So I've seen a couple followers but none of the reviews that I so desperately crave! Show me some love! : )
Chapter 2
I've never told anyone about my little… issue. The one where I see and imagine feeling my two best friends with me. There's no point. I'd just end up in St. Mungo's with Lockhart and all the other loonys. But I'm not crazy… I don't think. I've just never… Been without them. I don't want to be without them ever.
To this day I can still see the looks on their faces when I messed up… And there they were, running towards me, trying to help. "Brightest witch of the age" they called me… and with a stupid mistake, I killed my best friends.
"Stupid!" I scream, chucking my book across the room. How am I supposed to concentrate on this case with their faces swimming before my eyes, blurring the words of my law book? How am I supposed to put Lucius into that hole when I can't even get past the image of him sneering down at me as his wretched cousin tortured me on the floor of his mansion?
In the corner of my eye I see the faint scar on my wrist and I can't stop the tears that break loose and the sob that I choke out. No matter how hard I fight the experiences are still fresh in my mind. And I hate myself.
"Don't." Two arms wrap around me from behind and I tense. I don't deserve this comfort. And still the warmth brings me back and I relax into them.
"We could have been together for the rest of our lives, Ron." I whisper, bringing my hands up to grasp him. "We could have had children together and raised them with Harry and Ginny's kids. We could have had a happy life. And I… I…"
"Stop blaming yourself. There was nothing you could do. It's time to move on…" His voice is barely above a whisper and it makes me feel worse. I pull away and go to grab my book.
"I need to get back to work." I huff, and he just gives that throaty chuckle that gives me chills. But by the time I look up after grabbing the book off the floor, he's gone.
oOoOoOo
"Ms. Granger! Ms. Granger, wait!" A wheezy voice calls from behind me as I cross the entranceway to board the elevator.
"Not now, Elsie. I have to be in the court room in fifteen minutes." I state matter-a-factly, continuing my route.
"Ms. Granger I'm sorry but you have a visitor who has been waiting for you for the last hour. He says it is very urgent and he needs to see you now." My assistant wheezed, tottling along beside me. I'm not sure what made me accept her as my assistant. Elsie is short, lazy, fat, and irritating as anyone could be. But I guess I like underdog's, seeing as I used to be one myself, so I took her on. As it was, right now she is having a good deal of trouble keeping up with me so I stop walking and turn towards her.
"Who?"
"He prefers to remain anonymous until you meet with him, ma'am." She replied, leaning over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
"Nonsense. Very well I shall go meet with him. Elsie please bring my notes down to court room 217 B and let them know I will be there shortly with my apologies." I sighed, gritting my teeth. I may not be the person I used to be, but I am still never late. So I haul off to the seventh floor to my office, determined to make this useless meeting with this un-named man, short and sweet.
However, Merlin had another idea when he set up this meeting, for standing over my desk flipping through one of my many books was the blond haired ferret, Draco Malfoy.
"You prefer to not give your name to my assistant, Malfoy?" I snapped, walking over to my desk and snapping the book shut before shooing him away. He looked at me narrowly before stepping to the other side of said desk and sitting down. "Knowing you I would have expected the whole company to know you were here, seeing as your bulbous head is already taking up all the air in the room."
"I assure you I do not have a bulbous head, Granger. And no, I did not feel the need to share my name with your assistant as I was sure you would not come, seeing as my father is eight floors below us and in chains right now." His face was the picture of calmness, not even a sneer grazed its features.
"Yes well, no worries. In a few hours I will have him in chains and many miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. In Azkaban. Now. If you do not mind, I see that this is indeed a waste of my time and I must be leaving to accomplish said goal." But as I headed for the door, Malfoy stood up and blocked my way.
"I actually do have something important to discuss with you, Granger. Unlike you seem to view it, this is a highly classified meeting and is utmost importance, and I ask that you take a moment of your time to hear me out." His voice was low and serious, and for some reason it gave me pause. So I sat back down in my chair and put a quill between my teeth and motioned for him to sit down.
"What is it that you so desperately need to talk to me about then, Malfoy?" He seemed to not have expected to have to be so up front about the conversation and instead looked at me for a moment before sitting.
"It's my… father." He said slowly. I felt my eyebrow raise as I gazed across at him. He had come to speak about his father to me? Was this a trick?
"And what about him?" I asked after a moment had gone by with no other comments.
"I would like to ask that you offer up a deal with my father. He pleads guilty to the crimes, however, he gives you information, and you allow him to be house arrest and prove that he is not the same man that he was."
I could not believe what I was hearing. Me? Make a deal with Lucius Malfoy, of all people?
"This had better be really good information, Malfoy, or I won't even consider it." I muttered over my quill, which I had dutifully begun chewing on.
"Over the course of six days my father with gather information on a Death Eater that he knows to be hiding out. On the seventh day we will meet together for a cordial dinner and he will inform you of all that he knows about the follower in question. This will continue until the remaining four are caught, at which point my father will be released of his house arrest and you will have your remaining four Death Eaters in jail."
"And why are you asking for this, Malfoy? I thought you hated your father." I stated, leaning back in my chair. A dark look covered his eyes before a more serious one took over.
"My father is not the same man he was while I was in grade school. Before the battle ended my family and I left Voldemort's group and moved on with our lives. Him and my mother both changed their ways, although their pureblood ideals are still in the process of being broken down, they have grown positively over the last year. Believe me I would not put my neck and status on the line if I did not believe so."
"Don't listen to him, the prat." Ron situated himself behind Malfoy, glaring holes in the back of his head. "He's just trying to make sure he doesn't go down with his father."
"Is that true or are you just being a prat?" I asked Ron.
"I'm not being a prat!" Malfoy and Ron exclaimed at me and I quickly locked eyes on Malfoy as Ron laughed.
"Oh… I don't know Malfoy. I know what a terrible person your father was. I find it hard to believe he has changed." I whispered, trying to move along from my absurd question that wasn't supposed to be directed at him.
"Look. Getting the remaining four into jail would be an amazing boost to your accreditation. And frankly, Granger, I know where you're leading the ministry looking for them and you're cold as ice. You need our help. And if my father doesn't turn them all up by the end of the month, and prove to you that he is a better man, then you can stick him in jail and you will hear no more of it from me."
"Don't do it, 'Mione." Ron frantically tried to bring my attention back to him, but, true to my nature, I ignore him.
"Done. One month. But if you don't hold up your end, he's in jail. For life."
Yayyy! Second chapter! Let me know what you think guys! So far I'm really happy with the way this is going. : )
