A/N Thank you as always to: My loyal guest (please review as often as you want, I don't mind...lol), SunsetWhipers and I Love Music. Your reviews always let me know my work is coming along well.
Thank you to my new guest. I am glad you found this and are enjoying it. I know it's not mainstream, as the story is really about Theodore Nott and not a main character, like Draco or Harry. Any time someone gives it a try, I am super excited.
Thank you to: Florfleur for adding this to your favs and alerts.
Chapter 27: The Untrustworthy Gryffindor
Nott Manor seemed lonely the Monday morning after Daphne had moved out. Although Draco, Blaise and Greg made sure Theo had not spent one moment alone, he felt more alone than ever. Sitting in his mother's Parlor, in her favorite blue chair, Theo stared at the picture of Daphne and him at her fashion show. He had set it up on a couch across from the chair he was in, his legs draped over one arm and leaned back against the other. Theo had tried to let him self-fall off to sleep, but thoughts of Daphne kept poking at him like a rock in your shoe. One you can't seem to get out, even though you have tried three times already.
Voices in the hallway, told him it was time for the changing of his 'guard'. Blaise would be headed home, and Draco would be taking over. Theo laid his head back on the chair and tried to pretend he couldn't hear them right outside the door, discussing the lack of sleep he got, and the lack of food he had eaten.
"Whatever you do Draco, do not let him have any whiskey." Blaise had told Draco, then the voices stopped.
Theo could almost feel Draco looking at him from the doorway. "What do you want Malfoy?"
Draco leaned up against the door frame, "Oh so, we are back to last names is that it?"
Theo crossed his arms and looked away from the picture. He couldn't stomach seeing Daphne looking at him that way anymore. Like she was happy and in love.
"Only when you're looking at me like that."
"Like what?" Draco stood up straight and took a step into the room.
Theo scoffed, "Like I am fragile and pathetic."
"Stop acting that way, and I won't look at you that way." Draco sat on the arm of the couch and picked up the picture. "She still loves you; you know."
Theo shrugged, "Does she?"
"Of course. Astoria was at her place all night after she got back from her 'dinner'." Draco made quotes in the air.
"And?" Theo turned to look at Draco unsure where his friend was going with this.
Draco gave him that famous Malfoy smirk, "Apparently, she looks as bad as you do."
Theo flung his legs back around and sat up. "Daphne Greengrass is beautiful no matter what." He paused a moment, then tilted his head, "Is telling me she looks bad supposed to make me feel better?"
"No." Draco brushed some lint from the couch off the glass on the picture and sat it back down. "It is meant to make you stop feeling sorry for yourself and realize she is hurting just as badly as you are."
Theo stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Is she?" His voice dripping with an implied lack of interest Draco knew to be a lie.
Draco stood and took a step near Theo, "Yes, she is. Astoria says she was up all night with Daphne, while she cried. I guess Daphne needed to use several glamour charms to make her self-presentable for dinner with Flint's parents. It took Astoria an hour to remove them all."
Theo wanted to feel bad for Daphne, but the cold truth was, at this moment, hearing she was hurting also, did make him feel better. But not because it meant she still loved him, because he was hurt and angry. It made him happy to hear she was hurting, but only for a moment. Suddenly the realization that her pain made him feel better, made him feel even worse.
Theo sat back down on the chair and ran his fingers through his hair. "Please tell me, that Astoria got Daphne to tell her something, anything."
"Sorry mate, nothing." Draco let out a deep sigh and sat back down on the arm of the couch. "She tried, but all Daphne would ever say, was she had no choice."
Theo fell back in the chair exhausted from everything, "That is what I don't understand Draco, her father cannot legally force her to marry Flint. So why on earth would she agree to it?"
"I don't know Theo."
Theo gave Draco an annoyed looked, "I know you don't know; I wasn't really asking."
Draco rubbed his thighs and stood up. "Look, the one thing I do know, is that you have a meeting with Potter in two hours. You look like hell, you need a shower, to eat something and get changed."
Theo fell back in the chair again. "Fuck Potter. Fuck the factories, I no longer care."
Draco walked over to Theo and slapped him. "Snap out of it. You're being an incessant prat."
