All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays

Chapter 5 - Disturbing Revealings

Three days. Three entire days without news. Draco was drumming his fingers on the table nervously. Some of the people in the Department were starting to realize that something wasn't going right. He was normally dry, but in the last few days he was moody, irritated, and distant. Something was worring him - it was obvious - but nobody knew what. He looked at his watch for what seemed the thousandth time in that morning. Three days. Three days since he talked to the Morgans and, so far, O'Brien hadn't showed up, the laboratory still had not sent the report about the sand, and Creevey was still silent at the radio. Malfoy was tired. There was nothing more tiresome than waiting, especially when the only thing he wanted was to be in action. He knew he was neglecting his work, his responsibilities, but that case was more important than anything else. That case would redefine his life.

With one last sigh, Draco stood up and left the office. He could not stay there anymore, walking from side to side like a caged animal. He should have known that it would be useless to give tasks to Creevey, especially if it was to research about Lindsey Morgan in older editions of the newspaper. If he wanted to find out anything, he would have to do the service himself. With this decision in his head, he left the building, leaving a message with Anne and went to the library in Diagon Alley. It was the Ministry Library and he knew that there he could find all the editions of The Daily Prophet from the last five centuries, at least.

He walked fast until he reached the building, which was old and imposing, and entered without paying any attention to the people around him. The library had seven floors, but he knew the periodics were on the third. He ignored the information balcony and went upstairs. On the third floor, he waited while a young woman he had never seen before asked the librarian for some editions of a wizarding medicine magazine. While he regained normalty in his breathing, Draco convinced himself he did the right thing by going to the library.

'I should've came before,' he thought, 'instead of waiting for Creevey forever...'

His thoughts were interrupted.

"Good morning! What can I do for you?" asked the old librarian.

"Good morning," he answered leaving his thoughts behind, "I'd like to take a look in some older editions of the Daily Prophet."

"Which period?"

"Twelve... No, better, thirteen years ago. And, if possible, I'd like a private room."

"Is this some kind of joke?" the woman asked not showing signs of irritation, but instead displaying a funny smile.

"Joke? Why?"

"Well, because in the last couple of days a person has been consulting exactly the editions of the Daily Prophet of this period and he also asked for a private room."

"Another person?" Draco asked, suddenly alert.

That couldn't be just a mere coincidence. Whoever was researching those records had to know something about the case!

"Is this person here now?" he asked carefully.

"Yes. He practically didn't leave in the last couple of days!"

"Could you tell me in which room he is in?"

"Well, I don't think it's appropriate..."

"Here's the thing," Malfoy started.

First he thought in making up some lie, but, in the end, he decided that the truth would be more convicing.

"I work at the Department of Missing Persons," he said, showing his identification, "and this man who's researching old editions of the Daily Prophet might have relevant information for the solution of a crime. Could you take me to him?"

He tried to look as sincere as possible, which wasn't so hard, since he was telling the truth.

"Well," the woman said, trying to decide whether it was a good decision, "If it's really important..."

"It's very imprtant," he insisted.

"In that case... please, follow me."

Draco was thankful for the lead. After three days of complete stagnation, it seemed like he would finally make some progress. Silently, he followed the old librarian, holding his wand inside his robes. Maybe he would have to use it. After all, who would be this interested in the news of that period? What did he know? What was he trying to find out? Malfoy's head was full of doubts, but strangely, he was not nervous. He was only alert and observing like a predator waiting.

The woman guided him through the desks, which reached to the end of the room, where some sound-proof, private rooms could be found. Without ceremony, she put a hand on the knob of one of the doors and pushed it, with no warnings to the user of the room. Again, Draco was thankful. Whoever was inside there, would be taken by surprise.

"For God's sake, Mary! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" the man asked from inside.

Draco closed his eyes when he recognised the voice. He should have known.

"You tell me. Mr. Malfoy here says you might have information about a crime. Is that why you're using my library, boy?"

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy! He has no idea of what he's talking about, isn't that right?"

"I should've known that the bastard researching here was you, right, Creevey?" Malfoy said moodily.

