I Am the Resurrection
By Tammyfait69
Rating M
WARNING: This chapter has mentions of Non-Con sexual situations and mentions rape. It does NOT have a scene of that nature, just mentions of it off scenes.
Chapter 2
July 23rd, 2009: Magical Law Enforcement Offices: Draco Malfoy's office
Draco leaned back in his chair, running both hands through his short blond hair. The words in the file he was studying were starting to blur and he turned his head towards the clock. He was surprised to see it was after ten pm. In the last forty-eight hours, he'd slept for maybe five of them. He'd met Granger bright and early at eight as they had planned, and they had spent the entirety of the day going through the murder files together, laying out all the evidence, magical reports and witness interviews. For hours, they had gone through each and every detail, looking for new leads and bouncing ideas off one another. They'd argued several times because they were just too stubborn and opinionated to not speak their minds, however, Draco had to admit, he found himself impressed with his partner's attention to detail, her intelligence, insight as well as her dedication to catching their killer. She'd never once complained or asked to take a break.
It had been a long day and he was knackered; he figured Granger had to be as exhausted as he was.
"Should we call it a night?" he asked, picking up the empty take away containers from his desk and tossing them into the trash.
Hermione glanced up from the list she was making. "Malfoy, did you know that each of our witches took an advance studies class in the dark arts?"
Draco paused in his effort to tidy up his desk to look at her. "Yeah. I looked into it. The subject was the same, but their classes were in different years with three different teachers…" He balled up a piece of paper and shot it into his trash can. "I couldn't find anything besides the subject matter itself to link them."
Hermione smirked at seeing Draco Malfoy, pureblood wizard shooting a paper ball as if he were a muggle playing American basketball!
"Why?" Draco asked. "Did you find something?"
"No, but I was thinking that having a class in common would lead to other things in common such as dark wizarding shops and such. You know for research or potion ingredients, etcetera."
"Yeah, I thought of that too," he told her, leaning back in his comfortable looking wing backed chair. "I made the rounds in Knockturn Alley; and while they frequented a few of the same shops, nothing stuck out as odd or strange."
"I see your old Slytherin friend Theo Nott has a shop in Knockturn Alley."
Draco paused, frowning. "He does. Nott's Naughtiest."
Hermione chuckled at the name. "Really? Nott's Naughtiest?"
Malfoy smirked. "Just because he's Slytherin doesn't mean he has good taste."
"Obviously not," Hermione sniffed. After a moment she asked, "Did you interview him and ask if he knew any of our witches."
He rolled his eyes. "Of course, I did." When Hermione didn't reply, Malfoy's brows started to lower. The lack of sleep and frustration over the case made his voice sharp. "What? Do you think I took it easy on him because he's a former Death Eater's son and a Slytherin?"
Hermione sighed. "That's not what I said."
"But you implied it with your swotty little nose in the air."
"My…what?" Hermione shook her head, not wanting to be drawn in to yet another argument. She took a deep breath to calm her rising temper. "Let's not exaggerate. I wasn't implying anything, I assure you."
"Let's not exaggerate," he mimicked. They had been forced together for hours on end and Draco's tolerance was nearing its end. Granger irritated him and now that he was on a roll, he wasn't ready to leave off. "Sure, you weren't," he scoffed. "I know how you Gryffindor's think. You assume that all Slytherins stick together and can't be trusted."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, what are you on about, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped, her patience stretched thin as well after all the time spent together. "I never said anything of the sort, but since you seem so defensive regarding the matter, perhaps I need to!"
He shot to his feet, slammed his palms down on his desk and leaned over towards her. "Take that back…now."
Not to be intimidated, Hermione leaped to her feet too. "No! Why should I? You seem intent on putting words in my mouth, maybe I should start reading between the lines as well."
Draco raked an angry hand through his hair. "I knew this wouldn't work," he grumbled. "You're a bossy swot and I can't work like this."
"You know what?" Hermione snapped, shoving her belongings back into her bag. "Perhaps you're right, it's been a long day. Let's call it a night."
