Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter
Chapter 56 – Confrontation
Remus and Albus remained behind for awhile, discussing the upcoming meeting and awaiting the Floo call from Kingsley to confirm that he had been successful in scheduling it. To pass the time, Remus and Molly cooked dinner while the Headmaster caught Sirius and Kate up on the news of the Order and the school. School items led Sirius to ask about Harry, whom he missed dearly and with whom he had been unable to communicate since Kate had been attacked. Being so close to his Godson without being able to see him had bothered Sirius quite a bit and led Kate to wonder if there was a way that Harry could be brought into the limited circle of people who knew about the Annex. She made a note to ask the Headmaster about the possibility later. They all had enough to think about at the moment.
Over dinner, Albus and Molly spent time reminiscing about the time before the first War, when she and her husband and son had lived in Wizard London. Molly's husband, Edmund, had served as Healer at Hogwarts during their son's time as a student, while Molly had pursued her studies so that eventually she, too, would be a certified Healer. When Voldemort began making his presence known in the Wizarding world, Edmund left his post at Hogwarts and joined the staff of St Mungo's, anxious to be in London to assist in the fight. His son, John, joined him and, together, they had been amongst the first victims in the quickly escalating War. Devastated, with nothing and no one at home, Molly applied for a position at St Mungo's, where she remained to this day. Her husband had wanted her to remain as uninvolved as possible in the War effort while he was alive and Molly had honored his wishes. After his death, she was too stunned at the sudden loss of her family to take on any more responsibility than her job already held. Voldemort's apparent death at the hands of Harry Potter occurred a year later and Molly had reconciled herself to honoring her family by living her life fully – now in a world that appeared free of the tyrant that had taken them from her. Still, it felt good to share stories with Albus, who had known both Edmund and John, and had spent time with their family back in those days. Sirius, Remus and Kate listened to their stories, chuckling at the more amusing of their memories ("No, really, Aberforth truly felt that the goat could wear an invisibility cloak to carry healing potions into battle," Molly laughed, trying to gasp out the story between giggles. Albus took up the tale to allow Molly to recover, but he wasn't doing much better. "I reminded my brother about goats' dietary tendencies and he eventually relented. It was fun while it lasted, however.")
Sirius leaned over to Remus. "And they thought the Marauders were out of control," he snickered, earning a raised eyebrow from Molly and sending her a cheeky wink in return. "Something wrong, Mum?" he asked.
Molly's expression softened at hearing what was fast becoming Sirius' favorite name for her. "Not a thing, child," she said. "I thought for a moment that you might have been getting a bit fresh."
"No ma'am," he assured her, grinning in a manner that belied his denial. "Never."
A burst of green flame from the hearth pre-empted any reply Molly might have had as Kingsley stepped through the hearth and into the room. His eyes swept over the group.
"We're set. 10 o'clock tomorrow morning in our large interrogation room," Kingsley said to the group. "I told the Minister and Malfoy that meeting there would clearly help avoid undue embarrassment for Mr. Malfoy." He grinned. "His ego was very pleased with my 'consideration of his position'."
"Pompous bastard," Molly voiced her opinion, causing everyone in the room to look at her in surprise. She returned their gaze unflinchingly. "Well, he is, isn't he?"
Sirius smiled broadly. "I love that woman."
Kate spoke up. "He'll be that much closer to the holding cells if we interview him there, won't he?" She smiled grimly and Kingsley nodded.
"I wouldn't spend a lot of time primping in the morning, Kate," he said. "As we said before, we want them to recognize what Malfoy's done to you even before you open your mouth."
"Problem is, they can't see the worst that he did," Kate said in return.
"And he cannot be told about it," Kingsley reminded her.
"Oh, I'm quite aware of that, Kingsley," Kate responded. "It's one more crime he with which he won't be charged, despite how much he deserves to be."
Sirius put his arm around Kate. "It will be alright, Katie-girl. He'll pay for all that he's done and we know the extent of his crimes, don't we?" He kissed her cheek gently. "It's alright," he repeated.
Kate leaned into him for a moment. "Alright. Kingsley, what time would you like me to arrive?"
