopefully. ::scoops up confetti from desk and deposits it in bag. Then reaches in for homework assignment:: Whoops. :-) Sorry. ::flattens it out and grins::

Natalie Garner: Woo! Hey, Natalie! Welcome to the Reviewing section of the chappies! :-)

Nella Radcliffe: Yes, Draco is close … ::whispers:: so very, very close… ::resumes normal speaking voice:: Ahem. ;-)

Chapter 12: Retracing Another's Steps

Harry was right: without a break from flying, he, Ron and Ginny managed to get to a small village soon after nightfall.

They landed on the edge of town, where it was still dark, and walked towards the houses, broomsticks slung over their shoulders. None of them talked much, except for the odd comment or two ('That's a strange looking bush'; 'It's a little warmer down here, isn't it?').

In their minds, all three of them were running through what Dobby had told them, and wondering whereabouts Malfoy was. As their footsteps echoed on the dry ground, Ron voice for the first time what they had all been thinking.

'So he didn't take her – Malfoy, I mean.'

They all knew who he'd meant.

'No,' said Harry tonelessly, 'I suppose not.'

'But this doesn't let him off the hook!' Ron said firmly, as though trying to convince the other two. 'He still acted in an unacceptable way towards Hermione, and he'll be punished.'

'Good,' said Harry, 'he deserves it.'

Ginny, who hadn't said anything so far, piped up. 'He does, but do you think we were a little hard on him?' she said.

'What? No. So what if he didn't kidnap her? He still attacked her.'

'Yes, I suppose –'

'Don't worry, Gin, he won't get charged with kidnapping – oh, what about this place?' Harry changed subject abruptly as they approached an inn. They were all tired and Ron had already dismissed two possibilities.

'Collanew's Inn of Serenity?' Ron said. He snorted. 'Yeah, right; it sounds like a health spa…'

'So what?' Ginny snapped, stepping in front of her brother to stop him walking. 'I'm tired, Harry's tired, and – believe it or not – you're tired, too. We're going to stay here!'

She sounded so forceful that Ron agreed and the trio walked up the front steps.

'Nice picture,' Ron said sarcastically, motioning the dagger entwined in a rose. Ginny sniffed but didn't answer. She pushed open the door and led the way inside. The fire was burning fiercely and the three Gryffindors sighed happily. Then, Ginny let out a startled cry, jerking Harry's eyes open.

'Luna!' she exclaimed, staring at the bemused-looking Ravenclaw standing beside a woman who looked remarkably like her, except that she had red hair. 'What – what are you doing here?'

Harry and Ron were staring at Luna too. It wasn't holidays: why was she out of school?

Luna smiled at them.

'Hello Ginny, Harry, Ronald,' she said in her vague way. 'What are you doing here?'

'We asked you first!' said Ron quickly as Harry opened his mouth.

'Daddy's ill,' she said sadly, 'and he's in a hospital near here, so I'm staying with my auntie here. This way I can go and see him.'

'Why isn't he in St Mungos?' said Ron, at the same time as Ginny said, 'Will he be OK?'

'He'll be fine in a few weeks,' Luna said in reply to Ginny's question. 'And St Mungos is too far away: this hospital is much closer,' she nodded in Ron's direction as she said this. Then she looked fondly up at the woman and grinned. 'This is my Aunt Abernillie. She runs this inn, has done for years.'

'Hello,' said Abernillie, smiling vaguely at them all. Her eyes slid from Ron to Ginny to Harry and rested on his scar for a moment before going off to stare at the fire. So this was where Luna had inherited her dottiness, Harry thought, bemused.

'Anyway,' said Luna, drawing all their attention back to her. 'What are you lot doing here?'

'Hermione,' said Ginny, before Ron could answer. 'She was kidnapped – well, we thought she was kidnapped – well, actually she is, kind of –'

'Dumbledore's in London and she's in danger, so we're going to get her ourselves.' Harry finished off the small story, shooting an amused look at Ginny, who blushed.

