Disclaimer: who really reads the disclaimers anyway? I'm not a real author and I don't own any of these characters. Why make me fell bad by pointing this out to you? Why? Moving on now….

Chapter 7:Plans and Panicking

Bridgeford Castle, 12:00 a.m.

The minutes slipped by slowly at Bridgeford Castle. Gradually, the minutes turned to hours. Severus and Mundungus passed them in silence. Severus continued to pace, stopping every once in a while to stare into the fire for a minute or two. Mundungus just watched and waited. He wasn't quite sure what he was waiting for but he forced himself to stay awake until he did. Finally, after seemed like an eternity in Mundungus' opinion, Minerva McGonagall stumbled out of the fire place with a rather grave look on her face.

"Well?" Severus demanded.

"It's just as you suspected. Alastor and the Arthur are missing." She said.

"And miss Granger?"

"We don't know if she ever made it. We are trying to contact her family to see if maybe she missed the train but contacting a muggle family without attracting attention is not only difficult but dangerous to attempt." She explained. Mundungus paying very close attention to the conversation. McGonagall went on, "But its worse than that, Potter an the Weasly boys went out looking for her and now they're missing too."

Severus sighed, "We should have warned them. We should have told them how dangerous it has been getting."

"Where do you think Alastor and Arthur are?" asked Mundungus.

Severus shook his head, "I'm not sure, I've not been able to get must information lately but I'm pretty sure Malfoy is the only one with a place to keep them. I would go there but he doesn't trust me, I think he's on to me."

"We need to get a spy in there." said McGonagall.

"What 'bout me?" suggested Mundungus, "'E don't expect me to be in the order. I'm too much of a thief."

McGonagall nodded, "That might work but you have to have something to sell him that would be useful."

"Information." Severus said bluntly, "You can feed him false information. He supposed to get as much information as possible to help the Dark Lord. We just need to make it believable."

Malfoy Manor 7:00 a.m.

"Master Draco?" Maury shook Draco awake. "You must wake up now, your father wants you down stairs."

"Why?" asked Draco sleepily.

"I do not know sir but the girl…she'll need something to eat."

Draco sat up and stumbled out of bed, "Will she remember that she turned into a vampire last night?"

"No."

"Good. I'll sneak some food up after breakfast. Just make sure she stays in there."

When Draco arrived downstairs he found Lucius waiting for him, "I need you to go to the village and…" Lucius paused, "Stay there for a couple of hours and then tell me if you saw anything suspicious." He finished vaguely. Draco nodded and without saying a word turned to return back upstairs.

Crap! He wants me out of the house for something, thought Draco; He never lets me go to the village unless he's doing something he doesn't want me to see. Applewood was a muggle village and Draco was rarely allowed to be seen by it's citizens. When reached his room he changed into muggle cloths and slipped into the room in the back of the closet. Hermione was sitting in the corner reading a book about magical creatures. She looked up an smiled.

"Hello." She said, "I am a little hungry."

Draco nodded and walked over to a table in the middle of the room to where there was a small box that held muggle money that he wasn't supposed to have. "I need to go to the village but I'll by the food and be back here soon."

"Can I go with you?" Hermione asked eagerly but Draco shook his head.

"No. You stay here, I'm still trying to find where you live." That was lie, he hadn't even tried to find where she came from at all. He couldn't. His father always kept a very close watch on him so trying anything that his father wouldn't approve of. Draco knew that keeping Hermione there was risking both their lives but he didn't know what else to do.

"I need to go, I'll be back soon." He told her. When he was back in his room Maury was waiting for him, "My father is making me go to the village but I'll buy some food for her and sneak back in through my window. You need to Keep a close eye on things an tell me what went on while I was gone." Maury nodded. That was what Draco loved about having his own house elf, they were perfect spies and they had to do what you said.

When he arrived back downstairs his father gave him a dirty look because of his muggle cloths, "Must you where those wretched things?"

"They all think we're strange enough without me going down there dressed like a freak. I blend in more this way." Draco told him. As he was leaving he spotted the Daily Prophet lying on the table and grabbed it to bring with him. On his way down the hill that led to the village he opened it up hoping to find an article on missing witch. Maybe he would be able to find some useful information that way. Much to his disappointment, he found that her absence had not been reported. Folding up the paper, he headed towards the store to get some food.

