Disclaimer: See first chapter.

On with the story...

Two weeks later Lucius was sitting in his office drinking his morning cup on tea, and going through his letters. He had received word on his investments….more money coming in. On the Dark Lord….everything was going as planned. And had received more acceptance letter to tours schools which he hoped would brighten his son's outlook on life a little.

Even Lucius was starting to wonder just where in heaven's name Draco's mate could be. They had search literally around the globe, and now that Draco was back in school they were searching on the weekends all the smaller academies that they could get into.

Though Lucius had not told Draco the real problem, and he himself was becoming more certain of it. His son was powerful, top magic even for a good school such as Hogwarts, but it was a definite possibility that his mate was even more powerful. Which meant that unless it was Muggle Born Granger, which it was not, then his mate was probably holed up in some private school that dealt only with very powerful students.

It was a plus and a minus it Lucius' view. Great for the Malfoy bloodline, bad if you are trying to find the person and have no idea where they are. This passed weekend they had a tour of Yaden Gifted Academy in America, which Draco said was a no from the moment he walked onto the property.

So in Lucius' mind that left on his list Chancellor's Academy and Crescenzo Academy. The latter he had not heard back from since he sent a letter over two weeks ago. He dearly wished it was the type of situation where money or muscle would get them in….as it had to Yaden and as it seemed it would to Chancellor, but Crescenzo it definitely would not. The school was a harsh place surrounded in secrecy. Children went there and seemed to come back to their' families full grown adults. He had no idea how parents could ever just let their children leave. Why have children if you are going to let someone else mold them? He knew very little of the school and that was more then most knew. Students could leave on a few Holiday's but not often, and they seemed to have field trips. The media often tried to figure out the where and when, but often it was due to dumb luck and not prior knowledge if they stumbled upon the group. Which meant that they would need to actually travel to the school.

They had uniforms similar to that of Hogwarts, and all were in a navy blue with lighter blue tops. Boys wore charcoal slacks, navy vests, light blue silk shirts underneath. Girls either had knee length skirts or slacks, and the same vest and top. No one wore any kind of regular clothing, strict Lucius thought, looking at the pictures that had been collected of student sightings. No inter houses either he knew from his source. A student ate, slept, and learned, with no prejudices allowed. Although he assumed it could not be that bad if most of the students were enrolled because their' parents were graduates. He was told by a source that the Headmaster was a fair man, not one for the limelight, and completely brilliant, possibly more so than Dumbledore.

One Conclusion: They had to get that tour.

In all of his thinking he didn't even realize that an owl was sitting in his desk. He startled giving a un Lord like little yelp and took the letter. He was almost ready to shoo the bird out the window when he saw the medal on the owl's chest with a "CA" engraved, looking down he saw the Crescenzo stamp, and quickly opened the letter.

Dear Lord Malfoy,

After much consideration and research into the matter I am allotting your family a five-minute window into the Crescenzo Academy. The only apparition point is into my office where I will await you. Due to safety measures it is best you not arrive early or late, please do heed this warning. Your son may open his senses during the five minutes and then you will leave. Whether or not he believes his mate is on the grounds has no bearing, and you will leave within the five minutes. At that time we will discuss a later meeting on the property should it become necessary. This first meeting shall take place in one week exactly at 9 am.

Headmaster Trighton

Bloody five minutes!! Well it would actually be more then enough but no other academy had actually asked if it was necessary to tour the entire grounds, obviously this man did his research. He quickly got up to tell his wife where they would be headed in one weeks time.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry awoke tired as hell this morning and coffee was not doing him any good. He fully admitted that he was not a person you wanted to see in the morning without coffee. Sure he was an early rising person, but he needed caffeine in order not to become….well an ass, to everyone around him. It had gotten the point where anyone who was up when he awoke would call a house elf to get him coffee.

Actually it was kind of amusing. Even the house elves looked for signs he was awaking if they happened to be in the room early in the morning.

