With you in my Arms

54. My daughter is going to marry your version of Bill Gates?

Draco woke up to find the bed empty. He sat up and sleepily stared at the bathroom door. Was she sick again? That hadn't happened quite as often lately. Trying to hear anything of what might be going on behind the closed door, he was wondering why the bed looked so neat. Then it hit him. She wasn't sick, she hadn't slept next to him and he had no idea where she was!

With a loud groan he fell back. They had a fight. He had just left. What kind of idiot was he? How could he leave the girl he loved just because they had had words. Well, it had been mainly him that had done the talking and what utter rubbish it had been.

For long moments he stared at the fabric overhead. He would need to do something, he needed to get her back and this time for good. So, what should he do? First he needed to find her. Where would she go? Or would she have stayed at her parents? No. He was quite certain that she wouldn't have stayed there. Not after the incident with Ron in the hospital. Her parents would have probably tried to convince her that that git had been right after all.

Potter's? Possible. She had been staying there after she had found out about the baby, his baby. That meant he would need to speak with Potter. Nothing he was looking forward to doing, but he needed to find her.

What should he do once he had found her? Try to apologise? That would be really hard. Merlin knew what kind of mood she would be when he suddenly showed up. Wrecking his brain for a while he watched his fingers as he entwined them in complicated patterns. Finger...

"Jana!"

Moments later the familiar -pop- could be heard.

"Master?"

"Get me the engagement ring of my grandmother."

"Yes, Master."

A plan was forming in his head. He needed to be rather smart, if this was going to work. She mustn't find out beforehand.

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Around lunchtime the same day Draco was stalking through the Ministry and found himself yet again at the reception desk of the Auror Office. The witch behind it didn't look any more welcoming then she had the last time.

"Name?"

"Malfoy."

She looked up. He could see on her face that there had been a moment when she had been expecting to see his father instead of him.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Contact?" There was a rather tight line where her mouth should be.

"Harry Potter and before you ask, yes I know he is still in training and no, I don't have an appointment, but this is concerning Hermione Granger."

There was no rush in his words. He seemed at ease with the world and just happened to have to talk to one of the best known wizards alive.

She looked him up and down. "You have been here before, because of Miss Granger, needing to talk to Mr. Potter."

"That is correct."

She inhaled sharply, nostril flaring.

"What is it about this time?"

"Her recent stay in St. Mungo's."

Raised eyebrows, but he didn't volunteer any more information.

"Take a seat over there."

He did. While watching several memos in paper plane form being despatched his thoughts were going over his plan again. Potter better help him or he would have some serious problems to get this scheme off the ground. In his mind he saw Hermione before him, in a wonderful dress, her hair arranged like it had been for the Yule Ball and with that slightly shy smile. He grinned as he remembered his utter astonishment about her being able to look so gorgeous when she had come downstairs that night. Krum had been envied by most of the male student population of Hogwarts that evening, including himself.

A snort of disgust interrupted him daydreaming. He looked up and found Ronald Weasley staring.

'Bloody fantastic! That moron is the last thing I need right now.'

Draco ignored the wizard in front of him and hoped Potter would be collecting him sooner rather than later. No such luck.

"What are you doing here, ferret?"

"Waiting for Potter to have an intelligent conversation, not that it is any of your business."

"Why would he want to talk to you?"

"Maybe he, in contrast to you, has the sense of listening first before threatening an unarmed man."

A wand was drawn.

"Mr. Weasley! Put your wand away at once." The receptionist sounded even less friendly than she had before.

It was hard for Draco to suppress the smirk that wanted to invade his face. Luckily for him Harry happened to appear at that moment.

"Malfoy?"

"Potter."

"What are you doing here? Ron, stop being a prat and put your wand away. I don't think your mum would be very impressed, should she find out..."

The wand vanished before he had time to finish the sentence. Scowling at his former enemy Ron turned and walked down the corridor without another word.

"What do you want?" Harry made sure not to look at the receptionist. He knew what kind of expression she was displaying by now. Unruly trainee aurors were her favourites, for a quick snack between meals...

"I need to talk to you about Hermione."

"What has happened?" But before any answer could be given he had already started to drag the other wizard towards one of the empty rooms leading off from the reception area.

As the door was closed, Draco didn't loose any time.

"I need you to make a list of all of Hermione's friends and family and then to notify them all to be at the Manor Saturday evening at 7 pm."

There was no reply to the request only a very nonplussed face looking as if Christmas had been swapped with Easter this year.

"What do you mean make a list of all of Hermione's friends and family and notify them to come to the Manor? Except for her school friends that would mean a lot of Muggles."