The flat was peaceful and quiet. Ginny closed her eyes contentedly and leaned against the wall in the hallway. Silence. She had been craving it all day, and it was just what she needed after being stuck with a hysterical control freak like Padma for over two hours. Padma's lawyer had been extremely optimistic, explaining that all the evidence of embezzlement was on the sheaf of paper and the money would be back in the W.W.V.S vaults in no time at all. Poor Padma was hurt by the whole situation; she couldn't seem to get her head round it. Mr Fuller was a well respected accountant and quite well off himself; plus Padma paid him generously and Ginny knew for a fact that he was in charge of most of the richest clients in Diagon Alley. It was astounding to think someone like him could do such a thing. But greed was a fickle thing.

Ginny shuffled through to her small bedroom and fell onto the bed. Grabbing the pillow, she pulled it over her head to muffle her scream. She was tired, hungry, and in need of a long, hot soak in the bath. Gathering the miniscule amount of strength she had left, Ginny made her way into the bathroom, stripping as she went.

She sighed as her body slowly sank fully under the hot water, the bubbles that smelled of peaches sticking to her skin. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and drifted off into another world. This was what she needed, a nice calm, relaxing bath; at that minute in time nobody else mattered but her. She had no other worries, nobody else's needs to compete with. Just her and her thoughts, in a bath, with a large glass of white wine – cheap wine, but it still contained alcohol. Perfect.

A large crash from the living room startled her, causing her to swallow a mouthful of bath water. Coughing and spluttering, her face covered with peach-scented bubbles, she stared at the door in wide-eyed terror. She didn't move – hell, she couldn't move. Later on she would convince herself she hadn't wanted to alert the intruders that she was home, but at that particular moment she was absolutely terrified. Maybe they would be quick, find what they were looking for – hopefully it was in the living room – and leave.

But then she heard the door of the bedroom open with a squeak and the intruder shuffle into the room. Crap, she had left her wand on the bed; they would know she was here. She gripped the side of the bath, unable to tear her eyes away from the bathroom door. The knob rattled and then turned, and the door slowly opened to reveal the last person she wanted to been seen in the bath by.

"Harry!" Ginny screeched in outrage, and she covered her breasts with her hands.

"Oh, gods, I'm sorry! I called your name, but...." He trailed off, his eyes drawn irresistibly to her state of undress, her skin all wet and covered in bubbles – not something an ex-boyfriend should really be privileged to see, considering the way he'd ruthlessly dumped her.

"Get out," Ginny demanded, a pink blush staining her cheeks. This was the most embarrassing moment she could recall, even surpassing the time she'd slipped in the girls' changing room after a game of Quidditch, losing her towel in the process. Why did embarrassing things have to happen to her when she was naked? Only Merlin knew the answer to that.

"Of course, I'm sorry," mumbled Harry. Taking one last lingering look, he shook his head and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Letting out a deep breath, Ginny grabbed her dressing gown and pulled it around her, tying it as tightly as she could around her waist. That had been completely and utterly mortifying – her ex, of all people, walking in on her as she was having a bath – and he'd looked his fill, too, cheeky bastard that he was. It was also quite pitiful that that was the most action she'd had with a bloke since splitting up with Harry two years ago.

She entered the bedroom with her head held high, overlooking the fact that her face was as red as a bright, juicy tomato and trying to ignore the flare of embarrassment that welled up inside her when she spotted Harry sitting on her bed, of all places.

"I think it would be, uh, more comfortable if we were in the living room," Ginny stated and left the room before he could open his mouth to reply.

"I came round to talk about the Malfoy case. I was wondering if you had gotten a chance to look at anything," Harry said as he followed her.

She turned around to stare at him incredulously. "Harry, I just got the files this morning."

"Is that a no, then?" Harry asked as she scowled at him.

"Yes, it's a no. I've been busy all day. I had to write my column for the 11 a.m. deadline while Colin was sending me memos constantly, Imelda found evidence that something dodgy was going on with the W.W.V.S.' money, Padma is a mess after finding out from Colin that her accountant was embezzling money, and to top it all off Colin stunned Imelda and was less than a man about it, and for the last two hours I've been consoling a hysterical witch. So, no, I only got home half an hour ago and all I wanted to do was have a bath, maybe finish off a bottle of cheap wine, and sleep. Which has now all been ruined by you and –" Ginny stopped abruptly and gasped – "you broke my rabbit!"

