Chapter 12::

Hermione, Ginny and Draco floo'd back to the apartment where Morgan and Sky were still napping on the couch.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Burchell. I appreciate you coming over last minute." Ginny let the little old woman from next door walk out of their apartment before turning on Hermione. "I don't know where she went! She was in her bed napping and when I went in to check on her after fifteen minutes, she was gone. Her window was closed and no one had come in through the front." Ginny had hysterical tears rolling down her cheeks, her body trembling from the shock.

"Gin, sit and collect yourself. Panicking never helps." Hermione was on the brink of tears, but refused to let herself cry right then. She walked over to Sky and picked her up.

"Mummy?" Sky looked up to her with big silver pools, half lidded with sleep. She rubbed her eyes with her small little hand, her face red and puffy from tears that were lost.

"This is all my fault, Gin. I should have come home last night. If I had, no one would have taken her." Hermione looked down to the small, pale child in her arms, kissing her forehead lightly.

"Mummy, dere was a bad man. He comed into arrw woom." Hermione set the girl down and kneeled to her height.

"Did you see the bad man?" She softly pushed Sky's bangs out of her eyes and then went to combing her hair with her fingers.

"Unhuh. He was tawwer dan you… but not as taw as him." She rudely pointed her tiny little hand up to Draco who just looked down at her. He knew she didn't know him, but it slightly stung for her to refer to him as "him" and not "Mr. Draco," "Father," or even "Daddy." This wasn't the time to have his feelings hurt by a five year old, though.

"Do you know who the bad man is?"

"Uuuhh… I seed him at pweeskoow. But I doan knoo his name."

Ginny and Hermione looked at each other while Draco stayed silent, staring at his daughter. Ginny was the first to speak. "Most of the people we see at the daycare went to Hogwarts with us." Hermione nodded when Draco snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes, making Hermione look at him quizzically.

"I don't know a lot of the people that do business with you, but I do recall a visitor that has a certain relation with little Austin."

"What are you on about, Draco?"

"Valentine." Draco gritted his teeth. Damn, when people become hermits, they really do start to lose their brains.

"Draco, I really don't think Sid would—"

"Even if he didn't, which I really think he did, he is a good starting place." Draco started getting ready to turn and walk out the door, but Hermione stopped him.

"Draco, please. Let me go. You have a shorter temper and I know you. You'll jump down his throat off the bat. Can you please watch Morgan and Sky. Take them back to Malfoy Manor via floo. Ginny will stay until they are both over at your place. Ginny, after he's got both over there, go to Minister Shacklebolt. Inform him of the events and get him to get the aurors out to find her. I will go to Hogwarts to talk to Sid."

Hermione started to leave, but Draco grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked back up to him to see clouding in his eyes.

"Draco?"

"Hermione… I don't want you to see him alone."

"Draco I won't sleep with him. Even if I wanted to, which I don't, it wouldn't—"

"It's not that. I just… I have a bad feeling about him. Please don't."

"I'll be fine. I'll be at Hogwarts after all, there's no place safer."

"Hermione, how many times have you, boy wonder, and the weasel sidekick been in danger there? It's not as safe as you make it out to be. That Sid guy is bad news." Hermione kissed him lightly, making the two younger children scream their objections in the form of "EWWW" and "COOTIES."

"I will be fine."

"How will I know that?" Draco's hand was grabbing hers. He seemed to be the only one that could sense a deeper danger than a mere child abduction. What if she was just the bait? What if the person's real target was, in fact, Hermione? He just got her back, he couldn't lose her again.

Hermione though for just a second before rushing into her bedroom and came back with two galleons. One she pocketed, the other she placed in his palm. He looked at it questioningly as Ginny smiled and pulled hers out of her shoe.

"What is this?" Draco looked at it questioningly.

"This is how Dumbledore's Army communicated under your nose back in fifth year." Draco stared incredulously at the coin in his palm. Out done by a coin? How the hell could a coin work against the richest man in wizarding London? "All you do, if you want us to know where you are, is clear your mind and concentrate hard on your exact location. The coin will grow hot for a second; for Ginny and me, the coins will pulse with heat until we look at it. When we look at it, we'll get your exact coordinates. The same will go for you if Ginny or I need you. With Hogwarts, don't forget you have to apparate to the apparition point and come on grounds by foot." She thought momentarily before looking at the two ex-quidditch players in front of her. "Or by broom." Hermione walked over to Sky and kissed her lightly on the forehead before placing her in Draco's arms. "Don't tell her who you are to her until I get back." She whispered quietly to him. "Be careful everyone."

