Except for the brief break where Coote had brought the both of them lunch, something that Draco knew to be a jab in his direction, their work day had gone mostly smoothly. He hadn’t eaten lunch for a very long time, and this was something Coote knew, so it was only because Draco would be unable to refuse lunch while Potter was in the room.
Of course, it was impossible not to notice the presence of someone else in the room with him, the soft rifling of paper of the muttered exclamation every now and again, but mostly they both just worked in silence.
In a way, it was nice not to have to be alone in the manor, no matter how much Draco was convincing himself that he was used to it and enjoyed it.
The next interruption, however, was slightly more violent than even the lunch had been.
It was only the second time the letter dramatically flew away from Potter that Draco looked up, a soft frown on his face as he did. Catching the expression on Potter’s face, Draco realised that something was wrong, or at least not going the way that Potter wanted it to.
“Something wrong?”

_________________

Harry made a face at that, not knowing how to respond to that. He had yet to experience the full pallette of out-of-office wards, annoyed at the sudden, summarized annoyance of being at Malfoy Manor and not at home.
"It’s fine," he replied on an exhale, edging out of his seat at the table, wand in hand.
Even having seen where the letter landed, it was immediately lost to the amount of stuff crammed into the room. He made no attempts to accio the letter back, instead approaching the general direction in which it had landed; it took him a moment to find it, having slid off the book and wedged itself between two piles. With more intention, Harry looked over the envelope, turning it in his hand. It was, in fact, addressed to him.
The third time Harry tapped the tip of his wand to the seal, the paper ignited in his hand.
Out of startled instincts, Harry dropped the ablaze paper, but the envelope had already turned to ashes, disappearing in the air far before it hit the floor.
"Is this room particularly warded?" he asked, too much bite in his voice for something that wasn’t inherently Malfoy’s fault. His eyes were to his fingertips, dark with soot but not blistered; he brushed them against his pantleg when he looked at Malfoy, searching for an explanation.

Draco was only just about to look back down at his papers when the letter in Potter’s hands caught fire and quickly disappeared in ash. It was something Draco knew could happen when someone tried to open a warded letter that wasn’t addressed to them, but Draco also knew that Coote had checked that the mail only went to the correct desks.
Thus, he hardly appreciated the accusatory tone that Potter was bringing to their conversation. It wasn’t like Draco was actively doing something to destroy the letter after all, having no interest in keeping any amount of information away from Potter.
“It’s not,” he said, his tone noticeably cooler than it had been previously. Neither of them wanted to be there after all, so it made absolutely no sense for Draco to play an obstruction for Potter to get out of there again.
“It’s warded against radiating dark magic to the other rooms, but otherwise it is just as warded as the rest of the house.”

_________________

While it hadn’t been why Harry had asked the question, the notion that this room had to be separately warded to protect the surrounding rooms made him send a sideways glance towards Malfoy, a suppressed urge to comment on its safety.
The instincts was brief, however, quick to dismiss it with a shake of his head.
"Whatever," he muttered, restlessly moving to wipe his hand again, only to find that the soot had disappeared from both his hands and trousers. Some of the irritation had deflated at the composure of Malfoy’s reply. "Should open to my signature, anyway, not the wards."
Harry glanced a brief look around, feeling at least responsible that there were no live embers left scattered about the office; upon finding none, he turned to return to his desk. "I’ll have them resend it."

The mention of Potter’s signature made a light go up for Draco.
It wasn’t something that he had considered before, but right in that moment, he cursed himself out for not having considered it before. It was only natural that the report would say that the fireplace hadn’t been tampered with, because it hadn’t; at least not if Draco’s theory held up.
“The ministry has your magic signature in their archives?” He asked, finding that the question was more rhetorical than it was an actual question. Draco was absolutely desperate to be right, wanting to make a break in the case so badly.
“I assume that that would be an older copy, when is it from?” He immediately followed up, having already figured the answer to his first question.

