Harvest Moon

My sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to everyone still reading and reviewing. It is most appreciated. Especially after the last two weeks I\'ve had.



***

A full hour of much frustrated searching later, Hermione, Ara, Draco, Luna and Harry all met next to Taz’s chair, debating the next move to be made.



“Well, it’s obvious someone apparated with him,” Taz said thoughtfully. “However, I really can’t see Luc going quietly once he knew who it really was.”



“Perhaps he didn’t have time to consider it,” Luna said.



Draco looked at her oddly, not knowing if she was being brilliant or just weird as usual. “What do you mean by that, Luna?”



“Consider that there are a myriad of spells that would render someone unconscious for a short period of time. Enough to at least get them to an area where they could be caged or otherwise secured and in the other person’s grasp. Add to it, the multitude of drugs which can easily be had in the muggle world that do exactly the same thing,” she shrugged. “It would have been easy.”



“That’s true enough. Especially since he wouldn’t have suspected someone masquerading as Arabella,” Hermione said. “His guard would have been down for any of those things. Either way, it isn’t exactly relevant just now. We know he’s gone and that is the sticking point of all of this. We need to find him as soon as possible.”



“True. But he could literally be anywhere, Hermione,” Harry said, frowning. He still had grudges against the Malfoys but he’d be damned if he’d let anyone else get killed on his watch.



“No,” Hermione said slowly. “For Liren to take Lucius, he’d almost have to take him somewhere he knew. Somewhere out of the way most people would never think of. Probably where he’s been taking the women apart,” she shivered a little then got her bearings. “What was done to them takes care and time. It would have to be somewhere he knew he wouldn’t be interrupted. Draco, is there a list of the properties the family owns at the Manor or it is in the vaults at Gringotts?”



“Both. The official documentation is at Gringotts but there are copies and lists of everything owned in Father’s office,” he said, already moving toward the doors.



“Right behind you,” Hermione said, following in his wake.



Harry stopped Luna with a hand on her arm. “Luna, I know it’s none of my business . . .”



“But why is he dressed as a tractor?” she asked, smiling serenely at him.



“Uh, yeah.”



“Because a comment was made by him about slapping John Deere across his ass and riding him up and down the lawn. I merely took the notion a step further,” she said, breezing after Draco and Hermione.



Harry stared after her for a moment before following everyone. Arabella stayed put for a few moments due to laughing.



The participating parties gathered in Lucius’ office at the Manor to begin the truly daunting task of going through the Malfoy properties. Draco had pulled out several massive volumes, all containing references to places the family owned outright or had some investment in.



“He could be anywhere,” Harry remarked again, leafing through the pages of one of the tomes.



Hermione shook her head. “There has to be a way to narrow this down.”



“Would have been a damn sight easier if he’d just let me put them in the computer database like I wanted to ages ago,” Draco grumbled.



At that point Bubble decided to amble through the room muttering to himself. “The sea, the sea, the sea knows all, was there at the rise and now at the fall.” He’d wandered almost to the opposite door he’d come in when he turned and looked at Hermione. “Friend is an ass, Mistress,” he said before meandering out the door. This left everyone in the room staring at the spot where Bubble had been, pondering.



“What was that supposed to mean?” Harry questioned, thinking he might have some inkling.



Luna patted him on the head as she passed by on the way to get another book to look through. “I think it was clear enough, Harry.”



Harry grumbled and glared at the doorway Bubble had gone through.



Draco and Hermione, however, were both thinking about what had been said before the comment worrying Harry. Hermione looked up from the ledger and at Draco. “Do the Malfoy’s own any property that’s seaside?”



“Several,” Draco said. “I take it you’re thinking along the same lines I am.”



“Yes. Taz mentioned she could smell water. Add to it Arabella mentioned being taken to Skye, I think it stands to reason he’s hiding out close to that area.”



Draco nodded. “Most likely. I’ll get the maps and maybe we can pinpoint a location,” he said, moving to one of the racks on the far wall of the office. He pulled down several maps, handing one to Harry as he passed then giving one of the others to Hermione. “The one Potter has lists the properties in Ireland, they’re marked with an X because they’re unplottable. Granger, you have the one of Scotland and the Hebrides, I have the one of the rest of the British Isles. There are others around the world but those are the most likely places to start looking.”



“Wouldn’t it be most logical to look in Scotland and the Hebrides?” Harry said.



“Yes. Providing it wasn’t some sort of ruse to throw us off,” Draco said.



“I don’t know,” Hermione said slowly. “Harry may be right about that. After all, he’d set it up intending to murder Ara, not have her escape like he did Tazura.”



“True enough,” Draco said.



“Not that my opinion matters in an investigative sense,” Luna said. “But I think it’s still best if you split up in searching. Find what’s most likely to be viable and go in as teams of at least two. It’s just a suggestion.”



Draco grinned and leaned over to kiss her. “You are absolutely brilliant, Luna.”



“I know,” she said, smiling at him.