T W E N T Y T W O

"Callisto Selwyn is hereby directed to be kept under custody in suspicion of the murder of Anthony Jones, Department of Mysteries. He shall be subjected to solitary detention till further notice. The court is adjourned."

The fall of the hammer resounded throughout the courtroom with a finality. Ronald Weasley stood up from his seat as he ushered his wife to follow him, as if in a hurry to get her out of the room. Hermione Granger-Weasley spared a look at the desperate face of the head auror of Macusa. He had been requesting an audience with her but her husband had been completely against it.

"Ron, maybe we should at least hear them out?" The muggleborn witch whispered him. "He is the head auror from Macusa."

The red haired wizard turned around abruptly. "I don't care if he's the Minister of Magic for Merlin's sake, Mione. He's joined to the hip with Adams and you know glaringly well who she is associated to."

Hermione sighed. "Honey, I know how you feel about Malfoy—"

"The same as you should, Mione." Ron exclaimed. "His kind killed our people, friends, family. I cannot ever look past that, specially at a time when his people are at it again." He sighed, pulling Hermione to a corner. He raked his hand through his hair.

"Ron?" The muggleborn witch said, seeing her husband shaken up. "Honey? What is—"

"I cannot lose you. I will not." He said with a stern look on his face. "I don't know what the likes of Kobayashi and Adams want with you but it cannot be good if it's connected to Malfoy. They may have infiltrated the Ministry but they bloody well won't take anyone important to me again. I will not let them."

And suddenly, the brown eyed witch could see where her husband and his paranoia had been coming from. All the victims had been Ministry workers. Muggleborn Ministry workers. With what the threats they'd been receiving and with Harry gone, it was but natural for him to be paranoid. Did not mean that she had to be okay with it. But she understood.

"I have to be out on a mission today. Promise me that you will have no contact with the likes of them."

"Ron, you know that I can take care of myself—"

"I know. You could probably hand me my arse in a duel. Does not mean I want you to be in that position." Ron sighed at the brown eyed witch's irritable expression.

"I've seen what losing his wife did to Fred, he's there for Hope but he's barely the same man he used to be. It may be selfish but I'm done being the hero. The war took alot from us, Mione — I cannot possibly give any more. I will do anything to restore the peace that we fought so hard to establish, that's my job but I will not have you or our child involved anymore than you have to be." Ron said solemnly sparing a glance at Hermione's still flat belly, more serious than his wife had ever seen him.

"Whether you like it or not, they are the enemy, Hermione. Their kind tortured you, killed our friends and families. Anyone with that bloody mark has blood on their hands. They do not deserve retribution." He said at last and walked away with a determined look on his face.

The brightest witch of her age sighed heavily. She lightly touched her belly as she thought to herself What am I supposed to do?

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

A small notebook lay open on the desk in an airy Ministry room as a low hum of the alphabets was heard. A...B...C...D—

A̶s̶t̶o̶r̶i̶a̶ G̶r̶e̶e̶n̶g̶r̶a̶s̶s̶

B̶l̶a̶i̶s̶e̶ Z̶a̶b̶i̶n̶i̶

C̶a̶l̶l̶i̶s̶t̶o̶ S̶e̶l̶w̶y̶n̶

Draco Malfoy

And suddenly there was a knock. Angry green eyes glared at the doorframe with a scowl.

"Meeting at the office in 10!" Someone called out as their footsteps disappeared.

Such a fucking nuisance. The person thought as they swished their wand, snapping the notebook shut. Small hands pushed the wheelchair forward as auburn hair stuck to their forehead in exertion. With a flick of the wand, the door slammed open.

The wheels of the chair stopped abruptly. Green eyes glared down to find the wheel stuck on the doorframe.

"Rose! Let me help you!" The auburn haired witch turned her head to find Ron Weasley smiling at her as he ran towards her and maneuvered her chair through the doorframe. Her scowl deepened before it was gone, replaced by the sweet smile everyone in the Ministry was used to.

