The Minster's Daughter- Draco Malfoy

hand shake.

^^ this is kinda how i'm imagining her room. you dont have to :)

-DRACO'S POV-

"Whose Winky?" Potter asked, his stupid glasses falling off his stupid face.

I had no idea how to act anymore. It's my fault. I made her cry. Growing up, my mother made me promise to not make a woman cry like I've seen her do, but what I seen in Audrey's eyes is something I've never seen in my mother's as she looked at my father. My mother's eyes bled helplessness, whilst behind Audrey's, there was underlying terror.

"Winky is the Crouch house elf. Audrey's never told me about the connection between Winky and the charm, but told me of it, if that makes sense," Rose finished, staring at the table.

"Have you not asked her father? He might know ab-" I decided to interrupt Granger at this point.

"Her father doesn't know much from what she's told me," I said, Rose looked to me with understanding eyes.

"And how would you know, Malfoy? How do we not know you're not lying?" Weasel questioned, stirring my annoyance.

"Because he isn't. I know her better than anyone- her father included. He never really bothered with her after... well, you know. Saying that, he didn't bother too much with any of them," she recalled, shutting Weasel down. Rightfully so. Mr Crouch had his drink in hand, and walked over to us after speaking to some kid. Rose must have caught on too, as she got up and retrieved another chair from a table and putting it on the end of our table.

"Very nice of you, Rose," he put his soda water and lemon on the table, sitting down, "Miss Greengrass and I were just talking about the opportunities you have when you leave school. I must say, you'd all make fantastic employees of the Ministry."

Barty Crouch Sr was a much loved Minister. It was either him or Fudge and everyone knows Fudge is a twit at the best of times. Slowest fucker around. He's been Minister for 11 years, so I haven't known much different.

"Harry and I were looking into becoming Aurors under the Ministry, sir. Looked very interesting," Weasley piped up. Of course him and Potter were licking his arse, and probably Audrey's too.

"Very good, very good. And you, Miss Granger?"

"Well, I was looking at the Care of Magical Creatures department, but the Politics side of it intrigues me. Would quite like to be in the courts, Sir." Mr Crouch's face lit up. Granger just clicked a button.

"Well, that's wonderful. You know, I started in the courts. Best place to be in the Ministry, Miss Granger. So tell me, Mr Malfoy, have you thought about it yet?" fucking hell, Barty, it's only fifth year.

"Quite fancy being a healer, actually," I shrugged, earning a surprised look from Granger. Yes, I have potential.

"Sounds very interesting, Mr Malfoy. Audrey told me she wanted to go into some sort of sport, but it's hard to get somewhere substantial. I've always told her that working in the Ministry will give her security, but she won't have it. Quite a stubborn one, she is." he reminisced.

"Not to contradict you, or anything, Minister, but from what I've seen, she'd make a brilliant Quidditch professional, in any position. She told me earlier that when she does something, it's all or nothing for her, and I admire that. I don't think she'd let herself be unsuccessful at anything she does, to be honest," I realised I had rambled, but nothing I said wasn't true. Mr Crouch smiled, fondly.

"That's something her mother would say. I'm glad that you think so, Mr Malfoy," he said, finishing his drink, "I had best be off now, but thanks for the company, you four."

With that, he was gone, heading for the door.

"They're quite the enigma. Wouldn't you agree? You said he doesn't know much about her. Why?" Granger asked the group, making me realise that I was in their sodding presence.

"Always have been an enigma. I don't know what goes on. When we used to go home for winter breaks and such, she never got on the Sailsbury train, which is strange, seeing as The Crouch residence is there. She got on the Wiltshire one. Never told me why, but when she would come back, we'd catch her rubbing bruise paste on her legs or arms in the bathroom, or find wound covering charm pages from books crumpled under her bed. She came back, each time looking thinner. Once, she returned a week late, and we thought she'd died."

----------------------------------------------------------

-AUDREY'S POV-

The journey back wasn't as vomit-inducing as the way there, which I was grateful for. I apparated back into my room with a pop, making my way towards my bathroom. As if routinely, I took the large jar of paste from the cabinet, and started tending to the burn on my neck, just before I was scared out of my skin.

"Audrey," a soft voice said, making me jump. In the mirror, I could see a troubled Harry sat on my bed. Shit. He knows.

"Oh, Harry. What are you doing here?" I stuttered, finally turning to stand in the bathroom doorway, looking at him.

"Checking on you!" he snapped, making me flinch, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I-"

"Harry, I'm not trying to be rude but I don't need checked on," I tried, but he wouldn't have it.

"Yes you do! Look at you! Your neck, your hands, your clothes. What happened?" he ranted, heightening my chances of crumbling. I needed to cry. So fucking bad. But not in front of Harry. I turned back into the bathroom, so he couldn't see my face.

"Harry if you just came here to nosy then I suggest you leave. I'm tired and I-"

"I DON'T CARE! TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!" Harry shouted, making me snap.

"Harry, would you just GO AWAY?!" I winced when I shouted, a sharp pain in my neck quickly came and went, then he sighed, before replying.

"You're not okay, Audrey. I can't leave you like this. You're hurting." he said softly, now standing in the bathroom doorway where I was. At this point, I gave up trying to send him away.

I picked up the jar of paste again, rolling my eyes. Looking in the mirror, my neck looked like it had been seared by something. I went to touch it, but got distracted by the blood on my hands, seemingly in my prints.

"She told us. That you went for Winky.... Why?"

I froze. Winky.

"Winky told my father something my godfather didn't want him to. He's been after her since. My charm, as long as it was in-tact, kept the wards up on the house to keep her safe..." I mumbled, looking at the blood on my hand.

"What happened? How are you not getting questioned about your apparition?"

"I can't tell you about the apparition part, but....Harry, she's dead."

I heard his sick laugh in my head again, his legilimens.

"That's right, Girly."