Without a Trace

Author's note--Okay, this time, in my defense, it wasn't my fault it took so long to update! I left for Cork on Saturday, and the internet connection in Cork deemed this site "pornography" and wouldn't let me access it either Saturday night or Sunday night. I had this chapter all ready to go and everything!

And then I get back to my apartment last night, and my internet quits working! GRRRRRR But it's working now (I'm keeping a watchful eye on my modem just in case it decides to go on the blink again) so here you go!

Also, I figured out titles for the episode chapters, so I will be going back and editing Episode 2 (remember, I reserved the right to do that, and now I'm exercising it) haha Enjoy!
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Without a Trace

Episode 2

ELEVEN HOURS MISSING (Part 2)

Danny retrieved the file from the Forensics department and made his way down to the press room where Vivian was currently giving a statement in accordance with Jack’s outline. She had decided to go ahead and break the news about Spaulding being dead so that the reporters would keep their focus on the investigation and hopefully not go snooping around the hospitals. She was bombarded with questions, which she handled with the skill of an experienced politician. Vivian Johnson might not play politics, but years of coordinating with the media left her perfectly polished and confident in front of the camera. Once Danny stepped into the room, behind all of the reporters, he held up the file and quickly stepped out again. Vivian gave him a slight nod and then excused herself, citing the need for a five minute break before the press conference would resume. She slipped into the room next door, which was used as a ‘staging area’ for the press room. Reporters, obviously, were not allowed in there.

“What’s the update?” She asked, taking the folder that Danny held out to her.

“The blood work came back. The lab received the sample from the hospital first thing this morning, since they couldn’t get the father’s blood last night. No surprises there that the blood on the back of the underwear IS Parker’s. The press already knows about that, thanks to that fucker who broke into Spaulding’s house. He’s filing ‘excessive force’ charges, by the way—” Vivian smiled, and Danny broke off.

“I know. I shredded them this morning,” she looked up and winked. Danny raised his eyebrows and smirked. “The guy came in here screaming about fifteen minutes before the rest of you showed up. Jack wasn’t here yet, so I took his paperwork, and, as a supervisor, it’s my prerogative on how they get handled. My shredder was acting funny last night, and I needed some test papers. But you know Jack would’ve done the same thing.” Danny smiled a real smile this time and put his hand on Viv’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, turning back to the file. “So I’ll go ahead and confirm about the blood

“Now here’s something interesting. Remember those unknown prints we found at the hotel along with Spaulding’s? Well, we still don’t have a match for them, BUT they matched a set of prints taken from the base of that music box. As you can see, it’s a wizard with black robes, arms outstretched, with the typical pointy hat and crystal ball in one hand, magic wand in the other with his pet dragon curled around his shoulders, teeth bared and snarling. I’m betting you that they bought this music box for Parker, either to help keep him quiet or for him to play with.”

“Danny, you don’t buy a breakable music box for a three year old, and especially not one like this. I’m guessing it was to comfort him. What song did it play?”

“Scheherazade,” Danny had practiced saying the word under his breath, and he hoped he said it right now. Vivian looked at him, confused.

“Scheherazade? That doesn’t sound British…or French, for that matter.”

“It’s not. It’s Russian. Well, it’s a music box version of ‘Scheherazade, Opus number 35’ by Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov. Get this, though. It’s based on the tale of ‘1001 Nights’. It’s a Persian legend.”

“How does that fit in with what we know?” Vivian was not so amused by the history lesson.

“There was a Persian king who would marry a new woman each day and have the previous woman beheaded. Scheherazade was one of those women, but before she was to die, her sister asked her to tell a story. So she does, and then the king wants another one, but she says that it’s dawn and there’s no time. So he lets her live another day so that he can hear her story that night, and that goes on for one thousand more nights. They had three sons together, but it’s a message from Narcissa to Pansy, telling her to leave Draco, like the king had his wives beheaded, and marry Blaise; in other words, she’s telling Pansy that Blaise should be her ‘Scheherazade’.” Danny looked triumphant.

“Okay, I’ll buy that,” Vivian said.

“And in Arabic or maybe Persian, that name means ‘she whose realm or dominion is noble’,” Danny conveniently left out the online article he read that mentioned these details. “That’s the only thing I don’t get. If Blaise is supposed to be the ‘Scheherezade’, what is his realm or dominion that’s supposed to be so noble?”

“No, I don’t think that part is directed at Blaise,” Vivian sounded thoughtful, and she was remembering a couple of things that Narcissa said in the video. “Remember how she was saying that Draco didn’t do some of the things that were expected of him? That’s the whole reason this happened, and while WE know that she’s psychotic and unbalanced for all of this, keep in mind that SHE thinks it’s justified. This is the mother who wanted her son to kill someone and join a cult, so maybe this is her way of asserting that she IS doing the right thing. That this whole situation is her ‘realm’, and that she has ‘dominion’ over her son and grandson for this, and her actions are ‘noble’, based on her own twisted logic.” Danny nodded.

