A/N- Hello again. If any of you have me on tumblr you'll know Im in Cyprus for 10 days of glorious sun and quality relaxation and family time. Didn't think I'd be able to write here. But surprisingly the pool is a great place to write dramatic fan fiction. Warning for strong language again. No Hermione in this chapter, she'll be in the next chapter though. So here's the next chapter, Hermione's Law.
Hermione's Law
Draco paced behind the curtain. The week had been hectic and he barely got any sleep. The Purus Soldiers had started a series of attacks on Muggle establishments and many were killed or badly injured. Theo was just taunting him, he left notes at every attack. Ron was saying something but it was blurred as Draco sat down and sipped water. He was getting worse, he'd get through 5 bottles of whiskey a week. He was an alcoholic. It had been 4 months now since Hermione's death and he still wasnt doing well. He woke up every morning with painful headaches and had been escorted home several times as he was drunk in work. Pansy had told him many times to go to therapy for his night terrors. He had been once but
"So...you need to address the attacks and what we are doing. That we are against any kind of group that terrorises innocent civilians. We are putting aurors on daily patrols in Diagon Alley…" Ron rambled on as he read from his clipboard and handed Draco some notes on queue cards. As Head of the Aurors Ron had been more involved in the current affairs side of the ministry. Draco had fired Paul on one of his drunken outbreaks. Ron was very involved now and often held press meetings in Draco's place. This would be Draco's first public appearance after her death. He breathed deeply and took to the podium.
"Minister Draco Malfoy" The speaker introduced. Draco took his place behind the podium emblazoned with the ministry logo.
"Good morning. This week has been a trying time for the wizarding world and our friends in the muggle world. We have seen unspeakable acts and attacks on innocent muggles and wizards alike. Many have been injured and regrettably a small handful have not survived. I would like to thank all the healers and medi staff at St Mungos for their amazing efforts at this trying time. But I assure you as Minister, I am working around the clock to track down the Purus Soldiers and bring them to justice. The atrocities they have committed are crimes against humanity. Aurors will be doing daily patrols in Diagon Alley. Please be assured that we will make the wizarding world safe again. Now I will take questions" He said. He was presented with a crowd of press. The last time he has spoken to the press, well he had been arrested.
"Kurt Poole from Muggle Digest. Is there anything that muggle borns can do to protect themselves from individual attacks? I know there hasn't been any yet, but our readers are scared of individual targeted attacks" He said. Draco nodded.
"That is a worrying thought that I hope that will never happen, Mr Poole. It is advised that Muggle born witches and wizards should carry wands at all times, tell someone where they are going if they go out on their own and make sure there is charms on floos and apparation points." Draco advised, Kurt nodded in thanks. He took a deep breathe out internally, having survived the first question.
"Darcey Brown from Witch Weekly. It alarming that this is happening. Most of those who have been attacked have been female. They attacked a muggle salon near Diagon Alley and the owner was killed for being a muggle born. Are the Purus Soldier's looking to target women and children?" She asked worryingly. Draco frowned.
"The Purus Soldiers are against muggles and muggle borns. They see them as weak as they dont have magic. They see the weakest as the women and are misogynists. As I said to Mr Poole we advise anyone to carry wands and tell someone where you are going or go out in big groups. The Head of the Female Auror divison Pansy Parkison will be holding self defence classes for those who feel uneasy" He answered.
"Rhonda Whitley from the International Wizarding Tattler. Minister are the Purus Soldier's now attacking women due to them killing your wife and not being able to stop. Can you also confirm that you are not in your right mind to be in office at the moment. That you are an unfit minister?" Rhonda spat. Draco narrowed his eyes at her. Oh he hated this woman, all she wanted was stories and didnt care if you were hurt in the process.
"Miss Whitely. If my memory serves me right you have been banned from any and all press events as I signed the forms myself. So kindly remove yourself from my press event or I will have you removed." He quickly ordered. Miss Whitely was escorted out of the building by ministry officials.
"I will address Miss Whitley's question…" He took a deep breath. "Yes my wife was murdered by the Purus Soldiers. The purus soldiers are evil murderers and this type of crime against our kind will not be overlooked. They will answer for their crimes in front of the Wizengamot. I will do all in my power to capture them and bring them to justice." He said proudly to the press. And then it hit him.
