Toxic

To Find a Rat

It's getting late to give you up...

Draco walked assuredly into his office and leaned against his desk. He didn't have to wait long before Blaise and Theo rushed in, both of them wearing concerned looks on their faces. He waved his wand, making sure that the door was shut, locked and that no one would overhear what they were about to discuss.

"So, what's happening? Is it true?" Blaise asked. Theo looked at him and then back at Draco, handing a file over to Draco.

Before getting back in, Draco had asked Theo to obtain the formal complaint against Liv. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to get it done but figured Theo would have more pull than Blaise. And thankfully he had come through.

"Someone set her up," Draco said calmly after he looked through the documents.

Unfortunately, the names had been redacted, but it wouldn't be that difficult to find out who was involved with the way people around here talked. Whoever had done it was thorough and patient, waiting for the right moment to act. He would have to be as well, though time was not on his side. But he had enough to at least put something into motion. Already he could see blaring mistakes that would help him make a case.

Now that he had a plan, it was infinitely easier to stay focused.

"Someone planted Night Heather in her office," Draco said, looking back down at the documents as he walked around his desk and sat down.

Even though he was calm and collected, he couldn't help the anger that coursed through him. Though he quickly tempered it with thoughts of how he might make said person suffer once he found out who it was.

"I need you two to help me find out who did this," he said, looking from Blaise to Theo.

"Of course, anything to help, but isn't the Ministry already looking into this?" Theo asked. "Surely, they wouldn't sack her without, at the least, investigating the claims. I glanced through the file and it should be easy enough to disprove them."

"For some reason, they are keen to believe the allegations, or rather the person who made them. Liv said White wouldn't even listen to her when she tried to explain," he replied. "So we're going to find out who is behind this and then expose them."

"Okay," Theo said, a look of determination coming over his face. "I admit, like helping her more than trying to take her down."

A small smile crept over Draco's face, though it fell when he thought back to their argument.

Even if he did this, he wasn't sure that it would work. That Liv would believe him and take him back.

"She's not doing so well, is she?" Blaise said. Draco looked up at him, surprised to see the normally smarmy man genuinely upset.

"We had an argument. When I thought perhaps she had gotten the Night Heather illegally for my research, I tried to apologize, saying it was my fault. She took that as an admission of guilt for everything," he said. "That's when I found out that she hadn't actually gotten it and rather they found it planted in her office." He frowned. "I'm not sure if she believes me, but that's why I'm going to do everything I can to clear her name. She thinks she's about to be hauled into Azkaban as it is."

A grin suddenly appeared on Blaise's face as he looked at Theo and then back at Draco.

"Is there anything else you'd care to share with us?" he asked. Draco looked at him and then sighed.

"We're together. Or... we were. I'm not sure where we stand at the moment, but hopefully... this will work and... things will get better," Draco said.

"Happy to see you finally admitted your feelings to yourself. And her," Theo said. Draco smiled faintly.