CHAPTER 3
“Why didn't anyone find him earlier?” Ginny asked when they were on their way to the Interrogation room number four where Draco was currently being held. “The area had been searched before, hadn't it?”
“Nearly all of the body was under a heap of dead leaves,” Harry explained. “They only found it because the wind had blown a part of the leaves away.”
“How unlucky for the killer.”
They reached the interrogation room and entered.
“Mr Malfoy,” Harry said and sat down opposite the blond. “I trust you have had time to think about what you were going to tell us about your relationship with Mr Walters.”
As Ginny was seated against the solicitor, she saw Malfoy almost in profile. His pose looked entirely natural and almost relaxed. His tone, when he answered, was cool and composed. If not for the eerie stillness of his body, she would never have thought that he even realised the seriousness of being charged with two first degrees. His composure surprised Ginny after the hysterical display they had witnessed at the manor.
“There was no relationship since I don't even know who the hell he was,” he said calmly.
For some reason his answer made her worry.
“Now, now, Mr Malfoy,” Harry said almost teasingly, “we have a witness who saw you conversing with Whittaker Walters between eleven and half past eleven at the night of the murder. How can you claim that you don't know him?” He passed a photo over the desk. “You might have known him as Witty Wally.”
Draco barely glanced at the picture. “Never seen him before.”
“It's useless to deny it. We have a witness.”
“That's impossible! Who is it?” Draco demanded, leaning over the table to stare at Harry.
The men held each others' eyes for a long moment. Then Harry turned to Ginny and said, “Would you invite Ms Cantu in, Auror Weasley?”
Ginny wasn't really sure it was a wise thing to do. After all, the woman had only seen a hooded person in the pub, but if the idea was to get Malfoy to crack, maybe it was worth a shot. Harry had told her earlier to take her time, so she went to the coffee room and chatted a bit with co-workers before fetching the witness.
When she returned with the brunette woman, the silence was thick with tension and Ginny surmised that Harry hadn't gotten his confession. This wasn't good. Sill, Harry stood, appearing confident, and turned to the newcomer.
“Thank you for coming, Ms Cantu.” He paused and it was clear that he wanted to continue, but the woman interrupted him with an excited chatter.
“Oh, Mr Malfoy! I saw your picture in the paper just this week! It was such a pretty picture too-” Then she seemed to remember the reason for the picture appearing in the Prophet in the first place and her face changed into what was obviously a fake pity. “I am so sorry about your wife, sir! So very sorry.”
“Ms Cantu, do you remember the reason we invited you here?” Harry tried to remind the woman she had a suspect to identify; he was still somehow hoping that the woman would realise who it was.
“Oh yes, yes, of course!” Ms Cantu said and, to Ginny's horror, looked at Mr Briggs, the solicitor. “But his hair is all wrong, Mr Potter! Much too dark and short too, I told you, the man was blond! Quite light, in fact.”
Ginny felt her eyes bug out as she took turns to goggle at all the people in the room. The corners of Draco's mouth were twitching and his representative's face was a mix of shock and mirth that he was trying to hide behind the mask of professionalism.
“Thank you, Ms Cantu,” Harry pressed through his teeth.
As the useless witness was escorted out, Ginny gestured to Harry and they stepped out of the room. Then, mustering all the professionalism that she was able to, she said, “I want to talk to him alone.”
Harry's eyes narrowed. “No.”
“Please, Harry. I know what I'm doing.” She tried to convey with her eyes that she was reliable and professional. She wanted him to see that he could trust her, but by the defeated sigh Harry gave her, she knew that all he saw was the pleading.
“You are getting in too deep, Ginny.”
“No, Harry, I'm not. And I know what my instincts-”
“These are not that kind of instincts you should rely on.” He was holding her upper arms and his face was really too close to hers. “I know what you think of him, but you don't know what he's really capable of, do you? What if it turns out he's guilty, eh? What will you do then, Ginny?”
She didn't answer. She couldn't.
Harry released her and sighed. “What did you have in mind?” he asked.
Ginny took a moment to compose herself and said, “You are right, Harry. I don't really know him. But that is exactly why I can be impartial! Anyway, I just want to tell him that I believe in him. That he can trust me and that we'll sort it all out if he tells us what his connection to Walters was.” She shrugged. “If he's innocent he will tell me, I'm sure of it.”
Harry didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. He opened the door and asked the solicitor to step out for a moment. Ginny waited Draco to exchange some words with his representative and then they were alone. She sat down against him.
“Regardless of what the stupid woman says, we know it was you in the pub with Walters. But I told you I believed you were innocent, and I still do.”
“Does Potter?”
“I'm not sure, but he won't try to convict you just because he doesn't like you either. Tell me why you were meeting Walters. What did you discuss? Did you promise him any money? Was he blackmailing you?”
