Chapter 10

I wont delay you any further. Let the dramatics begin! As always, JKR is the mighty mind behind these proceedings.

….

The court fell into an awed hush for a few uncomfortable seconds as Draco and his supporters entered the large chamber. It was quite dark inside, lit only by a scattering of candles. The benches of the courtroom rose up steeply from the centre, with a little box to one side where they had been directed to sit for the duration of the trial. The walls were thick and stony grey, no windows or hangings to brighten up the dreary atmosphere. But at least there were no dementors anymore, Hermione thought with relief as a shiver passed through her. It was cold enough already in here without the horrible icy stabbing that felt like your soul was clamouring to desperately escape from your body.

Hundreds of eyes stared down at them, all frozen in shock at the procession that had entered with Draco. Hermione felt all the hairs on her neck prickle and stand on end in discomfort at the intense scrutiny. It struck her suddenly as she looked around, that the phrase 'Innocent until proven guilty' didn't actually exist in the magical world. Almost every member of the wizengamot were glaring at Draco like he was dirt under their shoe. A couple of them even seemed to hiss and sneer at the former death eater scum who had dared to enter their precious courtroom. Hermione felt sick. Her stomach was rolling in waves and she had to swallow the bile that rose so easily into her throat. Beside her, she felt Draco's crushing grip on her hand tremble and she almost winced at the tingling of pain spreading from her knuckles. She wouldn't be surprised if she found bruises tomorrow. And yet she just kept gripping him back.

The hush came to an abrupt end. As if by some silent cue, all the voices seemed to rise at once until it seemed as though every ministry official there was yammering away to the person next to them, pointing animatedly down at the defence team, expressing surprise and what was most probably derision.

Then she managed to catch Kingsley Shacklebolt's eye. He smiled warmly at her as he stepped forwards to take his place in the Minster's chair. He gestured for the court recorder and his assistant to sit beside him and then gave her one last reassuring nod as he sat down. Hermione took a deep, calming breath, feeling more confident knowing that he would be attending the trial. At least she could count on Kinglsey to offer a fair judgment. Maybe he could influence some of the others. Clenching her jaw in determination, she nudged the group towards the defence section, where Mr Kennard had already started setting up his notes and preparing himself for the first session. There was a small, slightly cramped box in front, jutting out into the stage area where Draco would be sitting by himself, and Hermione, Narcissa and Harry would sit behind him in significantly more comfortable seats. She noticed a few astonished faces staring at Harry in complete shock as they walked across the court. She smiled secretly to herself, thinking that it would be a damn good thing for Draco to be seen in the company of their saviour Harry Potter on the first day. Which was no doubt why Harry had suggested he come along. She was already hearing whispers of adoration from some of the female officials of the court. A couple were primping up their hair and straightening their robes as they tried to catch Harry's eye. Hermione repressed a snort. He was a bit young for them.

When they reached their seats, it was time to part from Draco, whose hand she was still clutching discreetly. She was sure no one had even noticed them holding hands as they entered. A lot of attention was directed at Harry and, regardless, they were doing a good job of hiding them behind the flare of her coat. But when they passed Draco's box, she started to pull away surreptitiously. Draco jerked in surprise and gripped her hand tighter. He turned to give her a wide-eyed stare. He looked terrified. She could see just how fearful he was from the round, slightly glassy look in his eyes and the twitching muscles in his jaw. He had no doubt seen the contempt in the faces of so many members of the court who were supposed to be unbiased and impartial but clearly hated his guts. Hermione rubbed her thumb over the skin of his hand.

"Draco, it's fine. You're going to be fine," she murmured softly, with an encouraging smile on her face that she didn't necessarily feel herself. But it was important that he remain confident and in control. She gave him one last squeeze, and this time when she pulled away he released her. He gave her a desolate, yearning look before moving into his box and sitting with a stiff, self-conscious posture. She wished she could sit by his side but that would be inappropriate.

Once everyone had taken their places, a throat was cleared off to one side and then Kingsley waved his hand towards the press gallery, releasing the charm that was holding them back. A thunderous, violent flashing of cameras bombarded them with light and Hermione had to almost shield her eyes against the fireworks of photographs. Journalists were yelling and calling out to Draco and her and Harry in particular, asking for reactions or comments, but they just sat silently and waited for it to be over.

