Chapter 21

''I'm gonna go take a shower,'' Draco said when we got home. I only nodded, I hadn't told Draco what I had found out, because I didn't want him to worry. ''Are you alright?''

''Yeah, I-I'm fine.'' I said.

''Don't lie to me Irulan,'' he said walking up to me.

''I'm not lying Draco,'' I said avoiding his gaze.

''You won't even look me in the eye, something's wrong,'' he lifted my chin up with his finger, ''What is it?''

''Have you ever been stalked Draco?''

''Hello! Have you met Parkinson?'' he said.

''True. I hardly consider her a stalker but more of an obsesser,'' I said.

He nodded, ''Guess you're right, but don't worry about Eric, you guys'll find him, that's what you aurors do. And if not, Potter'll save the day like he always does,'' Draco said rubbing my chin with his thumb.

I snorted and pulled my head away, ''This is so much different than any other time don't you see that! It's personal this time, for the first time a case has gotten way out of my control, and for the first time I have no idea what to do!''

I turned away from Draco and walked into the living room, sitting on the couch with my elbows on my knees. Draco followed me and kneeled infront of me.

''Harry wanted me to get a protective detail.''

''You don't need one, I'm not completely useless without a wand you know,'' Draco said making me laugh.

''You'd protect me?'' I asked, not quite believing what I was hearing myself.

Draco lifted his gaze, and his eyes locked with mine, he then entwined his fingers in my hair, yet did not look away. ''Till my lasy breath.''

''Why? Why do you care?'' I wondered.

''Would you prefer that I didn't care at all?'' he asked.

''Quit dancing around the subject Mr. Malfoy,'' I said grabbing his hand and removing it from my hair.

''Do you remember that day in sixth year when you ran into my in the corridor?'' he said.

''When I saw that you were cutting yourself?''

''Draco nodded, ''You actually seemed like you cared what happened to me. And for some reason, the knowledge that you didn't hate me, made me never forget that day... or you.''

''You're really starting to scare me Draco. This is so not like you,'' I said.

''People change,'' he whispered as he leaned in, catching my mouth with his. His lips were warm as he kissed me slowly. Resting my hands at the nape of his neck, I leaned backwards so that I wasn't sitting on the edge of the couch and his hands were on either side of my hips.

Draco pulled back and licked his lips, ''I'm going to take my shower now.''

''Alright,'' I replied. He kissed me again and stood up walking out of the living room. I stood up off the couch, walking into the kitchen I made myself a sandwhich and sat at teh kitchen table. I jumped and nearly choked on my sandwhich when Romeo rubbed against my leg, because it scared the shit out of me.

''Hey Romeo,'' I said, he just meowed softly at me. I ripped off a piece of ham from my sandwhich and gave it to him.

Suddenly there was a rapping at the glass of the sliding glass door to the backyard. I turned my head, seeing a barn owl scratching with it's talons. I waved my wand and the door slid open allowing the owl to swoop in, drop a letter in front of me, then leave. I picked up the letter, and I'll be damned if the name on it wasn't mine with the same circle and cross drawn in the corner. I turned over the envelope, broke the wax seal and pulled the letter out...

This is the Zodiac.
You once thought me a joke.
What about now?
Do not be mad with me,
I am doing this for you...

I stood from the table and rushed into the kitchen stuffing the letter down the disposal. I heard the shower upstairs turn off, and Draco walk out, while I went into the hall closet and grabbed my cloak.

''Irulan, where are you going?'' I turned around, Draco had a towel riding dangerously low on his hips.

''Uh, I'm going into town. I need to get out of here... I-I need a drink.'' I said.

''Let me get dressed, I'll come with you,'' he said.

''No, uh, no, I just really wanna go alone.'' I tried to explain. ''I won't be gone long.''

''Alright, just please be careful,'' Draco said.

''I will,'' I said kissing his lips quickly before I left.

I live not far from the local pub, it's within walking distance from my house. And I now realize, that walking alone was the biggest mistake I have ever made, and I can only blame myself.

Chapter 22

Dracos point of view:

11:47.