'That's brave of you,' said Abernillie, looking at Harry. He nodded, unsure of what to say.

'It is,' agreed Luna, who, unlike her aunt, was looking at Ron.

'Er,' Ron said, then looked around, apparently taking in their surroundings. Ginny hid a grin and turned to Abernillie.

'Have you seen any other wizards in the last few days by any chance?' she asked. Ron and Harry's heads whipped around: why hadn't they thought of that?

'Many wizards pass through here on their journey to redeem themselves,' said Abernillie, turning her unblinking gaze to Ginny. They all looked at each other. 'But there is one I remember particularly clearly,' she continued. 'He was here only this morning, actually. Strange boy. Quite abrupt and rude, but oddly charming.'

'Malfoy,' said Ginny instantly. Ron snorted and looked at her incredulously.

'Malfoy is not charming,' he said, but no one was listening to him.

After getting a description of his appearance, Harry, Ron and Ginny had a hurried discussion about what they should do.

'I say we go after him!' Ron said fiercely.

'No,' Harry argued, 'he's already hours in front of us, and we need sleep.'

'Harry's right,' said Ginny, 'I can't stay awake much longer.'

'Ok.' Ron said grumpily, and he and Harry turned to negotiate a room with Abernillie. Ginny, however, turned to Luna.

'Are you sure your dad will be OK?' she said, as Ron asked what on earth a TV was.

'Yes,' said Luna, but there was a sad glint in her eyes. 'He'll be fine in a few weeks.'

Ginny sighed as Harry said they didn't need a TV, and Ron got louder in his asking what a damn TV was.

'What's wrong with him?' she asked, trying to ignore the racket behind her.

'They're not sure,' Luna admitted, 'They just know he's ill. It's not serious, though, don't worry.'

Just then, Ron said, 'What in the bloody-name-of-Merlin is a TV?'

'A box with pictures that move with sound,' Ginny said impatiently, as Harry paid for their room and Abernillie gave him their room key. 'We have to go to sleep,' Ginny added apologetically to Luna, 'Sorry.'

'Don't apologise, I understand. I'm going to bed, too. I'll see you tomorrow.'

After goodnights were said, Harry, Ron and Ginny went through the red-wood door and found their room (number 23). Once inside, they dumped their bags of stuff and fell onto their beds. Ginny didn't know how, but somehow Harry had got them a room with three single beds. She was so tired she fell asleep right there, with Harry and Ron talking about Luna and her strange aunt.

The morning came too quickly for Ginny, who felt like she hadn't slept at all, but was strangely refreshed.

She got up, showered and dressed before the boys woke, but they were both quicker than her in the bathroom. They heaved their bags up, grabbed their broomsticks and left the room, Ron locking it behind them.

As soon as they entered the front room, Abernillie smiled at them.

'Good morning!' she said cheerfully. 'Luna's still asleep; she was up a little later than you last night.'

Her eyes then focused on the front door and the trio looked at each other uncertainly.

'Well,' said Ron at last. 'I wish we could stay and see Luna, but we have to keep moving.'

'Yes, but do say goodbye for us, won't you?' Ginny added. She felt bad for leaving before seeing Luna, but Ron was right, for once.

'Of course,' said Abernillie, smiling at Harry's left elbow. 'She'll understand.'

'Right,' said Harry, moving out of her line of vision. She was even stranger than Luna, this woman.

'Have a nice flight,' Abernillie added. They didn't even bother to ask her how she knew they'd be flying: their broomsticks were a dead give away. What had Harry wondering was why she sounded like an aeroplane attendant.

As they walked outside, Ginny turned to Ron.

'How far to Oceanbreeze?' she asked as they mounted their brooms. Ron pulled out a map and frowned as he looked over it.

'Almost two days. We'll get to Evelyn Port Tuesday evening, so if we spend the night there we can get Hermione in the morning. It's only a little way from there to Oceanbreeze.'

