Disclaimer: There once was a girl, who lived far far away from England, she
in fact was on the other side of the world in Australia. She had nothing to
do with Harry Potter she may use the characters and all that in J.k's books
but don't sue her, because she is poor and her father would kill her if you
did. Also she may use lines in her story that are from movies, book etc.
But that's because she can't think of any really creative lines herself,
because she is an Australian. Anyway enough of this b.s read my story or
don't, review or don't. Do what you want I don't care I am just happy I
posted the damn thing.
-Disclaimer from the Author.
Suicide and Secrets Chapter One
Hermione Granger starred at herself in the mirror. The past two years after Hogwarts hadn't been kind to her, also having the job of an Auror added to the state her body was in. She completed her Auror training after just six months, compared to the year others were required, but because of her rank of number one student at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, leaving it with the third highest grades ever achieved by a student and also her assistance to Harry Potter over his school career in defeating countless enemies of the Ministry, she didn't need as much training as the others did. She looked at herself in the mirror, her frizzy hair a little tamer thanks to the use of a few spells. Of course she didn't use it for a beauty enhancement, more for keeping it from getting in the way of paper work, and chasing down the occasional Death Eater. Though most Death Eaters were captured, killed or simply disappeared after the defeat of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord was killed by one of her best friends Harry Potter, who was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, in doing so rather then dying he lie asleep in a coma that has lasted two years.
She wished greatly for him to wake up, give a dopey grin and laugh knowing that the world was a better place because of him, knowing that the people of the world waited years for him to wake and give him the ranking of their savior their hero. Yet she didn't know if that would ever happen, he lie in his room in the number one magical hospital for Auror's. His room was filled with flowers, cards and gifts given to him by the forever-grateful public. She wished he would wake up and see his name in the paper every day, and in more recent textbooks about the Dark Lord's down fall. No one was quite sure exactly what happened that night between Harry Potter and Voldemort, just that they found the Dark Lord's body which was destroyed by strong magic so he never may return, and next to the body was Harry's not dead but resting from a nights work of defeating perhaps the worlds greatest evil.
She sighed looked into her face, tired and lifeless from chasing down remaining Death Eater's, yet only one Death Eater would remain in her thoughts, she remembered the faces and cases of all the Death Eater's she captured, but the most vivid memory was of Draco Malfoy. She always saw him as pure-evil, not the confused child he was taught that there was no wrong, there were no rights, taught to hate everything and anything Muggle. She now had a pity and an understanding, yet he still went to Azkaban sent there by his own father who gave in his own son in order to save himself. Yet it didn't save himself, the Malfoy name was forever shamed, the only two remaining people with Malfoy blood in their veins were Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco. Draco's mother, Narcissa went into a deep self-pity, and self-hatred killed Lucius after he imprisoned her child. She wasn't sent to Azkaban, she was sent to St Margo's because of the mentally fragile state she was in at the time. She pitied Draco's mother, a lady who had potential in life, yet like her son was born into a Wizarding family that taught her hatred, gave her no love, and then she was put into a marriage all the same as her family was.
The Malfoy family fortune was all that remained, Lucius Malfoy destroyed the family manner, including all possessions in order for the Ministry to find no more damming evidence against him. Then the very next day, to save himself from the fate of a lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban, he sent his own child there. This must have been the last straw for Narcissa and she was driven over the edge and killed her husband, for which she was sent to St. Margo's for a few years.
Hermione couldn't help but wonder each night what must have gone on in that home, the home of the Malfoy's whether the Daily Prophet's story of a family power-hungry and ruled by greed was doomed from the start, and destroyed themselves leaving a shattered memory of what could have been the greatest pure-blooded Wizarding family of their time. Yet all they left behind were the ashes of a once great house, the fragile woman Narcissa wedded into the family which only brought her despair, and the son the only person left alive with the Malfoy blood flowing threw his veins, sentenced for a lifetime in Azkaban.
The charges seemed simple enough, he fought against the Ministry in the final battle, and he assaulted many Muggles yet these things were small compared to the final crime he committed, the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Although he pleaded innocence, he was still convicted. The only evidence was his father's word against his, and because his father didn't have any witness's to the crimes that Hermione was sure he committed also because of the fact his father had powerful allies in the Ministry it got Malfoy locked away in Azkaban for a lifetime. The only words Malfoy ever said was he was innocent, Hermione was more then sure there was some other dark secret behind it all, something so terrible that his own father put him in Azkaban to keep his mouth shut, the secret that drove the mother to insanity and Lucius to his death. But what was this secret? Hermione knew it was big, and Hermione had a hunch it existed. But finding and proving it was another thing.
