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"Father, this is pointless!" Draco insisted, stalking down the hall after his father. The echo of his footsteps rung in his ears. Home sweet home. Some things don't change after all, I guess.
Lucius shook his head. "Hush Draco. You know as well as I do that we have no choice. Quiet!" he added when he saw the mutinous gleam in his son's eyes. After shooting Draco a warning glare, he pushed open the bronze-handled double doors of the drawing-room.
Two sets of eyes turned towards them. Standing before the fireplace was the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. To his left, Narcissa unconsciously fiddled with her indigo dress, her hands smoothing imaginary creases out. Faint wrinkles lined her face.
"Good afternoon gentlemen," Shacklebolt called, nodding towards the two men as they entered. A brittle smile frozen upon her face, Narcissa greeted her husband and son.
"Shacklebolt," Lucius sneered at the Minister, forsaking the cordial first name basis.
Lips twitching at the expected response, Shacklebolt took the seat Narcissa offered him by the fire. Facing him in twin armchairs were Draco and Lucius, with Narcissa hovering anxiously between them.
"First of all, let me extend my gratitude for agreeing to meet with me," the Minister began, folding his hands under his chin.
"Like we had any say in the matter," Draco muttered sullenly. He crossed his arms and sank deeper into the chair.
His mother placed a calming hand on his shoulder. When she squeezed it harder than required, the Slytherin hid a wince. "Hush, Draco. The Minister has been very gracious regarding our family, all things considered. You would do well to follow your father's example and keep your ears open and your mouth shut until called upon. Please continue, Minster."
"Thank you, Madam. And please, call me Kingsley," he insisted, inclining his head respectfully. After shifting to a more comfortable position, the Minister turned towards Lucius.
"I'll be frank with you, Mr. Malfoy. It's not looking too good for you. Murder, conspiracy, attempted murder, harboring convicted felons, assisting said felons, practicing the Dark Arts, and escaping from Azkaban are just a few of the charges against you. It might be possible for me to get you off with a lighter sentence if you take the Ministry's deal: you turn over the names of the Death Eaters along with all Dark Arts objects you have hidden away, while agreeing to a ten year probation period after your release."
"I suppose I have no choice," Lucius replied scornfully, breaking away from Shacklebolt's steely stare.
"No, you don't. Even with my help, I can't guarantee you won't end up with a Kiss or a life sentence. Right now though, you have nothing going for you. As the Minster of Magic, I hold some sway over the jury. With the right defender, you should have a fair trail," Shacklebolt said, ignoring Draco's contemptuous snort.
"As for you, Mrs. Malfoy," the Minster resumed as he turned to look directly her. "You are in a difficult position. There is substantial evidence against you, such as aiding Lucius and Draco in their criminal activities as well as harboring Voldemort in your home. However, seeing as you have never received the Dark Mark and are not a confirmed Death Eater, your charges are significantly lighter than your husband or son's. If you distance yourself from your husband and son, it is possible you could come away free of charges." Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he tilted his head back to meet Narcissa's taut gaze.
"Also, Harry Potter has agreed to testify that you lied to Voldemort about him being dead in the Forbidden Forest. This might put the jury more in your favor, as you were aiding Mr. Potter in his quest. Now, the choice is yours: you can distance yourself from your family, or you can cast your lot in with theirs. I understand that this is a very difficult decision to make, and I do not expect you to decide today," Shacklebolt assured her calmly. Even before he finished speaking, Narcissa was already shaking her head.
"My family is more important to me than anything else in this world, including my life. Whatever the outcome, I stand by them," she firmly declared, the skin around her eyes tightening. Hesitantly Draco reached up and grasped his mother's hand.
Acknowledging the gesture by patting his shoulder with her free hand, Narcissa lifted her chin. "Please convey my gratitude to Mr. Potter. I did what I did for my family, not out of any good will towards him, but I am thankful he survived. He saved us in more ways than he will ever know. I owe him everything." The tension in her voice and the way her shoulders stiffened betrayed how much her confession cost her.
"Well, I'll certainly pass that along," Shacklebolt replied with a smile. His expression grew more serious as he turned towards Draco. "Young man, you put me in a difficult position. There are many who would gladly see you receive a Dementor's Kiss with the rest of the Death Eaters. However, I recently discovered a letter from an old friend who, well, you could say he changed my perspective on matters."
