Disclaimer: Not Mine

Three Gone

Draco had not been able to sleep well that night, so he rose long before morning light. He had decided to make his way to the Gryffindor area and wait outside their common room for Potter to turn up for breakfast. He knew there was a possibility that he'd run into Val too, but he was willing to risk it. He had to talk to Potter before he lost his nerve and just did nothing. But as he ascended the stairs leading up from his dorm room and into the common room he was surprised to see several Slytherins already there. He immediately froze as his hand grasped his wand. But the Slytherins were not making any threatening moves. As a matter of fact they were just lounging around on the couches. Pansy Parkinson was standing near the fire staring into it intently.

Draco looked around the room but the others seemed to ignore him. "Pansy, what's going on here?" He asked suspiciously approaching her.

"I'm not sure, Draco. There was a lot of commotion earlier in the hall. Something about a student being missing." Pansy said shrugging. "It woke several of us up. We're just waiting around until breakfast starts."

Draco had never had any cause to not trust Pansy. She had been just as devoted to him as Crabbe and Goyle had. He took another skeptical look around at the other students who were chatting amicably with each other.

He decided it would be best to just leave while he had the chance. He left through the portrait hole and headed through the deserted corridors. He had almost made his way to the Gryffindor section when he was walking along the seventh floor corridor. "Draco, can we talk in private." Pansy called out from a few feet behind him. He turned to see her standing there.

He was sure he hadn't been followed. He had looked behind several times. "I didn't see you following me." He said frowning.

"You must have been preoccupied." She suggested and then stepped within a few inches of where he stood. "Where are you going, Draco?" She asked sweetly.

"I don't see where that's any of your business." He said with a slight bit of anger tingeing his voice.

"Draco, you are playing with fire." She whispered.

"What are you talking about, Pansy?" He said but then a suspicion began to form in his mind as the smirk spread across her face.

"He won't be happy with you." She whispered yet again.

"You. You've been spying on me for him, haven't you?" He asked the anger boiling inside him. "That's the reason you still talked with me when everyone else wouldn't."

"Now, Draco. You know the way I feel for you." Pansy said moving closer to him and running her hand down his chest. "And your father is just concerned about some of your decisions."

Draco immediately pushed her hand away. "Don't touch me. Don't every touch me." He said in outright rage.

Pansy made a small clucking noise with her tongue and turned away. "Have it your way then." She said coldly. At that moment something hard slammed into the back of his head, and he knew nothing but darkness afterwards.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked Ron as some of the other students stood after finishing breakfast as she stared into Harry and Val's empty seats.

"I don't know. He said they'd be back for breakfast." Ron said not even bothering to eat the food in front of him.

"And he didn't say where they were going?" Hermione asked for the fourth time.

"No. Just that he needed to talk to Val in private, and he couldn't find any better time than real early morning." Ron answered her again. He was trying to assure Hermione, but he had awoken with a bad feeling when Harry hadn't been in his own bed. And that feeling hadn't gotten any better since. He knew Harry would never consider skipping Potions, and time before class was running out. Snape would have his hide.

"Let's just go to class. If Harry is not there, we'll have to do something." Hermione suggested.

They waited in the classroom staring at the door. It was a small class and everyone was there except Harry and Draco. The fact that Draco wasn't there also worried Ron and Hermione. Ron began to wonder if Harry and Draco had finally decided to finish the duel they had started a couple of months before.

Professor Snape entered the classroom and noticed the fact that the students didn't immediately become quite as they usually did. One eyebrow rose in puzzlement. "Silence." He said icily and then stared around the classroom. He immediately noticed Draco's absence. He looked at the closest Slytherin. "Where is Mr. Malfoy?" He asked angrily.

The Slytherin seemed to swallow hard and shook his head. "I..I don't know sir."

Snape immediately turned to the other side of the room meaning to ask Potter, who seemed to know too much about where the Slytherin was at all times, but his eyebrow rose in even more puzzlement at Harry's empty seat. "Weasley. Where is Potter?"

Ron looked to Hermione. Normally he would make something up to cover for Harry but Hermione shook her head violently. Both of them felt that something was very wrong about his disappearance. He swallowed hard. "I don't know, Professor." Ron said miserably.

"Is he not your dorm-mate?" Snape asked coldly. "Didn't you see him this morning?"

"No sir. He was gone when I woke. He told me last night that he might be, but that he'd meet me at breakfast." Ron mumbled.

"They never showed up for breakfast." Hermione interrupted.

"Five points from Gryffindor." Snape said rolling his eyes and then turning to Hermione. "For speaking out of turn, Ms. Granger." Then he fixed her with his black eyes. "You said they. I'm assuming the other half of that they is Ms. Malfoy."

"Yes, Professor." Hermione said realizing her slip of tongue too late.

Snape nodded once. "Class your assignment is on the board. Ms. Granger. Mr. Weasley. Follow me." He said walking out the classroom door.

Severus Snape normally would not give a damn if Potter had fallen from the face of the earth, but with the disappearance of both Val and Draco too he thought it warranted a visit to Dumbledore. He vowed that if the two stupid boys were just off somewhere dueling over that silly girl, he would personally hex all three of them.