Theo jumped out of his seat and found himself in a stare down with Draco. The last time Draco had hit him, Draco ended up in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Theo took a deep breath remembering he had broken Draco's nose that day.
"You had better have a good reason for that Draco, or so help me." Theo fought with himself not to get angry, but he couldn't stop his hand from shaking.
"You're acting like a schoolboy who just saw his girlfriend kissing the captain of the Quidditch team." Draco stood his ground and didn't move.
Theo groaned loudly and sat back down. "How else am I supposed to be acting?"
"How about like a man, a man who doesn't give up. How about you act like that tenacious prick who tried so hard to not give into his father's demands or Voldemort's threats." Draco reached down and pulled Theo back to his feet. "That man didn't let anything stand in the way of what he wanted. He would be out there fighting for the woman he loves. He would be making sure that once he got her back, he still had his family fortune and business so he could provide her with the life she deserves." Draco pushed Theo toward the door. "Because he will get her back."
Theo spun around and looked at Draco. "I have been fighting Draco, every day since we said goodbye on the platform, fifth year. I just feel like I have finally lost the war."
Draco placed a hand on Theo's shoulder. "Not the war Theo, only one battle, the war wages on and will only end once you win."
Theo looked at the floor for a moment, then looked up at Draco. "I know you're right, but how do I keep fighting? Where do I go from here, what do I do next?"
Draco smiled at his friend. "The first thing you have to do Theo, is save your business. Unfortunately, that must come first. You do that, by going and taking a shower, putting on a bloody suit, and going to see Potter."
xXXx
Harry Potter's office was not what Theo was expecting. He figured the man would have all his medals and awards displayed on the walls, and Quidditch trophies on the shelves. Instead, Harry had a large walnut desk in the middle of the room which he kept almost too neat. With two pictures on it. One of Ginny Weasley, and a picture of who Theo assumed where Harry's parents. Instead of his accolades' all over the walls Harry had pictures of Ginny's Quidditch team. Pictures of the Weasley family, and friends of his. The only pictures of all of them though that caught Draco's attention were the ones of 'Teddy' Lupin, Harry's godson, but Draco's cousin.
Harry noticed Draco looking at the picture, as he motioned to the two large leather wing back chairs he had in the room in front of his desk. "You know Malfoy, he asks about you."
Draco look surprised, "Does he?"
Harry sat on the edge of his desk. "He does. I think you should arrange to see him. I am sure your aunt would be happy to hear from you."
"Perhaps I will one day, but..." Draco unbuttoned his suit coat and sat down, "we are here to discuss Nott's problem, not my cousin."
"Yes, we are." Harry stood up and walked, around to the back of his desk and took a seat, "The first thing I suggest Nott, is that you cancel the press conference you were planning. In light of Miss. Greengrass's engagement, I think a meeting with the press would only serve to add insult to injury. No need to fuel Miss Parkinson, needlessly. Besides, I think we can solve this and then get an article written which will denounce all the nonsense she has written about the four of you."
Theo hadn't said anything from the moment they walked in, but hearing about Daphne's engagement made his hand begin to shake again. "How in Merlin's name did you know about Daphne's engagement?"
Harry's eyes darted to the morning prophet which laid on the coffee table. "It was in the papers this morning. The Flint's were very excited to make the announcement. I have to admit, I was surprised to read about it. After what Flint had done to Daphne, I never thought she would have agreed to marry him."
Theo sat forward, "What do you mean, 'what Flint did to her'?"
Shocked flickered in Harry's eyes. "I assumed you knew, but if Daphne didn't tell you, it is not my position to do so."
"Tell me what?" Theo was almost at the edge of his chair. "Come on man, you can't say something like that and then not tell me. What did he do?"
Harry swallowed, it was against the law, technically speaking for him to give private information about another client to Theo, but Harry decided some laws were meant to be bent. If only just a little. "It was back at the end of June. I was sent to handle a domestic dispute at her flat. She said she was headed to your place. I assumed by the bruises and red marks on her neck and wrists, you would have known."
Theo ran his fingers through his hair as if he was deep in thought, "Was it June twenty seventh, the same day my second shipment went missing?"
