An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Harry Potter - Rowling
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Mystery
Summary:
After years of avoiding Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter is forced into a situation where he canât anymore.
âCan you think of anyone who might want to hurt Astoria?â
âNo. No one. Me, yes. Her? No one.â
âWho would want to hurt you? I mean, the war has been over for twenty years.â Despite what he thought of Malfoy, Harry had never heard even a hint of scandal about him, personally or more surprisingly, professionally. His investment brokerage was considered one of the best in all of Europe, and honest to a fault. Having a wife who was one of the top prosecuting solicitors probably kept him on the straight and narrow.
âSweet Merlin, how did you get to be so old and stay so naĂŻve? There are still people out there who know my family betrayed Voldemort to save your life.â Malfoyâs tone implied they would be out for his blood.
In general, Harry supposed he was right. His gut instinct said not in these circumstances. There was more to Astoriaâs murder than someone trying to get back at Malfoy for something heâd done in the war.
âDonât you think someone might have had a grudge against Astoria?â Harry asked.
Malfoy shook his head emphatically. âNo. No one. Everyone loved her.â
âOh, come on, Malfoy. Now whoâs being naĂŻve? She sent how many people to Azkaban in her career? Lots. If youâll remember, Iâm the one who arrested them, and sheâs the one who prosecuted them. Iâd be surprised if they all loved her.â
Malfoy leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. âYouâd do better asking Hermione about that.â
Harry started. âHermione?â
One eye opened, and Malfoy turned his head towards Harry. âThey do work together, you know?â
âSince when do you call her by her given name?â Because Hermione had never mentioned that she was on a first name basis with Draco bloody Malfoy.
âWould you rather I still called her a Mudblood?â Malfoy snapped, and then exhaled slowly. âYou know, Iâm really too tired for this. My wife was very fond of her. And as it happens, I call most adults I know by their first name. Except you and the Weasel.â
Harry took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. As much as heâd like to call Malfoy on it, he was going to be the grownup and ignore the Weasel comment. âYou know absolutely no one who might have cause to hurt Astoria? She didnât talk to you about her current cases or any cases in the past that concerned her?â
âShe didnât talk a lot about work with me.â Malfoy shrugged. âWe left our jobs at the office. We had other, better things, to talk about.â
Harry was running out of patience with this whole conversation. But he took a breath and reined in his annoyance. âWhen was the last time you saw Blaise Zabini?â
âExcuse me? What does he have to do with anything?â Malfoy glared at Harry, but his face was red.
âHe may have used a similar spell in the past. Does he have a reason to want to hurt Astoria?â
âNo. I havenât seen him in probably a decade.â
âWhat did you see him about at that time?â
âAs if itâs any of your business ââ
âAs long as Iâm in charge of this investigation, everything is my business.â Harry raised a hand. âJust accept it and letâs move on to why you were doing business with Zabini?â
âI wasnât doing business with him. I saw him at a party. We spoke. That was it. This is a useless conversation to be having.â
âI think itâs actually very interesting. So there is no connection between Astoria and Zabini? And you canât think of anyone who might want to hurt Astoria?â
âIf I could think of someone, anyone, you can be sure I wouldnât be sitting here chatting with you about it. Iâd be talking to them. Or not talking.â There was a definite menace to Malfoyâs tone.
Harry raised an eyebrow. âTaking the law into your own hands will only get you into trouble.â
âAnd Iâve never been in trouble before?â Malfoy had a good approximation of his old smirk on his face.