Disclaimer: Do I look like I own Harry Potter?
A/N: Thank you for those nice and encouraging reviews! I loved them! Sorry this chapter took some time bcoz I found a new beta-reader and she's been doin the work! All those file transfers take time! Anyway...I own the basic idea and she polishes it up!
Hotel Security Vs. A Wizard?
January 27th 2005
Draco Malfoy
"Mr. Malfoy, I've been looking all over for you," Elise called out.
I was just on my way out to dinner when Elise stopped me.
"Mr. Malfoy, can I have a word please," Elise said and, looking pointedly at the girl on my arm, she added, "in private."
"Not now Elise. I have a date," I said off-handedly.
"Mr. Malfoy, this is urgent," Elise said in a rush.
"This had better be good," I answered shortly and added to my date, whatever her name was, "I'll call you."
She scoffed and left the lobby.
"I'm truly sorry to interrupt, Mr. Malfoy, but the woman you asked us to watch - er Miss Granger, I think - might be in trouble," Elise said quickly.
"I'm listening," I said, all attention.
"Well, a couple of hours ago, this man, he didn't say what his name was, came in looking for her. He was rather rude and was threatening the staff to get them to tell him where her room was. Well, hotel security didn't make it to her room in time. The man seemed to have vanished, along with the woman," Elise continued nervously.
"Why didn't hotel security make it in time?" I asked, making sure of the situation before I acted.
"I'm not sure. The man took her room number and made for the stairs instead of the elevators. He was on the ground floor; hotel security was at level 10 but this man somehow reached it first," Elise told me.
"Did you see his face? Is he a redhead?" I asked, sounding detached, professional.
"Yes he's a redhead but we couldn't track his face, he entered the room and never came out. By the time hotel security burst into her room, they were gone. CCTV at the stairs showed negative. There was no man at the stairs," Elise said, rather pissed that a man could trick her hotel's security.
"I've got to go. Elise, you've done all you can," I said, patting her on the back.
Elise nodded to me.
I rushed to the nearest toilet. My mind was racing now.
Weasley must have apparated, but where? I asked myself.
"Colin!" I shouted.
Colin was a pureblood wizard. He was a good friend of mine, unlike the annoying Colin Creevey at Hogwarts.
"What, Draco?" asked Colin, having just apparated in front of me.
"Weasley took Hermione and apparated. I need to know where!" I said urgently.
"Hermione?" Colin asked, puzzled.
"Did I just call her that? Merlin, what has gotten into me? Granger I mean," I corrected myself.
"Draco, I'm not supreme. I can't tell where a man has apparated unless I was at the scene and read his mind!" Colin exclaimed.
"Then what do I have to do now?" I asked.
"Draco, you said he was with a girl. Is it some random girl or a girl you have feelings for…say, maybe even 'love'?" Colin asked me.
"I don't know if I still have feelings for her! Never mind! Tell me what to do!" I pressed Colin.
This is urgent, and I'm wasting time.
"Draco, think of her. Think of your love for her. Feel the attraction and apparate towards that direction. Apparate to where the love between the two of you exists," Colin told me.
I frowned. I tried to concentrate. Nothing.
"I felt nothing, Colin," I sighed quietly.
"Then... that's too bad. There's nothing you can do but wait for her to come back," Colin said mournfully.
"Let's get a drink," I offered.
"Sure," Colin agreed.
We went to the hotel's café. We took a seat at a far corner; I didn't want our conversations overheard.
"Colin, when you asked me to focus on my feelings, I couldn't. Do you think it's because I don't love her?" I asked.
"You do love her, don't you?" Colin playfully punched me on my arm.
"Only catch is, I wounded her too deeply," I said regretfully.
"Man, give it some time. That's all it needs, time. She's just healing and you don't wanna go adding salt to the wound. Anyway, back to what you were asking. That place is probably charmed so that no one can apparate there, so don't worry about it. Just relax," Colin advised.
"I don't even know if I deserve her, or even if I deserve to know if I deserve her," I sighed.
