Lost and Found

"As for the virtuous poor, one can pity them, of course, but one cannot possibly admire them." Oscar Wilde

~*~

Draco stared at Ginny Weasley blankly for a moment. "Seen?" he asked.

Ginny took a step toward Draco. "Yes. In a crystal ball and a scrying bowl," she said as she pressed the point of her wand into Draco's chest. "I saw you kill Harry."

A look of surprise passed over Draco's face. "What?"

Ginny jabbed Draco with her wand. "You deny it?"

"Watch where you point that thing. "Yes," Draco declared, glancing irritably down at the wand digging into his ribcage. "I'm working with Harry. At the Ministry."

It was Ginny's turn to look surprised. "What?"

"We should talk," Draco said, as he cautiously pushed Ginny's wand up, away from his chest. "Let's go inside."

Ginny's eyes narrowed and she was gripping her wand so tightly that her knuckles turned white, but she stepped back from Draco. "You live here?" She asked sceptically.

Draco sighed. "Unfortunately. But it's only temporary. It's a long story, actually. Just give me my wand back and let's go inside."

"I'll keep your wand for now," Ginny said archly. "Are Harry and Hermione here?"

Draco opened the door and motioned Ginny to enter. "Yes, they're in bed. I'd imagine tossing and turning, frustrated beyond belief."

"What?" Ginny asked as she walked into the flat.

"Never mind," Draco answered as he sunk into the red futon that was the focal point of a living room lined with bookshelves. "Do you know how to make coffee?"

Ginny sat down in a gold fabric chair opposite of Draco, her wand still out. "What?"

"Coffee? The elixir of the gods. Do you know how to make it? I could use a cup. Haven't had a decent cup in over a month. Normally Harry makes it in the morning, but I don't believe you can actually call that coffee. It's just sludge. Thick and bitter."

"Oh, like you?" Ginny asked.

Draco glared at the young redhead, noting the dark smudges under her eyes and the underlying wariness present on her pale face. "You look as if you could use a cup as well."

"I just want to know what the bloody hell is going on. Why are you living with Harry and Hermione? Why did your father pay me a visit tonight? Why did I see you standing over Harry's corpse?"

"My father visited you?" Draco asked, his entire body had tensed upon hearing those words and he leaned forward. "What did he say? Did he follow you? How did you get past the wards protecting the flat?"

"My questions get answered first. Why are you living here?"

Draco frowned, but said, "About a month ago, I was snatched by cloaked Death Eaters. They took me to what I assume was to be my indoctrination ceremony, but I escaped. I went to the Ministry and asked for protection. I'm now working as an Auror with Harry and Hermione."

"Who made you an Auror?"

"The Ministry of Magic, Fudge."

Ginny snorted. "That man must be more of a fool than it is even rumoured."

Draco arched a brow at Ginny. "Yes, well, I'm actually quite good at detecting dark magic."

"I'm sure you are," Ginny said sharply. She paused for a moment and pushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "So, you're just going to stay in hiding forever or just until you have time to kill the boy who lived?"

Draco exhaled in frustration and stood up, then walked to the adjoining kitchen. "I need either wine or coffee for this conversation," he said, as he uncorked a bottle of wine and poured a glass. "I'd offer you a glass, but you're annoying me."

Ginny rose and joined Draco in the kitchen. She pulled a wine glass from the open cabinet and filled it." She took a long sip, and then said, "Your father wanted to know if I knew anything about you," she said, trying to sort everything out in her mind as she spoke. "And, no, there is no way he followed me, I apparated. I'm guessing that either he doesn't know about your change in sides, or more likely he thinks that it's all part of yours and his plot to kill Harry."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I do not want to kill Harry. I will admit I don't like him very much. He's an annoying do-gooder, but I'm not here to curse him in his sleep."

Ginny eyed Draco sceptically. "I know what I saw, Draco."

"And what, exactly, did you see? Divination is a notoriously unreliable branch of magic."

"I've seen things that have come to pass before. I saw Ron's marriage. I saw Percy's last promotion."

"Oh, you'll have to do better than that. Anyone could have seen those things happening."

"And I saw you standing over Harry's body with your wand pointed at him."