"Abso-bloody-lootely," Draco growled. "Is that not what I said before you decided to be a bitch!?"
Hermione rounded on him, marching right up to his desk and poking her finger in his face. "Call me a name like that again, Malfoy, and I'll go straight to Shacklebolt and have you brought up on charges of harassment." His eyes widened at her threat. "Are we clear you insufferable ferrety prat?"
He laughed darkly, absent humor. "Oh, it's perfectly acceptable for you to insult me but you get your knickers in a twist if I do the same?" He shook his head. "It's like Hogwarts all over again. The Golden trio could break the rules over and again, but fuck all if anyone else did it!" He sat back down in his chair and leaned back. "Piss off, Granger! Go to Shacklebolt. I could give a toss. You're a bloody hypocrite and you know it."
Her entire body stiffened at the insult. "I am not!" She refuted hotly. "Any rule we broke, we did it for the greater good, Malfoy, unlike you and your group of thugs!"
"Really?" He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, using a confundo on McLaggen during his quidditch tryout was for the greater good?"
Hermione flushed bright red. "How did you—?"
"Know that you're the reason the weasel got his keepers gig?"
Hermione nodded, too embarrassed to say anything.
He snorted. "C'mon Granger, it wasn't too hard to figure out. He was fine before tryouts, but after…the poor bloke could barely manage a flight of steps." He snickered. "It was rather ingenious actually, and as a Slytherin, I could appreciate what you did and why, but then again, I'm not prattling on about my good and noble intentions either. Am I?"
"No, you're not." Hermione's righteous indignation slowly seeped away. "And you're right about what I did to McLaggen. It was for selfish purposes." He gave a short bark of laughter and she rubbed her temples, staving off a headache. "Look, before we continue this schoolyard rivalry, I'd like to say I if I implied you did not thoroughly interview Nott, I'm sorry. It wasn't my intent," she said. "I've been more than impressed with the work you've done on this case and I truly want to partner with you on it."
Malfoy had to admit, he was no longer annoyed she'd been assigned to his investigation. Well, he hadn't been until just a moment ago. "I'll admit to being impressed too." It wasn't an apology and he knew it. She did too, and an awkward silence filled the air. He sighed. "Fine, I apologize for calling you a bitch. It was uncalled for."
"Thank you," Hermione said a genuine smile flitting across her face for a moment before she tucked it away and became all business again. "Can we start over?" she asked. "I would like for us to be able to work this case together without resorting to throwing insults at each other as if we were still at Hogwarts."
He nodded. "Sure, but let's start over tomorrow. I don't know about you but I'm bloody shattered. I've had about an hours' worth of sleep and have been existing on pure caffeine for the last forty-eight. I'm heading home for a hot shower and my bed, from which I hope not to be disturbed from for at least six hours."
"Sounds brilliant," Hermione said. "I shall see you in the morning then?"
Draco got up from his desk. "Let's meet here at nine, then."
"Nine it is." Hermione paused in his doorway. "Hey Malfoy?" He looked up from his desk, brow cocked in silent question. "I am sorry if I insulted you."
"It's in the past Granger. Let's just try and work together, yeah?"
Hermione nodded her head and left Draco's office.
The blond wizard sighed. He glanced at the clock. Near eleven. It was late, but not late enough he couldn't drop in. Deciding he had time for a personal call before he headed home, Draco turned out his light and exited his office.
No one, especially not Draco Malfoy, expected it would be the last time he'd see his office for some time.
XXOOXX
August 1st, 2009. Ministry Building.
Draco Malfoy was missing.
For the last week, they had been rounding up the usual suspects, trying to find a lead in the missing Auror's case. Hermione watched as Harry escorted Blaise Zabini into interrogation room A. The Italian wizard had ignored their first summons to come in for questioning, saying he'd been out of country. Harry had found him an hour ago at his mother's estate in Wiltshire, near Malfoy Manor and had brought him in. His reluctance to speak to them made her suspicious, but then again, most of the old Slytherin or Death Eater kids did not want to come forward and speak to the MLE, even for their fallen Prince.