"I'm sor – wait, what?" Harry asked, completely confused by her outburst.

"The glass rabbit, the one Luna gave to me – well, us – for our third anniversary. I knew you always hated it," Ginny said accusingly as she picked up the small shards of glass and held them to her chest.

Harry looked away uncomfortably. She was right, he had hated the glass rabbit; but for some reason unknown to him she absolutely adored it. Technically his breaking it had been an accident; how was he supposed to know she had rearranged the furniture?

"The coffee table never used to be there," he mumbled in defence.

"It's my flat, Harry. I'm allowed to move things around. Plus everyone else uses the front door," Ginny said, pointedly looking at the door in question. "Maybe if you visited me instead of ignoring me for two years you would know that."

They stared at each other, both of them unsure of what to say. Harry, feeling slightly ashamed of himself, decided to perch on the edge of the armchair. Ginny, on the other hand, went to the kitchen to dispose of what was left of the glass rabbit. She wasn't extremely upset about the rabbit's abrupt end, but she was glad of the excuse to shed a few tears. Everything was so awkward with Harry now. It was his fault, of course, but it didn't stop her from feeling like she'd lost a good friend in the process of all their fights and their subsequent utter acknowledgement of each other. And Lavender was a bit of a bitch to her, which Ginny supposed was another factor of their strained relationship.

She could see Harry standing in the doorway, just watching her and holding the box of files he had given her this morning. Wiping away a stray tear, she turned and gave him a small smile.

"Why did you come here, Harry?"

He sighed and moved into the middle of the kitchen. "I received a visit from Malfoy's lawyer."

Ginny took the box from Harry and placed it on the table. This was turning out to be quite interesting.

"What did he say?"

"He spoke to Malfoy in prison. It seems Malfoy has all of a sudden confessed that the murder weapon wasn't his. Mr Pritchard seems to think Malfoy knows who it belongs to, but he won't tell," Harry said as he took a seat at the table.

"Why not? If he knows, you could investigate and it could lead to him being freed," Ginny said. This was becoming far too intriguing. She filled up the kettle and grabbed two cups from the draining board.

"Well, you see, that's where the problem lies," Harry replied, making Ginny look over at him. "He doesn't want a trial."

"Malfoy doesn't want a trial?" Ginny frowned in confusion. "But who was the anonymous person who sent the letter, then?"

"We can't trace it back to anyone," Harry sighed and ran his hand over his face. "It's so bloody frustrating. Why would someone want to give Draco Malfoy another chance of freedom when he doesn't even want to be bloody freed?"

"This case seems to be all over the place," Ginny said sympathetically and handed him a cup of coffee. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Harry. He was new to the job of Chief Auror and had just been landed with the most complex cases to come out of the War. Malfoy had been on the fence for the whole of the War. The Order of the Phoenix had been watching him closely, waiting for him to make that one wrong move. Even the Death Eaters were waiting for him to go against them so they could kill him and get him out of the way; they couldn't kill him outright when he was so closely related to some of the most powerful Death Eaters in Voldemort's inner circle. But there had been nothing. He never made a wrong move, never said one wrong thing, until that fateful night in the Shrieking Shack.

"Come on, let's get cracking on these." She smiled and scooped up a handful of files.

Harry glanced over at the clock. "We might get lucky and finish by tomorrow morning."

Ginny grinned and opened the first file. "That's it, Harry. Think positive."

Seven cups of coffee each and over twenty files later, Harry was now using his pile as a pillow while Ginny continued to search, determined to find something that didn't seem right.

She reached again for the first file she'd come to in the box and knocked over a jar of something in the process. She read the top line, slightly distracted as she fumbled with the jar, setting it back upright. It was as if she had Accioed it with her mind. She blinked down at the report she was reading; she couldn't seem to decipher the words properly, but she knew that what she was reading was...it was....