"Plan to Floo in at 9:30," he responded. "You can settle yourself in the observation chamber to watch everything unfold. I'll come and get you when it's time."
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Later, after the others left, Molly gave Kate a thorough examination just to put their minds to rest about her progress. Despite the stress caused by the anticipation of the events to occur in the morning, Kate's condition continued to improve. At Sirius' request, she said she thought Kate could move into Sirius' room, judging her well enough to leave the hospital area. Kate was very happy to transition into a more normal environment and Sirius was right beside himself.
Later, Kate lay in Sirius' arms, her head resting on his chest as she waited for sleep to come.
"You're nervous about tomorrow morning," Sirius' voice rumbled beneath her ear.
Kate nodded. "I am, a bit," she confirmed.
"Nothing wrong with that," Sirius said. "Keeps you on your guard."
Kate smiled against his skin. "Now you sound like Mad-Eye," she said. "'Constant vigilance!'"
Sirius frowned. "I know. Frightening thing, that. But this one time, I'll live with it."
Kate rubbed his stomach lightly. "I'm really proud of you, you know. You were wonderful tonight during that whole discussion about Malfoy."
Sirius captured her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Thank you, madam. It's bloody difficult, I'll tell you that much. Goes against every natural tendency I have."
Kate shifted her head so she could see his face. "Are you alright about going back to Grimmauld as often as you'll have to?"
Sirius' frown deepened. "Well, I don't have much choice, do I, Katie-girl? I've got to keep the blood relations from the door. I hate being away from you, though, but I reckon that we've been apart from each other for longer than that and survived it. We can survive this."
Kate kissed his shoulder. "We will. And you won't be alone; Remus will be with you. It will be good for the two of you to have some time together. Friendships like yours are very rare, indeed."
Sirius nodded then kissed the top of her head. "Very rare," he repeated. "You should sleep now, Katie-girl. Tomorrow will be here very soon and you need your rest to face dear Lucius."
Kate shook her head. "Actually, I need to look drawn and haggard, rather like the rag-picker's child, according to Kingsley."
Sirius snorted. "He'll be disappointed, then. You couldn't look like that if you tried!"
Kate kissed his shoulder again then brought her leg over his and tightened her hold 'round his waist to snuggle even closer to him. "Thank you, darling. I love you."
"I love you back," he said, tightening his own embrace. "Sleep well, now."
Despite his physical fatigue, Sirius lay awake long after Kate's breathing told him that she had fallen asleep. Visions of Malfoy danced before him, mixed with the image of Kate on the night she was brought to the Annex after her last encounter with the Death Eater. You might be proud of me now, Katie-girl, he thought, but if that sorry bastard so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll find out about it and he will have more to fear than Azkaban when I do! When the first subtle hues of dawn filtered through the curtains, Sirius finally slept.
XXXXXXXX
Kate arose at 7 to allow herself enough time to shower, dress and eat breakfast before traveling to the Ministry. She was somehow oddly grateful that she needn't bother with her make-up routine as she found that, while better, she was moving much slower than normal.
At 8:30, Kate joined Molly and Sirius at the table while the latter dished up porridge, adding cinnamon, honey and milk while Kate sipped her coffee. Gesturing to the bowl of steaming porridge, Kate smiled at Sirius. "Feels like the first day of school," she said.
There was little conversation between the three and Kate soon placed her spoon in her empty bowl and rose from the table. She squeezed Molly's shoulder as she passed her and received a smile and a warm, "Be safe, my dear," in response. Sirius walked into the Great Room with her and, as they stood before the fireplace, he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"He cannot hurt you, Katie-girl; remember that," he whispered. "Kingsley is there, as well and he will allow nothing to happen to you." Then, lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly. "I love you."
Kate smiled and kissed him again, lingering a bit. "I love you, too. Try not to worry too much. I'll be back as soon as it's over."
Sirius nodded and handed her the pot of Floo powder. Taking a pinch, Kate threw it into the flames, then stepped resolutely into the hearth, calling out clearly, "Auror's Office – Ministry of Magic!" With a shimmer, she disappeared and the flames returned to normal.