“That makes sense, Viv,” he said. “Except for the whole part about her being his mother and expecting that from him, but…”

“You’re telling me, Danny,” Vivian replied. “It makes me sick to see that boy have to go through that and hear that kind of garbage from the woman who is supposed to be supporting him.”

“It happens every day, Viv,” he said, shaking his head and letting his accent creep into that sentence as if to remind her that the streets of New York were not kind to minorities and that this sort of thing was a way of life to the lower class. Vivian sighed, knowing what Danny was getting at, but the fact that it was a Caucasian British family made it seem a little bit more out of place.

“I know,” she agreed. “I better get back in there before they break down the door. Let Jack know, will you?” She went back to the press conference room, and for a brief instant, Danny could hear a cacophony of voices and shutters clicking before the door shut behind her. He shook his head, glancing down at the picture of the fey child that was clipped to the inside of the folder. He shut the file with a snap and headed for Jack’s office.

* * * * *

After dealing out the orders, Jack sat in his office, making notations as he waited for HJ to return. He figured the agent wouldn’t be more than twenty minutes at the most; it was more than enough time for Martin to get to the hospital and relieve HJ, and plenty of time for him to get back to the office. He wanted to have more background information on both Blaise Zabini and Severus Snape before they pulled Narcissa and Pansy out of the holding cells to interrogate them again. He was frowning as he scratched out notes when his office door opened. He looked up, expecting HJ, but a woman with wavy chestnut brown hair walked into his office, carrying a slim briefcase and wearing a smart dark burgundy suit with a muted gold top. She had a visitor’s tag pinned to the lapel.

“Jack Malone?” The woman enquired, holding her hand out and smiling charmingly. Jack was lost in thought for a moment longer before he shook his head and rose, shaking her hand.

“Yes, that’s right. What can I do for you, miss?”

“My name is Hermione Granger, and I represent the British government. I understand that you currently have two British citizens in your custody, as well as a British member of your team,” the woman cut straight to the point. Jack motioned for her to take a seat, and she did so, talking all the while. “I’m sure you’re aware by now that one of the women is an escapee from one of our prisons, and I have the paperwork to have her transferred back immediately. I should also like to speak with your agent, please?” Jack blinked at her. Usually if they were dealing with foreign citizens, the Immigration department of the FBI would be involved. There had been no word from them, and this woman was exceptionally well-informed.

“I am aware of that fact, yes,” he said slowly. “We have not yet had a chance to interrogate her, but as soon as we are completely finished with her, you have my word that she will be deported back to England. I will say, Ms. Granger, that she has committed several crimes here in New York, and justice must be served. Have you spoken with our Immigration department regarding this matter?” Hermione folded her hands in her lap.

“Agent Malone, you and I both know that that is a pure waste of my time,” Jack was rather surprised at her bluntness, especially for a British person. “I would prefer not to turn this into an ugly legal battle, and so I am here to speak with you directly. I understand that you currently have an agent by the name of Potter working for you, do you not? I wish to speak with him. It is urgent, Agent Malone.” Hermione’s face lost its smile, and she leaned forward, her brown eyes boring into Jack’s.

“What is the matter that you wish to discuss with him?” Jack wanted to know exactly why this woman was demanding to talk to his agent.

“Several things, actually,” she replied. “First of all, it was the British government who assisted in placing him in this position six years ago. Second of all, I know that you know that he has made prior acquaintances with the family of the missing boy, as well as the suspects involved, and that makes him a prime ‘person of interest’ to the British government. Third, I’m sure you are aware that Mr. Malfoy is a rather important person in England, and there is no way the British government would leave him out in the cold when something so horrendous is happening to one of our high-profile citizens.” Jack caught a slight grimace in her tone, even though she tried to hide it. He leaned back in his chair, studying the serious young woman sitting in front of him. There was something else in her voice that belied the fact that she was not telling him the entire truth.

“Ms. Granger, I must say, you are rather good at answering questions without saying anything at all,” Jack began smoothly. “And with that, I’m sure you know that you’ll have to do better than that if you wish to speak with one of my agents. Contrary to anything you might have heard about me, I am not a fool, so do me the courtesy of not treating me like one. Now, try again.”

Hermione sighed, shifting in her seat. She had been doing government work ever since graduating, and she was used to the delicately worded dance of politics. While she was extremely adept at her job, one of the things she treasured most was the truth, the full, complete, and unedited truth, especially as a Gryffindor, and it was times like these that she hated the way her job forced her to be more like a Slytherin, using misdirection and carefully veiled and vague statements. A smile glazed her face, even as she cringed on the inside.

