Chapter 3 – Questioning.
Harry woke up the next day feeling refreshed. He always felt this after training or a fight. First, a feeling of intense hunger and tiredness and then rejuvenation as his magic flooded back to him. Then he remembered what he had to do today. He first called Dobby and had him take food to Draco and ensure he had clothes to wear and somewhere to bathe. He then did all this for himself. Dobby was to take Draco to the study at ten am and notify Hermione that he was there.
Harry walked into the study at 5 minutes past 10 to find both Draco and Hermione already there. The study was arranged so that two chairs faced the chair that Draco now sat in. A small end-table was next to one chair with a bottle of clear liquid on it and a glass of water. A round stone also sat on the table. Hermione stood at the window looking out onto Grimmauld Place, a sad expression in her eyes.
Neither looked towards him as he entered the room, but Hermione must have registered her presence because she said, "Ron isn't happy about this, Harry."
"I'm not surprised, Hermione. What do you think?" He asked back.
"I don't know. I'm willing to listen to what he has to say." She turned from the window and strode round chairs to the end table, picking up the bottle. She measure out two drops into the glass of water. "Moody told us to use it sparingly, which means we have to finish this within the hour. We no longer have a potioneer with enough skill to make it. We're also running low on medical supplies."
"After today, I'm hoping that it will no longer be a problem." Hermione raised her eyebrow, acknowledging his plan with scepticism.
"Let's get on, shall we?" Harry turned to the one in the room who had sat silently through this exchange.
"Potter, is that veritaserum? You never mentioned that we would be using it?" Draco raised his arched eyebrows.
"It's the only way to ensure you're somewhat welcome here," Harry said softly. Draco's hard demeanour dropped immediately.
"Very well." He took the glass from Hermione and downed it. Harry sat down. They sat in a stiff silence, waiting the required time for the truth serum to work. Hermione took up the mantle, she didn't sit down in the vacant chair, preferring to stand, resting on the desk in the corner of the room. When Draco's eyes had glazed over, Hermione was satisfied and touched the stone with her wand. When it began to glow she began.
"Malfoy, why are you here?" She asked.
"I don't understand the question," he replied.
"Hm. Why did you come to Number 12 Grimmauld Place?" She rephrased.
"I broke into a bakery and fell asleep. When I woke up there was a note on the table telling me to come here," Draco responded mechanically.
"Do you know who the note was from?"
"No."
"Can you guess?"
"No."
Hermione sighed. "Why did you leave Lord Voldemort?"
"I haven't left," Draco replied.
Hermione's eyes widened and she reached for her wand.
"Wait," Harry said to Hermione. "You're asking the wrong question."
Harry took over. "Draco?"
Draco turned sharply from Hermione to Harry.
"Do you remember the last four weeks?"
"Yes."
"Tell me what's happened in the last four weeks. From the beginning, leave out no details."
Draco straightened in his chair as if this story was going to affect him. "NO!" His gaze sharpened and his eyes cleared. "No, don't make me tell that story. I'm- I'm not ready." Harry saw that his hands were clenched at his sides, his brown was sweating. It took a lot to break the spell of Veritaserum and emotional trauma was one of them. Harry mixed another glass of water and truth potion.
"Take this. I promise not to ask about more than the last 24 hours," Harry said stiffly.
"Harry, he must tell us what has happened." Hermione stood and crossed her arms.
"He's not ready! Forcing him to relive whatever it is may do more damage than good. Let him tell us what has happened to bring him here. You require no more than that."
"Draco?" Draco turned to Harry, his eyes glassy once more. Draco tell us about the last time you saw Voldemort."
"He came to the dungeons. He asked me had I ever been hunting before. I replied that I had. He then apparated me to a field. He gave me my wand and told me that I should probably start running. He laughed. I ran. I ran as fast as I could through fields of wheat until I reached a copse of trees. I could hear howls behind me as I ran. I transfigured my dirty robes into clothes for running. I ran until I hit a clearing. I dismantled the wards around my magic. I apparated. I broke into the bakery, I passed out. I woke up to find a note and two potions. Blood Replenishing and Magic Restorative. The note told me to come here." Draco told his story in short bursts, mechanically. Harry hated himself for admitting that he disliked seeing the usually eloquent boy speaking like this.
"You were kept in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor?" Hermione asked.
"Yes"
"What did they-"
"Hermione, enough. Don't go there." Harry knew that she wanted to argue, but steamrolled ahead. They sat there for the whole hour, gathering information from Draco. He didn't know a great deal of Voldemort's own plans, but instead they learned a lot of the Manor, Lucius and Draco's education at his hands. When Harry was satisfied that the younger Malfoy was not a threat he turned to Hermione.
"Is there anything else you want to ask?" he asked.
"Nothing more than what happened in the dungeons of MalfoyManor," she replied, tersely.
"Then we're done here," he said finally and stood. He tapped the glowing stone with his own wand and it faded. "Dobby!" he called out. The eccentric house elf appeared and looked expectantly.