"That sounds right. She was wearing some sort of sports shirt I think, baseball maybe." Harry flipped through the pages of his date book. "Yes, June twenty seventh, about seven pm."
"We had just got back from a trip to the states. She went back to her flat, to pack a few more things." Theo thought for a moment, the night slowly coming back to him. "When she got back, she ran straight for the bathroom. Now that I think about, she had been in there a while." Theo stood and started pacing the room. "Tell me what happened please, it may help me get her back."
"All I know Nott, is that she had bruises on her wrists and neck, and red marks on her face. Marcus Flint was there, and he had been drinking. She asked him to leave, he refused. It honestly looked like he had become physical with her. But she didn't want to press charges, so I can only speculate on what happened." Harry leaned back in his chair, pulling one leg up.
Theo looked at Draco, "I will kill him Draco, Salazar help me, I will kill him."
Draco jumped up and grabbed Theo by the wrist before Theo could open the door. "No, you won't."
Theo tried to pull free, "Don't try to stop me Draco, let go."
"What good will you be to Daphne if you end up in Azkaban?" Draco tightened his grip, "Theo really, you just announce to an Auror your intention to kill a man." Draco indicated to Harry sitting behind his desk, Harry raised his eyebrows. "The best thing you can do for Daphne, is use the information Harry just gave you, to get her away from him. If you go to prison, you leave her alone. Is that what you want?"
Theo relaxed a little, "Of course not, but he doesn't get away with this. Do you hear me?"
"No, he doesn't get away with it. I promise." Draco let go of Theo's wrist but didn't sit back down until Theo had.
Harry flicked his wand at the door. "Sorry to have upset you, I truly hope you figure things out regarding Miss Greengrass." There was a knock-on Harry's door. "Come in."
Ronald Weasley came in the room carrying a large file. He crossed the room not looking at the two visitors in his colleague's office, laid the file on Harry's desk and turned to leave.
"Why don't you join us, Ron." Harry said while another chair appeared, this one on the same side as Harry's, almost like Harry wanted to protect his friend.
Ron turned and looked at the empty, chair. "Why?"
"Because I think you have something you wanted to tell Nott, didn't you?" Harry gestured to the chair.
Ron gave Harry a seething look of contempt. "Honestly Harry, if you weren't my best mate." He walked over to the chair and sat down.
"So," Harry opened the file Ron had given him. "It would seem Nott, that Ron had more information on your case then he originally led you to believe." He looked at Ron who was fidgeting in the chair beside him, clearly uncomfortable. "Ron, would you like to fill him in."
Ron shot a nervous look in Harry's direction, "I think you're doing a bang-up job, why don't you continue."
"It wasn't my case, and not my information to tell." Harry sat back and folded his hands in his lap.
"Well one of you better start telling me something." Theo sounded on edge, like a kid who was listening to his parents try and decide if he could go to a friend's house.
Harry held the file out for Ron to take. Ron looked at it for several seconds of uncomfortable silence, then reached over and took the file. "Oh fine." He opened the file up. "When I first got your case, I had the drivers of the trucks come in for an interview. All three told the same story. The shipment had been diverted to a holding location, a warehouse of some sort because St. Mungos had an outbreak of some Muggle illness, they say they spent the night at a small inn and finished the delivery the next morning."
Theo gave Draco a curious look, then looked back at Ron. "That is not standard procedure. A shipment that cannot be delivered is to come back to the factories, not be held somewhere else. Besides, we know the shipment was never delivered."
"That is what I assumed. So, I checked with St. Mungo's, they didn't have an outbreak of any kind during that time. In fact, the hospital says it has been over seventy years since the last outbreak has hit the wizarding world." Ron tugged on his tie loosening it, so it hung from around his neck.
There was silence in the office for a moment, while the four wizards all looked at each other, each waiting for someone to say something.
Draco couldn't take it any longer, "Go on Weasley. What did you do with that information, or was that all you have?"
Ron jumped a little in his seat, as if he had been daydreaming about something and Draco had woken him up. "Sorry, I called the men back in, two of them..." He looked back at the file and flipped through a few pages, "Travis and William, had poorly done memory charms on them."
