One's True Nature

One’s True Nature


Chapter 2

Ron Weasley drew himself to his full height. He was extremely angry. He was inches away from Draco Malfoy, who looked equally distressed. Ron rubbed his temples in anguish. He could not believe Draco's story, but the mere fact that Draco was not on any lists made pinning him with a crime without a good deal of non-circumstantial proof, none of which Ron possessed impossible. He had a dead woman, a missing boy and a distraught father asking to speak directly to Harry Potter. This man having been their greatest enemy in school. Ron fought the urge to make it personal as he looked at Malfoy, who ran his shaking hands through his thinning hair. Ron relented.

"Fine, wait a moment." Ron snapped suddenly.

"And just where in the hell would I be off to?" Draco said bitterly.

Ron didn't ablidge the man's remark with any retort. He walked out of the room and into the hallway, where Harry Potter waited, cup of coffee in hand. Ron looked at him apologetic and breathed out.

"Looks like you'll have to do it your way Harry." Ron said upset with himself. "I'm sorry mate, he just grinds me up." Harry nodded and smiled. Looking at a filed over the tops of his glasses, he gave Ron's shoulder a pat.

"It's alright there Ron, I figured I'd at least give you a shot at it." Harry's smile widened. "The way you jumped up when you realized the spell was originated from Malfoy Manor, you looked like it was Christmas." Harry laughed a bit, but turned serious at Ron's expression. "Well, I better go in and see our guest." Harry said, reaching for the doorknob and turning it, his own heart seeming to take in the fact that he would be face to face with Malfoy for the first time in 19 years. He entered the room slowly, the man sitting at the table did not bother looking up at him.

"Mr. Malfoy, shall we get started?" Harry spoke the question as he approached the opposite side of the table. He couldn't believe he was doing this, to some degree, he'd always hoped never to have a serious interaction with Malfoy because of their terrible past. He took a seat as he looked the man over, knowing full well that his son was in danger, he had demanded Harry's presence. Harry raised an eyebrow at Malfoy's downcast face. "Why don't you tell me what happened, hmm?" He asked in the most polite voice that he ever remembered using with him.

"I-he's been taken Potter! Can't the questions wait? I'll give you whatev-" Draco looked up when Harry made himself cough.

"I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, that I will do everything in my power to help you, but I must know everything." Harry slid a cup of coffee to Draco. "Drink that, it will relax you." Harry felt a tug when Draco's eyes finally met his, pleading, sorrowful, this wouldn't be easy. "You must be patient and of a clear head." He encouraged, pointing to the cup again. Malfoy seemed unwilling to make further debate and took a drink. Harry wasn't surprised when he took a few big gulps as soon as he started. This was Nevelle's creation, a relaxing potion, using his skills at herbology. He noted that Malfoys hands were shaking as he took out his wand.

"Malfoy," He said as softly as he thought he should. "I'm going to enter your mind." He saw the apprehension in the man's face. "I wish we could indeed wait and do this a less intrusive way, but as you said, he's been taken." Draco stiffened at the last words, his eyes on fire. "You need to focus just on what happened tonight. I can take it from there." Harry said in an official tone. Draco's breathing slowed as much as he could make it. He tried to do the same with his heart as he let the memories of the night's events flood back to him. He closed his eyes. Harry muttered something and then in a violent wash of pictures, Draco relived everything at ten times normal speed. Draco watched in particular, his wife's death. He couldn't believe he almost had put her out of his thoughts entirely. They had been married for fifteen years.

"Oh my, I will never get used to that." Harry spoke to the room. Draco's eyes opened as Harry nearly lost his balance and was reaching out for the table for support. Draco had the urge to get up and help, but he did not do so. He watched as Harry slid down into the chair across from him and put his fingertips together in rubbing motion against his temples. He seemed to be slowing down whatever he had gained from Malfoy's mind. He only spoke once in nearly four whole minutes to indicate to Malfoy that he was seeing the events exactly as they unfolded. Harry felt discomfort at watching the death of Mrs. Malfoy, it was so needless. He was surprised that Goyle had decided that was necessary, since he clearly could have taken them both hostage, to help keep the boy appeased.

He shook his head and opened his eyes to look directly into his former enemy's face. He felt wrong looking into his eyes, as if, looking at Malfoy's eyes just now constituted him being in a state of undress. Harry breathed out and conjured a parchment. Draco eyed him with deep concern.

"I need to ask you a few questions," Harry said taking out a quill from the inside of his robes. "Things I didn't get answered by your memories." Harry looked up across the table at Draco, who now had his hands behind his head and stared blankly at the table. "Are you ready?" Harry asked him gently. The man nodded.

"How many men were there?" Harry's tone was official, with a hint of kindness.

"Maybe twenty or so, I couldn't tell, I was occupied by Goyle." Draco's voice was very dry. Harry wet his own mouth in shared discomfort.