18th September 1999

PYSCHIATRIC MEDICAL REPORT BY MIRANDA MINDLY – CHIEF PYSCH-HEALER

MEDICAL EXAMINATION

Throughout the examination Mr Malfoy shows signs of a stable mind as he answers the routine questions. He is polite and civil; he understands the questions fully and answers them clearly and precisely. Upon examining his mind, I come across two mind blocks, which is not uncommon. These would normally appear due to an injury or an event in childhood that caused great distress. In most cases witches and wizards have approximately four mind blocks, so Mr Malfoy's mind blocks are not unusual in any sense and would only have a 5% chance of contributing to the crimes he is accused of.

INTERVIEW 7

During the interview Mr Malfoy shows signs of confusion when asked questions relating to the man he claims to have dueled with on the night of the murders. He openly shows his discomfort, which leads me to believe he has a familiarity or a relationship of sorts with the man in question. It could also be seen as a contributing factor of the Blood Oath; possibly this man is a figment of Mr Malfoy's imagination which he thinks is real. There have been several recordings in the past where those who have practised Blood Oaths have seen something or someone in order to protect the Blood Oath in question.

As Auror Smith asks about Mr Malfoy's childhood, he is vague with details and visibly uninterested, especially at the mention of his father. It is obvious that the relationship between father and son was strained, but it is quite unusual for someone to be so indefinite and almost unsure of the relationship and facts about their father. Mr Malfoy displays anger and resentment as he speaks openly about growing up and witnessing his parents' cold and distant marriage. He obviously sees himself as a protector of his mother, and when asked what it was he was protecting her from, he fails to answer.

When the subject of the two victims is mentioned, Mr Malfoy shows genuine sorrow and becomes closed off. It is obvious that he feels the most deeply distressed by Parvati Patil's death, as if he had a close bond with her, which he denies.

In concluding the Pychological Analysis I have performed on Draco Lucius Malfoy, I feel he is of sane mind although he feels extreme emotion with regard to the actions that took place on 13th July 1998. In my opinion Mr Malfoy is telling the complete truth; more information about Blood Oaths should be gathered, and more evidence is needed for the trial on 20th September 1999.

"Harry! I think I've found something," Ginny said excitedly, her eyes never leaving the page.

Harry jumped. A piece of parchment was stuck to his cheek and his glasses were lopsided. The old Ginny would have though that was endearing, but the new Ginny just stared at him in exasperation.

"Look," she demanded as she thrust the file under his nose.

He obligingly took the file and scoured it quickly, his eyes widening, "She thought he was innocent?"

Ginny nodded with excitement, beaming. "I think you need to pay her a visit. I'm sure she'll still be working, or maybe she's retired, but that won't be a problem."

"She refers to Interview 7. Have we seen interview 7 yet?" Harry asked as he stared at the files they had read through with wide eyes, hoping they wouldn't have to go looking through them again.

Ginny looked from the file to the box and a sudden thought came to her. She rummaged through the box and picked up the glass jar she'd knocked over earlier. "It's not a file, Harry, it's a memory."

Ginny handed him the jar, a grin plastered across her face. Harry took it from her; it was light, as he'd known it would be, and the silvery memory swirled around, not quite gas but not water either. A white label stained with black ink was stuck on the lid: D.L. MALFOY MURDER TRIAL INTERVIEW 7. Peering into the box, he noticed there were a few more memories hidden beneath all those files, which would explain why the box had been heavier than expected.

"This was underneath it. It looks like the Aurors' own opinions on the case," Ginny assumed as she perused the document.

14th September – Daily Review

Draco Lucius Malfoy – Murder Trial

The Accused has once again denied ever having relations with the victims. He has become more and more insistent, bordering on aggression at mention of the victims' names and his involvement in their deaths. He continues to acknowledge, with slight hesitation, that the wand found in his possession at the scene of the crime is his own. The wand in question has been tested and was found positive as the murder weapon. Although he continues to deny any involvement in the murders of Patil and Boot, he admits freely that he is in fact a murderer, but refuses to expand on this.

Interview 7 will begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. Miranda Mindly, Chief Psych-Witch, and Shona Kaig, Chief of Archives and Records Department, will be in attendance.

Provisional Verdict – Guilty

Signed,

Alan Smith

Head Auror of Questioning

"I would like to know his opinions on Malfoy after Interview 7. It's all quite fascinating, isn't it?" Ginny smiled impishly at Harry. "Are we going to view the memory, or what?"

