Jenkins stared at Ron in a way that once more, reminded Ron of Snape. He hoped Jenkins would say something but he tilted his head to the other side and Ron wondered for a second if, like Snape, he already knew everything and was trying to intimidate him into spilling the beans.

"So, you did see Draco Malfoy. Correct? That part was true?"

"Yes sir, I both went to speak to the Malfoys at their manor and went to see Draco Malfoy. I did not lie on my report." Ron said.

"Because you already knew where he was." Jenkins said. Ron nodded. "Well... I knew there was something wrong with that man." He stood and reinforced the privacy spells to their full capacity. "Sit, Ron."

"Oh no, first name basis. Sir, I am so close to completing my training." Ron implored him.

"Relax boy, I'm not going to fail you. In fact, I'm accelerating your graduation." He said sitting in front of his desk, grabbing the orb-tipped pen that recently came onto the market. Ron said nothing at that but the bond made pride flare in his chest.

"What's that, Auror Jenkins?" he asked.

"It's a new pen I saw amongst the writing supplies while looking for more quills to send my son at Hogwarts." Ron felt amazement that it was catching on that quickly. But then again, Harry put a good deal of effort into advertising the new company that Draco's created. "They're incredibly cheap, which is a blessing considering how often I lose my quill when I'm out and about." Jenkins said signing the scroll.

Davis was slowly becoming old news as Harry Potter stepped back out into the wizarding world after his 'long vacation - with a new ingenious writing quill using the patented orb-tip technology developed by the recently registered Wyvern company. The owner of this new business and its ingenious product known simply as the 'pen', however, remains unlisted, but should that change, I welcome an interview with him or her in person.' Or so Rita Skeeter writes.

Unfortunately, while Davis was becoming old news, he was still very much in the country and expecting Ron for dinner.

"There, congratulations. You're an auror." He said handing him a scroll. Ron looked up at him confused.

"Huh?"

"Did you miss the part where I said I was accelerating your graduation?"

"Really?" He frowned confused. "But I can't fully start. Specially, when this bond might pull me to Draco Malfoy's side without any warning. What if I'm in the middle of a mission?"

"You will be. I'm assigning you a mission." Ron was confused and Jenkins took a deep breath. "The truth is, that lover that was first seen with Alfred Davis?"

"You found him and he's fine?" Ron asked hopefully. Jenkins sent him that look again. "I'm assuming from your look he's not fine?"

"He's dead."

Ron stared at him for a long time. "Was he...?"

"Strangely, yes. Or at least it was strange until you explained." Jenkins handed him a file and offered Ron a seat, opening the file. "There were signs that there was a child. The auror mediwizard confirmed it after examining his body and the child was barely ten weeks along when it stopped developing. Unfortunately, for wizards, not getting to a mediwizard in time proved deadly. It turned to poison and dark magic inside and killed him."

"I don't see a statement from his parents." Ron said.

"They were the ones that kicked him out five weeks before he was found dead. Apparently, mister Alfred Davis was the one to actually report him missing and you know what I say about coincidences." Jenkins said.

"Only an idiot believes in them." Ron nodded. "Is there not enough to link it back to him then?"

"No, that guy is slippery like an eel." He said. "It's lucky mister Malfoy found mister Potter. I take it he is getting medical care, since he's not dead yet?" Jenkins asked.

Ron said nothing, his bond kicking in.

"Very well, clearly this spell should protect you too, as there are things it's stopping you from saying. We have enough that you and I know he very likely did it, but we need to get evidence of what he did to this boy." Jenkins looked at the picture and shook his head. "He was only a year older than my son, Merlin." He shook his head.

That's when Ron noticed the picture with his age on the side. Just out of Hogwarts. He could have very easily been staring at Malfoy's picture if things had gone differently and he felt sick at the thought. "Could he have someone else, someone who didn't run away? Should we check in with the other pure-blooded families?" Ron asked.

"I will send a team of aurors to ask around, we'll say it's a post-war census or something." He said.

"And me?" Jenkins looked at Ron disapprovingly, but likely at the situation.

