Who Will Stop the Rain

Reunion

Hermione knocked on the front door to the Nott residence and waited nervously for a response. A few seconds passed before the door creaked open and a puffy, bloodshot eye glared at her through the small gap.

"Granger," said Pansy thickly. "I've already told you, you're not welcome around here. Piss off before I call the Aurors."

Pansy made to close the door but Hermione pushed it open a little and implored, "You need to hear me out, Pansy. It's about Theo and Adrian."

"My son is dead and my good-for-nothing husband abandoned me," she spat. "Whatever you've got to say about them is of no use to me now."

"You know Draco's son is missing now, too," Hermione pressed on, struggling against Pansy who was trying to close the door in her face. "They think the Origami Killer has taken him, too."

"Draco's problems are no concern of mine," said Pansy roughly.

"You and Draco used to be friends," Hermione pointed out.

"We were," Pansy corrected her. "That was a long time ago."

"So you would resign another father and son to the same fate as your own?" challenged Hermione. Pansy opened the door fully then and pointed her wand at Hermione's face, her expression furious.

"Get off of my property, you Mudblood bitch," she growled, jabbing the tip of her wand into Hermione's cheek. "Before I do some real damage to that pretty face of yours."

Hermione held up her hands in surrender, but she didn't move.

"I don't think Theo abandoned you, Pansy," Hermione chanced. "I think the killer contacted him in the days after your son went missing. And I don't think he's the first, either."

Pansy blinked a couple of times before slowly removing the tip of her wand from Hermione's cheek, but she eyed her with suspicion, "What are you talking about?"

To Hermione's immense surprise, she found herself sitting in Pansy's kitchen a few minutes later, informing her of what she had uncovered so far during her investigation of the Origami Killer. She also relayed her suspicions about the killer contacting the victim's father's while being careful to keep her facts vague enough not to mention Harry, Ron or Draco's involvement. Pansy sat and listened, her face stony and unreadable as she clung tightly to a hot cup of coffee without drinking it. She hadn't offered Hermione a drink, but she didn't think anything of it; being invited into the woman's house was a more courteous gesture than she could ever have expected.

"Did Theo mention anything to you about receiving strange or threatening letters?" she asked.

Pansy shook her head, "He never said a word. He just kept himself locked up in his office upstairs most of the time. Then one morning, he just...left. Didn't take his wand or his cloak with him, either. I thought he'd gone out looking for Adrian, but then he never came home. I thought...I thought he'd left us."

Pansy became too choked up to speak. Hermione resisted the temptation to lay a reassuring hand on Pansy's. She was more likely to throw the hot coffee in Hermione's face than accept her gesture of comfort.

"Would you...may I have a look at his office?" he asked gently. Pansy screwed up her face. She looked like she was going to refuse, but instead she rose to her feet and inclined her head for Hermione to follow. Pansy unlocked the office door and pushed it open, but she didn't enter the room.

"I don't know what you expect to find in here, the Aurors have already searched the place," she said. "Do you have any more questions?" Hermione shook her head. Pansy gave a curt nod, "Good. Just let yourself out when you're done."