She sighed and decided that going take the offer of having a dinner with the Weasley's was the only thing that could cheer her up. She stood outside their home in a matter of minutes; she was wearing a nice dress robe that was required on this occasion, to celebrate Harry's defeat of the Dark Lord. It was a day of rejoicing a day every Wizard and Witch celebrated. The Weasley children's fortune the former rut was turned into a welcoming site, renovated Magically it become like a small palace. A haven, that Hermione enjoyed visiting not only because just looking at it made her feel better, but also because the people inside made her forget her troubles for the few hours she was with them during. She saw Ginny Weasley running her way, her red hair blowing in the wind, a smile on her face. Ginny wanted to be an Auror but Ron, the always over-protective brother wouldn't hear of it, nether would any of the family not wanting to lose the only female child of the family. Instead they told her to think about it, in the meantime she was assistant to her older brother Percy who was now becoming a very essential part of the Ministry, still wanting to be the Minister of Magic he took on too much work and tried to do everything to his best. So Ginny was willing to help her brother, yet she yearned to be an Auror. She went in with Ginny to see the smiling faces of Molly, still a happy housewife yet now with not as much work to do. Because of Hermione's constant crusade against the owning House Elves instead, Molly hired them, they now had the money to do that because of Fred and Georges extremely successful joke shop, and their other son Percy's well paid job at the Ministry, of course Bill and Charlie gave what they could, and so did Ron. Arthur Weasley got paid a lot after retiring yet he still liked to tinker with Muggle objects, which was the grief of Molly because he left them around the house.
As they sat down, Hermione noticed Collin Creevy sitting next to Ginny; they had become friends because of their mutual hero-worshipping of Harry. Collin seemed to always also have a slight interest in Ginny but would never do anything about it, because he was more then sure she was more interested in Harry. Though nothing ever happened between them, Harry and Ginny that is, Ginny still had a child-like crush on Harry. She also smiled over towards Neville Longbottom a friend of Ron's and hers who was now owned a very successful Herbology store. She smiled and laughed, heard stories and jokes as the dinner went on. She left a cheerful conversation to go and help Ron with the dishes, they used to date but job as an Auror seemed to get in the way, also Hermione who did love Ron didn't want to destroy their friendship, Ron felt the same way and also grew an interest in someone else, his Auror partner. They played the cat-and-mouse game that Hermione and he used to.
"You should really get over him by now." Ron said magically washing the dishes. Hermione picked one up and looked at him, he found out about her thoughts on Draco when they were going out last year, when she worked on the case and grew a strange interest in him, it drove Ron mad.
"It's just-some thing's they don't add up."
"Oh, here we go again. You are always the perfectionist. Things don't have to be all tied up and neat in a little package, just let it go." Ron said in a sighing manner.
"Well every other of my cases are all perfect why not this one?"
"Because it's a Malfoy case, they're not known as being a simple family. Though I am more then sure that the git Draco was simple at times." Hermione smiled, he never did get over his hatred of Draco, yet everyone seemed to have a little pity for him after they found out about his hidden life outside of Hogwarts. "Anyway what doesn't make sense, the father would rather have his son is Azkaban than himself, also they never were the type I would consider close."
"Well how could they be? Draco was forever trying to get his attention, respect and love. And all he got was the ultimate slap in the face! Constantly down trodden for not being the best, all his flaws enlarged in his eyes, raised to hate, not being allowed to be friends with anyone his father didn't approve of! His father did everything for him, he didn't have anything except the insults he gave us!" Ron looked a little stunned, but he should expect it. Hermione was a special Auror who handled children involved in the cases, as well as the adult Death Eater's. She was never much of the mothering type, yet she had this odd understanding of them and always tended to gain the respect of the children.
"I'm sorry, I was just joking. C'mon Herm. I feel sorry for the bastard too, but don't forget he did kill a man, and no matter how crappy a child hood he had, there is no excuse for that." She looked at him, her temper subdued.
"That's the thing, I don't think he did kill him. There were three people there that night, Dumbledore, Draco and Lucius. Why couldn't Lucius be the murderer?"
"What and Draco actually covered up for his father, like I said their was no love there. Only fear and resentment, why would Draco cover up for him if his father was as cruel as you say."
"Because maybe, maybe he thought that it would be worth going to Azkaban if he had his father's love."
"Yeah, well he did plead innocent."
"Yet, he never said who the killer was. Because he couldn't-wouldn't tell on his father."
"To be honest I always thought Draco was a bastard, but never thought that he would actually kill anyone, let alone Dumbledore, he didn't like the guy but I never thought Draco strong enough." Hermione looked at him.
"That's right. He wasn't strong enough, yet Lucius was." Hermione eyes brightened.
"Oh come on Hermione, how could we know, the case it closed Lucius is dead, no one other then the Narcissa and Draco know and their both crazy by now! Anyway why would Lucius want to kill Dumbledore?" "That's what I am going to find out Ron." She smiled and went to the dinning room said goodbye and left.
"Ron, got Hermione running away again have you." Fred joked.
"No worse, I gave her an idea."
The next day Hermione went straight to her superior and asked if she could re-open her case. "Please, sir. All my other cases are complete, I have finished all my paperwork and I don't have any other assignments to do."