"Well, I suppose we should," Harry said as he pulled his wand from his pocket. "I'll need a large bowl, preferably without a design on it as it can ruin the memories' visage."

Ginny raised her eyebrows as she got up to find a bowl. "Memories' visage?"

Harry blushed. "Hermione mentioned it once or twice," he mumbled.

Ginny placed the bowl in the middle of the table and stared at Harry expectantly. She watched closely as he unscrewed the jar, gave her a quick look out of the corner of his eye, and then teased the contents into the bowl using the tip of his wand. They both watched as the grayish substance swirled lazily around the white china bowl Ginny used for her cereal in the mornings.

"I've never been in a memory before. How do we do it?" Ginny asked. She was beginning to feel slightly nervous. This would be a new experience for her and she didn't want to screw it up by doing it wrong.

"All we have to do is touch it. I'll go first; just copy what I do," Harry said simply and gave her a reassuring smile.

Ginny didn't smile back. She just stared at Harry as he moved his wand toward the bowl; when the wood touched the grey, swirling substance he was pulled into the memory and out of sight. Ginny gasped. Okay, that wasn't what she'd been expecting. Frowning, she copied what Harry had done and found herself spinning. Slowly she came to a stop; her surroundings were blurry but they gradually became more focused.

She spotted Harry standing next to the interview table, reading a piece of parchment in front of a thin balding man who wore old-fashioned Auror robes. The man must be Alan Smith, Ginny speculated as she wandered over to the table. Next to Auror Smith was a stern looking woman with glasses perched on her long, thin nose. Her stark black hair was pulled into a bun and she was wearing conservative grey robes that hid her figure. She was listening intently to the conversation Auror Smith and the woman on her right were having and writing notes on a piece of parchment every so often. This had to be Shona Kaig of the Archives and Records Department. Ginny turned her attention to the other woman, who was deep in conversation with Auror Smith; this must be Miranda Mindly, the one who believed Draco Malfoy was innocent. She looked extremely young to be a Chief Psych-Witch, with her bouncy curls, full, rosy cheeks, and clear, sparkling blue eyes.

"I don't think this is the best way –"

"It is. He deserves no less. He is a murderer –"

"You haven't proved that yet."

"It is only a matter of time, Miranda."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Two Aurors entered the room on either side of a teenage Draco Malfoy.

Harry moved to stand next to Ginny. "It's so strange. He looks so young."

Ginny looked over at Harry. "You were nineteen when you killed Voldemort, Harry. The same age Draco is here." They both turned as Alan Smith began to speak.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, I once again ask you to drink from the cup in front of you containing Veritaserum. As you know, Veritaserum allows you to speak only the truth. On my right, witnessing the interview and recording it for the purpose of the trial, is Shona Kaig, Chief of Archives and Records Department. Also in attendance, for the psychological analysis required for the final trial, is Miranda Mindly, Chief Psych-Witch of St. Mungo's." Auror Smith's tone was monotonous as he read the words from the sheet of parchment in front of him

Ginny watched as Draco took the cup with steady hands and drank it in one gulp. He put down he cup and stared at the three people in front of him with cold grey eyes.

"Now that the introductions have been made, we may proceed on to the questioning." Smith leant forward. "Mr Malfoy, why were you in the Shrieking Shack on the evening of Saturday 10th July 1999?"

"I received an anonymous owl from someone demanding that I meet them at the Shrieking Shack at 11 p.m.," Malfoy stated clearly.

"Did it not strike you as suspicious that the note was anonymous?"

Malfoy blinked. "No."

"Why not?"

"I had received several notes like it before and recognized the owl that delivered it," Malfoy replied, his voice unwavering.

"Do you know who sent you the note?"

"Yes."

"Mr Malfoy, can you please tell me who sent the note?" Auror Smith asked, trying hard to mask his annoyance.

"No, I have been sworn to secrecy by a Blood Oath," Malfoy replied automatically.

Ginny gasped and looked over at Harry, who was watching the scene before them in awe. This was obviously news to him. Everyone knew that anyone who broke a secret under a Blood Oath would die immediately, but if one of the participants in the Blood Oath died the other would be able to talk freely.

"When was the Blood Oath performed?" Auror Smith asked, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.

"On my seventeenth birthday."

