Who: Draco and Melinda What: torturing, getting information. When: Wednesday morning. Where: the Ministry of Magic. Warnings: torture. Status: incomplete
Admittedly, Draco had been slow to take care of this particular problem. It wasn't terribly high on his list of priorities, with everything else going on, but the wait had been useful, actually. The man in the Department of Mysteries should now be aware that he was being watched, scrutinized, and yet he had not done anything to remedy his crimes.
And as far as Draco was concerned, withholding information from his superiors that would help prevent attacks on Death Eaters and their families was as bad as participating in the attack itself. He did not intend to let the man off lightly, but first he wanted to know why.
That was where Melinda came in. In this case, he needed not to be concentrating on the pain he was causing and only on the information he could retrieve from the man's mind, and he didn't entirely mind the idea of possibly ending the day without blood on his hands. Literally, anyway. He would still be responsible for whatever blood was drawn this morning, and it was possible he'd have to draw some himself by the end of the day. Depending on Melinda Bobbin's performance, he would certainly consider using her again, though not enough to allow anyone to think him lazy, squeamish or out of practice.
He opened the door to the Committee of Experimental Charms without knocking, wondering absentmindedly at this choice of a career. It was no doubt interesting work, and yet it took place in a very obscure part of the Ministry, out of the spotlight. Not an easy place to start climbing any ladders, although of course her Mark would help her with that if she chose to use it. "Melinda," he said with a smile when he found her, managing to make the first-name address sound somewhat formal. "Are you ready?"
If she was in the middle of working, he would accept an excuse for a few minutes; he was letting their victim stew in an interrogation room for a bit, anyway. But Draco did not like being kept waiting, and it would make him less inclined to work with her again.