Draco Malfoy knew what he'd have done last year - or nearly. Had he ever been put in a position like this, last year, he'd have gotten Greg and Vince to pick up the obnoxious bitch and take her to a convenient place to give her back the cat. She'd have been suspicious, but a promise from both of them not to hurt her would probably have dampened any paranoia sufficiently to allow that rampant - to the point of haywire- curiousity to escape.

However, this was not that year, and Greg and Vince were busy convincing Nott that he'd managed to gain supremacy over Draco. More fool he.

Draco would have to do this on his own. And that meant convincing Granger to come to a place where he could easily convey the cat. You know, the one with four paws, each of which has five claws - and loves to use them? Yeah, that cat. Draco hadn't gotten near it in the past two days - he'd slept out on the chaise in the common room, and not minded a bit. He'd slept in harder places before, after all.

Draco drafted a letter, in forest-green ink,

I have something that belongs to you.

If you want it back, meet me in the alcove at the back of the third corridor

from Snape's classroom, as you head towards the Great Hall. After dinner works for me.

This is not a ruse.

Draco's mouth quirked at the last line. It would drive Pothead to distraction, if he ever saw it. It might drive Granger to distraction, too - but she was vastly more likely to show up, if he ended it that way. Not a name, though the calligraphy would indicate pureblood, and the green Slytherin.

He could expect shock on her face when she entered the alcove - first for seeing him there, and second for him cradling her cat.

I'll need to transfigure some leathers, he thought. I'm not getting scratched by that hellbeast. Or the cat.

Luckily, Granger lived in the library, and so Draco Malfoy only had to find a time when most people weren't there.

Before breakfast generally qualified, so Draco simply slid the note under her notebook, with it's strange pages and spiral binding. He wanted to look at it more closely, but really didn't dare. Was it a Muggle thing? Draco hadn't seen such before (not even in class), and he hated not knowing things.

[a/n: Of course Malfoy knows she'd be curious. What's the phrase? Know thy enemy, and Granger's enemy is her curiosity. Please review!]