Rita Skeeter straightened her back and looked away, refusing to look at Arum Twarmer directly as he stood in the doorway to her small cell. He was an insult to her eyes.
'Darling, it's been a while, what?' Twarmer said as he shuffled into the room. His trousers were too big and the bottoms had become folded up and worn through from where they constantly scuffed on the dirty floor. She despised him for it.
Rita stuck her nose in the air in defiance.
'It's very easy. I only want you to tell me who sent you those photographs. Who is your source? What?'
Gregory Goyle was stood behind her and he grabbed her chin roughly and forced her head around to look at Twarmer. She snorted indignantly. 'You always were a bully, Arum,' she said haughtily. 'I see, now, you let others get their hands dirty on your behalf.'
'You're looking a bit rough yourself these days, Rita,' Arum said nastily.
'That makes two of us. I see you still have egg down your front from two days ago. Something on your mind to distract you from cleaning it off?'
He looked down in surprise, side-tracked by her words, and she smiled to herself. She thought he played the gormless idiot well.
He looked back at her, unconcerned. And drew his wand. 'You'll look a bit rougher after a few rounds of the Cruciatus, hey?' He pointed the wand at her.
'Save your energy, Arum. I don't know. Everything was sent anonymously. Brown envelope, complex and multiple courier Owl routes that were untraceable. No note. Just enough for me to have a good dig around and find out a lot more about your dealings behind the scenes. Or just to print the photos, they didn't require anything more. You partying with Death-Eaters... can you hear that, Arum?' she paused.
'What?' he looked slightly panicked and Goyle had frozen behind her.
If you were a witch who believed in such things as divination and portents, then it was ominous that some church bells across the fields were striking the hour. Otherwise, it could be classed as just fortuitous.
Rita Skeeter smiled evilly. 'The tolling of the bells ... it must be the sound of your death knell.'
Arum sighed heavily. And cast a Legilimens instead.
It was rough as he pushed his way around her mind until he stumbled into her meeting with Harry Potter in the little café near her work. He watched the memory with intrigue, wondering what Potter's game was. And recoiled in horror at her fervid imagination of him doing naked yoga. And then he backtracked, roughly playing the memory in rewind until he focused on the other man in the café. The one at the neighbouring table with his back virtually touching Potter's.
Arum Twarmer smiled to himself.
'Well, well. What's he doing there? Hardly a coincidence, I think. Draco Malfoy, hey?' he said slowly as he withdrew sharply from Rita's mind. 'Come on Gregory, we've got some Malfoys to go a hunting for. The blood-traitor scum, what? It appears both father and son are playing a part in this game. I'm going to tear them limb from limb, then leave you to toy with them as you see fit. Death is too good for the likes of them but as that's your speciality, I'll leave you to it. But make sure it's painful and that no one can find the bodies afterwards.'
Rita Skeeter wasn't particularly focusing on what Arum Twarmer was saying, though, afterwards, she was to rethink over and over his words many times and tell them to as many people as she could. That was before she even got to having them printed boldly on the front page of the Prophet as soon as she'd escaped from her current ordeal. The Death Knoll indeed...
She didn't stop to think that she might possibly be in as much trouble as the Malfoys.
However, at that precise moment, apart from recovering from the indignity and pain of having her thoughts riffled through by the man, she was trying to recall every detail of meeting Harry Potter in the Luchino Caffe. There was a horrific sinking feeling of realisation that every time they'd met for a little 'chat' the same blond man with the tattoos had been sat with his back to Harry Potter and that blond man was, indeed, Draco Malfoy. She wanted to slap her own face for missing that. Only she couldn't, she was still tied to a chair ... in a dungeon ... somewhere ... location unknown.
And Arum bloody Twarmer and his gormless troll had just left her there like that.
'Hey...' she shouted indignantly into the darkness. 'HEY!'
No one answered beyond the scratching of the rats at the walls.
She wondered hopelessly where Harry Potter was, at that precise time.
Harry Potter was, at that very precise moment, spooning Draco Malfoy in his sleep, wrapped around his boyfriend in blissful slumber in the depths of Wales under the shadow of Mount Snowdon. He sighed against cool, pale skin and was rewarded by an equally cool hand snaking its way backward across his hips and around to his bum as far as reach would allow. He sighed again, slowly waking up to the realisation that there was an irritating sharp and repetitive tapping on the window.
'Are you going to answer that damned Owl?' Draco murmured, still half asleep.
'Why don't you?' Harry grumbled.
'Because it will only be for you' Draco said without opening his eyes. 'Only Pilli Owls me and it's a Sunday today so he won't be open. Plus, he knows I'm going in tomorrow because I'm going to start on Havelock's tattoo.'
Harry sighed, untangled his feet from Draco's, and got up to answer the Owl. Beniot hooted indignantly at Harry giving another owl treats.