Draco pursed his lips for a moment, twirling his wine glass in his hand absently. "Maybe I was trying to save him," he said finally.

Ginny scoffed. "You? A Malfoy? Trying to save Harry Potter?"

"Ah, you've decided I'm the villain of this story, eh?" Draco asked smoothly.

"That was decided when you were born a Malfoy," Ginny said smugly.

Ginny and Draco stared at each other, neither speaking, both absently twirling their wineglasses in their hands until Draco broke the silence, "You're a silly little girl," he said, his voice filled with condescension.

Ginny felt her cheeks flush as her anger pulsed through her veins. "What?"

Draco sipped his wine and then shook his head. "You think real life is like a fairytale. There is good, there is evil, and the two shall never meet in the middle. There is no grey. There is your side and then there is the wrong side. There is Lord Voldemort and there is Harry Potter and there is nothing in between them."

Ginny's face burned with outrage. This could not be happening. Draco Malfoy was not lecturing her. She wanted to slap him, she wanted to hex him, and she wanted to see him lying on the ground begging for mercy. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to form coherent speech, but her rage was so great, nothing but sputtering was coming out.

Draco smirked at her. "Speechless. Yes, I often have that effect on the ladies."

Ginny's mouth opened in outrage and she raised her wand toward Draco, "Serp --"

Before Ginny could finish her hex, Draco had tackled her to the floor, covering her mouth with his hand to prevent her from finishing her incantation.

Ginny struggled beneath Draco, who removed his hand from her mouth, but didn't release her. "Keep squirming like that and I might forget you're a Weasley," Draco drawled, grinning down at the irate redhead as Harry and Hermione ran into the room from their respective bedrooms, wands at the ready.

"What is going on?" Hermione demanded.

Neither Ginny nor Draco looked toward the newcomers as Ginny angrily brought her knee up, kicking Draco's groin while simultaneously spitting at him.

Draco rolled off Ginny, moaning in pain. Ginny stood up, still livid with rage. She pointed her wand at Draco and exclaimed, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Draco instantly went rigid and immobile.

"Um, Ginny?" Harry said. "I don't think you know what's going on..."

Ginny turned toward Harry and Hermione, "Oh, I do know what is going on. I had a visit from the Elder and just as Repulsive Malfoy earlier tonight. Then I scryed and saw Draco standing over you, Harry, with his wand pointed at you. So, I apparated onto your balcony and guess who was there? Draco Malfoy."

"Yes, but he's staying here, Ginny. It's o --"

"He's told me the story. It's rather unbelievable that the Ministry made him and Auror, but this is Fudge we're referring to."

Hermione nodded at Ginny in agreement.

Harry looked toward Draco. "Did he attack you?"

"Yes," Ginny said as Malfoy's eyes flashed in anger, despite the full body bind. Ginny glanced down at her feet a bit sheepishly. "Well, we had an argument and I tried to curse him and he wrestled to me to the ground."

Harry looked shocked; Hermione tried to suppress a grin, but was unable too. Harry gave her a look, but Hermione pointedly ignored it.

"Okay," Harry said with a small sigh. "I think you can take the body-bind off Draco now."

"Why?" Ginny and Hermione asked together.

"I don't think any of us are in immediate danger from Malfoy," Harry said.

Ginny waved her wand toward Draco and he was on his feet in a second. "I am redoing the wards on this flat," Draco fumed. "Obviously, you forgot to ward against raging redheads, Potter."

"Ginny has never been a danger towards us, Draco," Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

Harry rubbed his forehead. "I need coffee," he said as he headed to the kitchen toward the percolator.

Draco made a face. "Perhaps one of you could pop out for coffee," he suggested. Turning toward Ginny, he asked, "Do you know any cooking charms? Perhaps you could make a spot of breakfast."

Ginny gave Draco an incredulous look. "The only way I would cook for you, Malfoy, is if it were to poison you.

"I think Hermione's already tried that."

Before Hermione could respond to Draco, Harry quickly said, "Ginny, what did Lucius Malfoy say to you?"

Ginny sighed. "He just wanted to know if I knew anything about Draco. I didn't have any idea what he was getting at so I told him that Draco was a useless git and Lucius couldn't argue with that so he left."