It seemed like forever before Kingsley waved his hand again and the press desisted. A middle-aged woman wearing the most hideous yellow jumper Hermione had ever seen stood to her feet, a blue cloak around her shoulders to signify her position as a court mediator. She snapped her fingers and the recorder sitting beside Kingsley jumped into action with a flurry of quills and parchment, ink splattering around her.

"We have gathered today to begin the trial of Mister Draco Lucius Malfoy. Nineteen years of age. Non-graduate attendee of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Slytherin House. Last recorded wand: 10 inches, hawthorn, unicorn hair. The charges that have been laid against him on behalf of the Ministry of Magic are murder, torture by use of dark magic, aggravated sexual assault and conspiracy to overthrow the government."

There were a few audible gasps in the courtroom. Hermione only just managed not to wince when she heard the charges read out loud, although she had known about them beforehand. They were all untrue, of course. Every single claim that had been made were all purely based on events that occurred at Malfoy Manor where he was living during the war. Draco's own personal guilt was non-existent. Hermione knew that their defence team would be able to poke holes in these allegations in good time, even if it seemed horrifying right now. The lady in yellow waited for the whispering to subside once more before she continued.

"I feel I should also acknowledge the presence of Mister Harry Potter in the courtroom," all heads turned to stare at the scruffy haired Gryffindor boy who was looking suddenly mortified, like he wanted to sink into his seat and disappear, "Mister Potter, we are truly humbled and honoured by your presence here today. In what capacity will you be acting during these proceedings?"

Hermione frowned at the question. She knew the ministry was obsessed with Harry right now, but this was going a bit far. She could only imagine the matching scowl on Draco's face right now. He'd hate this. Maybe they just wanted to neutralise Harry, and see if they could get him on side. He was an unknown entity right now, and they had always liked trying to exert their control over him. Harry stumbled to his feet a little clumsily and cleared his throat.

"I am here as an advocate for Malf…er…Draco," he said in a loud but slightly shaky voice, "I think these charges are completely false and he's been treated really unjustly. I'm gonna vouch for his character and act as a witness."

A steady murmuring broke out among the wizengamot. It got rather loud as Harry sat back down with a self-satisfied smile on his face. Hermione gently bumped his shoulder and smiled too. He certainly did make thrilling waves at the ministry whenever he stood up to them. There were a few fierce, belligerent looks directed towards him, like he had betrayed the ministry somehow. But there were also some faces that appeared mildly curious, even thoughtful. They were no doubt starting to wonder about the veracity of the charges if the great and heroic Harry Potter believed in the Malfoy boy's innocence. Hermione felt yet another swell of gratitude and affection for her friend in that moment.

The lady in the woolly yellow jumper raised her hand for quiet once more before turning her attention to Draco.

"Mister Malfoy, in light of these charges, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?"

Draco stood briefly. He did appear confident to the room as a whole, but from where she was sitting Hermione could see the slight quiver in his fingers that gave away his nerves. She was probably the only one who noticed, except perhaps Narcissa.

"Not guilty," he said in a clear voice.

Nobody looked surprised at his declaration, it was already entered into the records; this was just a formality.

"I call on Ministry official Wallace Jenkins to present the overview of their case against the accused."

A man in black robes stood from the front row of the court and proceeded to step up to a special bench that was slightly raised above the rest of the courtroom. Jenkins had been in charge of the entire case against Malfoy from the beginning, Hermione knew, but this was the first time that she'd seen him in the flesh. Which was strange, because if he'd really done his research properly into torture at Malfoy Manor, then he should have interviewed her. Then again, perhaps he already knew of her stance on the case and hadn't bothered. She watched him carefully as he organised his notes in front of him. He reminded her of a vulture. He was so tall that his shoulders were hunched from the way he stood, and his black robes looked glossy as they swirled and fluttered around his legs. His eyes were fierce and beady, and his nose grew into a sharp point like a beak. He took his time and appeared very calm as he began to speak.

"The crimes of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters are of a most heinous nature. They will continue to haunt the wizarding community for many years to come," his voice was low and menacing, Hermione thought with a shudder as she had to strain to hear him properly, "As a member of You-Know-Who's inner circle, Lucius Malfoy was in a position of extreme power and influence. He managed to manipulate and blackmail his way out of any punishment after the first war ended, and now lies dead and unable to answer for his further crimes of rape, murder and treason during the second war. Lucius Malfoy was integral to the plan to overthrow the ministry and was arrested right here in this building for plotting the murder of Harry Potter and his friends several years ago."

