Protection (Drarry)

Chapter One

"I can't do this anymore."

Those were the first words Harry Potter heard Draco Malfoy utter when he entered Interrogation Room A at the Ministry of Magic. Then Malfoy saw Harry, and he stopped speaking.

"Mr Potter," Kingsley Shacklebolt said by way of greeting, standing up and indicating the seat next to Malfoy. "Take a seat."

Harry glanced at Malfoy, who was steadfastedly ignoring him, and took the seat.

Kingsley sat back down at his place on the other side of the table. "Mr Malfoy," he said, clearly resuming a conversation that had begun before Harry entered the room. "I am afraid we have not yet retrieved all the names. Perhaps with the help of Mr Potter, this may be the last time." He said this kindly, although it was plain to Harry that Kingsley did not believe it.

"Can't Potter look by himself?" Malfoy asked after a pause. Harry glanced at him and saw that Malfoy's face was as close to pleading as he'd ever seen. A thin sheen of sweat covered his face, and his skin was even paler than usual.

"What am I looking at?" Harry asked Kingsley. The Pensieve in the middle of the table was giving him a few ideas, but since the terse summons he had received this morning had given no explanation, the details were a mystery. And why was Malfoy here?

Kingsley turned to him. "While the Ministry has had extreme success in identifying the majority of Death Eaters thanks to people like Mr. Malfoy here." Malfoy smirked without humor. "There are several still at large."

Harry frowned. He didn't see how he fitted into the picture.

"He wants you to put names to faces, Potter," Malfoy interjected with a sneer, although his words and voice sounded merely tired. "And since my family played host to a few little Death Eater parties over the last months, where better place to start?"

That explained why Mr Weasley had said he had seen Malfoy walking in and out of the Ministry over the last few weeks, even though his parents were in Azkaban awaiting trial.

"In answer to your question, Mr Malfoy," Kingsley said. "The more times and ways in which you view a memory, the more likely you are to find a link to another memory. If you can remember even one other time that you saw these Death Eaters, it may lead to the discovery of their names."

Harry noticed that although Kingsley was remaining kind, there appeared to be no real sympathy in his voice. He had wondered whether Malfoy would go on trial, like the other Death Eaters, or whether his age might earn him some leniency. Looking at the scene now, he may have leniency, but Harry wasn't sure it would last.

"OK, let's do it," Harry said, suddenly keen to get this over with.

Malfoy grimaced, and without further warning, quickly leaned over the Pensieve. Kingsley motioned for Harry to follow, and then there was that familiar tugging sensation and the three of them were standing in Malfoy Manor.

"Crucio!" Malfoy yelled.

Harry jumped back and fumbled for his wand, before realising that it was memory Malfoy, not real Malfoy, casting the Unforgivable.

He turned to look at the real Malfoy, who was smirking at him like he was a complete idiot.

If Harry hadn't seen the sheen of sweat on his face back in the interrogation room, he might have missed the fear behind Malfoy's arrogant expression.

Harry turned back to the scene in front of him.

"Mr Potter," Kingsley asked quietly. "In the past, when you have been linked with You Know Who, has he ever spoken to or named these men?"