With that, Hermione was gone. Draco stared at the spot where she stood.

"Hey Meestuh?" Sky patted his chest gently to get his attention. "When wiuw my mummy be back?"

"Hopefully soon, precious." He pulled her close to him as she rested her head over his heart. "Have you ever gone by Floo?" He looked down into eyes that were his own. She nodded, putting her thumb in her mouth.

"Sky! Thumb out, now!" Ginny said it roughly, but not mean. "Malfoy, don't let her suck her thumb. She already has her mum's larger teeth, and sucking her thumb is causing them to come forward." Draco looked down to see her smile. Sure enough she had two large front teeth that were slightly crooked from the rest of her perfect little pearls with a gap next to her left canine.

"I weemembuh you, Meestuh. I showweded you my woose toof." When she smiled, her cheek bones went up showing her two dimples and her eyes twinkled with the pure innocence of her youth.

"You did. I see you lost it, huh?"

"Unhuh. I gotted moniez fwom duh toof fay-ree. Mummy was so pwoud." He hugged the little girl to his chest. "Hey, Meestuh?"

"Hmm?"

"Wut is dere to do at yo'ah howse?"

"Well, do you know your classmate Zander?" When she nodded he smiled. "He lives with me right now, so he is there. The Manor is really big. There's even a toy room there."

Her eyes got really big and he could see the excitement twinkling in her glossy orbs. He looked to Ginny before grabbing a small amount of the floo powder. After making sure he had a secure grip on her, he called out "Malfoy Manor" and was gone.

He stepped out onto the plush carpet of the small sitting room. "TINGLE!" He bellowed her name, covering his daughter's sensitive ears. With a soft pop and a loud crack, Tingle stood before him and gave a deep curtsey.

"Master called for Tingle, yes? How can Tingle be helping the Master?"

"Tingle, something urgent has come up. I need you and Jingle to watch Zander and two other children. Until this situation gets sorted out, they are not to be outside of this manor. I want my wards tripled in strength; only allow myself, Hermione Granger, or Ginny Weasley in until I have said otherwise." He placed Sky down and rubbed her soft hair.

"Sweetheart, this is Tingle. She is a house elf. She will be watching you with her brother Jingle. Just call for them if you need anything until I get back. Okay, sweets?" The little girl nodded and Tingle took her kindly by the hand. "Tingle, please get Jingle and Zander inside immediately. Get the wards in effect as soon as I return with the other child."

He stepped back into the floo yelling Hermione's address. Ginny was waiting for him with Morgan perched on her hip, a worried look on her face. "Will he be safe there?"

"There will be nothing getting into my house. My house elves are sure of it." She reluctantly placed one last kiss to his forehead before handing him over to Draco. Morgan immediately began squirming, small tears coming to his eyes.

"MUMMY!" He wailed and Ginny looked like she was going to cry. Draco gave her a sympathetic look.

"He'll be safe. No worries, Weasley. My wards are set to only allow you and Hermione through until further notice. You can floo or apparate anytime, anywhere on my property. If you need help, call for Tingle. She will direct you to the children." Ginny nodded and as soon as Draco floo'd out of sight, she apparated to the ministry to get the aurors on the case.

Hermione stepped off the last step before coming to Professor Sid's office. She knocked politely and let herself in when she heard a cheerful "come in" from the other side.

"Excuse me for popping in suddenly, Professor. I was wondering if you happened to come and pick Austin up on your own decision."

"Actually, Miss Granger, I have not. But I did want to talk with you about my visitation with her."

"Now really isn't the time, with all due respect, Professor." Hermione was trying her best to remain polite.

"What on earth do you mean?" He stood offering her to sit; she hastily refused and turned to leave.

"Austin is missing, Professor. I have to find her immediately. There's no telling who has her or what's going to happen if we don't find her." Hermione's voice cracked a little and she stiffened when he came closer. "Perhaps… No… I'd be crazy to resort to that."

"What would that resort be?"

"It's crazy, I know… But for a moment there I was actually contemplating visiting Professor Trelawney."

