A/N: Thank you to all of you who have been R&R. This story's almost wrapped up, and your support has meant the world to me. And one more thing, sorry the story was paused for about three months, I had just started school and I had absolutely no time for writing due to my homework.

The next day at the breakfast table, Hermione trotted over to Malfoy to break the bad news to him. Ron and Harry cracked up when they saw him look over at them, his face pasty and his eyes fiery. He nodded jerkily to Hermione and she flounced back over, her hair bouncing as she went.

"Well that went rather well, he just nodded at me," Hermione said as she poured herself a cup of orange juice.

"Yeah, and he looked like he was about to kill someone," Harry said, grinning.

"I love it when Malfoy loses. It's so.." Ron dropped off, his eyes closed.

"Wonderful?" Hermione offered.

"Satisfying?" Harry suggested.

"Beautiful," Ron said, opening his eyes again. Hermione laughed and returned to her kippers. He snaked his arm around her waist and pecked her on the cheek. When she blushed and beamed at him, Harry rolled his eyes slightly, snatched Hermione's paper, and disappeared behind it.

That night, Harry and Ron were sitting in the common room, finishing an Astronomy essay, when Hermione returned from prefect duty. She paused briefly to toss the Marauder's Map at Harry before she retrieved her own essay from her dormitory. She sat down without a word and began to scribble. Ron and Harry watched expectantly.

"Well?" Ron finally asked.

"Well, what?" Hermione responded, not raising her head.

"How did prefect duty go?" Harry asked anxiously.

Hermione looked up and stared at them. "You've never asked me that before.."

"Hermione, I think Ron's starting to rub off on you," Harry said, grinning. "You're getting thicker every day."

Both Hermione and Ron said "Hey!" indignantly, but Harry just chuckled and continued. "What we meant was did you see Malfoy at all?"

"Oh! Right, right, no there was no sign of him," Hermione said and returned to her homework.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked anxiously.

"He stayed in his common room the whole time."

"But..we checked the dates he was on duty, and tonight was on it."

"Yes, but my time was from nine until ten thirty. He's on late night, ten thirty until twelve."

"You're positive about that?"

"Yes," Hermione said sharply. When Ron continued to look skeptical, her expression softened. "Ron, don't you think I'd tell you if I had seen him?"

"Yeah..yeah you would. I just don't trust him, he's dangerous," Ron said.

A week passed and there was still no sign of Malfoy during Ron and Hermione's prefect duty. Harry and Ron were starting to become even more cautious.

"He's planning something, I know it. He would go after either you or her. It's just not like him," Harry said one day during Divination. They were back onto crystal balls. Supposedly it was advanced, but they still stared at nothing but white mist swirling in the glass.

"I know, and I can't keep Hermione on her guard. She left last night without the map. I had to run up to her in the hall to give it to her, and even then she thought it was pointless to take it," Ron said worriedly.

Two nights later, Ron and Harry were playing wizard's chess, waiting for Hermione to return from duty. Harry went upstairs quickly to change his shirt; Ron had pointed out a stain from dinner. He came back down, his face drained.

"She forgot the map," He said. His voice quivered with fear.

"What do you mean, she forgot the map?!?" Ron cried. He jumped up and saw the map grasped in Harry's hand. He sank back into his chair, clutching his chest. "Well maybe Malfoy's on late night again. Or maybe he's not even on duty."

"Yeah, I bet so. It's not like she's late, it's only ten o'clock. She'll walk in right on time, you'll see," Harry said, assuring both Ron and himself.

Ten thirty came and passed, and there was no sign of Hermione. It wasn't safe to check the map with the common room still crowded and noisy. They put away the wizard's chess and ensured themselves that she was just late. Perhaps Peeves had held her up. Ten forty, ten fifty, eleven o'clock. It was all they could do to keep from panicking.

At quarter after eleven, the pair of them had covered themselves in the invisibility cloak and put the map in Harry's back pocket. They crept out of the portrait hole and opened the map. Scanning it with their eyes, they couldn't find her anywhere in the castle.

"There she is. She's in a spare classroom," Harry said suddenly, pointing.

"Fourth floor?" Ron asked. Harry nodded. "Let's go."

A/N: Yes, this chapter was a little shorter, but you've got to work with me here, all right?