A/N: Right, I don't claim ownership for this content. Oh, and by the way, this one gets a little dark at the beginning.

Mafalda Apparated to Fleet Street just before four in the morning. The late hour meant that she would have no witnesses, as even the career drunks had gone home. She walked up to the Fleet Market doorway, pushed it open firmly, and started the trek underground to The Horn and an unscheduled meeting with Draco Malfoy.

Whether it was the blast that opened the doorway, or the sight of a beautiful woman entering through the smoky rubble, Draco and two of his henchmen were on their feet when she entered.

Twin jets of green light erupted from the end of her wand, instantly extinguishing the lives of Draco's two companions and leaving him gaping and terrified. Before he could muster the courage to raise his own wand, he heard "Crucio!" and his world changed to one consumed by pain taking over every cell of his body. He screamed like a stuck pig before he blacked out.

"Draco, honey," Mafalda purred. "Wake up."

Draco tried to shake the fog from his head and regain focus. He was tired, sweaty, and bound to a table. He struggled against his restraints and screamed out, "What are you doing you bitch?"

A harsh slap across his face silenced him.

"There is no need to use that type of language, Draco," Mafalda chided as she stuck him in the thigh with a small, sliver tipped knife. As Draco screamed out in pain, Mafalda continued, "I bet that really hurts doesn't it? It is a little toy I picked up on one of my trips to Borgin and Burkes. The blade has been cursed so that any wound it creates will never heal. Fascinating isn't it?"

Draco raised his head up against his restraints and saw the blood flowing from the hole the knife left in his leg. His panic increased. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"You don't really care who I am, you arrogant prat. I've just come to you for some answers," Mafalda said as she casually twirled the knife in her hands. "Like, where can I find Pansy Parkinson?"

"How should I know?" Draco said with a sneer before the knife was plunged into his abdomen, just above his waist.

Mafalda let him scream for a moment before she extracted the blade. "Want to try that again?"

Draco panted in panic as he felt his blood spilling out. "You're killing me! If that knife never heals…" he shouted.

"All the more reason for you to try and answer my questions truthfully," Mafalda responded casually. Her voice was calm, her eyes wide and insane.

Draco's mind raced, "I heard, just a rumor, that she was holed up somewhere with that giant Muggle cousin of Potter's. I don't know where, I swear." Draco screamed out as Mafalda drug the edge of the blade against his flawless cheekbone, creating a deep, painful gash. The blood mixed with his tears. "Please, I don't know," he cried.

"You need to think of something better," Mafalda said, changing her position and holding the knife above Draco's groin.

"No, no, no!" he cried out. "Parent's weekend, Parent's weekend!" Draco shouted. I heard that the giant has a daughter at Hogwarts. Parent's weekend is tomorrow, I bet he'll be going there. Please, please, let me go free."

Mafalda paused and looked into Draco's eyes. "Want to be free? I think I can help with that," she said.

Draco relaxed as he expected the strange woman to release him. He thought about how he could find his wand to teach her a lesson, or at least stop the blood that was rapidly leaving his body. What he didn't expect was the feel of the knife across his throat as she slit it from ear to ear. His jaws moved like a fish out of water, and his screams were inaudible. He was unable to do anything but die as he watched the strange woman walk away.

(Break)

Dudley had a serious English breakfast underway by the time Pansy joined him downstairs. He handed her a coffee, black, and said, "How did you sleep?"

"Not so great, I'm afraid," Pansy answered.

"Listen I'm sorry about always saying the wrong thing. I guess I don't have any idea about what you've been through. I have enough trouble with women," Dudley said, flipping a grilled tomato onto a plate with a fried egg, slice of bacon and beans, "much less, a beautiful, magical one."

Pansy smiled sadly as she sat on a stool at the counter to watch Dudley work. "That's one of the things I like about being around you. I mean, it does get tiresome here on Privet Drive," Pansy gestured grandly at the kitchen area she had transformed, "but you are not judging me. I haven't felt this relaxed in years. Last night, telling you about my father, and his being in prison…it made me feel a little criminal. I didn't like that."

Dudley placed the full plate in front of her. "You're no criminal. Trust me; I have an eye for these things."

The pair tucked into their breakfast. After a few quiet mouthfuls, Dudley's watch alarm went off.

"What's that for?" Pansy asked.

"Just a reminder to get ready to go, we've got to drive to King's Cross Station today."

"Drive?" Pansy responded, feigning disgust. "Honey, I can just Apparate us there."

Dudley finished his plate and put it into the dishwasher. "I want to drive. If Mafalda is out there, I think that the last thing she would expect is for us to go by car. The more surprises we can throw at her the better."

"Are you scared?" Pansy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Scared about going to Hogwarts to see your daughter. You've never been there before, you don't have magic, and one of the children could even throw a curse your way and embarrass you. I don't know that I could do it," Pansy said.

Dudley laughed as they went upstairs to get their bags. "When I was in the Army, we had guns. Huge guns that could blow through a wall in order to kill an enemy. After a while, you don't feel safe unless you are carrying one and sleeping with it. I realized that I didn't want to live that way, so I stopped thinking about it. I found that when I didn't have my gun, the locals treated me better and I got things done peacefully. As a cop, I could carry one, but I don't want to. That's not the way I want to live my life. I use force only if I must."

Pansy watched as Dudley picked up his bag and tossed it casually across his shoulder. Sometimes she forgot how big and strong he was. Trying to be gentle must not come easy to him.

"Where's your bag?" Dudley asked.

"Got everything I need right here," Pansy said, patting her purse.

Dudley shook his head as he led them down the stairs and held the front door open for her.

(Break)

The drive to the station went right on schedule and Dudley turned onto Euston Road to get to the car park behind St. Pancras. He and Pansy got out of the car, locked it, and made their way back through the car park to the corner. While they stood at the corner, Dudley got an uneasy feeling. He took Pansy's hand, and slowly pulled her away from the curb and back towards a newsstand. It was one of those times that he wasn't sure how, but he knew that something was wrong. He made eye contact with one of the Aurors that Ron and Harry had assigned to keep watch, and the man knew that Dudley thought something was amiss. Just then, a large double-decker bus jumped the curb and slammed into a cement piling near the front of St. Pancras, coming to a sudden halt. The driver was uninjured, and as the bus was out of service, there was no one else on board to get hurt.

"Dudley, what just happened?" Pansy said, holding his hand tighter.

"I don't know. Something told me to get away from the curb. Just lucky, I guess. Listen, I don't know if Mafalda had anything to do with that or not, but I think we'd be safest among a bunch of your magical friends. Let's get to that platform, ok?" Dudley said, forcing a grim smile.

Dudley squeezed her hand gently and led her back across the street, avoiding the collection of police and emergency vehicles that were assembling. He missed Pansy swallowing nervously as she faced her own fears of returning to Platform 9 ¾, and what horrors her "friends" might have in store for her.