Slipped Away
Now you're gone
There you go
Somewhere I can't bring you back
Now you're gone
There you go
Somewhere you're not coming back
Jenny
5/9/11
5:29 p.m.
The trip to St. Mungo's was deathly silent. Nobody said anything, even when all I did was swing into the hospital bed once more. Madam Pane was already there, looking like Professor McGonagall, with tight thin lips. I knew she was angry. "Here." She said brusquely, pushing a bottle into my hand, then went down to the end of the bed and strapped down my ankles. I suddenly felt the need to say something to my family, silently standing around, watching me with unfathomable eyes.
"I can't apologize enough, so should I even try?" I said quietly, and someone chuckled in the back.
"I think you should just drink. This will all be over before we even know it." Surprisingly, it was George who spoke. I raised my glass to him and drank, once again having to leave my fate out of my own hands. Lovely. The potion instantly sent me careening down a dark tunnel that was surprisingly comfy…
Draco
5/9/11
6:12 p.m.
Dawlish snatched a purple paper airplane out of thin air from the Ministry with a scowl on his face. He scanned it, then swore darkly under his breath and crumpled it. "No one is allowed in her room except for Healers. Bollig fed the Minister some bull-crap excuse." He explained tersely without having to be asked. Everyone exchanged looks, then silently filed out. I was the last to leave, gazing at Jenny a moment longer before letting Dawlish usher me out. We all stood awkwardly in the hallway. Nobody wanted to debate how the trial went, or what we thought the outcome was going to be. Slowly, I leaned against a wall, and then slid down it, undoing the high collar on my suit, then yanking the tie loose. "I'll come down when the Wizengamot is ready." Dawlish said awkwardly, and then strode away, running a hand through his hair, looking exhausted.
I don't know how long most of sat there, until the Weasley's went home, then the trio, and then Tonks was forced to go and get Teddy from her parent's house, leaving Lupin and I alone. Time passed on, and I knew that I dozed once and awhile, until I finally sat up straight as a tall Healer with a thick bushy beard came down the hall, carrying a bottle. He nodded silently to us before slipping inside her room. "More?" I asked darkly under my breath.
"Be thankful they aren't overdosing her like the last time." Lupin muttered just as darkly under his breath, rubbing his face.
Jenny
5/10/10
1:21 a.m.
The tunnel had ended awhile ago, and I was just dozing now. My brain turned fuzzy as the lights came up slightly, and a Healer came across the room, one I didn't recognize, but he had a bottle, so he must be here for me. He looked at me a moment, then turned and pointed his wand at the door, sending spikes of curiosity and warning into my sleepy brain, waking it up. "Muffilato. Alohamora." He said calmly, then came over starting to smile for some reason, making me even more nervous. "Jennifer Quinty, what an honor it's being to meet ya at last." He sniggered and tapped his wand on his face, and my face paled as George Eads swam into view.
"Someone-" I started to shout, but he flicked his wand and my voice died. He chuckled, twirling his wand in his fingers as he came and sat on the edge of my bed. I stiffened and moved as far away from him as possible.
"It's a pity you're such a beautie. You would have been a lot of…fun." He uncorked his bottle, pondering it for a moment as my brain sputtered pathetically as it tried to find an answer, a way out. "This is a potion from the pile I found in my Department. I also work for the Ministry…Dangerous Magical Waste Disposal. This un' was supposed to be destroyed…Merlin knows what it'll do to ya. Says somethin' about the in-between. Hmm." He looked at it a moment more, shrugged, then climbed on top of me as I thrashed against the restraints, trying to break them. He fixed one disgusting hand around my throat, holding my head still. "Bottom's up!" He chuckled, moving his hand to my chin, using brute strength to pry open my mouth. Desperate, I bit down hard on his thumb, and he sucked in a quick breath, then let it out. "Ya stupid little chit." He swore, then forced the potion down.
Draco
5/10/11
1:25 a.m.