Draco was staring at her with such intensity that Ginny almost looked away, but it was important to show him that he could trust her, so she hang on. For a moment Ginny actually thought that he was going to tell her, but the next moment his gaze cooled and he said, “I told you the truth, I never knew the man.”
Ginny took his hands in hers, but he pulled himself free.
“Draco, please, I know you can help us catch whoever killed Astoria and-”
“No, I can't!”
She startled at his harsh tone that brought an end not only to her babbling but also to her will to continue. Draco's were filled with hate and loathing so intense that she shivered.
“I don't care who killed her, Weasley,” he said through clenched teeth. “Either release me or escort me to the cell.”
And that was that.
*
Harry decided to hold Malfoy as long as the law permitted. He was taking turns with Evan Stevenson in interrogating him, but Malfoy only either cracked spiteful jokes, or stared glumly at the wall; they weren't getting anywhere.
Although Harry didn't pull Ginny off the case, neither did he allow her to see Malfoy. He didn't think it would be constructive and it seemed that she understood.
Early the next morning Ginny and Pansy were again sitting in his office, the latter in the visitor's chair. This time she had come alone.
“I wonder if you could tell us about the letters, Mrs Zabini.”
“The letters?” Pansy's face was a picture of polite confusion, but her hands twitched almost inconspicuously over her handbag. “And call me Pansy,” she added absently.
“Pansy,” Harry nodded in acknowledgement “Mr Malfoy told us you know about them. The letters Mrs Malfoy wrote to her lover?”
“Oh. Those letters.” She took a deep breath. “It doesn't matter much now, does it? That she had a lover? Many of us... I mean, a lot of married people do that. Have lovers?” Her voice rose in pitch and broke off. “Malfoy probably had several and-” She cut herself off. “She didn't mean to hurt anyone.” she finished lamely.
“We are not here to judge anyone, Pansy,” Harry said soothingly. “We just want to know about the letters and if there were more lovers than the one she was writing to.”
Harry carefully avoided telling her that they had no idea of the identity of the lover, hoping that Pansy would not get it into her head that she had to protect the memory of her friend or the man she was sleeping with.
“Oh!” She seemed startled by a novel idea. “You don't think Draco killed them both in a fit of rage, do you? Do you think that the poor man you found in the ditch was her lover?”
Harry more sensed than saw Ginny startle, it was clear she hadn't even thought about the possibility. “No, we don't think that Whittaker Walters was the type to capture Astoria Malfoy's fancy.”
“Really? Sometimes she took fancy to really weird people.” She shivered. “Are you going to arrest Malfoy?”
Harry didn't think it made any sense to hide it from her. “As a matter of fact, we already have.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh! Do you really think he did it?” she blurted out in somewhat higher pitch. “I mean,” she cleared her throat, “of course you do.”
“It's not as if we can keep him-” Ginny started, but at Harry's sharp glance, shut up.
Harry continued, “Please, Pansy, we would really appreciate if you told us about the letters.”
“Of course.” She was polite and in control again. “She wrote to her lover because they didn't dare to meet very often. After Malfoy found the letters, they ceased all contact for some time, but as far as I know, they never really ended their relationship. Astoria was still hoping for a divorce on equal terms.”
“You mean she was hoping to get her share of the money?”
Pansy nodded. “It's not as if Malfoy didn't have any lovers, he was just being very careful.”
“Tell us about Astoria's lover.”
“I don't really know much.” She took a deep breath. “I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but a couple of years into the marriage, Astoria grew dissatisfied with how the things were between her and Malfoy.” Pansy paused for a moment looking at the table top. “It seemed that he was not what she had expected him to be and no wonder, they married very young. Anyway, I think it might have been somewhere during the summer of... 2002 maybe? They were travelling in Italy and somehow they met without Malfoy being there. I don't know the details. Astoria never told me exactly who it was, but I believe that they were genuinely in love. I think that it was then that Astoria asked for divorce for the first time, but Draco wouldn't hear of it, of course.”
“Why do you think he refused if she didn't love him any more?”
“I don't think she told him she was in love. I think that the man she was in love with was poor and Astoria abhorred being poor. I think she wanted Malfoy to provide for her even after the divorce.”
“Were there any other lovers?”
“No! Astoria was,” she thought a moment, “rather loyal. Where it mattered.”
Pansy grew quiet, reminiscing. She was staring at the table top again, but not as before - seeking strength or carefully choosing her words. It was as if she was seeing something that was no longer there. The woman looked sad. After a minute or so, she raised her head.
“Auror Potter... Harry,” she added his first name more quietly. “And Ginny,” Pansy looked at her for a moment. “I can call you Ginny, can't I?” When Ginny nodded, the other woman continued. “I... As long as we are speaking freely and in confidence... We are speaking in confidence, right? I want to make a confession. There's something my husband doesn't know and I'd like it to stay that way. You won't tell Blaise, will you?” She looked at both of them imploringly.
