A/N: Thank you all so much for the encouragement, prodding, reviews, and love. This story wouldn't be possible without you guys.
~o0o~
"Is there anywhere we can go that is private?" Ginny was starting to lose her nerve to tell Lucius everything the longer that time passed. He didn't seem to want anything to do with whatever she had to say as his eyes kept darting to Lacey's hospital room, "Maybe the Manor?"
"No," Lucius snapped, looking down at the jumpy, drawn red-head before him, "I'm angry enough that I have to leave her side. I'm not leaving St. Mungo's."
"Fine, follow me then," Ginny sighed. There was a family waiting room down the hall. She and Sirius had sat there earlier when the Medi-witch was running other tests and it was as private as they could get on such short notice. Lucius raised an eyebrow in annoyance but followed her and sighed impatiently when she put up silencing spells and locked the door.
"Is this all really necessary?"
"I'm not sure if you are in denial or just thick, but Lacey is dying. Like…really dying…."
"If they would just let me try and few spells…" Lucius said through gritted teeth; he didn't like being reminded about the harsh reality of the situation.
"Maybe they will. But right now, we don't have anything to do and there are things that you need to know if she takes a turn for the worse," Ginny sat down on one of the sterile white seats and urged him to do the same.
"She won't…"
"But if she does, Lucius, please!" Ginny was desperate and the tone of her voice finally made Lucius realize that this wasn't some trivial bit of information that she was trying to convey. Whatever it was had her almost in tears.
"What is going on?" He readied himself for the worst, "Does this have something to do with why she left Paris in the middle of the night?"
Ginny winced, "Yeah…actually. She found the ring. She knows you were going to propose."
Lucius sat in contemplative silence for a few moments, "If she didn't want to marry me, why wouldn't she just say something? I haven't known her to be anything less than brave and outspoken."
"She left vecause she wants to marry you. More than anything, I think," Ginny sighed. She couldn't quite come out and say it, even if she was right on the edge of it.
"Then what is the problem, Ginevra?" He tried to keep a calm façade, but the tone of her voice indicated that she was keeping something from him and he was starting to consider Legillimens if she didn't start talking.
"She ran because she knew you would find out what I am about to say any day now. And she couldn't stand you leaving her and taking away the ring once you knew. She's in love with you. Desperately. But she was never supposed to be. She was initially paid to be a distraction to you…but as far as I know she gave back the money…" Ginny started blurting it all out, trying not to look Lucius directly in the eye.
"I must have misunderstood you. Did you say she was paid? By who?"
"By your wife. Look. Narcissa met one of my good friends and started seeing him…which I know is wrong, but she told me you always had mistresses and that she wanted to find you someone we knew and trusted to keep you busy while she filed for divorce. I suggested Lacey. But Lacey fell for you right away. At first she thought you would eventually end it with her so she didn't want to say anything and I know she didn't want to rat us out or anything…but really, she's been fighting with Narcissa for a long time wanting to be honest with you. She wanted to tell you today. We all did….but the accident happened…and she may never get a chance to be honest with you. I know she'd want me to tell you," Ginny told him the basics of the past few months and finally looked at his face, which showed utter shock.
"Draco adores her," he said, thinking of the close friendship he had seen forged between them, "She's become such an irreplaceable part of my life…" Lucius murmured, "Why would she keep this a secret for so long? Wouldn't she know I wouldn't be angry?"
"None of us knew that. Narcissa kept saying you would be beside yourself with anger at her, actually. It scared Lacey. She was put in a really difficult place. I'm not saying it is right, Lucius, but she was tired of lying. And so was I…I mean, I am. And Sirius too…"
"What does Black have anything to do with this? He knew too?" This seemed to upset Lucius even more, the fact that everyone was in the know and he wasn't, "What was the point of all of this?"
"Narcissa is happy in her new relationship…but I think she has a lot of unresolved feelings over you and Pansy and whoever else you saw on the side. Part of the deal was for Lacey to make you fall in love with her and then break your heart. Retribution I s'pose. Please, please don't be mad at Lacey," Ginny beseeched him, not sure how to read his expression. After a long moment, Lucius sighed.
"I'm not angry with her. Nor am I surprised at Narcissa. I just feel like a fool…does Lacey's family know about all of this? Anyone else?" Lucius asked. He wondered if the whole damn Weasley clan was in on this plan.
"The Delaney's don't know. Hermione figured it out, but she won't say anything. The only other person that knows is Remus."
"Lupin?" Lucius asked, "Curious choice for a confidante."
"Shite, she's going to kill me but you might as well just know it all. That is who your wife has been shagging."
~o0o~
"Whatever you have come to bother us with, could you save it for another time, Malfoy? We are kinda in the middle of something." Ron snapped at the blonde when he walked into the Auror office. Slow-motion images of Lacey falling from her broom with horrific titles we plastered on that afternoon's Prophet and the article was in everyone's hands. Once the Healer confirmed Dark Magic at St. Mungo's and Hermione had found Harry and Ron and told them what she saw, the entire Auror office went on high alert and preparing to hunt down Pansy and Astoria. They needed to shut this down quickly before rumors started spreading about a possible return of the Dark Lord.
"I'm here to help, Weasley. Did Granger not tell you I was there with her when we found Parkinson and Greengrass?" He couldn't bear to call them by their given names.
"No, she left that part out," Harry said, coming up to join his friend. He was in his Auror robes and looking as determined as Draco had ever seen him. It instantly reminded him of their time at Hogwarts.
