The court room was dark and cold, as if the world was in greyscale, despite the lack of dementors. It was as if the world was trying to tell him something, as if the fates had already aligned and this was just a formality. He sat in the chair, chains pulled tight around his wrists and ankles, and waited for the result.
"Draco Malfoy, you were charged with being a Death Eater, severe war crimes and conspiring to murder and you are sentenced to a life without magic."
These words hit him harder than a flying bludger but he was unable to dwell on the news, he needed to pay attention to what was said next.
"You will be allowed a re-trial in 5 years to see if you are reformed enough to be gradually
re-integrated into wizarding life but if you fail then you will not get another chance, do you understand Mr Malfoy?" The man asked
"Yes," Draco responded, his voice weak and feeble, his sentence finally sinking in.0
"We will keep you in the holding cells for the next few days while we assign you a flat and a correction official, who will check in on you and help you within muggle life. You are recommended to find a job although we will be giving you an allowance in muggle money from your family's account with Gringotts. In the next few days you will be supplied with all of your muggle documents and some clothes, although you may want to go to buy more one you are situated in your flat. We will supply you with information packs this afternoon, but for now you are free to speak with your friends for an hour or so in the waiting room before you go back to your cell." The official finished, waving his wand for his chains to be released and motioning towards a door to his left.
Draco stood, shakily, and left the court room, still struggling to comprehend the enormous change that had just crashed into his life.
The waiting room was in complete contrast to court room, it was warm and bright, filled with pieces of art and books. Who was in the room, however, made it not so nice. Sat on one of the sofas that lined the room, was the Golden Trio.
"Malfoy," Harry spoke first, standing up and stretching out his hand, Draco took it before sitting on the sofa opposite.
"Potter, Granger, Weasley." He nodded in response, "I have to say I truly am sorry for what happened and what I did. Especially you, Granger, I said some unforgivable things and then what my aunt did," at this he noted the look of horror that flashed momentarily across her face, "I… I wanted to help so much but I just… I couldn't and for that I truly am sorry." Draco paused taking a deep breathe but before he could continue Hermione interrupted him.
"Look, Malfoy, we know you're sorry, and we understand why you did what you did. That's why we're here. We gave our testimonies to help your case, we wanted to know if it did help. Some of the council members were dead set on giving you the dementor's kiss and the others wanted you to rot in Azkaban for the rest of your days, what was it?" Hermione asked.
"Well, neither of those luckily," Draco smiled, "I got life without magic, but they are going to give me a trial in 5 years to see if I can be slowly eased back into wizarding life."
"Oh, thank God!" Hermione exclaimed, the others looking just as relieved, at Draco's confused face she continued, "Malfoy, no matter how many terrible things you did, it wasn't your fault. And no one who shows remorse, such as you do, deserves to lose their soul no matter how quickly it is taken from you"
"I guess I owe you guys a thank you, so thank you and please, call me Draco. Malfoy is my father and I have no desire to be anything like that empty shell of a man." Draco responded, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Okay, Draco. I have some news you might welcome then, Lucius," Harry spat, "has been given the dementors kiss. And I am so sorry to hear about your mother's death, she saved my life and I am ever in gratitude for that."
"Thank-you, Potter," Draco began,
"Harry, please. Oh, and call these by their names too." Harry asked.
"Right, well thankyou and I hope that if I am ever back in this world, you guys will still talk to me."
"Of course, I for one, believe in second chance. I may seem hot headed to some, but I don't right people off from prior events." Ron replied, sincerely.
"Oh, only cats is it Ron?" Hermione replied, harshly, but she began laughing at Ron's terrified expression, as did the others.
They were interrupted a few minutes later by a guard crashing in through the door.
"I swear those guys have as much grace as Grawp while concussed." Ron muttered under his breath.
"Malfoy, times up. Let's Go. Mr Potter, Weasley, Miss Granger" The guard nodded as he motioned for Draco to go through the door.
