An End And A Beginning

4: The Calm Moonlight, Sad And Lovely

The day after his father's death was tiresome. Mr Ainsley wasn't much help because he couldn't legally say anything without a Death Certificate. All he could reiterate was the protocol of registering the death in person and that Grant of Probate was needed to be raised because his father's will didn't leave everything directly to Narcissa and the worth of the estate was over 10,000 Galleons. Draco was surprised, he thought the Wizengamot had stripped everything away despite his wishful hopes. He supposed the value of the Manor came into play. The solicitors said that if Draco could find any paperwork with his father's name on it, from Gringotts to domestic utilities, they would sort out transferring it all as soon as they had a copy of the Death Certificate too.

As they left the offices, Draco once more handcuffed to Potter, he muttered, 'you know, I still haven't heard from the Bereavement Office.'

'We'll go now,' Potter said. 'Might as well while we're out. Easier than trying to communicate via Owl Post with me as an intermediary.'

The clerk was very apologetic as soon as he saw Assistant-Head Auror Potter standing in his office in St Mungo's demanding to know where the Healer's Certificate of Cause of Death was and if it had been sent through the Registrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths at the Ministry.

'Ah, yes, it's here,' stammered the clerk, shuffling through a stack of paperwork until he found the right document. 'Just to confirm, it says Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, born 24th November 1953, died 26th November 2002 from blood poisoning causing heart failure and kidney failure, complicated by pneumonia.'

'Okay.' Draco wondered when anyone was going to discuss the fatal poisoning part in any more detail.

'Good, right. I'll send it right away.'

Potter stood over the clerk menacingly until an Owl had been summoned and the paperwork was definitely on its way from St Mungo's to the Ministry of Magic.

Once an appointment with the Registrar for the following day had been made, Potter returned Draco back to the Manor.

'Potter,' Draco asked as they sat back down in the study with their respective mugs of tea, 'why are you doing this?'

He found himself staring at Potter's broken nose again, still not quite used to it. He wondered, momentarily, that if his cousin hadn't mended it properly at the beginning of sixth year, would it have looked like it does now. He also wondered why Potter had allowed his nose to be fixed after Draco broke it but why not on this occasion. He was intrigued.

'You need help. I mean, how are you to register your father's death in person if I don't escort you?'

'You could send some menial in your place. Surely you've got scary and hardened criminals to deal with, you know, those ones who are an actual menace to society, not ones who are locked away from society in reclusive but welcome solitude for another six months.'

Potter quirked a small smile. 'You could try calling me "Harry" one of these days.'

'Why would I do that?'

'Oh, I don't know. Some sort of pretence at friendship or something.'

'Friendship?' Draco said with a raised eyebrow and he found his heartbeat had once more increased at the second mention of friendship.

'Yeah.'

'Is it suitable for the Assistant-Head Auror to even fraternise with hardened criminals? Which brings me back to my question, why are you doing this? Is it orders?'

'No, I'm now "officially" on leave.'

Draco was puzzled.

'Unofficially, Kingsley knows I'm supporting you because he feels guilty about how you and your mother have been treated by the system. That may or may not have something to do with a large amount of ranting on my part. So, yes, I'm being paid my standard salary, but no, it's not orders, it's a request from me and they're trying to keep me sweet.'