"Alright, I'll give you one, you can do my paperwork. Look I am not re- opening the case; it would cause too much controversy. If the Daily Prophet got a hold of it-especially that Rita, how about this I will open the case, when she retires!" He smirked and stood up, thinking he had won.
"But sir, there are other possibilities and it's my job to eliminate them all!"
"Well maybe I'll give you a new job then! I am not re-opening the case! You know that photographer for the Daily Prophet, Collin whatever his name is. If he finds out, by you telling your friend Ginny then they'll get it and there we have it-front page news and public out-cry and panic! Plus I have no doubt in my mind he is a murderer!"
"But sir-please. Look, just let me do this and I swear I'll take that break you recommended."
"No-no-no!" Hermione gave up and stormed out of her office and straight home. She looked at her home, a small Terrace in London. It was in a pretty good neighborhood and the Terrace's near here's were tidy, the whole street was except she never had time to look after her garden, or give the house the spruce it needed to be like the others. She was just too busy. She went inside, her house seemed depressing on the inside it's paint peeling, furniture was fairly old. This was her parents' home they gave it to her after the moved to the countryside. It seemed like they needed the fresh air, maybe she did too. Maybe she should visit them, take the break her boss had offered since the Malfoy case that nearly drove her over the edge. Yet she asked for the case, and she got it too, along with it's many mysteries.
She went to her bathroom and took a long bath; she suddenly got drowsy and fell asleep. She woke up to the sound of ringing, she quickly got out wrapped herself in a towel and ran to the phone. "H-hello?" She asked a little out of breath.
"Hermione? I've rung you twice already-you didn't pick up. Is everything alright?"
"Oh-sorry. I was busy. What's wrong?" There was a little silence before her superior, Carlo Rio replied.
"You know how you wanted to re-open the Malfoy case. I am going to let you."
"Really that's great what changed your mind?"
"Draco Malfoy, escaped from Azkaban. Or well was taken by some unknown person, or creature I am not sure of details yet."
"Oh Merlin! Are they chasing after him?"
"No that's the thing, he came straight to us, we didn't need to do anything."
"Really, then why am I re-opening the case?"
"Because, Draco as we know him didn't come in the office."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, someone or maybe he has, transformed himself somehow into a child. Or that's what the kid is telling us."
"Are you sure it's him?"
"I'm sure."
"How come?"
"For one, he came in here demanding to alert the Auror's someone kidnapped him and he wasn't happy about it. Two he has a birth mark on his stomach, the same one Draco has."
"How do you know that?"
"Because, I looked into his report." Hermione stood there unable to breathe, what was going on she needed time to understand this all. Draco Malfoy was taken from Azkaban by the same thing or person that turned him into a kid, or did this person help him escape and turned him into a kid so he wouldn't get caught. If so why would anyone let him get away and go to the police? "Look we didn't tell him anything but he is going nuts, he is demanding to see his mother and father. What do we do?"
"I'll be right there." She said. Little did she know, this pint size version of Draco was going to be more then she could handle.
Hermione walked into Carlo's office to see Draco had made a complete mess of it, papers files everywhere. He threw the largest temper tantrum Hermione had ever seen. "Who knows about this?"
"Only the Auror that brought him to me and you. I trust the Auror. But I don't know what to do; I can't take him anywhere because someone might find out. I can't take him to my house because he won't even let him go near him without trying to bite me. Please. Help."
"Alright. Look give me a few hours in here. Go do some paper work or something."
"Your right. I have to cover this up before anyone else finds out, and have to inform the Minister. I better be quick." He took his short stubby bulk out the door quicker then Hermione ever saw him move.
"That's no way for a Malfoy to act!"
"How would you know!" He said sticking out his tongue.
"Well what if your father heard about this. Do you think he would be proud? I don't think so. He might just find out too." She got him, his little gray eyes had the look of fear in the his tongue went back in and his mouth hung open showing baby teeth, his button nose went straight and he looked very frightened.
"Plea-Please don't tell my father!"
"Alright I won't. But first help me clean all this up so he doesn't find out. I'll make sure my friends don't tell if you help me." He nodded and got straight to work, it took a lot longer then it was to destroy the office then to restore it.
"There we go now we're done." She smiled. "So Draco tell me about yourself." He looked at her with a glow in his eyes that is only seen in little kids, she would guess he was about four.
"I am Draco Malfoy. I live at Malfoy Manner with my father and mother. Can I see my mother now, please."
"First tell me how you got here."
"I told you!" He said slamming his hands on the desk for emphasis. "I was kidnapped!"
"How do you know that?" He rolled his eyes.
"Because last night I went to bed in my home, when I woke up I was in someone else's home, so I came here. This is where my father told me to come if I ever got in trouble." He looked at her a little angry.
