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Trials

November 1st, 1998

Hermione had settled in a somewhat comfortable routine. For most of her time, Ginny and Luna didn't leave her side and even Neville tried to cheer her up, whenever he could. They also worked together whenever students were asked to assist in the effort of restoring the last of Hogwarts. There was only one day a week when none of her friends could join her in her advanced placement classes for those she just kept her head in the books. Thankfully so far she hadn't been required to do any group assignments. However, it was still that day that she had to fight her anxiety attacks the most.

Like Ginny, she received weekly letters from Harry and Ron, who had settled at Grimmauld Place. They both seemed to enjoy their new life as working members of society much more than they had ever enjoyed school. It wasn't a big surprise to her.

McGonagall had decided to allow all eight years more privileges and allowed visits at Hogsmeade as long as the students signed out and returned for curfew. So there had been a few occasions when she had either met both her friends or just Ron. Although something in her head started to avoid being alone with him recently. Fighting to not let the looks and comments in school get to her, having the bind play against her formerly natural feelings for Ron and him trying way too hard to make them a normal couple, just was too much at times.

She hadn't heard from the Malfoys at all and she was fairly certain that he hadn't snooped around in her head either. Of course, that didn't stop the gossip, as every owl she received was automatically gossiped as a love letter from Malfoy. In truth, there had only been one letter concerning him, the one summoning her to his trial.

Her hands straightened her cloak, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. His necklace was still around her neck and she carefully hid it from sight. She couldn't voice a reason why she was still wearing it. I feel naked without it, just didn't seem like a could choice of words. The trials would all be held today. All in just a few hours before lunch, which assured her that nobody intended on them being fair.

Minutes later Ginny joined her and walked with her to McGonagall's office. They would floo to the ministry. The new headmistress was another one of the few who still trusted Hermione. She gave her an encouraging smile as she watched them leave.

When they entered the room they held the trial at, she was ushered off to the side, while Ginny was pulled towards Harry and Ron. Harry gave her a small smile, but Ron looked as sour as he could. Hermione was confused but as she was put down to sit she began to understand.

"You may sit here, Mrs. Malfoy."

Up to this moment, she had still hoped she was summoned as a witness, although the letter didn't say so. Tears sprang to her eyes, as she watched her friends in the witness area, while she was to wait to hear the verdict on the other Malfoys. Lucius was first. The list of crimes was nerve-racking. There was no way, he would get out of this trial a free man. Ginny was asked to recount her encounter with the Horcrux in her first year. Hermione now realized that was the reason why her friend was here. His legal adviser only nodded the accusations off, and finally asked for a low but reasonable sentence. There were no apologies, but nobody had expected them. It didn't take long before they heard that the sentence was nowhere close to what Malfoy had asked for. Lucius would be in Azkaban for a long time, twenty years, with reviews every five years to see if there would be a couple of years cut at the end.

She swallowed. Lucius deserved it, there was no question about it. He had done so many things over the years. It seemed like a decent sentence. However, something in her wondered if they had even fully considered each aspect of Lucius, or had they just waved him off as a Malfoy to be imprisoned. Her hands balled to fists in her pockets.

Memories of her own hearing streamed back to her mind. The atmosphere hadn't been quite as tense as today, but she had been able to tell by the expressions that more than one thought she was a traitor. It had taken several character witnesses and Harry, Ron and Ginny to verify her story, as well as an offer to testify under the truth serum before they had finally seemed to believe the story of her forced marriage. Hermione shuddered at the thought.

Narcissa came next. She hadn't seen her since the day Arthur had come for her at the Manor. The beautiful witch now had dark shadows under her eyes. She seemed nervous. Her eyes sprang all over the room, taking in who all was there. Her eyes seemed to pause on Harry, but they finally clung to Hermione.

At first, the younger witch found that incredibly uncomfortable. Everyone around would be even more conscious and speculative about their relationship. It wouldn't matter that they hadn't ever had a real conversation. During her trial, they had actually accused her of living with the Malfoys by choice and it had taken an enraged Molly to put the facts straight.

As Hermione dared to look into Narcissa's eyes, she saw the fear and pain in them. Tears were shimmering as well and suddenly one thing became very clear to Hermione. Her mother-in-law wasn't a Death Eater. She simply was a mother and wife, who had tried to support and protect her family.

"Mr. Harry Potter."

Hermione looked over, as Harry walked towards the witness stand.