At this Jenkins's eyes, and many others in the room, flew to stare at Harry and Hermione once more. She wanted to make a scoffing noise but managed to stop herself. Typical ministry was already showboating. He hadn't even mentioned Draco yet.

"Lucius Malfoy is regarded by many now, in particular members of our own impartial and sadly deceived wizengamot, who believed his claims to be true, as a sadistic and predatory killer hell bent on destruction and mayhem.

It is clear from our extensive investigation of his only heir and inheritor of his vast fortune, that the apple does not fall far from the tree."

Hermione couldn't help herself from grinding her teeth together. She was furious. She clenched her hands into tight fists on her lap and shook her head in disgust. She noticed sadly the way that Draco's shoulders visibly tensed up at this opening statement about him. She knew from a number of painful conversations with him in prison, and of course with Narcissa, that Draco hated any resemblance he bore to his father. His mother had once admitted to her that she knew her son was repulsed by the physical appearance he shared in common with Lucius, as he was desperate to distance himself from his father's weakness and spite. Hermione took a deep, calming breath as Jenkins continued.

"Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's pride and joy, his only child, became an active member of the Death Eaters from a young age. He was eager to step into his father's shoes and willingly committed atrocious acts against muggles and muggleborns. He participated in something called revels, which involved torturing muggle women in particular. They would play with these victims both physically and magically by means of the cruciatus curse, before killing them. Based on the testimonies of survivors, these events took place right in the heart of Malfoy Manor where Draco lived."

There was a vicious murmuring that spread across the courtroom. She could tell the photographers were itching to take shots of Draco sitting there with his face so pale he was looking positively green. Jenkins barely paused in his speech.

"Furthermore, Draco aggressively planned and carried out the invasion of Hogwarts on 30th June, 1997 with the explicit purpose of murdering Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, a plot which was ultimately successful. He endangered the lives of students and members of the Order of the Phoenix in the most despicable way. He subjected them to the threat of a werewolf; Fenrir Greyback, the notorious child killer, as well as his own Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange; one of the most prolific and violent criminals of our age. Draco was clearly Bellatrix's protégée during the war. She took him under her wing and taught him dark magic which he later used to torture muggleborns such as the Chosen One's own best friend and member of the eponymous Golden Trio Hermione Granger."

There were a few puzzled murmurs as many members of the wizengamot looked her way. Hermione stiffened in her seat, confused. She thought it odd that Jenkins would mention her as a famous victim, when she was clearly sitting here in Draco's defence. She saw some people pointing at her and shaking their heads sadly. From the angle of where she was sitting she could also see Draco digging his fingers into his knees so hard he was likely to rip through the material of his suit. Then she hummed thoughtfully as an idea came to her. Maybe Jenkins would try to discredit her testimony about Draco by painting her as some kind of deranged victim who had lost her mind at the hands of the cruciatus. She may become an unreliable witness altogether if they thought her memories were distorted. Jenkins took a deep breath and held up his hands, as silence descended once more.

"It is painfully clear that this Death Eater, who still bears the dark mark of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on his arm today as he sits before us protesting his innocence, is not to be trusted. We have made the grave error of excusing the crimes of Lucius Malfoy in the past. Let us not allow history to repeat itself. This murderer must be punished. There can be no leniency or mercy given, or else we face the threat of allowing another war to destroy us in the future."

Jenkins returned to his seat with a slight curl of his lip indicating his smug satisfaction at the response to his opening address. All around there were mutterings of agreement and significant, fearful looks exchanged. Hermione wanted to scream and throw something at them. Could they not see that this was exactly what a "witch-hunt" looked like? For wizards and witches who had all studied the Salem trials at school in History of Magic, they seemed worryingly ignorant of the implications of blaming a single person for the crimes committed by others. Especially when that person had only been tied to those crimes by the actions of his blood relatives, with no evidence even mentioned about his own personal guilt. She wondered if this would continue throughout the trial. Would he be met with mere insinuations about his connections to certain crimes and no hard proof?