"Well let me see. Maybe I better owl them." She wrote on a piece of parchment to Carlo telling him to write nothing back and send the owl back. The owl went out the window and came back in a few minutes.
"Owls aren't that fast!"
"Well this one is!" Hermione said she opened the paper that had her message on it and read it. "Well, it says that your mother and father had to go on vacation for a while. They said they took you to the baby sitters but they didn't know you left. So I will have to find somewhere for you to go." He looked at her and then the letter, a little sad.
"Well mother did say she might not be with me tomorrow. But I thought that's because father wouldn't let her."
"What do you mean?"
"When I have been bad, I am not allowed to see my mother or father. I am locked in my room, the only person who comes in is Dobby and that is to feed me. I am not allowed out until I learn a new spell or potion." Hermione looked a little shocked at this form of punishment. "I get hit too, and yelled at."
"What does your father say?"
"Just things."
"What things."
"You know, like how I'm dumb, how he doesn't love me. The things he always says."
"Why did you get in trouble."
"Because, I spilt my drink. Dobby poured me a new one and I said thank you to him" She looked at him, he actually thought that was a big mistake; he was almost ashamed of it.
"Don't worry it happens." He opened up very quickly to her, most young children do yet she couldn't help but wonder when Draco started to become so closed off like the way she knew him. He never spoke much to anyone, Crabbe and Goyle were too dumb, Pansy well Pansy was Pansy he didn't have many other friends.
"So..where am I going? Back to the manner?"
"No, nobody is there."
"So. A lot of the time I am alone anyway. It doesn't matter. My father says it is okay he says I have to learn to look after myself, you know because Malfoy's have to." He said he looked at her oddly.
"No. I think you will have to stay with me."
"You! But I don't know you! Why can't we go to the manner to my home!"
"Because."
"Because I said so!"
"That's a dumb reason! Your dumb, your like a Mudblood!" He looked at her angrily and here she was thinking they could be friends, maybe he didn't open up as much as she thought.
"I am a Mudblood."
"Then my father wouldn't leave me with the likes of you!"
"Yeah, well he did! So deal with it!" She poked out her tongue at him. He looked a little shocked then regained his scowl. She ended up having to drag him to her home with him screaming and crying and carrying on. When she got him to her house at last, he reluctantly went in. The next problem was feeding him.
"I'm hungry!"
"Well food is right in front of you."
"I'm not eating this!"
"Well don't eat!"
"I won't!" He just sat there watching Hermione eat, he glared at his own food then around her house. "Your house is dumb. Why do you live in a house like this anyway."
"Because I do."
"Yeah well it sucks. Why don't you get your elves to fix it."
"I don't have any I don't think they should be slaves."
"They're not! It's what they do!" He said and crossed his arms again.
"Well now it's time for a bath." She took him to the bathroom, then he spun around on his heal.
"I can wash myself you know!" He walked in there then came back out. "How do you use it? It's Muggle!" She showed him how to use everything then he nodded. She showed him how to rap himself in a towel then she left. She was barely out the door then she heard him screaming. She ran back in and he was crying. "My eyes! My eyes! They sting!" She wiped them and he stopped crying then she began the wash his back and that. He got very relaxed then he grabbed the towel and ordered her out. He stayed in there for about an hour, until she heard him yell, "Where are my clothes!"
She forgot all about them she went to her old bedroom and couldn't find anything, so she got one of her shirts. "Here you go." She said handing it threw the door.
"What's this! These aren't bed robes!" He screamed.
"No there new ones, brought from Europe." He stuck his head out and gave her a disbelieving look. "Your father sent them to me from his vacation." He nodded his head and took them he came out with a large shirt; Hermione couldn't help but smile at his cuteness.
"Well do you want to go to bed now?" "I say when I want to go to bed, not you!"
"Alright then do you want to go to bed?"
"Yes, now where is my room." She showed him to her old bedroom, it was a little dusty; he looked at it in distaste. "This is a girls room!" He yelled looking frightened.
"So. Just sleep here for tonight I'll fix it tomorrow." He gave her a growl, but he was too tired to complain, she went to go help him get in.
"I can do it myself!"
"Yeah, just like you can bath yourself!" She helped him in then left. "Thank you Merlin." She sighed and headed to her room then the phone rang. "Hello?"
"Hermione? Is that you? Good. Look we are going to have to do an investigation, but we need you to look after little Draco until we can figure out exactly what happened, and make a counter spell. It may take a while, are you willing just a little while longer. Please I can't ask anyone else."
"Sure."
"Good. Well don't worry about work for the next few days, his your job just look after him all right. Practice for motherhood!" He laughed.
"Alright. Well at the moment he is turning me off kids." He laughed again.
"Well thank you bye. We'll try our best. Don't let him find out anything, he wouldn't understand, who knows what would happen."
"Alright goodnight Carlo." She hang up the phone and lay on her bed when she heard a loud crash.
"What was that!" She jumped up to see Draco run to her doorway.
"The bed broke."