'Right,' Harry said, looking over at Ron. 'So where are we staying tonight?'

Ron consulted the map again. Harry had the distinct impression Ron fancied himself an explorer, constantly checking the map.

'Arvanvale's as good as any,' he said. 'It's just over a day's ride away, but we should make it tonight if we hurry.'

So with this in mind they kicked off from the firm ground and rose into the chilly morning air. There weren't many people around, but they rose as high as they dared anyway, just in case.

They didn't land for the entire day, and Ginny dealt out some food at lunchtime, while they were still in the air, and they ate it while they were flying. Each was thinking the same thing, but none was feeling hugely worried. Malfoy was only about six hours ahead of them; they could catch up easily, if he didn't know where he was going.

As night fell, they reached the edge of the lighted village that was Arvanvale. They didn't descend until they saw a dark house: they were obviously out, and that was a good spot to land, close to the centre of town.

They were all cold from the flight, so as they walked around the side of the house, they pulled on their cloaks.

'Where's a good place we can stay?' Ginny asked Ron as they emerged onto the street.

'What do I look like, a brochure?' Ron snapped, pulling his cloak tighter; his cloak was worn and not as warm as it should be.

After a moment's silence, he said grudgingly: 'The Farley's a good hotel. Not too expensive, but nice.'

Harry hid a grin as Ron led him and Ginny along the street and down another one, until they reached a two-story brick building with green roof.

'This is it,' said Ron, and he walked up the path, pushed open the door and walked into the warm, brightly lit foyer, followed closely by Harry and Ginny.

Mulciber laughed as Jugson sent the house-elf out the room.

'It's good that you found the only wizarding hotel in Waven!' he said to Nott, who smiled tightly.

'You just have to know where to look,' he said softly. But then he was frowning again. Mulciber noticed this before Jugson.

'What is it?' he asked. Jugson stopped grinning and looked over at Nott.

'Yeah,' he said, 'we got the information from that drunk about where he was heading. So what's wrong?'

'What's wrong is that we may know Draco came here, but we don't know where he is now, or where the Mudblood is. We searched and found only evidence that they'd been there. We have no idea where any of them are now.' Nott glared at them both. 'We are not going to be in the Dark Lord's good books, boys,' he said softly but dangerously.

A moment passed as they all contemplated this. Then a popping noise made them all look up. Travers and Brockwit were striding toward them with smug expressions.

'What is it?' said Nott irritably. What did they have to be so smug about?

'We,' began Travers, 'have just seen Draco. And we know where he's going!'

'What?' Nott sat up straighter. 'How?'

'Ah, my dear friend,' said Brockwit, winking, 'you forget my asset to the Dark Lord.'

Mulciber nodded, his eyes on Brockwit's.

'The eyes of a hawk,' he said quietly.

'Yes!' exclaimed Brockwit, apparently delighted. 'My eyes are like that of a hawk's; I saw him holding a map with the title: "Waven – EvelynPort".'

'Evelyn Port?' repeated Nott thoughtfully. 'I wonder what he's doing there?'

He looked up at his fellow Death Eaters, who all looked eager and hungry.

'Brockwit, Apparate to Malfoy Manor – you won't be able to Apparate inside, so go to just outside the gates. Inform Lucius and the others we know where he is. Meet us in Evelyn Port. Mulciber,' Nott continued, turning to him, 'see whether that anti-tracing charm has worn off yet. Travers and Jugson, you'll come with Mulciber and me.'

Then he grinned a nasty, evil grin.

'Boys,' he announced, 'it's time to have some fun!'

The Death Eaters all whooped and cheered, then Brockwit Disapparated and Mulciber sat down in front of the map and pulled out his wand.

'Let's see where you are, boy,' he muttered.

A/N: Woo again! Lookie where we're at! Next Chapter: Draco and Hermione meet (finally!); some is revealed; house-elves, Death Eaters, explosions, running, screaming … does it make you want to read? ;-D