"I would never assign this to a fresh graduate, irrelevant of how you survived the war." It's something he said when he and Harry first started training. To not get cocky. They were untrained and lucky to be alive and should expect no special treatment from him if they wanted to learn how to stay alive long enough for retirement. Harry really liked him much faster than Ron ever did. "But with this bond of yours to your cousin..."

"Nope." Ron couldn't help shaking his head but Jenkins ignored him.

"... you should be able to instantly lead all of us to him when he's in danger."

"I can't really control it... at all. I wouldn't be able to lead anyone anywhere." Ron said.

"We can track you. Here." Jenkins stood up and came round. "Give me your arm." He said.

Ron groaned, hoping he'd be able to prepare mentally before he ever had to do this. Jenkins brought a tiny crystal to him and with a small bounce to his wand, the crystal shot into his upper right shoulder.

"You'll feel a bit achy for a bit."

"When will it start working?" Ron flinched looking at the spot which looked like a pin-sized bruise.

"That will be instant as I'm placing you on a mission immediately. Until the mission is over you will be tracked. Now, let's discuss what you'll do when you go meet with Davis at his house."

oOoOoOo

Ron grimaced as Hermione brushed his hair and mumbled protective spells all over him at the same time. He glanced at Draco, who looked at him pale and with a little panic in his eyes.

He leaned down and handed him a madeleine he baked. It was still warm and Draco took it, gaining some colour to his face.

"You'll be fine, you're being tracked and they'll know where you are at all times." Hermione said reassuringly.

"What about here? Could they track you here?" Draco asked with concern in his voice. "What's to stop them from coming here?"

"It's not strange to visit his friend." Hermione said.

"I can't believe Jenkins signed off on a graduate joining on a highly-classified mission." Harry said, still in surprise.

"It's only because he can't help it." Ron said. "The bond to Draco forced him to put me on the investigation." He rubbed his shoulder. He couldn't feel the crystal anymore but it made him nervous to know if it was really working.

"It's time." Hermione said and Ron nodded. He turned to the fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder.

"Weasley," Draco called him and he glanced at him. "Don't eat or drink anything."

He simply chuckled, catching the look that Harry sent him, as they knew that it was going to be close to impossible to do the rational thing to not raise suspicion.

The green flames engulphed him and he stepped out to a brightly lit front lobby. It looked like a fancy hotel minus all the people. Malfoy manor was much more pleasant in comparison.

"Auror Weasley, I presume? Thank you for coming. Come in! Come in!" Ron braced himself as the man came down the stairs to greet him and shake his hand.

"Thank you for the invitation." Ron shook his hand and tried not to react as he felt something just under the other's skin. Like his magic was crawling just under his skin, ready to jump out and cling to whatever it was searching. Davis' power was searching for Draco in a way Ron had never heard of or felt from anyone.

"Please, come this way. Tea is almost ready." He said, breaking the contact and Ron smiled politely, following, trying to resist the urge to wipe his hand on his robes. They sat down in a corner of the house, the tall windows looking over Hyde Park, but everything was dark. It was six in the evening so the sun had already set a while back, making it feel more like dinner than tea. Ron's usual appetite was absent despite the display of cakes and sandwiches in front of him.

"Again, I thank you for the invitation, Auror Jenkins spoke to you about me, you said?" He said, accepting the cup of tea the other gave him

"Yes, I wanted to thank you for checking in on my fiancée. Is he alright?" His concern was genuine and Ron was almost fooled.

"He's doing well. Auror Jenkins asked me to check in on him." He said. Davis nodded as he sipped his tea. Since he poured both cups from the same pot he figured it was safe enough to drink and took a sip himself.

"He's not looking tired? Or pale?" Davis asked. "I'm scared his father might be hurting him after everything that happened."

Ron hesitated as he looked at him. "I'm sorry mister Davis, you know I can't go beyond what I reported, but Draco Malfoy looked well to me." He shrugged.

"How can that be..." Davis muttered, staring at him coldly, as if trying to look through him.

"Mister Davis?"

"Mister Weasley, I hear you have five older brothers, isn't that right?" Ron tensed and looked out the window.

"I had five brothers. One of my brothers died a couple of years ago." He said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I put my foot in it." Davis sighed sadly looking out of the window as well. "I also lost a brother recently." He said.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ron said, drinking more of the tea.

