When she arrived back to her office she called Lisette and sat calmly on her desk. She grabbed up her quill and began to scribble on a bit of parchment.
"You called Miss Granger?" Lisette asked,her hands clasped together at the front of her skirt.
"Yes, Lisette, is there any way you could go over to Mister Zabini and Mister Macmillan's office and ask for Draco's file? I need it." Hermione answered haughtily. Lisette nodded and exited the office.
She stopped scribbling suddenly when she realized what had happened back at Azkaban. Draco had said he loved her. And she had said it back.
Well not exactly said it back, a part of her argued, more like agreed with it. She shook her head and Lisette returned empty handed.
"I thought I told you to bring me Draco Malfoy's file." Hermione stated, gritting her teeth against her agitation.
"Sorry Miss Granger. Mister Macmillan refuses to turn over his notes from his time as Mister Malfoy's defense attorney and the prosecutor who put Mister Malfoy in Azkaban was killed in a freak accident two years ago in Trafalgar square. He was hit with a stray jinx and it was apparently darker than suspected." Lisette met her boss's gaze sadly.
"Ok, is the Minister in his office?" She asked. Lisette nodded.
"Excellent." she got up from her chair and walked Lisette to the door. She was going to see the Minister.
When she arrived she rapped on the thick wooden door hard.
"Come in." Kingsley boomed. Hermione entered the office and she saw Kingsley roll his eyes and shake his head exasperatedly.
"Hello Minister." she began.
"What is it now Miss Granger?" he asked, wondering what progressive idea she wanted to propose now.
"I was wondering how I might acquire the criminal file of Draco Malfoy." she asked, sitting on the big, blue settee on the opposite side of the Minister's desk.
"The man who prosecuted him is dead Hermione. I don't know your intentions but you will have to travel to the catacombs and the records room to find his criminal file. I'll send Macmillan an order to turn his notes over to you." Kingsley looked down at the little woman who had always fought for the underdog. A part of him wondered what she wanted with Malfoy, but the better part of him knew better than to ask. She was an extremely long winded witch.
"Thanks so much Kingsley." she nodded, standing to leave.
She walked out and he smiled at the back of her head. She reached the lift in moments and smiled triumphantly to herself as she rang it. She waited patiently until it came and stepped inside with an inward growl.
Standing in the lift, was none other than her former friend and unapologetic ex boyfriend Ron Weasley. He looked at her smugly as she entered the lift. She pushed the button for the catacombs and records room before placing her back firmly against the back of the lift. Ron leaned down to look at her.
"Do you remember when we used to go at it in here? No? Shame. They were good memories." he asked, surveying her with a perverse eye. She rolled her eyes and focused on thoughts of Draco, resisting the urge to retort back.
"I remember using every inch of your office to full advantage as well." he continued.
"Do you remember me finding about you and Lavender in this lift too? Or are you forgetting that horrid experience?" she bit her cheek as she finished, hating herself for indulging him. A smile broke across his face.
"Look Hermione, I apologized for that. But what Lav and I have…. It can't be stopped. It's chemical." he answered back, echoing sixteen year old Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed in relief as the lift dinged, signalling his departure.
"You never apologized for it, never to my face. And yes I remember too well just how chemical. Maybe I should act like a horny teenager as well and send birds aiming for your eyes again aye?" She retorted as he walked out of the small lift.
"Bye Hermione." he called airily, waving as he turned to go where he was needed.
When the doors closed she stomped her foot and mentally scolded herself. Before long though, she had reached her destination. The lift dinged again, signalling her arrival at her destination and she exited it quickly. She walked up to the attending wizard for the room of records and smiled. He gestured towards the parchment she had to sign to be permitted entrance. She nodded after she finished and walked past him.
She found the M row of records and began digging through them. She searched through Marlene McKinnon, MacNair, Lucius Malfoy, and other names before coming across Draco Malfoy. She grabbed the rather large file and tucked it under her arm. She walked back out of the room and rang the lift five minutes later.