With a sigh she got up from her seat and made her way to room A and joined Harry for the interrogation.
Blaise was seated at a scarred wooden table in the center of the drab room. The wall sconces around the room gave it a golden glow. He was obviously upset as he waved his hands in the air at Harry, causing shadows to dance along the wall from the candlelight.
Hermione entered the room and stayed standing, leaning against the wall of the room to watch for the moment.
"Look Potter," Zabini was saying as she entered the room, closing the door behind her. "I play Quidditch with him every weekend. Hit the pubs with him at least once a month and…" Zabini gave Hermione an appreciative once over. "I've even shared a witch or two with the bloke," he added with a wicked grin.
Zabini was a handsome git, but his arrogance was a turn off for Hermione. She rolled her eyes and ignored the dark wizard's comment and look. But Merlin, she did feel sorry for any unsuspecting witch Zabini and Malfoy set their sights on. That would be a lethal combination of bad-boy sex appeal.
"Interested Granger?" Zabini asked, offering her a wink.
"Oh please. Shut it, Zabini," she said.
"Your loss," he said with a shrug.
"I doubt it," she returned with a snort.
Rebuffed, Blaise turned his attention back to Harry. "Fact is, Draco is my best mate and I resent you questioning me as if I'm a bloody suspect!"
Harry pulled out a seat for Hermione at the table. "You weren't a suspect until you ignored my original summons," he said, waiting for Hermione to take her chair before he took his own. He leaned forward. "Care to tell me again why you didn't show up if Draco is like you say, "your best mate"?"
XXOOXX
Three hours later, Hermione and Harry left interrogation room A no closer to finding Malfoy than they had been when they entered. Blaise had been out of the country at his villa in Italy. He had been there the week of Malfoy's disappearance as well, giving him a decent alibi. However, that did not mean he had not returned using an illegal portkey, or even by muggle transportation, so he was not entirely cleared.
He gave them a bit of information regarding Malfoy's private life, but not much.
When Hermione had pressed him, Blaise had blown up at her.
"Look Granger, Drake doesn't broadcast his affairs, you get it?" He said. "After Astoria lost the bloody plot on him, he has taken great care to keep his shagging low key. I know he was seeing a couple of Ravenclaw bints before the New Year debacle with Tori." He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "Other than that, he's been a sodding monk for all I know."
"What about his other friends? Associates?" Harry had asked.
"What friends and associates?" Blaise had returned. "He works eighteen sodding hours a day here!" Zabini had turned the tables on them for a moment when he asked why they didn't know more about Draco considering they (The Auror Dept.) spent more time with him than even his own family.
His acerbic attitude made him suspicious, however, they had nothing to hold him on and were forced to let him go.
Hermione ignored the smirk the former Slytherin gave her as he swaggered out of the MLE offices.
Harry, however, nearly went off the trolley when Zabini paused and asked him how Ginny was.
There had been such a lecherous expression on the Italian wizard's face, Hermione had been forced to keep a restraining arm on her best friend.
Zabini had only added fuel to Harry's Fiendfyre when he had chuckled and added, "Make sure to send Ginevra my best, Potter, yeah? She was one feisty witch."
It was a good thing Harry hadn't had his wand, he might have lost his head and hexed Zabini right there in front of the rest of the Aurors, assistants and even a stray delivery person or two. Hermione was relieved to see Blaise Zabini leave the department unscathed and uncursed.
XXOOXX
August 26th, 2009. Ministry Building: Harry Potter's Office.
"Draco Malfoy, Heir to the Malfoy Fortune, Auror and Ex-Death Eater Still Missing. Potter and MLE Clueless or Culpable?" Hermione snarled as she read the headline. "It's rubbish!" She flung the copy of the Daily Prophet aside as she paced in front of Harry's desk. "Rita Skeeter should have her journalism privileges revoked! She writes nothing but slanderous rumors."
Harry shrugged. "I don't let her bother me, but the culpable part of that article is worrisome. What is she trying to imply, that the MLE had something to do with Malfoy's disappearance?" She scoffed. "It's ridiculous. He's one of our own."