Apparently, there would not be any significant discoveries today.

"Hey! Don't start, I'm here to help you!"

"Sirs!" The librarian reprimanded them, and shot them a look.

"Ah, Mary, don't worry!" Colin said with a smile, "We're fine."

The woman faced him, showing in her face the feelings of incredulity.

"Really!" he reafirmed, passing an arm around her and kindly leading her to the exit. "We're old friends."

At this time, Draco released a dry laugh.

"And we'll be fine," Colin finished.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, Mary! We have a lot to talk about!" Colin gave a smile that would make even Lockhart jealous.

"All right, then," the librarian answered, leaving with a severe look in their direction.

"Oh, that was beautifull!" Draco exclaimed as soon as they were alone. "Are you sure you don't want some minutes alone with her?"

"Shut up, Malfoy. I'm just an asiduous library denizen."

"Do you swear that's all? I could bet she was your type!" Malfoy said sarcastically.

"Come on," Colin said in the same tone, "We both know redheads are my type..."

"Ah, you shit!" Draco exclaimed, suddenly furious, while advancing over Creevey and holding him by his throat against the wall, "What did you say? Come on, repeat it, you bastard!"

"You're crazy!" Colin said pushing him back. "You and your insane jealousy!! We both know Ginny and I were never more than friends! And still, just a small insinuation is enough for you to go insane!" he completed.

Draco didn't answer. He just faced him while his breathing returned to normal.

"Ginny was crazy for you." Colin told him, "Only God knows why, but she was! There's no reason for all this."

"I don't need you to tell me this, Creevey."

"Oh, I think you do, because you keep acting like an imbecile. How could she put up with you?!" he asked more to himself than to Draco.

"Only God knows," Draco answered and continuted to change the subject, because talking about her was too painful. "The old woman said..."

"Her name is Mary."

"The old woman said," he repeated, "that you have been locked in here for two days. Did you find anything interesting, at least?"

"Yes, I did," Colin answered after a pause. "Very interesting. I was about to send you an owl."

"Well, I'm here now."

"Yes. Take a look at this," he started, picking some sheets in the table. "I almost couldn't believe when I found."

"What?!" Malfoy said impatiently.

"I started looking for information about Lindsey Morgan, but I didn't find anything. But I've found something even more interesting. Look at these," Creevey said, putting on the table two different newspapers and pointing to one of them. "Hannah Abbott. Do you remember her?"

"Should I?"

"She went to Hogwarts the same year you did. Hufflepuff."

"And you wanted me to remember..."

"I'm serious, Malfoy."

"What about her?"

"She disappeared thirteen years ago. She was twenty at the time."

"Were the conditions were similar to the ones of Ginny's disappearing?" Draco asked seriously.

"More or less. There was nothing broken at her place. Nothing out of place. The only strange thing was a triangle marked on her door."

"My God!" Malfoy exclaimed, grabbing the newspaper. "What did the police find at the time?"

"Nothing. It happened just two years after Voldemort was defeated. The Ministry was still busy with the Death Eaters. Disappearances weren't uncommon..."

"And I don't know?" Malfoy muttered more to himself. "Who investigated the case?"

"It doesn't say. Actually, it was an anouncement her parents put at the Daily Prophet, asking that, if anyone had seen her, to let them know."

"They're muggles," Draco said looking at the address indicated. "Lindsey Morgan was a muggle born too."

"I thought that too, but then I saw this other news."

"Another anouncement?" Malfoy asked picking the newspaper.

"No, it's a small report this time. The girl disappeared twelve years ago."

"Emma Dobbs. She was only seventeen."

"Yes. She had just left Hogwarts. But her parents weren't muggles."

"A pure blood?"

"Yes, like Ginny."

"There was also a triangle on her door?"

"Yes. That's what all these cases have in common."

"It can't be just that," Draco said, sitting down.

"What other similarities do you see in them?"

"When did they disappear?" Malfoy asked, concentrating, without paying attention to what Colin was saying.

"I've said that! Thirteen and twelve years respectively!"

"No, Creevey! I want to know the time of the year! At what time of the year did they disappear?"