"What's gotten into you?" Colin asked me.
"What?" I asked him back.
"You're being responsible and", shudders dramatically, "caring!'. Now you're wracking your brain wondering if you deserve to know something you don't know you if you deserve to know," Colin laughed quietly.
"Yup, that's me now," I answered simply.
"And I'm cracking my skull trying to understand what you're talking about," Colin joked.
"I dunno. When my dad was put in prison, I was... ashamed. I'd walk down the streets with people staring at me and I'd tell myself I didn't give a damn about it! That's when it struck me. I'm going to end up just like Lucius Malfoy," I confessed to Colin.
"Sad, man," Colin shrugged.
"Then I vowed," I continued, "'let me end up like Black or Dumbledore but, please, not like Lucius Malfoy.'"
"Meaning you'd rather die than end up like the man that brought you into this world?" Colin asked.
"Exactly," I said slamming my fist on the table.
Seeing the vein in Draco's forehead begin to throb, Colin fished around for something to lighten the mood.
"Draco, tell me, how's Hazel doing?" Colin asked, smiling.
"Still hating you for reasons I don't know!" I said to Colin loudly and we burst out laughing.
"Yeah? Good…and Draco, you'll never find out why," Colin said in between his spurts of laughter.
"I will," I laughed back.
"It's good to be laughing again," Colin exhaled when he had calmed down.
"I can't even remember the last time I laughed," I said, gasping a bit.
"Before I forget, you know Chris?" Colin asked me.
"Chris Street? The tomboy we used to play with? What's up with her?" I asked.
"Well, I caught her at the bar the other day; kicking some guy's sorry ass," Colin told me.
"Just what I expect Chris to be doing," I added.
"You'll laugh at this one. She's there celebrating her new post on the S.W.A.T Team with some guy. Roy, I think. They met this guy who also happens to have been Roy's old partner for 5 years. This guy pissed Chris off by saying 'I didn't know they made bulletproof bras' when he found out about Chris's new job," Colin explained.
"Then she kicked his sorry ass," I finished.
"Dear old Chris, I married her you know," Colin muttered.
"What?" I shouted in shock.
"It's been almost 4 years now," Colin said.
"I can't believe you forgot me during your wedding," I cursed.
"We couldn't track you in your hiding!" Colin explained.
"Yeah, I know you've been looking high and low for me," I said sincerely.
"Still can't believe she kicked a guy's butt!" Colin exclaimed.
"How I wish I'd been there to cheer on her. Sad though, I would've bought her a drink then," I mumbled.
"If not then, how bout now?" a voice said from behind me.
A well-built woman, at least 5'8", stood grinning at me. She had blonde hair, highlighted with brown, and her hair was tied up in two plaits. Overall, she was quite cute.
"Chris?" I asked disbelievingly.
"Draco! Big mansion still there?" Chris asked playfully.
"Still standing. Why are you here?" I asked Chris, pulling a chair up for her.
"Colin called me. I'm here on a holiday with Colin. Sorry Colin, I got into a bit of trouble. Some redheaded guy decided to throw himself and his girlfriend off Piazza Navona, Rome's social centre," Chris explained.
I almost choked on my coffee.
"What?" I spluttered, "Is everything under control?"
"Yeah, the woman was identified as Hermione Granger," Chris said.
"She's at the district hospital right?" I jumped to my feet immediately.
"She's a bit of a mess. Seems the suspect was holding a knife to her throat and she got cut rather badly. Weird though, he didn't seem to want anything except to jump off the building with her. It's mad, right?" Chris mumbled.
She looked around. Both Draco and Colin were nowhere around. She guessed that she would wait to claim her drink from Draco next time around.
A/N: Please tell me-or rather us- what you think! Leave us a review! I'm sorry this isn't much action but trust me, this chapter is quite important...
Special thanks to Nzomniac-my new beta- for polishing things up in this chapter! She beta-ed this one and most probably partner with me in the future!
Ashley