Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe is not mine, however the one going on in my head is.
(Thanks for all the review you guys rock)
Chapter Three: The High Hotel
Ginny was rummaging through her things. Occasionally she would throw something on her bed.
"Why Potter?" Draco asked, "I mean there are tons of wizards that would work just as well."
"Well," Ginny replied as she threw some books on her bed, "I suppose it's because Voldermort used Harry the first time around. Maybe Harry's captor believes it will work again. Which if you think about, is ridiculous, I mean Voldermort's gone. His ash was thrown into the ocean and he no longer has a soul."
"Well I don't think Harry's captor was exactly right in the head," Draco replied dodging a book Ginny had tossed towards her bed, "Mind looking where you're throwing?"
Ginny ignored him as she continued to add to her growing pile on her bed.
"What's all this for anyway?" Draco asked picking up one of the books.
"We can't just go traipsing off to America without supplies. It takes too much energy to apparate such long distances," Ginny replied. She eyed her closed muttering to herself, "I don't know what the weather is like there."
"We can by clothes when we get there," Draco replied, "Especially if it means you might hurry up. Sitting her is boring for me."
"I'm so sorry," Ginny replied sarcastically, "I didn't mean to bore you. Of course you could always help me gather supplies."
"Fat chance," Draco snorted form the bed.
"That's what I thought," Ginny replied, "I'll be right back."
When Ginny returned she had some potions with her and some ingredients. She also had a small travel cauldron and a crystal on a necklace.
"What's all that for?" Draco asked.
"Just some potions that might be useful," Ginny replied throwing everything on her bed, "The rest is ingredients for possible potions we might need, obviously," Ginny replied pointing to the little cauldron, "What else would we need with that?" She held up the crystal, "Witch's crystal. Great for all kinds of things including protection, concealment, and finding lost ones." Ginny shrunk everything with a quick spell. She started throwing everything in her back pack, "I don't suppose you want to carry anything."
"No," Draco replied smugly. "I can't believe I'm helping you in the first place."
"You're the one with the swollen lip and hurt wrist," Ginny reminded him picking up her backpack.
"Damn Potter," Draco mumbled as he stood up, "Are we ready?"
"Yep," Ginny replied grabbing his hand. In a few minutes they had disapparated to Georgia. They were standing in the middle of a large building.
"Where are we?" Draco asked her looking around.
"This is the Mall of Georgia," Ginny replied. "It has a wizard's bank in it. How convenient is that?" She asked as she started walking through the mall.
Draco yawned loudly as he followed behind Ginny. He was starting to get tired again. Not that he was going to tell her though. The mall itself was huge. Stores liked each side and they passed a movie theater. What was a movie theater? Draco felt like he was totally out of his element. Here he was following the little Weasel like some lost puppy, he was tired and he had just passed a movie theater and had no idea what it was. Draco yawned again.
"This is it," Ginny said stopping in front of a grand looking store, which was actually the bank.
"How did you know this was here?" Draco asked her. He didn't know there was a wizarding bank in the middle of a muggle mall.
"I've been here before," Ginny replied before pushing him through the door.
Twenty minutes later and pockets full of muggle money Draco and Ginny left the bank.
"So, we better work out the clothes situation," Draco said looking up and down the mall, "Where to?"
"Here," Ginny said grabbing his hand and pulling him towards a store. Draco's first instinct was to grab his hand away, but he didn't. Instead he let her tug him into a store. "I'll be in the juniors section," Ginny said pointing to the other side of the store.
Ginny left Draco standing in the middle of the men's section. He sighed as he looked at the oh, so muggle clothes. They were so , cheap looking. He started rummaging through the different shirts occasionally pulling one off the rack and holding it up to himself. He yawned again. He was really too tired for this.
Ginny rummaged around through the clothes. She felt like a kid in a candy store. Better even, she was shopping for clothes on Draco's knut. She picked shirt after shirt up. Looked through the skirts and pants. Then she moved on to the shoes. After all a girl has to have shoes for all occasions. After a while she was done picking out clothes and went to go try them on. She emerged half an hour later with many different outfits. She went to go find Draco. he was sitting in a chair without any clothes.
"What are you doing?" she asked him putting all the clothes she had gathered down, "You're just sitting there."
"I didn't like any of it," Draco said with a yawn, "So I just didn't pick out anything."
Ginny sighed rolling her eyes, "It doesn't really matter that much."
"Really?" Draco replied lifting an eyebrow, "For something that doesn't really matter you took your own sweet time picking out clothes."
A slight flush crept up to Ginny's cheeks, "Well at least I got something. Stay here," she said this as she walked into the middle of the men's section. Ginny picked out some shirts and sweaters for the boy. Then she picked up some pants.
"Here," she said as she piled clothes in his lap, "I'm not sure about the sizes so go try them on."
Draco looked at her sighing. NOne the less he did get up and go to the men's dressing room. he emerged a few minutes later, "Fine let's go," he said as he started walking towards the register, "You'll have to pay, I don't know anything about muggle money."