“No, Pansy, we don't need to tell him things that are told in confidence, but you must understand that if it is in any way connected to the murder, or if it's in any way illegal-”
“No, no! It's nothing like that! It's about my alibi.” She drew a deep breath. “You see, I wasn't alone that night. The night of the murder. When I realised that Astoria was once again not coming, I... frankly I thought she was with her lover, and I was really bored- and I Flooed to a friend.” She glanced at Harry, as if gauging his reaction, but he made sure he gave nothing away. “An intimate friend... he came over and we spent several hours together. He left around four.”
“What about your husband? Do you know when he returned?”
“Blaise? No. We have separate rooms and he always comes and goes as he pleases. He's a very good husband, but we don't keep tabs on each other. It keeps the relationship fresh.”
“You do understand that we will have to speak to your friend too?”
“Yes, of course. That is why I didn't say anything before, I had to ask him... it's Stephen Cornfoot.”
*
Harry hated to see Ginny upset. She was sitting at his desk looking morosely at the Malfoy file, but he didn't think it was the reason she felt down.
“What is it?” he asked tiredly.
Ginny sighed. “It's silly.” She was quiet for a while, but Harry knew Ginny would spill soon and she did. “It's just that they seemed so... perfect together. Blaise and Pansy. Supportive.” She shrugged. “I really wasn't expecting Pansy to be unfaithful and she looked very much unconcerned as if she really believed that she had the best marriage ever.”
“Perhaps in the world of aristocracy it is a great marriage.”
“It does make one wonder.“
“What really went on inside of the Manor's gates?” he finished for Ginny.
“Yes. I mean... We have Higgs's opinion of how it started, Blaise's, then Pansy's account and the tid-bits provided by the elves and Malfoy himself, but all the pieces don't really fit that well.”
Harry nodded, he knew exactly what Ginny meant. However, he doubted that they would suss it out right that moment anyway. He was leafing through the files he was just brought not ten minutes ago.
“Do you remember this Cornfoot? He went to Hogwarts in my year, but I can't recall anything about him.”
“I think he was in Ravenclaw. I had no idea he even knew Pansy.”
“What do you know about him?”
“Nothing much. I only remember him because I had to supervise some detentions for professor McGonagall. Terry Boot and several other seventh years from different houses got caught gambling for money while skipping classes. I think Cornfoot was one of them.”
“Gambling again? Cards?”
“Probably.” Ginny didn't seem to be too sure.
There was a knock and Harry looked up. “Come in.”
A handsome brunet man popped his head in. “Hi, I'm Stephen Cornfoot. I got your owl, Auror Potter.”
“Yes, Mr Cornfoot, please come on in.”
*
“What do you know about Stephen Cornfoot?” Harry asked.
“Stephen? Not much. Ambassador's son, gambler, always broke. You should ask Blaise about him, they've been friends since Hogwarts, I think.”
Draco Malfoy glanced at the door. He had dark circles under his eyes but otherwise, he seemed just the same as always. If Harry hadn't gone to school with him, he might have missed the obvious stress signs in Malfoy's posture.
“Was he friends with Astoria?” Stevenson asked.
“Astoria? Not that I know of. Of course, we all mingled in the same circles, but if they did know each other more intimately, I have no knowledge of it.”
Harry thought he could detect slight bitterness in the man's tone. “What about Pansy? How well does she know Stephen Cornfoot?”
“Again, I have no idea.” Malfoy stared at the door while continuing, “Since Stephen plays cards with Blaise, Pansy might know him better than I, but I don't associate with Pansy either, so I wouldn't know.” He turned to Harry. “Why this sudden interest in Cornfoot?”
“His name has come up,” Harry said non-committally. “I've got an impression that you don't get along with the Zabinis? Why?”
It seemed that Malfoy had learned to pick his fights, because although his mouth formed a thin line at the non-answer he received, he shrugged and answered Harry's.
“I dated Pansy in the fifth year, I need no more reason than that.”
“What about the bet in the seventh year? From what I heard at least Blaise was involved.”
“Yes, that might have been a contributing factor to our rather chilly relationship.”
He didn't add anything more and from his poise Harry knew that was all he was going to get.
“But Pansy was your wife's friend, didn't it earn her at least some measure of affection?”
For a beat Malfoy's face clouded over before the same impenetrable wall of polite indifference slipped over his features.
“Not in my book, no.”
“What about Terence Higgs then?” Evan asked. “Tell us about his relationship with everybody.”
The blond sighed. “The same as Cornfoot. I don't really know him, expect that a few years back he was borrowing money from Astoria. A lot of money, close to half a million galleons. I think he had gambling debts, or maybe he was also trying to finance his future winnings.” His lips formed a scowl, but it seemed more habitual than malicious. “Why she gave him the money I don't know and don't care but I stepped right in and stopped it. Made him give back the most of it. After that he stayed clear of me.”
