Harry took a last sip of tea, and was grabbing some paperwork, getting ready to head into the Ministry for a Saturday of overtime. He had just returned from Ireland, and decided to try and get a jump on his reports, he knew that he and Ron would spend time chatting Monday, and he had a better chance of getting actual work done if he went in today. Besides, he liked working Saturday's, it was usually quiet, and he could get a lot of work done by himself. He was going to apparate when he heard a scratching noise at his door.
Harry drew his wand and edged closer to the door. He listened for a moment, then heard the sound again. He looked out the peep hole, but saw nothing, or no one. Harry continued to hear the scratching noise, and thought perhaps someone was under a cloak…
Harry was going to open the door, ready to hex the threat, when he heard soft whimpering. "I know that sound."
Harry pocketed his wand and opened the door. Baby ran in, shaking like a leaf in a windstorm, and jumped into Harry's arms when he bent down next to her. "What are you doing here?"
Harry couldn't understand how the dog could have possibly gotten to his flat. He didn't live very far from the dog park where Ginny walked Baby, but he couldn't imagine Ginny letting Baby out of her sight.
"Where's your mum?" Harry asked as Baby shivered in his arms.
Ginny would stop by quite often, and Harry would join her on her walks, he wasn't surprised that Baby had showed up if she got separated from Ginny, but how? Maybe Ginny was right behind her…
Harry looked up and down the hall for Ginny, but didn't see her. Harry wondered if something could have happened to Ginny, but he knew that if anything had happened, he would have known about it. Mrs. Weasley still watched her special clock constantly, so Harry didn't think that Ginny was in any danger, he just was uncertain how Baby got away.
He got out a water dish for Baby, but she did not want to be put down, and scratched his neck up trying to crawl back up his shoulder. Harry decided he better send Ginny a letter, and awkwardly penned one, while holding Baby. He let her know that Baby appeared unharmed, but he wasn't sure how she had gotten to his flat. He sent Hedwig off just as Ron appeared in the floo.
"Harry, you home?"
Harry went to stand in front of the fireplace, still holding Baby. "Yeah, I'm here, what's up, Ron?"
"What are you doing with that little beast? Malfoy's supposed to be watch-" Ron threw his head back in laughter, and wiped tears from his eyes before enlightening Harry. "Oh, this is too brilliant! He's going to pay for that howler he sent me. I'll be right over."
Ron disappeared from the floo, and with a soft pop, reappeared in Harry's living room. He was wiping his eyes on his sleeves as he leaned on the counter for support. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come to the Burrow for a quidditch match and dinner Fred and George just organized, but this is better, I think."
Harry was still holding Baby, every time he tried to put her down, she cried and dug her paws into his neck. "What are you on about Ron?"
Ron took great delight in telling Harry about Ginny's trip to Milan, and Malfoy's turn as Baby's sitter, which he was obviously failing miserably at. Ron suggested that they write Ginny and tell her that her boyfriend had lost her precious dog.
Harry informed Ron that he had already sent Hedwig off with a letter about Baby turning up at his flat. Ron seemed disappointed, he had hoped that he could stir up some trouble, but realized once Ginny realized that Baby had turned up at Harry's flat alone, Malfoy was going to be in enough trouble as it was…
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Draco wandered in circles in the dog park, calling for Baby, and searched in the bushes and along the paths for hours. He stopped by Ginny's flat several times to see if Baby had gone home, but she wasn't there. Where in Merlin's name could she be? Draco had pushed every button on Ginny's 'telephone' trying to see if someone had found Baby and called. Ginny had explained that the tags Baby wore had her phone number on them, in case, Merlin forbid, she was ever lost.
Draco heard several voices, but the more buttons he pushed; the more the machine seemed to beep at him. He finally tried the biggest button, labeled 'play' when a voice said "You have no new messages."
Draco decided to go back to the dog park, asking the Muggles he saw if they had seen a small, brown dog, but got no response. He was at a loss. If he kept looking on his own, she might eventually turn up, or he could go to the Weasley's, but then they would tell Ginny. That was not an option. He had a horrible image of Ginny breaking up with him, slapping his face and walking out of his life forever. He had to find Baby.
He returned to the park, and a Muggle who had been there earlier gave him an idea for finding Baby. Draco thought it a little odd, of course there was no magic involved, but he was desperate, so Draco thanked the old man and headed to Ginny's, and then a 'print shop.'
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Several hours later, Harry and Ron had had lunch and were relaxing in Harry's flat. Well, Ron was relaxing; Harry was trying to get some work done. He sat at the kitchen table writing, when Baby scratched his leg, and ran to the door.
Harry didn't know what was wrong with Baby, she was whimpering at the door, and sitting up on her hind legs. "What's wrong with her, do you suppose?"