"You have been under the Blood Oath for two years?"

"Yes."

"Draco Malfoy, have you at any time in your life been a Death Eater?"

"No," Draco replied harshly, glaring at Auror Smith with such venom that Ginny shivered.

"Could you please prove this by showing me your forearms?" Auror Smith asked as he scribbled something down on his piece of parchment.

Ginny watched silently as Draco sneered at the three people sitting in front of him and rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt, baring his pale, thin forearms. Ginny, Harry, and the three other occupants of the room all focused on the bright black tattoo staining his right wrist. It wasn't the Dark Mark, it was something else – something that looked decidedly dangerous, Ginny thought as she glanced over at Harry in confusion.

"Harry, what is –"

But Auror Smith began speaking once more, so Ginny stopped and returned her attention to the scene before them.

"Mr Malfoy, can you please explain the tattoo on your wrist?"

"It's a symbol I was given when I took the Blood Oath," Draco replied, pushing down his sleeves.

"Is this a mark of the Dark Lord?"

"No, it's the mark of a killer," Draco said softly, causing Ginny to shake. Draco Malfoy was completely and utterly terrifying. He looked like an angel with his pure white skin, platinum hair, and intense features that made him a delightful sight to behold, but when he spoke he made her insides coil up in fear. He was so blunt and ferocious with his answers.

"Why do you have the mark of a killer on your wrist, Mr Malfoy?" asked Auror Smith, looking Draco straight in the eye.

"Because I am a killer, Auror Smith. It is what I was ordered to do," Draco replied mockingly, leaning further back into his chair and looking quite relaxed.

"Who ordered you to kill, Malfoy?"

"The person who ordered me to kill was the person in charge of sending me those notes and participating in the Blood Oath."

"Were you ordered to kill Terry Boot and Parvati Patil?"

"No."

Auror Smith shook his head and muttered something to Shona Kaig that Ginny couldn't make out. Shona just nodded and continued to write furiously on the scroll of parchment.

"Who were you ordered to kill?"

"I can't tell you that."

Auror Smith rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Why did you kill the people you killed?"

"For money," Draco said simply, shifting his attention to Shona Kaig as she wrote her notes.

"A Malfoy killing for money? That's unheard of. Yours is one of the richest families in Britain. Why would you need money?" scoffed Auror Smith.

Ginny frowned as Draco moved his attention back to Auror Smith. It was unheard of, a Malfoy doing anything for money. They had billions of Galleons in their vaults, everyone knew that. Ginny turned her attention back to Draco, who was looking at Auror Smith as if he was a naughty child.

"Because," Draco said slowly, "my father cut me off and disowned me."

"Do you know why your father decided to take such an action against you?"

"I didn't follow in his footsteps and become a Death Eater, that's why."

"Why did you not want to become a Death Eater?"

"Because I didn't want to kill innocent people for fun," Draco replied, his voice rising slightly.

Ginny could see he was becoming frustrated with the questioning.

"So you killed innocent people for money instead," Auror Smith said forcefully, causing Malfoy to shake his head.

"No, I killed those who deserved it. Those who needed to be killed," Draco insisted, his voice gruff with anger.

"Did Terry Boot and Parvati Patil deserve to be killed?" demanded Auror Smith, rising out of his chair slightly, an action which Ginny knew was intended to intimidate.

"No, they were good, innocent people who should never have been there," Draco said evenly.

"Mr Malfoy, what happened when you arrived at the Shrieking Shack on the night of the murders?" Auror Smith asked. His voice, while still stern, had lost its angry edge.

Draco frowned and shook his head slightly. "Something went wrong. But I can't remember what it was. I've tried…over and over…I've tried to remember what happened, but I can't."

Ginny bit her lip as she watched Draco closely; he looked lost and confused, so much so that she wanted to go over and comfort him.

"Tell us what you remember." The soft feminine voice made Ginny look over at Miranda Mindly, who had been silent and watchful throughout the interview process until now. Ginny could see that Miranda was also concerned for Malfoy as she gave him an encouraging smile.