"And next, what is in the vault?" Harry asked and watched Malfoy tense, just enough to tell him that it wasn't anything particularly good and that he may have to press the man for the complete truth.

"I don't know." He said softly. "I know that I opened a new vault to store family artifacts in, I knew I should have just given them to the ministry-" He took a frustrated breath. "After my trial, my parents left, they wanted a new start where people wouldn't judge them-" He fought himself, he knew he was rambling in front of Harry Potter and that made him feel insecure enough. "I stayed, I don't know, I guess because I felt like I should." Harry was about to redirect the conversation back to the vaults, when Draco got there first. "I was just tired, I didn't want the ministry thinking I was keeping Voldemort's possessions, but then, I had no idea what they were. I just moved the artifacts of the family and my money into separate vaults."

Harry saw how distressed Draco was and he could sympathize in part to the feelings that he might not get a fair hearing. Malfoy still hadn't known that Harry had spoken on his behalf at Malfoy family trial on the condition of anonymity. He hadn't wanted Malfoy to feel as if he owed him anything. The wizarding world had been most cruel to Death Eater families and Draco had shut himself in his home for many years after the trial. He had only recently, in the last five years discovered a form of public life and some semblance of forgiveness from the people, if the polls were any indication.

"Do you know what item it is they were looking for?" Harry asked finally stopping the swarm of thinking about Draco's position and why he would have violated the law to keep the items in his vault.

"I have a good idea, yes." Draco said, indifference in his tone. "There's no way we can give it to them Potter, no way." Draco looked at him with deepened eyes. The guilt in them so potent that it spoke to Harry. Harry looked back at them, indifferently, he saw that look so many times, but he knew why Draco had it now.

"No one said anything about surrendering the object, Mr. Malfoy." Harry said evenly. "What is it?"

Draco looked anguished, as if he'd give anything to be able to get up and run. Harry looked down at his parchment. "It's a staff, it allowed Voldemort to control dementors." Draco's voice was cool, but not calm, in fact, Harry felt his distinct panic. "Look, I know I was wrong to keep it, but I-"

Harry held up his hand and charmed the parchment to go find Ron. He would have to argue with Ron later on his thoughts. He looked directly into Malfoy's deep gray eyes and gave him a soft warm grin. Draco was taken aback by this. He also noted how much the man reminded him of Albus Dumbledore. "Mr. Malfoy, if you were on trial and subject to my judgement, which you are not, we can safely say, I see your point." Draco stared and Harry steepled his hands and rested his elbows against the table. Now Draco blinked a few times. He didn't just remind him of Dumbledore. He sounded like him too. "It is safe to say that we should definitely move quickly. I have a plan." A knock came at the door. Harry turned and unlocked it so Ron could join them.

"No Harry, no, no, and no again." Ron's face was screwed up in amazement or frustration Draco couldn't tell.

"Ron, we haven't a choice here." Harry looked down at his knees and collected his thoughts. "If I don't do this personally, first, too many questions, second, no one is nearly as experienced as you or I at dueling dark wizards."

"But-" Ron interrupted.

"There isn't another way, a child's life is at stake my friend. We have to move quickly." He turned to face Draco. "Do we have permission to access your vault with the artifacts?" Harry asked. Draco nodded, his eyes traveling up to Weasley's. "Then we should start out." He looked to Ron. "Everything on that sheet should help set you up. While I am gone, with Mr. Malfoy, you're in charge Ron." Draco spoke up at those words.

"Excuse me, did you say, you and I?" Draco's mouth slacked a bit in shock.

"Yes, since you know these people well, I figured you would be a great insight." Harry's warm expression was too like Dumbledore. Draco's face returned to the tabletop.

"Alright." Draco said in understanding.

"Then it's settled." Harry looked over to Ron, "Well, you wanted something to talk to Hermione about." Harry smiled evilly. Ron sneered in anger. "If there is nothing further to be done here?" Harry looked as both men shrugged. "Then Mr. Malfoy, we need to go to my home, there are some things I will need before I can make any kind of journey."

The three men parted ways and Harry felt for Ron who would now have a hell of a day of explaining away Harry's disappearance without revealing the nature of his sudden leave. He watched Draco, shoulders slumped, face toward the floor, he wasn't at all the same man he remembered. Draco was thinking the same thing as they walked to Harry's floo in his office. Draco felt the eyes of all the wizards and witches on him as they walked together.

They entered the office and Harry reached into a rather small sack and retrieved floo powder. Draco walked up beside him and just about as they entered the floo, Draco stopped him by the wrist.

"Why are you helping me?" Draco asked him, his eyes down cast, voice full of gratefulness, but feeling as though he didn't deserve it.

"When this is over Malfoy, you ask me, I will tell you." Harry's voice was calm and they both walked into the floo.

"Home!" Harry shouted and then the floo was empty.