"Really," Draco deadpanned. "How interesting. Please get to the point, Minister. What am I looking at here?"
"Well, for starters, you shall be charged as a Death Eater, the same as your father. However, since you were a minor when you received the Dark Mark, the jury is reluctant to charge you as an adult. Now, there is still the matter of your alleged activities during your sixth year." From there, he proceeded to list them.
"Casting an Unforgivable Curse by Imperiusing Madam Rosmerta and causing her to give Katie Bell a cursed necklace that landed the girl in St. Mungo. Sneaking a poisoned bottle of mead into the school, which Ronald Weasley drunk. If not for Harry Potter's quick thinking, he would have died. From there, the charges go to repairing a pair of Vanishing Cabinets and letting a Death Eater army into the school. Greyback, a known werewolf wanted for multiple murders, was among the crowd. While at the school, he attacked several students, killing a total of ten. Another twenty were maimed in various ways."
Shacklebolt paused as repulsion shadowed his dark eyes. Shaking his head sorrowfully, the Minister continued.
"You also attempted to murder Albus Dumbledore but were unable to go through with it. Now this poses a question." He leaned forward and studied Draco critically. "Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance? Your family's lives and your own were at stake if Voldemort found out that you failed. Yet, Mr. Potter testifies that you were lowering your wand when the other Death Eaters—Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape among them—burst in. Most curious."
I should have known Potter was there, Draco sneered privately. He always turns up at the worst moments.
Realizing that everyone was looking at him pointedly, he curled his lip. "Minister, forgive me if I seem impolite, but is there an actual point to this? It's nearing four o'clock, and I have more important things to do than sit here listening to you carry on. If you don't mind, say what you came here to say so I can go."
"Draco!" his mother exclaimed in admonishment at his rudeness, her fingers digging into his shoulder again.
With a chuckle, Shacklebolt raised his hand. "Please, Mrs. Malfoy, there's no need for that. The boy is right. The 'point' of this meeting is for me to assess what I have to work with. Already, the majority of the jury is against you—with good reason," he added sternly. Lucius narrowed his eyes but remained silent; his son began to speak, but Narcissa's grip tightened pointedly.
Later, her steady, hawk-eyed gaze promised Draco. Biting the inside of his cheek, he turned back to the Minister.
"I'm asking for honesty from all three of you," Shacklebolt continued, seemindly oblivious to the emnity mounting against him. "I, too, once thought you three incapable of a single good deed, but the friend I mentioned before convinced me to come here today. To quote him, 'Everyone has some goodness in them. It may be muffled, overlaid by greed, insecurity, or selfishness, but it is there nonetheless. All it takes is some coaxing, a good reason, and a lot of patience and forgiveness.' You already have a reason: your freedom, a chance at a new life. I'm here about the coaxing part, but the patience and forgiveness must be earned. It might take years, decades, or lifetimes even. It might never happen, but you must try or else you'll prove the rest of the world right in their condemnations. Please, think about what I have said. I'll come back in three days to continue discussing your particular case, Mr. Malfoy."
Rising to his feet with a sigh, the Minister carefully placed his hat on his head and stared at Narcissa. "Madam, I was asked to convey a message to you from Andromeda Tonks." When she heard her sister's name, her hand flew to her mouth.
Shacklebolt's expression softened. "She says you have a beautiful grandnephew," he said gently, nodding at the tears that filled Narcissa's eyes. "The both of you have lost much that is dear to you. Maybe it's time for past differences to be put aside, hmm?"
As he turned to Lucius and Draco, Shacklebolt tipped his hat. "Good day gentlemen. Ah, Draco, I nearly forgot. My friend entrusted me with this a while back. I think he knew how you would react to him giving it to you, so he told me to deliver it when the time was right. I believe now is as good a time as ever." After rummaging in his briefcase for a moment, he pulled out a wrinkled envelope with Draco's name written on it. The familiar loopy handwriting brought a lump to the boy's throat.
The knowing gleam in Shacklebolt's eyes snapped Draco back to reality. Jerkily he snatched the envelope and stuffed it in his trouser pocket.
"I can see myself out, thank you," the Minister declared before sweeping out the room as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
Next chapter, Draco opens the letter! Any guesses on who it's from? ;) Those who get it right will receive fancookies!