"Please take Draco to the kitchen. Molly should be waiting with lunch." Dobby took Draco from the room. "What do you think?"
"Well he's clearly not one of them anymore." Hermione sighed picking up the stone and placing it into a case. "I agree with you. I don't trust him but we should afford him all the protection we can. Especially after this…" She handed him that day's paper.
The Headline read. "Wealthy Philanthropist beheaded and mailed to the Ministry"
A picture of Lucius Malfoy in the Ministry atrium was next to the story. Harry sighed.
"What do we tell him?"
"I've told everyone that there is not to be a copy of that newspaper in the house and not to mention it until you tell him," Hermione replied. "Come on, Harry, Molly's waiting for us."
The walked to the kitchen together to find it bustling and busy. Draco sat at the table between Bill and Charlie, a mask of indifference on his face. When Harry walked in he looked up from the steaming plate of food in front of him and caught Harry's eye. Draco's eyes pleaded for him to be able to leave the room. Harry shook his head slightly and Draco sagged.
Harry cleared his throat and the room turned to look at him. "Malfoy has satisfied Hermione and I with his answers. Alastor, the Reviewing stone is in the study if you wish to satisfy yourself." Alastor merely mumbled his agreement around his toast.
At Grimmauld Place, days passed slowly for Draco Malfoy. Few people in the House would talk to him and even fewer talked to him civilly. He mostly confined himself to his room, speaking only to the House Elf that used to be a member of the Manor's household. Harry Potter had visited only once in the weeks since his questioning and that was to bring him potions equipment. Potter had asked him to make some of the more difficult potions that were needed by the order, it was the only thing he could do without the requirement of a wand. Draco was unsure if his potions ability was to the standard that Harry assumed it was. Severus had been helping him to become a better potioneer and he was gifted with potions. However, Draco didn't know if he could make the potions that Potter wanted; Wolfsbane, Polyjuice and Veritaserum. Draco assured him that he could make the polyjuice, but the other two would be a trial run. Harry had assured him that this was better than nothing.
And that is how Draco found himself to be in his room two weeks later, hunched over a cauldron, stirring the precise amount of times necessary. His white blonde hair was pushed away from his face. It had gotten longer and fell in a thick layered style over his face while he tried to work. Every now and again, he would look up from a cauldron or his potion-book to push his hair behind his ears.
His room had transformed from the way it was when it arrived. His bed had been pushed to one side of the room and a long wooden table sat opposite. It had three cauldrons which bubbled and hissed and flames underneath them. Each cauldron held a different substance. The first held a clear liquid which stood still; it didn't boil, hiss or spit. This one was Draco's most dangerous one as, even though it looked calm, it was the most volatile. A stir in the wrong direction or too much of one ingredient would cause the potion to explode violently. The second held Draco's third attempt at the Wolfsbane potion. He had only a month to perfect the potion before it would be needed and Draco couldn't seem to get it right, despite the instructions he had. The last held a pitch black liquid, a potion of Draco's own making. It was a healing potion which combined the effects of Essence of Dittany and a magical restorative, two potions which had previously been incompatible even if taken separately. It would be revolutionary for the war; it would mean that a person could be healed quickly and then return to battle. As Draco stirred it anti-clockwise for the last time, he knew he had finished. The potion turned from the deepest black to the brightest white. He bottled and stoppered the potion smiling as he did so.
He had been working so hard that he didn't hear Harry come to the door which was open to prevent fumes from building up. He had been about to announce his presence when he had seen Draco stirring in the cauldron. He noticed Draco's hair pushed behind his ear, his tounge which poked between his teeth which he worked and his rolled up sleeves pushed up his slender, toned arms. What really surprised Harry was the smile Draco afforded himself when he stoppered the bottle of potion. He really was quite- Harry caught himself for thinking this way. When he realised he'd been staring, he tapped on the wooden beam of the doorframe and said, "Knock Knock?"
Draco looked up from the potion, mildly startled at the arrival. He gave Harry a small smile in welcome.
"Potter, I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten about me." Draco said, jokingly.
"With the amount of stick I've been getting for allowing you to be here? Not likely." Harry grimaced as soon as he said it. It wiped Draco's smile away and his indifferent mask appeared.
"I'm sorry to be such a burden," Draco replied.
"I didn't mean it quite like that, Malfoy, I don't regret it." Harry said, smoothly. "I came to see how you were getting on and if you needed anything?"
Draco softened when the talk turned towards potions. "We'll need lacewing flies for the Polyjuice potion. And I'm going to need more of the Wolfsbane ingredients. I have a feeling this isn't going to be a correct batch either." Draco sighed.
"I didn't mean about the potions, Draco. You're well aware that Dobby is there to get your ingredients." Harry smiled. "I mean, how are you?"
Draco was startled at Harry's interest in his own wellbeing. So startled he didn't realise he hadn't said anything til the silence got uncomfortable.