“Made him how?” Evan asked.
Malfoy blinked slowly. “We... talked. I explained to him that it was in his best interests to return it. It wasn't that hard, Terence was... understanding. And I guess he didn't need that money so desperately anyway.”
“Would a half million really harm your fortune so much?”
“No, but I didn't want to set the precedent.”
Harry exchanged looks with Evan and then said, “All right Mr Malfoy, as Mr Briggs has told us numerous times already, we cannot hold you any longer so you can leave. For now.”
*
Terence Higgs was drumming his fingers on the edge of the table when Harry came in.
“Mr Higgs, what can I help you with?”
“You let Malfoy go. Why?”
Harry paused on his way to the desk. “I don't think we owe you any explanations, Mr Higgs.” He sat and shuffled some documents for a show. “May I ask you why you are interested in Mr Malfoy's situation?”
The blond man stood and started pacing. He made about three turns in the small office before stopping abruptly.
“I think I might be in danger.”
Harry's eyebrows rose. “Why do you think so?”
Higgs started moving again nervously, but after meeting the same wall for the second time, he turned back to the chair and sat down. He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands.
“I...” he started, then he reached the conclusion that crossing his arms on his chest was the best option and said, “It was me that told Draco about Witty Wally.” Harry opened his mouth but Higgs intervened, “I've been living in fear since I heard about him being killed. I, of course, suspected that Malfoy was behind Astoria's murder, but only after hearing about poor Walter I realised...” He shivered.
“How did you know Mr Walters?”
“Wally?” Terence started fidgeting again. “We um... run in the same circles?” Higgs started to stand but sat back down. “Do I have to tell you?”
Harry raised his eyebrow.
“All right... um... races.”
“Horses?”
“Um... that too, but mostly...” He sighed. “House elves and cockatrices. And gnome fights.”
“Gnome fights?”
“Yes. Garden gnomes. You know, you get two aggressive males or females into the ring and... I never compete myself though! Really I don't! I just bet on them.”
Harry stared at the nervous man until he got all the details of the illegal races as well as the underground fight clubs. Then he moved the discussion back to the matter at hand.
“It was almost a year ago,” Terence said. “I just mentioned to Malfoy that I knew a bloke who knew a bloke who knew other people. I wasn't talking about killing anyone or anything like that! I was talking about selling certain goods... well... without a fuss. You know what I mean? I had no idea he would take it that far, I swear to Merlin I didn't!”
“How did you start talking about it? Did Malfoy ask you whether you knew anyone with criminal contacts?”
“Eh... well, I'm not sure. No, I don't think so. I can't remember. For the longest time I didn't even remember that I had told him about Wally in the first place, and it wasn't- I didn't mean to tell him! We were talking about other things,” he added more quietly.
As it seemed that he was finished, Harry intensified his stare and got the expected results.
Higgs blinked, a bit startled, and muttered, “He told me to return the money I had borrowed from Astoria.” He bit down on his pinky nail. “It's not as if he really needed it!” Terence exclaimed defensively. “Well, it was rather much...” He turned apologetic and gave a half-shrug.
“How much?”
“A little over five hundred.” At Harry's pointed look he elaborated, “Thousand? Malfoy could afford to lose half a million and I couldn't!”
“Did you return the money?”
Higgs nodded sullenly. “What choice did I have?”
“How?”
“What? Oh! I kind of... sold a couple of baubles.” He waved his hand dismissively. “They were grandmother's. She never even noticed them gone, she owns too much jewellery as it is.”
Harry decided to leave the nicked heirlooms and wayward grandchildren for Mrs Higgs to sort out. “Did Mr Malfoy threaten you?” he asked instead.
“Yes! No.” He shrugged again. “Well, not in so many words. But he told me about things. Things I never wanted to know... about Death Eaters and about... It wasn't anything I could have sued him for!” he finished half hurt, half indignant.
At that moment there was a knock; the door opened, and Evan gestured Harry out. When Harry returned into the room his mood was grim and Terence's scared twitching was turning less amusing and more annoying by the second.
“All right, Mr Higgs. Thank you for informing me about Walters.” He summoned his cloak from the peg in the corner and put it on.
“Bu-but... what about me? Malfoy's going to kill me! You have to assign me a bodyguard!” He looked pleadingly at Harry. “Or at least arrest me or something!”
Harry's mood got a shade darker. “Mr Higgs, Whittaker Walters has been dead for days. If the murderer had any plans to come after you because of association, you would have been dead long before we even discovered Walter's body.” And then he left, leaving Higgs gaping.
Harry had work to do. There actually was another body.
