Author's Note: This story includes an AU reworking of the trio's time in Malfoy Manor. I have tried to keep the elements canon where possible but have had to change certain things in order for it to fit the story better. Dx
***WARNING*** This story includes character death.
Melissa Carpenter looked at her reflection in the mirror, checking critically to make sure she looked perfect. In five minutes she would be starting her first shift at the Cadenza facility. It was her first job since qualifying as a Healer and she wanted to be as confident as she could be.
Not that she was scared. She was fully qualified, and if she was honest she didn't feel that Cadenza would present much of a challenge compared to the four years she had spent interning at St Mungo's in London. But she knew first impressions counted, and she wanted people to think of her as professional and capable.
She pulled a hairbrush out of her handbag and used it to tidy her shoulder-length brown hair. Then she pulled off her glasses and cleaned them with a cloth from the inside pocket of the bag. Replacing both, she took one more glance in the mirror. She was ready to go.
Melissa stepped out of the door from the toilet and headed towards the reception area. Having given her name to the receptionist she took a seat by the window and looked out through the glass to the vast expanse of garden, gazing with interest at the flower borders which were a riot of colour in the early morning sunlight. Cadenza was nothing like St Mungo's that was for sure.
The inner-city hospital was disguised by an ugly-looking disused department store. Cadenza, out in the middle of the country in a predominantly wizarding area needed no such concealment charms. The few Muggles in the area believed the facility was a private house, owned by a very wealthy and even more eccentric family who liked to keep to themselves and discouraged visitors.
Of course, when your patients were the cream of the wizarding world you could afford beautiful decor and spectacular gardens. Melissa had no idea what the budget for Cadenza was, but she was willing to bet it was substantially more than St Mungo's was used to operating on.
She was drawn back to the room by the arrival of a tall, thin balding man dressed in a navy blue robe. Melissa stood up as Healer Willoughby, head of the facility, made his way towards her.
'Healer Carpenter . . . Melissa?' Healer Willoughby's hand shot out to grasp Melissa's firmly as she nodded. 'Come with me. We'll talk in my office.'
Healer Willoughby released her hand and turned back the way he had come, walking at a brisk pace. Melissa set off after him. With her shorter legs, she almost had to run to keep up with the lanky man. A few minutes later theyarrived at his office, soon settling inside. Healer Willoughby rang a bell and requested tea from the house-elf that appeared.
Once the tea had arrived and been poured, Healer Willoughby looked across his desk at Melissa, then down at a file on the desktop, then back up at Melissa once more.
'Melissa, it's a real pleasure to have you working here,' he said sincerely. 'I see you got top marks in your exams and glowing reports from Healer Woodworthy; very impressive indeed. I'm not surprised you chose to come to Cadenza rather than continue at St Mungo's. Cadenza does have a certain reputation, and of course, we take only the very best.'
Melissa took a sip of her tea before replying. 'To be honest, I had initially intended to stay at St Mungo's,' she stated truthfully. 'Unfortunately, circumstances meant that I had to change my plans, and Cadenza fitted in with my new ones.'
Healer Willoughby nodded his head understandingly. 'Whatever the reason, we're pleased to have you working here. Of course, things are a little different here at Cadenza. The majority of our patients are long-term, and we prefer to refer to them as guests. It makes them feel more comfortable, we find.'
He looked smilingly at Melissa again. 'All our guests have their own rooms, each decorated in a way that makes them happy. Most are able to move freely around the facility to some degree, to visit the gardens and so forth. However, there are a few who are contained. They still have their own rooms and can conduct as normal a life as they want, but they would need attendants with them if they wished to leave. Fortunately, in most cases, these guests have neither the desire nor the ability to leave their rooms.'
After they finished their tea, Healer Willoughby offered to take Melissa on a tour of the facility so she could meet the guests. Melissa smiled as she stood. This was the bit she had been looking forward to; getting to know the patients — sorry, guests — and finding out about their histories. That was the bit that always interested her the most.
The next two hours were spent walking around the hospital as she was introduced to staff and guests alike. Healer Willoughby had thoughtfully provided Melissa with a map so she could find her way later when she was alone, and as she walked she studied it intently, trying to match map to the location and lock them into her brain.
They were now in the restricted area, the part of the hospital that held the guests who were too ill to move around freely. Melissa had looked in on the ICU, which was currently housing four guests: one was the unfortunate victim of a curse; one was unconscious, although the Healers had not yet been able to establish why; and two were recovering from life-saving surgeries.
Next were the recovery rooms, which were quite well populated with a variety of guests and illnesses; and then, almost at the very back of the facility, were large suites of rooms which appeared to be unoccupied.
'There's only one guest in here at the moment,' Healer Willoughby said gravely, 'and he's a long-term one at that. He's been here for twenty-two years.'
Melissa frowned. What on earth could be wrong with the man that he had been kept locked away for so long? Had he been seriously injured by spell damage? St Mungo's had a few of those, including one who had, apparently, been a famous writer at one time, and Professor Longbottom's parents.
