Bi-Weekly topic: George Carlin quote
Who? Rhiannon Jackson and Scorpius Malfoy
What? The first round of werewolf interrogations
When? last Friday in grownhp6words
Why? Because it's their job to sort out what happened
The first thing that Rhiannon Jackson notices when she walks into the interrogation room is how calm Scorpius Malfoy appears to be. He's sitting in a chair, hands folded neatly on his lap, and his eyes are nearly expressionless. He looks completely at ease in being asked to come by for the interview. She has interviewed one werewolf before him, and he was anything but at ease. He was scared that whomever had caused these attacks would make life harder for him. He was adamant that he had an alibi. His wife and young son both backed up his claim that he had taken his potion and slept in a room all night as he always did on a full moon.
The second thing she notices is that Scorpius Malfoy is not alone. Next to him is a very well dressed attorney. She's seen him in the trials she has had to give testimony in. It seems a bit strange that Mr. Malfoy has already hired an attorney. Perhaps not though. His grandfather is a powerful man from an influential family. She was given the task of interviewing Malfoy after Proudfoot was given Maisie MacIntyre, and Bastian was given Remus Lupin. She'd already received a beautiful bouquet of Orchids from Mr. Lucius Malfoy at her home address. Considering she hadn't told anyone she would be interviewing his grandson she wondered how he had found out.
"Mr. Malfoy, thank you for agreeing to meet me here," She says, as she takes a seat across from him and his attorney. "Mr. Stevenson, it's always a pleasure to see you again." It is actually. Given that he is a charming attorney who has always been quite polite to Rhia.
"Auror Jackson," Mr. Stevenson says with a big genuine smile. He is a few years older than her, and quite handsome. She wonders if it is a coincidence that the attorney she has fancied a bit from a distance is the one that Scorpius Malfoy hired to represent him.
There were very few things that could be chalked up to coincidence in life.
Even fewer when the Malfoys were involved.
"How can I assist you with your investigation, Auror Jackson?" Scorpius asks in a polite tone. His eyes remain expressionless. She wonders if he's been coached on how not to reveal anything he's feeling, or if it comes naturally.
"The night of the full moon, where were you during it?" She starts off with the big questions. Proudfoot taught her to gage her suspect and to react accordingly. If Malfoy thinks he needs a lawyer than she might as well not hold back with him.
"Where I always am."
"Which is?"
"Outside."
She pauses and looks at him. "You spend your full moons outside?"
"Indeed."
"Has this always been the case?" She makes a note in the file with her quill. He doesn't even cast a look to see what she is writing. Interesting. Most look.
"I spent my first transformations inside, but once I had adjusted to the process I began spending them outside."
"Are you alone when you're outside?"
"No."
"Can anyone verify your whereabouts for Wednesday night?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Anyone who was outside that night. I'm not sure if they will be of much use to you though. I hear rabbits are hard to use on a witness stand." Slow easy smile that many would consider charming. He's entirely too at ease with this process.
"Can anyone who is..." she pauses to check her phrasing, "Can anyone who would actually be able to speak with me verify your whereabouts?"
Scorpius smiles as he says, "Are you charging me with something, Auror Jackson?"
"No, not at this time. Should I be?"
"That would be for you to decide. I wouldn't presume to know what you should or should not do." He looks over at his attorney who immediately springs into action.
"Unless you have reason to charge Mr. Malfoy with something I don't believe he has anything more to offer you about the night in question."
"I'm trying to clear your client as a suspect in what happened Wednesday night. It would be easier to do so without your interruption and with his cooperation." She smiles the same easy smile that both had shot in her direction earlier. Proudfoot would be snickering if he was there watching.
There is a moment of silence as Scorpius Malfoy leans forward, places his hands on the table and turns to gaze at her. His eyes are such a haunting shade of pale grey-blue that for a moment she almost loses herself in them. It's in that moment she realizes he has his grandfather's eyes. Lucius Malfoy has managed to make nearly every woman who works at the Ministry lose themselves in his eyes at one time or another.
"You'll have to forgive me, Auror Jackson, for not trusting your office or the Ministry itself in offering fair investigations when it comes to my family. The Malfoys, Blacks, and werewolves have all experienced unjust persecution over the years for no more reason than existing at times. If you have a reason to charge me, do so, otherwise I don't believe I have anything else to tell you at this time."
He stands up without waiting for her to tell him one way or another. His assumption is she has nothing so he is free to go. The sad fact is, he's right, but he's also giving her no reason to believe there isn't something there to find. Her instincts are screaming that this could very well be the werewolf they are looking for. If there is only one they are looking for.
"What can you tell me about the night in question? Were you at the Heim's home? What about the park?"
He smiles as he walks to the door.
"No comment. If you decide you have enough to charge me, feel free to contact my attorney, and I'll be happy to return for a second interview." Scorpius leaves the room as his lawyer rises to follow him.
"Always a pleasure, Rhia," he tells her as he approaches the door.
"You would be wise to advise your client that if he doesn't cooperate with us he gives the impression of guilt rather than innocence." Her tone is professional and cool.
"It doesn't matter if he gives the impression of guilt, Jackson. Unless you can prove he's guilty you can't force him to talk to you. If you come up with something specific rather than just a random casting of a net over all known werewolves contact me and we'll arrange another sit down. Until that time, my client has finished speaking with you and your office. Enjoy the rest of your day."
The moment the door closes, she rubs at her temples. Why did she draw a Malfoy? She should have traded with Proudfoot or Savage. Pressing quill to parchment she begins her report. Her mind is racing as she replays everything he said. She'll watch the pensieve several times before she finishes her report. Rhia has always been careful not to miss anything important.
