2+2=5
Draco jumped out of his chair as Potter emerged from the room.
“Well?” He asked, looking at Potter expectantly.
“That girl didn’t hear anything either.” Potter said, but he looked conflicted on what to say next. “And…they showed me her wounds.” Draco raised an eyebrow at that but he supposed it was normal for parents to want to show and do everything they could to help their child. “I wish you could have seen them, they were just,” Potter leaned against the wall and scratched his head, “they were too clean.”
“Too clean?” Draco repeated, “what on earth does that mean?”
“You’re the one who knows everything about werewolves, you tell me!” Potter said, shaking his head. Draco sighed and thought it over.
“So we have silent werewolves who are particular with their attacks?” Draco clarified and Potter nodded. “I suppose we have one more person to interview.” Draco said after a moment and Potter gave him a confused look. Draco was almost impressed how quickly Potter could change from an authoritative figure with power in every stride to a confused schoolboy who needed a haircut. “Lauren Greenmoss.”
“She’s probably at Hogwarts, don’t you think?” Potter asked.
“Lauren attacked another student, they won’t have kept her there, the parents would lose their minds.” Draco thought it was most likely that Lauren was at St. Mungos. Afterall, it was the one place a creature could be contained indefinitely. “ And she’s underage so they can’t hold her at the ministry but she’s a werewolf and regardless of age Werewolves can be held at St. Mungos as long as healers or ministry officials see fit.” Draco thought it was quite an unfair rule and he would have to mention it to Hermione at a later time.
Potter tilted his head, seeming to mull it over.
“Even if she’s a werewolf, she’s underage, and we’ll need parents ' permission to talk to her.” Potter said, straightening up.
If Draco recalled correctly, getting Lauren’s parents permission might prove to be an issue. When he had been running tests with his potion on Lauren and watching her symptoms on the full moon, her parents had been less than cooperative. That hadn’t been the type to spit on Draco and call him names but they were unsupportive of Lauren’s condition. If anything, they had been embarrassed by her. Draco would be surprised if Lauren’s parents had even bothered to show up at the hospital for their daughter. If they weren’t here there was no way they would be able to talk to Lauren. Well, no legal way.
“Unfortunately, I doubt her parents are here.” Draco said solemnly and Potter sighed in annoyance.
“Well, then what do you want us to do?” Potter asked, crossing his arms at Draco.
“I have an idea on how we can see her but I’m not sure you’ll like it.” Draco spoke quietly and slowly, trying to determine what Potter’s reaction might be. As he recalled Potter hadn’t exactly been the most pristine rule-follower in Hogwarts and he doubted that Potter had changed that much since school. Judging by Potter’s expression, Draco guessed that he was at least interested in hearing the idea. Draco mulled it over for a minute and then gestured for Potter to follow him
“You remember Blaise Zabini, don’t you?” Draco asked, as they walked towards the stairwell.
“How could I forget?” Potter muttered, now looking much less excited about Draco’s idea.
Draco figured that was to be expected, though Blaise was one of his closest friends, even he didn’t like the idea of speaking to the man. Draco truly did appreciate the man and after the war and Draco’s year in Azkaban, Blaise had been there to help Draco get his shit together. Blaise had been the one to suggest a trip to America to study potions. But Blaise was also a giant asshole. If Draco were approached on the street and offered a million Galleons to punch one of his friends, Blaise would be his first choice. However, in this singular case, Draco Malfoy was incredibly grateful for Blaise.
The two descended down the stairs, going to the underground level where most specialized healer’s offices were located. Draco led Potter down the hall, walking quickly, hoping not to be seen by any Healers. Once he reached office 018, Draco didn’t bother knocking, instead just pushing the door open and greeting his friend.
“Hey, Knock next time- oh. Hey, draco.” Blaise looked up from his desk and grinned at Draco. As Draco watched Blaise’s eyes shift from him to Potter, Blaise jumped out of his seat. Draco sighed. Blaise took a large dramatic bow and then looked up at Potter.
“Harry Potter!” Blaise exclaimed, “It is an honor, sir-” Draco subtly sent a stinging hex at Blaise’s feet. “Ow, you fucker.” Blaise said, sitting back down.
“This is serious Blaise.” Draco said, rolling his eyes at his friend who could never seem to resist being a little shit.
“Okay, Okay.” Blaise nodded, “what do you want?”
“Is Lauren Greenmoss here?” Potter asked, stepping forward. Draco watched Blaise’s eyes narrow ever so slightly. Blaise wasn’t the most trusting man ever.
“Sorry, I’m not allowed to give any information out about patients.” Blaise said, tilting his chin up. Draco wanted to chuck his shoe at the man and his faux professionalism.
“This isn’t an undercover operation to see if you’ll give out information,” Draco said, crossing his arms, “we just want to talk to her.” Blaise once again looked from Draco to Potter and then seemed to decide Draco was telling the truth.
“I didn’t think it was an undercover operation,” Blaise said indignantly and Draco would have believed him if he didn’t know better. “Unofficially, I might go check on her in two minutes and if you two wanted to follow me, I couldn’t stop you.”
Draco let out a sigh of relief as Blaise stood up and buttoned his healer robes.
