A IS FOR AGONY

cette

[1/26]

Two weeks. All his scars had healed up, and he looked just as he had before it all, save maybe a little exhaustion.

It had been two weeks since the war had ended, and Draco Malfoy finally sat on the chair facing the Wizengamot. They had removed the chains as a sign of goodwill towards the start of a new government, and an uncorrupted power and new freedom for the people. However, Draco hadn't felt more imprisoned in his life. Hundreds of faces looked down at him and his parents, blinking and blank as the charges were read – war crimes, supporting the dark lord, torture, countless attempted and completed murders – those mostly fell on his father. When the chair called for witnesses of the prosecution, they stepped forward in droves. Draco noted that neither Hermione Granger nor Ron Weasley came up to speak, but it seemed as if they weren't needed. He'd just figured that Weasel would have wanted to gloat – but maybe to him, Draco Malfoy was hardly important anymore. It was clear enough the fate that would be presented anyway.

"Witnesses for the defense?" The chair, minister for magic Kingsley Shacklebolt called in his deep voice. A hushed silence fell over the crowd. "No one...?" Draco looked down at his hands ashamed. Why should anyone defend them? Not only did they betray those who won, but they also betrayed those who lost. The betrayer always ended with no friends, regardless of what story it was that his mother told him. It was the way she tried to teach him loyalty. Draco wanted to laugh – loyalty. Look how well that turned out.

"Witness for the defense, Harry James Potter." Draco looked up, stunned. Sure enough, Harry Potter – Saint Potter was walking down the aisle, his hands stuffed into his pockets. People broke out in whispers and pointed. One witch even fainted. Draco looked down at his shoes again. Kingsley nodded and smiled towards Harry, who finally moved to the front.

"Now, I'm not denying that the Malfoys have done some pretty terrible things." Draco scowled. 'Witness for the defense' – it sounded more like Potter wanted to be centre stage so he could attack them personally in front of the public. Harry fidgeted under the stares, but continued anyways.

"But er, I think it's important to say that without them, we would have lost the war." A hushed silence fell over the crowd. Draco too, had his eyes glued on Harry, which seemed to make him more uncomfortable.

"Narcissa Malfoy lied to the dark lord and saved my life – and without it, I couldn't have possibly come back to er – finish Voldemort. So I think that it should be considered when you make your decision." People were so shocked that most of them didn't bother to cringe at the name. For Draco, it still gave him that tingling in his arm – the one that reminded him. Always. His past mistakes were forever his reality. Lucius looked at Narcissa in shock, as if demanding an explanation, but she didn't move her gaze. Harry nodded to Kingsley and departed quickly. Kingsley cleared his throat.

"Now, wizards and witches of the Wizengamot, would you please vote on whether or not we should have the Malfoy family detained in Azkaban?" The witches and wizards shuffled in the seats. Draco closed his eyes tightly. His left arm burned, and Draco instinctively pressed his hand to it. He had made his choices, and these were the consequences he would never avoid.

"All for?" Draco squeezed his eyes shut as much as he could. Even though they weren't close, Draco could feel his mother shaking next to him. He wanted to put out a comforting hand, but it remained clenched on his forearm.

"All opposed?" All Draco heard was a dull ringing, and the voice of Albus Dumbledore - 'So let us discuss your options Draco.' If only he'd...

"I see," Kingsley stood and cleared his throat. An uneasy silence had fallen over the crowd that drew it out longer. "The Wizengamot finds Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy cleared of all charges, based on the testimony of one Harry James Potter, Order of Merlin..." Draco opened his eyes and drowned out Kingsley's voice. Many of the Wizengamot would not meet each other's eyes. Draco felt his throat close up.

He couldn't stand it. Two weeks of silence had been agony. But now, two weeks later, he was saved again by Saint Potter, and that was far, far worse.

The rest of the wizarding world was starting to rebuild, mourning their losses. And here he was two weeks later, marked forever, no less guilty, and no less cowardly than before.

Draco woke, shaking. The voices present in his mind screamed to be heard as he walked shakily to get a glass of water. Two years later, Draco Malfoy still thought about it; what was said and what was done. Some scars never faded.

Okay, so I wasn't exactly sure how I would start this off, but I decided to go pretty much right to the beginning of it all. Um, I'm not completely sure about this piece, but I hope it got across sort of what I was thinking. Anyways, I love reviews, and I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed my previous Draco pieces. Cheers!