"No, idea." Ron was reading a magazine, and didn't bother to look up.
"No idea? You have a daughter."
Ron looked at him with a look reserved for his daughter when she was really testing his patience. "Maybe she misses Gin?" He guessed, returning to the quidditch article.
"Ron, a little help please."
Ron tossed the magazine, and went to see what was wrong with Baby. He tried to pet her head, asking her what was wrong when she started to pee. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ron grabbed the lead and attached it to Baby's collar. He handed the lead to Harry and opened the door. He was a few feet down the hall when he realized Harry wasn't following. "Come on."
Harry rolled his eyes and followed with Baby trotting along beside him.
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Ginny was heading to her hotel room from a late lunch when the snowy owl caught her attention. Ginny panicked for a moment, recognizing Hedwig immediately. Several other people in the courtyard pointed at the unusual sight, and Ginny hurried up the steps to her room, throwing open the window to allow Hedwig inside. Ginny accepted the letter, and scanned it quickly. Harry knew her well. The letter began with:
Ginny,
DON'T PANIC!
Everything and everyone is all right. I just wanted to let you know that Baby showed up at my door, she is UNHARMED, and seems no worse for wear. I am not sure how she got separated from you, but I will keep her with me until I hear from you.
DON'T WORRY!!!!!!!!!! -love you,
Harry
Ginny finally let herself breathe again. She was relieved, but that feeling was soon replaced with anger. What had happened to Draco? Wasn't Draco supposed to be watching her? Ginny was sure there was a good explanation…There better be.
Ginny finally turned her attention back to Hedwig, stroking her feathers and giving her a few words of praise. Ginny looked around for some paper to send a letter back to Harry, the hotel wasn't connected to the floo network, so she would have to send a letter. Ginny wrote to Harry, asking him to please keep Baby with him, and that she was going to be there as soon as possible.
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As Harry and Ron were walking back from the dog park, they noticed some bright-orange flyers, with pictures of Baby on them, nailed to poles, and trees. Ron tore one off, reading out loud:
"Missing, answers to Baby, needs back A.S.A.P. large stack of galleons pounds offered to Muggle person who returns her safely to me. URGENT! URGENT! URGENT! She is very sick, needs medication…she is old, ailing, pitiful really, belongs to dear old granny" Ron rolled his eyes, and noted that Ginny's phone number was listed at the bottom.
"Harry, look at this rubbish, Malfoy's really laying it on thick isn't he?" Ron pulled another flyer off a nail on the pole, and continued pulling flyers off poles as he went.
"Ron, shouldn't we leave these? Looks like Malfoy put a lot- well, some effort into them."
Ron pulled another off, adding it to the pile in his hand. "No, were helping to keep the neighborhood clean, we can't leave things with 'galleons' and 'Muggle' on them, and besides, Baby is not lost; she's safe, as you can see. Come on Harry, you know you want to do it too."
Harry chuckled as he ripped off a few as they made there way around the block.
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As soon as Ginny got home, she stopped by Harry's, but he wasn't home. She didn't have her key, and knew if she tried to use magic to go in, she would be hexed. Ginny decided to go home and floo Harry every five minutes until Harry got home. After about twenty minutes of waiting, Harry finally popped up calling to her, "Gin? Are you home?"
Ginny ran to the fireplace and kneeled down. "Finally! Where have you been?"
Harry chuckled a little and held Baby up. Ginny reached out to her, cooing "Hi Baby! Mummy loves you! Harry, what happened? Harry disappeared and Ron appeared in the floo. Ginny thought it looked as though Harry had been shoved…
"Hey Gin…We were so worried, when Baby wandered in here…more of a stagger wouldn't you say Harry? Poor soul. Can you imagine if that was your daughter or son you'd left with him? It breaks my heart, as a brother, you understand, and a father of a daughter, to think of Baby, out there alone, frightened, helpless…"
Ginny was crying now, thinking the same thing. Draco better have a really good reason for losing her…Ginny heard Harry yell for Ron to stop antagonizing her as he reappeared. "Look Gin, Baby is here, she's fine, nothing to worry about. So, when do you want to come get her?"
Ginny had an idea…She was going to surprise her boyfriend with a visit…She had, um, missed him and wanted to see him, so she had left Milan. Let's see him wiggle his way out of this, Ginny thought.
"Ginny? Hello?" Harry could see Ginny, but she appeared to be in a trance.
"Harry, can you do me a favor? Can you watch Baby for a while, there's something I have to do."
Harry groaned on the inside, but smiled at Ginny. "Sure Gin. For a while, right?"
Ginny nodded absently and stood up, pacing, as Harry groaned at this turn in events.