Draco rolled his eyes at Ginny and said to Harry, "I don't think he has any idea that I'm with you, Harry. He's trolling about."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Right, but he's getting closer. We'll have to discuss it with Bones today."

Hermione pulled four coffee cups from the cabinet, "I think Ginny should come too. Mr. Bones will want to hear what happened with Mr. Malfoy directly from her."

"I agree. Ginny, can you drop by the Ministry later this morning?" Harry asked as he filled the coffee cups.

"Yes," Ginny answered as she took a drink of the coffee and almost choked. Malfoy was right; this coffee did taste like sludge. "I'll just pop home now, shower and change. I'll come by mid-morning."

Ginny tossed Draco his wand and disapparated away, leaving Hermione, Harry and Draco standing quietly in the kitchen.

Draco sipped the sludge and said casually, "Divination is the most unreliable branch of magic."

Harry and Hermione, exchanged a quick meaningful look, but nodded in agreement. "Yes, we know," Hermione said. "I'll make some toast."

Draco sighed heavily, thinking of how Ginny Weasley was at this very moment enjoying a hot, delicious breakfast served with steaming, rich coffee at the Burrow. There was no justice in the world, he thought. Then he scoffed at himself and corrected his thought -- there was actually too much justice in the world.

~*~

The Head of the Auror Division, Orick Bones, sat at the head of a small table in a functional, windowless office in the inner coils of the Ministry of Magic. Ginny Weasley had just finished relating her visit from Lucius Malfoy. Harry, Hermione and Draco also sat around the well-worn table. Hermione was thoughtfully chewing the end of her quill, Harry hunched forward in deep thought and Draco was sprawled back in his chair, an expression of boredom on his face.

Ginny twirled her hair around her fingers and continued, "After Mr. Malfoy left the premises, I used a crystal ball --"

"Considering how unreliable Divination is," Hermione interrupted, "I don't know if Ginny's vision needs to be brought into the meeting."

Harry sat up, but didn't say anything. Draco tapped his fingers on the table, not making eye contact with anyone at the table.

Ginny frowned at Hermione, but remained silent.

Orick Bones glanced at Hermione. "Yes, you're right, Miss Granger, but this isn't a formal meeting, and therefore I think it will be acceptable for Miss Weasley to share her vision with us."

Hermione's mouth tightened, but she didn't argue with her boss.

"I saw Harry on the ground with Malfoy standing above him, his wand pointed toward Harry. Originally I thought this meant that Malfoy had killed Harry, but after careful consideration, I think I may have been wrong."

For the first time since the meeting had started, Draco looked at Ginny. "Is that so?" he asked. "Do explain how you came to your senses."

Ginny smiled smartly at Draco. "Happily," she answered. "I thought your switch in sides was a cover. That you were spying or plotting against Harry. Then I realized that would take a certain amount of courage. After all, Harry has defeated the Dark Lord. He has defeated countless dark wizards," She continued, staring directly at Draco, and challenging him with flashing eyes, "You're not spying or plotting against Harry. You're a bloody coward. A spineless git. You haven't the courage to go after Harry."

Ginny paused to collect herself. She was gripping the table tightly and her face had grown red. She continued, her voice rising, "You're afraid of the Death Eaters. You're afraid of your father. You're now living with those you despise because they're the only ones that can keep you safe. My vision wasn't you killing Harry. It was you not saving him."

Draco stared emotionlessly at Ginny for a long moment as everyone else in the room stared at Draco. Harry's hand found his wand, he didn't pull it out, but he wanted to be ready if Draco made a move toward Ginny. Hermione gripped her quill tightly in her hand, holding her breath.

However, Draco only smiled. A cold smile. A smile Draco had learned from his mother. A smile he had seen directed at his father many times. A smile that never failed to send a chill through the spine of anyone who witnessed it. "Yes, you have it all figured out, don't you? I always thought you were as dim as your brothers are. Three cheers for Ginny Weasley. The Weasley with a brain," Draco shook his head and chuckled mockingly.

Ginny found herself unable to hold eye contact with Draco and she looked down at her hands, suddenly finding a silver etched ring she wore very interesting. She knew her face was bright red and her pulse was pounding and she hated the fact that she couldn't control her emotions.

