I have reformatted this chapter. Thanks for letting me know. At this point any errors are the fault to . I have tried.

Draco spent the rest of the day attempting to convince Hermione to go flying on his new broom. She quipped only if he added a permanent safety harness. He looked horrified at the notion of desecrating his broom. He and Theo flew off the latter laughing at Draco's antics.

After lunch, Lucius proposed playing board games. Draco selected Risk and hours later he and Lucius remained embroiled in a land war in Asia, much to Hermione's amusement. Sadly they rest of them lacked the correct cultural and historical background for her to properly explain the joke. Narcissa demanded a truce so the evening meal could be served. Draco instructed an elf to monitor the board in their absence. The moment both of them finished dessert they returned to the game. When the ladies retired to bed, Lucius had pushed Draco from China and had his last five countries surrounded. The son vowed his empire would rise again, or go down fighting.

The next morning Lucius fought yawns the entire way to his office. A cup of coffee laced with pepper up potion later, he was ready to face the human bludgers known as the Weasley twins. The twins arrived promptly at 9 am. Lucius's assistant, Vanessa, escorted them in. Each twin carried several boxes.

"We weren't sure if you would want a demonstration of the joke products, so we brought them." George explained.

"We will, of course, use them on ourselves." Fred assured him.

"Nonsense," Lucius told them, flicking his wand, "I have interns for that."

Moments later, a young wizard knocked on the door. "You wanted to see me, Mr Malfoy?"

"Yes, Mr Lee, come in. Do you know Fred and George Weasley?"

Barnaby Lee grinned widely, "I do, sir. They started Hogwarts my sixth year. Hi, guys, still making prank stuff?"

"You know it. Good to see you, Lee." George shook his hand.

"Looking good, mate." Fred greeted him.

Lucius smiled, "Well, this makes the next part less awkward. Mr Lee, Mr and Mr Weasley are here to demonstrate their products. We require your assistance."

"Awesome. What are we testing?" Barnaby's grin stretched even wider. Over the next two hours he cheerfully sampled Canary Creams, Skiving Snackboxes, and numerous other items.

"I've seen what I need to, Mr Lee. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mr Malfoy. These are great guys!" He smiled and nodded to them all as he left.

Lucius turned to George and Fred. "Come see me after the school year ends. I'll have a business proposal ready for you to review with an independent council."

Fred looked confused for a moment. "You want us to have someone else review it before we sign."

"Always have someone with nothing invested look over a contract. Even if you trust the other person isn't going to cheat you. Though, I have one suggestion for you right now. Do you know Cormac McLaggen?"

The twins looked at each other, "We do." answered George.

"I think he would make an amazing test subject, don't you?"
An evil grin spread across Fred's face mirrored by George. "We couldn't agree more, sir."

"Consider it done." The three wizards shook hands.

Hermione spent the time from Christmas to New Years revising the information from Sirius and Tonks. More than just a study group, they needed a way to learn how to defend themselves. Dumbledore was correct on one count- Tom Riddle was out there. He needed to reverse his condition. Wizards still waited to follow him, or someone like him. Not everyone embraced the idea that muggle didn't mean inferior, just diverse. War would come knocking eventually. And it looked like the Ministry would prefer the current generation look to them for protection, instead of being able to do it for themselves.

Then again every time Dumbledore tried to bring up Riddle, Fudge and company shut him down. The Prophet painted him as a senile fool trying to relive past glories. They continued to imply anyone claiming Riddle to be back was a liar. Which annoyed Harry to no end.

Perhaps a Harry led study group was the way to go. The others were far more likely to want to learn from him, than a know-it-all bookworm like Hermione. She would brooch the subject when the boys finished playing quidditch. Until then she continued to look over the lists and create her own revision timetable.

Thundering feet down the hall heralded the boys' return. Draco, Theo, and Blaise paused briefly to greet Hermione before continuing on to Blaise's. Harry flopped down next to her. "Want to come with me? I'm going to meet Neville in Diagon Alley?"

