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Draco felt a shiver fleet through his entire body. He felt their presence. He knew if he looked behind him he could see as the members of the Wizenmagot filed in; the long cloaked ghouls, with their extensive boney fingers enwrapped around chains that held their prisoners. Instead he stared at the 'W' on the large booth. He then turned his attention to Granger, who was feverously scratching notes on a spare piece of parchment. Her quill black as night, was simply flying across the parchment. He noticed that her lips were pursed and hung to the side of her mouth deep in thought. He wondered if she was scared. If that was the reason she took her time to get here each Monday. He, of course was always late because seeing people his father had wanted his own son to become was quite personally, not his cup of tea. He watched as the Minister Kingsley Shaklebolt sat down beside Granger, Draco watched him ask Granger something and her only reply was a nod of the head before she continued scratching away at her parchment. Draco pulled out his files for today's appeals; he placed them in three separate spaces on his bench and made sure that they were perfectly square to the table. He looked back up at the Wizengamot booth; it seemed to him that most had arrived. Hermione's words flashed back into his mind. She had said them with an air of what become common to Granger's reponses; coldness. But her face had nearly contorted when he had enlightened her about the docket. So, not all nightmares were his alone.

A loud screeching of the entrance broke Draco out of his silent thoughts. A man with glasses and bushy hair walked up through the pews and sat in the first row behind Draco. He made a quick salutation to Granger, whose face had lit up as Draco watched her but then was quickly hampered by a look of sympathy. Draco turned around to fully see the new arrival and was surprised to see a very solemn and subdued Harry Potter. Harry leaned from his seat onto the barrier and spoke quickly.

"Thought you might need some back up." Harry said clasping Draco on the shoulder.

"How thoughtful Potter." Draco sardonically, but gave his friend a slight nod. "Is he out there?" Draco asked looking down at the ground.

"Yeah, and he wasn't really pleased to see me." Harry chortled.

"Dare say he wouldn't be." Draco replied. Another screeching of the door, and a tall black wizard walked through in Auror robes. He made for Potter and took his seat he too made a motion at Granger which was returned with a large smile.

"He's down right pissed that man is. I walk by pretending not to notice the big , black, scary headlamps. And he goes, 'Zambini, I see they've got you. How does it feel to be a blood traitor?' A right side better then you. I should've said that." Blaize Zabini sat down beside Potter a smug smile on his face.

"Nice of you to show up." Draco said mocking a roll of his eyes. The two men sitting there knew full well how Draco felt about them being there. No matter how hard Draco tried to not believe it, he was eternally grateful for his cheering section. He turned back around and took in a big breath of air. He stood up, picked up his file and walked to the center of the courtroom beside the rusty chair with equally rusted chains.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot. Today is the 8th of May and the year is 2008. I, Draco Malfoy the head prosecutor on your behalf moves, to start the proceedings." Draco looked at the Minister, the Minister nodded at Granger who opened the first file.

"The defendant Jason Tyler, of Gilwood, comes to court today in order to appeal for early parole. His sentence is Life imprisonment in Azkaban, he is convicted of committing treason in the highest affliction against the Ministry." She finished with a cold stare at the now opening doors.

The first and the second appeal cases were almost immediately resolved. Jason Tyler was convicted hastily in the aftermath of the war, his only true crime was simply leaving his house unlocked, he just assumed that it was okay to leave his house like so. He had no intention on housing Deatheaters. Or so he claimed. But Granger to Draco's surprise seemed to sympathize with the poor bugger and offered a simple compromise: seven years probation. The poor man's lawyer almost burst at the offer. He heartily accepted on his clients behalf. Unfortunately his client was unable to answer for himself since he had keeled over on the spot. Probation vs. fifteen more years in Azkaban. Draco imagined he might've keeled over as well if he had been anyone other then himself.

The second had gone even more swiftly then the first: it was known Deatheater Barty Crouch Jr. resurfacing once again to try and weasel his way out. Draco had almost laughed when Barty came in with a smug look on his face, like the Wizenmagot was going to unleash him back into society. Draco felt like this was the quickest Monday he had ever experienced but he knew full well why the morning had passed so effortlessly.

"Excuse me Minister." Draco heard Granger; he looked up from the pages of his father's appeal. "Would it be too bold of me, to suggest a small recess for lunch?" Hermione smiled politely, and the Minister replied with a distinct nod and continued sifting through his parchment signing where necessary.

"The Wizengamot wish to break for an hour. Court suspended until fourteen hundred hours." Granger called out to the room. There were large sighs of relief that swallowed the room. Draco didn't know what to do with himself for an hour; he breathed heavily and turned to converse with his cheering section to find it minus one.