“Agent Malone, I assure you that he is not in any sort of trouble or danger. He is merely a person of interest to this case, and I would like to speak with him about it. We feel that he might have certain key information, the content of which I am not allowed to share with you for fear of compromising British national security—I’m sure you understand—and since he is a British citizen and you are not, I should think you can comprehend that,” she felt positively slimy. “Please, Agent Malone, I need to speak with Harry as soon as possible.” Hermione went for the first name approach, wondering if it was time to pull out the emotions and the type of pleading that only worked for women, since it seemed as if he was unmoved and unconvinced by logic alone. Jack sat up straighter, staring at her hard.

“You knew him from before!” Jack exclaimed, a couple of things clicking in his mind. “I’ll just bet you graduated from that private school with HJ and Draco and Pansy, didn’t you? You might be here on government business, but YOU also have a prior connection with him, don’t you?” Hermione, at least, had the grace to look embarrassed.

“Agent Malone, you are indeed correct,” she admitted. “He was one of my best friends while we were in school, even if we have not seen or spoken to each other since his move. I admit that I am curious to know how he is getting on here in America, and I do hope he is well. I would like to speak with him, just to catch up as well, please?”

“He should be around shortly,” Jack said, suddenly realizing that HJ should have been back to the office by now. He looked at his phone, frowning, and wondered if he should call the black-haired agent. As if on cue, his phone rang, and the caller ID said ‘HJ’. Jack picked it up, pushing back from his desk and opening the door for Hermione.

“Ms. Granger, I apologize, but I must take this call. There is a visitor’s lounge just down the hall. If you could wait there, I will be down as soon as I finish, but there is fresh coffee if you’d like a cup. Thank you,” he smiled as Hermione knowingly walked out of the office as he answered the phone.

“Potter. Where are you? Did Martin make it to the hospital? Okay, did he tell you that I said to come back to the office? Then where the hell are you? There is a woman here, and she’s asking for you specifically. She’s from the British government, and she needs to talk to you. It’s urgent. HJ, we can talk about Samantha and Elena later, but right now…HJ, are you hearing me? I need you here at the office. Get your ass back he—…DON’T YOU TAKE THAT TONE OF VOICE WITH ME, POTTER! I AM YOUR BOSS, AND YOU WILL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I TELL YOU TO! And right now, I’m giving you a DIRECT ORDER to GET YOUR ASS BACK TO THE OFFICE NOW! If you value your job…we’ll talk about this when you get here.”

Jack slammed his phone shut, not able to believe that HJ had the nerve to try to tell him what to do. He paced for a few seconds, fuming. As soon as HJ got here and answered Jack’s questions, he was off the case. He had no idea what was going on with HJ, but the agent had been here long enough to know better. The black-haired agent had better straighten up or else, and while Jack realized that he was probably being overwhelmed with all of this stuff from his past when he was so obviously trying to leave it behind him by coming to New York, there were still criminals on the loose that Jack meant to put behind bars and quickly, and he couldn’t do that without knowing what HJ knew.

Jack walked to the visitor’s lounge where Hermione was waiting and got a cup of coffee for her and refilled his own mug. He informed her that he had some things to discuss with HJ first, but as soon as he was finished, she could speak with him. Hermione thanked him, and Jack instructed her to wait in the lounge, cautioning that it could be a little while before HJ was free. She smiled, holding up a stack of papers.

“Thank you for being so considerate, Agent Malone, but I always have work with me, so please don’t worry for the delay. I trust that you do understand the urgency with which I need to speak with him, but I also know that you have a job to do as well. Thank you for cooperating with the British government, sir.” Sometimes, in this job, a little bit of kindness goes a long way, and Hermione was rewarded with a smile from Jack before he disappeared back to his office. She sighed, her face turning slightly sad. She had no audience now, and she shuffled through her papers, trying to push the images of their younger days out of her mind and concentrated on her work.
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Chapter notes:

1. ‘Scheherazade, Opus number 35’ by Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov This is an actual piece of music, and there is an actual music box adaptation. If you Google "crystal visions swirl lighted water globe" (it's under "images" not "web") and then click on the result for www.sfmusicbox.com and then click on that link, you can listen to a clip of "Scheherazade" the music box adaptation. (If that doesn't make sense or you can't find it, email me and I'll send you the link.)

2. online article he read *giggle* Yes, Danny read the same article I did! All of these details about the Persian legend came from the Wikipedia article about Scheherazade.

3. Immigration department I'm pretty sure that's the division of the FBI who is involved with foreign citizens. But since Immigration hasn't stepped in yet, it's mainly because it involves British citizens (who are quite obviously not terrorists or plotting any attacks on America). Yes, it's sad that American politics are currently biasing in favor of discriminating against Middle Eastern-looking people who are considered to be "suspected terrorists", which is what Immigration is more focused on than "upstanding British three year old kidnapped" (because it has nothing to do with terrorism...according to them.)


