A/N: Hello everyone! No, this isn't a new story. Well, actually it is but not really. Er, I'm confused… Anyway, this is a challenge I saw on Fiction Net that I saw and thought I'd give it a go. I've never heard this song before, but the lyrics seemed a bit appropriate so I thought "Why the hell not! I'll give it a go." And I'm entering this in a contest, so everyone wish me luck!

Disclaimer: Everything you that associates with Harry Potter that you recognize belongs to Miss J.K. Rowling. The lyrics used are from Robbie William's, "Angels"

~

I sit and wait
Does an angel contemplate my fate?
And do they know
The places where we go
When we're grey and old
'Cos I have been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when I'm lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel the love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

Draco stood outside a door in handcuffs, waiting for his name to be called. And then he heard it. A cold emotionless voice boomed through the open door, reciting his full name.

"Draco Lucius Xavier Malfoy, please step up." The speaker said, and Draco walked in, keeping his head held high, staring each of the fully grown wizards and witches hard in the face. All of them were raised much higher than he, and they stared down at him, their eyes narrowed coldly.

The room he had entered was a dimly lit large rectangular room. A deep pit was in the middle of the room, at least twenty feet below all the witches and wizards. In the middle of the sunken pit was a chair with chains attached to it, and they shook menacingly as Draco approached it. Next to the chained chair was a raised dais with a stone archway perched on top, a black curtain swaying slightly.

"Sit." The cold voice said curtly, and Draco looked around and his stormy gray eyes met with the dull brown of Cornelius Fudge. Draco obliged and sat down. As he suspected, the chains rose and wrapped themselves around his arms, binding him to the chair, allowing no room for moving.

"You are Draco Lucius Xavier Malfoy, correct?" Fudge said, still frostily.

"Yes." Draco said, gritting his teeth.

"Excellent. You understand why you are here, of course?" Fudge asked, and Draco nodded. Fudge glanced at a red-haired man, and he immediately began taking notes. Draco immediately recognized him as one of the Weasleys.

"You, Draco Lucius Xavier Malfoy, are here on charge of using the Imperious Curse on Miss Luna Lucille Lovegood and Mr. Seamus Zachariah Finnigan, forcing them to raid numerous Muggle homes and use the Killing Curse on many of our great Aurors. We've received information that you have used the Killing Curse yourself, on the one Neville Frank Longbottom. We've only agreed to give you a trial because," Fudge paused and glanced over his shoulder, a very disgusted look playing on his lined face, and continued, "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has convinced us to."

Draco glanced towards the back of the raised benches and saw Dumbledore sitting there, hidden in the shadows.

"Albus," Fudge said angrily, "I have heard that you have a witness to bear?"

Dumbledore stood up, his eyes dazzling and said, "Yes, I do. Open the doors, if you please. I believe she will be waiting out there."

Draco tried to turn around, but the chains tightened around him, and he was stuck once again. He heard the door open, and light spilled into the dim room. It closed abruptly, and the witness stepped forward. She walked and stood next to Draco, placing a hand on his shoulder. And then Draco knew who his witness was.

Hermione.

Fudge grabbed his glasses and pushed them onto his face, reading papers in front of him. After a while, he said, "You are Hermione Anna Leah Granger, correct?"

"Yes, I am." She replied. Her hand remained on Draco's shoulder. Somehow, he felt calmer now that Hermione was next to him.

"And you are here to claim Mr. Draco Lucius Xavier Malfoy's innocence?" Fudge said icily, his eyebrows cocked.

Still, Hermione answered calmly, "Yes, I am."

"Alright then," Fudge said incredulously. "Give us your story, then."

Hermione, standing straight, her head held tall, said confidently, "Draco Malfoy would never use an Unforgivable Curse on anyone, especially as he was training to be an Auror. On the night Luna Lovegood and Seamus Finnigan were raiding Muggle homes and performing the Killing Curse, Draco Malfoy was home. I remember I was sneaking into the Malfoy manor to see him. Neville Longbottom was not killed by Draco Malfoy. He was killed by a woman named Pansy Parkinson. I swear on my life that Draco is as innocent as you or I, Minister." Throughout this whole speech, her hand remained on his shoulder.

And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

Fudge stared down at her, his expression as cold as ever. Hermione stared determinedly back, her hand never leaving Draco's shoulder.

