Of Horses And Waterfalls

40. Shocking Images

Draco had insisted that they call Sirius and Pansy to help with going over the footage, because four sets of eyes would be better than two.  And if he or Harry missed something, they would never forgive themselves.  So it was, that when they heard the gate, Harry answered.  When they heard the password that had been given that week which was - Hufflepuff - the gate was opened. 

Sirius had arrived with pizza and beers, and Harry gave him a huge hug to tell him thanks.  Draco was paired with Sirius to look at cameras 1-4, while Pansy and Harry went off together to watch cameras 5-10.  They would take hourly breaks, and then they would swop cameras, trying to see if their views were the same.  

Harry also suggested that they take screenshots of what they deemed to be suspicious, and so it was.  With full stomachs, they all made their way to the screens, and partitioned off the area so that neither team could see the other.  But not before Harry pulled Draco aside and gave him a kiss, leaving him breathless, but telling him that if he saw something that was going to upset him, just to call for Harry.  He was there for him every step of the way.

Draco kissed him after hearing those words, and left the room.  The first two hours were spent in total frustration for Draco and Sirius, because the first two cameras were facing towards the pastures next to the border of the property.  There was absolutely no movement that had ever gone on there, so they gave it up and started on the other locations.  One of the cameras were facing the gate, and camera number four was focused on the driveway.

Harry and Pansy had chosen the cameras that were facing the barn, the cottages and the main house, including part of the driveway.  Clicks of the mouse and constant repeated words of, "just go back a sec" were often heard, and it was after the first two hours, that none of them had seen anything worth writing home about.  

On their break, they went for a walk outside for some fresh air, and each told the other team what they had seen.  Which was nothing.  Neither team wanting to lose hope, they were going to do this until they found something, even if it meant losing sleep.  Harry and Draco were standing in front of the barn, and were discussing that maybe with the rebuild, they should enlarge it, and add some changes to the design.

When their hour break was over, they went back inside and picked up where they left off.  It wasn't soon after that Pansy cried out, "Shit, fucking shit, fucking arsehole", that had Harry looking at her instead of the screen.  She sure knew some colorful swear words was his first thought, but when she pointed to the monitor with her head, he looked and saw what had grabbed her attention.

It was an image of the prick Theo Nott.  They watched in silence as he crept towards the barn, and armed with a hairpin, had managed to unlock the barn and stepped inside.  In his hands he was carrying what looked like a jerrycan, obviously the accelerant to fuel the fire, or at least start it.  There were obviously no cameras inside the barn, but the screen came back to life just seconds later, when they saw him emerge without the jerrycan and orange flames flicking in the background.

Bingo!  They had their culprit.  But there were so many questions.  Like how did he gain entry, and why would he do this.  Had someone paid him, someone like Lucius Malfoy?  Just as all these thoughts were twirling around in Harry's brain, Draco came storming in and said they had just seen images of Theo climbing the very high fence next to the entrance gate, and watched him as he walked up the driveway.

Pansy showed him and Sirius what they had just seen.  Draco's face went white, because the first thought was that Theo was doing this to hurt him, because he had shunned his advances.  Harry saw his look, and pulled him into his arms.  "Hey, this isn't your fault babe", he said softly.  But Draco was silent as he kept watching over and over the man that had been his boyfriend, come to harm his future.

"We have to inform the police.  That way they can start their investigation", said Harry.  They all agreed and asked Pansy to make the call.  She looked at Draco and squeezed his arm, "I have known Theo longer than you have Draco, and I'm telling you now.  There is no way that he would have done this without him gaining anything from it", she said.

Harry frowned and asked her, "What are you talking about?".

She answered.  "Theo is a taker.  He will only ever do favors for anyone when he gets something out of it.  He was working for someone.  Someone who paid him", she said in a shaky voice.  "That fucking bastard", and gave Draco a hug.  Draco had no words.

He looked at all of them and said what they were all thinking, "It's my father.  It has to be.  Why else would he do this?  Pansy's right - my father would pay handsomely to see me fail, you heard his words last time he was here - I'm going to be sorry - is what he said", replied Draco.

"Hey", said Harry.  "When the police arrive we give them all the information, and then let him handle it.  We are not going to go marching into the Manor and demand answers.  That way he won't know that we have the footage, I mean he doesn't even know we have cameras.  His downfall really", stated Harry, and kissed Draco on his forehead.

Draco nodded and they waited for Pansy to make the call.  It wasn't long until Winston showed up, after receiving a call from Pansy as well.  He was shown the footage, and when the Chief of Police arrived - a man by the name of Neville Longbottom - he was given their statements and a copy of the shocking images.  He thanked them, and said that arson was an extremely heinous crime, and that the perpetrators would pay to the full extent of the law.

Harry and Draco thanked them equally for coming out so late, and after they left, sat down to plates of sandwiches and coffee.  They were all stunned at what they had seen, and couldn't wait until the whole sordid business was finally put to rest.  But Draco had something to say, and that was, he also needed to make a phone call.

Harry frowned at those words and watched him grab his mobile phone and dial a number he didn't know.  Just for the hell of it, Draco put the call on speaker, so that everyone could hear what was going to be said.

It was answered after the fourth ring.  "Hello?", said a woman with a kind and soft voice.

Harry had to admit that his jealousy was starting to come to the forefront, and wondered who the owner of that voice was, but calmed down some when he heard Draco speak.  "Mother", he said waspishly.

"Draco!  It's good to hear you love.  How are you?", she enquired.

"I am well thank you.  I'm phoning to ask if you would like to come for lunch tomorrow at the ranch.  God knows I've been so busy, but I wanted you to see the changes and the progress that we've been making", he offered.

"Progress?", she asked.  "But your father said that there had been a fire...", she said, realizing too late that she had just outed him.  But she didn't know that.  She also didn't know that the story of the fire was not in any newspaper articles yet.  Which is exactly what Draco was hoping for.  The only way that his father could have known about the fire, was if he had been a part of it.

"Yes there was a fire, but I would still like to extend the invitation.  So, will you come?", he asked with a bitter taste in his mouth.  

"I would love to.  I'll be there around 11am, if that's all right?", she said.

"That's perfect.  One more thing, please come alone", he begged.

"Of course.  I wasn't about to invite anyone without your consent Draco", and after telling him to have a good night and sending kisses, she hung up.  Draco turned towards the others in the room with a raised brow, as if to say, 'See?'.  Harry smiled and kissed him deeply, not giving two hoots about who was in the room.

"That was brilliant and clever and very sneaky Draco", said Harry with adoration.  Then he told Draco to tell the police about the phone call as well, which is what he did.  After a while, all of them exhausted, they went to bed.

Pansy in the spare bedroom on the ground floor.  Sirius in the spare bedroom on the first floor, and the two lovers went to Harry's cottage so that when they fucked, could be as loud as they wanted to be.