"What?" Theo stood up reached across Harry's desk and took the file from Ron to try and have a look at it, but Ron snatched it back just as quickly.
Harry tried to hide a snicker saying, "Sorry Ron." when Ron shot him a bitter glare.
Ron cleared his throat, "I had the memory charms reversed on the men, both of them remembered, once their memories were in tacked, running into an Arthur Prince while driving along the delivery route. Prince told them about the outbreak and then lead them to the warehouse. I believe Prince must have performed the charms, gave them new memories and sent them home."
Theo stood up in frustration, his right hand shaking, while he started pacing. "I should have known that ass was involved somehow." He stopped pacing and looked at Draco while pointing to the file in Ron's hands. "I have always thought something about that man felt off, I just couldn't figure out what it was."
"Well, there is more." Ron's hands shook a little from his nerves. He hated that he had to tell Theo everything, knowing that he might have been able to stop the second theft, had he only followed up on the first.
Theo looked at him, "Oh is there? Please Mr. top notch Auror, tell me what else did you find out, that you have kept from me all this time?"
"It would..." Ron had to stop and take a deep breath, his heart suddenly starting to race, "It would appear that along with Travis and William's minds being tampered with, your head driver, Earl, was paid off to help with the theft and stay quiet about it."
Another pregnant pause in the room.
This time it was Theo who couldn't stand the silence, "Well, did he stay quiet?"
Ron looked up him noting the anger in Theo's normally dark brown eyes. "Yes, so far. He refuses to say anything and insists that he doesn't know Prince. I can unfortunately not link the two of them together other than from the word of the two men, who's minds were tampered with."
Theo ran his fingers through his hair, "So who paid him off?"
"We don't know for sure that he was paid off." Harry said as he took the file from Ron and laid it on his desk. "We did put in an inquiry with Gringotts and found that Earl was given a large deposit by the Factory Manager, Jasper Brown. Other then Prince showing up along the delivery route, we have been unable to tie Prince to the theft. We do think he is the one who performed the memory charms, but don't know why, and need his wand to prove it."
Theo held his hands up, "Then get his wand."
"I need more then him being on the road to confiscate it." Harry gestured to the file, "At the moment, it looks like since Brown is the one who paid Earl, he is the one initiating the whole thing."
Theo paced back and forth for a few minutes. "I can tell you why Potter, because I let him go. He told me I would regret that decision." Theo sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest thinking for a moment, then looked back at Ron. "Why did you not tell me any of this, when I asked or after I came to see you once the second shipment went missing?"
Ron fidgeting in his seat again and started rubbing his hands on his thighs. "Because I stopped investigating."
Theo's head snapped from Ron to Harry and back. "Why?"
Ron gave Harry a pleading look, hoping his best mate would get him out of this. Harry just gestured to Ron in a way that said, 'go on'. Ron took a deep breath. "Because I knew I was getting close to solving it and I didn't want to."
"You didn't want to?" Theo stormed toward Ron, but Draco put his hand out in front of him to stop him. "You could have solved this before the second theft, why on earth did you not want to do your job?"
Ron stood up and moved himself behind his chair. "Because I thought your lot deserved it."
"MY LOT! Deserved it, what the hell for?" Theo tried to push Draco's hand away forcing Draco to stand up and put himself between Ron and Theo.
Ron grabbed the back of the chair. "For all the things you did to me, to Hermione over the years."
"What the hell did I ever do to you Weasley, better yet, what the hell did my employees ever do to you?" Theo was more then pissed off. He had Draco's hand in his, wanting so badly to push his friend aside and take another swing at the red haired Auror in the room.
"Not just you Nott, but your whole lot. Malfoy and his gang, teasing and bulling your way through school. Always acting so superior to everyone. Calling people names, just because their blood was not as pure, or they didn't have as much money, or the right parents." Ron pushed the chair toward Theo, letting in fall over. He was suddenly not scared any longer, if Harry was going to make him come clean, the two were going to get to hear it all. "You were just as bad, by not doing anything. You would stand there and listen to his jokes and laugh. You would watch him bind Longbottom or hex Lovegood and do nothing to stop it. Malfoy would say the joke or do the act and you got to enjoy the show."
