Despite his professional Auror robes, Harry Potter's hair gave the strong impression of youth and inexperience. Worse yet was Ron Weasley, his face as equally red as his hair as he tried to appear calm and collected. The empty room that the two of them were now in with Draco Malfoy was an empty hospital room that had been freshly cleaned. It had been two weeks since Draco had wiped Nora's mind and, unsurprisingly, her disappearance hadn't gone unnoticed. As Draco's pale eyes glanced over Harry and Ron, part of him wondered if they would be giving him the looks that they were if he had bothered to report Nora for the things she had done. Would they have ever looked upon him with pity or sympathy, or would they have just pitied her for her paths having crossed his?

"We know the two of you were, um… close," Ron said, his voice not confident. Draco knew through Bill that Ron had just left working with George at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to come work as an Auror. It appeared that he was training under Harry, something that didn't surprise Draco in the bit. Harry was used to favouritism, so why would that change now?

"Close," Draco repeated rather dryly.

Ron's ears began to turn red, as well. Draco knew that Ron didn't have the temperament for the job. It required patience, something that he clearly lacked.

"It was widely known that the two of you were dating, snogging, having sex, whatever you want to call it," Harry responded, coming to Ron's rescue. It looked like there was another quick retort on Harry's lips that he chose to withhold. Whether Draco wanted to admit it or not, Harry had a tendency for witty replies and usually tended to silence Draco into saying something that seemed silly in return.

"So someone witnessed this?" Draco asked. "Your fantasies don't count as facts, Potter."

"Your attitude is rather suspicious, you know," Harry replied. He had a pen writing automatically on a pen next to him, something that brought back memories of Rita Skeeter. Draco wondered if those memories occurred to Harry as well.

Draco considered his options. He didn't know how much Harry and Ron knew, and he knew if he was caught in a lie that they wouldn't leave him alone until he was somehow captured.

"You would love for me to have done something, wouldn't you?" Draco deflected, a sneer on his face. "You would love for me to go the way of my father. Maybe you haven't grown up since Hogwarts, but that's none of my concern. I have patients. Unless you've forgotten the work I've been doing with your brother?" he demanded of Ron.

Draco stepped around Harry and Ron, his heart pounding as he exited the room. He didn't know if they would try to stop him, but as he made his way back to Bill Weasley, he didn't hear anyone behind him. He knew that he was going to be questioned – it was inevitable – but it didn't make it any easier for him. Draco did not deal well under pressure, he never had. Now, however, it felt like pressure was coming in from all sides.

Astoria stood in her department's office next to her desk with Draco's paperwork for the prophecy in hand. She wondered why she even bothered and if he was worth everything that she was feeling. She wanted to go back to her quiet life, one that did not involve Draco Malfoy. She had ignored countless death-related prophecies and allowed them to happen and she wondered why this one had to be any different.

Because she had feelings for him.

The admission to herself made her feel an obligation to him. She couldn't just let him die. She had gotten herself involved and now she couldn't just turn away from him even though every fibre of her body begged her to do so.

"You have had Mr. Malfoy's file on your desk for quite some time," a low voice broke the complete silence.

Astoria looked up in surprise. She didn't know when Mr. Lerwick had walked into the office. Had he been there only moments or a few minutes? She closed the file and placed it back on her desk but did not respond to her boss' comment, but did not meet his eyes.

"I had hired you because you were discreet and so far you have been, surprisingly, my best employee," he spoke as if a father to his misbehaving child. A silence fell between them. "Have you told him?"

Astoria now looked up. Despite his age, Mr. Lerwick stood with impeccably good posture. He removed his glasses and his dark eyes did not look away. She didn't know if he was trying to look into her head or if he was just trying to gauge her reaction in a regular way.

"No," she said. She shook her head and looked down at the floor momentarily. She let out a sigh. "I never could."

"It would cost you your job," Mr. Lerwick told her as if she weren't aware.

"I know the rules." Astoria's voice was firm and she was surprised by the irritation in her tone. "What would it accomplish? Putting fear into him? Making him on edge? No. Never."

"Why Mr. Malfoy?" Mr. Lerwick wondered as if he had read her mind – she wouldn't be surprised if he had been. A man in his position had to be immensely skilled at legilimency.

"I can't just ignore everyone in the world," she responded although her voice held no conviction. "I didn't just seek him out. Mr. Lerwick, when I'm with him, all I think about is the prophecy."

"I can make you forget it, if that would make it easier."

The suggestion caught Astoria off-guard. It was tempting and her mouth opened as if she was going to completely agree to it without thinking. How could she forget, though? It made her feel selfish. To forget would to mean that she would rather make herself feel better than be aware of Draco's danger. In that moment she realized that she truly wanted to protect him at all costs – but she didn't know from what. It frustrated her and to forget would mean that she wouldn't have to worry about it.

However, she also remembered vividly how he had turned her away. He pulled away from her touch as if she repulsed him, even though he had been the one to kiss her first. Perhaps she could ask her boss to make her forget everything about him. It wasn't her place to try to be his savior, and not knowing him would release her from that duty. They were never supposed to interfere, and this time was no different.

"I want to forget," she murmured.

"But you can't."

She let out a humourless laugh. "No. I can't."

Mr. Lerwick looked her over. "Not only Gryffindors can be brave."

With his final words, he turned away from her and left the office as if he had never been there to start with.