But it wasn't working this morning. Hence why he was sitting in a booth next to the coffee, all you can drink, bar and on his third cup. He was reviewing potions since they were making truth potions today and he needed to be somewhat in human shape in order to brew properly.

Looking up at the clock he realized he only had a half hour to review, and swore.

"What number cup are you on?" Nickolai asked as he slid into the seat opposite Harry.

"More then anyone should be drinking and still be half way asleep." Was his friend's only muttered reply and even that had been gruff and sleep laden. Nickolai smirked in amusement, since he knew Harry had been up for at least fourty five minutes.

Over the next twenty minutes Nickolai attempted to revive his friend back to the living, while Taylor, Rose, and her best friend Felicity showed up. Nickolai thought it cute that Felicity started to blush whenever looking at his best friend but Kyler just wasn't into her, he thought. Hadn't been for years, and he made a mental note to set Felicity up with someone nice. She was a decent looking chick in his estimation, and smart. He had to have one or two buddies that would be suitable for her. Felicity caught his eye at one point and seemed to realize it was hopeless and walked away.

Nick then dragged his buddy out of the booth, while Rose fetched more coffee, and slowly they walked to potions together. Thankfully by the time they got there Kyler was awake enough to hex some boy pulling a little girls pigtails. Kyler usually didn't get involved in that kind of stuff unless it was the under ten kids and he started to feel all fatherly. Personally Nickolai figured the kids could sort it out, but since every time Kyler did sometimes like that Rose ended up saying, "Wow, now Kyler is going to be such an excellent father. Such good boyfriend material," he had stopped joking about it and tried to copy Kyler deciding, "fake it, till you make it" was a good motto.

And kids! Bloody hell they were only seventeen!

In potions, as usual Nick paired with Kyler, and Taylor with Rose. They had realized those who date together should not brew together very early on. Boy that caused problems. Harry and Nickolai were a good team, working quickly and competently. The potion still took hours, but most of it was sitting around time.

"So Felicity, sorry about that mate."

"Don't worry," Harry responded automatically, "I just don't like her like that." Then he turned seriously to his best friend of almost ten years.

"You know I'll be okay. I'm starting to get the desire to start fresh. So don't worry. I'm just not someone who rebounds on people."

Nickolai looked startled that Kyler was actually talking about it. "Good. Just keep letting me know how you're doing. And-"

BOOM

Everyone looked over to see the Rose and Taylor's cauldron had exploded, and Rose was looking at Taylor furiously.

"Two stirs clockwise…not counterclockwise! Clockwise!! What were you thinking?"

Taylor looked down suddenly and murmured something that obviously infuriated Rose even more.

"Oh my bloody hell! A spider monkey! You and your damned animagus forms!!" With that Rose stalked out of the classroom, full now of laughing people, and Taylor spelled the mess away.

"I better—" Nickolai started to get up.

"Yeah go" Harry said this a smile. Knowing Nickolai was going need his listening ears for this one, not his talking ears. He thought about reminding his friends about that, but then smirked. What was the fun it that?

Three hours later Nickolai's blue hair was a testament to how much fun it was.

XXXXXXXXXX

Draco woke again with a start. God he was starting to get used to this, how sad was the. It was demented that's what it was. He could still hear his mate laughing too. It was a husky chuckle that made Draco hard just thinking about it. Hell, could there be a sexier laugh then that? If there was then he certainly had not heard it before. The need was growing everyday to find his mate, find and conquer. Well that and sex. He needed that too….a lot of that. Veela were highly sexual creatures around their mates. Loving just touching them during public times and having sex endlessly during private times. He had absolutely noooo problem what so ever with that portion of the mate inheritance. He was looking forward to that portion the most. Moreover, his mate was going to pay through the roof for staying hidden for so long. Draco had no doubt that he could come up with ample interesting punishments when the time came.

He just needed to find him. Though that seemed more impossible then ever. This weekend they would be visiting Crescenzo, and that one he couldn't wait for, since he was deeply curious about the place even without the possibility of finding his mate there.

