Chapter eleven… Taken.
The next morning Draco dropped by his Villa before work to pick up some clean clothes and check on his mother. He strolled into the kitchen elated by his night with Hermione expecting to find Narcissa there, but there was no-one in sight.
'Strange?' Malfoy thought. Narcissa had been trying to cook and had been taking lessons from Hermione's mother during their wedding planning sessions. Ever since then she could never get out of the kitchen which Draco loved.
He walked up to her room to find her bed already made. Manny had either already made her bed or it hadn't been slept in.
"Manny?" Draco called out, started to feel his throat close up as he searched the rest of the house unable to locate Narcissa.
"Manny where are you!?" Draco yelled. He ran through the kitchen on his way outside when he heard a whimper from the pantry. Draco flung the door open to find a cowering house elf sobbing.
"Manny what happened!" Draco said, his voice contorted with panic. He picked the house-elf up and carried her to the living room setting her down on the couch.
Manny sat there tossing and turning and sobbing.
"They took her Master Malfoy they took her!" Manny screeched. She covered her head with her hands and rolled in a ball. "She was screaming Master Malfoy, screaming and they took her away, they took her away!" Manny was writhing and squirming on the couch, rocking from side to side. Draco's face went grey at the news of his mother being taken.
"Who took her Manny!? Tell me who took her!" The house-elf stopped crying and wiped her running nose. Her large brown eyes looked up into his as she manage to utter one word.
"Lucius."
Draco was taken aback at this and his face contorted with anger.
"Don't lie to me! Why are you lying to me!?" He began to shake Manny.
"Manny doesn't lie to Master Malfoy, Manny tells the truth it was Lucius! Lucius got them to take her! Manny heard them, Manny heard them!"
"Where did they take her Manny? Where!?" Draco said his desperation making his voice quiver.
"Manny doesn't know master, Manny hid. Manny hid master."
The house elf crumpled back down on the couch rocking. Her thin frame quivering
"It was horrible Master Malfoy, horrible." She said softly.
Draco sat in shock at the foot of the couch with his head in his hands. 'How?' was all he could think. 'How is this possible?'
Hermione tapped her pen against her notepad as she sat waiting anxiously in the boardroom with the rest of the staff. 'Where in gods name could he be?' She thought. He was supposed to arrive over an hour ago yet his large leather backed seat at the end of the table was still empty.
At that precise moment Draco burst through the boardroom doors and several staff members gasped in fright. His eyes met Hermione's and she saw his pain and fear swirling around in his silvery-grey eyes. He was still wearing the same clothes he had on last night and looked a wreck, which is very unlike Draco considering he insisted on looking his best at all times.
"Hermione they took her she's gone!" He screamed. Hermione shot out of her chair so quick it toppled backwards as she clambered over it racing to him.
"She's gone!" he screamed again. Hermione cupped his head in her hands and saw tears forming in his eyes as a single tear broke free and rolled down his cheek.
"They can't take her from me, not again." He said as he crumpled to the floor into Hermione's lap. It reminded Hermione of the time he collapsed in the hospital corridor.
She stroked his back as his heavy sobs made his whole body heave. Hermione kissed the top of her lovers head as tears began to fall down her face too. She knew he was talking about his mother as she was the only woman, apart from Hermione, that Draco actually cared about. She cradled the beautiful man in her arms completely oblivious to the odd stares the other staff were giving them as they looked at each and shrugged before quietly leaving them alone in the large empty boardroom. He shook and muttered softly beneath his tears, "They took her from me again, they took her…"
"Harry there has to be a way we can get in there and talk to him! Pull some of your 'Chosen One' magic and get us in there!"
"I'm not sure if it's possible! If the wizards who took your mother were truly sent by Lucius then I have no idea how he got in contact with them! We have the best aurors in the ministry searching for Narcissa. There's not much more we can do." Harry said grimly.
"Yes there is!" Draco yelled pacing the Potter's living room. "We can go and see the sick fuck in Azkaban and make him tell us where she is! And if he really can't tell us then we at least know he's not behind this! Please Potter!" Draco stopped in front of him and Harry could see the desperation in Draco's face.
Ginny and Hermione had been watching from the doorway.
"Harry." Ginny said softly coming over and placing her hand on her husband's shoulder. "You know you can at least try. The Minister owes you so many favours, after all, you did save all of humanity and everything… and Narcissa saved you."
Harry looked into Ginny's eyes. 'Damn her.' He thought. He could never so 'no' to Ginny; his love for her ran too deep. The truth is he was pretty sure he could get in to see Lucius. He just didn't want to see that twisted man again.
"Okay, come on Malfoy." And with that Harry announced, "The Ministry of Magic" and through some floo powder into the fireplace. It flashed green and Harry and Draco stepped in and disappeared.
"Hermione would you like some tea?" Ginny asked.
"No I think I'll just go home." Hermione said softly. Narcissa had been missing for nearly a week and Hermione had been more or less living with Draco in his villa. She hugged Ginny goodbye at the door and walked out the gate and dissapparated.
Harry and Draco arrived at the ministry and headed towards the auror department.
"Finnigan get the Minister on the phone for me." Harry said as he stepped through the doors and headed towards his desk. Seamus Finnigan looked up at Harry and was surprised when he saw Draco walk in behind him.
"Malfoy!" He said
"Morning Finnigan." Draco said
"I heard about you mother and I just want t…."
His voice trailed off as Draco continued walking past him to Harry's desk at the far end of the department.
"Yes Minister I underst… But you know how important this is…. I know he is Minister…. Look it's not like I want to share a cup of tea with the man and chat about the weather Kingsley, this is official auror department business and if it is true that he is in contact with people outside his cell then Narcissa isn't the only one who will be in Danger…. Yes thankyou Kingsley… okay thankyou… Goodbye."
Harry hung up and began to walk back towards the auror department entrance with Draco in tow.
"So?" Draco asked trying to keep up with Harry
"Prepare yourself Malfoy, you're about to go visit your father and from what I've heard about him lately it's not gonna be a walk in the park."
Draco gulped hard and followed Harry out of the large enchanted doors of the Auror department.
A/N: What'd you think of that? Bit confusing? Well the next chapter is a tad scary to me. [ So sad... Review! xo