She made it back to her office effortlessly. Once she was in her chair, she opened the file. The things she read were horrendous. She knew of a lot of what he did, but there were other things she hadn't known.
"Lisette! Come in here please!" she called, not looking up from the parchment she was currently reading. She heard the door open and shut.
"Yes Miss Granger?" she asked, coming to the edge of her boss's desk.
"Do me a favor and write up a draft of an appeal for Mister Malfoy. And send a letter to Azkaban prison that I will be meeting with my client tomorrow as well. I need to question him about some of these instances they are claiming he participated in. Has Ernie sent over any notes? The Minister said he would send a memo that the notes were to be sent to my office as soon as possible." Hermione finally looked up and noticed Lisette using a Quick Notes Quill to take down notes.
"No he hasn't gotten those over here yet. He seems to be flat out refusing. Would you prefer me to go and get them?" Lisette asked. Hermione tapped her quill against her lips gently before shaking her head.
"No, no. If he doesn't turn them over by end of the week I will consult the Minister again. And Lisette, I'd prefer you not use a Quick Notes Quill. They are notorious for wrong information. From now on you're to use an old fashioned quill and take correct notes. Are we clear?" she was using her school marm voice again and Lisette nodded.
"Absolutely Miss Granger." Lisette conceded. Hermione nodded happily before returning to her paperwork.
"One last thing Lisette, erm, would you do me another favor and go down to the Room of Records and bring me Lucius Malfoy's file? I want to compare father and son criminal activities." she muttered, biting the end of the quill as she pondered what she was reading.
"Yes Miss Granger." she answered, exiting the office.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy did participate in multiple raids of muggle properties, stole copious amounts of expensive muggle jewelry, and did willingly participate in the torture of one Chad Williamson and his wife Amy, both aged 28 and residents of 17 North Hampton St, Broken Arrow, England . His co conspirators in this crime are named as one Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and one Rabastan Lestrange."
Lisette returned upon her finishing this passage. She handed Hermione Lucius Malfoy's file and turned to leave.
"Thank you Lisette. Let me know when you get that appeal for the Wizengamot finished would you please? Oh and also, call Harry back into my office. I need to consult with him on some of this." she rambled, while reading the end of the paragraph.
"I'll be back with Mister Potter in ten minutes. Is there a reason you'd prefer me go get him than you Miss Granger?" She waited patiently to be directed. She knew when Hermione was beginning her argument for a case she was basically a hermit and focused solely on information.
"Actually there is Lisette. When I left this office for myself a bit ago I ran into Ronald. And you know how that just brightens my day so." she quipped sarcastically.
"Very well Miss. I'll be back shortly."Lisette called her parting but Hermione barely heard her.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy, here and after known as 'The Accused', did participate in the rape of one…." she read but could hardly finish.
As she continued to read the witness account of the rape of a muggle woman she skimmed the pages following, noticing that a lot of the crimes he was charged with, his co conspirators were listed as his father and his deranged uncle's even more deranged brother. Hermione scowled to herself before opening up Lucius' file to the same witness account and began to read.
"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy states the he and one Rabastan Lestrange were charged by one Tom Riddle with training the Accused in the ways of the Death Eater. He recounts the torture of Chad and Amy Williamson where his son, the Accused, did take the first action in using the Cruciatus curse against Mister Williamson and his wife. Mister Malfoy states, and is corroborated by Mister Lestrange, that he and Mister Lestrange were innocent bystanders to the Accused's torture of the Williamson couple."
Hermione refused to believe that a teenager willingly participated or took charge in any of these crimes. She looked at the clock.
4:15 pm.
Gryffindor's gilded rod, was it really almost the end of the work day already? She thought to herself.