_________________

Harry stalled at Malfoy’s sudden change of heart; the two rapid fire questions making him draw a blank, struggling to see why Malfoy even cared.
"Why?" he said, his immediate instinct to be weary of that line of questioning. Though he didn’t yet see a point to it, he didn’t like what it implied.
Abandoning his intent to seat himself back at the table, Harry approached Malfoy’s, lingering at the armchair he himself had moved in front of it yesterday, though he didn’t seat himself in it. His eyes searched Malfoy’s expression for clarification.
"From when I was hired, I guess," he eventually offered, not actually needing any further egging on for him to answer the question; even he was capable of hearing the unnecessary fussiness of his initial response. In reality, he knew precisely when his signature had last been archived, his 10 years of employment being celebrated just a few months prior. "Autumn ’99."

It was just as Draco had feared, only further giving into the theory that was forming in his head. He didn’t want to believe in his own theory though, finding that the implication alone was terrifying, but it also seemed to be the only thing that made sense to him.
“And I assume that that would be the signature that you use to get through your fireplace in your office,” he stated, unsure if Potter knew what he was going for, but he didn’t dare say it out loud before he knew for sure.
After all, it was a pretty wild theory and he didn’t want Potter to think that he had lost his marbles. It was probably unheard of, yet Draco felt that it was an idea that made sense, as long as he was to believe the ministry reports.

_________________

The question made Harry frown, confronted with the fact that he hadn’t been able to anticipate where Malfoy was going with it. He crossed his arms, thoughtlessly.
"Sure," Harry agreed, never having thought about the Ministry wards working like that but seeing how they might. Harry hadn’t actually set his own wards for his office, still having to bypass registration if open access should be given to someone.
Any previous feeling of irritation had disappeared, giving way for pure interest in Malfoy’s almost erratic questioning; Harry was willing to play along, offering what he could to keep Malfoy’s mind moving, even though he saw no clear path through it. "It’s automated, but I assume so."

By now, Draco was turned entirely towards Potter, interested in what he had to say, mostly because it would help lead him to his final conclusion. It was going to sound completely wild and outlandish, but he just had to hope that Potter trusted him and his research enough to follow him.
“Is there any way that I can get to see the copy of your signature?” He asked, knowing that it was going to seem like a mad request, but Draco knew if he got to see the signature of Potter’s magic that the ministry had, it was going to be easy to compare the two and see if his theory was right.
The more Draco thought about it, the more it just made sense to Draco that Potter’s magical signature would have changed and that that was part of their problems.
“Because I think that it might be the source of the problem.”

_________________

Malfoy’s question smoothed over the furrows of Harry’s expressions, brows quirking. For a moment he seemed genuine impressed, both that the vague conclusion and at the request.
"Yeah," Harry answered, his voice airy as a smile played at his lips. "Of course."
He couldn’t see why not, much less so if Malfoy deemed it to be a possible answer to the issue; Harry himself hadn’t even gotten a confirmation back on his request for the Towthorpe material, and the prospect of Malfoy being quicker than bureaucracy made Harry’s heart do a flip, carefully optimistic.
"You’re able to extract a signature here?" he asked, fascinated as his eyes thoughtlessly search the room. He didn’t know what he was looking for, the intricate details of how it had been done lost to time. He did, however, know it to be advanced magic to capture a clean read; when his attention returned onto Malfoy, there was nothing about his expression that doubted Malfoy’s capabilities.

It took Draco a moment too long to realise that Potter had misunderstood his question, because while Draco would also need to be able to take a look at Potter’s current signature, that wasn’t really the part he needed any particular help with.
“I mean, yes,” he stated, knowing that he would fairly easily be able to get a clean read of Potter’s magic signature if he tried for it. What he was really interested in was seeing the signature the ministry had on file for him and see how the two matched up.
“But that is not what I am asking,” he added, getting up from his chair now, having no reason for standing but suddenly being filled with a restless energy. This could really make a difference in their case and Draco was excited to get cracking on it.
“I want to see the signature that the ministry has on file for you as well,” he stated, hands fluttered about, tugging at his sleeve, brushing hair away from his face, having a hard time staying still. “Because I think that they might not match.”