Hermione bit down ferociously into her bottom lip, feeling an anxious flutter in her chest. She shared a glance with Harry and saw him frowning in disapproval as well. Although he often missed the subtleties of ministry politics without her explanations, such as with Umbridge's speech in fifth year, he clearly realised the unfairness of the claims made against Draco so far as well.

She turned back to the front and saw Draco turn around slightly. He met his mother's eyes and gave her a look of reassurance, although it seemed rather hollow when he was clearly upset himself. Narcissa made a very slight, almost inaudible sniffling sound but managed to stay collected and serene. To all outward appearances she seemed like the austere and calm aristocrat. Then his gaze shifted over to Hermione's and he let his true feelings slip through. She noticed the way his brows drew together and his eyes appeared haunted and pleading. She tried to smile at him, but it was so tenuous she felt pathetic. Draco paused and kept their eyes locked together for a long moment. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't in front of so many people. Eventually his face twisted involuntarily into an expression of shame and he looked down at his hands, visibly distraught, before turning back to face the courtroom.

Hermione's pulse thundered and her chest ached with worry. If she didn't already know that she was feeling so emotional then she would have thought she was having a damn heart attack. As it was, she had to take a few deep breaths to stop the room from spinning around her.

She really was starting to care about him, she realised. It was becoming a palpable thing that she could actually feel, like the tingles in her skin where they had held hands, or the sweet metallic taste on her tongue of blood from biting so hard into her bottom lip she pierced the flesh. Narcissa reached the short distance between them and patted her hand in reassurance. She blinked and set her jaw firmly, vowing to do everything in her power to make every single person in this room see Draco Malfoy in exactly the same way she saw him. Someone who deserved a second chance at life.

….

…

..

Draco forced himself to breathe deeply for a few moments, in an out with a steady rhythm. That had been tough. Every painful word had stabbed him a little bit deeper. And the mention of Hermione's torture had almost made him break down completely. That was something that had been haunting him lately. It had been different when she was just some distant memory; but now it was like she was all around him, tormenting him with guilt and an increasing feeling of unworthiness.

He tried to tune in and listen carefully when Kennard stood at the podium to deliver his opening address. He was an eloquent and very patient wizard who managed to present Draco as a reasonable young man who had been a victim throughout the war. He tilted his head to the side more curiously as he started to absorb the words spoken on his behalf, realising he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he was missing what was being said about him.

"…Draco was trapped in his own home. What had once been a haven; a place of comfort in his school holidays, had become a living nightmare for him. It was a place where there was no escape from the violence or degradation of his tormentors. Can you even imagine what it was like to be in his shoes during this time? A sixteen year old boy confronted by the terrifying Lord Voldemort…"

A few members of the wizengamot gasped and shuddered at the mention of Voldemort's name. Draco had noticed the ministry prosecutor Jenkins hadn't had the guts to say it, and was savagely pleased that his own lawyer wasn't afraid to ruffle some feathers. It was important that people started saying his name so as to de-mystify the darkness surrounding him.

"…his parents lives threatened if he didn't act. The dark mark forcibly branded onto his skin against his will. And finally the fear of death hiding around every corner if he didn't submit to their plans. And even despite all these things, he still did not murder Albus Dumbledore, as he had been commanded to. He did not participate in any torture. He is a victim of this terrible tragedy, not a perpetrator. And with the eyes of the wizarding world watching his judgement in the coming weeks, he sits here before you today a man humbled by his loss and his suffering. He sits here also with the full support and respect of the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter himself, and the equally admired Hermione Granger – a muggleborn witch with the most exemplary school results Hogwarts has seen in decades! These two brave young people fought against Voldemort and defeated him, saving our world from chaos. And they have chosen to stand up for Mister Malfoy because they believe what I believe… that he is a casualty of this war as much as any other young soul caught up in this grave tragedy. Do not condemn him for the sins of his father. It would be a crime too great to endure. Lucius Malfoy bears no relevance to this case. Let us decide whether Draco has been punished enough already for his bad luck and his heritage. Let us fight to make the wizarding world a better place. A world with no crusades or prejudices towards anyone! I look forward to seeing us take this next step forwards together."

Kennard gave a brief, perfunctory nod before returning to his seat. The courtroom was so quiet Draco could hear his pulse thrumming in his ears. He felt strangely emotional after the man's speech, a dry tickle in the back of his throat. The way he had characterised Draco and his actions through the war was so heartfelt and sympathetic. Which was odd, since the man didn't even really know him. Which meant that it was probably the work of his mother and Hermione. The members of the wizengamot seemed a little restless after all this, but went silent the instant Kingsley's assistant rose to her feet once more.