"I'm afraid you can't do that." His voice got a little sullen, his eyes going downcast.

"What do you mean I can't do that?"

"Sybil passed away two years ago. Of course, I don't expect you to know; you've been out of touch for so long. It seems like hardly anything at all has changed, and yet so much has. But, Professor Weasley is the new Divination Instructor."

"Weasley?"

"Yes, I believe you know her as a Miss Brown?"

"Lavender?" Hermione was shocked. She had seen Ron several times picking their children up and dropping them off, so she knew they were married. However, hearing his wife was a teacher at Hogwarts was a new shock.

"I'm afraid so, and I won't be only person to tell you her predictions are a crock of shit. You'd be wasting your time to see her. Shall we turn to the stones, Miss Granger?"

"Will they tell you where she is or who took her?"

"Not exactly. Here, come with me."

He walked over to a bare table and lit two candles before sitting down and closing his eyes for three full minutes. When he opened his eyes, he grabbed all the stones and tossed them on the cloth. Hermione watched silently as he closed his eyes again, moving this stone and that one, moving that stone there and this stone here. After ten minutes of agonizing silence, he opened his eyes once more and began reading. He took some notes on paper and every now and then would turn a stone over before replacing it back, repeating this several times and writing notes down after each repetition.

"Miss Granger, Austin is safe."

"Really?" Relief flooded through her body so fast she felt light as air. She wanted to jump and scream with joy. All of that relief was short lived when she heard the grim "But…" come from him as he looked back up to her, lowering his reading glasses.

"She's ill. Her captor doesn't know it. It isn't a deathly ill; it's something I went through when I was a child. It has to do with her special magic, I'm sure you've noticed it coming out."

"How serious is this illness?"

"She's just weak. She needs potions to strengthen her body temporarily. The magic is heavy on her system, weighing her small body down. She just isn't strong enough to carry her body with all that magic. It'll take time to heal, but if she can't get her potions, she won't be able to get up. Without being able to move… well… you know what will happen."

"Her body will shut down."

"Yes. She's not in immediate danger, but she will need medical attention soon."

"Well… where is she?"

"The only thing the stones say is that she will return to us unharmed. Grief from the past will rise again, searching for its final closure. A last attempt for a personal win, a scorned former friend has lost composure. That's all I can tell for you. If you have any friends that became enemies, you need to search there. When you find her, bring her to me immediately. I'll have a potion ready."

Hermione didn't say anything else, she only nodded. When she arrived safely outside Hogwarts to the apparition point, she found Lavender coming back from Hogsmeade. Lavender stopped only for a moment before sticking her nose in the air with a bit of superiority.

"Filthy Mudblood." Hermione didn't even flinch as the words came from the girl's mouth. "Ron is glad to be without you; you and those fucked up kids. Word on the street is you're a whore; that you don't even know who fathered your daughters."

"I know exactly who fathered my daughters. You'd be wise not to believe everything you hear."

"Rumors also say that you've been gone for five years because the father refused to help. But there was also word that you fucked Professor Sid. That rumor is quite humorous actually. As if a great wizard with arcane magic would ever love a mudblood like you."

"You know, after seven years of hearing that from all the Slytherin junkies, you'd think everyone would learn that the insult doesn't work anymore. Get some new material."

"Not trying to insult you to hurt you, I'm stating a fact. You have tainted blood; you don't belong in a world like ours. It's just a fact of life, sweetheart." Hermione could hear the venom dripping off Lavender's tongue, a syrupy, malevolent tone with a hint of giddy, one-upmanship. Lavender's cruel smile twisted her features into something sinister. "If I were you, I would watch your back carefully." Lavender pushed past her but stopped abruptly, an audible gasp escaping her recently smugly grinning lips.

"And if I were you, Mrs. Weasley, I would be careful about what thoughts escape that tiny little brain of yours." Hermione spun around to see the speaker, though she knew the voice very well. Sidney Valentine raked a hand through his loosely falling fringed hair.

"Professor Valentine, I didn't see you there."

"Indeed. Or else, I assume, you would not have openly referred to the rumors of my sexual endeavors; or those of Miss Granger? Or, perhaps, you wouldn't have mentioned the rumors that Miss Granger and I allegedly shared a bed?"

