14

"I don't recall you having a stutter, Miss Parkinson," he said with an infuriating smile on his face as he stood there, relaxed. Pansy quickly tried to apparate before her eyes widened.

"Yeah, you can't apparate," he replied, still smirking.

"W-what do you want?" She asked nervously.

"For starters, I'd prefer it if you cut to the chase and just admit what's going on here," he replied with a flippant shake of his hand.

Pansy said nothing. She knew he was well aware of what was going on, and she wondered who ratted her out. Their group was a little one, and she knew none of her associates would fold. They were all in the same boat, after all.

She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Muggles were always bad news, and the first time she tried to pawn off some of the Parkinson family goods in the muggle world, she was caught before she could even do anything. But there was little choice they had. The aurors had been keeping a close eye on every shady business in Wizarding Britain, so going ahead with this little plan made sense.

Pansy stared at Potter and furiously racked her brain to come up with something. She did not want to get arrested. The prospect of spending even a minute in that horrid prison terrified her. It was a fate worse than death and she would do anything to avoid it.

"P-potter… I know we've not had a very good history with each other…"

"That's an understatement if I ever heard one," he chuckled. "I'm still waiting for your confession, Parkinson."

Pansy grimaced. She knew she had to do something about Potter. She knew there was no way she could win against him. He had killed the Dark Lord and so many of his followers after all. All she could hope was to get a sneak attack on him, and for that, she needed to have him at his most vulnerable. It was her only hope to get out of this situation.

The beginnings of a plan began to form in her mind, and Pansy adopted the most innocent face she could muster. She knew he had this thing where he wanted to help people. He had saved the Malfoys, after all. If that could happen, even she could do something. She only hoped it worked on him.

It didn't. Harry took one look at that fake expression on the brunette's face and scoffed to himself.

'Trying to act all innocent, as if you're a damsel in distress? Guess I'll humor you a bit,' he thought, chuckling to himself.

"After the war, things have been very bad for my house," she whispered, looking down. "Father was killed and mother killed herself. Our businesses were taken over, and all sources of income went down the drain. I had no choice but to do this."

"Why not go for a job, like regular people?"

Pansy looked up at him, and Harry had to give it to her. That tearful expression was truly jarring.

"And who would hire the daughter of a Death Eater?" She asked brokenly. "No one wants to do anything with people like me. I can't exactly die, can I? Have to do something to keep the food on the plate."

"I understand," Harry sighed, and Pansy looked up at him. "Things have been really bad. I get it. Still, I'm sorry but I have to do what protocol dictates, Parkinson."

"W-wait, please don't send me to Azkaban!" She cried out frantically.

"You are not going to Azkaban, woman. You've not even had an interrogation, let alone a trial. Just what do you think we aurors do?" He asked in slight disbelief. No matter how much she was acting right now, there was an inkling of fear in her expression right now. Only an inkling though. Most of her act was still that – an act.

Harry rubbed his face. "You're going to come with me to the DMLE and you will go through a proper interrogation. Meanwhile, I'll be keeping these as evidence."

Before Pansy could blink, the bottomless bag she had been hiding under her coat appeared in Potter's hand and he put it away.

"W-what? DMLE!?" She whispered.

Harry nodded. "That's what protocol says. Come on, the quicker we get this over with, the better it is."

"W-wait, Potter! Can you please not take me to the DMLE?" She asked pleadingly. "The Parkinson name has been tarnished beyond repair, and if you take me there, people will know. I beg you, please don't take me there. I'll do anything you ask. I'll fully cooperate with this. Just keep this private. Please!"

Harry stared at her for a long moment. The usual protocol dictated any interrogation would take place inside the DMLE but he had the option to interrogate her outside the premises as well. It was at his discretion though.

"The least punishment for your offense is a fine, Parkinson. You can rest assured that your name will be getting out once we file the paperwork. Even though most people won't know about it, the DMLE would."

"I can take that much," she replied immediately. "I know most of the DMLE doesn't have a favorable opinion of me anyway."

Harry stared at her for a few minutes before he nodded.

"Alright. Grab on then," he replied as he held out his arm. Pansy hesitantly reached out and grabbed hold of his arm and they apparated away immediately, leaving nothing but the traces of their footsteps into the snowy alley.

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A/N- Chapters will be uploaded daily when powerstones reset.

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