"How?" He shrugged. "Alright come in here."
"With you!"
"Well where else can you go?" He looked at her strangely. "We'll get you a new bed tomorrow." He nodded then jumped in.
"Well as long as you stick to your side of the bed." With that she turned out the light for a good nights sleep.
Suicide and Secrets Chapter One
Hermione Granger starred at herself in the mirror. The past two years after Hogwarts hadn't been kind to her, also having the job of an Auror added to the state her body was in. She completed her Auror training after just six months, compared to the year others were required, but because of her rank of number one student at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, leaving it with the third highest grades ever achieved by a student and also her assistance to Harry Potter over his school career in defeating countless enemies of the Ministry, she didn't need as much training as the others did. She looked at herself in the mirror, her frizzy hair a little tamer thanks to the use of a few spells. Of course she didn't use it for a beauty enhancement, more for keeping it from getting in the way of paper work, and chasing down the occasional Death Eater. Though most Death Eaters were captured, killed or simply disappeared after the defeat of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord was killed by one of her best friends Harry Potter, who was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, in doing so rather then dying he lie asleep in a coma that has lasted two years.
She wished greatly for him to wake up, give a dopey grin and laugh knowing that the world was a better place because of him, knowing that the people of the world waited years for him to wake and give him the ranking of their savior their hero. Yet she didn't know if that would ever happen, he lie in his room in the number one magical hospital for Auror's. His room was filled with flowers, cards and gifts given to him by the forever-grateful public. She wished he would wake up and see his name in the paper every day, and in more recent textbooks about the Dark Lord's down fall. No one was quite sure exactly what happened that night between Harry Potter and Voldemort, just that they found the Dark Lord's body which was destroyed by strong magic so he never may return, and next to the body was Harry's not dead but resting from a nights work of defeating perhaps the worlds greatest evil.
She sighed looked into her face, tired and lifeless from chasing down remaining Death Eater's, yet only one Death Eater would remain in her thoughts, she remembered the faces and cases of all the Death Eater's she captured, but the most vivid memory was of Draco Malfoy. She always saw him as pure-evil, not the confused child he was taught that there was no wrong, there were no rights, taught to hate everything and anything Muggle. She now had a pity and an understanding, yet he still went to Azkaban sent there by his own father who gave in his own son in order to save himself. Yet it didn't save himself, the Malfoy name was forever shamed, the only two remaining people with Malfoy blood in their veins were Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco. Draco's mother, Narcissa went into a deep self-pity, and self-hatred killed Lucius after he imprisoned her child. She wasn't sent to Azkaban, she was sent to St Margo's because of the mentally fragile state she was in at the time. She pitied Draco's mother, a lady who had potential in life, yet like her son was born into a Wizarding family that taught her hatred, gave her no love, and then she was put into a marriage all the same as her family was.
The Malfoy family fortune was all that remained, Lucius Malfoy destroyed the family manner, including all possessions in order for the Ministry to find no more damming evidence against him. Then the very next day, to save himself from the fate of a lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban, he sent his own child there. This must have been the last straw for Narcissa and she was driven over the edge and killed her husband, for which she was sent to St. Margo's for a few years.
Hermione couldn't help but wonder each night what must have gone on in that home, the home of the Malfoy's whether the Daily Prophet's story of a family power-hungry and ruled by greed was doomed from the start, and destroyed themselves leaving a shattered memory of what could have been the greatest pure-blooded Wizarding family of their time. Yet all they left behind were the ashes of a once great house, the fragile woman Narcissa wedded into the family which only brought her despair, and the son the only person left alive with the Malfoy blood flowing threw his veins, sentenced for a lifetime in Azkaban.
The charges seemed simple enough, he fought against the Ministry in the final battle, and he assaulted many Muggles yet these things were small compared to the final crime he committed, the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Although he pleaded innocence, he was still convicted. The only evidence was his father's word against his, and because his father didn't have any witness's to the crimes that Hermione was sure he committed also because of the fact his father had powerful allies in the Ministry it got Malfoy locked away in Azkaban for a lifetime. The only words Malfoy ever said was he was innocent, Hermione was more then sure there was some other dark secret behind it all, something so terrible that his own father put him in Azkaban to keep his mouth shut, the secret that drove the mother to insanity and Lucius to his death. But what was this secret? Hermione knew it was big, and Hermione had a hunch it existed. But finding and proving it was another thing.