“Thank you.” Draco said quietly and Blaise did not miss the opportunity to be an asshole. He held his hand up to his ear and looked confused.
“I’m sorry, did someone say something? Maybe they should speak up.” Blaise said innocently. Fortunately Blaise had stepped out from his desk and was close enough that Draco didn’t even need to pull out his wand. Instead he just elbowed the man in the stomach.
“HELP! HELP!” Blaise began screeching at the top of his lungs, “ KNOWN DEATH EATER DRACO MALFOY IS ATTACKING ME!”
Draco pursed his lips unimpressed but Potter looked incredibly concerned, as if expecting someone to burst through the door at any minute, trying to save the man. Draco just shook his head at Potter, trying to convey that everything was okay and Blaise just had a love for theatics.
“Ah,” Blaise straightened up and laughed, “don’t look so scared, Potter!” Blaise exclaimed cheerfully, striding by the man and yanking the door open, “the room has a muffling charm.” Blaise did not seem to mind that nobody was laughing at his jokes and instead cheerfully began walking down the hall.
Draco exchanged a look with Potter and then motioned for him to follow. Potter looked utterly lost at the entire interaction and silently trailed behind Draco. Once they finally approached their destination Blaise motioned for them to wait as he entered. Draco leaned against the wall and shamelessly eavesdropped.
“Hi, Lauren, do you think you’re up to a visitor?” Blaise was speaking to the girl softly. Draco was almost ashamed that he had doubted Blaise’s communication skills.
“Is it my parents?” Lauren asked and Draco winced. The poor girl wanted nothing more than her parents to see her and tell her everything would be okay.
“No, we um, we still haven’t been able to get ahold of them. Do you remember Draco Malfoy?” Blaise asked and Lauren must’ve nodded because a minute later Blaise was calling for the two to enter the room. Blaise gave Draco an indecipherable look as he passed him on the way out.
“Hi Lauren.” Draco said, smiling at the wide-eyed girl. She immediately smiled back. Lauren was a tiny thirteen year old girl and it was hard to imagine that she was considered a monster by the ministry. Draco was thankful that from what he could see, Lauren seemed entirely uninjured.
“Mr. Draco!” Lauren exclaimed happily. She opened her mouth, as if to say more, but the second she saw the man behind Draco, she paled considerably and shrunk back. Draco sent a look at Potter. The man looked just as confused as Draco felt. He supposed Potter wasn’t used to any reaction other than awe at him. Lauren’s lip quivered, “am I being arrested?” She asked.
“Oh! No, nothing like that.” Draco said quickly, sitting on the foot of the hospital bed. “We’re just here to ask what happened two nights ago.”
“I wouldn’t hurt Gracie.” Lauren said firmly, looking from Draco to Potter.
“We don’t blame you if you did-” Potter began and Lauren immediately began shaking her head.
“I didn’t,” she insisted. “Mr. Draco, you have to trust me. I took your potion.” Lauren frowned and began to pick at her fingernails. “But I…I don’t remember what happened that night.”
“Is it possible the potion didn’t work?” Potter asked and Draco fought the urge to glare at the man. Of course, it was possible that the potion had been brewed wrong or something of the sort, but Draco hated to hear it voiced out loud. If the potion had failed, it was his fault the student had been injured.
“Okay, you took the potion and then what’s the next thing you remember?” Draco asked gently.
“Gracie and I were exploring the forbidden forest,” Lauren blushed as if ashamed to admit that she had broken the rules. Draco thought that, comparatively, Lauren had nothing to be ashamed of. “And I woke up the next morning and Gracie was next to me and she was all bloody and… and they said I did it!” Lauren was growing more upset by the minute, “but I didn’t! I wouldn’t hurt her! And I still had all my clothes in tact and barely any scratches and-”
“Your clothes were intact?” Potter interjected, sending Draco a confused look. “But if you had transformed-”
“Then my clothes would’ve been in shreds.” Lauren finished. “You have to believe me, I didn’t do this.”
“We believe you.” Draco said firmly, not bothering to ask Potter his opinion. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Lauren.”
The girl just looked at her hands and continued to pick at her fingernails. Draco sighed and looked at Potter. He looked deep in thought, his arms were crossed, and he was chewing on his lip.
“Have,” Lauren spoke quietly and Draco felt she did not want Potter to hear. Draco leaned forward slightly and gave her an encouraging smile, “have they really not heard from my parents?”
“Lauren,” Draco gave her a sympathetic look but Lauren met his eyes with a fierce look.
“Just tell me.”
“As far as I know, no, they haven’t heard from them at all.” Draco felt awful for the poor girl.
“I think I want to be alone now.” Lauren said and Draco nodded.
“Thanks for talking to us.” Draco said, standing up. He gave Lauren a soft smile before he and Potter filed out of the room. As soon as the door was shut Draco immediately began to rant. “How can they just leave their daughter like that? She’s just a kid and they act like she is fucking monster!”
“Keep your voice down.”
Draco wanted to sock Potter. For being the savior of the wizarding world, he didn’t seem quite as compassionate as Draco had expected him to be. Draco grit his teeth and checked his watch; it was late and Draco was ready to sleep for ten hours straight.
“It’s getting late,” was all Draco said, before promptly apparating to his apartment.