'What was it?' Draco said sleepily, ignoring Harry's pull that was trying to tug him around.
'The Prophet.' Harry was disinterested in post, more taken with waking Draco up fully.
'What's today's headline?'
'Dray...' Harry winged.
'Gods, Harry, you woke me up in the middle of the night already, I'm exhausted.'
Harry huffed but drew away and sat up. He leant against the headboard and rattled open the newspaper as Draco turned over and pressed his head in against Harry's side, still half-asleep. Though he did start to distractedly run his fingers along the top of Harry's thigh, occasionally dipping teasingly towards his groin.
It was Harry's turn to ignore Draco's quiet advances.
'I don't think Barnabas Cuffe knew which headline to run with so he's gone with two side-by-side.'
'Mhem,' mumbled Draco.
'"Harry Potter – New Head Auror" – ugh!' He glanced rapidly past the image of himself that Rita had taken several months earlier and skim-read the article. 'Mostly sycophantic rubbish about how wonderful I am after meeting me in person.'
'You are...'
'Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy? You brush off my advances and tell me I'm wonderful – that's not the Draco I know and love.'
'Hmmm,' said Draco, covering a little smile against Harry's skin.
'He's put Rita's name against the mirroring headline. It seems they've unearthed some evidence that shows Twarmer paid off his competition, including confessions from Nikau Tohu from New Zealand and Leilani Kahale from Hawaii. Plus medical evidence that Tashi Bhandari from Tibet was under the Imperius, probably because he wouldn't take the bribe. That's very damning for Twarmer. Third day in a row.'
'I suppose he'll try and bluster his way out of it. Any response from the International Confederation of Wizards?'
'Mhem,' said Harry, feeling very pleased about it as he got to that part in the article. 'It seems Barnabas Cuffe had been very busy making sure he talks to the right people. It reads "Carlos Ricci, Spokesperson of the International Confederation of Wizards has announced that Arum Twarmer's bid for Supreme Mugwump has been dismissed following the recent scandals that have emerged. Mr Twarmer is deemed as an unsuitable representative for Magical Beings around the world. Simultaneously, the Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt has also released a statement to say that during an emergency meeting with officials in the Wizengamot, it was unanimously agreed that Arum Twarmer should be stripped of his title and his place on the Wizengamot as Lord Chief Justice as he is declared an embarrassment to the British Wizarding Legal system and the Minister has confirmed that he will be launching an official investigation into Arum Twarmer's conduct. That includes past rulings in court and votes on legal matters as well as the rather large issue of perjury. Mr Twarmer may be required to attend court under the Truth Serum as has been the precedent in the past. The Daily Prophet looks forward to reporting on that day." Positively gleeful from our Mr Barnabas Cuffe. On page two there's another announcement: "Following the scandalous photograph of a number of high-profile Ministerial Officers that the Daily Prophet made public yesterday, Annalisa Parkinson has resigned from her post in the Treasury, offering a full apology for her part during the first war and for not disclosing her position regarding her knowledge that she was photographed amongst some of Voldemort's most loyal followers. She has confirmed that she was one of Mr Twarmer's benefactors during his latest unsuccessful campaign to become Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. She has submitted herself for a medical scan, a new detection spell created by Grim Fawley and Omar Abasi, who have confirmed that she did not take the Dark Mark herself, despite being part of the party photographed with Tom Marvolo Riddle (aka Lord Voldemort)." She says that she was being held to ransom by Arum Twarmer, who also possessed a copy of the photograph and had shown it to her, "threatening to reveal the information unless she backed his proposals. None of the other people who have resigned over the past few days have come forward with a statement." Barnabas Cuffe is wondering aloud what some of them have to hide and how many others have been blackmailed or bribed by him. I suspect we might see an influx of people coming forward in the next few days with that one.'
'You've really stirred up a Billywig's nest,' Draco said, his fingers still idly tracing up and down Harry's inner thigh.
'It's not over yet,' Harry said, throwing aside the paper and burying himself back down under the duvet. 'You're an incorrigible tease,' he muttered, capturing Draco's lips in a kiss.
'You have morning breath.'
Harry scrabbled on the side table for his wand and cast a mouth freshener. 'Better?' he asked.
'Mhem,' said Draco. 'But I was only trying to get you to turn over.'
'Oh, I see. Well, you need to be clearer in your directions, Malfoy.'
'Potter...' warned Draco. 'Turn over.'
'Like so?' Harry said, turning so he was face down on the bed, his legs slightly parted.
'Yes,' Draco hissed, delighted. 'Lie very still,' he commanded.
'Oh gods,' mumbled Harry.
'Did I say you could talk?'
Draco smiled to himself as he ran teasing fingers down Harry's back and marvelled once more at the self-control. Harry didn't even flinch when Draco's fingers strayed towards his ribs.
'Sweet gods, I love you,' Draco whispered against Harry's skin as he bent forward to kiss the back of his neck.
***