"Well, the first newspaper is from October, but it says Hannah Abbott was missing for four weeks..."

"September, then. And the other?"

"September too," Creevey realized.

"Ginny also disappeared in September."

"And what about Lindsey Morgan?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask it to her parents, but I can send an owl."

"That'd be good," Creevey agreed, sitting down too.

He had discovered more than he thought at first.

"So the cases are related?" Creevey continued.

"Yes," Draco answered firmly. "Pay attention. Let's organize what we've found out. What do we have so far? Four missing women. All of them between seventeen and twenty three years old. All of them studied in Hogwarts..."

"That doesn't count. I mean, everybody from here went to Hogwarts..."

"You're right," Malfoy agreed, and remembering something else said, "Which house did Emma Dobbs belong to?"

"Ravenclaw. She arrived in the year of the Triwizard Tournament."

"Do you remember her?"

"I remember she was cute, but never gave much attention to me..."

"Ginny was from Gryffindor," Malfoy started, ignoring the last comment. "Morgan, from Slytherin. Abbott, from Hufflepuff and Dobbs from Ravenclaw. Do you see the pattern?"

"Don't forget the years!" Colin said, finally understanding what was the game.

"Ginny, ten years ago; Morgan, eleven; Dobbs, twelve; and Abbott thirteen..."

"And all in September," Draco completed.

"I mean, Morgan disappeared in September, right?" Colin said.

"Want to bet?"

"No," he answered dispounded. "I'll lose."

"The same person took these four women," Malfoy concluded. "No doubts."

"But, if..."

"If what?"

"If he took all four of them, he... did he... do the same thing to all of them?"

"Serial killers don't change their modus operandi," Draco answered him. "What he did to one, he did to all."

"But then, Ginny..."

"The chances are that she's... dead."

"Malfoy," Colin started after a pause. "If that's true... is it... is it worth investigating still?"

Draco observed him for awhile. The other didn't understand. How could he? He didn't love her the same way.

"I'll only stop," he finally answered, "when I see the body. Since I have yet to see the body, the search continues. Got that, Creevey? With or without your help, the search continues."

"With my help, Malfoy. I want to find her too."

"So keep looking at the newspapers. I have to write to Morgan's parents and I also need to talk to someone who might help us," Draco said, standing up and going to the door.

"Malfoy," the other called him back.

"What?"

"I... I'm really sorry."

"Me too, Creevey. Me too, he completed and, with that, opened the door and left the room.

*

Draco arrived in his office still full of thoughts. He threw his cloak on the chair and started to walk from side to side, ocasionally passing his hand through his hair. All that was so sudden, so dangerous, so painful surrounded him.

"No, it's not sudden," he thought, calming down.

Since Creevey had shown him the newspapers, Ginny's death was what he feared most. On second thought, since the fatidic day she disappeared, that was all Draco feared. That was also what he expected.

Realizing that his weird behaviour was starting to call curious looks from his investigators, Malfoy obligated himself to sit down and, as calmly as possibe, write a note to Morgan's parents, asking about the date of the disappearance. Then, he left his room for awhile and gave Anne instructions to send it. Soon, he returned to the room, still nervous, and pulled down the blind. Draco rarely did that and surely people would strangely observe it, but he was too worried to care.

Without hesitating, he threw a hand of floo powder in the fireplace and called Matt. In an instant, the surprised man's face appeared in the middle of the flames.

"Draco, I thought that we had a deal that when I manage to get the files I would get in touch..."

"I know, Matt. It's just that I found out more stuff," he answered and went on describing what Colin had found in the library.

"My God!" O'Brien exclaimed when he finished hearing. "This is very serious."

"I know."

"And do you think the other missing files are the Abbott's and Dobbs's?"

"I think so. And, since they're not here, the chances are that..."

"They're here."

"Exactly," Malfoy said seriouly, and after a pause continued, "Listen, Matt, I know you're doing your best, but..."

"Don't worry, Draco. I admit I wasn't completely convinced that there was some connection between Ginny and Morgan, but I am now. It won't be easy to get the folders, but I'll try harder. I'll bring them to you even if I have to steal them."

