Cinderella

Chapter Seven

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Part II

Draco walked side by side with Nott. When Nott had first came into his flat, he had had no idea what to do, but now he had a vague plan. He glanced at Nott as they got closer and closer the King's Cross. Nott still had not revealed him their destination. All he knew was that they were on their way to meet an old acquaintance.

Little by little he was getting hold of himself. During the war he had been a spy of sorts. Not that he did much to help the Order of the Phoenix, but he had been able to tell Voldemort's exact location to the Order, and so they had been able to defeat the Dark Lord.

The Ministry had no proof that he had been involved in any of the Death Eater activities. That was all thanks to his father, who had made sure they never would get any evidence against him. Now the situation was not as simple. If he was caught with Nott, who knew what would happen to him. Maybe that was the reason why Nott had wanted to walk to the station. He was getting more and more convinced that Nott was after revenge. Well, he had betrayed their Master, had he not?

"It's such a lovely day, isn't it?" Nott asked, seeming more cheerful than he should be, considering that he was a wanted man.

"Yes," Draco answered his face blank with emotion.

Nott looked around almost smiling. "Do you ever regret anything you have done?"

Draco was baffled by the sudden question, and didn't have the chance to answer, when he saw Ron Weasley just a few hundred feet away.

Draco forced himself to walk on as if nothing out of ordinary was going on. Nott turned to look at him, and he answered his question, "Some things."

Nott nodded and didn't seem to notice Weasley, who passed them by. Draco tried not to look too desperate when Weasley's eyes met his for a brief moment.

He sighed after Weasley was pass them. He was not certain at all that the man had even understood or cared that he was in trouble. He felt as if something was slithering in the pit of his stomach, making him nauseous. It might be that he would never see Harry again if his hunch, of where Nott was taking him, was right.

***

"Hi, Bookworm."

Hermione lifted her gaze away from the book she had been reading before her best friend interrupted her. "Harry!"

"Working over time, I see." Harry smiled warmly at her.

"Not really. I just wanted to check one thing, since I don't have this book at home."

"What?! How could it be that you don't own this volume of Hogwarts the History!" Harry dramatically put a hand over his mouth.

"You git, I'm actually reading The Laws of Magical Creatures," Hermione huffed, trying to keep a straight face.

"Okay, okay, I get it." Harry held his hands in front of him to calm her down.

"So, Harry, tell me what brings you here?"

Harry smiled a mysterious smile. "Well, I have something that I lost and I need your help to find it."

Hermione set her reading-classes on the table in front of her. "What is it that I can help you with?" the head of the Clues and Clueless department asked.

"You know a man named Draco Malfoy," Harry stated, sitting on the edge of her desk.

Hermione raised her brows. "Yes, who wouldn't," she said sarcastically.

Harry just smile brightly.

Hermione looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out why Harry had anything to do with such a person. "What about him, Harry?"

"Well, he is missing and I need to find him."

"And why, pray tell, do you need to find him if I may ask?" Hermione tapped a quill against her lips.

Harry winked. "I bet you'd want to know."

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing the quill at Harry.

Harry ducked, but it was no use, since he was sitting so close to her. "No, seriously. We were supposed to go on a date, but he stood me up."

"You were going on a date with Draco Malfoy?"

"Yeah," Harry answered, examining his finger nails closely.

Hermione looked perplexed and stuttered for a moment. Harry tried to hide his grin as he watched her regain her composure.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Hermione asked, turning her professional mode on.

Harry smiled relieved, leaning closer to tell her everything he knew about Draco's disappearance.

***

It was rather late when Harry finally got home. Hermione had promised to spread the word about Draco in order to find him if he really was missing in the first place. They had decided to wait till the morning. Harry knew for certain that Draco could take care of himself. He was a former Death Eater after all. He was not naïve enough to think that Draco had no part in the war or the Dark Lord. If he remembered correctly, he had heard rumours that Draco had been the one to give out Voldemort's location, and now he was starting to believe that it might be true.

Harry yawned, walking into his bedroom. He looked around the room and sighed. Clothes, suitcases and a few other things were all over the room. He was leaving England for Italy in a few days. He hoped that Draco would be found by then, since he was seriously thinking about taking the blond-haired man with him.

He walked over the room, reaching the bathroom door and disappearing through it to brush his teeth. He thought he could get some sleep, but he was wrong. He lay awake for an hour, and just when he was about to fall asleep the phone rang.