8 November 2011
Temporary Detention Cells,
Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement

8pm


Zora was in no rush. In a bid of mercy (and per procedure) she'd immediately un-Petrified the Draco Malfoy upon Apparating to the foyer of Level Two. She'd marched him, his collar in his grip, to the holding cells front desk where his wand was confiscated and Zora swiped out a signature. He'd been handed off to a Magical Patrol Officer who dumped him in a cozy little cell.

For the next two hours.

Back in the Auror bullpen, she snapped out the necessary forms. There were a few. Some could wait. Some needed to be done now.

"We got a live one. No regrets, Blake, couldn't be avoided," she called across the room to the young case lead. She hadn't been planning on arresting Draco Malfoy tonight, but he'd made it easy.

Let's see, she had the Uncooperative Arrest form, the Firing Upon Auror Incident Report, the waiver for seeking healer attention addendum. Oh right, she'd have to track down the Property Damage In The Line report. She'd left the front door of Malfoy manor dangling open...

The actual report on the interview could wait. She leaned back in her chair, chewing on the end of her pen.

"Who you nab, Roh? Didn't know you were serving a warrant," someone asked her.

"Mr. Draco. Malfoy," she said with a smug little grin. "Little man hexed me. Ain't that fun?"

"No regrets, Blake, couldn't be avoided."

Fauna blinked, popped up her head from her arms and the swath of paperwork cluttered in her cubicle. She smiled blearily at the new arrest. GOOD! One step closer to Figaro not taking the fall for it and her sleeping better at night. She moseyed on over to Auror Roh's desk, curious about what she'd found.

Wait, did someone say Draco Malfoy?[1]

"Did you say Draco Malfoy?"

She raised her eyebrows at the other Aurors still stuck there at 8pm.

"He did what?" She crossed her arms, affronted by the very notion. Zora Roh was Zora Roh! One did not hex the Zoh.

1.	I'm not sorry

"Oh, he stepped in it!" Zora said with a laugh. "I popped by for a perfectly routine chat, high ready to rule him out and off went his mouth, off went his wand..."

She shrugged and twirled her wand in her fingers.

"I think all the paperwork will be worth it. You should pop in. Your case after all, Blake."

Miss nice Auror quite generously had un-Petrified him before promptly apparating him to the Auror Department.  He tried to ask why she hadn't let him change first, but he couldn't get out the words.  So here he was, in a holding cell wondering why he was stupid enough to fire a hex at an Auror. 

Sitting on the weird cot in the cell he began to regret his decision, although he had fun while he was doing it.  He was wearing the long sleeve silver shirt that he'd slept in the night before.  It was completely wrinkled and one sleeve was slightly ripped from the day he wore it trying to wrangle a Tentacula plant.  There was a bright purple stain on his left shoulder from an exploding potion, and more purple on the hem.

And ironically, being a Malfoy and against most everything muggle, he was wearing some faded loose fit blue jeans.  They weren't in the best shape either, he usually only wore them at home, which was most of the time.  Add to that, the brown boots, he didn't look like a Malfoy would dress at all.

His hair was disheveled and he hadn't shaved in a couple days, therefore making his whole appearance look rather shoddy.

Standing up in the cell, he leaned on the door and looked out.  This turned out to be a horrible decision.

Zora stood and shoved a bunch of papers in a folder and wrapped it closed with the long string. She finger-combed her long curly hair, and fastened back up the top few buttons of her red robes. Then, like flipping a switch, her expression changed from Friendly Chum Zora to Auror 'Ya Dead Now' Roh.

"Interview #2," she told Blake. "Meet you in there."

A quick journey across Level Two, and a quick initial at the holding cells clipboard and Zora found the scruffy face of Draco Malfoy looking out the window of the door of room number four. She rapped her knuckle on the glass so he'd clear back. He wasn't a prisoner, he wasn't a threat, there were no chains or guards or any other nonsense like that.

"Let's go, Malfoy. You kept me waiting long enough."

She opened the door and stepped back for him to come out.

Wisely Draco kept his mouth shut, but the minute she either turned her back, or he walked in front of her, he was sooo sticking his tongue out.  He knew it was childish.  He couldn't help it.  Hopefully none of those he still considered friends, or worse yet, those who hated him fiercely, would see him in the state he was in.

So even though he looked horrible, he stood up straight, walked out of the cell and looked at the Auror, "Lead the way madam." he said in the snootiest voice he could muster.