"We will have a short recess now to discuss the opening statements given. During this time we ask that all members of the court familiarise themselves with the witness list and documents filed by both sides to prepare for the next session."

Then there was a roaring of noise that rose like a wave, battering Draco's eardrums. At almost the same instant, Draco's eyes were dazzled by the sudden flashing of cameras as the press were given free reign once more. He squinted and shielded his eyes, trying to turn his body away from the rabid photographers who were hollering his name.

"We can return to our antechamber if you like," Kennard murmured, pitching his voice close to Draco's ear to be heard above the din that was ringing around the stone courtroom. He nodded numbly in agreement. He needed to get out of there. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kennard gesture to the others and they hurriedly formed a line and began walking. Their quick little procession was unswayed by any shouts or taunts and they made it to the cosy room without any major dramas.

As the door shut behind them, Draco was startled by the eerie silence in contrast to the court outside. All that frantic noise was cut off abruptly, since the room was magically sealed to be soundproof. It was unsettling. He took a few moments to compose himself before turning around. He was met with troubling looks of sympathy and wariness from his mother and Hermione. The older woman was the first to speak.

"Draco, darling, are you alright?" she asked in a croaky voice.

He nodded with a slight grimace, taking in a slow, deep breath.

"I'll be fine, mother. I'm clearly going to need a pretty tough skin. It'll only get worse. Merlin knows what their supposed witnesses are going to say about me."

Mr Kennard nodded in agreement.

"They're going to drag your name through the mud, Draco. But you might have noticed that a lot of what they said lacked any real substance. We can argue it quite effectively."

Draco was surprised when Potter nodded eagerly and stepped up to stand in their little circle instead of off to one side.

"Yeh he kept going on about Malfoy's dad. Half the speech was about him. He didn't even get mentioned until halfway through. What are they playing at?"

Kennard pursed his lips and crossed his arms in front of him as he addressed Potter with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Jenkins wants to discredit him by association. People who are that angry can be irrational. And there's a lot of anger towards Lucius Malfoy."

Draco nodded glumly in agreement. His teeth ached from where he had been grinding them together. His face flushed hot at the mention of Lucius and a rolling, sick feeling started to blossom in his gut. To his left he felt his mother place her hand softly on his shoulder in comfort. She rubbed his shoulder in a motherly gesture, but he could feel the tremble in her fingers. Draco quickly reached up and laid his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze in return.

"Stop worrying, mother," he scolded affectionately, turning towards her. He saw her cool façade crack a little as she gave him a watery smile. She lifted the same hand to caress his cheek.

"You're my son, Draco, It's my job to worry."

Feeling a rush of gratitude towards her, he turned his head to the side and kissed her hand softly. She gave him a swift hug before stepping back and wiping her eyes with quick, surreptitious strokes, assuming her proud persona once more.

It was then that Draco finally turned his attention to Hermione. She was standing back to one side and looking miserable. Her brows were furrowed together sharply and her teeth were digging into her bottom lip as she wrung her hands together. Draco remembered how Jenkins had brought up her name during his opening address and his stomach gave another painful lurch. She was probably reliving her torture at the manor. He winced as he realised he had specifically asked her to go and see his mother when she had first started meeting with him. Had visiting Malfoy Manor again been distressing to her? He hadn't even considered what it would cost her to return to the scene of her suffering. He swallowed and met her eye, feeling intensely ashamed. In truth, she should be a witness for the ministry, not for him. She should want to see him rot away in prison for just standing there and letting it happen.

Hermione tilted her head to the side curiously, but he just continued to stare at her with a pang of regret. His mother took mere seconds to pick up on the tension in the room. She cleared her throat politely and requested a private word with Potter in the hallway. Draco almost rolled his eyes at her actions. The other boy blinked in confusion for a few moments before glancing over at Hermione. When his friend kept ignoring him in favour of returning Draco's stare, he shrugged and stepped out into the hallway with Narcissa. Kennard shuffled awkwardly for a brief time before returning to the courtroom to check on progress.

Draco and Hermione were alone now, although it felt very different to all the times they had been alone together in the prison interview room. There was a certain friction in the air between them that was so thick he could practically taste it. Draco took a hesitant step towards her.