Theo tried to push past Draco but was unable to as Harry helped Draco push him back in the chair.
"Just calm down Theo." Draco plead with him.
"Calm down, Draco the man just admitted he could have stopped this shit from continuing but didn't because of childhood pranks." Theo looked over Draco's shoulder at Ron, "We were children you idiot."
"Not all the time Nott." Ron let his arms fall to his sides so he could reach his wand. "The things that happen when we were just starting out at Hogwarts, could be forgiven, but by the time we were sixteen, seventeen. Sorry no, you were old enough then to know right from wrong. But instead of growing up, and doing the right thing Malfoy, you took the easy road."
Draco turned to look at Ron, "What are on about?"
"You know damn well what I am on about Malfoy." Ron gripped his wand causing Draco to raise his eyebrows.
"You're talking about Easter, Malfoy Manor, aren't you?" Draco casually reached inside his coat pocket for his wand. "Nothing about my life then was 'easy' Weasley."
Harry stood up and moved in-between Ron and Draco. "Wands on my desk now!"
Ron scoffed; he wasn't about to give up his wand. Draco pulled his out of his coat, but didn't raise it, nor did he set it on the desk.
"I said on my desk now!" Harry looked at Draco, "Please Malfoy." Draco took a deep breath then laid his wand on the desk. Harry turned to Ron, "I will not ask again, Ron." Ron seethed, then pulled his wand out and laid it on the desk. Harry turned to Theo and gave him a 'what about you look'.
Theo smiled slyly. "Sorry, no wand. I like to use my hands when dealing with trash."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Fine. Now Malfoy, Ron please sit back down."
It took a few minutes, but the two finally complied. Ron picked the chair up and sat in a huff. Draco straightened his tie and smoothed his coat.
Harry walked back around his desk. "Ron is this really still about Bellatrix and Hermione?"
Ron nodded but hadn't taken his eyes off Draco. "It's always been about Hermione."
Draco looked at the ceiling, then back at Ron. "You're mad at Theo, because of my aunt." Ron didn't respond he just continued to give Draco a menacing look. Draco sighed, "What exactly would you like for me to do?"
"It's not what you can do now Malfoy, it what you didn't do then." Ron crossed his arms, his chest heaving up and down from the anger.
"Didn't do, what would have had me do?" Draco rubbed his face with his hands. "Weasley, I was seventeen. I was just as scared as you were. There wasn't anything I could have done to stop her. My aunt was crazy."
"You didn't even try Malfoy. You had to have heard her screaming, you had to have known what was going on." Ron had tears in his eyes threatening to fall.
"Of course I heard her Weasley, I still wake up at night hearing her." Draco leaned back in the chair and rubbed his face with his hands. "Did you think I would have been able to run over and interfere some how? Have you any idea what would have happened to me had I done that, how much worse things would have been for her?"
Ron stood up, unable to sit still and paced back and forth in the small amount of room between Harry's desk and the chair he had been given. Looking back at Draco he yelled, "How could you stomach the things they did, the things you did?"
Draco opened his mouth to say something, but Theo put his hand on Draco's forearm and stopped him. "Draco don't waste your breath, he doesn't want the truth. That would shatter his way of coping with things."
"Of course I want the truth Nott. Why on earth would I have asked otherwise?" Ron spat through gritted teeth.
Theo shook his head back and forth, "No you don't Weasley, learning the truth would ruin your image of us. The one you're holding on to for dear life, because you don't want to let go of the past."
"Image of you." Ron laughed out loud, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Yes, please ruin my image of you. You and Malfoy and your little followers, with your perfect shoes, and new robes, and your big houses. Oh, please take that away from me."