Grimmauld Place 7:30 a.m.

Meanwhile Ginny was pretty much getting interrogated back at Grimmauld Place.

"I swear I don't know where they were going, they didn't even know. All I know is that they wanted to find Hermione." She told the order members.

"It was a very stupid thing for them to do. Fred and George should have known better." said Mrs. Weasly.

"Why are you telling me this? I didn't leave." replied Ginny.

"But we all know you probably wanted to." Tonks said.

"And, even though you are still here, you are part of it." Lupin informed her.

"Well I told you everything I know. Did you question Stan and Ernie from the Knight bus? They might know something." Ginny suggested.

"They didn't know any more than you." Sirius told her, "Are you sure that's all you know?"

"I'm sure." She said firmly.

Mrs. Weasly sighed, "You can go." She told her daughter.

Ginny frowned, "I finally got to see an order meeting and your going to kick me out have way through?" she cried.

"Yes. Go." Ginny glared at her mother and stormed out of the room. It wasn't a real Order meeting; there were only 5 people there, Molly, Remus, Sirius, Tonks and Kingsley.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Tonks.

"We can't do much until we get in touch with Dumbledore." answered Kingsley, the others nodded in agreement.

"We have to do something!" argued Sirius, "If we wait to long who knows what could happen to them."

To everyone's surprise Molly agreed with Sirius, "He's right." She said, "We have to act fast."

"Minerva sent an owl from Bridgeford and said that her, Severus and Mundungus have a plan to find Alastor and Arthur and Hermione if she's with them. All we can do is wait." said Tonks.

"What about Harry, Ron and the twins?" snapped Molly, "We need to find them!"

Remus sighed, "Molly, we're all worried about ham but until we have more information there's not much we can do."

Ginny listened behind the door but found that the information was of no value to her. She went to her room and found a tawny barn owl waiting for her. She immediately recognized the owl as Luna Love Good's. They had been keeping in touch since that end of the term in June. After the boys had left the night before, Ginny wrote to all the D.A. members. The others did know but she had been keeping them all up to date on what was going on. Luna was the first to reply her letter. It was short and to the point but helpful all the same.

Ginny-

I think I've seen Hermione around town. Maybe she lives near me. I will try to find out what I can. I'll also keep my eye out for Harry and your brothers just in case they show up around here. Keep me posted. If you need me I'll find away to get there.

-Luna

Ginny had noticed that Luna was a lot less vague and more serious in her letters than in person. Either that or she had grown more serious and focused since the last time Ginny had seen her. Ginny didn't reply but instead just sent the owl back empty-handed. She then lay down and fell asleep (she hadn't got much sleep the night before).

Applewood 8:00 a.m.

"You know, it really doesn't help that all we have for muggle money is 5 dollars, that won't buy us much." Harry pointed out to the others.

George shrugged, "We'll improvise."

Harry sighed, "You lot stay here, I'm going to buy us some food with the little money we have." he left Ron and the twins sitting next to the train station and headed towards the small supermarket down the street.

He quickly found a package of bottled water and some non-perishable food. He went to the check-out line but while the clerk was wringing up the price, Harry spotted something very disturbing, a few lines down dressed in muggle cloths (a very odd sight) was Draco Malfoy. Harry ducked his head and turned away hoping not to be noticed. After paying fir the food, Harry ran outside and back to the train station to where the others were waiting to tell them what he had seen.

"Are you serious?" cried Ron when Harry told them.

"Do you reckon he lives around here?" asked George.

"He must." Fred answered, "We'll just have to lay low until the next train comes. Are you sure he didn't see you?" he asked Harry.

"I don't think so."

Draco would not have noticed anyway, he was too preoccupied at who else was wandering around Applewood, McNair. Another death eater, he was headed towards Malfoy Manor.

It must have to do with the prisoners. Draco thought to himself, I need to get back to the house. As soon as he paid for his food he snuck back towards his house the back way, not wanting to be seen by any other death eaters that might be headed that way.

A/n: i think that ws my longets chapter yet! Go me!

WannaBArtist-Nothing at the moment but it will end up as Hermione Draco...eventually