Draco closed his eyes for a moment, trying to memorize every single memory he had with Hermione. How she had always protected him, believed him when no one else did, and accepted that he had changed. No, no one else stood by his side. Except for Hermione.

Draco looked up at her, wanting her to look at him, to smile and say that everything was going to be alright. But he knew she wasn't one to back down. He knew she wouldn't look away until Fudge looked away.

When I'm feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
And I know I'll always be blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
She breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

"Right," Fudge said coolly. It was as plain as day. Draco knew he didn't believe her. "Well, we've heard your part. Now, please leave the room. It is really up to us wo decides what will happen on this evening. Fudge turned around and started to whisper with the witch behind him, but a clear, confident voice interrupted him.

"No."

Fudge turned around slowly, both eyebrows raised. "No?" He repeated.

"That's right. No. If you're taking him, you're taking me too. He's as innocent as I am, and if you think him guilty, then I suppose I'm guilty too." She said this all with her jaw set.

And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

"Hermione," Draco hissed, shocked at what she was saying. "Don't. I'm not worth it."

Finally, Hermione looked down at him, brown meeting gray.

"You're worth everything." She whispered simply, but the words were so full of emotion. Whispering, Hermione said, "If you're not with me, it'd be like dying. Don't try to convince me." And then she turned away, leaving Draco to gape at her.

"So, was that just a confession back there?" Fudge said his voice no longer cold. It was now gleeful and full of malice. He turned to Percy again and asked in a disgustingly excited voice, "Did you get all that, Percy?"

Percy scanned his notes and said eagerly, practically bouncing up and down, "Yes sir, I've got it all!"

Now Fudge turned once again towards Hermione, eyes and voice cold, "So, you say you're as innocent as this man, correct?"

"Yes, I am." Hermione said. Her hand was still on Draco's shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

"Very well, then. You," He barked at Draco, "Do you have your side of the story?"

Draco paused to calm himself and replied, "Yes. It's just as Hermione said. I was at home, and she was trying to get past all the 'Muggle-born' traps my father had set up. I'm innocent, sir. Innocent as anyone here."

Fudge narrowed his eyes, "Ah, yes, I remember your father. You look so much like him, yet you're nothing like him at all. He was a respectable man. Generous and kind. And you? You're here, about to be sentenced to death." Draco screwed his face up in disgust. His father? Respectable? Generous and kind? Those words were usually associated with human beings, not Lucius Malfoy.

Fudge turned around and addressed the witches and wizards behind him. "The council of the Wizengamot, those in favor of sentencing Draco Lucius Xavier Malfoy to death, please raise your hands." Draco closed his eyes then opened them slowly. His heart sank. Almost every single hand was up. There were only two people whose hands weren't raised. Dumbledore, who was looking very grave, and an elderly witch he didn't recognize.

Slowly turning around, Fudge sneered in Hermione and Draco's direction. "Well," Fudge said, smirking widely, "there you have it. Guards,"

Fudge signaled toward the door and two bulky guards came toward them, each grabbing one person. Draco closed his eyes, then opened them to find Hermione's warm brown eyes looking into his. Their gaze never broke, and they stared into each other's eyes as if reading everything their heart and soul were saying.

And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

"Take them to the Veil." Fudge ordered. And with a last sneer, he motioned towards the black veil, which was swaying slightly. As they neared it, Draco could hear whispering voices, though he couldn't make anything they were saying out.

The guards stopped them in front of the Veil, looking back at Fudge for the final decision. He nodded, and Draco looked at Hermione one last time. Their eyes met, and Draco knew what she was thinking. He kept his eyes on her eyes the whole time, and she did the same.

The bulky men smirked and pushed them both simultaneously into the Veil. Time seemed to slow down for a while, and Draco could make out just what Hermione was mouthing. Or was she screaming it? Draco didn't know. All he knew was that he was saying, or screaming, the exact same words.

"I love you."

~

A/N: How was that? Good? Yes? No? Maybe? I thought it turned out all right. Please read and review! I love getting reviews! And, thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm on a sugar high right now, and it's about 1:30 AM. I think I write best when I'm on sugar highs…Oh well, I'll do that more often then! HAHAHHA! Ok, remember to leave a review on your way out, please! Thanks!