Chapter 18

Draco had woken that morning with the familiar fog he remembered, but after a long run along the Thames he had been able to let of his Occlumency go, all but that last door holding her hostage in his mind. He had stood at that door this morning though for a long while and pressed his forehead to the door before covering it in blue corn flowers and tearing himself away so he could finish this.

Draco also made himself a promise this morning staring at his gaunt hollow face, so like the one that had stared back at him fifteen years ago, that he had every intention of keeping. He never wanted to Occlude for the rest of his life when this case closed. He knew he was going to have to go back to his Mind Healer and be more honest about his problem, but he didn't want to be this shade of the man he knew he could be. He deserved to live for once not just exist and he was ready to fight for that.

As it turned out Draco would only have one more person to interrogate and he could honestly say he was looking forward to it. Mcnair was the link. The Carrows didn't deem himself worthy of trust, but they trusted a worm that had slunk away before the war. Apparently, his ability to disappear had been the quality they needed in an associate.

Draco was waiting in the interrogation room with the same young Auror. This time though Draco didn't just scowl at him. He decided he would introduce himself properly and learn the kid's name.

"Good morning, I didn't catch your name last time and I just wanted to thank you for being able to roll with the bullshit. I am invested in this case, I have been tracking this organization for my entire career, it is one of the reasons I became an Auror," Draco said by way of greeting and explanation. The kid took Draco's extended hand and shook it with a firm grip.

"Travis Blake, Head Auror Potter warned me you were intense, though I think he may have undersold it a bit. I learned about you at Hogwarts you know so meeting you in the flesh is strange actually," Blake said.

"You learned about me?" Draco said.

"Not from school, Merlin no, from the other Slytherin's. You are still fairly notorious in our old house," Blake chuckled.

"What for being the most incompetent Death Eater that ever brought his father dishonor," Draco asked.

Blake laughed but then tried to stifle it quickly.

"You can definitely laugh; I am reminded constantly that I was and still can be an arrogant git almost daily. The Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die is my friend not just my boss," Draco said his smile growing.

Blake laughed nervously like he still wasn't sure if he should.

"If Potter briefed you on me what else did he brief you on?" Draco asked.

"He briefed me last night on your findings after he reviewed them. Gave me an overview of your career and what you have been doing undercover for eight years. He assigned me to interrogating several of the Society members. I got Mcnair last night, I am actually rather looking forward to you tear into him. The things he said under Veritaserum made my skin crawl. I have never truly believed they were gone and knowing we are going to end this finally is a relief I didn't know I needed. It was my first year at Hogwarts when the Carrows ran the place," a dark look passed over his face then, "I have figured out this is personal for you. But know it is also personal to me."

Draco reached out then and gripped the younger man on the shoulder in a show of support and understanding. Draco had always thought of the students his age that fought but he sometimes forgot about the kids that were so young they couldn't even defend themselves.

"Can you remain objective; I know exactly how Alecto and Amycus taught?" Draco asked seriously.

"Potter already told me I wasn't allowed on the raid when we find them, I can be objective here, but I would not be able to be objective in the field. I know firsthand how they taught," Blake said with fire in his eyes.

Draco only nodded in understanding.

"Right well shall we begin this then, I too am rather looking forward to this, I have always hated this prick," Draco said with a sneer.

"Remind me to never piss you off, I have to admit when I was brought into the loop that you were in fact on our side I was disappointed I wouldn't get to one day arrest you. Now seeing you work now for us I am glad you are not with them. I don't think they would have ever been caught," Blake said.

Draco laughed then.

"You don't even know the half of it, I am sure. If I had run the Society, I would never have needed to hide. I would have been so protected in the public eye no one could have pinned anything on me. I was quite literally trained from birth to live in the sun and make deals in the dark. I just have no desire to live that life and never truly did," Draco said before changing topics, "Well I think we have let Mcnair sweat long enough, let's get him in here so I can find what we need and be done with this."

Draco had the information in less than an hour. Mcnair had some Occlumency skills unlike Thomas, but they were still flimsy and without access to magic he wasn't able to deploy diversionary measures. Draco tore past his Occlumency walls in minutes. He found the location Mcnair had hidden the Carrows as well as several alternative locations. He also saw that Mcnair had not had time to warn the Carrows the auction had gone south. Though the time elapsed from the event alone had likely already raised suspicions. When Draco was satisfied, he had wrung every last necessary detail from him. Draco released his mind and took the outstretched vial from Blake for the extracted memory. Blake knocked on the door to alert the guard to come back to collect Mcnair and Potter walked back into the room as two guards drug a limp Mcnair out.

"Here it is Potter everything he knew," Draco said as he handed Potter the vial, "you are going to want to deploy teams simultaneously. There are several potential locations. You have the advantage right now because it is likely they aren't going to expect to be compromised yet. If we had waited for a Ministry Legilimens it would have taken far longer. The Carrows have no idea I am and Auror let alone a Legilimens so they likely are under the false impression they have more time to escape. I am going home. I will fill out every last scrape of paperwork you need from me, but I am done. I know I should finish this, but you told me," Harry cut Draco off.

"Malfoy, go home," the look Potter gave him in that moment was the look of a person who understood what it was to live with his demons, "Go find your peace Draco. I'll see you when we take your portrait down from the wall. I will send all your paperwork via owl. Will you be at your flat or the Manor?"

"I will let you know what she decides," Draco said.

Blake watched this exchange with a look of confusion then understanding dawned.

"I am sad to see you go, training under you would have been an honor," Blake said stepping forward to shake Draco's hand again.

Draco shook his hand and met his eye before saying, "the honor would have been mine."

Blake smiled then and like the Slytherin he was added, "well I hope you will remember me when you marry a certain witch, I have always wanted to meet her. I have even thought about getting hurt enough in a fight just to end up on her table. I knew I would never have a shot with her, but a bloke can dream right?"

Draco just stared at him with a critical brow.

"Potter, did this irreverent shit just ask to be invited to my wedding to hit on my wife? I take it back the honor is not mine, if I wasn't in the presence of the Head Auror you would be a pile of goo," Draco said, holding back a smile because this kid reminded him so much of his own friends.

"You know Malfoy I think he did, I can leave if you like. Though I think you might need to take up the wife bit with the witch in question first, since she hasn't actually agreed to shackling herself to you just yet," Harry said with a smirk.

"So, I still have a shot," Blake asked, just digging his own grave.

"I am leaving, I don't need to be here anymore, and I have better things to be doing," Draco said a grin slipping onto his face as he walked to the lift.

In his mind he was already standing at the blue corn flower door ready to open it as soon as he had her in his arms.