"I..uh…" Lavender took a step back, her eyes wide. "That wasn't just a rumor though. The portraits heard Hermione and you. They saw you."

"Have they proven what they heard or saw?"

"Well of course not, they're just portraits after all." Lavender rolled her eyes.

"If they have no proof then you're spreading pure here-say. It's a rumor, Mrs. Weasley, do not read too much into them."

"But you did sleep together!"

"Perhaps we did, perhaps we didn't. That is none of your concern nor your business is it?"

"Of course it is! She cheated on Ron!" Sid's eyes snapped to Hermione who was conveniently preoccupied with measuring how much the grass could grow in this conversation.

"From my understanding, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley were separated at the time. In fact, as I recall, that was the day that your husband and you teamed up and raped Miss Granger."

Hermione didn't have to look up for Sid to see her visibly tense at the memory. He hated to bring that up in front of her, but Lavender needed to be put in her place.

"You can deny it all you want, Valentine; but the portraits know what they saw."

"I don't believe I have denied anything at all. Now, if you would please carry on, I just happened across you insulting her for no reason. She's done nothing to you so scoot!" He waved at Lavender dismissively before closing the distance to a shaking Hermione.

Hermione didn't realize she had tears streaking down her face until Sid lifted her chin so she could face him. He smiled weakly at her then rubbed her cheeks free of the offending wetness with his thumbs. "Don't let what she says get to you. You are a smart, intelligent witch; and gorgeous to boot. She didn't come out as lucky as you genetically." He placed a warm, comforting kiss to her forehead. "Now go on being the brave, stubborn Hermione I know and love and find our daughter." He spun her around and pushed her towards the apparition point, giving her a playful swat on the butt before she apparated out, leaving him to go to Hogsmeade to purchase the ingredients he'd need for the potion.

A/N::

Hey everyone! Yeah, I changed my name. I thought it was time for one. You can still call me Cry though =3

So I've actually had this written since a little after I found out, but I was taking my time to grieve and I really wanted to get another chapter already written and two chapters each on my other stories, but plot bunnies have been hitting me left and right this past two and a half weeks. I think I am currently working on like 4 one-shots because of these plot bunnies and they kept me from working on the next chapter so I decided to go ahead and update and I'll start working on my other chapters for my other stories then I'm going to finish one one-shot then I'll write a chapter each for my stories then finish another one-shot, etc. Does that sound fair? I have so many stories that are wanting to come out and one is sooper hard to write and I'm doing my best but it's so exciting too.

Honestly, thank you all, so much for the support over Vincent. This has been the shittiest two and a half weeks of my life. I found out Vincent died, then just two days ago I found out that two days before Vincent died, my godmother, the woman I am named after who also just happens to be my social worker that placed me with my foster family, passed away at the ripe age of 68 to a heart attack. And then I called my long time friend Amanda, our parents fostered siblings that were separated so they would get together on weekends to let them play and her parents and my parents lived close enough that when they adopted her and my parents got me as a foster child, they let us play together. Well, last year she had come up to get a dog from me that a friend couldn't keep, found out her neighbors killed it because they didn't like pitbulls, and Bishop was the SWEETEST baby ever. He was even sweeter than my pit Liberty. Luckily, it happened a while back and she just didn't get around to telling me because she's been going through some shit, so there was no point in me really dwelling over it.

Topping that one of my two baby fish that I raised from eggs that were laid from my other fish, it died. I had to flush it down. Luckily I wasn't attached to it so it wasn't too hard.

But it's been a pretty grim couple weeks for me, to say the least. And I don't suspect Vincent's dad to go on much longer (he suffers from MS and he looked REALLY bad the last few days I saw him). So I'm really worried about him. And my friend Jordan is really worrying me because he's blaming himself for what happened to Vincent. You see, Jordan is a marine that graduated high school with me in 2007 (yes I am old). He talked half of Eagleville (our high school) into going into the marines—that's an exaggeration by the way—and Vincent was one of them. Jordan was one of the Paul Bearers at the funeral, and I saw him after the services at Vincent's house. I was talking with him and he is really blaming himself for what happened because he convinced Vince to go into the service. I feel awful for him.

Anywho I'mma wrap this up, sorry if this chapter is a little too short for your liking, but like I said, one-shots are my favorite things to write and those little bunnies have been attacking me a lot lately.

Until Next Time

~Cry