Secrets and Promises (Abandoned Story)

Series Title: Secrets and Promises
Fandom: Harry Potter
Series Rating: NC-17
Genre: Mystery & Romance
Pairing: Draco/Harry, but also mentions of other past and other relationships as the story progresses.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy et al are a fictional characters created by J.K. Rowling as part of the Harry Potter series. We just borrow them to play. We don't make any money from it but we do have a very good time. [Beckett, Cocoa and the Malfoy Townhouse are inventions of .]
Series Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are Aurors who work for the Ministry of Magic. In this series they find themselves investigating a serial killer and discovering they are in love with each other. It follows them as they struggle to build lives and heal their past wounds, now that the war is behind them.
Notes: This series is written based in part on the RPG Ambiguous Desire.

Chapter Number/Total: 17/?.
Chapter Title: The Cold and the Dead
Chapter Authors: slashpervert, aveeno_baby and nefernat.
Beta(s): nefernat
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Words: 1830 Words
Chapter Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and Ginny Weasley.
Warnings: Language, angst.
Summary: Third body found; investigation continues.



Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003

The case had stalled and Draco was frustrated. They needed a break in the case. But he wasn't happy when they got it. The Floo call came in the evening, just after they had settled in by the fire after dinner. They had to go to another alley. Draco looked at Harry and called for Beckett who brought them their coats. It was snowing out and bitterly cold. "Don't forget your warming charm," he reminded him.

Harry nodded as he pulled his coat on. He wandlessly whispered a warming charm for himself then one for Draco. "Another alley, huh?"

Draco nodded, face taunt and serious. "I know the location." He held out his hand to take his partner along to the site.

Harry slipped his hand into the Draco's and stepped close. "Ready."

Apparation pull and the cold and dark hit them like a wall. Draco had his wand out and cast an illumination spell immediately, letting go of Harry's arm so that he would have room to manoeuvre.

Harry followed Draco, stepping over the garbage that littered the alley. "See anything?" he asked, looking around as he pulled out his own wand.

"Not yet," Draco said in a quiet tense voice. "Probably under the snow. This is going to make it bloody difficult."

Harry nodded and began to look along the sides of the alley. To the right of them, he noticed that the snow there was shaped like a small hill.

"Hey, Draco, look..."

He walked over to it and poked it with his wand, grinning when it hit something solid.

"I think I found the body."

Draco used the light from his wand to scan around the area, making sure there was no one else out on this freezing night. "We need to melt the snow on and around it to look for clues," he said. "Maybe a warming charm?"

"Warming charm," Harry agreed, pointing his wand at the area as he whispered the charm.

Draco stood watch while Harry melted the snow around the body. It was a man. He had been tall and thin, with short-cropped brown hair. He wore a Muggle style suit and glasses.

Harry stood up and looked down at the man, tilting his head.

"A Muggle," he said after a while. "Right? Looks like one."

Draco cocked his head, "Probably. Check his pockets for ID and the body to see if the torso is caved in."

Harry made a slight face, but he did as Draco asked, checking his pockets quickly and pulling out a wallet. He held that up for Draco to take as he ran his wand down the middle of the man. "Yeah...his torso is caved in."

"It's official then, according to Miss Weasley, this makes it a serial killer," Draco sighed, opening the wallet. "Usual Muggle ID and money. Name is Dakota Valen." He frowned, wondering why that sounded familiar.

Harry stood up again, looking back at Draco. He noticed the frown on his face and he stepped close. "What's up?"

"I don't know, just something about the name seems familiar." He folded the wallet back and put it in his pocket and then began walking the parameter of the body, looking for any evidence the killer might have left behind.

Harry watched Draco do his job, glancing around every few seconds, just to make sure everything was safe. He shivered as a gust of wind passed by. His warming charm seemed to be fading.

"Nothing again," Draco said when he finished. "Let's get this back to St. Mungo’s. We can do the rest in the morning." He frowned. "Harry, this means another meeting with Granger and Weasley."

Draco used the charm to lift the body, stepping in close to Harry and put his arm around him pulling him close. They Apparated with the body back to St. Mungo’s, leaving it in the morgue there. Then home again.

***

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003

Ginny tried to ignore her own need to yawn as she once again flipped through the ever growing file. The third body had been by the killer's hand as well and this made it officially a serial killer. She'd been going over everything they knew, starting with the first one, and had tried to work on her profile. The list Draco had supplied had helped her and she felt she had a good idea of what was going on.

Standing up, she went to refill her tea mug to sip on while she waited for the others to come in. Since she'd hardly slept that night she'd come in early to work, hoping to be able to leave a bit earlier as well... Sitting back at the table, she cradled the mug in her hands and closed her eyes, to give them a bit of rest.