"You have asked to speak on Mrs. Malfoys behalf?" The way the statement was phrased as a question, showed once again how little they cared for any of the Malfoys. Hermione swallowed hard, as she realized again that all her paperwork now also listed that last name. It was something that had just been done, magically without her knowledge. She barely listened as Harry went through the motions of vowing to be truthful. Her mind was going through the implications it had that she was Draco's wife. How she would never receive the jobs she truly desired when the application listed as Hermione Malfoy. She thought of the students back in Hogwarts that treated her like she was Malfoy himself, trying to tease and torture them. They seemed to have forgotten that she had been his favorite mudblood victim.

"Mrs. Malfoy knew I wasn't dead and she told Voldemort otherwise." Hermione's eyes snapped back to Narcissa, as Harry went on about how that lie had saved his life and ended the war. She didn't hear much more of his talk, although he did make a few more points that supported a short sentence of house arrest.

It took them a little longer before they announced Narcissa's sentence, but they actually seemed to have listened to Harry's arguments. She was to be on house arrest for a year and after that to wear a trace whenever she left her house. Hermione could tell that Narcissa's pride was hurt by the absurdity of being traced for the rest of her life, but she knew better than to complain.

They send her back to sit by Hermione. Another chair appeared and then they watched together as Draco was brought in for his trial. Unlike his mother, he stared to the ground. They called on all of her friends as witnesses this time. She was surprised by how much good they mustered to say about him. Harry pointed out that he hadn't told his father and aunt who they were, when they first came to the manor. He recounted the events around Dumbledore's death and how Draco would have let him live. He even mentioned how he had taken her out of the field of Death Eaters to give her a chance to fight, instead of dying immediately.

Unfortunately after that, all they talked about was the Malfoys corrupting Hermione. Making her one of them. How they had sent Death Eaters after them at Gringotts due to his knowledge from her mind, and many more things some of them true others not so much. Hermione opened her mouth multiple times to say something but each time she swallowed her comment as she looked at the angry expressions. At least, Harry and Ginny tried to defend him, pointing out how he had given up very little information that hadn't been public already.

She could feel Narcissa tense next to her and finally gave in to the urge of reaching for her hand and holding it. It wouldn't help Draco's trial if anyone saw that gesture, but her promise rang in her, and even without she felt so terribly sorry for the woman. She tried to listen to other readings as she felt eyes on her. She glanced towards her friends and hurried to look away when she saw Ron staring at her. When they read the verdict, announcing a year of Azkaban, followed by a couple of years in house arrest, followed by the same restriction that his mother had, she could feel the woman next to her break.

"No. He was just a child."

Her hand no longer held on but lay there useless and tears streamed down her cheeks. She wanted to stand, but her legs gave in. Hermione just barely caught her. It was then when she noticed Draco was finally looking at them. She wondered if he would invade her thoughts once more when she simply kept focused on his mother.

"An incredibly dangerous child." A cold voice concluded.

With that Draco was taken out of the room. He hadn't intruded on her thoughts, which surprised her a bit. She looked back up, when Ginny was by her side, helping her to stabilize Narcissa. Hermione gave her a thankful smile, unsure of what would happen next.

"We have orders to take her back to the Manor." She could feel Ron's hand on her back a bit more possessively than she was used to. She almost shrugged it away. Forgetting that his hand was allowed there. The awkwardness of their romance becoming once more very real to her. It was odd enough to try and work against the bind and its powers, but now in the midst of war memories and holding unto Narcissa, it felt impossible. She wasn't supposed to fall in love and date anyone, as she was married. The bind made sure that she was constantly reminded of that. But she fought against it as well as she could muster at the time.

"You two are expected back in Hogwarts soon." Harry placed a kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. Before taking over for her to help Narcissa walk. He seemed rather gentle, not like Ron who looked unwilling.

She hadn't been surprised that Ron had been more hesitant in clearing Draco's name. He had spoken a favorable truth, but nothing beyond that. He had always been the jealous kind and she assumed having him jealous of her husband was reasonable.

Hermione sighed as a new thought came to her mind. A few months ago, she, the muggle-born, was the one many refused to touch, now it appeared it had turned on the pure-blooded. Nobody wanted to be associated with them. Ironically enough, Hermione seemed to now be grouped with the new target of dislike.

It was hours later, when she lay awake in the moonlight, that her hand once again got a hold of her necklace. Her pointer finger mindlessly tracing the dragon.

"You still haven't figured out, that you alert me by touching it for too long."

