I'll Take That Chance

CH 43 - He Flinched at the Fury Behind the Question

"I still think we should go down there and physically search them for it," Ron said. Harry had told them about the pocket watch being gone and he and Hermione had been as upset as he and Draco. McGonagall and Slughorn both had tried to find it but neither of them came up with anything.

"Professor McGonagall didn't find anything, and we wouldn't either," Hermione chided.

"Besides, Blaise and Theo already did that," Draco added quietly, his eyebrow raised, and Ron nodded at him appreciatively.

"Really? Nice," he said, grinning and Draco looked up at smiled at him. Hermione knocked him on the shoulder, looking between Harry and Draco.

"Draco, that wasn't... That wasn't really..." Harry began but Draco interrupted.

"Wasn't what? Wasn't right? Like stealing the watch in the first place? We all know that's what happened." Draco narrowed his eyes at him and went back to writing. Harry knew he was still blaming himself. Harry had told him countless times that he was the last one to have it, but Draco wouldn't listen. He was shocked though that his friends had done what they had.

"There has to be someone who knows something," Ron sighed, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah, well, we may never know," Harry grumbled back. He was still kicking himself putting the watch down on the table. As important as it was, he hated that he had been so careless.

"Are you both going to just sit there all evening and let us do all the work?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up and sighed at the mounds of paper in front of them. The teachers had started assigning longer essays and harder work to get them ready for their end of year exams and they had been working in Draco's sitting area for the last three hours. Harry and Ron had both lost their stamina an hour ago and Harry surmised they were mainly only there for moral support at this point.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled, and he grabbed at the paper Hermione was holding but she held onto it and let him read over her shoulder.

"I think I'm done for the evening," Harry admitted. "I won't be much help to anyone." He was too tired and he felt weird about Blaise and Theo going through the other kid's things. Ron got up and stretched, Hermione following suit. She carefully stacked her papers and placed them in her bag.

"Thanks for letting us work here tonight, Draco," Ron said as he yawned, clapping Draco on the shoulder. "Much better than the stuffy library."

"You're welcome, Ron." Harry watched the two of them shake hands and Hermione bade them goodnight as well, and they exited the portrait. He turned back to Draco, hoping he wasn't about to ruin the congenial mood. Draco was reading over his paper, not meeting his eyes and he had a feeling he knew what was about to come.

"Draco, why didn't you tell me Blaise and Theo had searched people for the watch?" Draco put the paper down took a deep breath.

"I don't know. I guess it just didn't come up," he answered. He twirled his quill and watched his shoes, still not meeting Harry's eyes.

"Draco, that was wrong to do. If McGonagall didn't find it, it obviously wasn't there. I wouldn't like someone going through my things and I doubt they did either."

"It needs to be found Harry. And just because she didn't find it doesn't mean it wasn't there. There are plenty of ways to conceal a small item like that, you should know that better than anyone."

"But that wasn't the way to do it," Harry said sternly.

"Don't scold me like a child, Harry. I guess that's just the difference between you and I," Draco retorted. "I feel completely responsible for it being gone and I need to get it back any way I can," he said, pointing a finger at his chest.