"Well, regardless of what she said or didn't, I care about Lacey and I want to help. I know of a few places those bitches might be hiding."
"Wait…are you shagging her too?" Ron asked, eyes wide. He thought back to all of the times Draco would swoop his ex-secretary away for lunch.
"Ron…now isn't the time…" Harry said gently, although he was curious at why Draco suddenly wanted to be so involved in a case that had nothing to do with him.
"No I'm not shagging her…but my…"
"Oh thank Merlin for you, Remus would have had your bollocks," Ron laughed, a smirk appearing on his face at the thought.
"Why?" Draco spat in disgust. Whether his prejudices had reduced or not, he had never been a fan of his 3rd year Defense professor.
"He's Lacey's boyfriend. If you know her as well as you say you do…you should know that," Harry told him, with an air of superiority and Draco's face fell in confusion.
"Harry! Ron! Oh…hello Draco," Hermione ran into the office, flustered, her arms laden with a few dusty old books. Draco bit back his sarcastic remark and retort about how Harry was clearly misinformed about the identity of Lacey's boyfriend and turned his attention to the frizzy-haired woman next to him.
"Did you find anything?"
"A few books at Grimmauld, but nothing substantial, no, but Draco…do you think we could visit the Manor? I stopped by St. Mungo's on the way here and I didn't get anywhere close to seeing her but a Healer told me she's doing very poorly. Apparently her body is having a strong, negative reaction to the curse. He told me she has 48 hours…if she's lucky," Hermione's voice cracked a little in fear, "We need to hurry."
"I'll take her," Draco said to the golden boy and his sidekick and proceeded to give them the address of Pansy's summer home as a first place to look before he and Hermione headed to the floos.
~o0o~
"I hear something," Harry nodded towards the bedroom to his left. He had brought Kinglsey and Ron inside of Pansy's summer home with him, and there was a veritable army of other Aurors surrounding the building. They had no other leads and were forced to go on Draco's suggestion. With wands drawn, they spelled open the door. Astoria was by the window, throwing clothes into a large bag. She was subdued within seconds as Kingsley charmed magical bindings around her arms and legs, causing her to drop like a heap to the floor.
"Astoria Greengrass, you are under arrest by the Ministry of Magic for casting a lethal spell and attempting to hide from Aurors," Harry stated, coming up behind her and pulling her to her knees. Ron checked the room for anything suspicious as Kingsley called to the other Aurors to search the rest of the house as fast as they could.
"I didn't cast the spell, Pansy did!" her little voice was choked with fear.
"And where is Pansy?" Harry asked.
"She told me to stay here and pack. I really don't know…"
"Clear," Kingsley said, stepping back in the room. The small house had an Auror in every room now and no sign of Pansy was evident.
"Lacey Delaney is dying because of what you did. So you can either help us and hope that we charge you for merely aiding her, or you can spend the rest of your life in Azkaban. Your choice," Harry told her.
"She wasn't supposed to die!" Now Astoria looked completely horrified, "Pansy told me it was just a sleeping spell. Leverage so we could bargain with Lucius!"
Ron and Kingsley shared a confused look, but were thankful that they had stumbled upon the partner in this with the loosest lips. "Well, she is dying and if she does, you will be charged with murder…"
"Please, you can't!" Astoria started to cry.
"Should we take her back to the Ministry for questioning?" Kingsley asked Harry, who shook his head. They didn't need to waste precious time on that. "If you can't tell me where Pansy is, can you tell me what the spell is that she used on Lacey? The incantation? Anything? And what does this have to do with Lucius Malfoy? Is he involved in any way?"
Astorias face fell. Pansy had promised her that Lucius would be pinned for this crime, but the fact that Aurors were looking for them and that Pansy had been in such a panic about leaving the country clearly meant their plan hadn't worked out. She briefly wondered if Pansy had ever planned on coming back for her or if she was already gone, "Yes! Yes he has everything to do with this. He gave Lacey that broom! A lovers' quarrel or something…"
Her voice wasn't very convincing and Ron laughed, "Really, Astoria? I knew you weren't very bright in school but trust me, if it really was Lucius Malfoy, we wouldn't be here with you. You just admitted your guilt…"
She grimaced, "I don't know the spell. She didn't place it on the broom while I was around. She was practicing with a spell in our apartment though. It came from a book from Malfoy Manor. I know she put it back there too…it was blue with a gold binding but that's all I remember."
"I'm sorry, a lovers' quarrel with Lucius and Lacey is what you were bargaining for?" Harry tried to piece her motive together. He certainly hoped something that didn't even make sense and was so trivial would not be motive to hurt someone so badly.
Astoria shook her head, blushing and too proud to admit to this, "I can't…"
"Astoria. If you don't give us your full cooperation, you will be sent to prison, I can guarantee that," Kingsley reminded her but she looked at the ground. An annoyed prod from Harry's wand into her shoulder finally made her talk.
"Pansy wanted Lucius back. It was her idea mostly but I wanted him too and she made a deal with me that she would share him. But that bitch Lacey had to make him fall in love with her…we just wanted her out of the picture for a while so he could see what he was missing!" Astoria admitted and Harry helped her up from the ground. She had admitted her guilt and he needed to get word to Hermione and Draco of the description of the book they were looking for.
Ron opened his mouth to speak again about Lupin, but decided against it. Clearly someone was lying here and he surprisingly didn't think it was Astoria. But they had other things to do than question Lacey's love life because she certainly wouldn't have one if they couldn't get her to wake up.
A/N: Next chapter will be the resolution to this mess. Will Lacey wake up? Thanks for reading!