She closed her eyes. She had a suspicion but had never asked. Especially since the urge of touching it had not been there as much since she had returned to Hogwarts.

"I was just wondering if it still worked."

He was quiet.

"I wanted to help." She didn't know why she started to explain her silence. "But everyone thinks I'm this despicable Malfoy now."

"They are right about the Malfoy part."

She huffed, upset at his rough tone.

"Stop being a Gryffindor worrying about me. I'm still the guy, who called you mudblood for years and worked all of sixth year to kill Dumbledore. I almost killed your little Weasel."

"But you saved me."

"I almost got you killed on more than one occasion." There was a pause. "Go to sleep, darling."

She wanted to argue but then decided not to. Sleep wasn't something that came easy. After seemingly being awake all night, she got up and went to the owlery, sending two letters. The first one was for Harry. She wanted to talk to him badly and she felt he might be the only person able to help with something else she wanted.

The second letter was a short note of encouragement and a poem of a mother loving her child dearly, which she sent to Narcissa. She wasn't even sure if the ministry would let the owl pass, but it was worth a try. Surely a poem and a few words weren't going to hurt anyone.

She got an answer from Harry later in the day, to meet him in Hogsmeade a few days later.

When the day came, they soon left the small village to walk the grounds, far away from people. They had always preferred that, as they usually had been plotting something that wasn't anyone's business. She listened patiently to his first experiences as an Auror as well as his plans for remodeling Grimmauld Place.

"Why did you ask me to come?" They had finally stopped walking and looked down from a small hill. She hesitated, now unsure of her request.

"Come on 'Mione, just tell me." Harry had turned towards her, studying her curiously.

"I promised, I'd try to look after Narcissa." The words themselves were right, but they felt forced and wrong towards her friend.

Harry nodded silently. He seemed to study her again, which she didn't want him to do. She looked down at her feet instead.

"Have you started looking into the divorce process?"

She sighed and nodded. She still hadn't found much information. But what she had found, had indicated how complicated it was. Marriage vows based on the old pureblood laws weren't supposed to be broken by divorce. Especially for her as the wife, every solution meant losing something.

"My best bet would be to live as a muggle and leaving him with my magical powers." Her voice sounded sarcastic as she stared off into space, missing Harry looking at her with horror.

"So seeing her, is that your duty as a daughter-in-law, or do you actually want to do that?"

She finally looked up, meeting his eyes. She hadn't been sure about this particular part when she had owled him. The past few days she had kept thinking about it, but she couldn't make up her mind.

"I don't know." She finally admitted. "I know that I want to help her, and I know he asked me to, but when he asked, it wasn't a command."

Hermione glanced back at her feet. "When Voldemort wanted me to come, he commanded me to, like he was asked to. But with this, I have a choice."

Harry stared at her. She had no idea what he was thinking, but the conflicted look on his face indicated that it wouldn't be in her favor.

"I'll have a check-up with her next week. I could bring you along."

She looked up again in surprise that he hadn't given her more trouble. When he started to speak again, she realized that her relief had come too soon.

"Is he still in your head?" She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. Truthfully, she didn't think he had been in her mind, since the battle was over. Only that one time, when she had summoned him more or less by accident, a few days ago.

"He tries to stay out. I don't think he can always help himself."

"Promise you won't be their messenger."

She looked at him, noticing the hard feel of his request. It reminded her of Malfoy, which was absurd. Something heavy seemed to lay itself on her, as she thought about his words. They stung. More than they had hurt from any other of her fellow students or even former friends. With Harry thinking she would aid the Malfoys in some sort of conspiracy, while Draco was in Azkaban, it was just one more person who saw her as a traitor.

"I promise." Her voice was surprisingly steady when she finally spoke. She took another deep breath before she continued. "Although it would have been nice to know that at least you still trust me."

"I do." His words were hurried, maybe a little too much. He noticed that, as she sighed again.

"See the thing is, if you did, you hadn't asked for the promise. I'm to you, who I'm to almost everyone…" She closed her eyes, willing the tears away. "…a Malfoy."

"Hermione that's not true." It seemed to dawn on him how hurtful his simple request had been.

"Is it, though?" She turned and began to walk back towards civilization. "It's funny, you know." She had stopped again, turning slightly. "A few months ago, I was a filthy mudblood. Now I'm the wife of a pure-blood Death Eater. Neither of which I had a say in." Another pause. "I thought you of all people would understand."

She left then. Part of her hoping that he would follow, but he didn't.