"Exactly. Ugh! That woman," she muttered. "I should have kept her in that jar."
"Huh?" Harry said.
"Oh, never mind. Let's forget Rita Skeeter and her not so moral journalistic code and focus on the cases at hand."
Harry had stepped in as lead Auror on the murdered witches case. Another witch was murdered at the beginning of the month, but the MLE was no closer to finding a suspect in the case than they had been since after the first murder. It was frustrating, but Harry kept at it, while Hermione worked Malfoy's missing person case. In the last month, she questioned several of Draco's known acquaintances and had been looking into his private life with a fine-toothed comb in her search to find the missing Auror.
Hermione handed Harry a list of suspects she'd put together. It was long. "Hermione, there's over fifty names here. Yeah, he's a git, but surely he hasn't brassed off this many people enough to want to kill him!"
"Well, they're not all enemies. Some of them are his…ahem…ex-lovers. There are quite a few," she said blushing and hating herself for it.
Harry nodded. He ignored her flushed cheeks, Hermione would just get angry with him if he pointed them out anyways. "Okay. Any that stand out more than the rest?"
"We need to bring in Astoria Greengrass again," she said. "You remember how she stalked him after he broke up with her?"
Harry's brows drew down over his green eyes. "But Hermione—"
"I know you interviewed her a few days after he went missing, but I have new information."
"Like what?"
"Well, I recently discovered she was seeing a mind healer at St. Mungo's for months but stopped her weekly visits after Malfoy disappeared. It's suspicious. Perhaps, she knows something and is afraid her healer will realize. Whatever her motivation, I think she is worth a second look."
Harry sighed, scratched his head and looked everywhere but in her eyes. Hermione knew him too well. It was obvious he had information he thought pertinent but wasn't sure he should share with her.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Potter heaved a sigh but didn't reply. Hermione wasn't having it. "Harry, I've known you for fifteen years and I recognize when you are keeping things from me."
Harry pulled out a file and set it on his desk. "This file contains my report on a situation that Malfoy didn't want anyone to know about..."
Hermione reached for the file, but Harry held it away from her; Hermione sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, normally, I'd understand you wanting to keep a confidence, but honestly, Harry, Malfoy's privacy is secondary at the moment. He's missing!"
When he still hesitated to hand over the file, Hermione prodded him. "You may as well show it to me because you know I will simply harass you until you do."
Believing her, Harry caved. "Fine. But what I tell you goes or what you read in this…" He indicated the file, "goes no further than this room." His expression was serious. "The only reason I know of the incident is because I'm Head Auror. You have to promise me, Hermione."
"Incident?" She gave a solemn of her agreement. "Of course. I give you my word."
She reached for the file, but he kept it from her. "Before I let you read my report, I need to give you the circumstance behind it."
Hermione huffed out an impatient breath but nodded and waved a hand for him to continue. "Fine."
"First off, Malfoy and Astoria have a rather complicated history…"
"Harry," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes, "please tell me we're not going to rehash their relationship?"
He scowled at her. "No, but as I said, before you can read the report you have to understand the circumstances between them."
Hermione capitulated and relaxed into her chair to listen to Harry's explanation. "I'm sorry. You were saying…"
"Last summer, Astoria was diagnosed with a rare magical blood disease." He sighed. "She's dying, Hermione. She has maybe a few years left and that is with regular blood transfusions."
"Was Malfoy still with her at the time?"
"No. But he was still in her life. After her diagnosis, she asked him to father a child with her..." Hermione's eyes widened, but before she could interrupt with questions, Harry went on with his story. "He refused of course because she had become a tad obsessed with him." Harry shrugged. "I think you'll recall how she used to wait for him in the lobby for hours."
"A tad obsessed?!" Hermione snorted. "Harry calling Astoria a tad obsessed is like saying London is a bit foggy. She was off the bloody trolley and you know it. She followed him around for months, arrived unannounced and uninvited at his office. She harassed the women who worked with him. For Merlin's sake! The woman once threatened me with an Unforgivable when she saw me leaving his office!"
