Chapter 6: The Potion

Sleep! Ah, the blessed time where a human being was neither alive, nor dead… A soothing, calming equilibrium of brain which relaxes a person, rejuvenating one's body and mental disposition. Draco longingly thought of his wonderful, king sized bed, decked in the finest silk sheets and satin comforters back home at Malfoy Manor, and then jerked away from his thoughts rather abruptly! This was another one of his traits which not only he but others around him, found annoying as well (surprise surprise!). Rather, more of a masochist kind of quality. He tended to think and talk about things which he couldn't have at some particular moments and how he possessed the best of them. Potter once, had heatedly called him a sadist when once on a mission together for straight ten hours, neither of them had any food, he had went on to describe about the dinner (more of a feast) his parents would be in the middle of back home, while he and Potter had been hiding behind a rock, watching over a suspected hideout…

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It was sufficient, then, to say that he had been working his arse off ever since he and his team returned from their field session (more like an adventure safari!!!) twelve hours, thirty seven minutes and twelve seconds ago.

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Oh look, it's thirteen seconds now!

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He could not believe that he, Draco Malfoy, Chief Auror extraordinaire, was reduced to counting seconds! He, who could not keep a count of the number of girlfriends he had had, was at the moment, slumped in his chair glaring at the wall clock opposite his desk in his office. The white cup with a yellow smiley, on his desk top, now containing last few dregs of strong black coffee was smiling shamelessly at Draco's sleep deprived state. He was tempted to seize it and throw it against the wall, or even better, his head, but stopped himself only because it was a gift from Blaise. Who was asleep at that moment in his own mansion, on a soft bed… Ok, this had to stop! If anyone would be privy to his thoughts, they would not believe that sleep was the only thing on his mind as he fantasized about his best friend asleep… God, he needed sleep!

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They had returned back with their bound captives to the department to find William Smith waiting for them. The head Auror had jumped into action immediately, owing to the long years of experience and training, hadn't needed to be explained their situation. It almost seemed as if he had been expecting something of this sort. The werewolves had been taken to the questioning cells, to be questioned as soon they were back in their human forms. He had been pleased to see that none of his aurors had sustained any sort of scratches and thank god, no bites from the cursed creatures. Draco had expected to go home but, their boss was not finished with them. Them, being Draco and Harry Potter! Yes, the rest of the aurors were sent home after their ordeal (Longbottom didn't face any ordeal!) and the team leaders were supposed to stay and work. Blast!

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So, after Draco watched Blaise, Granger and the others apparate away enviously, he went back to his office, picked up some energizing potions to give to the werewolves who had by now turned back into humans and would undoubtedly have passed out cold due to utter exhaustion (Draco was empathetic to that particular feeling!) and from there, went to the questioning cells where he spent three hours with Potter and five foul-mouthed criminals! Oh joy! (Read the sarcasm…)

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And that had been eight hours ago!

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A quick quotes quill, unlike Rita Skeeter's, did not exaggerate but wrote down the true account of what was happening, recorded all evidence from the captives (they used veritaserum when the men refused to tell them anything about who had sent them to attack), searching their clothes and going back to the scene of crime to collect anything they might have missed on earlier, they had returned back and went to work on the clues and information which they had procured. Whatever the situation and the mental exhaustion levels of the creatures, Draco had been very disturbed to see how less information had been recorded. It seemed as if the five men had forgotten about the attack after their transformation. And veritaserum could be administered only when they were in their human states.

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During questioning, all he and Potter could get out of any of them had been a cryptic sort of warning, and a threat that their masters would kill them all for what they were doing. It was only when Draco, highly frustrated entered the mind of one of the werewolves using legilimency, did he catch a memory of what he believed, was some sort of hideout before that image got erased from the man's mind. He could be sure that it had not been occlumency, almost as if, the memory was now forgotten, gone…

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Potter had immediately hurried out from the questioning cells and gotten him a pensieve where Draco transferred the memory, lest he forget as well. Smith had seen the memory about a dozen times and then left immediately, without a word to either of them. Draco suspected that the reason behind this characteristic but befuddling act was the three storey dark and ruined building which he had transferred in the pensieve.

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Draco, now, had to submit complete record files of the criminals. As there were five criminals, He had argued with Potter on who gets three and who gets two. They had tossed on it… Well, it was sufficient to say that it just wasn't Draco's day. Traitor galleon!!!

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But, God must've felt some, very little pity for the blond. His and Potter's next job was to teach their charges namely Granger and Longbottom on how to create record files and how to submit them. At least he wouldn't have to write so much, his fingers were already cramping due to excessive wand use and a bit of physical threatening! Owls had been sent to both of them an hour ago and Granger was due in his office any moment now. Draco wondered if he would be able to take a tiny nap in his high backed chair when she got here and started working…

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A short rap on his office door followed by the entry of the said witch brought him out of his stupor.