"As a legacy to my wife Hermione, I will be passing the pure blood abolition laws and the muggleborn protection laws. This will be known as Hermione's Law. The classification of pure blood will no longer be known in legal sense. Those who don't abuse the laws can still be seen as purebloods. The Sacred Twenty Eight however will be renounced. Those from the families of Avery, Black, Carrow, Crouch, Burke, Malfoy, Flint, Gaunt, Greengrass, Lestrange, Nott, Parkinson, Rosier, Rowle, Yaxley who have not accepted the renouncement will be closely monitored. I will stamp out Voldemort's followers that are left and that level of terrorism is not accepted in this society nor the muggle born society" He spoke with conviction and promise in his voice. They would liken his speech to muggle president JFK.
"I am a Malfoy. But by name only, I do not support anything that my family has done in the past. It is just my mother and I now and we have renounced any acts my father perpetrated during the war" He said finally.
"The law will be written and go through the stages and I hope my ministers and the members of the Wizengamot support me in this. I hope this will be the turning point of the wizarding world for the better" He finished and was met by a roaring applause and he walked off. Met by a smiling but confused Ron Weasley.
"So yes you talked about everything I asked...but that law, that came out of nowhere. Do you want me to get the boys to pull out the old notes?" He asked Draco as he handed him a water bottle. He drank it down.
"Yes...no more wallowing in pity for me. Throw all my whiskey out. Get my two strong coffees we're gonna be late tonight" Draco said with a new determination on his face. Ron smiled and patted him on the back.
"The old Draco's back" He said happily. He had watched Draco spiral out of control. He was the first one there when Draco was arrested by muggle police. They had found him, passed out drunk on the beach Hermione had taken him to. He was arrested for drunken disorderly after demanding his wand.
Flashback
"Drunken disorderly and public nudity" Ron sighed as he met Draco in the police station reception. Draco had slept off the night in the cell and he looked very remorseful and guilty. He was dressed in a paper jumpsuit. Ron handed him his clothes and he quickly changed into jeans and a tshirt.
"I don't know what happened" Draco mumbled. He did know what happened. 3 bottles of whisky. He had taken off his clothes for a skinny dip as he remembered when Hermione introduced him to it. Made him feel close to her. And then he had fallen asleep and was woken by two police officers. He had then shouted at them and accused them of stealing his wand. Obviously the muggle police thought he was talking nonsense.
"You have to stop this Draco. This is not what she would want. You're making a fool of yourself. Youre the minister for goodness sakes not a school boy. Man up ferret!" Ron snapped angrily. He grabbed the man and put him in his car.
"You are coming to stay with me. Get you out of that house. But you behave yourself. No drinking. No swearing infront of Rose" He said as he turned the ignition on he looked over and Draco had gone. Ron sighed and tears came to his eyes. He looked up to the sky.
"We miss you Mione. So much. Why did you have to go. Now I have to deal with him. He's broken without you" Tears rolled down his face. He missed her so much. He had been diagnosed with PTSD, he was waking up and seeing her dead body. He still felt the coldness of her skin when he had pulled her out of the ministry fountain. He still scrubbed himself in the shower still convinced her blood still was on his skin.
End of Flashback
Draco had been at it for six straight hours, only fuelled by coffee and his determination to write a bill that Hermione would be proud of. There was a knock on his door.
"Susan I told you no visitors" Draco snapped as he raised his hand. He was met by the face of an old friend Luna Lovegood.
"Hello Draco" Luna said softly. She said as she walked in.
"Luna come in and sit" Draco said as he stood up and offered her a seat. He looked up at the blonde. He remembered when she was tortured by his aunt and how much he tried to help her. He knew that she thanked him for that.
"Draco how are you? Truthfully." She said softly as she reached out for his hand. Draco sighed.
"I miss her. So fucking much. It hurts Luna. Really hurts. How is he doing?" He asked. Luna had kindly taken Crookshanks for him. He knew she loved animals and the kneazle would sit on her lap when she used to come round to see Hermione.
"Draco. Listen to me. At the funeral, I saw wrackspurts. They surround a person. Well my spectrespecs they see through invisibility spells and invisibility cloaks. She's alive. She was there, with Theo" Luna explained. Draco took a deep breathe out. He listened to what she had to say.
"How Luna? She's dead...I saw her body. I felt her skin. I held my baby!" He snapped angrily. He stood up and took out his wand. Tears forming now. Luna took hers out too.
"Please Draco put the wand down. You're hysterical." Luna said with a strict tone.
