Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I only play with them
A/N: I am extremely sorry for this very very late update. I have no excuse to those who had waited for this and I hope you guys are still there to read this. So to those who waited patiently, to the new people who favourite or followed this fiction, to the silent readers if there are any, here is Redemption. You guys rock my world!
Redemption
Draco didn't have much time left. He had no idea how he was going to convince the Gryffindor into believing him, stubborn git that he was. It frustrated him. It frustrated him enough to pace the room he shared with the other blokes. It was unbecoming and unsightly of the Slytherin prince to be doing this. Not that there was anyone in sight. Most of them were lounging in the common room getting excited about tomorrow's ball or otherwise growing their own balls to ask someone at the last minute.
Merlin, tomorrow's the Ball!
The pacing renewed with a fresh fervour. What was he to do? Try talking to Harry's friends? Draco snorted. If Harry didn't believe him, the two third of the trio wouldn't either. Although that muggleborn friend of his could be persuaded. But he still doubt the girl would believe him unless Draco could at least produce some sort of evidence. Draco stopped. Well obviously he did have it of course. All he needed was a pensieve. All right, he could just simply ask for Severus to lend him his. So what now?
Draco casted a Tempus and wondered if Granger had retired for the night. She was the only hope he has right now and hurried out the door to find his most esteemed head of house.
0o0o0o0
Hermione was admiring her dress for tomorrow when a tawny school owl tapped the frosty window. She quickly and quietly opened it to let the bird in and she frowned at her name scrawled elegantly on the rolled parchment. She recognized that penmanship and gently retrieved it from the owls leg which hoots sounded extremely displeased at having to brave the gale outside again.
"Ooh... Someone has a secret admirer." Lavender teased from her side of the room. "Wait till I tell Won-Won about this."
Hermione grimaced at this. She knew that the girl no longer has any feelings for her boyfriend but God forbid if anyone knows this. She was rather insecure about those two and she absolutely hated that ridiculous name.
"Well, who is it from?" Lavender asked as she tucked her curls under a nightcap. Hermione read the message quickly and disintegrated it. The nosy girl gawked at the display and smiled knowingly, approvingly even, the dumb bint. "I knew it. It is an admirer. Another Quidditch player? Which one? Do I know him? Going for a tryst are you?"
"No." Hermione answered simply and flashed her a grim smile, snatching her coat and wand as she head for the door. "I'm going to go hurt someone."
She finally reached the seventh floor after much dodging and hiding from the faculties or the prefects on duties that night. Head Girl notwithstanding, she was still breaking a rule for roaming the castle after hours.
"This better be good Malfoy." She harrumphed when she saw the blond Slytherin waiting for her and frowned at the evident relief in his eyes. A wooden ornate door stood standing in the normally empty wall and she wondered what the git was up to.
Malfoy inclined his head politely and pushed the door opened, motioning for her to step in. Hermione wasn't impressed however when she saw what the Room of Requirement contained and not to mention how puzzling it was for her to be in a room as such with Draco Malfoy.
"Well, I didn't expect you to have such tacky taste Malfoy." Hermione commented, her nose wrinkling at the King sized bed. The Slytherin snorted derisively, not deigning her an answer to her comment.
"This is the crime scene." Malfoy said and looked at her from the tail of his silvery eyes. "I presumed Ha- Potter had told you what happened?"
"And I believe him." Hermione stated blandly but her temper was slowly rising her temperature. "And I just want you to know that you're wasting you're time with whatever lies you've concocted. And I dearly want to hex you for being such a bastard to Harry but... You're just not worth it." She finished calmly and made to exit the room.
"But I have evidence Granger!" Malfoy's tone was desperate as he grabbed for her. The door suddenly flung opened revealing a very livid Ron, a grim Harry who was trying to hold him back and a very triumphant Lavender.
"What the fuck are you two doing here?!" Ron blustered finally breaking free of Harry's hold and launched at Malfoy. The two tumbled backwards as Hermione shrieked in disbelief. Ron straddled the blond and was screaming again, his hands wounding around the Slytherin's neck. "How dare you fucking touch my woman!"
"Ron! It's not like that at all!" Hermione shrieked trying to pull him off.
"Oh come on Hermione, look at the room you're in? If this is not a ground for a rendezvous, I do not know what to call it." Lavender said sweetly from the doorway. Hermione's glares went unnoticed. Lavender's eyes were too busy scanning the room and whistled at the bed. "Hmm, that's kinda pretty, I think I'll make it like that for the holidays, maybe I'll even invite Ron for the party, my mom is very well known for throwing excellent ones."
"You bitch!" Hermione screeched angrily. She bloody knew it! She should have known or at least suspected that the dumb bint still wanted her Ron!
"Mione! Stop!" Harry caught her as she tried to gouge Lavender's face.