His father had owled him about the conditions of the visit, which really wasn't a visit, and more of a stepping into a place and getting a good whiff. He couldn't blame the headmaster for wanting to have good security. However, if he found his mate there Draco wasn't sure he could just leave. Would need to cross that bridge when he came to it though.

They were starting to get short on places to visit. Chambers and Yaden had been a total bust. Very good looking and intelligent people at Chambers though. A lot of them had given him once and twice look over, but he merely glared at all of them. They were of no use to him if they weren't his mate. It was the one time when he hated the veela allure. His intended wasn't even there for him to be seduced by it! He thought for a moment that it was possible they would need to start searching whole cities, and wow would that be bloody difficult.

Classes at Hogwarts were starting to get tedious in his mind as well, and so were all the students around him. His family may have switched fully over to the so-called "light" side, but that didn't mean he had to start enjoying the company of every Gryffindor around him. Was bad enough Blaise was bringing Granger around, and he was forced to actually act respectful of her….worse he was starting to get the feeling Blaise was having more then "quick shag" feelings about her. God help him if the two procreated! The thought just made him shiver. Then again, they would probably me Slytherins, he thought with a grin. He would pay huge money to see Grangers face the day her kids were sorted into the snake house!!

XXXXXXX

Blaise entered the great hall with Hermione's hand grasped fully into his, and he smiled looking down at them. Hers were a perfect fit in his. Blaise had won the argument of who's House table they sat at for breakfast, though he knew his girlfriend was never pleased about the prospect of time spent with Slytherins. He had promised again this morning he would protect her from any hexes coming her way, and if one got passed him then she was allowed to cast it on him for an undetermined amount of time. She really didn't like his house at all.

But that was just too damn bad to his way of thinking, and she might as well get used to it, because in a few years they would also be sitting at their' wedding.

Not that he had even so much as hinted to Hermione that, that's where his mind was going. No, a girl like Hermione he knew liked to be in charge. Blaise decided that he would let her convince him in a year or so that they needed to discuss marriage. And maybe a couple months after that he would lead her to bring up the idea of being engaged. After that, he was going to let her push him straight towards the altar. He was a great planner he decided, and had absolutely no idea why everyone always assumed that Malfoy was the house manipulator.

To his way of thinking no one ever knew a real manipulator when they were manipulated. Malfoy was arrogant, and thought he should get his way, but there wasn't much manipulation involved usually, just outright force. Now Blaise, well he knew he was on a whole different level.

The problem was his girlfriend usually was on the exact same level. He knew around their' one year wedding anniversary she may figure it all out…….but the ring would be on her finger by then. A huge diamond would look good there he thought. Big enough that any male from down a block would know she was not available. Maybe he could have a necklace made for her too, and with his initials on it in emeralds. Yes, now that was a great idea!

Walking up to the table everyone moved down so that Blaise could sit across from Malfoy with Hermione right next to him. Was what he loved about his house; everybody knew exactly where he or she were on the totem pole.

"So Draco, where is next on the list?" Blaise asked conversationally, as he buttered some toast and passed a piece of it over to Hermione.

Draco looked up from his book finally realizing his best friend was there.

"Crescenzo" he muttered. Blaise had never heard of it, but obviously it was someplace because Hermione gave him that "Don't you ever read?" look of hers, and went back to eating. Minx, he thought, as he pinched her knee.

She didn't even look up, but stated in her factual tone, "Private school for especially talented children rumored to be in Italy."

Blaise looked towards Draco who merely nodded, but saw his friend was staring at Hermione with interest.

"What do you know of the place?"

Hermione finally did look up. "Not much, but then again, no one knows much of that place. The headmaster is said to be no fan of Dumbledore's though even that is not certain. Contains around ten thousand students from the last known count, but nobody knows if that number had increased or decreased, since it was taken years ago. The place is said to be constructed out of white marble, like ancient ruins in the muggle world. Supposedly extremely beautiful. And the first years are usually really young, around 6 or seven."

Having spouted off her knowledge Hermione's face went down again into the book she brought along, and Blaise simply smiled at Draco, and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. To which, his witch, ignored completely. Minx.