In this case she has a feeling the key to what happened with Scorpius Malfoy can be found in what he didn't say rather than what he did.
What? The first round of werewolf interrogations
When? last Friday in grownhp6words
Why? Because it's their job to sort out what happened
The first thing that Rhiannon Jackson notices when she walks into the interrogation room is how calm Scorpius Malfoy appears to be. He's sitting in a chair, hands folded neatly on his lap, and his eyes are nearly expressionless. He looks completely at ease in being asked to come by for the interview. She has interviewed one werewolf before him, and he was anything but at ease. He was scared that whomever had caused these attacks would make life harder for him. He was adamant that he had an alibi. His wife and young son both backed up his claim that he had taken his potion and slept in a room all night as he always did on a full moon.
The second thing she notices is that Scorpius Malfoy is not alone. Next to him is a very well dressed attorney. She's seen him in the trials she has had to give testimony in. It seems a bit strange that Mr. Malfoy has already hired an attorney. Perhaps not though. His grandfather is a powerful man from an influential family. She was given the task of interviewing Malfoy after Proudfoot was given Maisie MacIntyre, and Bastian was given Remus Lupin. She'd already received a beautiful bouquet of Orchids from Mr. Lucius Malfoy at her home address. Considering she hadn't told anyone she would be interviewing his grandson she wondered how he had found out.
"Mr. Malfoy, thank you for agreeing to meet me here," She says, as she takes a seat across from him and his attorney. "Mr. Stevenson, it's always a pleasure to see you again." It is actually. Given that he is a charming attorney who has always been quite polite to Rhia.
"Auror Jackson," Mr. Stevenson says with a big genuine smile. He is a few years older than her, and quite handsome. She wonders if it is a coincidence that the attorney she has fancied a bit from a distance is the one that Scorpius Malfoy hired to represent him.
There were very few things that could be chalked up to coincidence in life.
Even fewer when the Malfoys were involved.
"How can I assist you with your investigation, Auror Jackson?" Scorpius asks in a polite tone. His eyes remain expressionless. She wonders if he's been coached on how not to reveal anything he's feeling, or if it comes naturally.
"The night of the full moon, where were you during it?" She starts off with the big questions. Proudfoot taught her to gage her suspect and to react accordingly. If Malfoy thinks he needs a lawyer than she might as well not hold back with him.
"Where I always am."
"Which is?"
"Outside."
She pauses and looks at him. "You spend your full moons outside?"
"Indeed."
"Has this always been the case?" She makes a note in the file with her quill. He doesn't even cast a look to see what she is writing. Interesting. Most look.
"I spent my first transformations inside, but once I had adjusted to the process I began spending them outside."
"Are you alone when you're outside?"
"No."
"Can anyone verify your whereabouts for Wednesday night?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Anyone who was outside that night. I'm not sure if they will be of much use to you though. I hear rabbits are hard to use on a witness stand." Slow easy smile that many would consider charming. He's entirely too at ease with this process.
"Can anyone who is..." she pauses to check her phrasing, "Can anyone who would actually be able to speak with me verify your whereabouts?"
Scorpius smiles as he says, "Are you charging me with something, Auror Jackson?"
"No, not at this time. Should I be?"
"That would be for you to decide. I wouldn't presume to know what you should or should not do." He looks over at his attorney who immediately springs into action.
"Unless you have reason to charge Mr. Malfoy with something I don't believe he has anything more to offer you about the night in question."
"I'm trying to clear your client as a suspect in what happened Wednesday night. It would be easier to do so without your interruption and with his cooperation." She smiles the same easy smile that both had shot in her direction earlier. Proudfoot would be snickering if he was there watching.
There is a moment of silence as Scorpius Malfoy leans forward, places his hands on the table and turns to gaze at her. His eyes are such a haunting shade of pale grey-blue that for a moment she almost loses herself in them. It's in that moment she realizes he has his grandfather's eyes. Lucius Malfoy has managed to make nearly every woman who works at the Ministry lose themselves in his eyes at one time or another.
"You'll have to forgive me, Auror Jackson, for not trusting your office or the Ministry itself in offering fair investigations when it comes to my family. The Malfoys, Blacks, and werewolves have all experienced unjust persecution over the years for no more reason than existing at times. If you have a reason to charge me, do so, otherwise I don't believe I have anything else to tell you at this time."
He stands up without waiting for her to tell him one way or another. His assumption is she has nothing so he is free to go. The sad fact is, he's right, but he's also giving her no reason to believe there isn't something there to find. Her instincts are screaming that this could very well be the werewolf they are looking for. If there is only one they are looking for.
"What can you tell me about the night in question? Were you at the Heim's home? What about the park?"
He smiles as he walks to the door.
"No comment. If you decide you have enough to charge me, feel free to contact my attorney, and I'll be happy to return for a second interview." Scorpius leaves the room as his lawyer rises to follow him.
"Always a pleasure, Rhia," he tells her as he approaches the door.
"You would be wise to advise your client that if he doesn't cooperate with us he gives the impression of guilt rather than innocence." Her tone is professional and cool.
"It doesn't matter if he gives the impression of guilt, Jackson. Unless you can prove he's guilty you can't force him to talk to you. If you come up with something specific rather than just a random casting of a net over all known werewolves contact me and we'll arrange another sit down. Until that time, my client has finished speaking with you and your office. Enjoy the rest of your day."
The moment the door closes, she rubs at her temples. Why did she draw a Malfoy? She should have traded with Proudfoot or Savage. Pressing quill to parchment she begins her report. Her mind is racing as she replays everything he said. She'll watch the pensieve several times before she finishes her report. Rhia has always been careful not to miss anything important.
In this case she has a feeling the key to what happened with Scorpius Malfoy can be found in what he didn't say rather than what he did.