"Thank you, Matt."

"That's what friends are for, kid," he responded just before his face faded away in the flames.

Draco stared at the empty flames for a while and when he was about to stand up to go back to his desk. His journey was interrupted when the door opened furiously.

"Malfoy!" Ronald Weasley's enraged voice exclaimed. "What does it mean???" he completed waving a bunch of parchments in Draco's direction.

"Sir, I tried to stop them, I..." the secretary said breathless.

"It's okay, Anne. You may leave. And close the door behind you, please?" he completed.

"Won't you answer my question? Huh?"

"Weasley, if I had any clue of what you're talking about, I would."

"This! I'm talking about this!"

He threw the parchments on the table.

"And what would 'this' be?"

"It's a report," Hermione answered calmer than her husband. "From the analysis of a sample you sent to the laboratory."

"Finally!" Malfoy exclaimed picking the papers. "But what the hell are you doing here?"

"The laboratory notified us," Granger answered before Ron started to yell again.

"The laboratory notified you?" Draco asked, furious.

He was managing to keep calm so far, but that was too much.

"And why the hell did they do that?" Malfoy continued.

The simple idea that his actions were being observed was enough to make his blood boil.

"Why the hell?! Why the hell?! Honestly, Malfoy! Don't think you'll fool us that easy! And you still have the guts to say that we were trying to steal your case when Sirius's daughter was kidnapped?! And the whole time you were supposed to be looking for her; what were you doing, huh? STEALING A CASE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OURS!!!"

"Ron, please..." Mione tried to temporize.

"No! Don't ask me to calm down!" he yelled at Hermione, and then turned to Malfoy, "I've been feeling this rage for you for a long time, you bastard! And this," he said pointing to the report, "was just the last drop!"

"Weasley," Malfoy responded in the most superior and arrogant tone of voice he could. "In case you didn't notice, I have no idea of what the report says. Could I at least read it so that I can understand your pathetic insults better?"

"In brief," Hermione interrupted when she saw that her husband's face looked as if it was going to explode, "It concludes that the sample of sand you sent is a product of a powerful magic."

"And that's why you're making all of this a scandal?"

"It's not just any magic, Malfoy. It's black magic. That's why we were called. Whatever it is, we should be investigating, not you."

"What kind of black magic?" Draco asked forgetting his anger.

The two just looked at each other.

"The substance is the residue... better, the product of a potion..."

"But it can't be! There was a very large amount of this sand. How much potion would one have to make to produce it?"

"Malfoy, this is not about how it wor..." Mione started.

"No! We can't say," Weasley interrupted her.

"I guess Ron is right, Malfoy," Hermione said. "This is confidential."

"Confidential? CONFIDENTIAL?! So you come here and insult me without telling what it's about? How do you expect me to tell you anything when you don't tell me a fucking thing?"

"Ah, but you will tell!" Ron responded angrily. "How do you explain having in your hands something so connected to the dark arts, huh? God knows your name is nothing to be respected in this country! You're only there, quiet, because your family lost everything when Voldemort was defeated. You Lost everything! But who can assure us it's not a disguise? Who really knows what you do when the lights go out?"

"Ah, you son of a bitch! How can you have the guts to accuse me of such a thing?

You..."

"Yes, I have the guts because I don't trust you. Never did and never will. My sister did and look what happened to her!"

That was it. That was enough to drive Draco mad, insane. In a quick movement, he went to Weasley's direction, ready to kill him, but smartly Granger put herself between them. No matter how big Draco's rage was, he couldn't attack her. On the opposite of what people believed, he did not beat women.

"I'll kill you, Weasley!" he yelled not being able to reach him. "Sooner or later, I'll kill you!"

"I'm not afraid of you, you shit!"

"Shut up!" Hermione interrupted, yelling. "I don't want to hear a word from either of you until you both settle down. If I do," she continued, pulling her wand, "I'll be obligated to curse whoever opens his mouth!"

"But, Mione..."

"Quiet, Ronald Weasly! I'm serious!" She gave him an iron look.