She sighed and decided that going take the offer of having a dinner with the Weasley's was the only thing that could cheer her up. She stood outside their home in a matter of minutes; she was wearing a nice dress robe that was required on this occasion, to celebrate Harry's defeat of the Dark Lord. It was a day of rejoicing a day every Wizard and Witch celebrated. The Weasley children's fortune the former rut was turned into a welcoming site, renovated Magically it become like a small palace. A haven, that Hermione enjoyed visiting not only because just looking at it made her feel better, but also because the people inside made her forget her troubles for the few hours she was with them during. She saw Ginny Weasley running her way, her red hair blowing in the wind, a smile on her face. Ginny wanted to be an Auror but Ron, the always over-protective brother wouldn't hear of it, nether would any of the family not wanting to lose the only female child of the family. Instead they told her to think about it, in the meantime she was assistant to her older brother Percy who was now becoming a very essential part of the Ministry, still wanting to be the Minister of Magic he took on too much work and tried to do everything to his best. So Ginny was willing to help her brother, yet she yearned to be an Auror. She went in with Ginny to see the smiling faces of Molly, still a happy housewife yet now with not as much work to do. Because of Hermione's constant crusade against the owning House Elves instead, Molly hired them, they now had the money to do that because of Fred and Georges extremely successful joke shop, and their other son Percy's well paid job at the Ministry, of course Bill and Charlie gave what they could, and so did Ron. Arthur Weasley got paid a lot after retiring yet he still liked to tinker with Muggle objects, which was the grief of Molly because he left them around the house.
As they sat down, Hermione noticed Collin Creevy sitting next to Ginny; they had become friends because of their mutual hero-worshipping of Harry. Collin seemed to always also have a slight interest in Ginny but would never do anything about it, because he was more then sure she was more interested in Harry. Though nothing ever happened between them, Harry and Ginny that is, Ginny still had a child-like crush on Harry. She also smiled over towards Neville Longbottom a friend of Ron's and hers who was now owned a very successful Herbology store. She smiled and laughed, heard stories and jokes as the dinner went on. She left a cheerful conversation to go and help Ron with the dishes, they used to date but job as an Auror seemed to get in the way, also Hermione who did love Ron didn't want to destroy their friendship, Ron felt the same way and also grew an interest in someone else, his Auror partner. They played the cat-and-mouse game that Hermione and he used to.
"You should really get over him by now." Ron said magically washing the dishes. Hermione picked one up and looked at him, he found out about her thoughts on Draco when they were going out last year, when she worked on the case and grew a strange interest in him, it drove Ron mad.
"It's just-some thing's they don't add up."
"Oh, here we go again. You are always the perfectionist. Things don't have to be all tied up and neat in a little package, just let it go." Ron said in a sighing manner.
"Well every other of my cases are all perfect why not this one?"
"Because it's a Malfoy case, they're not known as being a simple family. Though I am more then sure that the git Draco was simple at times." Hermione smiled, he never did get over his hatred of Draco, yet everyone seemed to have a little pity for him after they found out about his hidden life outside of Hogwarts. "Anyway what doesn't make sense, the father would rather have his son is Azkaban than himself, also they never were the type I would consider close."
"Well how could they be? Draco was forever trying to get his attention, respect and love. And all he got was the ultimate slap in the face! Constantly down trodden for not being the best, all his flaws enlarged in his eyes, raised to hate, not being allowed to be friends with anyone his father didn't approve of! His father did everything for him, he didn't have anything except the insults he gave us!" Ron looked a little stunned, but he should expect it. Hermione was a special Auror who handled children involved in the cases, as well as the adult Death Eater's. She was never much of the mothering type, yet she had this odd understanding of them and always tended to gain the respect of the children.
"I'm sorry, I was just joking. C'mon Herm. I feel sorry for the bastard too, but don't forget he did kill a man, and no matter how crappy a child hood he had, there is no excuse for that." She looked at him, her temper subdued.
"That's the thing, I don't think he did kill him. There were three people there that night, Dumbledore, Draco and Lucius. Why couldn't Lucius be the murderer?"
"What and Draco actually covered up for his father, like I said their was no love there. Only fear and resentment, why would Draco cover up for him if his father was as cruel as you say."
"Because maybe, maybe he thought that it would be worth going to Azkaban if he had his father's love."
"Yeah, well he did plead innocent."
"Yet, he never said who the killer was. Because he couldn't-wouldn't tell on his father."
"To be honest I always thought Draco was a bastard, but never thought that he would actually kill anyone, let alone Dumbledore, he didn't like the guy but I never thought Draco strong enough." Hermione looked at him.
"That's right. He wasn't strong enough, yet Lucius was." Hermione eyes brightened.
"Oh come on Hermione, how could we know, the case it closed Lucius is dead, no one other then the Narcissa and Draco know and their both crazy by now! Anyway why would Lucius want to kill Dumbledore?" "That's what I am going to find out Ron." She smiled and went to the dinning room said goodbye and left.
"Ron, got Hermione running away again have you." Fred joked.
"No worse, I gave her an idea."
The next day Hermione went straight to her superior and asked if she could re-open her case. "Please, sir. All my other cases are complete, I have finished all my paperwork and I don't have any other assignments to do."
"Alright, I'll give you one, you can do my paperwork. Look I am not re- opening the case; it would cause too much controversy. If the Daily Prophet got a hold of it-especially that Rita, how about this I will open the case, when she retires!" He smirked and stood up, thinking he had won.