"How's the list faring?" Blaise asked, knowing that his friend was still having the dreams and waking up with the sweats. Was gross actually and he had no idea how Draco put up with it. To have to be all sweaty and gross and not even because of a good shag….well there was just no point to it.

"Nothing new really. Bloody frustrating. I can definitely say it is an Italian accent now that I'm back and listening to yours. His is lighter though."

Blaise nodded taking a bite of eggs. "Makes sense. Especially if he is at a boarding school with other international students, reasons that he would lose the accent a little. Anything else?"

"Nothing new. I feel like I'm getting nowhere. And I swear if one more guy or girl walks up and offers to warm my bed I am going to hex them!! I can get sex, I just happen to want it from only one person. Bloody inconvenient," he muttered.

Blaise thought that was down right funny and started laughing into the remains of his breakfast. "Yes, and the guy you want it from is an unknown mystery man!" Even the elbow into his stomach from the girl sitting next to him did nothing to pacify his laughter.

Draco looked at Hermione in all seriousness. "I am going to kill him one of these days, you do know that right?" To which all he got was a somber affirmative nod.

XXXXXXX

On Saturday morning at eight forty-five Draco was waiting with his parents at Malfoy manner, discussing the places they would next search. There were a few promising candidates in both China and Russia. Smaller schools but ones with solid reputations, and in those places they would start searching the cities around them. Home schooled students could be anywhere.

There was even a promising one back in the Unites States, in a place called San Francisco.

To Draco this was all positive information, as long as they still had places to look then he still had hope. After this very brief walk into the office at Crescenzo they would move on to Kedasho's in China today. And that place was huge, so would take more then a few hours to tour. They would also take a sniff around the capital city and a few wizard towns.

Looking at his watch Draco noted he still had five minutes till nine. He had already changed his shirt twice as his father had said he needed to wear the exact shade of blue as the uniforms and Crescenzo Academy in order to show proper respect. Bullocks in his opinion but he was going along with it. With every tour he felt he needed to dress up, just in case today was the day he would meet him. Quite honestly after so many let downs, he let his father be the one to push him into making the effort again and again. Now Lucius was happy with his sons blue button up silk shirt, and charcoal gray slacks. His hair was cut more conservatively now, and spiked a little. Overall, it was a decent effort. Nothing less would suffice with a member of the Malfoy family.

Lucius didn't want to concern his son but the places they were visiting now, the small and private ones, were the places where class would show and make a difference. It wasn't like Hogwarts or Durmstrang with all sorts of rift raft, who would hear the Malfoy name and be impressed. No, these places had people in them that were smart on their own and didn't give a shit about blood or names. Hell Crescenzo and Kedasho students quite possibly, although stupidly, had never heard of the Malfoy name. So first impression of clothing and manners did in fact matter. No one would drool over the Malfoy name. Sadly, it definitely made things a little more difficult when trying to get into the schools.

XXXXXXXX

Harry and every student at Crescenzo's Academy knew that Saturdays were always the worst scheduled days for the school. Any breaks were packed with seminars on the latest finds in various subjects, the latest potions discoveries, new ways to combat a Dark Arts curse, and anything else that was important enough to make an impact on the wizard world. Either directly or indirectly.

Today was not actually bad either. Harry had a transfiguration class at 7:30 till 8:30 and now at almost nine he was sitting in on a seminar that was discussing the possibility that wizards with two animagus forms could combine the two to form another or several other forms. It was an interesting experiment actually. In Harry's head though he thought his stag and phoenix might look a little odd put together as one. Now what would be useful was if they could combine with another close ancestor to their own form.

He made a note on his parchment to research the idea.

XXXXXXXX

"Count down" Lucius stated. They were all standing at the apparition point that had been allowed by Trighton.

"Thirty seconds to nine"

Thirty seconds in Draco's mind seemed be a hell of a lot longer then he remembered it being. And as the clock struck, he apparated away with his parents.

XXXXXXX