She continued reading witness statements, most of which she noticed were from the lying lips of one Lucius Malfoy. She knew Draco's early war crimes; the cursed necklace, placing Madam Rosmerta under the Imperius curse, etc, but she couldn't believe he had done the things he was being accused of. He may have had a vile tongue as a child, really what could be expected of a Slytherin anyway? Snakes had poisonous tongues after all, but this was so much more. These were the actions of a hardened soul. Someone who was an experienced criminal. Draco couldn't be guilty of these things even if pushed.
Hermione was broken out of her train of thought by her door closing.
"Lisette said you wanted to see me?" Harry's voice echoed. Hermione nodded.
"Yes actually. Could you dig through your reports and such and figure out who was taking witness statements and the like during this time? And see what you can find on Draco's original trials. I know Ernie wasn't always Draco's defense attorney. He was the one Draco picked for his first appeal. But since his first appeal got denied, he used Ernie as his negotiator for his rights as a prisoner. I only wish they had transcripts of trial proceedings." she said exasperatedly. Harry laughed at her huffing and puffing.
"Hermione, calm down. You don't have to do this alone. I'll help you figure everything out and pull every loose string til we unravel the argument that Draco is some hardened war criminal. None of us are. We all did things we regretted during those years. But we did what had to be done in order to take down Voldemort. Just tell me what you need. Keep me informed. I don't care the hour, you hear?" he answered. She smiled and nodded.
"Thanks Harry. First order of business, do everything I just told you and maybe, oh, what was it. Ah, yes here," she picked up a scrap of parchment, "See what you can make of this. I want Rabastan Lestrange re interrogated. I have a feeling that Lucius Malfoy may have blackmailed him into lying to save his own worthless arse. I don't exactly know now if it is because he wanted to keep Draco locked away from me or if he really just didn't want to be in Azkaban anymore. But find out will you for me?" she asked, eyes leveling with her best friend's as she adjusted her glasses. He nodded.
"You got it. I'll sniff around and see what I find out. Why don't you go home and relax that big brain of yours? It's probably extremely overworked with all the new information it's had to process over the past couple days. Go home and unwind." he chided, knowing his best friend hardly relaxed...ever. she nodded and pulled her hair out of its tight bun.
"Yes I should. But will I? Doubtful. You know me. I'm like a bloodhound on the hunt when I open a new case. And as ridiculous as it sounds this may be my biggest case ever." she muttered, leaning back in her chair. He nodded.
"Because of the personal implications?" He raised an eyebrow. She smiled at him and shook her head.
"No. From a precedent standpoint. I mean, for all we know these charges were padded on by Lucius Malfoy to keep his son locked away from me, his soulmate, just because I wasn't a spoiled, inbred princess." Hermione snarked, running her fingers through her loose hair. Harry laughed.
"And they call themselves the prejudiced ones. Merlin Hermione, do you really think he would go to such lengths to avoid sullying the bloodlines? I mean we are talking about putting his own son in prison to avoid a plucky muggleborn. It seems a bit much to me." Harry countered. Hermione snorted in derision.
"He's Lucius Malfoy, of course I think he would stoop to such levels and go to any extensive lengths he had to to protect his son from said plucky muggleborn. It's self preservation, as well as preserving his social status. It was always about keeping up appearances with him, saving face. I smell corruption. I smell a cover up." she ended dramatically, which made Harry laugh harder. He slapped a hand flat on the desk top.
"Well, I'm sure if something is amiss here you will be the bloodhound to sniff out the source of the stench." He smiled at her.
"Thanks Harry." was her only response.
"You're welcome. Well, I should get going. I've got lots of information to hunt down and a pregnant wife to keep happy. Go home, run yourself a bath, pour a glass of your favorite merlot and just relax. You need it." he came around the desk to wrap his best friend in a hug.
"Have a good night." she watched him leave. He simply waved.
And just like that, Hermione felt like she was preparing for another battle. Unlike the first time, this one was for the man she slowly found herself falling for. She grabbed the two files off her desk, stuffed them into her briefcase and left her office for a peaceful night at home. Or so she thought...