"But sir, there are other possibilities and it's my job to eliminate them all!"
"Well maybe I'll give you a new job then! I am not re-opening the case! You know that photographer for the Daily Prophet, Collin whatever his name is. If he finds out, by you telling your friend Ginny then they'll get it and there we have it-front page news and public out-cry and panic! Plus I have no doubt in my mind he is a murderer!"
"But sir-please. Look, just let me do this and I swear I'll take that break you recommended."
"No-no-no!" Hermione gave up and stormed out of her office and straight home. She looked at her home, a small Terrace in London. It was in a pretty good neighborhood and the Terrace's near here's were tidy, the whole street was except she never had time to look after her garden, or give the house the spruce it needed to be like the others. She was just too busy. She went inside, her house seemed depressing on the inside it's paint peeling, furniture was fairly old. This was her parents' home they gave it to her after the moved to the countryside. It seemed like they needed the fresh air, maybe she did too. Maybe she should visit them, take the break her boss had offered since the Malfoy case that nearly drove her over the edge. Yet she asked for the case, and she got it too, along with it's many mysteries.
She went to her bathroom and took a long bath; she suddenly got drowsy and fell asleep. She woke up to the sound of ringing, she quickly got out wrapped herself in a towel and ran to the phone. "H-hello?" She asked a little out of breath.
"Hermione? I've rung you twice already-you didn't pick up. Is everything alright?"
"Oh-sorry. I was busy. What's wrong?" There was a little silence before her superior, Carlo Rio replied.
"You know how you wanted to re-open the Malfoy case. I am going to let you."
"Really that's great what changed your mind?"
"Draco Malfoy, escaped from Azkaban. Or well was taken by some unknown person, or creature I am not sure of details yet."
"Oh Merlin! Are they chasing after him?"
"No that's the thing, he came straight to us, we didn't need to do anything."
"Really, then why am I re-opening the case?"
"Because, Draco as we know him didn't come in the office."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, someone or maybe he has, transformed himself somehow into a child. Or that's what the kid is telling us."
"Are you sure it's him?"
"I'm sure."
"How come?"
"For one, he came in here demanding to alert the Auror's someone kidnapped him and he wasn't happy about it. Two he has a birth mark on his stomach, the same one Draco has."
"How do you know that?"
"Because, I looked into his report." Hermione stood there unable to breathe, what was going on she needed time to understand this all. Draco Malfoy was taken from Azkaban by the same thing or person that turned him into a kid, or did this person help him escape and turned him into a kid so he wouldn't get caught. If so why would anyone let him get away and go to the police? "Look we didn't tell him anything but he is going nuts, he is demanding to see his mother and father. What do we do?"
"I'll be right there." She said. Little did she know, this pint size version of Draco was going to be more then she could handle.
Hermione walked into Carlo's office to see Draco had made a complete mess of it, papers files everywhere. He threw the largest temper tantrum Hermione had ever seen. "Who knows about this?"
"Only the Auror that brought him to me and you. I trust the Auror. But I don't know what to do; I can't take him anywhere because someone might find out. I can't take him to my house because he won't even let him go near him without trying to bite me. Please. Help."
"Alright. Look give me a few hours in here. Go do some paper work or something."
"Your right. I have to cover this up before anyone else finds out, and have to inform the Minister. I better be quick." He took his short stubby bulk out the door quicker then Hermione ever saw him move.
"That's no way for a Malfoy to act!"
"How would you know!" He said sticking out his tongue.
"Well what if your father heard about this. Do you think he would be proud? I don't think so. He might just find out too." She got him, his little gray eyes had the look of fear in the his tongue went back in and his mouth hung open showing baby teeth, his button nose went straight and he looked very frightened.
"Plea-Please don't tell my father!"
"Alright I won't. But first help me clean all this up so he doesn't find out. I'll make sure my friends don't tell if you help me." He nodded and got straight to work, it took a lot longer then it was to destroy the office then to restore it.
"There we go now we're done." She smiled. "So Draco tell me about yourself." He looked at her with a glow in his eyes that is only seen in little kids, she would guess he was about four.
"I am Draco Malfoy. I live at Malfoy Manner with my father and mother. Can I see my mother now, please."
"First tell me how you got here."
"I told you!" He said slamming his hands on the desk for emphasis. "I was kidnapped!"
"How do you know that?" He rolled his eyes.
"Because last night I went to bed in my home, when I woke up I was in someone else's home, so I came here. This is where my father told me to come if I ever got in trouble." He looked at her a little angry.
"Well let me see. Maybe I better owl them." She wrote on a piece of parchment to Carlo telling him to write nothing back and send the owl back. The owl went out the window and came back in a few minutes.
"Owls aren't that fast!"
"Well this one is!" Hermione said she opened the paper that had her message on it and read it. "Well, it says that your mother and father had to go on vacation for a while. They said they took you to the baby sitters but they didn't know you left. So I will have to find somewhere for you to go." He looked at her and then the letter, a little sad.
