*** 20 – Blaise's Mission ***

"What do you mean, 'they know'?" Draco demanded angrily.

Blaise looked at Liz apologetically. "The scientists back in Canada that took you. They know that you're alive."

"Why would they think otherwise?" she asked, fear evident in her voice. Draco stepped back to her side and squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture.

"When Remus, Tonks and I found you after you were shot, we modified the memory of the man responsible. We altered it so that he believed that he actually chased you towards the lake. In his mind, he followed you over some rocky terrain where you slipped and fell into the water. He watched you drown."

Liz paled visibly again, and Draco wrapped his arm around her waist incase she decided to collapse. "Is that what my family and friends think?" Blaise nodded sadly, and she felt tears spring to her eyes. "My poor mother," she whispered.

"When the man who attacked you returned to the facility with that information, the scientists were furious. They had him arrested for pushing you off the cliff. They set up the story, witnesses and everything."

Liz was so upset, she didn't even notice Draco leading her to sit back on the loveseat. Sitting next to her, and holding her hand, he looked back at Blaise. "So if they thought she was dead, what happened?"

"They won't say how they know. All they said was that they'd found you. They haven't said where you are yet, but they do know that you're here in London."

"So what now?"

Blaise himself seemed to get even more and more sad than he had been. His bright blue eyes were dull and lifeless. "They want you back, for obvious reasons."

"Who wants who back?" All eyes went to the door to find George Weasley staring at them confused. "Man, you three look like you've just lost your best friend. What's going on?" he asked.

"Get everyone into he sitting room and we'll explain," Blaise replied. George opened his mouth to comment, but Blaise beat him to it. "Now!" George's mouth slammed shut and he bolted down the hall. Blaise tactfully left the room to wait for everyone else, and give Draco and Liz a minute alone to process the information he'd delivered.

Draco gazed sadly at the brunette next to him. "What can I do?" he asked.

She shook her head in response. "I just can't stop thinking about my mom and friends. They must be so upset."

"But at least they have some closure this way. If they thought you to just be missing, it'd be worse for them."

She nodded. "I know you're right, but it still hurts."

"I'd be worried about you if it didn't." They sat in silence for a moment following his statement until he broke it. "We don't have to go down there if you don't want to. We already know about the new development."

"I want to hear more about it," she argued. "Something will have to be done." She stood stiffly and started to move to the door.

"Hey." His soft voice halted her steps, and she turned to see his sad yet resolved face. Draco almost broke down at her defeated look, but he forced himself to keep it together for her. He quickly strode to her side and engulfed her in a tight embrace. She clutched at his shoulders, bunching the fabric of his shirt with her fists, but she wouldn't allow herself to break down. She was stronger than that. She felt him shudder with emotion as he breathed deeply. "We'll get through this," he whispered, his face buried in her curly hair. Despite the frightening situation they found themselves in, both of them suddenly felt completely safe from the world in each other's arms.

After a few minutes of warm comfort, Liz withdrew from his arms, took his hand and led him into the hall. It was time to see what fate had decided to throw at them this time round.

Partway down the hall, something clicked in Liz's head, and she turned to look at Draco's handsome face. "I never did ask what you've been up to in that study lately."

Draco's eyes dropped to the ground, and a shy smile graced his features. "I've been going through the files on your disappearance from five years ago. I was hoping that I'd find what spell or potion they used on you so we'd have a better chance of finding the counter for it."

Liz's heart was ready to burst for the rush of kindness she felt towards him at that moment. She pressed her warm lips to his cheek before hugging him again. "Thank you for trying."

"I'll never stop trying," he replied, taking in her sweet lilac scent.

They stayed like that for another moment until they were pulled apart by something tugging on Draco's pant leg. The two looked down to see a very sleepy Isabel standing there.

"What are you doing awake, princess?" Draco asked his daughter.

"I heard a door downstairs and it scared me," Isabel said, tears in her beautiful gray eyes.

Before Draco could even decide what to do, Liz was kneeling in front of the young child, and hugging her tight.

"You and I have this thing about slamming doors, don't we?" Liz whispered, pulling back to look at Isabel as she nodded. Liz reached out and wiped her tears from her cheeks. "There's nothing scary in the house, 'Bel, I promise." Isabel's eyes lightened a bit, but closed as she yawned. Both Liz and Draco chuckled at that. "How about we go back up to your room and I tuck you in?" Liz offered. Isabel smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Hugging and kissing her father goodnight, Isabel led Liz up the stairs to her room. Without them knowing, Draco followed them out of curiosity.

When he got there, he found a sight that warmed his heart: Isabel was deep under the covers of her bed, and Liz was sitting leaning against the headboard. They were chatting softly, so Draco really had to strain his ears to hear what they were saying.

"I used to love being tucked in at night," Liz was saying softly. "My mother would brush my hair and it put me right to sleep."

"Aunt Luna does that for me when I can't sleep."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she sings too."

"Really?"

"Yes," Isabel said matter-of-factly. After a brief moment, she spoke up again. "Can you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Brush my hair and sing me to sleep?"

Liz felt her heart melt at the innocent request. Nodding slightly, she got up and moved to the dresser to get Isabel's hairbrush. Draco moved deeper into the hallway to avoid being seen, but stayed close so he could still hear the two interact.