"Yes, Ron your image of us. Back at school, hell right now you look and Draco and I and all you see is just that, our leather shoes, our silk suits, and dragon hide wand holsters. You see Draco's perfectly styled hair and manicured nails. But you wouldn't dare to look deeper, because if you did that you might notice the scars." Theo stood up and leaned on Harry's desk, "If you look really closely Weasley you might see the scar in my hair line from when my father threw me off my balcony for being up past curfew. If you look closely enough you might see the scar on Draco's right hand from where a letter opener went all the way through because he didn't catch the snitch and Potter did." Theo stood up straight and shoved his hands in his pockets, while Draco suddenly tried hiding his right hand under his left. "If you cared enough to notice back in school, you would have seen the bruises from the fractured eye socket I got because Granger got a better grade by one point on our charms exam fourth year. Or that Draco had suffered more curses and hexes then you can imagine during the war." Theo walked back over by his chair, "How could we stomach the things we did? Please. If we dared to let those in charge know how much we truly couldn't stomach the things they did, or made us do, the punishment we would have received would give even your dead ancestors nightmares."
Draco reached out to grab Theo by the wrist, "Theo please, they don't need to know about all of our dirty laundry."
Theo looked down at him, "Why not?" He spun back to Ron, "Why not tell you everything? Why not tell you that the only reason Greg and I joined was because they were going to kill our girlfriends otherwise? Why not tell you that I almost died refusing orders and this wonderful nerve damage in my right hand is the result?" Theo held up his hand as it shook relentlessly. "Why not tell you about the horrors and daily torment both Draco and I went through our entire childhoods? To be frankly honest with you Weasley I hated you back in school too, not because you were a 'Blood-Traitor', please who cares, so was I more or less, but because I was exceedingly jealous of you."
Ron realized before he spoke that his mouth had been open the whole time Theo had been talking. He closed it first, then opened it again to talk. "You were jealous of me? Why?"
Theo shoved his hand back in his pocket and took a deep breath. "Yes, because I am sure your father never pushed you down the stairs."
The office fell eerily silent. Draco was looking at the floor and tugging on his left sleeve, which was his habit, when he was uncomfortable. Harry was looking at his desk and pretending there was a smudge that needed to be wiped away. Theo had turned his back on the Aurors and was looking again at the pictures on the wall. His eyes landed on one of Harry's mother. He took a deep breath realizing how oddly similar the four men in the room really were. Each of them grew up hating the way they were raised and longing for what the others had, unknowing that what they wished for, wasn't what they thought it was.
Draco had longed to be Harry. Popular and famous with everyone around him proud of his every move and hanging on his every word. Never knowing how desperately, Harry just wanted to be normal.
Harry wanted a large family like Ron's, with brothers and sisters who played with him and didn't think he was a waste of space, never really understanding how hard it was to get noticed in such a large family.
Theo had wanted a father who looked at him with devotion and love the way he saw Arthur Weasley looking at Ron, not knowing Ron never noticed the devotion until he befriended the 'chosen one'.
Ron had wanted Draco's wealth and ability to command a room and be the center of attention, not realizing Draco would have given up the wealth just to hear his father say, 'I am proud of you son'.
Ron was wringing his hands and trying to think of something to say. He was still very angry and hurt by the past. But perhaps Hermione was right, and it was time to let it go. The war had left its mark on everyone involved, not just on certain people, or on one side. It was still leaving its mark and causing mayhem even now. Ron felt slightly guilty for his part in perpetuating it.
"I am sorry Nott, that I dropped the ball on the investigation. I shouldn't have let past anger, fuel my motives and dictate how I did my job." Ron stood up and looked at Harry, "Harry I promise, I won't let it happen again." With that, Ron left the room. Harry didn't stop him.
Theo went back over to his chair and sat down; he was exhausted from the last two days. "Potter I am sorry for my outburst." Theo chuckled lightly, "I think, I may need some sleep."
Draco laughed out loud. "Sleep, that's your excuse?"
Theo gave him look and shrugged. "Well, perhaps sleep and a good meal." He let a grin spread across his face, "Then a long ride." He sat back in the chair, "Potter, where do we go from here?"
Having decided the smudge was sufficiently taken care of Harry put his hands back in his lap. "With the investigation, I do have a couple leads I need to look into. I will do that just as soon as we are done here. I think I may know how the port key was tampered with; I will let you know what I find out." Harry took a breath and tapped his fingers on the desk. "As for Ron, I will talk to him. I think it is safe to say, we still have a long way to go, to getting over everything that happened. I sincerely hope, we can find a way to get there."