His cell was simple. 4 walls, a locked door with a small hatch for when the guards did their count and small bed, only just big enough for him to fit, with a blanket that looked itchier than Ron's dress robes. In the right corner there was a desk and chair while on the other side there was a small shower curtain, hiding the small toilette, sink and shower. Draco was sure that the ministry wouldn't have to bother finding him flat because he would soon die of boredom from spending more than a few hours in this room.
He was lying on the bed an hour or so later when there was a knock on his cell door.
"I'd open the door, but I'm fairly sure that's your job." Draco shouted to whatever imbecilic guard that stood on the other side.
At the light, feminine laugh, however, he swung is legs off the side of the bed and proceeded to the door.
"You don't sound much like a guard" Draco said curiously to the person on the other side of the door.
"That would be because I'm not Draco, and I knocked in case you were in decent, I presume that you aren't?" The voice of Hermione Granger replied to him.
"Oh, uh, right, well yes I am fully clothed, if you can call this rubbish clothing. Do come in Hermione," Draco replied as he stepped back from the door to allow Hermione entry.
She opened the door and slowly headed in to the cell.
"Not that I'm not glad to have company," Draco began, "But what exactly are you doing still here?"
"Oh, well, I work here at the ministry 2 days a week. The others I go to Hogwarts to finish my NEWT subjects, its like an apprenticeship. And I thought you'd go crazy if you were stuck in here with nothing to do, so I brought you a few books to read and some paper and a pencil so that you could do some writing or drawing or whatever." Hermione explained, setting the items down on his small desk.
"Thankyou," Draco said sincerely, "I honestly thought I'd die if I were stuck in here for days with nothing to do." Draco finished, smiling slightly.
"Oh, and about the days thing, I may be able to get you moved out of here by tomorrow."
"That would be fantastic, Hermione, but how on earth would you even start to make that happen? I know you're the smartest witch of your age, but I really don't think the backwards old ministry officials will let you swing this." Draco replied.
"Well, you would think that, but it turns out I work in the muggle relations department, which is the department which deals with this whole business. And it turns out they already have anything ready for you, they just are waiting around, probably to make you stay in a cell for as long as possible because they want some form of sordid revenge. So be ready to leave by dawn tomorrow and I'll help you get settled in."
"Thankyou. Really, I mean it."
"Consider it a thank you for stalling at Malfoy Manor, it saved our lives, so I guess I owe you. Anyway, I better get going, my break finished 5 minutes ago, I'll see you tomorrow 6 AM sharp."
"Goodbye Hermione." Draco shouted as she shut his door.
By lights out, Draco had made it through the three books Hermione had given him, there was one novel, one play and one book about modern Britain and the cultures and technology that existed. Draco was very grateful for the last one as, while reading it, he had had a mini panic attack about the fact he had no idea at all about the world he was about to be forced into.
It was around 5:30 in the morning when Draco awoke, desperate to get out of his cell as soon as possible. He showered and got ready, sitting back down on the bed to wait for Hermione's arrival.
"Malfoy," a gruff voice shouted, "You're out, lets go," he finished, opening the cell door and glaring at Draco.
Without responding, Draco went over and picked up his things including the books Hermione had lent him and exited the cell.
He was lead down a dingy corridor which housed the holding cells and taken into a lift, all the time with the guard's arm on his shoulder and wand in his back. They went up for quite a time, past the atrium and up through other departments. Draco assumed they were going to the muggle relations department, which Hermione had mentioned yesterday.
He was right, the lift announced the floor and they exited the lift, the guard guiding him over to a desk in the far corner.
"Miss Granger," The guard said, releasing Draco although inconspicuously keeping his wand trained on him.
"Oh, thank you," Hermione began, pausing to search for the guard's name tag, "Smithson, I can assure you he is in safe hands now, you may go back to your own department."
