Author's notes
once again I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to review- i am thrilled to have all your feedback. i would also like to apologise for my poor proof reading skills. I have re-read much of the story today and spotted quite a few errors I didn't see in my intial proof reading. i will work my way through to correct them-thanks for continuing to read all the same.
Chapter 29- Star Crossed Lovers
"Miss Granger, Hermione!" The crowds of reporters bayed for the brunette's attention as she and Harry made their way through the Ministry's atrium.
"Why did you feel the need to help Mr. Malfoy?"
"No comment," Harry responded on her behalf.
"Miss Granger just a few words for our readers at the Daily Prophet," Skeeter demanded oily. There was a temporary pause of anticipation as if Hermione would ever give the women what she wanted.
"No comment," Hermione responded herself this time, trying to maintain her cool
"Was there some sort of relationship between yourself and Draco Malfoy." The women persisted.
"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione snapped back now losing her patience.
"Do you hope to get your hands on Mr. Malfoy's fortune by acting as his friend in his time of need?" Skeeter called not letting her quarry escape.
"Bit**", Harry's hand clamped across Hermione's face as they finally made it to the floo and he called out his home address.
As they landed in Grimmauld Place Hermione continued her rant as if she barely noticed she had just been sucked through the floo system.
"…fucking bitch, is she seriously insinuating that I am some sort of gold digger. The nerve of the women…I should have crushed her beneath my boot when I had the chance."
Harry groaned as he gently banged his head against the wall.
"Why?" he said aloud though he had not intended to.
"What do you mean?" Hermione looked at him askance, " it was the right thing to do," she told him innocently.
Harry simply shook his head and retreated to his room, knowing that an early night would be in order to prepare him to deal with the shite storm that would inevitably descend on his friend in the morning. Harry truly regretted at that moment that, unlike in the muggle world, there was no gagging the press even if they might prejudice a trial. He prayed that Hermione had not done more harm than good through her intervention.
"I want to see him," Hermione announced as she barreled into the kitchen at breakfast the next day.
"Who?" Harry asked, not unreasonably, as he readjusted his robes to ensure she couldn't see the copy of the 'Prophet' he was hiding from her.
"Draco of course!"
Harry spit out his tea, "What?"
"I want to see him they have clearly been starving him and…"
"Hermione," Harry interrupted her sharply, "Malfoy is not a house-elf or a charity case," he cautioned, "he will not appreciate your interference."
"I'm not interfering," she insisted.
"Hermione, Harry continued ignoring her interruption, "the Wizengamot will not appreciate you telling them how to do their job. You have intervened once, do it again and you risk biasing them against Malfoy. Testify by all means, but otherwise please leave it alone you risk doing more harm than good. Do you want to see him sent back to Azkaban?"
"Well… no but…"
"Besides they won't let you see him, you're not family or even a friend," Harry continued ignoring her again. Harry's last point seemed to sting but Hermione was insistent.
"I'm Hermione Granger, Golden Girl, brightest witch of my age, hero of the wizarding world-they will let me see him!"
"Damn it Hermione," Harry yelled determined to ensure his petite friend saw reason. "You can't," and with his final words he slapped the mornings newspaper on the kitchen table.
STAR CROSSED LOVERS?
War heroine's desperate plea to keep Death Eater lover out of Azkaban
By Rita Skeeter.
"No!" Hermione moaned as she collapsed into a kitchen chair.
"She'll turn the Wizengamot against him," the brunette signed despondently.
"Perhaps not, but you must play it by the book now Hermione, no more court room outbursts." He warned.
Harry had spent most of the night considering what to do about Malfoy's letter and the vial of memories he was custodian of. In the end he decided it served no one to reveal the truth if Malfoy was condemned. She's better off not knowing what had happened, Harry concluded, if however Malfoy was acquitted or given a short or noncustodial sentence Harry determined he would tell Hermione immediately she would have the opportunity to speak to Malfoy. Malfoy had after all left it up to Harry to find the right time and in Harry's judgement was that now was not the right time. In the interim Harry need to ensure that Hermione's passion for justice didn't condemn the man.
After 2 further days of evidence and deliberations the verdict was finally in.
Malfoy was found guilty of the charge of taking the Dark Mark but of the most serious charge, his culpability in the murder of Albus Dumbledore, he was acquitted. The Wizengamot took the view that he was a child acting under duress and was therefore not accountable for the wizard's death. He was sentence to one year's probation to be served under the supervision of the Headmistress of Hogwarts where he would return, along with all his surviving peers, to complete his 7th Year. The reminders of the charges against Draco were drop due to insufficient evidence or in the case of event during the Golden Trios incarnation at Malfoy Manor, evident to the contrary.
Finally after three and a half months of hell Draco found himself sleeping in his old room in his old bed and contemplating his return to Hogwarts.
Draco realised that returning to Hogwarts would be its own punishment. He would be a pariah, the wrongs he had done would haunt him and she would be there with, if the prophet were to be believed her new boyfriend-Ronald Weasley. Could the Wizengamot have devised a more exquisite torture if they had tried? He asked himself.
With Malfoy's trial over and only a few days before she would return to Hogwarts. Hermione finally found some time to reflect. She had returned to her parent's house, although she knew they were not there her childhood home offered her some solitude and the time to think that the Burrows or Grimmauld Place did not.
Hermione needed to understand what had happened to her at Hogwarts, where her memories had gone and what Malfoy and Harry knew about it.
She was increasingly certain that Malfoy was involved in her memory loss but had it been a malicious attack? Then there was Harry's letter. Who was the apology too and what had been taken? As he mind pulled the threads of her knowledge a web of deceit appeared to emerge. Was it her memory that was taken? Was it Malfoy who had taken it? And if Harry knew why he had not told her? She couldn't believe that Harry would ever be complicit in such a thing. No, she told herself, this theory is just too ridiculous there has to be another explanation.
author's note
Hermione is closer to the truth than she thinks. Will she confront either of the young men about her theory and how will they all cope thrown back together at hogwarts?