She shook her head at her best friend. "No, a tad does not begin to cover it. And let's not forget the New Years' gala!" the cinnamon-eyed witch reminded.
Harry's expression looked pained. "Yes, well unfortunately, we all got a deeper look into Malfoy's relationship than we'd have liked on that night."
"I'd say so," she agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't think anyone who was there will soon forget Astoria Greengrass in her stunning ball gown slicing open her wrists in front of the entire ministry and begging Malfoy to love her again. It was quite a spectacle!"
"Yeah, it made the pages of the Prophet for months afterwards." He sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "And that wasn't the extent of it. Malfoy never let any of us know how bad it really got until he was forced to. After New year's, she began sleeping outside his door; leaving notes and gifts or when she was angry, graffitiing the walls of his complex. He had to double his wards just to keep her out of his building."
"Good Godric," she murmured. "How do you know all this?"
"I'm Head Auror," he said. "After the incident he was forced to tell me the extent of Astoria's harassment."
"This is the second time you've mentioned an incident," Hermione said. "What incident?"
Harry took a deep breath before he dropped the bombshell regarding the "incident". "Astoria didn't just stalk and harass Malfoy. She went so far as to kidnap and hold him hostage once."
Hermione about fell from her chair in shock. "What are you going on about? When?"
"Do you remember just after Valentine's Day—"
"When he didn't show up for work for two days," Hermione answered.
"Yes. Astoria had him in her flat as her captive for those two days trying to force him to impregnate her."
Hermione gasped, her jaw nearly unhinging at that bit of news. "Merlin's wand! You're joking."
When Harry remained quiet, Hermione lost her temper. "Are you telling me Astoria Greengrass sexually assaulted Draco Malfoy, an Auror with this office with no charges brought against her?"
Her voice had risen to shrill, and Harry shushed her.
Hermione sat forward in her chair. "Don't shush me, Harry Potter! Tell me you're joking. Tell me that this is some perverted jest."
"I wish I could, but it's the truth," Harry replied solemnly, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "I know how it sounds…"
Her snort of derision cut him off. "What it sounds like is Astoria should either be in Azkaban or the Janus Thickey ward at St. Mungo's! And since I know formal charges have never been pressed against the woman, that begs the question… Why? Why is she not incarcerated in some fashion?"
Under Hermione's glare, the Boy Who Lived fidgeted in his seat. "Draco wanted to just forget it happened," he told her, shuffling the papers on his desk around. "
Hermione was gobsmacked. "That is not his choice, Harry. A crime was committed!"
"I understand that, but he called it a desperate act from a desperate woman. He didn't want her punished."
Hermione wasn't buying that. "Rubbish! Lack of victim cooperation has no bearing on pressing charges." She wagged her finger in Harry's face. "You are his superior, you should have insisted. Allowing him to make that call was unacceptable."
"I tried everything I could to convince him he should press formal charges. He refused. Flat out refused, Hermione."
"Why? Is it because he's a wizard, not a witch?" she bit out, furious. "Tell me Malfoy isn't one of those wizards that believes a man cannot be raped by a woman?" She rolled her eyes. "Knowing him—of course he probably is!"
Harry winced at the word "rape". "I don't think it was that. I think he felt badly for her truthfully. She IS dying Hermione."
Hermione was not appeased. "That's ridiculous! I'm sorry she's ill, Harry, really I am, but that makes no difference in what she did." She leveled her gaze on him, arching an irate brow. "By your principle, should we allow every person diagnosed with a terminal illness simply break the law at their leisure?"
Harry rubbed his temples. "I understand what you are saying, 'Mione, and no we should not allow everyone to just break the law, but I don't think you're comprehending Malfoy's determination to not have this filed."
"You didn't need his permission!" she argued.
"Yes, I did!" He snapped back. "Without him saying she forced him it would be her word against no one's!" Hermione's ire dissipated at that and Harry sighed. "Look, I don't want to argue with you over this. I tried to get him to file. I did. I even threatened his job for Merlin's sake!"
