Chapter Three: Conversations from the Other Side

Auror Head's Office

Harry sat at his desk, head hung over thousands of papers. He was signing them all as quickly as he could.

"Hey mate, did you hear that Nott's been spotted near the Leaky Caldron?" Neville asked as he was walking by Harry's open door.

"No, that's great news Neville. Do we have a team out looking for him?" Harry asked as he looked up from his paper work.

"Actually he's already been caught. They say he's being brought back to Azkaban as we speak. He and Lestrange will be getting the kiss later in the week." Neville said.

"That's good to hear. Thanks for telling me." Harry said.

"No problem. I'll leave you to your work then." Neville said as he walked away. Harry yelled a quick bye and then turned his head back to his paper work. About ten minutes later Hermione knocked on the door.

"Hey, can I have a word," she said once Harry nodded for her entrance.

"Sure, what's up?" Harry asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you knew that um…….well" Hermione said before she was interrupted by Harry.

"Mione is this about trying to hook me up with Malfoy?" he said.

"What! How did you know?" Hermione asked.

"Pansy started on me this morning and I told her the same thing I'm going to tell you. NO WAY IN HELL!" Harry said.

"Oh, fine but I think you two would be good together." Hermione said.

"Hermione, what on earth would make you think that?" Harry asked shocked.

"Sexual tension!" Hermione said which made Harry burst out laughing.

"Sexual tension! You think that there is sexual tension between Malfoy and me?" Harry asked between fits of laughter but stopped when Hermione shook her head in confirmation. "Hermione, the only tension that is between me and Malfoy is hate and nothing more." Harry said. Hermione seeing that it was no use changed the subject. Besides later Harry would have a totally different opinion.

"So, Harry did you hear that Pansy and Ron are getting married?" she asked.

"Yeah I did. He made me his best man." Harry said.

"Good I was hoping he would. Anyway the reason I'm here is that Arthur would like to see you in his office." Hermione said.

"Oh, ok. Tell him I'll be right up, I just have to finish some paper work." Harry said.

"Alright." Hermione said and walked to the door.

"You know Mione, Mr. Weasley couldn't have picked a better Vice Mistress than you." Harry said.

"Thanks." Hermione said and left to Harry's message to the Minister.

Harry finished the rest of his paper work thirty minutes later and headed up to see Arthur. He knocked on the door and received a 'come in' from Arthur.

"You needed to see me Minister?" Harry asked as he took a seat in front of Arthur's desk.

Arthur who had been signing some Azkaban forms looked up. "Ah, Harry my boy, yes I did. I take it that Longbottom told you the news about Nott?"

"Yes." Harry said.

"Good. Well then I just wanted to congratulate you on capturing Lestrange. Did you see the article in the Prophet?" Mr. Weasley asked beaming.

"Yes, thank you so much for what you said. It really wasn't necessary." Harry said and he secretly wished that Mr. Weasley said nothing at all. He hated all the publicity. It was hard enough to get Rita Skeeter not to print an article about him being gay.

"Oh, good I'm glad you liked it." Mr. Weasley said just as his son burst into the room.

"Hey, Harry, dad can you page Pans for me and find out if that prat Malfoy checked in yet?" Ron asked as Mr. Weasley magically paged Pansy.

"What's the problem with Malfoy?" Harry asked though he really didn't care.

"The stupid git was supposed to be here an hour and a half ago. I hate to say it but he's never been late once and he had a very important project to start on." Ron said.

"Well, Ron, Pansy said he checked in at his normal time. Did you check his office?" Mr. Weasley asked his son.

"Of course and he's not there!" Ron said frantically.

"You know Ron; it would be just like Malfoy to play some kind of joke on you." Harry said.

"Yeah I know that Harry. But as much as I hate to admit it he's changed and for ten years he's always been here on time, never took a sick day, its just not like him." Ron sighed.

"I'm sure he'll turn up Ron." Harry said patting his best mate on the back.

"Yeah I hope so. He's the best we got down there. You know how many we caught and put in Azkaban because of him." Ron said. Harry hated that Ron brought that up. It was because of Draco, that Harry was able to defeat Voldemort in the first place. He didn't like talking about the war because he knew that Draco should get more credit then he was.