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Ginny was at Hermione's that night's she needed a friends advice, and had decided to floo Draco, under the pretense that she was still in Milan, to give him the chance to tell her that Baby had gone missing. Hermione had told her that she should give him a chance to explain before she went off on him. Ginny agreed, she didn't want to break-up with Draco, but she also wanted to have an open and honest relationship, and Draco better come clean!
"And if he doesn't? Are you going to tell him that you know where Baby is?"
Ginny didn't answer as she went to the bedroom to floo him.
Ginny saw Draco appear instantly, as handsome as ever, though he did look a little disheveled. "Draco! Darling, so good to see you!" Ginny was glad he couldn't see her grinding her teeth as she forced a smile. 'Please tell me the truth' she chanted. She cared for him very much, and it seemed very important to her that he be honest with her now.
"Ginny…Hello love. How are you? How's Milan?" Draco ran a hand through his hair and continued, "How was the show? Are you enjoying yourself, you really shouldn't be wasting time on the old ball and chain…"
Ginny felt her heart sink. He was trying to distract her, get rid of her, why? "So, Draco, how is it going with Baby? She's not too much trouble is she?"
"Trouble? No, she's no trouble at all." Draco felt horrible. That was the truth though, Baby was no trouble, he didn't know where she was…
"Can I see her? I miss her soo much."
"Ummm, Baby is using one of those…Wee Wee pads, can you floo later, got to go. Mr. Burnaby is trying to come through, very important Ministry business, you understand. Got to, run, floo me later, love you, bye."
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After spending the night pacing, Ginny decided to go and see Draco. She was disappointed that he hadn't told her the truth, and she was angry too. He knew how much she loved Baby, why would he keep the fact that he'd lost her from her? Unless he'd lost her on purpose…
Ginny apparated to Malfoy Manor bright and early, and was greeted warily by Mrs. Linton. Ginny felt bad for the poor woman, but was glad that she was loyal to Draco; he was going to need all the friends he could get.
Mrs. Linton escorted Ginny to the library, where Draco was getting ready to leave. "Going somewhere?" Ginny greeted, leaning up for a kiss.
Draco looked down and smiled, masking his surprise at her presence. "What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't stay away, I had to see my two favorite people…You aren't disappointed, are you? "
"Of course not." Draco held Ginny in his arms, maybe for the last time when she found out he'd lost her dog…
Ginny looked around and called for Baby. No reply. She tried again. She felt foolish, and was waiting for Draco to stop her.
"Gin, Baby isn't here. She…she, well she, sort of…"
Ginny stepped out of his arms and looked up at him. "Yes? What are you saying?"
Draco was feeling very nervous now, and blurted out, "I lost her in the park."
"What do you mean you lost her?!"
"I mean I lost her! She's gone, I'm sorry!"
Ginny shoved Draco, and shouted, "You bastard, and she weighs three pounds! How bloody hard is it to take care of a little dog? Thank Merlin I didn't ask you to watch a child!"
"Maybe that is why she was so easy to lose! She could be under a leaf for all I know! Why couldn't you have gotten one of those big, slobbery dogs, at least then I could see when they ran away! There would be a puddle to follow!"
"Don't you dare blame me or Baby for your incompetence! What were you doing when you lost her anyway?"
"I was.. Re- reading."
"What were you reading Draco? What caught your attention so much that you lost her?"
Draco remembered Candy's breasts, but wasn't stupid enough to say that. "I was reading the Daily Prophet of course! What else would a wizard be reading, you should see that edition, there was an article about pet care, and I thought, 'What a coincidence, I'm watching one now' can you blame me?"
"Did you do anything to find her? Did you really look around for her? Did you floo anyone? Owl anyone? Tell me, what did you do?"
"I put up flyers, isn't that what Muggle's do? It litters up the streets…Don't worry, the photograph I used doesn't move, I used a Muggle picture."
"Flyers? I didn't see any flyers. What did do? Put up, one? One doesn't count!"
"Look at these calluses!" Draco tried to show her his hands, but Ginny wouldn't look. "I was hammering for hours; no magic! I put up hundreds!"
"I won't stay here and listen to any more of your lies. You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Ginny apparated away, and Draco was tempted to follow, but knew that with Ginny's temper, it was best for him to let her cool down. Surely she would see the flyers all over her neighborhood, and someone would call, someone would find Baby, otherwise, he didn't know if Ginny would ever be able to forgive him. And rightly so.
**********************
Ginny used to chain smoke like mad, everyone in her office did, but she had quit a little over a year ago. After her row with Draco, she had never craved a cigarette so badly. She popped into the little market on her way home and bought a pack of smokes. She took the cellophane off, and was throwing the wrap away when Ginny noticed that their was a picture of Baby in the trash.
Ginny removed the unlit cigarette from her mouth and picked up one of the flyers, in a stack of at least a hundred. The flyers had rips in the tops where they had been torn from poles. Draco was telling the truth.