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Hermione Granger entered his office and shot him a patronizing look when she saw the disheveled form his desk was in. And Draco could not blame her. Had he been properly conscious and well rested, he would have done more than flinch at the disorganized files. This was something he could not bear. But, as these were not the circumstances, her view only fuelled his irritation.

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"I believe in manners and etiquettes Granger." He said to her bringing a haughty expression on his face.

"Even when you are devoid of them yourself?" She replied looking smug. The wench!

"Be that as it may, you entered my office-"

"I knocked, you deaf idiot!"

"Let me complete the sentence will you! That's another disregard of manners. I am your senior. Do not interrupt me again. And, I certainly do not remember asking you to come in…"

"Why you little-"

"Insulting me can be very harmful to your reputation. You see, my comments on your dossier would be perused first if you are ever considered for promotion!"

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Draco was met by a loud huff of annoyance as Granger whipped around, hair crackling and rippling as she turned around and walked out of his door. Stunned, Draco wondered if he had gone too far and was about to get off his chair and look for her to call her back (Smith was going to ask Longbottom and Granger what all they had learned as soon as he came back) when a knock sounded against his door again. He barked out "come in!" and for the second time in the last two minutes, Hermione Granger walked in his office, with grace and stance befitting a queen. She stopped beside a chair and looked at him pointedly, chin up in the air! Draco couldn't help but be amused as he smirked at her and nodded, signaling her to sit down…

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Draco taught her how to record files, the order in which the details were supposed to be written in and how to magically bind them so they could not be used by anybody. He begrudgingly acknowledged (in his mind. Like he'd ever say something like that aloud!) that she was a very fast learner. No wonder she had gotten the most number of NEWTS in two decades in her last year and was called the brightest witch of her age. She worked fast and diligently and to his surprise, did not say a word even when she saw him closing his eyes for some time. She was on the third file when Draco opened his eyes again. Realizing that Smith could be back any moment and might even barge in his office, Draco was sure that his sleeping form would not bring out any sensitive side of his, if it even existed. Draco would loath to be scolded and could bet his life that Granger would never let him live it down.

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So, he did the next best thing he could, stared at the girl in front of him. He would tease and taunt her after the third file would be in his desk drawer. He trusted her violent abilities too much to predict that she would desecrate anything within her reach by throwing it at is head. He'd rather not have the pain along with sleep deprivation and incomplete tasks.

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He looked at her as she wrote down details on yellow parchment. Draco had to admit he found her hair passable now. Better than the rat's nest they were at school. She had a high forehead, smooth and free of any sort of wrinkles. Her eyes had slight dark lines under them indicating she hadn't slept well. Her eyes, however, Draco was surprised to see were devoid of any sort of makeup. Surprised because all girls he had ever been with would not have been caught dead make-up-less. Dark long lashes, almost skimming her cheeks as she looked down and concentrated. Draco wondered whether they were fake or she had had a lash transplant sometime ago…

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Yeah, he really needed some sleep…

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"Stop staring at me." Granger told him in a calm tone, without even lifting her eyes.

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Damn! He was caught.

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"Where do you want me to stare at then, the wall?" He replied, sneering at her.

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***

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Draco was at home. Finally catching up on some sleep. He had been sleeping for six hours when a tapping noise coming from his window woke him up. He opened his eyes and looked towards the noise. His owl was waiting to be let in with a letter clutched in her beak. He went forward and let her in and she landed on his shoulder, dropping the letter in his outstretched hand and nipping his ear softly.

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His mother had got him Tara. She was a black majestic owl and Draco had adored her the moment he saw her. The feeling was mutual as the owl had flown from his mother's shoulder and landed at Draco's as soon as he saw her. Whatever anybody might believe, Draco had always loved animals, exceptions being the monsters that oaf Hagrid used to bring in class. He had never liked Hippogriffs and anything said about the blast ended skrewts would be an understatement. But, he was very proud of his horses, hounds and many other creatures his mother liked to keep in one of their gardens. Tara, by far, was his favourite!

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He opened the letter quickly and found it to be from his department. Smith had called a meeting in half an hour.

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A while back in his office, after another verbal spat with him, Granger had asked him what he and Potter had found out after the interrogation. Disinclined to tell her much, he had given her a vague idea, and it was not as if there was much to tell, since so little information had been procured. She found the fact that the memory disappeared from the werewolf's mind interesting. Too interesting in his opinion. She had questioned him and almost requested him to describe the effect. Overcome with curiosity over her behavior, despite himself, told her about it. Her big eyes became huge as they widened in some sort of understanding and having completed recording the last file, she ran out of her seat.

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Draco was really too tired to feel anything other than slight surprise.

