Long Live the Mafia Prince - A Drarry Fanfiction

Part 018

Being at the Mafia castle, I thought getting arrested was surely better than this. Funnily enough, now that I'm back in the Ministry's interrogation room, perhaps being free with slight harassment in the presence of Draco is possibly more tolerable. How insensible humans can be sometimes...

As I sit, my whole body is bound to the chair this time, someone comes into the room. Unexpectedly, it's not Granger.

"You've clearly been up to things, I see?" Ron says, walking in, pulling out the chair on his side.

"What are you doing here?" I say, "I thought Hermoine Granger was on me. An act of spite, kind of thing?".

Ron chuckles. "Believe me, she still is.".

I scoff.

"Can I ask why you're here?" Ron says.

Leaning back in my chair, I sigh. "Do you want me to list all the things Granger is accusing me of?".

"I already know that part.".

"Then what?".

"Who gave you 'La vie', how did you escape from the Ministry, and why did you come back?".

I pause. It's a long story, Ron... "What do you think?".

He shrugs. "The Ministry or me?".

"Both.".

There's a second as Ron puts down the files in his hand, crosses his arms, and tries to gather thoughts. I watch, not a single clue what to expect. Not in terms of the Ministry's opinion, of course, but in terms of Ron himself.

While I know he wouldn't accuse me of theft, murder, and kidnapping, Ginny is also involved. For all he knows, I really could have hidden her away somewhere for whatever reason, if not killed her already.

"The Ministry," Ron starts with a deep breath, "thinks that you are close with the Mafia, somehow, and therefore have gotten yourself stuck in two separate Mafia related cases. They say you've always had an unreasonable grudge against them, which you have to admit is true, and that could be explained as your disguise, saying you hate the people you actually work with so no one suspects anything.".

I nod slowly. "And?".

"They think that you were involved in the theft of 'La vie' to begin with, as in, you helped them from the Ministry's end to plan everything out. According to their theory, after you started cornering the Mafia for the theft, they called you in to get an explanation on how you'd get them out of the grave you dug for them. To add, that calling in was the reason the Ministry couldn't get a hold of you the night Lucius Malfoy was killed.".

The more I listen, the more I feel as though even the Ministry knows that whatever story they're trying to pull off isn't working. "That would get me off the murder of Lucius Malfoy, then, wouldn't it?".

Ron sighs. "Do you think they're gonna let you walk out like that?".

"Seems to me like the Ministry is the one digging their own grave, so, who knows." I say.

"Well, Granger's really going for it with the idea of you being a part of the Mafia, and if she's going for it, you could say you're probably guilty for, I guess everything." Ron says.

I would rather laugh than be annoyed now. At least, that's what I can do about 'La vie' and Lucius Malfoy. Those, I know I'm never going to be charged for. The main issue is...

I take a moment. "How about... Um...".

"Ginny?" Ron says, "They still think you have her.".

"That's it?".

"Unsurprisingly, yes. Not a motive, not more proof of her being missing to begin with, and not even the faintest idea of where she could be.".

Swallowing, I glance at Ron. Somehow, he doesn't seem very upset? "Do you think I did all this?".

He laughs. "We live in the same damn house, you bastard, what do you think? If anything, I think the Ministry should be protecting you.".

I blink. "You do?".

"From what I can tell, sure.".

Looking again, there really isn't a single shine of doubt in Ron's eyes. Even after all the years of living with him, since Hogwarts to now, it's a surprising relief to know that at least he wouldn't throw me in jail.

"Being honest with you, though," Ron says as I glance up, "as much as I could never believe you would steal a piece of gum from the grocery store, the evidence isn't looking too good for you. Or, more like, the evidence to get you out is even less existent than the evidence to lock you up.".

I nod. "I guess I should give you something to work with now?".

"Yes, anything.".

"Anything?".

"Anything that's more than just an empty statement, something with proof, and I'd tell you to say it now if you have something. I fought my way to talk to you, promising a lead in the case, so if you don't want to go to Azkaban and get me fired, I strongly suggest you do.".

Finishing, Ron leans in his chair, waiting for me to spill everything. I hesitate, though, not because I'm not going to spill everything, but because I'm not sure where to begin...

/////

From the first mystery note I got, to getting kidnapped by the Mafia. From finding out that the Mafia boss had a son, to him killing his own father. From a stolen painting, to its return. From Ginny, to the trade. From ignorant selfishness, to depths of regret...

I said it all out loud for the first time.

Ron took a while, a long while, to process my side of the story. I couldn't tell how much of it he expected, if he expected anything at all. My nerves tingle as he slowly opens his mouth.

"The trade." Ron says, his tone low, "You should have the confession notes now, right?".

Without answer, I pull out the wrinkled pieces of parchment from my pocket. One is Draco's confession for the theft of 'La vie' and murder of Lucius Malfoy, another is the note Dean handed over to me at the scene of Lucius Malfoy's death also written by Draco, and the others are the notes he sent to me. I slide them across the table. With the tip of his wand, Ron pushes the notes around, reading them.

"Same handwriting, all from Draco Malfoy." I say.

Ron puts away his wand and looks at me again. "Harry, you know what the problem is?".

I pause. "What?".

"These notes, it's clear they're written by one person, and to prove the writing belongs to Draco Malfoy, we just need him to write something down in front of us. Matching that to any one of these notes isn't hard to do.".

"And? What's the problem?".

A second. With a breath, Ron continues. "How are you going to prove that this 'Draco Malfoy' is a real person?".

It's like something hit my ribs. A laugh leaks out. "Are you saying I'm making up a fake person to get out of prison?".

"No, listen. I just think-".

Something lights in my lungs. "Why the fuck would I come up with a whole human to cover for something I didn't do? I'm telling you, Lucius Malfoy had a son! His name is Draco Malfoy, he stole from one of the most secure art museums in the country, killed his own father and hung him up for the world to see, and kidnaps random people while holding some in his cell! He plays the violin like a prodigy, the words that come out of him are spiked with some drug, and...".

...And he gets into people's heads to get what he wants.

What he wants... What does he even want, anyway? What does he want from me? Why is he doing this? Why is it me?

A moment, Ron waits for me to pipe down. "I believe you, Harry, I really do. It's just that, if the Ministry wanted to, they'd question everything, and all I can think is... why did Draco Malfoy do this to you?".

Why did Draco Malfoy do this to me...