AN: Hey again all of you! Wow, that last chapter received probably more reviews than any other, and I think I might have received few more readers. Cool!
I'm sorry but I forgot to put translation of Finnish words at the end of the last chapter. Here they are:
Näkemiin: Bye
Sisko: Sister (Irena, you've got to tell me what it means in your language)
Veli: Brother
I would like to thank you, eckles, for that suggestion in your message. Ron is going to say something like that yes, but not exactly like that. The way of the speech felt more like something V (from V for Vendetta) would say, not Ron.
Disclaimer: I do not owe any HP characters or Dumas novel.
BARON RÖNNSKÄR
CHAPTER 14 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Draco Malfoy stood in front of a mirror, making sure that his tie was straight. In just a few minutes he would walk in to a room full of peoples, his supporters, to answer questions made by media. For Draco Malfoy this was just a one little stop in his road to be minister. The questions had already been agreed advanced and he had rehearsed his answers. He smirked; his opponent Creevey had absolutely no chances against him.
Draco saw his wife Pansy's reflection behind him. Draco couldn't help but feel disgusted. By Merlin's grandmother, he thought. Look at her. There was a time when she could arouse by coming to the same room. And now she is nothing but a boring hollow shell. Damn woman isn't able to produce even a living heir to me. I should have married that Millicent or what ever her name was!
"What do you want?" Draco asked coolly.
"Just doing wife's duties and walking my husband to the arena" she answered simply.
Draco snorted. "Doing wife's duties? If I recall correctly you haven't done a good job out of that before, why you would care now?" he said, knowing that Pansy understood he referred their stillborn child and knowing how much it hurt Pansy. Draco didn't care; hurting Pansy seemed to be only way these days to see some emotions in her eyes.
Pansy felt a cold stab in her chest and I desire to take her ring from her finger and toss it to Draco's eye. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. Pansy sighed deeply and then took hold of her husbands arm.
"Let's get this over with" she said.
They walked to the hallway where an assistant pulled them apart and took Pansy to her seat in the audience. She looked around her. The place was full of peoples; others were from media, others were Draco's supporters and others just some who were interested in politics. Pansy sat in a row filled with supporters.
"Excuse me, rouva Malfoy, might I sit here?" Pansy heard a foreign accented voice asking. She looked in the dark blue eyes of Baron Rönnskär.
"Of course" Pansy muttered and managed a small smile.
"Are you excited about this?" Baron asked as he sat down.
"I have no need to be. My husband is going to win" she said matter-of-factly.
"If you say so" Baron said. He looked around other rows of peoples around them. "Hmm, I see the other of Weasley twins has come. Difficult to say which one, isn't it?" Baron said, pointing to one of the rows behind them.
Pansy turned around and saw a red headed man watching them. "It's George" Pansy said.
"How can you tell?" Baron asked.
Pansy remembered the day things between her and George Weasley had changed. It was couple of months after her son had been stillborn. Draco and her other friends had been starting to alienate her. She had been depressed for long time, almost attempting suicide ones. Then one rainy day she had went to a shop avoiding getting wet. It had been none other than Wesley's Wizarding Wheezes. George had been there that day. He didn't shoo her off because her last name was now Malfoy. Instead he showed her some of their products. They hadn't really interested Pansy but she watched them and even bought couple. What had appealed to her was George's friendliness and warmth towards her. Pansy had soon found herself coming to that joke shop time after time again. She soon recognised Fred from George, by their eyes. And one day she found herself in George's arms and had never felt so loved before. She had insisted of them keeping it secret, afraid of what Draco might do to her and to George.
Pansy smiled, turning her head from George. "I just do" she said to Baron.
Baron didn't say anything, only smiled little. So you love my brother, eh? But are afraid what big bad Malfoy might do? Well Pansy, this just happens to be your lucky day! Baron moved his eyes to the very end of one row and saw a dark figure near the door. Figure turned slightly, allowing Baron to see the face of Natasha Blackwood, and winked her eye. Baron nodded slightly, he had just been assured that everything was in order. Baron turned to look at rows filled with reporters and others from media. He noticed Rita Skeeter there. Just remember to ask questions after he has drank glass of water, Skeeter! Otherwise you will lose your job permanently!