I looked up from playing aimlessly with my tie to see another Healer coming briskly down the hall, bottle in hand. On closer inspection, I recognized Madam Pane. "Someone's already been here." I said flatly, going back to messing with my tie as she stopped for a moment, looking at us as if she wanted to say something.
"I'm sorry, what?" She asked with a slight sharpness to her voice.
"A Healer is already in there." I emphasized, letting some of my nerves edge out to ice over my words. Madam Pane frowned.
"Mr. Malfoy, you must be mistaken. I am the only approved Healer to administer medication to Ms. Quinty." Lupin raised his head with a sigh.
"Obviously not, because someone is in there. Tall guy, with a big beard." He said tiredly, and Madam Pane stared at him, then at me, then pulled out her wand slowly.
"No one like that works here. No one was supposed to be sent down here until now." She pulled on the knob, and the door didn't open. I scrambled to my feet as her words sunk in, drawing my wand. Lupin was already up, wand pointed at the door. "Alohamora." Madam Pane barked, and the knob clicked. She pushed the door open and I aimed from around her side. The man in there didn't resemble the 'Healer' at all, instead, George Eads was laughing, an empty bottle in his hand, watching Jenny, who's skin had turned a steely grey. She wasn't moving or breathing—
"Stupefy!" Lupin, Madam Pane and I shouted simultaneously, catching Eads in the face, shoulder and chest. He toppled instantly, and Madam Pane dashed inside, Lupin following, but I was stuck in the doorway, eyes locked on Jenny.
"Go get help, Draco! GO!" Lupin shouted at me, waking me up. I tore my eyes away and dashed down the hall to the desk. Two nurses were finishing paper work, and a Healer was just approaching from another room as I slammed into the desk, somehow fighting for air.
"Sir, what is the problem?" The one nurse asked, sounding scandalized.
"The room-the room at the end of the hall," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "A man we thought was a Healer went in, and then Madam Pane came, and we realized, and then, we went in, and-and-and he gave her something, I don't know what-" I ranted, but as soon as I finished, the Healer and the one nurse sprinted off down the hall as the other nurse went the opposite way, but returned quickly with three very buff looking men who I realized were security guards. They left, and I fell down in front of the desk, too emotional to think clearly. I knew she was dead, she hadn't been breathing, she was grey, after all she had sacrificed, and after all she had done-
"Mr. Malfoy?" I raised my head to find Dawlish standing over me, looking curious and concerned. "The Wizengamot is done deliberating…what's the matter, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing a nurse dash down the hall from Jenny's room and run away. He stared open mouthed as the three security guards carried George Eads away. Dawlish swiftly knelt to my height, shaking my shoulder. "Draco, what's happened?" He asked quickly, staring intensely at me, and only then did I realize I was crying for Jenny's new misfortune.
"George Eads…he must have Transfigured his appearance, because we thought he was a Healer, he looked just like one. He went into her room, we thought it was just more drugs…then Madam Pane came—said that she was the only one who was supposed to give her medicine…when we got the door open, he was there. He gave Jenny something…and," I choked and put my head on my knees. I heard him get up and run down the hall. After a moment, I staggered to my feet and after him. I stood in the doorway, watching Dawlish ask Lupin questions. Lupin was sitting on the extra bed, head in his hands. Healers were in a flurry of activity, flying around her bed so fast, I couldn't even see her. I stumbled in the rest of the way to stand a few feet from Lupin and Dawlish.
"She's not dead, not yet, anyway. They're trying to figure out what he put in her." I heard Lupin say, and my knees almost buckled in relief. I backed into the other bed and sat heavily down, absolutely defeated. I couldn't do it anymore, I had failed at protecting her, I had failed her in so many ways.
"I'll send a message down to the court." Dawlish was saying, and he quickly produced a parrot-shaped Patronus that flew speedily away. Then he paused for a second, slowly running a hand through his hair, looking angry at himself. "How did this happen?" He asked almost silently, watching the Healers. Lupin laughed bitterly.