"I don't know that much either," Ginny replied as she placed her clothes on the counter. They finally made it out of the store and started walking out of the mall, "We should probably find some place to stay while we are here."
"I'm sure you're right," Draco replied yawning again, "So what do we get a hotel of something."
"Why are you so tired?" Ginny asked him as she looked around. Truth be told she didn't know where they would stay for the night.
"I don't know," Draco replied, "I just get tired sometimes."
"Well take an energy potion." Ginny replied as she started walking towards a building.
"Where are we going?" Draco asked her as he drank the potion she handed him.
"Look," Ginny said pointing, "The High Hotel. I bet we can find some place to stay there."
"It looks so cheap," Draco replied glaring at the building in front of them.
"Draco, it doesn't matter," Ginny replied sighing, "We need some place to stay while we are in Georgia."
Draco groaned loudly.
"What are you five?" Ginny asked him as she pulled him into the building, "Get over it."
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked them.
"Um, yes," Ginny replied, "We need two rooms."
"We are all booked up."
"You don't have any rooms?" Ginny asked pleadingly.
"Let me check," the receptionist replied. After a couple of minutes the receptionist looked up, "We just had a cancellation. I'm afraid we only have one room available though."
"Is there any where else we can go?" Ginny asked him.
"No, there is a big convention here this week and all the hotels are booked up."
"We'll take it," Ginny replied.
"How long will you be staying with us?"
"Two weeks," Draco spoke up.
Ginny's head turned to look at him. Two weeks. Why would they be there for two weeks?
After a couple of seconds the receptionist spoke up again, "Cash or credit?"
"Pardon?" Ginny asked confused.
"Do you want to pay with cash or with a credit card?"
"Cash", Ginny replied.
"Your total comes to $700", the receptionist replied.
"Bloody hell", Draco mumbled under his breath. He didn't know that much about muggle money but he knew enough to know that 700 was a hell of a lot of money."
Ginny held out her hand expectantly to Draco. After a bit of grumbling he pulled out the money he had and handed it to her. She counted out the twenties and fifties and handed them to the receptionist.
"Enjoy your stay here at the High Hotel", the receptionist told them handing them a key and a brochure, "Room 412."
"Thank you", Ginny smiled as she took the key. Ginny rearranged the bags in her other hand and started towards the elevator. She stepped in the elevator pulling Draco in beside her.
"Floor?" the elevator operator asked her.
"Four", Ginny replied glancing at her key to make sure.
Ginny strode off the elevator and down the hall. There it was the door to 412. She opened the door and looked around. It looked pretty nice. They had a little kitchen and the bathroom had a jacuzzi tub in it along with a shower. The room was nice and big. There was a little couch against one wall. As she glanced around she noticed one little problem. There was only one bed. Sure it was big enough for two people, but sharing a bed with Draco?
"I'm not staying here", Draco said firmly looking around, "It's a dump."
"That's such crap", Ginny replied as she put her bags down on the bed. She started to pull her clothes out of the bags and hang them up in the closet, "This room is fine. Stop whining. We have more important things to worry about then your comfort."
Draco glared at her as he walked into the room. He looked around. She was wrong. The room wasn't fine and at the moment his comfort was at the top of his list.
"You might want to hang up your clothes so they don't wrinkle", Ginny said from where she stood, still hanging her clothes on hangers.
"Laundry is for the servants", Draco replied snorting.
"Um, Draco, do you see any servants around?" Ginny asked him looking around the room, "Because I don't. So maybe you just want to get over yourself and hang up your clothes so we can move on with our day. I haven't eaten since breakfast, I missed lunch and I don't want to miss dinner either."
Draco sighed as he started to pull his clothes out of the bags. He was taking so long that Ginny had finished hanging up her own clothes and had started to help him with his.
"Okay now that we are finished with that", Ginny replied glaring at Draco. If he would just stop arguing and try and be good natured they might actually be able to find Harry, "We better get some dinner before I try and scribe for Harry."
Draco didn't reply he just followed behind the little Weasel as they went back downstairs and into the hotel's restaurant. In fact he didn't say anything until after they sat down at their table.
"So Weasel, won't your parents worry about where you are?" he asked as he looked at the menu.
"Well actually Ferret boy," Ginny replied, "My parents are use to me not coming home every night."
"Well, of course they are", Draco replied a smirk creeping onto his face, "It isn't like their dearest little girl is staying out all night with boys, or is she?"
"That is none of your business", Ginny hissed as the waiter walked up to them a light blush rising into her cheeks. Ginny placed her order and waited while Draco took his own sweet time ordering dinner.
"So why did you say we would need the room for two weeks?" Ginny asked him, "What if it takes longer?"
"Well if we don't find him in two weeks then we might as well give up", Draco replied.
"Why do you say that?" Ginny asked him starting to get angry. She would look for Harry for as long as it took.
"Did I not tell you?" Draco asked, "In my dream Harry's captor said he only had two more weeks."