It was 11:47 and Irulan still hadn't come back. Yeah, I'm getting worried about her, she said she wouldn't be gone long. I can't help but wonder if something happened to her. I mean, I know she can take care of herself, I've seen her take care of herself when she beat the crap out of Avery. But, Irulan would have at least called if she was going to be gone awhile.

I stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen, hanging on the refridgerator was Potter's cell phone number. ''I can't believe I'm about to do this,'' I said taking the piece of paper off the fridge and picking up the phone. I felt Romeo rub against my leg and looked down, seeing his staring up at me with bright amber eyes, ''What are you looking at?'' He just meowed and walked away.

I dialed Potter's cell and waited for him to answer. ''hello?''

''Potter?''

''Malfoy? How the hell did you get my number!''

''It was on Irulan's fridge, and trust me I wouldn't be calling you if I had a choice'' I said.

''Why are you calling me?'' he demanded.

''I'm worried about Irulan, she hasn't come back yet''.

''Where did she go?''

''she didn't tell me, but she mentioned that she needed a drink and left,'' I said.

''You let her leave by herself?'' he shouted.

''Well, I sure as hell wasn't about to get my ass kicked by trying to stop her!'' I shouted back, then I sighed. ''Okay, arguing is not going to help the situation. We need to figure out where Irulan went''. There was silence on Harry's end of the line. ''Hello?''

Silence.

''Hello?'' then came the dial tone. ''Damnit!'' I shouted slamming the phone onto the reciever.

Crack

I turned around, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all standing in the dining room, which scared the bloody hell out of me. ''You could have warned me you were on your way!''

''How long ago did Irulan leave?'' Harry asked.

''I had just gotten out of the shower, so a few hours ago.'' I replied.

''And you didn't realize anything was wrong?'' Ron shouted.

''Irulan can take care of herself, I never realized that I was supposed to keep an eye on her!'' I shouted, ''Because I was under the impression that I was remanded to her custody, not the other way around.''

''We'll do Irulan little good if we argue amongst ourselves. Harry, Ron, go look for clues outside.'' Hermione said. Grudgingly, Harry and Ron left leaving Hermione and I alone.

The both of us stared at eachother and did not look away as we both sat opposite eachother at the table. ''Why did you call Harry?'' she asked slowly.

''What do you mean?''

''I'm just saying that it's not like you to worry about anyone but yourself,'' she said. I felt the snide comment suddenly fill my head, but managed to holf my tougne, but she was -unfortunately- right; arguing would do Irulan no good.

''People can change... Hermione'' I said calmly.

Her eyes went wide and all color left her face as if she had just crawled out of a car wreck, ''Wh-what did you just call me?''

I smirked, ''Hermione, is that not your name?''

She nodded, ''I'm sorry, but you've always called ''mudblood'' or by my last name. Hearing you actually say my name was just really odd.''

''I told you, people can change,'' I repeated.

''Yeah, I guess you're right,'' she said smiling ruefully.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Ron and Harry came back. Dumbly, I asked ''Did you find her?''

''If we did, don't you think we'd have her with us?'' Ron said.

''Watch yourself Weasley!'' I said in a warnig tone.

''We did find this though,'' Harry said, holding out a piece of parchment.

''What is it?'' Hermione asked.

''A letter from Zodiac.'' At hearing thi my stomach dropped into the basement, and I put my head in my hands.I shouldn't have let her go by herself! I should have insisted on going with her!

''Why do you care what happens to her?'' Ron asked seeing my reaction.

''I care about her more than any of you think I do. But I wouldn't expect you to understand.'' I said, and as soon as I did I almost regretted it feeling them staring between myself and eachother. ''Does it say where she is?''

Harry shook his head, ''No, but we've got about three weeks to find her before Zodiac can offically kill her to go along with his pattern.''

''Until then, he can just torture her right?'' I said sarcastically.

''We'll find her,'' Hermione assured me. I couldn't do anything but nod, get up from the table and head up to my room.

I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering, hoping that Irulan was okay or that she somehow managed to escape. I rolled over facing the wall, maybe if I tried to sleep it would take my mind off Irulan. But I knew sleep would not come easily...