Hermione considered, weighing the pros and the cons. She hated to bother the aurors. On the other hand, they wanted the extra security- doing their job shouldn't be a bother. "Let me summon a bodyguard." She floo called the department and explained the situation. The dispatcher promised to send an auror to meet her at Black Cottage. The teens flooed there. "While we wait, I wanted to discuss an idea with you. Sirius got me the topics for our OWLs, and Tonks added some basic self defense spells. I think you should lead the defense group."

"Me? Why?" asked Harry.

"Because I think people will be more receptive learning from you."

"Hermione, everyone knows how smart you are."

"We both know Riddle is still out there, so are his Death Eaters. The ministry wants to deny it. They think Dumbledore is training his own army to overthrow them. Umbridge is not going to teach us anything we could potentially use against them, or use to defend ourselves from them. I refuse to be a lamb for the slaughter just to appease their paranoia. You've face dragons and basilisks! You won the Triwizard Tournament at fourteen!"

"When you put it that way," Harry ran his hand through his hair, "how can I refuse?" He sighed.

"You can't. That's my point."

"I hate being the center of attention."

"I know. I'll be right there supporting you the entire time." She patted his arm.

"Does Theo or Draco know how manipulative you can be?"

"I have no idea."

"I think I'm going to let them discover that for themselves." Harry smirked.

They reviewed the list of topics while they waited. Hermione suggested just working on the practical aspects of the list, students could review the theory aspect on their own. After an hour passed, Harry had to leave, or he would be late to meet Neville. "Go on, don't keep Neville waiting. I'll find you when my shadow shows up."

Two hours after she initially made the request, Hermione contacted the office again. The dispatcher assured her Auror Alexander Kingston had been dispatched two hours previously. Lips pursed, Hermione considered her option. She promised Madame Bones and her parents she wouldn't go traipsing about alone right now. Right after the letter Draco and Harry hadn't counted as protection. At the same time she refused to be locked away because some auror felt bodyguard duty to be beneath him.

A flash of inspiration sent her back to the floo. Moments later Remus Lupin stepped through.

"Thank you for coming over Professor."

"Call me Remus, or Lupin, I haven't been your professor in two years, Miss Malfoy."

"Only if you call me Hermione. I have a business proposition for you. Someone has been sending me threatening letters. Madame Bones wanted me to have an auror escort or bodyguard with me if I leave the house, at least until school starts back up. The auror I requested two and half hours ago never showed up, despite having been dispatched. I suspect he believes the assignment to be below his dignity, and I refuse to be held hostage by the whims of some contemptuous twatwad. I want to hire you as my bodyguard for the next week and half."

"Hermione, I'm a werewolf."

"So I won't ask you to take my sight seeing in the middle of the night on the next full moon."

"I..."

"Was the best Defense teacher we had, hands down. That's why I'm asking."

"Your parents..."

"Think you need socialize more."

Remus sighed, hanging his head. "I'm not going to win this one, am I?"

"Nope." Hermione popped the 'p' sound distinctly.

"Then is seems I have no choice but to accept."

"You really don't."

"So, where are we off to?"

"Don't you want to discuss salary?"

"Hermione, you are my best friends heir, like an adopted daughter. I would do this for free if you asked."

"No, I am paying you. End of discussion, Remus."

"I'm aware. I ask again, where to?"

"I was suppose to meet Harry and Neville almost three hours ago in Diagon Alley, so I guess there." She glanced at the clock.

"Hold on. You called for the auror over three hours ago. And dispatch confirmed they sent one?"

"Yes, I checked. Auror Alexander Kingston was dispatched post haste. I can only assumed the assignment displeased him, being beneath him and all." She shrugged, "Or my diabolical kidnapper is monitoring my floo calls and waylaid the auror to get me all alone, but figured he could take you out no probelem."

"I figure it is the former rather than the latter, but I have an idea to deal with this that doesn't leave you seeming like an entitled brat. We just need Sirius and your parents on board." He quickly explained his plan to which Hermione swiftly agreed.

Three hours later, a somewhat concerned Harry and Neville flooed back to Black Cottage.

"Hermione? Are you still here?" Harry called. A quick search revealed Dudley, but no one else. "Have you seen Hermione?"