"Yes I'm hysterical Luna. You just said my wife is alive which means she and my child are still with that evil sadistic fucker" Draco said angrily as he put down his wand and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I knew it was her! Here...she lay this in my hand" Luna dug in her pocket and withdrew a sprig of lavender. Draco took the sprig and smelt it. It was her. Lavender was her favourite flower and colour. It smelt like her.
"Okay...I believe you. Now where would he keep her. Aurors have already raided his flat. But we're told he hadn't been there for a few months." Draco explained.
Suddenly there was a massive explosion and Draco looked out his window to the ministry foyer down below. Fighting had ensued, red and green glares flashed around.
"Sub Pura!" He heard being shouted. He looked at Luna.
"Go home Luna. Save yourself. You have the boys to think of" He said and she nodded. She quickly exited through the floo. Home to her husband and two young twins.
Draco grabbed his wand and rolled up his sleeves. Like he would let terrorists destroy his ministry and not take action. He apparated down to the foyer and immediately engaged in shooting hexes.
"Draco!" He heard a distinct voice as Ron Weasley battled his way through assailants.
"25 attackers. All Purus soldiers. All aurors on duty are here. Pansy is in the array somewhere. Harry, Seamus and Dean." Ron said as he stood next to Draco as they sent hexes towards two soldiers who were battling them. They had white robes on a masks similar to death eater masks. They bore red snakes on their lapels and backs.
Draco stunned the one in front of him.
"Avada Kedavra!" He heard and quickly hit his assailant with a petrifying charm. He looked down at the figure. He also wore an armband with silver piping on it. He had one of the leaders he knew.
"You aren't welcome here! Go back to your leader and tell him I'm coming for him!" Draco yelled. The purus soldiers scattered and apparated away.
He gathered everyone and instructed Ron to take the leader he had stunned to a cell. He called down Mungos to come and access ministry workers that had been caught up in the fray.
Draco sat everyone down in the tactical room in the auror department.
"Well done everyone. But how the hell did they get in in the first place? We have tight wards on the place. Pansy?" He asked the dishelved woman.
"I have no idea. As you say our wards are strong. Someone must have disabled them. But only top ministry officials can do that" Pansy said as she brushed her bruised cheek.
"So that's me, Oliver Wood, Harry, Ron and…" Just as he was going to speak the door burst open.
"It's Cormac McLaggen...he's one of them" Ron said angrily as he wiped his nose of blood.
"The fucker head butted me" Ron said as Harry looked at him as answer to his nose.
"That evil fucking bastard…" Draco roared as he grabbed his wand and stalked out of the room. Harry and Blaise followed in haste knowing Draco wouldn't hesitate to kill the man. Draco ripped open the cell door. He locked it with a locking charm and a silencing charm. He punched Cormac in the face.
"You traitor. You slimy bastard." He grabbed Cormac's throat and the man gasped for air.
"Tell me where Hermione is! I know she's alive so don't lie to me!" He yelled in the mans face, saliva spewing everywhere.
Cormac smirked.
"You're never going to find her. He's got her now Draco. Finally" Cormac spat in Draco's face followed by a menacing laugh. Draco let Cormac go. He stood in front of the man chained to the chair. He grabbed his hand, and took the man's middle finger and bent it back until he heard a sickening snap.
Cormac screamed out in pain.
"Fuck!" He cried out agonisingly. Draco looked at him with no emotion.
"Tell me where she is or I continue. And this time it won't be your finger that is broken. Do you want children Cormac?" He sneered in the mans face. Cormac spat in his face and Draco withdrew his wand. He could here the banging of the door.
"Draco. Open the door!" He heard Harry shouting.
"Phallus…" Draco started the spell and Cormac begged him suddenly.
"No..No..No. She's at my families manor. Just don't touch my little one" He almost sobbed like a little girl as he tried to clutch his groin but failed due to the chains.
Draco removed the spells and Harry and Blaise came crashing through the door. They sighed in relief as they saw a very much alive McLaggen.
"She's at McLaggen Manor" Draco said and as he left he shouted.
"Get him some skelegrow. I may have broken his finger"
Blaise and Harry looked at one another and then at the sobbing man. Don't anger Draco Malfoy, ever!
A/N- So there it is. Those who wanted Cormac's comeuppance, well his fingers were broken. But he'll get more. Hermione will be in the next chapter. Always place F&F and R&R. Love you all, Rosie x