Draco finally left his sleeve alone, deciding it would stay put on its own. "Are you referring to the wizarding world as a whole Potter, or just about the four of us?"
Harry chuckled at Draco's comment. "I was referring to the wizarding world as a whole Malfoy, but now that you mention it, perhaps we should just focus on the four of us."
"I think it will take much longer for Weasley to get over things. To be honest, I can't see myself enjoying a drink at a pub with him any time soon." Draco stood and buttoned his suit coat. "Theo have you anything else you want to ask, or should we be on our way, so Potter can work?"
"No, I think he covered it so far." Theo stood up not bothering the with the buttons on his coat, which he rarely buttoned anyway. "Potter, thank you for everything. I mean that, for helping with the theft, but also helping with Daphne." He moved to leave, but stopped, "If I can find a way to prove Flint hurt Daphne, would you be able to help with that as well?"
Harry stood up, "Certainly. But Nott, I would need some sort of tangible proof, pictures, testimony, physical evidence. I can't do anything on the word of an angry ex-boyfriend, not to pour salt in the wound."
"No, no, your fine. I understand." Theo shook Harry's hand. "Well, at least I know you will solve this case, and I have something on Flint, it's a start. And to think, Draco had to kick my ass to get me to come in here."
"Well, I am glad he got you to do so." Harry reached out for Draco's hand.
Draco looked at it for a moment, then hesitantly shook Harry's hand.
xXXx
Arthur Prince sat in the office of Junior Auror Everett Parker for the last fifteen minutes. The Auror still hadn't shown up, and Arthur was getting irritated. Prince had found a job running a small Muggle shipping warehouse, were unbeknownst to the Muggles many of the items that came and went through their facility were Wizard made. Soaps and lotions, beauty products and things of that nature. He found it almost poetic justice that one line of products he helped to ship out carried the Lady Zabini name. The job wasn't ideal, but he was in charge, and it paid very well. Of course it did, the Zabini name had to be protected.
He stood up and started pacing, he didn't want to admit it, but he was getting nervous. He was summoned by Parker to be asked questions regarding a recent theft. Too afraid the incompetent Auror's may have somehow connected him to the theft from Nott's factories he hadn't told Pansy where he was going when he left the house. She had fallen back asleep after he had woken her up with his mouth, licking her in just the way that made her scream his name. Merlin how he loved fucking her. He smiled to himself as he thought of the twenty-one-year-old beauty who laid in his bed with him this morning, pawing and scratching at his back with need and desire while he pounded into her. Prince adjusted his pants while he walked about the office deciding if the Parker didn't show up in the next five minutes, he was going to go back home and fuck her again. Ah, but that would most likely make him late for work. Good thing he ran the place.
The Auror's office door opened startling Prince. He stood still for a moment and looked at the Auror, studying his appearance, while he allowed himself to go flaccid. Parker was young, maybe twenty, with shoulder length ash blond hair, he kept parted in the middle and tucked behind his ears. The Auror walked in and went straight to his desk chair with out looking up at the man who had been in his office waiting for him.
"Why don't you take a seat Mr. Prince, my colleague will be joining us shortly." Parker still didn't look up from the file he had carried in with him.
Prince stepped up to the desk. "I assume you are Parker then."
Everett looked up, "Sorry, yes." He held out his hand, "Junior Auror Everett Parker."
Prince wrinkled his nose at the gesture but decided it best he not be rude and shook the Auror's hand. "Well, I assume, you know who I am." Prince sat down in the chair he had been in earlier and crossed his legs. "Who will be joining us and when? I don't have all day, Parker."
Parker closed the file and sat it down, "Senior Auror Harry Potter will be joining us, he should be here any moment. He was in a meeting with Lord's Malfoy and Nott. I think they are just finishing up."
Prince fidgeted in his seat. Involving Potter could only mean two things, either one, Parker had hit a roadblock and needed help with the investigation. Or two, he had gotten close, and an arrest was eminent. Allowing himself to settle on the former, he smiled at Parker, then looked at his watch. Ten in the morning, step three should be going down any moment. The only disappointment would be the fact the Nott had an alibi for his whereabouts this morning, so Pansy wouldn't be able to accuse him directly of what was about to happen. She would have to find a way to say he was involved remotely somehow.