Orick Bones decided it was best to get Ginny out of the room as quickly as possible. "Thank you very much for your information, Miss Weasley," he said as he stood. He opened the door to the office. "If we have anymore questions, we'll contact you."

Ginny stood up and walked to the door quickly. "Thank you, Mr. Bones," she said to the Head. She gave a quick wave to Harry and Hermoine, carefully avoiding looking at Draco and scooted out of the room.

Orick Bones closed the door behind Ginny and sunk back into his chair. There was an awkward silence at the table. Hermione shuffled parchments around while Harry studied Draco's face closely.

Draco finally broke the silence. "Well, that was delightful, wasn't it?" he asked sarcastically. "After lunch, perhaps Hermione can insult the size of my manhood."

Harry massaged his temples resignedly. "I think it would be a good idea to get back to the case we're working on."

"Yes," Orick Bones agreed quickly. "Anything new on the disappearing Muggles?"

"I haven't been able to find any connection between the Muggles that have gone missing yet, sir," Hermione said. "I'm going to do more research this afternoon on the internet, that's a Muggle information system and see if I can come up with anything they might have in common -- a school, a club or organisation, common friends, something like that. I've also been reading up on various spells and found a possible banishing spell that might have been used."

"Draco and I are going to return the homes of the missing Muggles and see if we can find any traces of spells or other magic that might back up Hermione's banishing spell theory," Harry said, glancing at Draco while he spoke.

Orick Bones nodded at his Aurors. "Very good."

"Sir," Draco said. "I believe that we should put a memory charm on Ginny Weasley."

Hermione arched her brow. "Draco!"

Harry eyed Draco warily. "I don't think that's necessary, Draco."

"She's been contacted by my father once. He may pay her another visit. She's a security risk. My father can be quite persuasive."

Orick Bones sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The Ministry does not condone the use of memory charms unless they're absolutely necessary, Draco. She is a Weasley..."

Draco scowled at his Mr. Bones. "Yes, we all know how highly regarded the Weasleys are, but the fact remains that she's an unstable young girl."

"Ginny is not unstable," protested Hermione.

"She had me in full body bind this morning!" Draco retorted angrily.

"I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've wanted to do the same thing!" Hermione snapped, glaring angrily at Draco.

Harry and Orick Bones exchanged a look. "I will take the matter under consideration, Draco," Orick Bones said finally. "That's all for now."

Orick Bones swept out of the room, the door slamming behind him. Hermione was still glaring at Draco; Draco was ignoring Hermione's glare and Harry was wondering if he had a headache draught in his satchel.

"Honestly, Draco," Hermione started, "Ginny wouldn't betray you."

Draco rolled his eyes dramatically at Hermione. "Ginny would happily dance on my grave."

Harry stood up and spoke quickly before Hermione could add her desire to dance on Draco's grave. "Mr. Bones will make the decision. I'm meeting Ro -- someone for lunch. We can start our investigations when I return, Draco."

"Honestly, Harry, you can say his name." Hermione said peevishly as she stuffed parchments in her satchel. "I'm not a silly school girl."

Harry sighed, "I know Hermione." Harry studied Hermione's face for a long moment and continued, "Perhaps you want join us?" He added hopefully.

Hermione saw the hope in Harry's eyes and quickly looked away. She knew what Harry wanted -- he wanted everything to be the same between the three of them. The way it had been the first few years at Hogwarts. 'It'll never be the same', Hermione thought, 'Well, possibly if I had the Time Turner.' Hermione busied her fingers buckling her satchel. "I can't. I'm going to go the Library," her voice was professional and detached. "There has to be a connection between these people. I'll see you tonight."

Without looking at either Harry or Draco, Hermione rushed from the office. Harry sighed and looked down at his feet for a moment. "I'll be back in hour," Harry said to Draco as he too exited the office.

Draco looked around the empty office. "Yes, I'll be fine, don't worry about me. I'll just gnaw on my quill for lunch."

Draco sighed and leaned back in his chair, throwing his feet onto the table as he closed his eyes. His thoughts centred on Ginny Weasley. Was she really a Seer? Alternatively, just a perceptive girl? As he drifted off to sleep, Draco decided it didn't matter; she was dangerous either way. Something would have to be done.

End Chapter 3