Malfoy shut his eyes in concentration. "I Apparated into the living room area of the Shrieking Shack; it was always the place where the meetings were held. It was empty. I went into the hallway to take a look around and heard a voice from upstairs. I went onto the landing and saw a flash of blue light coming from one of the bedrooms. I went in and saw Parvati on the bed, clutching her stomach and saying Terry's name over and over. He was lying dead on the floor next to the bed, his hand outstretched like he was trying to hold her. I ran over to her and she screamed at me. She asked me why I would do that to her when I'd told her I loved her. I didn't and still don't understand it. I never had anything to do with her at school. I didn't know her." His voice cracked and he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Do you have any idea who she thought you were?" Miranda Mindly asked gently.

"No…I…she did scream at me, called me by some other name…I…I…I honestly can't remember what it was. But it was familiar – Merlin, that doesn't make sense," Draco said furiously.

"It's fine, and it does make sense. What were your intentions when you went to Miss Patil?"

"I wanted to help her; she…she was in pain, holding her stomach and bleeding. I just wanted to help her," Malfoy ended pitifully. "I Flooed for the Healers and Aurors."

"There was a ten-minute delay in getting the authorities to the Shrieking Shack due to wards that were placed around the building. What happened in that time?" Auror Smith asked, reading from a file.

"Well, I think I dueled…I remember dueling with someone." Draco frowned. "He was wearing a dark cloak. I don't know what he looked like. But he was about my height, six-foot-two. And he killed Parvati before he left."

"Draco Malfoy, you were found at the scene of the crime with a wand in your possession." Auror Smith procured a wand from a small black box. "Do you recognize this?"

"Well, yes, that…that...is...my wand?" Draco looked at the wand in confusion.

Ginny looked over at Harry, who was watching the exchange with a frown. Something wasn't right with Malfoy's answers. He looked confused as he was speaking, as if the words were not his own.

"Malfoy, this wand was tested and confirmed as the murder weapon. Does it belong to you?"

"It looks familiar. But I don't know why. I suppose it could be…it is my wand."

"I will ask you once again: did you kill Terrence Boot and Parvati Patil on the night of Saturday, 10th July 1999?"

"No," Draco insisted. "I agree that I am a murderer and I should pay for what I've done, but I never killed Boot or Patil."

"Mr Malfoy, you were found at the scene of the crime holding the murder weapon that you have confirmed as your wand. Your trial will take place on 20th September 1999. Interview 7 terminated at 7:30 p.m. Thank you, Mr Malfoy."

Ginny's vision went blurry, and the scene in front of her lost focus as she began to spin through a mass of grey cloud. She steadied herself as her vision went back to normal and then she was back in her small kitchen, leaning against the dining table. Harry was at the sink pouring himself a glass of water.

"Did Malfoy's answers seem confusing to you?" Harry finally asked once he finished downing the glass of water in two huge gulps.

"It was almost like they were someone else's words," Ginny said, confirming his thoughts.

"I don't like it. Something is connecting him to that wand," Harry said.

"Do you still have the wand?" Ginny asked as she poured the memory back into the jar and closed the lid.

"Of course. Narcissa Malfoy would be able to identify her son's wand, wouldn't she?" Harry asked. It was a long shot, but he had to try something.

"Or Ollivander. He remembers everyone's wands. He would know who the wand belonged to if it was one of his," Ginny pointed out.

"Right, that's what I'll do tomorrow – visit Narcissa Malfoy and Ollivander. What about you?"

Ginny gave a hesitant smile. "I was hoping you could arrange for me to have an interview with Malfoy."

"Sure, just get Malfoy to sign the publicity contract. You'll need to see his lawyer, Mr Pritchard, about that. I'll fill out the other forms for you," Harry said as he picked up the box of files. "I'm going to have to take these back, I'm afraid, because what we've found will need thorough investigation by more Aurors, but I'll get my assistant to make copies for you."

"Okay. Let me know how the visits go –"

"You could come with me," Harry interrupted quickly.

Ginny opened her mouth, then closed it, not quite sure what she wanted to do. "Uhm, well, I suppose it would be good coverage."

Harry smiled. "Great, it's a date."

He Apparated out of her kitchen with a pop, leaving her quite disconcerted. She hoped he wouldn't see this as a bonding opportunity for them; it was strictly business to her. As far as she was concerned that's all it could be between them now: just business.

A/N - Many thanks to my beta, Mamacita! Please read and review, ta muchly. :) xxx