Sirius stood in front of the hearth for a moment longer and then returned the powder to its place on the mantel. Turning, he approached the loveseat facing the hearth and sat down to wait for Kate's return. Molly, watching from the kitchen doorway, was reminded of Sirius' Animagus form – the brave and loyal Padfoot – who would wait forever until those he loved returned to him.
XXXXXXXX
Kate stepped out of the fireplace next to Kingsley's cube precisely at half nine and was gratified to feel his strong hands on her shoulders, helping her to stay upright. Never her favorite form of travel, Kate found this particular Floo trip to be extremely taxing and she felt quite dizzy as Kingsley led her into his cube. As they entered, Kate noted that Cornelius Fudge was already seated in one of the two guest chairs in front of Kingsley's desk. Kate hesitated, not wanting to sit in the other, given its proximity to the wizard whom she did not trust.
"Kate!" Fudge arose and extended his hand, his demeanor nervous at her obvious infirmity. Let him think it might be exclusive to Malfoy's behavior rather than her travel methods. After all, Fudge was notorious for choosing sides based on personal gain – or risk. Clearly, supporting a man still suspected of dark tendencies against a charge of torturing a Senior Auror would pose significant risk. Kate wondered if his current anxiety would last through the interview.
"Minister," she returned his greeting and accepted his handshake, changing her mind about the chair. She really needed to sit down.
"I'm grateful you agreed to join us today; I suspect you were most likely given different advice for your own recovery," Fudge continued.
Kate nodded. "I believe some would have preferred me to stay where I was," she told him. "But, even my Healers recognized the importance of this meeting and so agreed that I should attend."
"Would you like some tea?" Fudge asked. "I could ask my secretary to bring some to us while we wait for Lucius to arrive."
Kate suppressed a smile. "That would be lovely, thank you," she responded.
As Fudge Floo-called his secretary, Kate and Kingsley exchanged amused glances. In short order, Agatha arrived with their tea and left them to enjoy the steaming brew in the time that remained before Malfoy was scheduled to arrive. Shortly before 10, they removed themselves to the interrogation room with Fudge and Kingsley seating themselves at the table while Kate took a chair behind the enchanted wall, casting the spell required for her to observe the activities in the room beyond.
Promptly at 10, a Ministry employee knocked on the door and announced that Lucius Malfoy had arrived for his meeting with the Minister. As the clerk moved away from the doorway, Kate caught her breath as the tall, blonde figure of Lucius Malfoy took his place.
"Cornelius," the Death Eater inclined his head in Fudge's direction. Turning to Kingsley, his eyes swept over the tall man haughtily and he murmured, "Shacklebolt, isn't it?"
Kingsley nodded. "It is, Mr. Malfoy. Please, be seated," he added, indicating the single vacant chair opposite those which he and Fudge had occupied before rising at Malfoy's appearance. There was one additional chair, located behind Kingsley and against the wall. Kate knew that to be her seat when Kingsley came to fetch her.
Malfoy pulled out the chair Kingsley had indicated. He removed and folded his traveling cloak, laying it over the back of the chair before seating himself.
"I believe you indicated to me that Ms. Morgan would be joining us this morning and yet, I do not see her here," Malfoy's modulated voice held an element of disdain as he stated the obvious. "Can it be that she has recanted her accusations against me?"
Kingsley glanced at Fudge, whose gaze remained steadfastly on the top of the table. With an inaudible sigh, he turned back to Malfoy. "No, Auror Morgan is here. We thought we would start the conversation and bring her in when the time seemed appropriate." Kingsley reached into his robes and removed a small vial of clear fluid.
Malfoy's lip curled derisively. "Cornelius," he addressed himself to the Minister although his eyes never left the vial in Kingsley's hand. "I thought you and I had discussed this matter and come to an agreement. There is no need to resort to Veritaserum. I have nothing to hide here."
Finally, Fudge ceased his study of the conference table and brought his surprisingly firm gaze to Malfoy's face. "Lucius, you know that we agreed to no such thing. As I said then, it is the policy of the Ministry to use Veritaserum whenever an inquiry is conducted. There are no exceptions."