"Let go Harry! I'm going to rip her hair if that's the last thing I'll do!" She shrieked hotly, struggling against the strong arms as she grappled the air trying to get her hands on the witch. Lavender smirked and tossed her hair. Hermione noticed that she was wearing lipsticks, no doubt to comfort Ron later, the bloody fool.
There was an ominous crack and everyone grew silent. Harry and Hermione whipped around. Ron had gone still, his hands no longer fisted.
"What did you do?" She demanded, her voice shrill with fear. Ron looked back to them looking utterly bewildered.
"I... I don't know." He stuttered. Harry finally let her go, striding to the two boys urgently.
"Well, get off him Ron!" Harry said, anxiety mixed with exasperation and the red head scrambled away, his eyes so wide as he stared at their long time rival. Hermione watched Harry's trembling hand searching for a pulse.
"Is he dead?" Lavender whispered from the door.
"Pray tell, who died Miss Brown?" There was a collective gasp at the drawl. The door was pushed wider and Professor Snape stood there surveying everything before him with the scariest scowl upon his face. His nose flared at the sight of the unmoving Slytherin and barked down the hallway. "Lupin!"
"What is it?" The Dark Arts Professor was there in a second like he had just apparated to Professor Snape's side. At the sight of them all, he sighed wearily, kneading between his eyebrows. The Potion's Master glared around at them again and swooped to his Godson, unceremoniously pushing Harry aside. A Diagnostic spell later, the Professor was barking again. "To my office all of you!"
0o0o0o0
They were marched to the dungeons. Harry felt like they were all going to be silently executed as they went deeper down the castle, winding their way to Snape's office. Lavender sighed dramatically beside him. Feeling like this was all her fault, Harry stoically ignored her. Just like how Hermione was ignoring Ron and vice versa, each still angry at the other.
Malfoy bobbed silently alongside them, still unconscious. He could see the tell tale of bruises forming on his neck and the busted lip beginning to be swollen. What have you done this time?
"Sit! And don't – make – a sound." Snape warned as they crowded into his office. Malfoy was levitated onto the sofa and the Potion's Master went to his stores of potions. Remus sighed again shaking his head disappointedly and conjured some chairs for them.
"What happened?" He asked crossing his arms. Nobody said a thing, their eyes drawn to the carpeted floor of the office. Snape bustled in with a vial in his hand and went straight to Malfoy, gently tipping his head and poured the potion slowly. The Slytherin coughed.
"Harry..." That was the first thing that came out of his mouth. The sabled haired boy blinked and flushed when everyone there swivelled around to look at him. Snape rolled his eyes.
"First thing first. The Pensieve Draco." He demanded. Malfoy winced as he pushed himself to sit. A hand slipped into his robe and he grimaced as he handed him the apparatus... with a crack on it. For a while there, they thought that the Potion's Master was going to kill them all, what's with him drawing to his full height and a snarl forming on his lips. It was only because of Remus that they were all still sitting there.
"Go get the Pensieve from McGonagall Sev." He said calmly hugging a deflating Snape. Snape huffed and stalked away to make the firecall before he disappeared into the hearth of green fire. Harry thought that this was never going to end when moments later, the fireplace flared again and out came Snape followed by the Headmistress.
"What's the meaning of this?" She questioned, her authority undiminished even in her ugly tartan nightgown. The room grew even quieter. "Well?"
"It's my fault Headmistress." Malfoy said, his voice still a bit hoarse. It surprised Harry into looking at him.
"Of course it's your fault! You slept with my woman!" Ron growled accusingly. Now that the silence has broken, the room quickly filled with shouts. Hermione gasped and retaliated.
"What about you? What were you doing with her Won-Won!"
"Nothing! She came to me and it was good that she did. I can't believe you were cheating on me Mione! Not with... Not with that thing!" Ron sneered, glaring at Malfoy looking all ready to jump at the boy again.
"And you believed her? That slut has always been after you!"
"Hey! Leave me out of this. Just admit it Hermione, you were cheating on Ron! Why else would you burn the note if it's not for a secret tryst?"
"You shut up!"
"SILENCE!" The Headmistress shouted over the lot and pinched the bridge of her nose. She conjured up a chair and sank into it. "Such appalling display from my own house!"
It really was. Everything has gotten complicated now that the adults were involved. Harry huffed. "It all started with me actually."
"No Harry..."
"Shut up Malfoy!"
"We are not getting anywhere here." Snape finally snapped. "Since nobody is explaining anything, we shall start with the memory."
Everyone except Malfoy frowned with confusion. Hermione however, cottoned on almost immediately and hissed at Malfoy. "You're going to show it to them? Are you mad?"
"There's nothing I can do all right! Blame it on your daft boyfriend!"
"But.. but it's not... adult approve!" Hermione was wrangling her wrist nervously eyeing the adults who watched the exchange with a deeper frown etching their faces.
"What's going on Mione?" Harry eventually asked. The girl bit her lips full of hesitation. Malfoy beat to her.
"I told you that Jansen was cheating on you and this is the proof."