For a few moments, silence dominated the room.

"Well," she started, "Now that we're all calmer, we can go on."

When Draco heard that, he released a dry laugh that provoked a reproving look from Granger.

"Malfoy, you really need to tell us where you got that sample. The case is in our jurisdiction. We must investigate it. Not you."

"I got it at a crime scene in Scotland," he answered annoyed.

"Scotland? And what the hell you were doing..."

"Ron!" Hermione interrupted him. "Quiet!"

"I was investigating this crime," Malfoy answered giving them the folder with the newspaper cut and the picture of Lindsey.

That was everything the aurors would get from him.

"And why were you investigating this crime?" Weasley started. "What..."

"Because it has something to do with Ginny," Malfoy answered while looking over the newspaper report. "The woman found had a triangle painted on her forehead."

"What?!"

"Malfoy, you don't think..."

"I think so," he answered, but he didn't say anything about the other women.

"Well, the case is ours now," Granger concluded closing the folder. "Don't worry. Whatever it is, we'll find out."

"Wow! That'll make me sleep a lot more tranquile tonight..."

"We want to find out what happened just as much as you!"

"I doubt it."

"Malfoy, you..."

"Ron, let's go," Hermione called moving toward the door. "This conversation is over."

"Ah, and Malfoy," Weasley said while holding the knob, "If I find out that you're sticking your nose in our investigation, I'll get you arrested. Who knows now, with our department asssuming the investigation, we'll finally be able to know what happened to my sister, isn't that true?"

After finishing, Ron just had the time to get down when Draco's stone ashtray came flying in his head direction and shattered against the wall.

"Ah, you..." he started stepping foward, but Mione pulled him out and slammed the door, leaving Draco alone with his own demons.

*

Malfoy was furious. He was so furious that he spent the rest of the day walking from side to side in his office. He stopped just to send a note to Creevey saying that the aurors were around, and kept walking. He was positively furious. He was also tired of the mean insinuations that he had not done everything possible to find Ginny. God knows he would go to hell if there was a clue incriminating the devil. He would do anything. He would change places with her in a minute. He would be capable of anything. And still, he was obligated to stand the jokes and insinuations. It was enraging.

'Though, I must admit,' he thought with a resigned sigh, 'that it's all my fault. If I hadn't...'

He let the thought get lost. In the end, Malfoy always agreed that he deserved that torture. If only he had not been so stupid! But now it was too late. Stupidity had cost him the most precious thing he had.

In all his anger, he barely saw time pass until he realized the office was almost empty. People left, one by one, when they saw he wasn't in his best mood, they did not say good bye. Not that he was complaining. Absolutely not. Probably he would have shot anyone who had spoken to him. No, the way things had happened, he had time to calm down, to think. Finally, more conformed with the situation, Draco gathered his stuff and apparated to his empty home.

In the living room, the darkness greeted him quietly. With a move of his wand, he turned on the lights, and then left his suitcase, his cloak, and his suit on the table. He did not even consider the possibility of cooking something. He was not hungry at all. In that day, more than ever, Draco Malfoy wanted to forget. So, he untied his tie, opened the first buttons of his shirt, left his shoes in the middle of the living room and took a bottle of wine from inside the sideboard. He sat down on the sofa, bringing the bottle with him and staring at it for awhile. Ginny did not like it when he drank. Actually, Malfoy did not have much tolerance to alcohol and used to get drunk easily. That is why she did not like it. It was the same with smoking. He did not stop smoking when she had asked, and Draco did not stop drinking when he usually wanted to. In that day in particular, he really intended to drink until he fainted.

So, he opened the bottle, and, without hesitating, he brought it to his mouth, drinking a big gulp from the neck. He repeated the move two more times and already started to feel the effects of the alcohol. The ceiling of his apartment was no longer static over his head. A few more sips and he could consider himself officially drunk. He was about to bring the bottle to his mouth again when a strident phone ring interrupted him.