TBC
“Why didn't anyone find him earlier?” Ginny asked when they were on their way to the Interrogation room number four where Draco was currently being held. “The area had been searched before, hadn't it?”
“Nearly all of the body was under a heap of dead leaves,” Harry explained. “They only found it because the wind had blown a part of the leaves away.”
“How unlucky for the killer.”
They reached the interrogation room and entered.
“Mr Malfoy,” Harry said and sat down opposite the blond. “I trust you have had time to think about what you were going to tell us about your relationship with Mr Walters.”
As Ginny was seated against the solicitor, she saw Malfoy almost in profile. His pose looked entirely natural and almost relaxed. His tone, when he answered, was cool and composed. If not for the eerie stillness of his body, she would never have thought that he even realised the seriousness of being charged with two first degrees. His composure surprised Ginny after the hysterical display they had witnessed at the manor.
“There was no relationship since I don't even know who the hell he was,” he said calmly.
For some reason his answer made her worry.
“Now, now, Mr Malfoy,” Harry said almost teasingly, “we have a witness who saw you conversing with Whittaker Walters between eleven and half past eleven at the night of the murder. How can you claim that you don't know him?” He passed a photo over the desk. “You might have known him as Witty Wally.”
Draco barely glanced at the picture. “Never seen him before.”
“It's useless to deny it. We have a witness.”
“That's impossible! Who is it?” Draco demanded, leaning over the table to stare at Harry.
The men held each others' eyes for a long moment. Then Harry turned to Ginny and said, “Would you invite Ms Cantu in, Auror Weasley?”
Ginny wasn't really sure it was a wise thing to do. After all, the woman had only seen a hooded person in the pub, but if the idea was to get Malfoy to crack, maybe it was worth a shot. Harry had told her earlier to take her time, so she went to the coffee room and chatted a bit with co-workers before fetching the witness.
When she returned with the brunette woman, the silence was thick with tension and Ginny surmised that Harry hadn't gotten his confession. This wasn't good. Sill, Harry stood, appearing confident, and turned to the newcomer.
“Thank you for coming, Ms Cantu.” He paused and it was clear that he wanted to continue, but the woman interrupted him with an excited chatter.
“Oh, Mr Malfoy! I saw your picture in the paper just this week! It was such a pretty picture too-” Then she seemed to remember the reason for the picture appearing in the Prophet in the first place and her face changed into what was obviously a fake pity. “I am so sorry about your wife, sir! So very sorry.”
“Ms Cantu, do you remember the reason we invited you here?” Harry tried to remind the woman she had a suspect to identify; he was still somehow hoping that the woman would realise who it was.
“Oh yes, yes, of course!” Ms Cantu said and, to Ginny's horror, looked at Mr Briggs, the solicitor. “But his hair is all wrong, Mr Potter! Much too dark and short too, I told you, the man was blond! Quite light, in fact.”
Ginny felt her eyes bug out as she took turns to goggle at all the people in the room. The corners of Draco's mouth were twitching and his representative's face was a mix of shock and mirth that he was trying to hide behind the mask of professionalism.
“Thank you, Ms Cantu,” Harry pressed through his teeth.
As the useless witness was escorted out, Ginny gestured to Harry and they stepped out of the room. Then, mustering all the professionalism that she was able to, she said, “I want to talk to him alone.”
Harry's eyes narrowed. “No.”
“Please, Harry. I know what I'm doing.” She tried to convey with her eyes that she was reliable and professional. She wanted him to see that he could trust her, but by the defeated sigh Harry gave her, she knew that all he saw was the pleading.
“You are getting in too deep, Ginny.”
“No, Harry, I'm not. And I know what my instincts-”
“These are not that kind of instincts you should rely on.” He was holding her upper arms and his face was really too close to hers. “I know what you think of him, but you don't know what he's really capable of, do you? What if it turns out he's guilty, eh? What will you do then, Ginny?”
She didn't answer. She couldn't.
Harry released her and sighed. “What did you have in mind?” he asked.
Ginny took a moment to compose herself and said, “You are right, Harry. I don't really know him. But that is exactly why I can be impartial! Anyway, I just want to tell him that I believe in him. That he can trust me and that we'll sort it all out if he tells us what his connection to Walters was.” She shrugged. “If he's innocent he will tell me, I'm sure of it.”
Harry didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. He opened the door and asked the solicitor to step out for a moment. Ginny waited Draco to exchange some words with his representative and then they were alone. She sat down against him.
“Regardless of what the stupid woman says, we know it was you in the pub with Walters. But I told you I believed you were innocent, and I still do.”
“Does Potter?”
“I'm not sure, but he won't try to convict you just because he doesn't like you either. Tell me why you were meeting Walters. What did you discuss? Did you promise him any money? Was he blackmailing you?”