"Na-ah," the Auror said, and gave Malfoy's shoulder a nudge to get him moving in front of her. It was easy enough to find their way out of the long hallway and out into the main floor.[1] But once they were more out in the bustling wide open, she put her hand firmly on his shoulder to steer him past the Department Head's office.

Just outside of the hallway that lead to the interview room, Zora gave him a little push towards a chair against the wall. 

"Stay here."

From the chair, Draco Malfoy had a good eyeline towards the back where all the Aurors and other MLE agents had their bullpens and desks. Zora traveled that way and popped her head into Auror HQ.

"Me and Blake will be in number two," she said, then returned to Draco.

"Up." 

In a few more steps they were in a spartan brick room with a simple table and three chairs. She posted up against the wall.

"Have a seat, Mr. Malfoy. For the record, you're here under arrest for spellfire upon an Auror which can carry a few years in Azkaban on its own. That is, if the Department decides to prosecute."

She shrugged, laying down the big hint that things didn't have to go that way if Draco was smart.

"Also, you are officially a suspect in the robbery of Pilpher and Stride's that occurred on the early hours of the fourth. You are allowed to have a lawyer present."

1.	Level Two Layout

A little annoyed at the slight push she gave to his shoulder to get him to walk in front of, he said nothing.  He didn't want to give her another reason to be mad at him.  Even though he sort of had a reason to be here, there was no need to make it worse.  However when she gave him another push towards the chair, he sat down with a huff and said not-so-quietly, "Auror brutality... wait until my mother hears about this."

Truthfully, in the past, it would of been his father instead of his mother in that sentence, but since his father was now doing his best impression of a hermit lately. He would have to settle for replacing his father with his mother for now.  Although, since after the war, his mother had become more outspoken than she had been in the past.  No longer content with sitting at the sidelines and letting her husband do all the decision making.

When the Auror told him to get up, he did so as slowly as possible, knowing it was not the best idea, but he allowed himself to be put inside the interrogation room.  When she told him why he was in there he couldn't resist saying, "It was barely 2nd year powerful and I didn't even aim, I had no intention of it hitting you." and then he shut his mouth. While he could very easily call his lawyer, he knew where he had been on the day they were talking about and he wasn't about to let them toss him in jail for something he didn't do.

Fauna stood just outside the interrogation room, widening her eyes at the parchment on the window of the room as it inked out a tidy scrawl:

"...Wait till my mother hears about this."

She snorted out a laugh. Laughed again. Fauna chortled in the hallway for a good minute, trying not to spill her fresh cup of coffee. Oh Merlin, she was tired! Wow. So this was Draco Malfoy, son of death eaters. He was wearing a stained shirt and jeans. She blinked. The son of purists was wearing jeans.

Fauna nodded to herself, straightened her shoulders, and walked in to hear the rest of his defense. She paused, cocked her head. As if she hadn't heard right. Maybe she needed more coffee.

Fauna took a seat at the table, set down her trusty notebook and sipped at her coffee.

"I'm Auror Trainee Blake," she introduced herself, eyeing the stubble on his face, his disheveled hair. Maybe he was possessed. "I'll be observing for now."

She opened her notebook and glanced at Roh, very curious to hear her response, and a little delighted she could witness this in person.

Zora kept her face firm, just a tightening of her jaw showed a momentary indication she was at all affected by Draco Malfoy's defiance. Her eyes followed Trainee Blake. Once she was settled, Zora moved up beside her to stand at the table.

"Free advice, Malfoy - you might not want to go with I didn't mean to in front of the Wizengamot. I just don't hear the 'oops' defense getting much play down there. Speaking of helping yourself, why don't you tell Blake here your alibi for the night of November third? The one with the throwing stones at muggle pubs and hitting witches in skirts."

  Zora nudged Blake. "No really, Blake, you'll love it. He places himself in London night of the crime. Go on, Draco."

He heard the other girl laughing out in the hallway and briefly wondered why before focusing on someone coming into the room and settling down at the table.  He said nothing.  He heard the Auror that had brought him in tell him to not try the "I didn't mean to" defense and he almost snorted.

Like he was really going to even make it to a trial.  He didn't do anything but stupidly fire off a stinging hex at someone who annoyed him, who also happened to be an Auror.