He let his arm fall beside the sofa surprised. Would it be Creevey wanting to know details from his meeting with the aurors? Draco considered the possibility while the phone was still ringing, but something was telling him it wasn't Colin. Maybe this 'something' was his own fear, but putting that aside, he knew. He put the bottle on the coffee table and, with no hurry, stood up to answer the phone. His head felt a little 'light' and he cursed himself mentally for drinking. He would need all his senses alert now.

"Hello," he finally said picking up the phone.

"You learned how to answer a phone call correctly, Mr. Malfoy?" the familiar voice said.

"I'll say it once and slowly so that you don't miss a syllable: fuck-you. I don't have any patience for your little games today."

"Is it a touch of alcohol that I'm noticing in your voice?" the voice said in a sarcastic tone. "Not good, Mr. Malfoy."

"Will you make me repeat it?"

"Really, you've had a very dirty-mouth lately."

"It's you who have the talent of waking the best in me."

"Oh, I see the drink didn't affect your thoughts completely. Still capable of giving a smart answer, huh?"

"Look, if you have nothing important to say..."

"I didn't say that."

"So spit it, because as I said, I don't have any patience."

"Yes, I understand. Had a full day, right?"

"What?"

"Your day. I know about your small meeting with two aurors..."

"You bastard! How?!..."

"Ah, how! That's the question of the sixty four thousand dollars, Mr. Malfoy."

"No, the sixty four thousand dollar question is: who the hell are you? And what is your fucking connection to Ginny's kidnapping?!"

"I can't believe you still haven't deduced that."

"By the way, are you the damned investigator who investigated the other disappearings?"

"Ah, you found out about them, Malfoy! How interesting!"

"Yes, I found out about them: Lindsey Morgan, Hannah Abbott, Emma Dobbs, and Ginny. The question is, what do you know about them?!"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I'm asking, damned! Of course I want to know."

"Well, I know many things. I know, for example, which size they wore. I know the number of their shoes. I still can remember the smell of their hair."

"You wretch!..."

"Especially," the man continued ignoring the interruption, "I know the last words of each one of them."

"You're lying!!!" Draco yelled at the phone, trying to close his ears, not wanting to believe in what he was hearing.

"Yes, you wished that, didn't you? But I'm not lying."

"You are! You're nothing but a fucking bastard liar! You're no one!"

"I'm the last face your wife saw. I'm the last mouth that touched her lips..."

"I'm going to kill you!" Draco clenched his teeth.

"Do you want to know how she cried? Do you want to know how she begged? How she suffered until everything was finished?"

"I'll KILL you! I swear, I'll..."

"Not that she didn't fight, understand it. No... she fought more than any of them, but it only made things funnier for me."

"You son of a bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

"It won't bring her back, will it?"

"I don't care! Wherever you are, I'll hunt you down till the end of the world if necessary, and when I find you, I'll kill you! I'll finish you. If you think you made her suffer, I'll make you suffer three times more, you wretch! You..."

"First, you'll have to find me, right, Mr. Malfoy?" the other said coldly, almost like a challenge.

"But I'll find you! I'll..." Draco was still yelling at the phone, but it was in vain.

The man had already hung up and he was just yelling at emptiness. Furiously, he threw the phone against the wall. Then, in a tantrum, he took the base off the wall and threw it too. He was out of his mind. Never, in his entire life, had he felt so lost, so groundless, so out of control. The worst of all, however, was the impotence. There was nothing he could do. The same way he could not do anything ten years ago, when Ginny needed him the most. He pushed the table, making it overturn. Then, he kicked the sideboard and broke with his hands the plates and vases that were on it. Finally, still out of control, he threw the bottle against the fireplace, painting the floor in red. He was lost. She was dead and he was alone. When the thought finally seemed to reach a conscious part of his mind, Draco stopped breaking everything. He felt... desolate. He let himself fall to the floor with a sob and crouched in the fetal position. After the first sob, others came, and then Malfoy realized, he was crying desperately. He brought his hands to his face, trying to control his weeping, but it was useless. Finally, he surrended, and let himself stay there.

The blood from the cuts in his hands joined the wine and all the time he muttered to himself, "My God, what am I going to do now?!..."

He was really lost.