"After they set his nose, he came back for his truck and I offered to drive it for him since he was still on painkillers and we spent the whole afternoon together! He was unconscious for most of it, but it was still really fun," Hermione said excitedly as she put away the manicure tools on her table. "How did it go at the trial?"
"Great! Snape actually told me I did a good job, can you believe it?"
"Of course, you're going to make a great lawyer Draco."
Draco stopped when he saw Seamus coming his way, carrying a tall stack of files. "Need any help?" The blonde asked.
"Oh, Draco, hi! Snape wants to see you before you leave," Seamus said, jumping slightly to get the papers more stable.
"Really?"
The redhead smiled, "he's already got his coffee, but maybe he needs a donut."
The two laughed and parted, Draco to Snape's office and Seamus to a conference room. After knocking, Draco waited nervously for the professor to answer. "Come in."
The blonde entered quickly and shut the door behind him. From behind his desk, Snape motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs opposite his desk. "Is everything okay?" Draco asked, sitting.
"You followed your intuition today and you were right on target. I should have listened to you."
"Thank you," Draco said, stunned.
"I'm also impressed that you took the initiative to go to the jail and get the alibi. That's what makes you a good lawyer. On top of that, you managed to gain the client's trust and keep it. That's what makes a great lawyer. You're smart, Draco. Smarter than most of the lawyers I have on my payroll," Snape told him, giving the boy a small smile.
"That means so much to me, to hear all that from you!"
Snape stood and moved to the chair next to Draco's, "I think it's time, we discuss your career path. Have you thought about where you might be a summer associate?"
"Not really, I know how competitive it all can be."
"You know what is really about don't you?"
Draco moved forward, sitting on the edge of his seat. Snape smiled at his eagerness and continued, resting his hand on the boy's knee, "it's about ferocity, carnage. Balancing human intelligence and animal diligence. Knowing what you want and how far you are willing to go to get it. How far are you willing to go, Draco?" His hand slid up the blonde's thigh.
Draco stared at the professor in horror, grabbing his hand and stopping it's journey. "You're hitting on me?" He asked, disgusted.
"You are a beautiful boy, Draco. I'm a man who knows what he wants."
"And I'm a law student who finally realized his professor is a pathetic asshole."
"I thought you were a law student who wanted to be a lawyer," Snape called as Draco stormed from the room and into the elevator.
He looked up as the doors were stopped from closing. Seamus stood, pushing the doors open. "You almost had me fooled," he hissed.
"What?"
"Maybe you should sleep with the judge too, then we could win the case," the redhead said, stepping back and letting the doors close.
Draco stood in shock as the elevator made it's way down. The shock quickly turned to anger and he stormed from the elevator when the doors opened again. He was stopped when Harry grabbed his arm, grinning. "Hey!"
"I'm quitting," the blonde said. Harry dropped his arm and Draco marched past him.
"What? Why?" Harry asked, catching up.
"Law school was a mistake, this whole internship was a mistake."
"What are you talking about? You earned this!"
Draco snorted, "I didn't earn anything. I only got this internship because Snape liked the way I looked. Which he made perfectly clear tonight when he tried to feel me up."
The dark haired man paused for a moment, before jogging to catch up with his friend again. "So now you're…?"
"I'm going back to L.A. No more business suits and trying to be something I'm not."
"What if you're trying to be something you really are? The hell with Snape. Stay."
Draco stopped at the entrance, turning and giving Harry a sad smile, "thank you for not treating me the way everyone else here does. Call me in your ever in California." He pulled open the doors and walked out, leaving Harry staring after him, hating the situation.
"You can't go home!" Hermione cried, staring at the blonde slouching in the chair before her.
"What's the point of staying? All people see when they look at me is blonde hair and a nice body, no one is ever going to take me seriously. The people at school don't, Snape doesn't, Oliver doesn't, I don't even think my parents take me seriously. They wanted me to grow up, be a model, and maybe some huge rock star. It finally seemed like someone expected me to do something more than parade around in underwear for a living. I was kidding myself, Snape didn't see me as anything more than a piece of ass, definitely not a lawyer. He's just like everyone else, I really am a joke!" Draco ranted, crossing his arms. He stood, "the hell with law school! I just came to say goodbye."
"If you let one stupid man ruin your life, you're not the person I thought you were," Draco looked beside him to see Professor McGonagall stand a manicure table, smile at him, and leave the salon.
Fleur looked away from the TV showing Snape being interviewed about the case, snarling. "Is he always such an ass?"
"He's the top defense attorney in the state, of course he's an ass," Harry said, smiling.
"But is he an ass that's going to win my case?" Fleur asked.
"He's an ass that's going to try."
"He thinks I'm guilty doesn't he?"
"That's not what's important."
"To me it is. He doesn't trust me, why should I trust him?"
Harry stared at the woman for a moment before smiling, "you're right. Why should you?"
"Keep that bitch away from me," Snape growled.
"She's our client," Harry said, opening the door to the courtroom for Snape and the others.
"Not Fleur, Draco."
"Funny how he can become a bitch just by saying 'no'," The younger man snapped, clearly upset.
Snape glared at him as they continued inside, taking their seats. Feeling someone watching him, he looked up to see Fleur smiling at him, "what are you smiling for? You're on trial for murder."
"Get up."
"What?"
"You're fired. I have new representation," she told him smugly, grinning.
"Who?" Snape asked, slamming his hand down on the table. Fleur motioned to something behind him, watching as the man turned to face a smiling Draco.
"Excuse me, but you're in my way," The blonde said, setting his briefcase beside the table.
"He's only a law student! He can't defend anyone!"
Draco turned and motioned for someone from behind Snape to come forward. Neville appeared beside the man, holding a large book. "Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03."
"See?" Draco asked.
"Counselors, approach the bench," they heard the Judge call.
"You're not going up there," Snape said, grabbing Draco's arm when he started towards the Judge.
"Yes, I am," He snapped, pulling his arm from the professor's grip.
Fleur glared at the older man, "I don't think you heard me, you're fired. He's my lawyer."
"Counselors, now! All of you," The Judge called again.
Draco, Snape, and Harry headed towards the woman, along with Joyce Rafferty. Draco handed the woman the book Neville had brought, "Draco Malfoy, Your Honor. Rule 3:03 of the Supreme Judicial Court states that a law student may appear on behalf of a defendant in criminal proceedings."
"I have no problem with this," Joyce said excitedly.
"I do. I'm not allowing it," Snape said.
"But you agreed last night. In your office. When we were discussing my 'career'," Draco said pointedly.
"The ruling also states that you must have a licensed attorney to supervise you. Mr. Snape?" The Judge asked.
"That I won't agree to," Snape answered, smiling at the blonde boy.
Harry stepped forward, "I'll supervise, Your Honor."
Draco grinned at him while Snape looked between the two, shocked. "Well than, Mr. Malfoy, proceed." The Judge said, watching the group walk back to their table.
"Enjoy prison," Snape growled, taking his briefcase and storming from table and into the seats behind the others.
"Mrs. Weasley, you do realize what you're doing?" The Judge asked.
"Absolutely," Fleur responded, smiling at the boy beside her.
"Kick some ass," Seamus told Draco, leaning forward in his seat.