_________________

Even the suggestion itself made Harry’s expression close off, brows furrowing in utter miscomprehension.
What Malfoy was suggesting was entirely ludicrous, something that Harry had half a mind to remind him; he might as well have suggested that Harry’s fingerprints had changed. With a decade of experience, Harry had decidedly never heard of that happening.
There was some annoyance in his expression, as if he was disappointed with the point Malfoy’s train of thought had led them to. Harry did part his lips to speak on it, wanting to dismiss that as even being a possibility at all, but, against all odds, he reconsidered.
He clenched his jaw, watching Malfoy’s restless fidgeting; by any definition, he seemed like he was well aware of how far fetched the suggestion was. It made Harry’s stomach turn, a cold sense of dread settling in the pit of it.
"I’ll send an owl to registration for it," he eventually caved without any spoken conflict. The tension remained in his voice, professionally disagreeing with the lead Malfoy had picked up on but having enough insights to know it wasn’t really Harry’s field either. It annoyed him just about as much as it worried him that Malfoy might be right, seeing how Malfoy could have come to that conclusion.
Harry took a step to the side, to the direction of his own desk, but his eyes remained on Malfoy in an unnecessary challenge, as if asking for permission, if there was anything else he’d like to add. Having agreed to provide Malfoy with the material he asked for, Harry allowed himself a too-pointed question. "What’re you even basing this on?"

It was an insane suggestion.
Draco knew that it was beyond mad to even have the thought and much more so to have the gall to say it out loud. It was clear to him that Potter thought that he had last it, and maybe he had. After all, it wasn’t something he had ever heard of happening before, yet Draco felt absolutely convinced that that was the missing link that they had been looking for.
The fact that Potter humoured him anyway, sitting down to immediately owl the ministry to get the information Draco requested, sent a huge wave of relief through him. He knew that this credibility was on the line with this, that if it turned out that the two signatures were a perfect match he would likely be taken off the case again.
Yet Draco couldn’t shake the feeling that this was it. That he was right and that something had happened to make Potter’s magic signature change so fundamentally. It was a long shot but Draco had to at least follow up on it.
“Within a short timeframe, two things that require your magic signature to work for you has violently and that is not a very common mistake to happen with magic like that,” he stated, trying his best to sound confident, even if he knew that it probably sounded like an incredibly weak foundation for any kind of conclusion. However, it was that level of background that Draco was used to having before making any kind o conclusions. It came with the territory.

_________________

Harry wrote a rough request with even rougher script; it had been years since he had handwritten this much, usually preferring to dictate correspondence whenever possible. He, at least, had been able to practice his quick-dry spell work.
His eyes lifted towards Malfoy when the other responded, though it was clear that his attention was fractured, folding the parchment paper.
"You are aware that I passed through my Floo without issue Monday morning," Harry stated, leaning back into the chair to eye Malfoy has he spoke. His hands were still fidgeting with the paper, packing it into the envelope.
Harry hadn’t spoken with the intention to yield Malfoy’s hypothesis but to challenge it before blindly acting on it; Harry wasn’t sure Malfoy even realized just how narrow a timeframe that left him. They hadn’t discussed it, only because Harry thought it to be self-explanatory; while he kept referring to Towthorpe as a possible source, Harry hadn’t experienced any adverse symptoms until quite recently.
Harry’s brows quirked, awaiting Malfoy’s defence before sealing the envelope.

It was a huge relief for Draco to see that Potter was still finishing and sealing the letter, even as he spoke with a large amount of disbelief. It wasn’t like Draco couldn’t see just how mad he sounded, nor was the impossibility of it all lost on him, but he just had a very strong feeling that his answer was in that direction, and he absolutely had to check it out.
“Call it a gut feeling,” Draco admitted, unsure whether or not that would deter Potter from sending the letter, yet he felt that he had to be honest with him. There really was no reason to bullshit his way through this, because Potter was already showing him an immense amount of trust by even letting him consult on this case.
The balance in their working relationship was already on an edge, Draco finding it extremely hard to let go of the walls that he had built up over the years and he reckoned that Potter felt the same. Honesty was going to be the best way for them.
“I can’t explain it, but I just know that there is something there.”