A knock-on Parker's door brought a grin to the Auror's face. He gave Prince a look like 'you're in trouble now'. "Come in."
Harry walked into the junior Auror's office but stopped just inside the doorway. He didn't bother to look at Prince, or even address him, instead he focused on Parker. "Have you begun?"
"Was waiting for you." Parker put his hands in his pockets.
Harry glanced from Parker to Prince and smirked. "This case is looking pretty straight forward Parker; I think you can handle this on your own."
Parker looked at Harry and smiled. "Well in that case, Mr. Prince, we have some questions regarding your presence along the delivery route where the supplies heading from the Nott Medical Supply Factory in London to St. Mungo's the day, they went missing. We have two witnesses who can place you there."
Prince tried to hide the surprise on his face. He hadn't expected them to figure it out. He was so certain on that day his memory charms had been flawless. He wasn't the best at them, but he had always been able to perform decent ones. He gave Parker his best 'who me?' look, then looked at his nails.
"I am waiting for an answer Prince." Parker, tried to sound stern, especially since Harry was still standing there listening.
Prince slowly looked from his nails, to Parker, "Sorry, did you ask a question? Sounded like you were simply making a statement."
Parker bristled, "Of course I was asking Mr. Prince. But have it your way. Would you please explain why you were seen by two people along the delivery route on the day in question?"
"Is a man not allowed to walk about and take in the sights of our beautiful country?" Prince gave Parker a devious smile.
Parkers eye flickered from Prince to Potter and back, "That is not an answer."
"Nor do I need to give you one. I know my rights Mr. Parker." Prince brushed a piece of lint off his pant leg, seemingly bored.
Parker flipped the file open, "The witnesses, say you told them that Lord Nott instructed you to take the shipment to a holding location, instead of making the delivery."
"Do they?" Prince continued to smile and examine his pants.
"They also say you said an outbreak happened at the hospital." Parker looked up to see Princes' reaction. Prince continued looking bored. "We happen to know that no such outbreak occurred. Any comments on that?"
Prince only acknowledged the young Auror, by looking up at him, but said nothing.
"Mr. Prince, I must insist you answer the questions." Parker crossed his arms.
Prince smiled and stood up, "I would be happy to once I have consulted with my Lawyer, and he is present. Until then, have a good day, Junior Auror Parker." Prince turned to the door and looked at Harry. "Ah, our war hero. How is celebrity treating you, Potter?"
Harry smiled at him and then put his hands in his pockets. "As well as to be expected Mr. Prince. Please don't leave the country. Talk to your lawyer and be ready to hear from me again."
"Looking forward to it." Prince nodded to Harry and left.
Everett sighed disappointedly, "Sorry Harry. I didn't really get anything from him."
"On the contrary, Everett, you got loads from him." Harry smiled at his apprentice.
"But he didn't say anything." Everett shook his head, giving Harry a confused look.
Harry took a few steps into Everett's office, "You need to see what was 'in-between the lines', so to speak. He told you everything you need to know, by the things he didn't say." Harry sat down in the chair facing Everett's desk. "By asking you whether or not he could be out walking, he confirmed he was out there. By reminding you he knows his rights and his need to talk to a lawyer, he told us he is ultimately involved. His indifference, tells us he feels comfortable we will be unable to connect the dots."
Parker sat down and sighed heavily. "I sometimes feel in over my head in this job Harry. Do you really think I was the best choice?"
Harry smiled at him. "Yes. Remember you only just started Everett. You have been at this for less than a year. For all intense and purposes, I have been doing this sort of thing, since I was eleven." He raised his eyebrows. "And I always had help. In tandem, you, Ron and I should be able to crack this. You keep working on connecting Prince to the theft. I will work on the portkey, and Ron will continue trying to find, the lost goods."
Just then Ron came bursting into Everett's office. "Harry, we just received word, the Nott Medical Supply Factory in London, in on Fire."