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't realized.
"You know what he said? He told me to fire him then. He even went as far as to let me know, in no uncertain terms I might add, if he was brought before the Wizengamot, he would say it was consensual kinky shagging." Harry turned his green eyes to Hermione. "What would you have me do? Force him once again to do something he didn't want?"
She grimaced when he put it that way. "I'm sorry," Hermione said. It was clear Harry really hadn't a choice. "You're right, if his wish was to not prosecute, the case would have been thrown out immediately."
Thinking of Astoria's appointments at St. Mungo's and the mind healer, a sudden thought came to Hermione, causing her to feel a bit ill. "She's not pregnant, is she?"
"No," Harry answered, shaking his head. "Thank Merlin. Malfoy said her blood cleansing potions apparently interfered with the fertility potions and rendered them ineffective."
"And her appointments with the mind healer?"
"Malfoy insisted she go," Harry replied. "It was part of his requirements with her in exchange for not formally charging her."
"Well, at least he did that," she said. "And, I hope you insisted he speak with a professional as well, despite his wishes."
"I did. I put him behind a desk after the incident and insisted he see Dr. Elizabeth Hart, a ministry mind healer and receive a clean bill of mental health before he was allowed to return to active field duty."
Hermione nodded, recalling the brief period when Malfoy was confined to desk duty. She had thought it strange at the time considering his outstanding case solve ratio but had never asked; she and the blond Auror were not close. In fact, neither were Malfoy and Harry. Which caused her to wonder why Malfoy, notorious for his aloofness, would open up to his long-time nemesis.
"If Malfoy wanted to keep this private, how did you find out? No offence, Harry, while I love and adore you, I know Malfoy does not. I find it odd he would confess all this personal information to you."
Harry chuckled softly. "He didn't want to, but he was forced to explain his whereabouts after being missing for two days…"
"You had to view his memories for security purposes. Didn't you?" Hermione accurately surmised.
"Yes," Harry confirmed. "He wanted to warn me what I would find there." He handed her the file. "Plus, Dr. Hart insisted he let someone know the extent of Astoria's harassment, and since he knew I would be reading her report on his sessions, he chose to explain the entire situation to me."
Hermione took several minutes to peruse the incident file. Her cheeks flushed as she read Harry's detailed accounting of Malfoy's memories of how Astoria had sex with the blond wizard for two days while he was tied to her bed. When she was through, she knew she had seen enough to warrant another conversation with one Astoria Greengrass.
"We need to speak with her again."
"I know," Harry agreed.
"When you interviewed her previously, did you search her flat?" she asked, returning Malfoy's file to him.
"Yeah," Harry said as he took the file and placed it in a drawer in his desk. He used a muggle key and locked the drawer before adding a ward to his desk as well. "She let me in and I looked in every room of her flat. He wasn't there."
"Harry, I know you wanted to protect Malfoy's privacy, but really, you should have shared this information before now," she scolded.
"Why do I feel like I'm back in Hogwarts and you're nagging me about my homework," he teased.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she got to her feet. "This is serious. Stalking is bad enough, but actually taking him captive…that is an entirely new level of crazy," she said as she took hold of her robes and slipped them on. "If it's her that means she's had him for almost a month!"
Harry sighed, realizing there was no way around Hermione's chiding. "I know," he replied. "I've had her under surveillance. She has not had any strange behavior or guests and seems genuinely concerned for him. She's called me several times pressuring me to find him."
"If you're so certain it's not Astoria, then why are we even speaking with her?"
He shrugged. "We are out of leads. It's time to revisit old ones."
"Well this time we need to look closer than a visual room by room surveil."
He pulled a piece of parchment from inside his Auror robes and waved it. "I have the authorization to conduct a thorough search of her home right here."
"Good," Hermione said, picking up her wand. "Let's go."
XXOOXX
Okay, part 2 is up. Thank you for those of you who have R&R'd. Not sure if this will find an audience. My other story had a lot better response. Oh well. I guess we shall see. Yeah? If you're reading this, let me know what you think. Thanks.