Malfoy's eyes widened slightly. Clearly, he had expected Fudge to capitulate to his earlier demand. "Why, Cornelius, I'm astonished at you, but if you truly believe that I would lie about this matter, them I suppose I have no choice but to play along with this charade. Shacklebolt, if you must…"
Kingsley held up his hand. "One moment, please, Mr. Malfoy. I must advise you that we have taken additional precautions although, of course, we mean no disrespect to you. As you know, it is possible to negate the effects of Veritaserum by ingesting a neutralizing potion which is taken with an accompanying charm. I have taken the liberty of bringing in a Healer familiar with both potion and charm to conduct a brief magical sweep of your system to determine if, somehow, either or both are present. Surely, you would have no objection to this examination."
Malfoy's naturally pale face seemed, to Kate, to pale even further. After a moment to gather himself, however, he lifted his chin and responded. "While I am offended by your request, I shall not protest it. One can only imagine what your bureau would concoct about me should I choose to do so." He waved his hand. "Bring in this … Healer."
Kate watched Kingsley rise and go to the door through which Lucius had so recently passed. He opened it and gestured to someone out of sight of those in the room. She was shocked a moment later when Molly appeared in the doorway.
Looking at Kingsley, Molly inquired, "Who would you like me to test, please, Mr. Shacklebolt?"
Kingsley gestured toward Malfoy and Molly approached him without any apparent reservation. "Would you stand, please?" she instructed crisply.
With a long suffering sigh, Malfoy rose to his feet and turned to face the petite Healer. Molly closed her eyes and murmured an incantation accompanied by some intricate wand movements. Whirls of light leapt from the tip of her wand and wrapped themselves about Malfoy's tall, muscular frame. The lights joined and separated in a magical dance, growing brighter as they pulsed. Suddenly, the lights shimmered, then turned silver and stood still. Molly opened her eyes and assessed the ribbons of silver for a moment then murmured, "Finite." The lights vanished and she turned to face Kingsley. Solemnly, she said to him, "He has taken the neutralizing potion and the charm has also been cast."
Malfoy's eyes glittered. "I can assure you, madam, I did not intentionally deceive anyone."
"That is not for me to say, sir. I merely performed the diagnostic spell that confirmed that both potion and charm had been ingested. Intentionally or not," she finished.
"I fear that my family may have acted without authorization earlier when I announced that I would be coming to the Ministry to subject myself to questioning. My son, in particular, is often misplaced in is overprotective attitude about my wellbeing. He is impulsive, but, alas, I indulge him far too often." Malfoy's entire demeanor was condescending, but there was a slight twitch at the outer corner of his eye that seemed to indicate that he was, in fact, more nervous than he would have liked to let on. "It would seem that our meeting today is, regrettably, at an end as I cannot ingest Veritaserum to any great effect. We'll need to…"
"Not to worry," Molly interrupted him briskly. "I've brought the reversal serum. Mr. Shacklebolt, here you are." With that, Molly placed a vial full of shimmering, pale blue liquid in Kingsley's hand. "Four drops on his tongue; wait for one minute, then administer the Veritaserum as normal. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the hospital; I have patients, you know." And she was gone; exiting the room via the same door she used to enter it.
Malfoy's face was a study in shock. He recovered in time to force a rather sick smile onto his face as Kingsley approached him with the Veritaserum. "Sit down, Mr. Malfoy. This won't hurt a bit," the Senior Auror said, a false kindness in his voice.
A noise behind her made Kate jump and, when she turned, she saw that Molly had entered the observation room. Coming to a stop next to Kate, she slipped her arm through hers. "Sirius sends his love," Molly whispered.
Kate smiled. "I can't believe you," she said, her hand covering Molly's where it rested in the crook of her arm. "You have nerves of steel."
Molly shook her head. "Not true," she said. "That man radiates evil; you can feel it in the room with them. But, when Albus asked me to brew the antidote and do a bit of "trickery" this morning, I couldn't refuse. Sirius was delighted, as you can well imagine."
"'Trickery'?" Kate asked. "You mean Malfoy didn't take the neutralizer?"