They had fallen into a pattern. Tea/coffee and breakfast in the window seat area of the master bedroom in the mornings, then getting dressed and taking the flu Floo to the Ministry. They were riding up together in the lift and Draco was looking over the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. He looked up and casually straightened Harry's tie.

Harry let him, not even fully awake yet to blush and slap away his hand like he would've normally. He stepped out the lift when they reached the right floor, reaching back and giving Draco's robes a light tug as they began to walk down the hallway.

Draco smirked and shook his head. "I'll get the files," he said and nodded to Harry. He wouldn't kiss Harry in the open at the office but he slightly lowered eyelashes and smile were a clear show of affection.

Harry smiled back. "Okay," he agreed, a slight blush forming on his cheeks as he held back the urge to kiss him. He turned before he could and walked into the conference room. "Morning, Ginny," he said with a smile.

Draco collected the new reports and the old files and headed to the conference room. "Good morning, Ms... Ginny," Draco said as he settled in the chair next to Harry.

Harry gently pushed over the cup of tea he had made for Draco. He took a sip of his own coffee as he pulled over the files Draco brought in.

Ginny had just finished reading the rather hastily written note that a flustered Ministry owl had delivered. It was from Hermione informing her that a crisis in Russia had demanded her presence there. Ginny sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Good morning," she said as Harry and Draco entered the room. "When you're ready we can start the meeting, as Hermione won't be joining us today. Thanks for the quick delivery of your report. I've got a better idea of what's going on now and I'm afraid you won't like it."

Taking a sip of her now cold tea, she added, "And I'm seriously hoping I'm wrong."

Draco sipped his tea, nodding to acknowledge it when Harry had slid it over. He frowned when Ginny made her announcement about Granger but nodded as well. "By all means, proceed," he said waving one hand.

"Well," Ginny started, "I've been going over everything again with your last report. And what I'm thinking is going on is one of those rituals from that list you had compiled for our previous meeting."

She looked down at her hands, composing her thoughts. "Since the current victims are all Muggle I'm afraid we'll have at least three more murders to look forward to. Wizards or Witches this time."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm afraid it might be the Usurpo Veneficus Spell."

Draco nodded, "Yes, it might. But I have some new information on the latest victim. He wasn't exactly a Muggle. Dakota Valen was an American with no family here but his family is Wizarding. He was a Squib."

"But wait, what's the Usurpo Veneficus Spell?" Harry asked, looking confused.

Ginny grimaced. "The Usurpo Veneficus Spell is a spell that, allegedly, would give the caster magic. Unfortunately, and that is the reason it was forbidden and hasn't been in use for at least 100 years, the caster would need organs of persons already in possession of magic. Through the organs the spell would transfer the magic unto the caster."

She had to close her eyes for a moment. "It looks like our killer is working his way up."

"It could also be used to make a weak wizard or witch into a more powerful one," Draco said.

"Ohh," Harry nodded, understanding. He sat back in his chair, looking down at the table for a moment. "Well, is there anyway we can figure out where he's going to strike next?"

"I've been thinking about that," Ginny nodded. "So far, he's been practicing and I'm quite sure he knew that the latest victim was a squib." Taking another sip of her tea, she then said, "I think our killer is a squib himself. So to him, any wizard would do. Do you agree with me on this?"

Draco frowned. "I am not certain about that," he said cautiously. "I also wonder why he, or she, keeps the victims for three days first. I looked over the notes we have and each person was missing for three days before their bodies turned up in the alleys. That would imply some kind of preparation before the kill."

After having thought it over, Ginny nodded. "It makes sense, doesn't it? If you are going to transfer something out of something, you have to make sure it's properly cleaned and prepared for whatever you're going to do with it."

"I will check the body for potions that may have been used. I would also suspect they would be bathed and starved during that time," Draco grimaced. "The next target is probably a witch or wizard. But it is hard to tell how the victims are chosen. Though none of them so far have been married or had children."

"Well," Harry said, speaking up, "he really knows how to choose his victims. But there has to be some way to catch him. Maybe undercover work?"

"Well, Tonks has returned," Draco said, "so that means we have an Auror who can disguise herself easily. But I still am not sure where she would start. Undercover with who?"

"Right. So you two can work the undercover part out," Ginny nodded. "Unless one of you can think of something, I think we should end this meeting. There is nothing more we can do about it for now, but work with your idea and hope to catch him soon."

Draco snorted. It actually rankled him with that Ginny acted like she was his supervisor in tone. But he let it go, turning his attention to Harry. "Have plans for lunch?" he asked with a smirk.

"Looks like I do now," he replied, smiling at him.