"That first bloke… wow." Harry said trying not to make fun of the poor man's misfortune. "Hermione." Harry called out kindly as the black robed Wizenmagot member sat down beside him.

"I thought Blaize was here?" Granger asked Potter trying to make conversation. Draco noticed that she had glanced at him and gave him a small smile.

"Feeling particularly nice today, are we Granger?" Draco asked with a minor tone of malice.

"Malfoy, if you don't agree with my decision that's fine. But I figured I had to make sure all my human compassion was drained for the cases to come." Granger threw back at him, he knew she didn't appreciate his small jabs. But he hazarded a guess that she understood. He was sure that she had many more things that she could have said but simply kept to herself.

"Blaize offered to go get us some coffee." Harry said looking at the both of them awkwardly. "Umm… so what's the plan?"

"It's simple, in and out." Draco said quickly. "Barty Crouch style." He added.

"Malfoy, I am sure you know your father better then I, you know he won't go unless he's absolutely kick and screaming." Granger added. Draco thought for a bit, he watched Granger half hazardly try to manage the mess of auburn curls. She pulled the tears of hair over the shoulders; he noted that the curtains fell just above her elbows.

"Let him scream then." Draco shrugged; he felt his head start to hurt. He just wanted this day to be over. He wanted desperately to be at home, gardening if possible. He loved gardening it was something that made him feel like he had the power to recreate life, a power he had sometimes, only sometimes wished he had in the human capacity.

"He's in a right mood." Blaize announced as he sat down beside Hermione. "Hey pretty lady." Blaize added as he handed her a coffee out of the carton holder. He eagerly handed Draco his and then Potter's. Each of them sipped in silence for a bit.

"You know what he said this time. He said, Zabini! Zabini! How does it feel to be a slave? I said, politely I might add; judging by who carries your chains, I am freer then I dare say you will ever be, and then I added Old Man. He didn't like that too much." Blaize imitated what looked to Draco as a recreation of an old goat. The group minus Draco chortled slightly trying to level out the general sense of absolute tension.

The group continued discussing many little subjects sometimes a lull would consume the little huddle at the prosecution's desk, but Harry would absentmindedly start telling an anecdote about Weasley's latest flub as the head of the British and Irish Quidditch League. The punch line being Weasley had been under the impression that the Scottish were also involved and a fight broke out ending in several broken noses.

As their conversation wore on Draco felt his mind drifting, he watched his friends laugh trying to make light of the situation, but he was suddenly drawn to an incredibly, miraculously silent Granger. She watched the ground intensely every now and then she would cross her legs but for the most part her face was to Draco, quite unreadable. Not that he was really accomplished at reading people but he felt that he could pick out and recognize some details of a persons expression that would show some tell of they thoughts and emotions. But all Draco could really get, was she was staring at the floor so intensely if she looked away it might actually disappear. It wasn't new to him that he couldn't read her. Ever since they had actually sat down and conversed no matter how harsh or malicious or even if the conversation turned to humourous he could never quite figure out what went on behind the dark amber eyes of Hermione Granger.

He wondered if it was a natural ability or it was a practice she had acquired over the years. Potter had told him in absolute confidence that when all was said and done in the war, Granger went on a trip to Australia and came back different. Potter had also mentioned that she had altered her parent's memories and sent them to Australia for their own protection at the end of the sixth year. Potter didn't allude to anything else but that she had returned alone. Over the years thanks to a wonderful friendship he had found in Pansy Parkinson, the same kind of friendship had been formed between Granger and Pansy. From what Pansy had gathered without any help was that Granger's parents were still very much alive but they were still in Australia. Also, Pansy added that her trip to Australia like Potter had said changed her. She and Weasley had tried for almost two years to make things work romantically between them but they found that her heart just wasn't in it and though Weasley had his minor moments of stupidity, he cared enough to let the situation go and keep the friendship.

What ever happened might have been the cause to Granger's introverted personality. But he didn't know her before then so he couldn't be sure. All that he did know is that nine years ago it was a lot easier to stir her emotions then it was now. But maturity could have easily been the answer.

He felt a warm touch on his shoulder he looked you to its owner, he was surprised to see Granger's face gleam with a petite smile. She patted his arm in a gesture of encouragement and left to return to her seat. Draco gave a quick curt nod to his cheering section and turned his body into his bench.

"Here we go." He whispered.

Hello, Please Review Next Chapter is Lucius... tee hee hope you liked it

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MDM