"What he said in there… Jenkins, I mean…" he started in a shaky voice, but Hermione met him in the middle, shaking her head furiously from side to side.

"No! Don't Draco. You know I don't believe that any of those charges are true!"

Draco scowled.

"One of them is. I could have stopped you being tortured by Bellatrix that night. I could have just-"

Hermione held up her hand, moving so close that he could feel her breath falling in quick pants on his cheek.

"I don't blame you for what happened."

Draco nodded gloomily; feeling strangely depressed all of a sudden. In that moment, all those horrible things the ministry official had said about him seemed as though they could almost be true. Maybe he really was just like his father. He had spent half his childhood calling her a mudblood and treating her no better than the dirt beneath his feet. Was it so hard to believe that he could be found guilty of the crimes of a death eater?

He had been glaring at the floor for an uncomfortably long time, cursing himself and his fucked up past, when Hermione touched him. Her hand gently grasped onto his chin and she raised his head with a soft tug. He allowed her to draw him into a steady gaze as his eyes flickered up to meet hers. He had never been this close to her. There had always been darkness shrouding them or it had been too brief, too trivial. Now there was nothing stopping him from drinking her in. For weeks now he had dreamed of those beautiful, dark brown eyes, so full of compassion. But standing toe-to-toe in such an intimate way, he could discern a few lighter flecks in her irises that seemed almost gold.

"It's going to be alright, Draco…" she murmured.

This close to her he could have counted her eyelashes, watching as they fluttered against her skin when she blinked. Draco was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her. His lips were so cracked, ragged from months of neglect, and her Cupid's bow looked so moist and inviting. He craved the idea that he could just sway forwards those few scant inches between them and press his mouth against her curvy bottom lip. Draco felt his body rock involuntarily towards her, his heart thumping. The temptation was so intense he had to clench his jaw shut. He was sure he looked half-deranged. There was undoubtedly a mad, uncontrolled gleam on his face as he stared longingly down at her lips. In a fit of nerves, he just managed to stop himself from actually kissing her. Instead, he leant closer and rested his forehead against hers. Hermione tensed up a bit, but didn't pull away. They stood there for an impossibly long time, just pressed together. He breathed deeply, taking in her scent until he felt dizzy. Draco licked his lips and swallowed again.

"Hermione, we need to talk…"

She jerked back slightly when she heard the desperate edge to his tone.

"About what?" she asked hoarsely. He followed her as she leaned backwards, clasping her face tightly in his trembling hands.

"Everything's changed for me…" he began in an urgent whisper. But almost as soon as he had started to say the words that were making his gut burn with a mixture of terror and hope, they were interrupted. The door opened with a hurried bang against the stone. Mister Kennard entered at a gallop, his eyes focused on the parchment clutched in his wiry hands. Draco's throat convulsed with disappointment as Hermione jumped away from him as if she had been burned. His body was tingling all over from where they had been touching, but he was now left feeling empty and aching. He tried to hold her gaze, but she was staring awkwardly at the floor, a furious blush on her cheeks. Draco took a deep, stinging breath before turning his attention diligently to Kennard and what he was saying. Although a small, childish part of him felt a wave of malice towards the man for interrupting them.

"…will start in a few minutes. We need to return now and take our seats."

Draco nodded, a numb sort of buzzing in his ears. When Hermione still wouldn't meet his eye, he went to follow Mister Kennard back into the courtroom. But before he went through the door, he paused. He huffed out a frustrated breath and cursed himself for being a pathetic fool. Turning around slowly, he stepped in very close to Hermione once more. Draco noticed the way her skin prickled at his proximity. He stroked his hand down her cheek, feeling the creamy softness of her skin against his fingertips.

"We will continue this later," he promised in a barely audible voice. Hermione's gaze finally darted up to his and she looked at him with such intensity that he felt a hot spike of yearning shoot straight to his navel.

"Later," she agreed in an equally hushed, croaky tone. They stared at each other for another few, endless seconds before the tension became too much to bear. Draco tore his gaze away, letting his hand drop from her face with disappointment, before he turned to follow his lawyer back into the courtroom. He only hoped that in time this mess would become a little easier to endure.

….

What a lot of tricky things happening. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, even though there may have been too much angst. Please leave delicious reviews!