"No you didn't tell me that", Ginny replied angrily, "How could you forget to tell me that!"
"Just slipped my mind", Draco replied rolling his eyes, "It happens."
Ginny looked furious. Draco had never seen her this furious. Sure there were the times that she got mad when he called her names. Then there were the times she would get mad in the middle of fighting in the war. But this was different. He couldn't describe it. She was furious though, that was sure.
Ginny didn't talk to him all during dinner. She left before the check was paid. Draco was forced to figure out the muggle money. He was pretty sure he had overpaid the bill. Draco stormed up to their room. What right did she have to leave him at dinner.
When he arrived back at the room he saw Ginny sitting on the bed. There was a map spread out of the bed and she was scribing with the crystal. She didn't even seem to notice him come in. Or she was ignoring him. Which was fine with him. The Weasel was difficult to deal with. But no so much if she wasn't paying him attention. He sat on the couch and looked through the books Ginny had brought with her. Most of them were research books but two of them weren't.
Draco picked up the first book and started to flip through it. It was a photo album. The album was filled with pictures of her family and her friends. He was shocked when he got to the last page to see a picture of himself. A rather dashing looking picture of himself. Draco put down that album and picked up the next one. This book was a regular book of fairy tales. What Ginny was doing with a book of fairy tales was beyond Draco. Those stories were so stupid and shallow. Really he expected a little bit more from the Weasel. After all it wasn't like she was some helpless Damsel in distress like the princesses in the book. Draco was just about to say so when he heard a sigh coming from the bed. Ginny was rubbing her head as if she had a headache. The crystal was laying on the map.
"Did it work?" Draco asked her, already knowing the answer.
"No", Ginny replied, "Which means I have no idea where to look for Harry."
"Well", Draco replied thinking, "from the sign, and mind you this is simply the conclusion I am drawing from the sign. I think that he is on an old rundown farm. Probably not far from a major road considering that it sold peaches."
"This is Georgia", Ginny interrupted him, "Do you know how many places sell peaches on the side of the road. This is the peach state."
Anger flashed on Draco's face, "If you brought me along to ignore what I am telling you than I will leave now."
"I'm sorry", Ginny replied sincerely, "I'm just worried. You have already been a big help." She looked back down at the map, "I suppose the crystal was sort of favoring the west side of Georgia", She said hopefully as she looked up, "Are you any good at scribing?"
"I'm more into wand work", Draco replied from his spot on the couch. He did get up though and walked over to the map. Draco picked up the crystal and started to scribe. After a couple of minutes the crystal pulled itself down to a little city called Carrolton.
"You did it", Ginny said excitedly. She jumped up and hugged Draco around the neck. Draco stood there for a minute as shock and pleasure swept through him.
"Get off of me", Draco said after a moment when he had come to his senses, "If I had known you were going to react like that I wouldn't have tried."
Ginny sat back down on the bed a blush rising to her cheeks again, "So, Harry is some where in Carrolton. Well, at least we have a starting point. Even if I don't know where to go from there", Ginny said that last sentence more to herself than to Draco. She sat on the bed thinking hard. She really didn't know what to do. She supposed they could just go looking for any old building that sold peaches. But, what if the building were enchanted to turn people away? What would she do then.
Ginny climbed off the bed and grabbed the pajamas she had bought earlier. "It's late", She walked into the bathroom, "Hey, you know what we forgot", Ginny yelled through the door.
"What?" Draco asked as he changed in the main room.
"Tooth brushes and other toiletries", Ginny replied.
"I suppose you will be wanting the couch then Weasel?" Draco replied hopefully as he climbed into the bed.
"Like hell", Ginny replied also climbing into the bed, "I'm fine with the bed."
"What makes you think I want to share a bed with a little Weasel like yourself?" Draco asked her.
"The real question, ferret, is what makes you think I care what you want?" Ginny replied as she laid down with her back to him, "However if you don't want to share this bed with me there is a couch."
Ginny didn't say anymore to him that night. Draco felt a little odd with the little Weasel laying right beside him. Had it been just three months earlier he would have been expecting Ron to run in at any moment and beat him to a bloody pulp, or at least try.
Draco rolled over gently so as not to disturb Ginny. He watched her back as she slept. Although he was exhausted he couldn't get to sleep. Maybe he had taken too much of the energy potion earlier. Maybe he was afraid that if he fell asleep he wouldn't wake up. After all if when Harry got hurt Draco got hurt, did that mean that if Harry died Draco would also? Draco looked at the back of Ginny's head. Her hair looked really soft. Draco reached forward suddenly. He, ever so gently, pulled at one of Ginny's curls. Her hair was just as soft as it looked. Draco withdrew his hand quickly once he realized what he had just done. Merlin, he must be tired. Draco rolled back over, his back facing her back and did his best to get a good night's sleep. Draco's dreams were filled with pain. It seemed that Harry's captor didn't need Harry to be in a very healthy state to do whatever he wanted to do to him.