Harry rolled his eyes. So this was it? What a waste of time! "Memories can be tempered with."
"Hence the reason why I shall attest to it Mister Potter," Snape drawled silkily. Headmistress McGonagall cleared her throat and he was huffing again. "I amend. We shall all attest to it."
Hermione groaned beside her and Harry watched the blond closed his eyes, raising his wand to his temple, drawing out the silvery strings of a memory. He deposited it into the Pensieve carefully with a tap and leaned back without a word.
Hermione groaned again as he watched Snape going into the Pensieve. Remus then pulled the unmoving body back and he too went into it. The Headmistress gave them an admonishing look before following her teachers. The room went silent once more, looking at the prone body of Headmistress McGonagall with her head in the Pensieve.
"Ugh! This is going to be horrible!" Hermione groaned rubbing her face vigorously. Harry rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe that Malfoy managed to rope in his friend into believing his crap.
"Will somebody tell me what is going on here?" Ron said annoyed. "What is so important about that memory? Mione?"
"Don't talk to me!" She snapped glaring at the redhead and swerved around to Malfoy. "Couldn't you have found some other way Malfoy?"
"Like what? We were already caught and I was unconscious to boot no thanks to your boyfriend. I could have gotten us out of trouble if it weren't for that."
"This is all your fault!" She screeched, swerving back to Ron who was starting to be angry again. Harry was beginning to have a headache as Ron bellowed.
"Well you should have told me about it! Make me understand why you have to meet the git!"
"No! You should have trusted me instead of her! I couldn't tell you because this involves Harry and it is not my place to say anything about it!"
"Is this true?" Ron rounded on him. Harry sighed and nodded. "So what has that to do with Draco bloody Malfoy?"
"I was trying to save him from a severe broken heart." The blond answered. Lavender oohed at the prospect of hearing a scandal. Hermione finally lost it.
0o0o0o0
"An outsider should just stay out of our business!" And they watched the witch proceeded to hex her with a vindictive flourish. Harry snorted amused as Brown slumped heavily into her chair and turned to Weasley.
"That's a lie Ron." He said dismissively.
"I wasn't lying!" Draco snapped, his eyes like blazing mercury as he glared. "If you would just listen to me Harry."
"Don't call me so intimately!" Harry yelled jumping from his chair and pointed an accusing finger at him, his mouth twisted in an ugly snarl as more diatribe came. He shouted above all of it.
"But I am intimate with you aren't I? Every single bit of you!"
"Oh hell no. No no no no..." Weasley's eyes rounded looking utterly horrified as he finally caught on. It would have been a comical sight if it weren't for the situation.
"Bravo." Granger clapped with a mocking smile. "He finally understands. I knew you weren't as empty headed as you look." Her soon to be ex-boyfriend glared at the bushy headed witch and Harry gaped astounded. She must have been extremely angry if she's started attacking the red head's intellect. Draco took Harry's lapse of attention to grab his hands. He knew that Harry was going to start screaming at him again, but the professors began to stir and they moved back to their seats as one.
"Well..." The headmistress cleared her throat, looking at everywhere but them. Draco noticed the Gryffindor biting his lips in apprehension. Surely he knew now that Draco was telling the truth? Not with how red the resident werewolf's face was and his Godfather looked like he was about to scourgify his eyes.
"Professor?" Weasley prodded questioningly.
"Ah... Yes, the memory is indeed authentic. Nothing has been tempered with." Lupin answered.
"Can we see it then?"
"Of course not!" Malfoy objected. Of all the asinine thing to ask! "It would be humiliating enough for Harry to see it, let alone having you lot witnessing it too."
"You're quite right." Granger agreed pulling the daft redhead back when he started to protest and she silenced him with a single look. "It concerns Harry alone and he alone should see it."
"Very wise indeed Miss Granger." The headmistress, having composed herself said and continued with a rather pinched face. "That will be ten points from Slytherin, twenty points from Ravenclaw and sixty points from (her nose flared again) from Gryffindor."
The Gryffindors only managed to gasp. The headmistress held up a warning hand before they could issue a protest. "I will not change my mind. Your behaviour has been ghastly! Fighting like you were mere children! Jumping to conclusion like you do not have brains and I cannot condone something so heinous!" She whipped around to the professors. "You will return me the pensieve with the memory intact and the rest of you! Go back to your dorms and for the love of Merlin, wake that daft girl up! Who did it?"
"It was me headmistress." Draco did smirked then when the muggleborn replied unapologetically. He was further amused when the headmistress awarded her five points.
"She deserves that. Such a trouble maker! Now off to the floo all of you!" Sadly, that included him and he didn't even get a chance to say anything to Harry as they were ushered to the fireplace. Not that the Gryffindor was paying them any attention. He was just sitting there staring blindly at the pensieve. Draco sighed wearily and flooed back to the Slytherin common room. They really need to talk.
TBC... I hope you guys enjoyed reading and reviews are very much loved even if it's tough love ^^