"No. She must have left before I go home."

"When was that?" asked Neville, still looking about like Hermione would spring out from behind the furniture.

"About a hour or so."

"This isn't good, Harry."

Harry frowned. "It doesn't look that way."

"Should we tell someone?"

"We should check Malfoy Manor first." Harry returned to the floo. "Dud, stay here. If Hermione comes back, tell her we're looking for her." He threw a handful of green powder into the fire.

"Neville, is Hermione okay?"

"She was suppose to meet us with an auror hours ago."

"Maybe she changed her mind and went home."

"I hope so."

Dudley watched the second boy disappear into the flames. Seconds later Winky popped into the room and handed him a note before disappearing again. He read the note twice. He returned to the program he had been watching on the telly, laughing the whole time.

When a search of Malfoy Manor yielded no results, Harry and Neville discussed their options. "We could wait until Sirius or the Malfoys get home." Neville started.

"But run the risk someone took Hermione and the trail went cold because we hesitated. Don't forget, she had an auror with her. He could be injured." Harry replied.

"I didn't think of that."

"We need to report this now."

Together they flooed into the Ministry atrium. At the visitor's desk they informed the guard they needed to report a missing person. He directed them to the appropriate offices. A sweet looking receptionist smiled at them, warmly. Behind her, aurors sat at various desks, some looking over files, others looking about bored. "May I help you, boys?"

"Um, yes. We need to report a missing witch and auror."

Eyebrows raised the secretary waved for one of the aurors to join them. "Can you give us more details?"

"Yeah, our friend, Hermione Malfoy, was suppose to meet us in Diagon Alley with an auror escort, but they never showed up. We just checked and she isn't at home. We're worried something happened to her."

The secretary nodded. "Let me check with dispatch." She hurried away.

The auror addressed the boys, "Is there any chance she just decided to leave without the escort, and she snuck off with a boyfriend somewhere."

Harry shook his head. "First, Hermione would never do that, she promised. If she was going to leave without one, she would have just come with me."

"And her parents approve of her boyfriend. They don't have to sneak around." Neville reasoned.

"Plus, we know he's off with her brother. Draco would be in a snit if Theo tried to sneak off with Hermione." Harry added.

"Boys, have you considered she might have a secret boyfriend on the side?" He asked with fake concern. "I'm sure she'll turn up soon, and won't appreciate a huge embarrassing manhunt."

The secretary returned. "Auror Kingston was sent and logged himself back in an hour ago."

"There you go, she's off somewhere with someone she doesn't want anyone to know about. She'll turn up soon." He walked off dismissing them.

Harry looked at the secretary. She rolled her eyes. "I suggest summoning some political muscle." She pointed to her desk. "You write the notes and I'll send them with our owls. They're faster."

Twenty minutes later Lucius Malfoy flung open the doors of department. He strode in, robes billowing out behind him. The doors had no more closed, then they reopened to reveal a murderous looking Sirius. "Summon Madame Bones and the auror who dismissed the boys' concerns." Lucius ordered. The young woman scurried to do as he instructed.

Nervously, the auror in question approached the front desk. "Would you explain why you dismissed the concern that a known kidnapping victim, who recently received threatening letters, is missing?" Sirius purred dangerously. He turned and winked at the boys. Harry caught it and relaxed. He had no idea what was going on, but both Sirius and Lucius did. He nudged Neville and made a sign for him to watch. Little postural clues showed neither man to be apprehensive, just furiously angry.

"I, uh, that is to say, a lot of the time in these cases the missing person shows back up, usually in places they didn't want to be found, or with someone they didn't want anyone to know about. And Kingston check back in, meaning he left her back at home. If she left again, that's on her."

"That does not excuse your lack of concern. My daughter is missing." Lucius informed him. "She was kidnapped and sold on a black market. Now she has received threatening letters. But, please, let us continue to assume she's just a little tramp running around behind her boyfriend. What dens of disrepute would you suggest we first look in first for a sixteen year old girl?"

"I, uh," he stammered.