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Anyways, he had had enough. He was going home. Writing a memo to Potter and folding and charming it, the memo-plane flew out of his room as he walked to the apparition-disapparition room of the auror department and fell in his bed, fully clothed, only conscious long enough to kick off his shoes.

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His mother must've been in his room, he realized as he saw a soft quilt that lay on his bed. Anyways, being well rested, he walked into his bathroom and took a long, awaited shower and got ready for the meeting.

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***

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Draco apparated in the department at almost same time as Arun, who was so shocked to see him on time that he almost stumbled, knocking down a table which held a vase full of bright pink, almost neon flowers in some sort of green liquid, which he then embarrassedly cleaned up with a wave of his wand and with a last grin at Draco, walked out.

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Seriously, this place was full of drama queens.

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Yes, he was un-characteristically early for a meeting because he had wanted to stop at his office to not only pick up the completed criminal records, but also some other things that Smith had asked for in his letter. He would have to find those and he would be right on time, late for other people, so, no harm done!

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Hands in his pocket, he walked out winking at the witch sitting behind a desk just outside the room, who blushed and giggled, causing Draco to smirk more. He would've stopped but now was not the time. Smith would have his hide if he saw him.

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Opening the door to his office, Draco walked in, waving his wand, organizing the papers littering his room effectively. He opened his drawer and took out the files. Then, he turned around, opening his cupboard and started ruffling through it when the door to his office opened and in came a slightly tired but thoroughly excited looking Hermione Granger. She had two books in her hand which she quickly dropped on his table and went on to flex her arms. Judging by the size of the books, her arms would be cramped!

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Draco stared at her.

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"Don't look at me like that Malfoy!" She huffed at him but not angry, Draco could see that her mind was on something else.

"Sorry but when someone bursts in my office without any invitation, preamble or reason, I tend to stare."

"Oh don't worry, I've got enough reason! It's about the vanishing memory you saw."

Draco was intrigued by now. "What about it?" He asked her, abandoning his cupboard as he walked towards her.

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She said nothing but started rifling through the first book and finally opened an ear marked page and shifted it towards him. "The eyes of those men, Malfoy. Did they look like these?" She asked.

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Draco stared at the picture of a fierce man on the page. His eyes were orange. Very eerie looking, almost blank. He would've missed it to his facial expression had Granger not pointed it out. At the time in the questioning cells, he had overlooked the orange colour of the men's eyes thinking it to be somehow related to them being werewolves, but now, he looked up at her demanding some sort of explanation.

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"I went to the archives when I abruptly exited your office in the morning," she explained.

He sighed. This was typical. When in doubt, run to the library. There was a reason why Smith had asked them to rest, they were supposed to be fully rested and properly alert for a raid that night. "You should've gone home. There is supposed to be a raid tonight Granger!"

"Listen to me first Malfoy, this is important!" She cut him off and continued. "What you described to me, I have seen that happening before. I had convinced a house elf to report against a family that beat him mercilessly and on the day of the hearing, he slowly but surely, lost all his memories of that particular incident, which were soon replaced by other fake memories. He was checked for spells and curses. None found whatsoever. I took a blood sample of the elf and checked it to find a strange potion, never seen before. I dissected it and found traces of a memory modification potion, but, mixed with many more ingredients. I believe it almost worked like an obliviate… I found out later that the potion was too unstable to be swallowed, had to be injected…"

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Draco was shocked. "And Potter did find tiny pinpricks on their forearms, we didn't pay much attention to that…"

"Believe me Malfoy, I know what I am talking about! Look at this!" She opened the other book and directed him to a small paragraph which described how such potions worked, erasing desired thoughts and replacing them with others if required.

"Such potions are very hard to brew!" She continued. "The precise weighing, timing and heat required. Not to mention the position of the moon and time of the day."

"If what you are saying is correct Granger, then I am afraid this is really something big that we are against. Smith should know about it."

"You read my thoughts Malfoy!" She gave him a half sarcastic, half amused smile. "Let's go, what are we waiting for, we are already late for the meeting!"

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Draco looked at his watch. It was fifteen minutes past the time at which they had to be assembled for the meeting. He chuckled to himself, his lateness record was intact!

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Draco saw Granger taking the books in her arms shakily and attempting to open the door which opened on the inside. He saw her struggle for a few moments and then sighed to himself and went forward, taking the books out of her hands.

She looked up at him, befuddled. "Did you just willingly help me?" She asked him, not able to control herself.

"Just shut up and open the door Granger!"

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***

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Hey everyone! I know it's been long and this chapter was quite unsatisfactory but don't worry, next one's gonna be up soon! I promise! It's already half written and I hope to be able to upload it by tomorrow or day after. My exams are coming soon so I don't know when I'd be able to update after the next chapter but I can assure you all, I would not abandon this story!

And please review! It makes my day!

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