Draco was staring at her with such intensity that Ginny almost looked away, but it was important to show him that he could trust her, so she hang on. For a moment Ginny actually thought that he was going to tell her, but the next moment his gaze cooled and he said, “I told you the truth, I never knew the man.”
Ginny took his hands in hers, but he pulled himself free.
“Draco, please, I know you can help us catch whoever killed Astoria and-”
“No, I can't!”
She startled at his harsh tone that brought an end not only to her babbling but also to her will to continue. Draco's were filled with hate and loathing so intense that she shivered.
“I don't care who killed her, Weasley,” he said through clenched teeth. “Either release me or escort me to the cell.”
And that was that.
Harry decided to hold Malfoy as long as the law permitted. He was taking turns with Evan Stevenson in interrogating him, but Malfoy only either cracked spiteful jokes, or stared glumly at the wall; they weren't getting anywhere.
Although Harry didn't pull Ginny off the case, neither did he allow her to see Malfoy. He didn't think it would be constructive and it seemed that she understood.
Early the next morning Ginny and Pansy were again sitting in his office, the latter in the visitor's chair. This time she had come alone.
“I wonder if you could tell us about the letters, Mrs Zabini.”
“The letters?” Pansy's face was a picture of polite confusion, but her hands twitched almost inconspicuously over her handbag. “And call me Pansy,” she added absently.
“Pansy,” Harry nodded in acknowledgement “Mr Malfoy told us you know about them. The letters Mrs Malfoy wrote to her lover?”
“Oh. Those letters.” She took a deep breath. “It doesn't matter much now, does it? That she had a lover? Many of us... I mean, a lot of married people do that. Have lovers?” Her voice rose in pitch and broke off. “Malfoy probably had several and-” She cut herself off. “She didn't mean to hurt anyone.” she finished lamely.
“We are not here to judge anyone, Pansy,” Harry said soothingly. “We just want to know about the letters and if there were more lovers than the one she was writing to.”
Harry carefully avoided telling her that they had no idea of the identity of the lover, hoping that Pansy would not get it into her head that she had to protect the memory of her friend or the man she was sleeping with.
“Oh!” She seemed startled by a novel idea. “You don't think Draco killed them both in a fit of rage, do you? Do you think that the poor man you found in the ditch was her lover?”
Harry more sensed than saw Ginny startle, it was clear she hadn't even thought about the possibility. “No, we don't think that Whittaker Walters was the type to capture Astoria Malfoy's fancy.”
“Really? Sometimes she took fancy to really weird people.” She shivered. “Are you going to arrest Malfoy?”
Harry didn't think it made any sense to hide it from her. “As a matter of fact, we already have.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh! Do you really think he did it?” she blurted out in somewhat higher pitch. “I mean,” she cleared her throat, “of course you do.”
“It's not as if we can keep him-” Ginny started, but at Harry's sharp glance, shut up.
Harry continued, “Please, Pansy, we would really appreciate if you told us about the letters.”
“Of course.” She was polite and in control again. “She wrote to her lover because they didn't dare to meet very often. After Malfoy found the letters, they ceased all contact for some time, but as far as I know, they never really ended their relationship. Astoria was still hoping for a divorce on equal terms.”
“You mean she was hoping to get her share of the money?”
Pansy nodded. “It's not as if Malfoy didn't have any lovers, he was just being very careful.”
“Tell us about Astoria's lover.”
“I don't really know much.” She took a deep breath. “I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but a couple of years into the marriage, Astoria grew dissatisfied with how the things were between her and Malfoy.” Pansy paused for a moment looking at the table top. “It seemed that he was not what she had expected him to be and no wonder, they married very young. Anyway, I think it might have been somewhere during the summer of... 2002 maybe? They were travelling in Italy and somehow they met without Malfoy being there. I don't know the details. Astoria never told me exactly who it was, but I believe that they were genuinely in love. I think that it was then that Astoria asked for divorce for the first time, but Draco wouldn't hear of it, of course.”
“Why do you think he refused if she didn't love him any more?”
“I don't think she told him she was in love. I think that the man she was in love with was poor and Astoria abhorred being poor. I think she wanted Malfoy to provide for her even after the divorce.”
“Were there any other lovers?”
“No! Astoria was,” she thought a moment, “rather loyal. Where it mattered.”
Pansy grew quiet, reminiscing. She was staring at the table top again, but not as before - seeking strength or carefully choosing her words. It was as if she was seeing something that was no longer there. The woman looked sad. After a minute or so, she raised her head.
“Auror Potter... Harry,” she added his first name more quietly. “And Ginny,” Pansy looked at her for a moment. “I can call you Ginny, can't I?” When Ginny nodded, the other woman continued. “I... As long as we are speaking freely and in confidence... We are speaking in confidence, right? I want to make a confession. There's something my husband doesn't know and I'd like it to stay that way. You won't tell Blaise, will you?” She looked at both of them imploringly.