"Well mother did say she might not be with me tomorrow. But I thought that's because father wouldn't let her."
"What do you mean?"
"When I have been bad, I am not allowed to see my mother or father. I am locked in my room, the only person who comes in is Dobby and that is to feed me. I am not allowed out until I learn a new spell or potion." Hermione looked a little shocked at this form of punishment. "I get hit too, and yelled at."
"What does your father say?"
"Just things."
"What things."
"You know, like how I'm dumb, how he doesn't love me. The things he always says."
"Why did you get in trouble."
"Because, I spilt my drink. Dobby poured me a new one and I said thank you to him" She looked at him, he actually thought that was a big mistake; he was almost ashamed of it.
"Don't worry it happens." He opened up very quickly to her, most young children do yet she couldn't help but wonder when Draco started to become so closed off like the way she knew him. He never spoke much to anyone, Crabbe and Goyle were too dumb, Pansy well Pansy was Pansy he didn't have many other friends.
"So..where am I going? Back to the manner?"
"No, nobody is there."
"So. A lot of the time I am alone anyway. It doesn't matter. My father says it is okay he says I have to learn to look after myself, you know because Malfoy's have to." He said he looked at her oddly.
"No. I think you will have to stay with me."
"You! But I don't know you! Why can't we go to the manner to my home!"
"Because."
"Because I said so!"
"That's a dumb reason! Your dumb, your like a Mudblood!" He looked at her angrily and here she was thinking they could be friends, maybe he didn't open up as much as she thought.
"I am a Mudblood."
"Then my father wouldn't leave me with the likes of you!"
"Yeah, well he did! So deal with it!" She poked out her tongue at him. He looked a little shocked then regained his scowl. She ended up having to drag him to her home with him screaming and crying and carrying on. When she got him to her house at last, he reluctantly went in. The next problem was feeding him.
"I'm hungry!"
"Well food is right in front of you."
"I'm not eating this!"
"Well don't eat!"
"I won't!" He just sat there watching Hermione eat, he glared at his own food then around her house. "Your house is dumb. Why do you live in a house like this anyway."
"Because I do."
"Yeah well it sucks. Why don't you get your elves to fix it."
"I don't have any I don't think they should be slaves."
"They're not! It's what they do!" He said and crossed his arms again.
"Well now it's time for a bath." She took him to the bathroom, then he spun around on his heal.
"I can wash myself you know!" He walked in there then came back out. "How do you use it? It's Muggle!" She showed him how to use everything then he nodded. She showed him how to rap himself in a towel then she left. She was barely out the door then she heard him screaming. She ran back in and he was crying. "My eyes! My eyes! They sting!" She wiped them and he stopped crying then she began the wash his back and that. He got very relaxed then he grabbed the towel and ordered her out. He stayed in there for about an hour, until she heard him yell, "Where are my clothes!"
She forgot all about them she went to her old bedroom and couldn't find anything, so she got one of her shirts. "Here you go." She said handing it threw the door.
"What's this! These aren't bed robes!" He screamed.
"No there new ones, brought from Europe." He stuck his head out and gave her a disbelieving look. "Your father sent them to me from his vacation." He nodded his head and took them he came out with a large shirt; Hermione couldn't help but smile at his cuteness.
"Well do you want to go to bed now?" "I say when I want to go to bed, not you!"
"Alright then do you want to go to bed?"
"Yes, now where is my room." She showed him to her old bedroom, it was a little dusty; he looked at it in distaste. "This is a girls room!" He yelled looking frightened.
"So. Just sleep here for tonight I'll fix it tomorrow." He gave her a growl, but he was too tired to complain, she went to go help him get in.
"I can do it myself!"
"Yeah, just like you can bath yourself!" She helped him in then left. "Thank you Merlin." She sighed and headed to her room then the phone rang. "Hello?"
"Hermione? Is that you? Good. Look we are going to have to do an investigation, but we need you to look after little Draco until we can figure out exactly what happened, and make a counter spell. It may take a while, are you willing just a little while longer. Please I can't ask anyone else."
"Sure."
"Good. Well don't worry about work for the next few days, his your job just look after him all right. Practice for motherhood!" He laughed.
"Alright. Well at the moment he is turning me off kids." He laughed again.
"Well thank you bye. We'll try our best. Don't let him find out anything, he wouldn't understand, who knows what would happen."
"Alright goodnight Carlo." She hang up the phone and lay on her bed when she heard a loud crash.
"What was that!" She jumped up to see Draco run to her doorway.
"The bed broke."
"How?" He shrugged. "Alright come in here."
"With you!"
"Well where else can you go?" He looked at her strangely. "We'll get you a new bed tomorrow." He nodded then jumped in.
"Well as long as you stick to your side of the bed." With that she turned out the light for a good nights sleep.