"Yeah I do!" Harry said with a sigh. "I'm going to go finish the rest of that paper work." Harry said quickly getting up and leaving. He had a feeling he was going to be hearing a lot about Malfoy in the next few days. To bad he didn't know how right he was.

A week later at the Ministry

Harry was walking into the Ministry and was shocked to find it in an up roar. He walked over to Pansy and put his wand down for inspection.

"Hey Pans. What's the cause of distress this morning?" he asked but Pansy didn't get a chance to say anything because Hermione had just burst in.

"HARRY, THANK GOD I FOUND YOU!" Hermione said trying to catch her breath.

"What's the matter Mione?" Harry asked.

"Draco, he's been gone for a week now. No one's seen him. Pansy, Ron and I became worried Monday when he didn't show up. So we paid a visit to the Manor and his house elf said the last time he saw Draco, he was coming here." Hermione said.

"Are you telling me that Malfoy is missing?" Harry asked.

"Yes!" Hermione said.

"Harry I know he hasn't treated you the best but this is not like him. Even Ron's worried." Pansy said.

"Alright, I'll try and figure out what's going on. Let me go home for an hour or two and then I'll come back, ok!" Harry said.

"Ok." Hermione and Pansy said.

Harry's Flat

Man this was weird. Why would Malfoy all of a sudden just disappear? Maybe it was a trick to try and get the two of them together. No Pansy and Hermione both looked shaken. Harry couldn't take it any more. He went to his desk and pulled out the old horcux. Now there's something you have to understand when Harry writes in the journal it's like he's in some sort of haze. Like he's sleepwalking but in this case sleep writing.

He pulled out the journal and began to write however he was shocked to see words greet him back.

"Hello! Can you help me? I seem to be trapped in some parallel universe!"

The words read! Harry immediately thinking that Voldemort was back some how quickly scribbled "Who are you?"

"My names Draco Malfoy! I was walking to my office I guess a week ago and when I reached for the door I ended up here that is wherever here is."

Malfoy! This was Malfoy. Harry immediately shut the journal and put it in his cloak and appartarated back to the Ministry.

Draco who was shocked to here no replay wrote 'Hello' again and received nothing.

"Great I'm going to be left here to die! Just great!" he thought.

Meanwhile at the Ministry, Harry was waiting for Pansy to get back from her launch break. When she finally arrived Harry immediately began asking question.

"Pansy where did Malfoy go after you saw him last Friday?"

"He headed toward the elevators and then to his office, I would assume. Why?" Pansy asked as Hermione walked over.

"No reason but maybe something happened along the way." Harry said.

"Oh." Pansy said.

"Show me where his office is!" Harry said.

"Ok, come on." Hermione said and she led Harry and Pansy down to Draco's office while sharing an evil smile with Pansy when Harry wasn't looking. Harry was so nervous that he was fidgeting.

"Harry you seem very tense. Nothing happened while you were at home?" Hermione asked.

"No!" Harry answered quickly.

"Well here's his office." Hermione said pointing to the door with Draco's name on it.

"Has anyone been in here since his disappearance?" Harry asked.

"No!" Pansy said.

"Arthur said no one was to go near it in case there was a curse upon it or something." Hermione said.

"Well if there was we wouldn't be able to stand this close. Now I'm going to go in and look for any clues or evidence. You two stay here. Ok?" Harry said.

"Ok!" The two girls said in unison.

Harry then turned back to the door and reached for the knob. When his fingers touched it he was falling into nothing until he landed on a white sandy beach next to a very shocked Draco.

Ron who had been walking down the hall rushed over to the spot where he had saw Harry just disappear.

"What in the bloody hell just happened? Where's Harry?" Ron said horrified to Pansy and Hermione.

"I think we should tell him, Mione." Pansy said.

"Tell me what? Pans what's going on?" Ron said.

"Come on Ron we'll explain over dinner." Hermione said as she and Pansy pulled Ron away from Draco's office.

AN: I know a cliff hanger. Well now you know how Draco disappeared. I'll post soon! Please review. Chapter Four will be up soon (Questions and Answers.)