"You have beautiful hair," Liz commented as she slid the brush through the girl's feather-soft curls.

"Daddy says I got it from Mummie. He's told me stories about her."

"What kind of stories?"

Isabel nodded. "He says she got into lots of trouble with Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron. But he also told me how pretty she was."

"He did?"

"He said that she was his angel, and the prettiest girl he ever met. He says I look just like her," she finished proudly.

"I'm sure you do," Liz said, fighting her rising emotions.

"I wish she was here." Isabel's tone had saddened.

"What happened?"

"Daddy told me that some mean men took her away when I was born. But he said he'd bring her back."

"I'm sure he will." Tears had now sprung to her eyes, but she forced herself to not break down in front of the little girl.

"Will you sing to me now?"

Isabel's request drew her from her inner struggle. She nodded, put the brush on the bedside table, and sat back against the headboard so that Isabel could cuddle up with her.

"What would you like me to sing?"

Isabel thought for a moment. "What's your favourite song to sing?"

Now it was Liz's turn to think. Smiling, she replied. "It's from a movie."

"What's a movie?"

"How about I explain that in the morning?"

"Ok."

Liz settled back and braced herself for the turmoil that would come from the song. Draco was back in the doorway, and could see the nerves on Liz's face as she began her song.

"Baby mine, don't you cry,

Baby mine dry your eyes,

Rest your head close to my heart,

Never to part, baby of mine."

Draco's heart stopped completely as he recognized the song that his wife had sung to her pregnant belly many years ago when their daughter's kicking got a little out of hand.

"Little one, when you play,

Don't you mind what they say,

Let those eyes sparkle and shine,

Never a tear, baby of mine."

Liz's arm was around the little girl's shoulders as she sang, and she forced herself to continue. She'd sung this song so many times in the past, but it never meant more to her than it did now as she held her daughter in her arms, even if Isabel had no idea who she actually was.

"From your head to your toes,

You're so sweet, goodness knows,

You are so precious to me,

Cute as can be, baby of mine."

Isabel had fallen asleep partway through the song, and Liz now carefully removed herself from the bed. Casting a glance back to the sleeping child, Liz smiled as she slipped out the door and closed it behind her. It was only after that, that she allowed the tears to race down her cheeks as she slid to the floor. She sobbed silently, kneeling on the ground outside her daughter's room.

Arms circled her and she felt someone join her in her crying. She didn't need to look up to see the emotion in Draco's eyes; she knew that he'd followed them and that his reaction would be similar to hers.

"I haven't heard that song in years," he whispered as he held her close. They stayed on the floor for a few minutes, cursing the people who had stolen five years of happiness from them, until they finally got a hold of themselves. After one final hug, they made their way towards the sitting room where their friends were waiting.

As soon as they walked in, all eyes were on them. They could all tell that the pair had been crying, but no one commented on it. As Liz and Draco sat on the large couch next to the Potters, Ginny pulled Liz into a hug as Harry took her hand behind his wife's back and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Ginny reached for Draco's hand behind Liz, and he smiled gratefully as he took it.

It was Dumbledore's voice that brought them all back to reality. "It appears that there's been a development that concerns us all," he stated. Everyone started whispering until Blaise stepped forward.

"When we," he started, indicating at Liz and himself, "escaped from the facility and were chased, Tonks, Remus and I ended up modifying the memory of some of the guards so that they wouldn't look for Liz. We wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be followed again, so we made them believe that she had died in the pursuit." Draco, who had taken Liz's hand once Ginny had released her, gave it a squeeze which she immediately returned. Everyone looked expectantly at Blaise. "Somehow they found out that she's still alive."

An uproar rose form the room. "How could they know?" George demanded.

"We were so careful," from Tonks.

"What do we do now?" was Neville's inquiry.

Dumbledore stepped forward and raised his hands to silence the group. "I do not believe that any one of us wants to see our friend taken away again. As such, we must now come up with a plan to keep that from happening."

"When did they find out?" Molly asked.

"They called us in with this new information four days ago," Blaise answered.

"Oh God." Liz's quiet voice drew everyone's attention to her now ghostly pale face. "It's my fault."

"What do you mean?" Draco prodded gently.

"The day I ran off after fighting with Harry was five days ago." Her statement shocked them all into the reality of what had happened.

"They must have been tracking you somehow," Kingsley deduced. "How else could they have found you?"

"I don't know the specifics of how they found her, but they want her brought back immediately." Once more, Blaise's announcement shocked the room.

"Well, we're not going to give her to them," Arthur said resolutely, bringing a smile to Liz's face.

"Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated."

"How?" We'll have someone with her all the time. What's complicated about that?" Harry asked.

Blaise sighed. This was the part he'd been dreading. "They've assigned a whole team to search this general area day and night until she's found. And the team has specific orders that only their leader should ever approach her. Someone she knows, so that if she were to come across them, she wouldn't hesitate to stop and talk."

"Who could they have possibly picked that would be able to trick her like that?" Minerva demanded angrily.

Blaise sighed once more and made his admission. "Me." Again, shocked gasps rang out as he continued, staring only into Liz's knowing eyes. She knew what was coming. "My mission, as 'Blake', is to find her and bring her back as soon as possible."