"As you wish, Miss." The guard spoke, politely, before heading back to the lift.
"Draco, good morning, sorry about the whole guard thing, I tried to convince them to let me come and get you on my own, but they said it would be a 'breach of protocol'" She finished, doing quotation marks in the air with her hands.
"That's ok, really. I'm just glad to be out from those four walls." Draco said, chuckling lightly, wringing out his hands in front of him.
"Yes, well, out of those walls and into some more I'm afraid. The flat they've assigned you is rather small and plain, but we can soon sort that out." Hermione replied.
"We?" Draco questioned.
"Well, I thought I could help you get settled, after yesterday, and I guess you don't know any one else… I mean if you don't-" Hermione rambled, but Draco interrupted.
"No, of course I'd love for you to help, I just didn't think you'd want to."
"Oh, well of course I meant it, Draco, you were very polite yesterday and I think everyone deserves a second chance. Plus, it'd be good to have you as a friend as you were the only one who ever came close to beating me in school." Hemione smiled and Draco laughed.
"Well, I suppose I could do with some help learning about muggle things."
"Exactly, so, shall we go find your new home?"
"Yeah, lets go. Um, do you have an exit up here, it's just I don't really fancy going out the main way with all the people."
"Oh yeah we do, I planned to use the floo in my boss' office to go back to my flat, which is already in muggle London, so you won't have to go through any wizarding areas."
"That's great, let's go." Draco said as they went into the office and over to the fireplace.
When they arrived at Hemione's flat, she grabbed her muggle purse, explaining that they would be using muggle public transport, and her beaded bag, which contained all of Draco's paper work and a few other bits she thought might be useful in Draco's new flat.
They left her flat and walked to Hermione's nearest underground station, Draco was still coming to grips with the idea of a train underground and Hermione was grinning at his confused ramblings and face.
After their short train ride, they got off and walked the short distance to Draco's building. They didn't talk much as he was trying to memorise the route for future reference.
Hermione lead Draco up the stairs of the building to the top floor.
"Why on earth, did the Ministry think it'd be a good idea to buy flats on the top floor?" Draco panted as they reached the landing on the top floor.
"They're the ones that're free because muggles don't really want all of the stairs when moving in. Especially as the lift is almost always out of order." Hermione answered.
"Couldn't you just, you know, magic it back."
"I'm afraid not, that's the whole point of your sentence, to live like a muggle, they can't just magic it back."
"Right, I guess that makes sense. Have you got the key then?" Draco asked, walking closer to his door, number 17.
"Yep, here you are," She said giving Draco the key, "the big one is for the front door, the little one for the balcony door." She explained, and Draco opened the door, letting them in to what would be his home for at least the next five years.
It was small, as Hermione had said, the door opened into one room which held the kitchen and living room, the sofa to the left of the door, facing a TV with a small coffee table in between them and a matching arm chair against the front wall. The kitchen was directly in front of the door and began a few feet down from the sofa allowing a small hall way where there were coat hooks and a shelf. The kitchen was small with a counter which was the dining area. Then off to the left was the only bedroom, which had a double bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, mirror and night stand next to the bed. On the back wall there was a patio door which lead out to the small balcony which had a small bench and table and over looked the flat's garden. Next to the bedroom there was a bathroom, with a bath, shower, toilet and sink.
After exploring the flat, Draco headed back out to find Hermione in the kitchen.
"Hey, I thought I would show you what some of these things do, seeing as we don't have them in the wizarding world." Hermione began, gesturing to the appliances around her.
"Yeah, that would be great, I recognise a few from that book you gave me yesterday." Draco replied, with a smile.
"Right so this is a fridge-freezer. The top compartment is the fridge, and this keeps food cold, so it doesn't go off. Then the bottom part is the freezer, now this freezes food, so you can keep it for longer and you can store already frozen food which you can buy in it." Hermione explained simply.
"Right, that makes sense."