“No, Pansy, we don't need to tell him things that are told in confidence, but you must understand that if it is in any way connected to the murder, or if it's in any way illegal-”
“No, no! It's nothing like that! It's about my alibi.” She drew a deep breath. “You see, I wasn't alone that night. The night of the murder. When I realised that Astoria was once again not coming, I... frankly I thought she was with her lover, and I was really bored- and I Flooed to a friend.” She glanced at Harry, as if gauging his reaction, but he made sure he gave nothing away. “An intimate friend... he came over and we spent several hours together. He left around four.”
“What about your husband? Do you know when he returned?”
“Blaise? No. We have separate rooms and he always comes and goes as he pleases. He's a very good husband, but we don't keep tabs on each other. It keeps the relationship fresh.”
“You do understand that we will have to speak to your friend too?”
“Yes, of course. That is why I didn't say anything before, I had to ask him... it's Stephen Cornfoot.”
Harry hated to see Ginny upset. She was sitting at his desk looking morosely at the Malfoy file, but he didn't think it was the reason she felt down.
“What is it?” he asked tiredly.
Ginny sighed. “It's silly.” She was quiet for a while, but Harry knew Ginny would spill soon and she did. “It's just that they seemed so... perfect together. Blaise and Pansy. Supportive.” She shrugged. “I really wasn't expecting Pansy to be unfaithful and she looked very much unconcerned as if she really believed that she had the best marriage ever.”
“Perhaps in the world of aristocracy it is a great marriage.”
“It does make one wonder.“
“What really went on inside of the Manor's gates?” he finished for Ginny.
“Yes. I mean... We have Higgs's opinion of how it started, Blaise's, then Pansy's account and the tid-bits provided by the elves and Malfoy himself, but all the pieces don't really fit that well.”
Harry nodded, he knew exactly what Ginny meant. However, he doubted that they would suss it out right that moment anyway. He was leafing through the files he was just brought not ten minutes ago.
“Do you remember this Cornfoot? He went to Hogwarts in my year, but I can't recall anything about him.”
“I think he was in Ravenclaw. I had no idea he even knew Pansy.”
“What do you know about him?”
“Nothing much. I only remember him because I had to supervise some detentions for professor McGonagall. Terry Boot and several other seventh years from different houses got caught gambling for money while skipping classes. I think Cornfoot was one of them.”
“Gambling again? Cards?”
“Probably.” Ginny didn't seem to be too sure.
There was a knock and Harry looked up. “Come in.”
A handsome brunet man popped his head in. “Hi, I'm Stephen Cornfoot. I got your owl, Auror Potter.”
“Yes, Mr Cornfoot, please come on in.”
“What do you know about Stephen Cornfoot?” Harry asked.
“Stephen? Not much. Ambassador's son, gambler, always broke. You should ask Blaise about him, they've been friends since Hogwarts, I think.”
Draco Malfoy glanced at the door. He had dark circles under his eyes but otherwise, he seemed just the same as always. If Harry hadn't gone to school with him, he might have missed the obvious stress signs in Malfoy's posture.
“Was he friends with Astoria?” Stevenson asked.
“Astoria? Not that I know of. Of course, we all mingled in the same circles, but if they did know each other more intimately, I have no knowledge of it.”
Harry thought he could detect slight bitterness in the man's tone. “What about Pansy? How well does she know Stephen Cornfoot?”
“Again, I have no idea.” Malfoy stared at the door while continuing, “Since Stephen plays cards with Blaise, Pansy might know him better than I, but I don't associate with Pansy either, so I wouldn't know.” He turned to Harry. “Why this sudden interest in Cornfoot?”
“His name has come up,” Harry said non-committally. “I've got an impression that you don't get along with the Zabinis? Why?”
It seemed that Malfoy had learned to pick his fights, because although his mouth formed a thin line at the non-answer he received, he shrugged and answered Harry's.
“I dated Pansy in the fifth year, I need no more reason than that.”
“What about the bet in the seventh year? From what I heard at least Blaise was involved.”
“Yes, that might have been a contributing factor to our rather chilly relationship.”
He didn't add anything more and from his poise Harry knew that was all he was going to get.
“But Pansy was your wife's friend, didn't it earn her at least some measure of affection?”
For a beat Malfoy's face clouded over before the same impenetrable wall of polite indifference slipped over his features.
“Not in my book, no.”
“What about Terence Higgs then?” Evan asked. “Tell us about his relationship with everybody.”
The blond sighed. “The same as Cornfoot. I don't really know him, expect that a few years back he was borrowing money from Astoria. A lot of money, close to half a million galleons. I think he had gambling debts, or maybe he was also trying to finance his future winnings.” His lips formed a scowl, but it seemed more habitual than malicious. “Why she gave him the money I don't know and don't care but I stepped right in and stopped it. Made him give back the most of it. After that he stayed clear of me.”
