Planned Liars • Draco Malfoy

Chapter #14

"I just want to ask a couple of questions," said Eunice, "because you are an intriguing individual, Mrs. Malfoy. Would that be alright?" she smiled sweetly and it was becoming nauseating. I eyed her suspiciously, but sighed eventually.

"Depends on the questions, but let's say it's alright for now."

"Perfect!" she clapped her hands just as the door opened and Mira came back. "Oh, who is...?"

"This is my assistant, Miss Eddowes," I cut her off, indicating Mira.

"Oh, then could she leave us alone for a moment?" Eunice asked, still smiling while Mira was looking at me with bewilderment from behind her.

No way in hell. If she was going to ask me questions, then I really needed a witness in case something went wrong.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. We have actual work to do, you see."

"Right, of course," Eunice nodded. "Never mind, then," she added as an afterthought when bewildered Mira sat down by her desk.

Eunice cleared her throat and settled herself comfortably on the chair in front of me, then opened her notepad and put her quill to it.

"So, my first question is... Is it true that you have witnessed the death of Albus Dumbledore, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Yes..." I replied unsurely, wondering what it had to do with anything.

"How is that possible? Sources say, he was killed by your late Potions' master, professor Severus Snape... An awful betrayal..."

Oh no, I thought. Don't make me explain that to yet another person again.

A year after the war Harry told us - and the entire wizarding world - everything about what he had seen in the Pensieve and that in fact Snape was a double agent all this time. Dumbledore asked him to be killed. Thanks to that, he protected Draco as well. My respect for this man has completely changed over the years.

"If you had reliable sources, you would know professor Snape had been asked to kill professor Dumbledore by professor Dumbledore himself. And I was at the Astronomy Tower at the time just to find my current fiancé."

"Right..." she said, making some notes, then looked back at me.

"And you saw He Who Must Not Be Named die too, right? You have fought in the Battle of Hogwarts?"

"I have," I replied, unwilling to give her any more details. I had already noticed this was going in the wrong direction, and Mira seemed to have noticed that too, because she was sending me frightened looks.

"Alright..." she said, having written something again. "So now you're Mr. Malfoy's fiancée. Why him?"

"What kind of question is that? I don't know, maybe because I love him?" I said sarcastically.

"But Mr. Malfoy's father, and we're talking about Mr. Lucius Malfoy of course, is known for his great wealth. Was it a factor?"

"No?"

At this point, I knew it needed to end. I looked at Mira over Eunice's shoulder and pointed at the wall behind my assistant. She understood immediately and nodded - that wall was the one I shared with Shane's office, so she sent him a note at once.

"So you're pregnant with Mr. Malfoy's child?" Eunice asked suddenly, still smiling.

"No, I'm not!" I replied more loudly than I planned.

"Relieving," she said, faking a sigh of relief and noting something. "This would be such a scandal... Young Malfoy marries a random woman that carries his child..."

"I'm not a random woman!" I shouted, standing up. "Get your sources straight, because I have been with hi..."

"But of course! You're an Obliviator!" she interrupted me. "With such skills, you may have made..."

She got interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Shane stepped in, saying "What did you want, Aurora?", but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the woman in front of me.

"You!" he shouted at once, pointing at her. "You're the one who terrorised my cousin!"

Eunice turned her head towards him and stood up slowly, apparently untouched by his sudden appearance.

"Oh, Mr. Stagridge, isn't it?" she beamed at him. "And terrorised? Simply interviewed the wife of the most famous Quidditch player in Britain right now..."

"I wouldn't call it that," he grumped to my shock. I don't think I had ever seen Shane that angry before.

"Mr. Stagridge, Christina and I are friends from school, she owed me this..." but Eunice didn't finish as Shane took out his wand and silenced her with a mere flick.

"Shane, what the heck?! The security can burst in at any moment!" I called bewildered as he turned to me.

"Aurora, please tell me you didn't tell that woman anything."

"I..." but before I could finish, Eunice took out her own wand and waved it to stop Shane's spell.

"Really charming, Mr. Stagridge," she said, still smiling, but this time there was something wicked in her smile. "And really... Mature for a Ministry official," she added with venom.

"Well, you aren't really mature for a journalist, suggesting I am some random woman when you can't get your sources right," I said before Shane could burst out.

"You must understand that I can't write and say anything for sure until I confirm it. That's why I'm here, right? You have barely been seen with Mr. Malfoy, so of course there are suspicions that you're hiding and..."

"Mira, I beg you, call Draco before I do something I will regret," I cut her off, balling my hands into fists and Mira obeyed at once.

Eunice sighed, shaking her head.

"Why is everyone so angry here? No wonder our Ministry is going to the dogs..."

"Draco?! Call Draco?! Are you nuts, Aurora?! She should call security!" Shane shouted.

"Oh, yes, so they can arrest you for attacking me for no reason, Mr. Stagridge," Eunice replied.

And just as Shane was about to shout back, Draco burst inside.

"Are you okay, Aurora?" he asked in shock and I guessed the text Mira wrote in the note sounded quite dramatic.

Eunice clapped her hands at the sight of him and looked at him with such admiration as though she saw a god.

"Mr. Malfoy! A pleasure to meet you!"