"Why did this happen, Dawlish? Why?" He snapped, punching the palm of his hand with unusual vigor. "Why would anyone want to…attack my daughter?" He mumbled the last part and stopped punching his hand; his fist fell apart. A gazelle Patronus pranced into the room and spoke in the Minister's voice.
"Dawlish, get down here and explain what the hell is going on." He barked, and the Patronus dissolved into mist. With a sigh, Dawlish stood up.
"I'll be back." He said sadly, then turned and left the room. After a second, I bolted up and followed him. "Mr. Malfoy-?" Dawlish started, but I talked over him.
"I have to know—" I swallowed. "If-if she's innocent. I have to know." He looked at me, then nodded. I fell into step beside him and neither of us spoke the whole way there. I knew he was looking at me from time to time, but I only looked straight ahead, hoping that Jenny was still with us. After everything that had happened she couldn't be killed, not now. Dawlish pushed open the door to the courtroom and we quickly crossed the floor. Almost instantly, cameras flashed, they thought we were Jenny.
"Back off, she's not here!" Dawlish yelled, and the cameras stopped. He looked up at the Minister, the Wizengamot, Madam Bones. Bollig was sitting on his side of the bar, looking incredibly pleased for some reason.
"Then, where is the defendant, Auror Dawlish? Your Patronus said something about an accident." The Minister huffed, sounding annoyed. His lack of any caring emotion made my blood boil, but I stayed quiet. Dawlish took a deep breath.
"A man disguised himself as a Healer in St. Mungo's and got access to Miss Quinty's room. He gave her some sort of potion, we don't know what it is- and she's…incapacitated. This was a hate crime." Dawlish ended fiercely.
"Who was the intruder?" Madam Bones asked after a moment of silence.
"George Eads, Department of Dangerous Magical Waste Disposal." Dawlish said bitterly, and all heads turned to Bollig, whose smug look had fallen right off his face. "He stole a concoction that was meant to be incinerated. This is your fault," He snarled at Bollig, who looked at him in surprise.
"I beg your pardon?" He asked, and he actually sounded not-evil for a second.
"If you hadn't ranted about how angry and crazy she was, she wouldn't have had to be drugged in the first place! Imagine, she couldn't fight back, she was probably half asleep-" Dawlish sputtered until Madam Bones raised a hand as the Wizengamot muttered behind her, sounding just as worked up.
"Let's not point fingers, Auror Dawlish, until we have all the facts. Where is Mr. Eads presently?" She tried to ask it calmly, but even I could tell that she was upset.
"St. Mungo's security has him locked in a room at St. Mungo's, awaiting transportation to the Ministry." Dawlish snapped. "This never should have happened."
"Launch an investigation, use Williamson to help you. We'll find out how this happened. As for you," The Minister looked at Bollig, "as of now, you are suspended from all court activity until you are cleared in this investigation." He said, and Bollig's face turned ugly fast. "And why are you here?" He asked, and it took me a second to realize he was talking to me. I glared up at him, resuming the Malfoy cold demeanor.
"I'm here to find out the verdict of the Wizengamot." I said curtly. The Minister opened his mouth to say something, but Madam Bones spoke.
"What is on your neck?" She asked, and I lifted a hand, expecting to touch the stiff collar that hid the bite, and touched skin. "Is that a bite mark?" She leaned forward on her podium as I hastily buttoned back up my collar.
"Of course not," I said haughtily, and she narrowed her eyes at me.
"Well, Wizengamot? What is your verdict?" Dawlish snapped, changing the subject after glancing at me for a moment. The old woman in the back stood up and I felt my stomach clench, and my fingers slipped off of my tie, which I had been hastily tightening again.
"We the Wizengamot find Jennifer Lillian Quinty not guilty on all charges." She said with a small smile, but her words were already fading away in my head.
Not guilty.
Innocent.