When she asked him to tell her where he had been on the night in question, he thought about it, but changed his mind about saying anything, if they wanted him to talk, they'd have to call in the big guns.  He wasn't going to let the arresting Auror have the satisfaction of getting any information out of him.

Zora let the silence hang. She knew the research: non-cooperation wasn't a guarantee of guilt. Didn't make it any easier to give clammed up rich boys the benefit of the doubt. Zora had treated him with respect, been more than fair, and he'd thrown a bloody tantrum. It was erratic behavior. Maybe Draco Malfoy didn't come out of the war all there.

"Oh, how sad. He's choosing this hill to die on," she said after enough long moments had passed.

"Let's try this one: your old business with Stride and Pilpher..."  Zora leaned over Blake to flip open the file.

Reading from it: "Two-thousand five, general surveillance and muck-raking into your legal past, business dealings, love life... You ended up in the paper over that one. Well looks like both the Daily Prophet and The Snitch. They are just terrible ... A lot of hassle for nothing. Didn't you have to clear out of your place for awhile, just to get the tabloids out of your hair?"

She tipped back to look at Fauna: "What do you think, Blake? You've been hammering at the other suspects. I think this is the best motive we've got so far."

Neville had been getting ready to head home for the night. He had finished up a small amount of paperwork and had no other cases demanding his attention. A lot of his energy lately had been dedicated to the Lilly House Case even as other cases came and went. Given his unexpected passenger, he had been trying to gain as much knowledge about Pentrals as possible. Unfortunately there seem to be little to be gained and his new companion liked to keep quiet unless he was in mortal peril.

He tightened his robes, filed his papers and prepared himself to leave for the night. He swung by Blake's desk to see if the younger trainee would be interested in grabbing a bite or a drink with him.

"she's in interrogation, Roh brought in Malfoy." one of the other trainees informed him.

Neville's brow furrowed and it took him a moment to process the information, "I'm sorry, did you just say Malfoy?" The name, one he hadn't heard in nearly a decade, still managed to twist his stomach and invoke an involuntary sense of panic. Old wounds and all that.

---

Neville silently entered the interrogation room giving a nod to Blake and Roh as they looked his way. He had paused before entering to double check how he looked. Despite the hour, he looked good. His hair was neat and tidy, his eyes alert and his crimson robes near impeccable. He leaned against the back wall simply looking at the pale haired man who couldn't look more opposite to him - disheveled, unkempt and decidedly muggle. It was a far cry from the arrogant aristocrat Neville had known in his youth and yet he could still feel everything inside him begging him to run before having to hear that familiar lazy drawl.

Neville himself was nearly unrecignizable from his Hogwarts days. Baby fat had given way to toned muscle, inexperience had given way to accomplished Auror and War Hero, forgetfullness to expertise in his field. Hell, he had recently been voted Most Smoochable Bachelor. All things considered, life was good for Neville Longbottom these days and yet his mere presence was almost begging Draco to try and find something to make fun of him for.

Fauna glanced behind her at the door opening, and smiled at Neville as he leaned against the wall. He and Malfoy had been in the same year at Hogwarts, she remembered as she turned back in her chair to face Malfoy. She could only imagine the animosity between their Houses, their families, maybe even themselves. But look at them now. Malfoy was hexing Aurors and causing problems for himself. Neville was a respected Auror, with his own Witch Weekly fan club.

"I think," she glanced the Senior Auror. "You might be right, Roh."

She'd spent most of her day questioning a friend who didn't deserve it. She could play along.

"Although," she tilted her head and looked at Malfoy thoughtfully. "Didn't he just invite the tabloids back into his hair? I heard he hosted a Halloween party. Right? A masquerade. Sounds fun," she shrugged, smiling a bit at the idea.

"Did any reporters attend your party, Draco?"

She took a cue from Auror Roh. Pompous rich sorts like him never liked it when young peons like her pretended they were on a first-name basis.

He could hear everything they were saying to him, but as soon as he saw Longbottom walk into the room he mentally said, "Well, crap, this day just got worse."  He hadn't seen him since .. well, since the last time he'd seen him. Although it was just a passing glance once in Diagon Alley.

"Oh joy, the gang's all here." he said sarcastically, running a hand through his hair.  He didn't realize that it made him look even less put together than before.

"I'm not gonna talk to you guys."  He didn't want to go through the same questioning over and over again, he'd been through stuff like this before.