_________________

Harry was surprised at the honesty, well aware that Malfoy knew this to be no a poor excuse to get access to a signature. Besides being considered highly confidential and protected under privacy laws, it would be hard for Harry to justify why he needed his own data. For now, the letter he had written offered no explanation, and for a moment, Harry seemed inclined to refuse Malfoy if he was unable to find a better justification.
Harry had both won information and wasted resources and time on gut feelings. In the end, Harry decided Malfoy deserved the same amount of grace as anybody else on his team, though seemingly finding it hard to adjust to that interpretation of who exactly that team encompassed.
He made a face at that, a dire realisation that he was about to trust Malfoy on this – or at the very least encourage it.
He straightened his posture, flipping the envelope to address it.
"Coote," Harry said into the room. In any other circumstance, Harry would have felt certain the elf was barred from the room, but lunch had just recently manifested itself upon Harry’s vague request. "Is Tango here?"
Harry had lost track of his owl between what post had been mailed to the Manor and what had filtered through Grimmuald and the Floo. "Do you mind calling for her?"
Eyes returning onto Malfoy, Harry shifted in his seat, far enough to reach the window hinge.
"May I?" he asked, no longer as worried for the wards triggering, but at the knowledge that he was inviting an owl into the fragile ecosystem of Malfoy’s study.

Draco wouldn’t have thought that Potter trusting him would be such a big deal for him, but it really did mean a whole lot to him. It was confirmation to him that Potter really did see him as an expert in his area, something that Draco already knew to be true, but it was always nice to get confirmation that other people could see it as well.
“Go ahead,” he said, trying not to show just how much this gesture meant to him.
It made it all the more important for Draco to be right about his hypothesis, even if he knew that it would mean terrifying things. However, it would give him something to work from, having to dive into particularly nasty magic for something like that to happen.
“If you need it, you are free to access the owlery here as well,” Draco stated, figuring that he at least could offer that much to Potter. “And the floo network is of course also fully available to you.”

_________________

Harry shook his head at that, a vague dismissal of the offer. His attention had again drifted, careful to push the window open without reaching past the sill, not in the mood to trigger another ward.
"Let’s wait see how this plays out," he said, gratitude somewhere in the ease of his voice. If it could be avoided, Harry would prefer not having to explain neither why he was corresponding from somewhere other than Grimmauld, or through a strange owl; especially if his signature had been compromised.
It didn’t take long for the Tawny owl to appear at the window, Harry having to urge her in past the invisible point of contingency.
"For administrative registration, any one there," he muttered to the owl, letting her nip the envelope from between his fingers. When Harry continued it was with the careful assumption that the signature would be delivered without any issue. "Wait there for a return packet."
With that, the owl flew. Harry sat for a moment watching her go, only by the breeze realizing he had hardly stepped a foot outside since Monday evening.
He inhaled, eyes returning to Malfoy as his chest still filled. On the exhale, he questioned an honest, "what now, then?"

As the owl set off through the window, a proper sense of relief flowed through Draco, making him fully realise just how much this meant to him. He knew that Potter trusted him for some reason, and that Potter also had a lot of pull in the ministry, yet he also knew that his request was pretty out there, so it was a huge question if he was even going to get his hands on it.
“If you don’t mind terribly much, then I’d like to get a print of your signature as is right now,” he said, figuring that Potter was too restless to do more desk work for now. It wasn’t like Draco could blame him, figuring that Potter probably was used to having more of an active life normally, yet Draco was fully used to staying in his study almost every day for the entire day.
“If you need a break from bureaucracy for a moment,” he tried, unsure if it was too much to comment on like that, especially considering that Draco was the one that had made him engage with bureaucracy the latest.
However, he would also like to get to study Potter’s signature as it was right now, wanting to see if there was anything else to see while he waited for the signature they had on record.

_________________

"Yeah," Harry said, having to make an active effort into gathering his thoughts on what laid immediately ahead of them. He had already agreed to it, and continued to see no issue in it, even though the stakes had changed, making his mind run in an attempt to put Malfoy’s hypothesis into context.
Taking a break from Friday rundowns probably wasn’t a bad idea.
He straightened his posture in the chair slightly. "Of course. Do you want me now?"
Harry believed he remembered the process fairly well, though he had far more experience collecting signatures out in the field; what he did, however, remember clearly was how it had taken an entire day to properly log him into Ministry’s comprehensive database. A decade older, Harry felt confident he could better entertain himself through the lulls and preparation work.