Ch. 3

The Beginning of Trials

August

Harry and Ron sent in their applications to begin auror training. When they noticed Hermione had not requested an application as well, they sputtered in disbelief and demanded answers. Her answers were simple and well thought out.

While she respected the work that aurors did and knew that it would be a very fulfilling job for both her friends, she also knew that it would not be fulfilling for her. Being an auror, especially a lower level one, was mostly physical work, searching, fighting, and dueling and she had done quite enough of those three things in the past year to satisfy her adventurous side for a long time to come, thank you. Hermione liked to think of herself as a very cerebral person and as such hoped to pursue a very intellectually stimulating career, she knew that to nab such a job she would need all the N.E.W.T.s she could get.

Harry understood and told her he knew she would get nothing less than straight Outstandings on her N.E.W.T.s. Ron however was not as supportive. He became surly and tended to be short with Hermione when she tried to talk to him. She tried to be understanding but after three long days of his treatment Hermione had had enough.

"Ronald Weasley," she snapped at him one morning when he had ignored her all throughout breakfast. He jerked upright at the sound of his full name.

"Come with me right this instant."

Hermione brusquely stood up and strode out of the room. Ron trudged slowly after her, head hanging. She led them to his room and shut the door.

"Ronald Weasley what is your problem with me?" Hermione barked, her arms crossed and spine rigid. Ron mumbled something under his breath, his head turned away from Hermione and his hands in his pockets.

"Ronald," she cried out, so exasperated she actually flung her arms and stomped her foot like a toddler.

"You're leaving me!" Ron yelled back, his head snapping up to look into her face, his eyes angry and shining. Hermione's hands went up to cover her mouth as all the anger left her body and surprise set in. Ron huffed and sat down on his bed, his hands fisted on his knees.

"I thought, that now that the war is over, you and me could be…I mean, after the basilisk fangs…," he trailed off his ears turning red. Hermione smiled at his bashfulness.

"But now you want to separate in less than a month," he fumed, glaring at his knees, bashfulness gone. The silence was tense as Hermione carefully thought over what to say, she didn't want to mess this up and end in a huge argument.

"I am not leaving you Ron," she said. His head snapped up at that and he angrily opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione held up her hand and his jaw snapped shut.

"Let me explain. You starting auror training and me going back to Hogwarts has nothing to do with our relationship. I am going back to Hogwarts so I can get my N.E.W.T.s, something I've been dreaming of since I was eleven, and so that I can have a job that I love. I know I'm not cut out to be an auror. I have to do this Ron." He continued to scowl, but his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Just because we'll be in different places," Hermione continued, "doesn't mean we can't be together, Ron."

She moved close to him and placed her hands on either side of his head, right above his freckled ears, and tilted it up slightly so she could place a lingering kiss on his forehead. Ron's hands reached out as well and he pulled her face farther down to press his lips to hers. Their heads were not tilted and their noses were smashed, so the kiss was short for lack of air.

"I don't want to lose you Hermione," he whispered, their foreheads pressed together, her hands on his knees, supporting herself as she hunched over him, still sitting on his bed.

"I can't lose anyone else," he choked.

"Oh, Ron," she murmured, "You will never lose me." And she kissed him properly for the first time, there was no war, no smashed noses, only comfort and love.

.!.B.!.

For the first time since the end of April Draco was properly clean and decently dressed. Unfortunately, the only reason he was either of these things was because today he was to face the Wizengamot and have his fate decided for him; would it be a long death or a short death? As he sat in his cell, in his borrowed, clean robes, he wondered, not for the first time, about his parents. He wondered if they had already had their trials and if they had, what their fates were. He figured his father would be put to death right away. His mother however, who bore no Mark, would probably receive life in Azkaban.

As for himself, Draco thought he would probably receive the death penalty, because he was a Death Eater, but he thought there may be a possibility that he would only receive life in Azkaban, because of his young age. Draco was not sure which was worse, but the part of him that was beginning to go stir crazy, after only three months in prison, was hoping for death.

His dark musings were interrupted by the appearance of a doorway in one of the walls. The guard standing in the doorway was masked and wore plane black robes with a large, white A embroidered on the left side of his chest, just like all the other guards in Azkaban.

"Let's go Malfoy," he said, turning and walking.

Draco followed as quickly as he could on his stiff legs, another guard followed behind him. They walked the halls for what Draco estimated to be ten minutes, before coming to a dead end guarded by two more guards. The wall guards wordlessly whipped out their wands and pointed them straight ahead. Draco's guards each touched their own wand tips to the other guards. When a smoky white A appeared above the touching wand tips of both guards, a door appeared in the wall and Draco was lead through, before it disappeared behind them. In the new room were four more guards and two large fireplaces filled with green flames. Each fireplace had a guard standing next to and opposite it. In between the fireplaces was a copper pot filled with floo powder.

Draco's guards took a hold of one of his arms each, in a vice-like grip, and led him to the closest fireplace. One grabbed some floo powder and the three of them walked into the flames.


AN: Sorry about the Ron/Hermione scene, but I warned you I was going to keep this as close to the true post-HP world as possible, which means Ron and Hermione are together after the war. It won't last forever though, I promise. The next chapter is 100% Draco and you can probably guess what it will be about. I've already got 805 words written, so it will be finished pretty soon. I've also got 357 words written of Ch. 5 and another 85 words written of an important scene in the story that will probably be around Chapter 10.

Hope you enjoyed and please review! Love, B