"There's no way to tell," Molly said. "Albus was certain that he would have done and, as there's no known way to successfully test to confirm its presence, he asked me to come here and convince Malfoy that I could tell. It appears to have worked."
Despite her fear of the malevolent man in the room before her, Kate could not help but laugh a bit. "So, you lied to ensure Malfoy would tell the truth. I love irony!"
Molly squeezed Kate's hand. "Here comes Kingsley, my dear. 'You're on', as the Muggles say."
Kate looked up to see that Kingsley was striding purposefully toward the door to the observation room. Malfoy was seated at the table and his eyes had the curiously glazed over look that indicated the successful administration of Veritaserum.
"It's time, Kate," Kingsley said after opening the door a bit.
"Good luck, dearie," Molly whispered, letting go her arm.
Kate nodded and walked over to where Kingsley stood in the doorway. "Let's get this over with," she said quietly and, together, they made their way into the interrogation room.
Kate sat in the chair against the wall and waited for Kingsley to begin his questioning. It didn't take long.
"Mr. Malfoy, we will begin with some basic questions just to ascertain that the Veritaserum has taken hold. Is your name Lucius Malfoy?"
"Yes," Malfoy answered.
"Where do you live?" the Auror asked.
"Wiltshire," came the detached response.
"Where were you the evening of Thursday last?" Kingsley asked the first of his questions directly relative to the events at Hogsmeade station.
Malfoy clearly did not wish to answer, but was forced to do so by the pull of the Veritaserum. "In Hogsmeade."
"In the village proper?"
"No, at the train station." Kate noted that even though Malfoy was under the influence of the powerful truth-compelling serum, he struggled mightily against it – as indicated by the gritted teeth through which his last answer was uttered.
"Why were you at the station?" Kingsley asked.
"We were helping some colleagues move," Malfoy fairly sneered.
"We?"
"Auror Spear and myself," Malfoy replied.
"Did you achieve your objective – helping your colleagues move?"
"Only partially."
"Why only partially?" Kingsley asked.
"We were interrupted. Your … staff, I would presume," Malfoy's sneer was becoming more pronounced.
"Is there anyone in this room you recognize from that night?"
Malfoy's ice blue gaze fell on Kate and he inclined his sleek blonde head in her direction. "Ms. Morgan," he said. "Although she was not always visible, were you?"
"I'll ask the questions here, Mr. Malfoy, if you don't mind," Kingsley reminded him. He turned to Fudge, whose eyebrows were raised at Malfoy's comment. "Minister, we were seriously outnumbered. Fortunately, Bill Weasley, Arthur's son and Remus Lupin, a former professor at the school, happened along and were able to assist us, else I doubt we would be here. Kate had taken an invisibility potion upon arrival at the scene. It allowed us some advantage, but only temporarily," he explained.
"Allowing civilians to partake in Ministry affairs," Malfoy interjected. "And one a known werewolf. Really, Cornelius. Most unacceptable from my perspective."
Fudge's face was red with his indignation, Kate noted with some surprise. "Given that you were there with individuals known to have recently escaped from Azkaban prison, andthat you fought Ministry personnel alongside them, your perspective cannot be considered," he said.
"Indeed, Minister," Kingsley murmured, retaking control of the interrogation – for that is what it had become. "Let us continue. Kate?" At the sound of her name, Kate rose, albeit shakily – her proximity to Malfoy having more of an impact on her than she could have anticipated.
"Mr. Malfoy, please describe the spells and/or curses you used in your duel with Auror Morgan," Kingsley requested.
Malfoy looked from Kingsley to Kate. He drew breath to speak and it became apparent that he was struggling mightily with the compulsion of the serum. Finally, he spoke. "I used … the Cruciatus Curse," he spat out.
Fudge gasped. "So, it's true?"
Malfoy turned to look at the Minister. "I am under the effects of Veritaserum, Cornelius," he sneered. "Try to keep up, won't you?" Turning back to Kate, Malfoy continued. "I had heard a rumor about Auror Morgan – a rumor about her … health," he oozed. "Given the implications of the rumor, I was … anxious to detain her to see if it was true." Kate watched as Malfoy's face took on some additional color and knew that he was dancing on the edges of truth with his final statement. She felt her heart begin to race as she realized where Malfoy was headed. She acted quickly.