"Jones. Please tell me you did not suggest to Lords Malfoy and Black that their teenage heir and child is in some kind of brothel." Amelia Bones stomped into the offices. Her monocle in place. Aurors scattered as she made her way from her office.

"No, ma'am."

"Are you sure? Because that is what it sounds like is happening?" She nodded to the Lucius and Sirius. "Now, what's going on here?"

"These two boys reported Miss Malfoy never met them in Diagon Alley. But she never did. Kingston was dispatched at 3pm and checked back in to go home at 7."

Bones looked at one of the others. "Get Kingston in here immediately." She looked at Harry and Neville. "Tell me your side."

Harry stepped forward. "I invited Hermione to come with me, she called for an auror to escort her. An hour later, no one had shown up at Black Cottage, and she told me to go so Neville wasn't waiting. She never showed up. Around 8pm we returned home looking for her. Dudley said she wasn't there, and the elves said she wasn't at home."

Bones looked to Lucius, "Any chance she went off to visit the boyfriend?"

Harry spoke up, "Theo is out with Draco and Blaise. And she would have left a note if there was a change of plans. She wouldn't want to worry anyone."

Lucius nodded, "Beyond a few shenanigans related to libraries and snogging in public areas of the house, Hermione has been very understanding of our concerns regarding her safety. She would not have changed plans without notifying someone."

Bones nodded. "Rouse the troops and start canvasing the neighborhood around Black Cottage, see if anyone saw anything. Search the house for signs of a struggle." The auror nodded vigorously and rushed off. "Shall we wait in my office?"

Twenty minutes later a middle aged man with brown hair entered the large office. "You wanted to see me, ma'am?"

"Yes, Kingston. This evening you were assigned surveillance duty for Miss Malfoy. I want to know why it took you over an hour to arrive, where you went, and where and at what time you left her. Miss Malfoy is now missing. We need to narrow down a time frame for the abduction and a search perimeter." Kingston shifted weight back and forth. He seemed to have difficulty forming words. "Well, speak up man, time is of the essence in kidnapping cases."

"Uh, well, that is to say, I never, uh, arrived exactly."

The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. "What do you mean you never arrived?" Amelia asked. "You were given an assignment, one that you left and checked back in after, so you expected to get paid like you were in the field."

"I didn't see the point in following some spoiled vapid little princess from shop to shop. Nothing was going to happen to her in the middle of all those people."

Lucius's eyes burned with fury. "Nothing should have happened fifteen years ago. Her nanny simple took her for a walk. But something did then, and obviously has now."

"So, what you're saying is, you're too good to do your job?" drawled Sirius. "Keeping the kidnappers or murders at bay was too beneath you, because you perceived the victim as spoiled and dumb."

"Well she can't be too smart if she just took off, now was she?" Kingston shot back.

"That is not the matter at hand. The matter at hand is that you not only neglected your duty because it displeased you, you lied about it. You falsified a police report. How many times have you done this before?"

"I haven't. I swear."

"Provided Miss Malfoy is found unharmed, and does not wish to press charges, you will be placed on a three year probation. A note about this will be placed in your record. I suggest you get out there and start looking for Miss Malfoy." Amelia snapped. Kingston tripped over his own feet trying to hurry out of the room. "So, how long do I let them search?"

Sirius shrugged, "However long you think they need to so they understand the importance of their jobs."

Amelia nodded, she looked at Lucius. "In your opinion?"

"I'm with Sirius, however long it takes. Once you're ready to call off the search the official story will be that Sirius's private security stepped in and decided that auror never arriving was a sign he had been attacked and he swept Hermione off to a secure location. They remained there without contact for the set amount of time, then he contacted us to make sure everything was safe for her return. That makes her disappearance still Kingston's fault."

"And if it leaks, then the manhunt wasn't you being a heel letting us prank the aurors as payback." Sirius smiled.

Harry spoke up, "You know where Hermione is?"

"Yeah. She's with Remus. He's going to be her security from now on. He thinks it's just until she goes back to school, but I intend to keep paying him for it. He refuses all my other attempts to hire him. But Kitten backed him into a corner. She'll pay him, and I'll put however much she pays him into her vault each month. Brilliant really."