"Thank you, Ronald." Rose Creevey smiled at him.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"You filthy mudb—"

Smack

The fourth year student stopped midway as he turned to glare at his attacker.

Icy blue eyes narrowed.

"Professor Malfoy—" His eyes widened.

"You were saying?" Draco said, his glare hardening as he saw a first year sniffling behind the fourth year Ravenclaw.

"I was just telling him where to find the Great Hall. He's l-lost, apparently." The Ravenclaw stuttered.

"Is that so?" The silver haired wizard pretended to relax. The Ravenclaw rapidly nodded.

"Surely, you must understand Professor." The Ravenclaw said, sporting a sly look.

Draco nodded.

"Then, I'll take my leave." The Ravenclaw said, now visibly relaxed as he spared a last dirty look towards the sniffling first year and turned to walk away.

"See you tomorrow, Mr Brown." The silver haired wizard called out.

"Tomorrow?" The Ravenclaw turned around, confusion apparent on his face. "But we do not have a class with you till the day after—"

"Oh, I meant at detention." Draco smiled at him.

"But I didn't do anything—" The Ravenclaw cried out, appalled.

"It may have skipped your notice as you seem too engrossed in using your braun over your brain which is why you're failing in all but three subjects but Hogwarts does not tolerate racial slurs, Mr Brown." Draco's narrowed.

"But I didn't even say it!" The Ravenclaw sputtered out.

"Oh no, you didn't. The detention is for taking me for a fool."

"But—"

"Another word and it will be 50 points from Ravenclaw." Draco's eyes hardened.

"I want you at the Quidditch pitch before the clock hits five in the morning. The stands could do with some cleaning. And no need for your wand, ofcourse. Now, get lost." Draco grumbled out.

"Yes, Professor." The Ravenclaw grinded out and turned around to leave.

Draco sighed as he glanced down at the sobbing mess of a first year.

It reminded him of the brown haired witch and her habit of breaking down into tears.

"Hey. Stop crying." Draco grumbled out. "You look hideous."

The kid did look hideous. His big green eyes filled with moisture that he rapidly blinked to rid him of the tears but failed, his button nose sniffing every other second as snot ran down his face and his lip wobbling.

See? Hideous. He thought. He glanced down at the kid's robes. Slytherin. A muggleborn Slytherin? Draco's eyebrows rose ever so slightly.

"Kid." Draco said crouching down to meet his level. "You're a bloody Slytherin. We don't cry when someone picks on us. We make sure we slowly suffocate them and bite their arse while we're at it."

"B-but I-I'd get e-expelled." The kid said still, blinking rapidly but with a lot less tears in his eyes.

"If you get caught and a snake doesn't ever get caught." Draco said smirking. "Teeth and ambitions bared, kid."

"T-teeth a-and a-ambitions bared." The kid repeated nodding.

"Now go get lost." Draco said as he watched the kid nod again, tears and determination mixed in his eyes as he scurried away.

"I don't think suggesting students to suffocate their perpetrators is quite the right way to console them, Professor Malfoy."

"I meant it hypothetically ofcourse, Professor McGonagall." Draco smiled sheepishly at the older witch.

"And do you think he gathered that it was hypothetical?" Minerva asked raising one of her eyebrows.

"He's a slytherin, ofcourse he did."

Minerva smiled as she shook her head. "There's an owl for you from Miss Adams. Apparently, it's urgent that you see it immediately." She notified him, turning around and transforming into a cat as she jumped off the railing.

Eclaire? Draco thought before he made his way towards his office where a letter awaited him on his table.

A ministry seal? He thought as he turned the letter over.

To:Mr Draco Lucius Malfoy

From: The Ministry Of Magic

He tore the seal open as he read the contents.

Draco,

Kobayashi and I have discovered where the next murder will take place. I want you to be there tonight at seven. You will find the address attached below.

22 H.M. Street, West Clove.

We will wait for you.

Yours Sincerely,

ECLAIRE VANILLE ADAMS