Draco Malfoy was sitting in front of the audience, patiently making promises he wouldn't probably kept. Then he started to answer questions. Journalists asked about him if he would support the werewolf registration law. From the corner of his eye Baron saw Remus Lupin sitting uncomfortably in his chair, his wife Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin holding his hand. Ginny and Harry Potter were sitting beside them, in their auror uniforms. Hermione was sitting beside them…looking directly to him!
For a moment Ron went to a panic, before remembering that she had promised not to reveal anything yet. He turned his attention back to Malfoy, who was answering some question, holding a glass of water his assistant has brought in his hand. He raised the glass to his lips and drank.
Yes!
Immediately as he lowered the glass Rita Skeeter's hand raise to the air. Malfoy of course immediately was ready to answer her; after all she represented Daily Prophet. Little did Malfoy know that Skeeter had received a new questions and an instruction to ask them after Malfoy drank the water.
"Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet" the journalist said. "I would have few questions about your careers early days".
Malfoy was little taken back. He didn't remember anything about asking his past. But he couldn't say no. "Very well" he said.
"You started as an assistant of the prosecutor about ten years ago then, after the war ended, isn't that right?" Skeeter asked.
Where is she getting at? "Yes" Malfoy said little unsurely.
"Isn't it true that you handled the scandalous case of Ronald Weasley?" Skeeter's question made entire audience whisper.
Baron turned slightly to look at his old friends. Both Harry and Ginny had become stiff after hearing Ron's name mentioned and were looking intensely to Malfoy. Hermione looked also intrigued but not as surprised.
"Yes" Malfoy said again, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable.
"And Ron Weasley was a traitor on the side of the Death Eaters?" Skeeter continued.
"No-"Malfoy closed his mouth in horror. No? Why the hell did I say no?
"Excuse me, Mr Malfoy? Did you just say that Ron Weasley was not a traitor?"
"Yes". Word came out of Malfoy's mouth before he even realised it. He was now as pale as his hair.
Baron smiled in the audience. Few drops of veritaserum make wonders.
"If Weasley was not traitor why was he executed?" Skeeter pushed.
"He wasn't!" Malfoy shouted and then his hands flew to his mouth. Suddenly he started running, trying to escape, but was stop by-
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A light emerged from Harry's wand and hit Malfoy in the back. His body fell to the floor while all the journalists were taking pictures of him. Ginny ran down to Malfoy and roughly turned his body so he could see her face.
"What did you do to my brother!" she yelled.
Harry was just a second later at her side and unleashed Draco from the body biding spell. Draco was still under veritaserum.
"Answer her question!" Harry shouted his face matching Ginny's: they were both furious.
"He-He had a letter that contain evidence of my mother being a death eater" Malfoy rambled, unable to lie. "I couldn't let ministry know about it. The Malfoy name would have been totally destroyed! I made him disappear!" he yelled.
"How!" the red headed woman furiously asked.
"I put him to Azkaban!" Malfoy confessed.
The entire room went quite. Not a sound was heard until Ginny, who had tears in her eyes, hit Malfoy hard in to a face. The two Potter aurors took hold of Malfoy boy shoulders and dragged him outside the auditorium.
Pansy had been watching this episode with such an intense that she didn't notice how Baron had left from her side. Baron was walking stairs up but stopped at the side of George Weasley.
"Today justice is happening, but some innocents are going to suffer. Times ahead will be hard for Mrs Malfoy. Maybe you could walk her home?" Baron said to George.
George looked at Pansy who hadn't moved. He understood that now all the things Malfoy had done would be investigate and Pansy would be harassed by media and ministers. I'm going to be there for you, Pansy, George thought and couldn't help but feeling little happy, even when he had been shocked to hear what had happened to Ron.
Wait! Why did Baron told ME to look after Pansy? Does he know…?
George Weasley turned to look at Baron but he had already disappeared in the crowd.
AN: Sorry about all the spelling and grammatical mistakes. Hope they weren't too bad.
Little shorter chapter this time, no can do.
Next: you think Percy has already paid for his sins? Ron doesn't agree.