Author's note--Are you surprised? C'mon, you all KNEW it would be 'Mione! Actually, I was toying with the idea of Hermione or Remus...and then after a bit of research, there was no question. It's Hermione. And before you wonder or get confused, Hermione and Ron ARE married, but Hermione started working at the Ministry before she and Ron even got engaged (as "Granger") and she had been working there for five months when she and Ron got married. She kept her maiden name due to professional reasons (and the fact that she wanted to retain some of her independence without getting sucked into the Weasley clan) but the kids all have the last names of Weasley (if THAT makes you feel any better) *wink wink* Don't worry, Hermione and Harry WILL have a chance to talk, but we may not get the full conversation until the Special Features.

Thanks for keeping with me, y'all!

EmeraldGrey--LMAO Welcome to the club! (I'm worried about my Sim addiction too!) Here's a more information/question chapter for you! Did you have an idea of who it was who was asking for Harry? C'mon...didja? Did you even have a guess? haha Okay, I'll stop pestering! Thanks for your review

WeasleyWench--I know...I hate it when children have to go through that. But as I've always maintained, it's nothing that Draco and Harry can't handle. :) YAY for Sims 2! Thanks! PS OMG I just read your chapters of "For the Best"....you were NOT kidding! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE "Apples to Apples"

Fic recommendation: If you want something that's light-hearted and fun, go read "Apples to Apples" by WeasleyWench! It's SO CUTE and fluffy and it just makes me giggle! We need those kinds of stories!

thrnbrooke--You said it! Jack's pissed now! (And their conversations match up...I actually copy/pasted Harry's side when I was typing Jack's words to make sure I got everything right! haha *LAME*) But maybe Hermione can help...*shrug* Who knows? And I know what you mean...I hope Parker doesn't remember either! Thanks for your review!

Night--Okay, I won't tell you...*dramatic pause* haha just kidding No, no, nothing happens to Parker during lunchtime. Yes, Martin practically left them alone, but remember, he doesn't know WHY Blaise, Snape, Pansy, and Narcissa are any more dangerous than normal suspects...and since they have Pansy and Narcissa behind bars and Blaise and Snape are in England, there's not a super-urgent need to remain with Draco and Parker AT ALL TIMES, right? (According to Martin)

Parker will be awake soon. They wanted to keep him sedated to allow him to heal as much as possible, and also to get the examination out of the way, and now he will be woken up, poor baby, and the child psychologist is going to come and determine what he knows/remembers (hopefully).

Draco...obliviated? Interesting, why do you say that? Just so he doesn't have to go through the trauma of watching his son and all? (But we definitely DON'T want him to be obliviated of his feelings for Harry! *scoff* As if we COULD obliviate those anyway! lmao)

Aurors...maybe not...well, not in New York, obviously. If Harry could get in touch with the Ministry, they might send Aurors to round up Snape and Blaise...but RAFO haha (sorry)

And to your second review...haha YES! Now you see why Harry was panicking! Let's hope he can pull his weight with Jack and keep Sam and Elena from harm while keeping himself on the case! Ginny will be back at some point, yes...in what capacity...not too terribly sure yet, but when she pops up, you KNOW something interesting is about to happen.

Thanks so much for the double review! I appreciate it!


Juniper Raven--Hiya! (Yes, that's Irish-speak for "Hi, how are you?") I do live in Ireland, but only for about another month. Then I'm going back home to the US for the summer, but I am moving back here in the fall again. It is a very beautiful place, and you made a good choice for wanting to live in Ireland. LOL The "city" I live in is wonderful. And I say "city" because it's the third largest in the republic, but it really has that "small town" feel to it, even though it IS a city. Are you going to do study abroad or anything like that?

I graduated from my undergraduate university with my bachelor's degree, and I'm here working on a masters. I never actually did study abroad, so I figured that moving to Europe for a year would be a good experience. It's been so good that I'm moving back! LOL Yes, it's been really hard, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. And I'm really glad I am here for the year. One semester just IS NOT long enough! One year isn't even long enough! haha Thanks for your review

SyXX--Good, thank you! That makes me glad to hear you say that. I know EXACTLY what you mean! It's like that for me too! *wink* Thank you, thank you! I laughed a lot when Harry tapped me on the shoulder and was like, "Um, hello? Why would I use my real name when I'm famous and trying to escape?" and I was like, "Oh yeah! Duh!" and slapped myself on the forehead. haha

Draca--Yes! I know, I know, it's the "episode" but I just couldn't help myself! Wow, that does work well! Thanks...haha I'm sorry the play isn't going as well as you'd like. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and BREAK A LEG and you know what they say "bad dress rehersal, good opening night" so let's hope that holds true!