“Made him how?” Evan asked.
Malfoy blinked slowly. “We... talked. I explained to him that it was in his best interests to return it. It wasn't that hard, Terence was... understanding. And I guess he didn't need that money so desperately anyway.”
“Would a half million really harm your fortune so much?”
“No, but I didn't want to set the precedent.”
Harry exchanged looks with Evan and then said, “All right Mr Malfoy, as Mr Briggs has told us numerous times already, we cannot hold you any longer so you can leave. For now.”
Terence Higgs was drumming his fingers on the edge of the table when Harry came in.
“Mr Higgs, what can I help you with?”
“You let Malfoy go. Why?”
Harry paused on his way to the desk. “I don't think we owe you any explanations, Mr Higgs.” He sat and shuffled some documents for a show. “May I ask you why you are interested in Mr Malfoy's situation?”
The blond man stood and started pacing. He made about three turns in the small office before stopping abruptly.
“I think I might be in danger.”
Harry's eyebrows rose. “Why do you think so?”
Higgs started moving again nervously, but after meeting the same wall for the second time, he turned back to the chair and sat down. He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands.
“I...” he started, then he reached the conclusion that crossing his arms on his chest was the best option and said, “It was me that told Draco about Witty Wally.” Harry opened his mouth but Higgs intervened, “I've been living in fear since I heard about him being killed. I, of course, suspected that Malfoy was behind Astoria's murder, but only after hearing about poor Walter I realised...” He shivered.
“How did you know Mr Walters?”
“Wally?” Terence started fidgeting again. “We um... run in the same circles?” Higgs started to stand but sat back down. “Do I have to tell you?”
Harry raised his eyebrow.
“All right... um... races.”
“Horses?”
“Um... that too, but mostly...” He sighed. “House elves and cockatrices. And gnome fights.”
“Gnome fights?”
“Yes. Garden gnomes. You know, you get two aggressive males or females into the ring and... I never compete myself though! Really I don't! I just bet on them.”
Harry stared at the nervous man until he got all the details of the illegal races as well as the underground fight clubs. Then he moved the discussion back to the matter at hand.
“It was almost a year ago,” Terence said. “I just mentioned to Malfoy that I knew a bloke who knew a bloke who knew other people. I wasn't talking about killing anyone or anything like that! I was talking about selling certain goods... well... without a fuss. You know what I mean? I had no idea he would take it that far, I swear to Merlin I didn't!”
“How did you start talking about it? Did Malfoy ask you whether you knew anyone with criminal contacts?”
“Eh... well, I'm not sure. No, I don't think so. I can't remember. For the longest time I didn't even remember that I had told him about Wally in the first place, and it wasn't- I didn't mean to tell him! We were talking about other things,” he added more quietly.
As it seemed that he was finished, Harry intensified his stare and got the expected results.
Higgs blinked, a bit startled, and muttered, “He told me to return the money I had borrowed from Astoria.” He bit down on his pinky nail. “It's not as if he really needed it!” Terence exclaimed defensively. “Well, it was rather much...” He turned apologetic and gave a half-shrug.
“How much?”
“A little over five hundred.” At Harry's pointed look he elaborated, “Thousand? Malfoy could afford to lose half a million and I couldn't!”
“Did you return the money?”
Higgs nodded sullenly. “What choice did I have?”
“How?”
“What? Oh! I kind of... sold a couple of baubles.” He waved his hand dismissively. “They were grandmother's. She never even noticed them gone, she owns too much jewellery as it is.”
Harry decided to leave the nicked heirlooms and wayward grandchildren for Mrs Higgs to sort out. “Did Mr Malfoy threaten you?” he asked instead.
“Yes! No.” He shrugged again. “Well, not in so many words. But he told me about things. Things I never wanted to know... about Death Eaters and about... It wasn't anything I could have sued him for!” he finished half hurt, half indignant.
At that moment there was a knock; the door opened, and Evan gestured Harry out. When Harry returned into the room his mood was grim and Terence's scared twitching was turning less amusing and more annoying by the second.
“All right, Mr Higgs. Thank you for informing me about Walters.” He summoned his cloak from the peg in the corner and put it on.
“Bu-but... what about me? Malfoy's going to kill me! You have to assign me a bodyguard!” He looked pleadingly at Harry. “Or at least arrest me or something!”
Harry's mood got a shade darker. “Mr Higgs, Whittaker Walters has been dead for days. If the murderer had any plans to come after you because of association, you would have been dead long before we even discovered Walter's body.” And then he left, leaving Higgs gaping.
Harry had work to do. There actually was another body.
TBC
Author notes: There is nothing less motivating than having a chapter without reviews. Pretty please? ;)
Leave a Review