Healer Willoughby un-warded the outer door and opened it, indicating that Melissa should enter. She did so, looking around her with curiosity. They were in a long corridor. Melissa waited while the Healer re-warded the door then followed him down the corridor.
'As I said, Mr Malfoy has been here for a number of years,' Healer Willoughby said as they walked. 'He lives quite comfortably, in a large suite of rooms which keep him away from the rest of the facility.'
They had arrived at another door. Next to it was a large window that looked in on a comfortable sitting room decorated in a modern if somewhat Muggle style. Sitting in a large armchair facing the window was a very handsome middle-aged man with short blond hair. His eyes were closed. Either he was asleep or he was contemplating something extremely deeply if the look on his face was anything to go by.
Melissa studied the man closely. Although he was pale and thin he didn't appear to be sick; at least there were no outward signs of obvious illness.
'Draco Malfoy's malady is very much a mental one,' Healer Willoughby said gently; as if reading Melissa's thoughts. He seemed to be looking fondly at the slumbering man. He turned to Melissa. 'Draco was brought here in early April 1998. His family had him committed in order to keep him from being sent to Azkaban prison.'
Melissa looked back at the man in the chair. 'Committed? What did he do?'
'Are you old enough to remember the second rise of the Dark wizard Voldemort and his Death Eaters?' Healer Willoughby asked quietly.
Melissa shrugged. 'Vaguely. To be honest, I was still at Junior School and there weren't any Death Eaters in our area. I only really know what I learnt during history lessons at Hogwarts.'
'Where did you live?' Healer Willoughby asked interestedly.
'Near Ottery St Catchpole.'
'Ah yes, a good wizarding area and a bastion of the Order of the Phoenix,' Healer Willoughby said approvingly. 'Very quiet, I should imagine.'
'You could say that,' Melissa said with a grin. 'That's why I wanted to work at St Mungo's. I couldn't wait to get to London and the bright city lights.'
'No different from many young witches and wizards,' Healer Willoughby said understandingly. 'But of course, you were lucky to have the freedom to choose what you wanted to do. That would never have happened if Voldemort had remained in power — if Harry Potter hadn't managed to defeat him.'
Melissa nodded. 'I know that Harry saved our world,' she said seriously. 'But I don't understand how this has anything to do with Mr Malfoy.'
Healer Willoughby looked into the room for a moment as if debating what to say, then turned back to Melissa. 'As I said, Draco was committed by his family on 4th April 1998. They were unwilling to say why they were committing him, although he was obviously in shock.
'I'm sure you understand, Melissa, that Cadenza has always catered to families like the Malfoys. Those old, monied Pure-blood families who always seem to have a mentally deficient member somewhere in their line, usually down to too much interbreeding.' Melissa nodded. 'It was considered by the then Head of Facility that Draco was obviously one such young man, so he was placed in the secure part of Cadenza without any further explanation being required from the family.
'Later, the Aurors came to visit Cadenza. They demanded to see Draco, wanting to question him about the death of a young woman who had been in his company earlier in the evening. From what I understand the Malfoys were Death Eaters and over a period of time they, along with their brethren, had abducted a number of Muggle-borns, although for what purpose I'm not entirely sure.' Healer Willoughby looked a little uneasy. 'This young woman, a contemporary of Draco's from school, was amongst those who had been abducted. Whether they were a couple before that evening or had become lovers that night was never established. But what was certain was that she and Draco had been sexually intimate just prior to her death.
'The Aurors had been tipped off about a Dark revel and were given an entrance to Malfoy Manor. They had raided the Manor expecting to find a bunch of Death Eaters and their prey. What they found, instead, was a naked Draco Malfoy on the floor of his bedroom, holding onto the cold and lifeless, blood-soaked body of a young woman.'
Melissa gasped in shock. 'Draco Malfoy was a murderer? But why was he sent here? Surely he should have been put straight into Azkaban?'
Healer Willoughby shrugged. 'As I said, the Malfoys are an old and extremely rich family. As soon as they realised Draco had been caught they distracted the Aurors long enough to get him away. Once committed in here, the Aurors were unable to send him to Azkaban.'
'But surely if they knew he did it they could get him removed from here?'
'This facility is as secure as Azkaban, if somewhat more comfortable,' Healer Willoughby said seriously. 'Mr Malfoy has never left his rooms since that night. What purpose would be served by moving him to prison rather than keeping him here?'
'But he killed a young woman,' Melissa said in horror, 'and raped her, too, from the sound of things.'
Healer Willoughby shook his head slowly. 'There was no sign of force. The girl and Draco were lovers. It was assumed they had either had an argument that got out of hand and he had killed her accidentally or that he had been forced to kill her because she was Muggle-born.'
'But still—'
'I tell you, no purpose would have been served by removing him,' Healer Willoughby said bluntly.
Draco Malfoy had awoken now and was looking towards the window where Melissa and Healer Willoughby were standing. Melissa could see the dark circles beneath his eyes and the taut, pale face that looked so much more stressed now that he was awake. For a moment she thought he looked as if he was about to cry. Had sleep brought a memory he didn't like?
A moment later, though, the strained look was gone and a small smirk was playing on the man's lips as he sat watching the two Healers through the window.