"Yeah, this," She said pointing to the kettle, "is a kettle for boiling water to make tea or coffee or whatever, it doesn't need to be put on the stove like in the wizarding world, you just flip the switch. Then there's the microwave, this is just a way of cooking food but quicker or heating up old food, if you can microwave food it'll tell you on the packet and will give you a time which you just select using the buttons."
"That sounds simple," Draco replied, inspecting the microwave.
"Then there's the oven and stove but I'm sure you know how to use them from the wizarding world."
"Yeah, I used to make cookies with my mum when I was younger." He smiled at the memories.
Hermione then went on to explain how to use the washing machine and the TV, which Draco thought was the best thing ever.
"Do you want to go out shopping, I don't think you have many clothes and you don't have any food in or anything really." Hermione asked, after she had explained everything in the flat.
"Yeah, that would be great, I didn't eat this morning so the sooner I can practice my muggle cooking the better." Draco chuckled, grabbing his jacket off the hook and picking up his keys from the shelf.
They walked back to the street and along to a bus stop.
"Why aren't we using the underground thingy again?" Draco asked Hemione as they waited under the shelter.
"Because we are on the very edge of London here so there aren't as many tube stations so it's easier if we take the bus because it takes us straight to the shopping centre." Hermione answered.
"Ok, and I hope you have my allowance or whatever it is the Ministry are meant to give me every month because I have no money." Draco replied.
"I do yes, along with your ID and other paper work so if you want to buy anything like knives or alcohol you can. This is our bus, come on let's go."
After a fairly short bus journey, they arrived at the shopping centre.
"Right, I think we should start with clothes and home stuff, then get the groceries before we leave." Hermione suggested as they entered the centre.
"That sounds like a plan," Draco answered, "But aren't you supposed to be at work now." He finished looking at his watch.
"Well I am doing my job, Draco. I was told yesterday that I had been assigned you to ensure you follow the rules and are looked after in the muggle world. I think they chose me because no one else could do it but I am actually quite happy to do this." Hermione answered, looking at her feet.
"Really? Well I am flattered, does this mean you'll be with me for the whole day when you're working or just, like, checking in on me?" Draco asked.
"Well it depends, I imagine for the first few weeks I'll be with you all day, introducing you to the muggle culture, but after that you might have a job and be busy, so we'll have to set up a time when we meet to discus how its going and stuff." Hermione answered, honestly.
"Ah right, shall we get to shopping then." Draco said, beginning to walk toward the shop with clothes in the window.
"Yeah, lets go." Hermione said, following along, struggling to catch up to walk beside him.
Within the first hour, they had picked out multiple T-shirts for Draco varying in colour, some plaid shirts, some formal shirts, some hoodies, two blazers and some waist coats (Draco had claimed 'I need to have nice clothes for formal occasions' when Hermione had rolled her eyes at the excess of smart attire). They were now heading into the summer section and ending up buying multiple pairs of shorts and a few vests, and they were now going to buy trousers.
In another 30 minutes they had chosen all of the trousers Draco could possibly need and went to pay.
"We should go find a shoe shop next" Hermione said as Draco struggled with all of his bags.
By lunch time they had done all of their shopping including groceries and Hermione dropped Draco off back at his flat, leaving him to put all of his clothes away and promising to be back the next day to help him look for a job or something.
After dumping the bags in the hall way, Draco took the food into the kitchen, putting it all away. He then had a go at making toast and a mug of coffee which, surprisingly to Draco, turned out ok.
He settled down on the sofa and, with many indescribable noises of frustration, tried to figure out how to use the TV on his own. The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion, where in, after getting bored with the gadget, he moved on to the next. By the time night had fallen he had figured out how to iron, use the computer and had set up the mobile phone Hermione had insisted on getting him that morning.
He went to bed fairly early, deciding it would be best to be up early, considering how early Hermione had come to get him today.
A/N: Let me know what you think :)