Thin Line by Macklemore is a very nice song.

Harry Potter by JKR is a very nice series.

Fay looked disgustedly at Ron. He kept going on about their wedding. Fay snorted. As if there was going to be a wedding. Ron was so stupid. Did he actually think that after that night with Hermione that she still-

"Fay?" Padma asked. Fay blinked and re-entered reality.

"Yes?" Fay said.

"I asked if you knew Sally-Anne back at Hogwarts."

"Oh, no. No, I didn't know her." Padma nodded and turned to Ron, who was arguing with a house-elf.

"We are here on official Ministry business!" Ron exclaimed.

"The Zabini Estate is private, sir!" the house-elf protested. "Ollie is not allowed to let anyone inside except the Specified. And how does Ollie know that you really are an important official-wizard-thing."

"Then get your master," Ron demanded. "He knows me."

"Ollie doesn't have to get Master because you say so."

"Then I will have to get in by force, and trust me, it won't be pretty."

"No! Don't ruin The Estate!" Ollie squeaked. "Ollie will get Master Zabini!" With that, the house-elf Disapparated away.

"Did you have to be so mean to Ollie?" Padma asked Ron, who shrugged.

"House-elves are stubborn and often need strong persuasion," Ron answered simply. Padma rolled her eyes and was about to retort when Ollie reappeared with Blaise Zabini behind him.

"Ollie got Master," he said rather reproachfully. Ron gave a sarcastically approving smile before looking at Blaise.

"You remember me?" Ron asked. Blaise nodded. He said nothing, but from the pursing of his lips and the hardening of his eyes, he obviously wasn't pleased to see Ron. "Excellent. Well, me, Padma Patil." Padma nodded in Blaise' direction. "And Fay Dunbar." Fay raised her hand and gave a small wave. "Are here on official Ministry business."

"Is this because I didn't pay my taxes?" Blaise said wryly.

"We're here to see what you and your wife, Sally-Anne, can recall about Daphne Greengrass," Padma said brusquely. "She was kidnapped a few months ago and recently murdered-" Blaise held up a hand.

"I know," he said gravely. "No need to remind me. Come inside, I'll get Ollie to fix you something. What would you like? Tea? Scones? Whiskey?"

"We aren't here to eat," Padma said hastily, before Ron could ask for a whiskey. Blaise shrugged and began to walk on the cobblestone path back to the house. The three Aurors followed and walked into the tall manor.

"Sal!" Blaise barked once inside. "We have guests!" The manor, however, stayed absolutely quiet except for the quiet murmurings between Padma and Fay.

"Ollie, go get Sal," Blaise ordered. Ollie nodded and skittered away. In only a few seconds, a fragile-looking bespectacled young woman with fair skin and short copper-coloured hair entered the hall.

"Blaise? What is this?" she asked, gesturing to Padma, Ron, and Fay. Her voice was high-pitched and sweet.

"They're Aurors, Sal," Blaise replied. "They want to know what we know of Daphne." Sally nodded and looked Fay squarely in the face. Then Ron and then Padma.

"You're Fay," Sally said to her. Fay nodded. "You were in Gryffindor. And you're Ron, also a Gryffindor. And you're Padma the Ravenclaw, right? Or are you Parvati the Gryffindor?"

"Padma," she replied. Sally nodded.

"Why don't you come sit down?" she said suddenly. The three Aurors gratefully followed the petite woman into a living room and sat down on a couch. Sally settled herself down on a chair opposite the couch and Blaise stood behind Sally protectively.

"So what can you tell us about Daphne?" Fay asked once everyone was comfortable.

"We can tell you a lot of things," Sally stated. "Just ask us questions."

"Okay. Then, did Daphne have any enemies?" Ron asked.

"Didn't you read the Prophet article?" Blaise snorted. "It said that she only had the "petty childhood enemies"."

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what Betty Braithwaite's definition of "petty childhood enemies" is," Padma stated. Sally scowled at her.

"In Daphne's seventh year, she took to bullying Hermione Granger," Sally said. "And not just teasing, no, she hexed Hermione quite a few times as well." Ron stiffened at this and Fay felt it.

Thinking of how you can defend that bitchy know-it-all, Ronald? Fay thought bitterly.

"Any enemies other than Hermione?" asked Padma.

"Demelza Robins," Blaise said. "Daphne called her fat and ugly and Demelza retaliated by putting Flobberworms in Daphne's dinner."

"Oh, and Megan Jones," Sally added. "Daphne and her both fancied the same person from Durmstrang."

"Is that it?" inquired Fay. Sally and Blaise nodded.

"Well, I have a few other questions to ask," Padma stated.

The unproductive interview lasted about three hours.

*

A hooded man stood in the shadows of an alley, keeping careful watch. He was wearing Healer robes underneath his long dark ones, and the scar that used to crudely run down the side of his face had mysteriously disappeared long ago. The man remembered how he had gotten the scar and the pain that came along with it very vividly. Ever since then, he had done his work much more carefully.

The alley he was standing in was beside the Northwood Wizarding Clinic. By using his various sources, he had learned that shewould be checking in for Stress-Relief Therapy at this time. He soon learned that he was indeed right when the woman began to walk up the path to Northwood.

He put the plan into action.

"Ms. Greengrass!" he yelled, running up to Astoria. "Ms. Greengrass! My name is Healer Travers. I work for the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and am personally acquainted with Demelza Helsing, your therapist. Earlier today, she forgot some papers at home and asked me to give them to you. So here they are." The man held out some papers then frowned. "I think I forgot something. Oh yes! She told me to tell you something, but no one else must hear." The man looked from side to side, then grabbed Astoria's wrist and pulled her into the alley he had originally been hiding in. Astoria tried to protest and pull away, but Travers' grip was like steel.

"Okay," Healer Travers murmured, "listen carefully." He cupped his hand against Astoria's ear then, swift as a fox, moved it and clamped his hand against Astoria's mouth. Then he twirled.

Astoria never made it to her appointment.

Yay! Suspense! :D