"I'm well, thank you, Potter. A little worried about my Mother and to some extent my Father. I've probably been disinherited at best. Though I have no need for Father's money now I've just created the potion you saw me making." Draco flashed Harry a smile again.
"Potion?" He asked, intrigued at what was able to make Draco so happy.
"A magical restorative and healing draught. Two incompatible potions made into one by me." Draco pointed to the pure white substance.
"Your potions ability is better than anything I expected," Harry walked towards the table to see the potion.
As if hearing his words, the cauldron with the Wolfsbane potion in it began to hiss and spit. The cauldron began to melt and in a great bang, dumped all its contents onto the floor. Draco sighed.
"Not good enough, apparently." And reached for the mop.
Harry waved his wand and the entire mess vanished. Draco gave him a nod of thanks.
"Don't worry too much. If you don't achieve anything by the end of the month, Kingsley and I will ensure Remus is locked away." Harry looked to the door as if hearing something. "I have to go now, Malfoy, but I'll see you at dinner?"
"I usually have dinner in here-"
"I know, but come to dinner. I have a surprise." And with that Harry left the room.
Draco left his room that night. His palms felt sweaty as nerves got to him. He waited on the stairs and collected himself, ensuring his mask of indifference was in place before descending the rest of the stairs. When he walked into the Dining room, the whole room seemed to stand still. All heads turned to Draco. Harry was the last to turn his way and was the only one to offer a smile on his arrival.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming!" Harry joked and indicated the seat to his left.
Draco gave a tentative smile to him and sat down. All of the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, the blonde veela called Fleur, Granger and Kingsley were around the table.
"Draco, dear, help yourself to anything," Molly said tentatively.
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," Draco answered, equally as cautious with his words. He wasn't really afraid of offending anyone but Potter, who held this woman in regard which mean he must be polite. He could feel the scowls coming from her two youngest children from across the table. He was going to have to make an effort, it was only dinner, he could handle dinner; he'd had many at the Manor and knew the art of conversation. Tactically, he looked around the table for another outsider like himself with something he could extort. The man Lupin had never liked him and the pink haired woman appeared to be his wife so there was no luck there…
Then it clicked. Draco turned to Fleur Delacour and spoke to her in French, "Miss Delacour, it is lovely to see you." Fleur, who sat opposite him, looked up from her food sharply in response to her native tongue. She smiled, surprised, and replied in kind, "'Allo, Mr Malfoy, I am also glad to see you well. However, I too am a Weasley now." And grasped bill's hand. Everyone in the room was staring at their exchange except Harry, who sat back in his chair smiling, recognising Draco's tactics, and carried on eating.
Draco careered on, before someone could stop the exchange. "Congratulations, I wasn't aware a marriage had happened within the Weasely family! Presumably, to Bill?" She nodded. "I'm delighted; love can bring such happiness during times of war."
Her laugh tinkled through the room causing most of the men, except Harry, Draco and Bill from sighing. "Indeed it can, Mr Malfoy. You seem well versed in the joys of love… what first-hand knowledge do you have of the subject?" She raised an eyebrow towards Harry.
"Wha-" he slipped back into English. Collecting himself he replied in French, "Potter and my relationship is strictly one of an… unconventional business arrangement."
She laughed again producing the same result. "I'm sure, Mr Malfoy. Know only that Veela are trained to recognise these things, even us with diluted blood." She smiled and turned away to talk to her husband.
Draco's wide eyes returned to normal and he chuckled to himself. He looked around and noticed that everyone was still staring. "She said something funny," was all he said to the confused faces. Everyone turned back to their dinner and conversation, realising they were being rude. Harry chuckled. Then he seemed to remember something.
"Oh, Draco, I remember why I called you down here." Harry pulled out his wand and waved it over an empty space on the table. His wand, the extension of his left arm, appeared on the table. He looked at Harry, confused.
"I'm returning it to you."
No sooner had he said this, Mad-eye went to grab the wand. Harry slashed his through the air and he was sent back into his chair.
"Alastor! My decision is final." Harry stood from the table. Moody grubled about being everyone being killed in their sleep, but made no further attempts to retrieve the wand.
"The people who are going on tonights raid, join me in the War Room. The rest of you, Good night."
The sound of scraping chairs and talking filled the room.
Draco grabbed Harry's arm as he went to walk past.
"Raid?" He asked
"Yes, Voldemort is planning something. We're trying to throw off his game by attacking one of his base houses. Plus I'm searching for something" Harry replied. Granger cleared her throat as if he'd said to much.
"Oh, Good luck then." Draco said, lamely.
Harry laughed at this, "Are you worried about me, Draco?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Draco mock-frowned and said "Just be careful. If you die, what is going to happen to me?" Draco waved his hand theatrically at the people in the room. "You'd leave me to this rabble?"
Harry barked out a laugh again. "You're right; I'll try to be careful. Night Draco." And walked out with the rest.
A/N} I don't usually write author's notes, but hey! Read and/or Review – delete as applicable!