"I'm sure that you are referring to the ridiculous rumor that former Auror Spear tried to spread here after seeing me at St. Mungo's one day," Malfoy's sneer turned into a frown as he realized that he was about to be trumped. "Minister, I was bothered by a recurrence of an old stomach condition and sought more effective treatment from a Healer there. Spear happened to overhear one of the potions that was being prescribed for me and apparently recognized it as one that is also prescribed for expectant mothers. I can assure you that its recommendation for my use was in the treatment of my chronic stomach issues and nothing else. Spear, however, in an attempt to persuade Kingsley to remove me from anything to do with the investigation into Unspeakable Bode's death, began spreading the rumor that I was pregnant." Kate was enormously grateful that she was not under the constraints of Veritaserum.
Fudge nodded. "Which, of course, you were not?"
Malfoy saw his carefully laid plans slipping away and interrupted. "Cornelius, certainly you remember that Ms. Morgan was once involved with Sirius Black, the escaped convict whom you, yourself, publicly denounced as the man behind the recent Azkaban break-out. Is it so unlikely that he would seek her out now that he's on the run? That they would have resumed their relationship right under your very nose? Clearly, you would not want an Auror capable of that kind of duplicity and – dare I say it? – treason working in our midst here at the Ministry? I…merely acted…out…of…," Veritaserum was making it very difficult for Malfoy to continue.
"I'd stop right there, Malfoy," Fudge interrupted. "Veritaserum has very nasty consequences for those who attempt to lie while under its influence." He turned to Kate, "You were, however, once very much involved with Black, Kate, as I remember. You, of course, would immediately turn him in if he attempted to contact you?" At Kate's nod, he continued. "And, of course, you are telling the truth about your – er- condition?"
Kate looked from the Minister to Malfoy and said, "I can assure you, Minister, without any hesitation and in complete truthfulness, that I am not pregnant." She took a deep breath and continued, "But how much more reprehensible does it make Mr. Malfoy's actions if he truly did believe that I was and still performed the Cruciatus Curse against me that night? And not just once, but three times and for a prolonged period! What kind of monster does that make him?"
Kingsley spoke up. "You may return to your seat, Kate," he said, noting how pale she had become and that her hands were trembling. Once she was seated, he turned back to Malfoy, whose mouth was set in a grim line. "It looks as if your plan here has failed. You have admitted using an Unforgivable Curse on an Auror of this Ministry. Your reaction while attempting to excuse your actions appears to indicate that at least part of your explanation flirted with dishonesty." He paused, glancing at Fudge who had lapsed into another silent review of the table top. "Given those circumstances, I have no choice but to have you arrested and held here pending transfer to Azkaban. Minister? Have you anything to add?"
Fudge raised his head to look at Kingsley. "Nothing," he stated, rising and turning to Kate. "We should delay no further. Ms. Morgan needs to return to hospital. It was kind of her to come here today to assist us in this matter." He headed toward the door.
"I demand my solicitor," Malfoy roared. Kingsley smiled and conjured the magical bonds that immediately wrapped themselves around Malfoy's wrists.
"You may Floo Call him before we take you to your cell. I'm sure he knows his way to the holding cells, Malfoy. After all, it may have been 15 years, but you've been our guest before," Kingsley allowed himself a small chuckle before turning to Kate. "Thank you, Kate," he said. "Please go and rest. I'll check in with you later."
Kate nodded and rose, turning to go through the doorway into the observation room. Once inside, she felt Molly's arm slide round her waist and was grateful for the support.
"Come, sweet," Kate heard her say. "Hang onto me tightly. I'll get us back to the Annex."
With that, Kate closed her eyes and felt the distinct sway of Apparition and the next thing she knew, two very strong arms reached out to embrace her. Opening her eyes, Kate saw Sirius' concerned face before her. Before she could react or say a word to him, however, she saw his features begin to blur and, in the next moment, darkness claimed her.