When they arrived at Dumbledore's office Professor McGonagall was already there. Val was in her first hour Transfiguration class. Albus welcomed the two students and Professor into the office.

Professor McGonagall spoke up immediately. "Do you two know where Ms. Malfoy is?"

But before they could speak Snape spoke up. "I've already asked them that. It seems Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are also missing."

Minerva's eyes widened at the statement. "Do you think they are off somewhere together?"

"If it was just Mr. Potter and the girl maybe, or even Mr. Malfoy and the girl. But Potter and Draco together, no that is not possible." Snape said thoughtfully then added. "Unless they are dueling."

"Harry wouldn't do that." Hermione spoke up. "He knows how hard that would be for Val."

Albus had been listening to the conversation in complete silence. "Mr. Weasley do you know why Mr. Potter and Ms. Malfoy disappeared? He is your best friend. Surely he told you something."

"He just wanted to talk to Val alone, about Sirius." Ron explained. "They never get to talk alone. There were lots of things he wanted to tell her."

"Well there are only a few places on Hogwarts grounds that they could be alone. Mr. Weasley, do me a service and run up to your dorm. Fetch me Harry's map." Dumbledore said smiling at Ron's surprised look. "Yes we all know about Harry's map. I have borrowed it before, Mr. Weasley."

Hermione didn't necessarily enjoy the thought of being alone with the three adults. McGonagall was whispering nervously with Dumbledore, and Snape was standing next to the wall sneering at them all. But something McGonagall said caught her attention, and she moved closer to them but looked at the pictures on the wall so as not to seem to be eavesdropping.

"Albus, do you think the rumors are true?" Minerva whispered. "Could Lucius Malfoy be hiding somewhere in this area?"

"There is a possibility. That is why we cancelled all of the remaining Hogsmeade trips. But it would be foolish of him to attempt to take students from Hogwarts. You and I both know that." Dumbledore tried to assure her.

Severus had heard the other two Professor's words and the look on his face became slightly more serious. His anger at Lucius Malfoy had increased more and more every time he saw Val in the hallways. She reminded him too much of Helena. He had spent so much time with Helena, and it never really mattered that she did not share his feelings for her. He had always felt that instinctive urge to protect her even if she did not love him in return. Val had brought all those old feelings to the surface. But the strongest feeling was rage at Lucius for killing her. He had no proof, but he knew Helena had not died naturally. But now Lucius might be lurking around Hogsmeade, and Draco was missing. Draco was the one person he had to protect now. That damn Vow had assured him of that.

When Ron stepped back into the office he was holding the map with a worried look on his face. He immediately handed it to Dumbledore, but then slumped into a chair. "It's no good looking at it. They aren't on it. I looked. Neither is Draco."

Albus looked the map over and agreed silently with Ron, nodding his head.

"Well it's obvious where they are then isn't it?" Hermione said walking towards the door. Snape who was standing next to the door stuck his hand out to block her way.

"Explain yourself, Ms. Granger." He said coldly.

Hermione looked at the Professor, and then turned to look at the others. Was it possible that they had not come to the same conclusion she had? "Why the Room of Requirement of course. Apparently Harry has taken Val to the hidden room so they could travel through the cupboard."

Dumbledore had told the other two members of the Order about the cupboard, so they knew exactly what she spoke of. "Ms. Granger you might very well be right. Give me a moment and I can verify your supposition. If that is the case, we have very little to worry about."

"Very little to worry about. Yeah, right. You are forgetting one thing. If that is the case Draco Malfoy now knows about the Order headquarters." Ron mumbled, but none of them missed his words.

"Even though Mr. Weasley has his objections for a different reason than I, it is very unlikely that Mr. Malfoy is with them at Black Manor. I do not believe that Potter would willingly take him there." Severus commented.

Albus walked to his fire and activated the floo system requesting a conversation with Remus Lupin. After a few moments the face of Lupin appeared in the fire. "Albus, you don't very often contact me. Is there something I can be of assistance with?"

Albus looked around the room knowing immediately that they had their answer. "Remus, we are looking for Harry. He, Valissa Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy have all gone missing."

The pleasant look on Remus' face immediately turned to one of worry. "I tried to use the cupboard this morning, but could not get through. The door would not open. As you know I have been studying the item in hopes of discovering its exact properties. I wasn't completely sure why it would not let me in. I will go directly and see if I can try it again."

"Please do that, Remus. We will try the room from this side, plus I will send people into the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade to search. Stay there until I contact you." Albus said and turned before Remus had completely disappeared. "Minerva, would you please go visit Hagrid. Ask him to search the Forest. And have Argus check Hogsmeade for us."

"Of course." Professor McGonagall said sweeping from the room.

"Ms. Granger. Mr. Weasley. Please go and collect Professor Tonks. She might be of use." Albus requested turning to the Ron and Hermione.

"Yes, Sir." Hermione said grasping Ron's hand and pulling him from the room.

"Now, Severus. I believe we will go with haste to the Seventh Floor." Dumbledore said leading the way out of the room.