Chapter 33- Cat and Mouse

They had made it as far as the elevator, the great plan being to keep it simple and to leave the bank the way they had come in. The only problem was somewhere in the confusion of the vault Harry had dropped his cloak.

"We could go back for it…" Harry suggested tentatively trailing off as Draco gave him a disbelieving look. "No, I suppose not." Harry said answering is own suggestion. "So what do you suggest?"

"I have absolutely no bloody idea Potter," Draco growled at his former enemy.

Think Draco he told himself, there had to be a way out. There had to be a way of leaving without revealing their identities or raising the alarm.

"How good are you at transfiguration?" Draco asked.

"I can manage what did you have in mind?" Harry enquired his eyes narrowing as Draco smirked at him wickedly, "and why do I get the feeling I won't like it."

"Don't worry Potter a little game of cat and mouse never hurt anyone!" Draco told him looking even more amused.

Harry had the horrible feeling he was going to be the mouse.

Hermione threw herself into her room and closed the door. He knows, she told herself in a panic, Theo knows. She held Draco's shirt to her wishing desperately that he was there to help her. What shall I do Draco? She asked him silently even though he couldn't hear her. Can Theo be trusted? Will he betray us? He was Draco's friend, she rationalised, surely that counted for something-didn't it?

She didn't see Theo again for days but at least he had not betrayed her yet. He was clearly angry with her he blamed her for his friends death. She wasn't guilty but she couldn't tell him that yet she knew he suspected something. 'Where is he?' he had asked her in truth, at this moment in time, she didn't know and it scared her. She couldn't sense Draco at all and she was frantic. He could be unconscious bleeding out in some ditch, he could be dead. Stop it Hermione she told herself, just stop it. She needed to calm down she picked up her book, she still couldn't focus. She took a walk through the gardens but they only reminded her of Narcissa which in turn brought her thought back to Draco. She wondered the Manors staircases and corridors hoping that some solution would present itself.

She must have unconsciously made her way back to his room, her conscious mind knew it was a bad idea but her subconscious sought comfort and this was the only place she knew she could find it. Cautiously she opened his door; the room was exactly how she had left it. She sat on the edge of his bed trying to focus using the blood magic that linked them to call to him. Nothing; there was no hint of his being, it was like he had ceased to exist. She couldn't bear it any longer, it broke her she curled up on his bed, buried her face in the pillows that still faintly smelt like him and she sobbed. Great renting sobs shock her body.

Gringott's lobby was a scene of chaos, witches screaming clinging to their spouses, climbing on stools to get off the floor as a small grey mouse sped across the marble floor closely pursued by a white cat. The mouse zigzagged for its life seeking refuge under the hems of robes and beneath the counters that lined the banks halls.

Random explosions hit the ground as wizards fired spells at the offending vermin but they missed. The terrified tiny mammal made it to the door just as it opened to allow other customers to enter. It darted outside closely followed by the determined cat. Everyone indoors breathed a sigh of relief as the two creatures raced across Diagon Ally into the shadows of one of the overhanging buildings.

"Hermione," she flinched as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was too late now he had caught her she was at his mercy and now her grief felt real.

Theo didn't ask why she was crying he knew, knew he had been right all along.

"You loved him didn't you?"

She didn't respond she just cried harder. Theo sat down next to her on the edge of the bed and lifted the weeping witch into his embrace. It was all he could think of to do to give her comfort. He could not imagine what it must feel like to kill someone you loved and to do so so violently.

Hermione knew she had no choice now she would have to trust Theo, at least to some extent.

"Tell me about him," she said through her now subsiding sobs, "tell me what you remember."

"He admired you greatly," Theo began, "he didn't want to and he fought against it. He tried to belittle you but in the end his heart wasn't in it. But then I suppose you know all this; he died for you didn't he?"

Hermione knew that Theo was struggling to understand what had happened that day. Struggling to grasp how if she loved Draco she could have killed him. Did she dare tell him the truth? No she told herself it was too much of a risk. Even if Theo could be trusted what if others read his thoughts? She couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him that she hadn't killed her love, that she could never do that, but now she didn't know where he was or if he was still alive. She decided upon a half truth.

"Yes," she stated simply, "he died to protect me and now…" she couldn't finish.

"You wish he hadn't? That you were dead too?" Theo finished for her. All Hermione could do was nod in acknowledgement. All Theo could do was to hug her knowing there was nothing he could say. Emotional wounds like this could break a person, there was nothing that could heal this, the best she could hope for was that time would numb the pain.

"Theo," she said tentatively, "I don't want him to have died in vain I need you to help me."

"Bloody Hell Malfoy, Harry cursed as he morphed back into human form, "you nearly got us killed." Harry turned expecting to see Draco smirking at him but the small white cat was meowing at him in distress. Its small paws flicking at the tiny charmed goblet that hung around its throat.

"Draco?" Harry questioned in concern. This had to be Malfoy, the goblet hung around his neck but he seemed to be stuck in the cat form he had transfigured himself into. The meowing became louder, more insistent. Harry realised that there was a problem Malfoy couldn't switch back into human form.

"Are you stuck Malfoy?" Harry asked. The cat continued to meow insistently, still batting its paw against the goblet at its throat. "I never really was a cat person Harry told the small white animal. They're too arrogant always seeking attention," Harry continued his monologue, "but you do make a very pretty kitty."

He reached out to pet the animal which immediately took a swipe at him its claws out before scratching desperately at its throat. It finally dawned on Harry what might be the problem and whilst paying Malfoy back for his little game of cat and mouse was very attractive, Harry fully understood how dangerous horcruxes could be. Reaching out his hand again he removed the 'collar' from the 'cat'.

Author's note

Dear all suffering for my art here. Definitely feeling a serve lack of encouragement to finish- please review and help me get to the end.