"It's alright, it was a while ago." Ron nodded. Didn't he just say it was recently? He could see the signs of impatience on him as he twitched and tapped his fingers but clearly tried to stop himself.

"The thing is, I need to find Draco, I need to speak to him and apologise."

"Well I already did my report, I don't need to go back to the manor anymore."

Davis smiled. "I know he's not in the manor. I imagine he's wanting to avoid me, but if you help me... I can make this beneficial to both of us." He said, clicking his fingers and a house-elf arrived holding a tray of galleons he could barely carry.

"Are you trying to bribe me?" Ron asked looking up at him.

"I'm trying to reach a mutually beneficial conclusion. All I want to do is talk to him." He clicked his fingers again and the house-elf placed the tray on the table, running for another tray just as heavy.

"I really should go mister Davis, before you get into more trouble." Ron said standing up but Davis reached out and grabbed his hand. Ron hissed as he felt that slimy sensation from his touch on his skin. And like Hermione said, that sickly cologne he put on the envelope.

"Name your number. I'll pay anything. I need Draco back. His life is in danger, please."

"I told you I checked on him and he looked fine."

"You don't understand."

"Then help me understand." Ron said with a frown.

"Just tell me where he is!" Ron felt fear creeping in as he saw the crazed look in his face. This wasn't someone rational. This guy was crazy. He knew that already; he just didn't think he was this erratic.

"Let go of me right now!" Ron yelled at him.

"He's very ill, I'm the only one with the cure." Davis continued, pushing him against the wall, looking at him with desperation, eyes wide and crazy and a smile that turned into a twisted scowl and back again, as if trying but failing to put the charming facade back on.

"I'm sure he can be treated in St. Mungos. I have nothing I can tell you." Ron insisted. "I don't want your gold."

"You saw him, you know where he is... where in London is he staying?" He insisted.

"If you don't let me go right now, I'll report this as kidnapping of an auror." Ron felt sick having this guy so close to him.

"I need him back! I paid for him! He's mine!"

"There's something seriously wrong with you." He said shoving him back and storming past to go to the fireplace.

"He's carrying my son, please." He begged to Ron's retreating back and Ron tensed, looking back at him. "If he doesn't get the medical care he needs, he'll kill my child and they'll both die."

"Why would he leave you if he knew that would happen?"

"I'm convinced his family doesn't care! They must be stopping him from coming to me and stopping him from telling. I know the Malfoys are very influential that's why I want to make it worth your while to help me. Take the gold." He grabbed a fistful of the galleons, pouring them into Ron's hands. "Why should your superiors be the only ones to enjoy the Malfoys' bribes. Take this and change your life."

Ron stared at the gold and up at him.

"Draco doesn't want anything to do with you." He put the coins on the nearest surface to him. "I recommend you just find someone else to marry." He grabbed a fistful of powder, stepped into the fireplace and with a burst of green flames he disappeared.

He reappeared in the auror's chimney, where Jenkins was waiting for him with a serious felt something strange and dropped to his knees as his head felt like it was bursting.

"AHGH!"

"Ron!"

oOoOoOo

Alfred watched as Weasley disappeared into the green flames.

"What the hell was that? You got nothing out of that except probably made us a target for the aurors!" Clair said, coming down the stairs, listening the whole time but unable to interfere.

Alfred chuckled grabbing a pile of the gold. "On the contrary, I got plenty." He said calmly.

"What are you talking about?"

"He called him Draco. He's friends with him. He's hiding him." He said gleefully.

"Great, how does that help us now?" She asked. "Your child is going to die and kill him any second now without your energy! He's the last one you have left. If you hadn't obsessed over this one you could have had the other boy here, growing another candidate."

"I want that smug little heir caged beneath me!" He yelled, throwing the gold coins at her and Clair looked down, stepping back.

"What if they arrest you for trying to bribe an auror?"

"Please, what do you take me for. An amateur? I made sure Ron Weasley remembers only what I want him to remember." He stood and grabbed his cloak. "At least now I know who else we need to be tailing."

"You can't be serious. You want to tail Ron Weasley and his friends? An auror, a ministry official and the one who defeated the Dark Lord?"

"If they can lead me to my son, then yes." He stepped out the front doors, slamming them behind him.