6

As much as she didn't want to Hermione agreed to spend one week at home with Draco while her body healed from the injuries she had received from the attack of Ronald Weasley. Slowly but surely all the pain in her shoulder went away, as did all the pain from Ron trying to take her engagement and wedding rings off. As usual Hermione had done research and found that ancient spells had been put on wedding and engagement rings for thousands of years. "If an enemy or anyone who wished the couple ill will tried to remove the rings, terrible pain will engulf both parties of the marriage. The rings can only be removed when both parties of the marriage decide to end their union, under amicable terms. The ending of a wizarding marriage is almost unheard of, with the most recent case coming from 1875." Hermione finished reading out loud as she sipped her tea "So that is why both Draco and myself encounter so much pain when Ron had tried to take my ring off. Thankfully it won't ever come off." A moment later she had finished her tea and a house elf appeared to take her dishes "Thank you Mitzy." Hermione thanked the elf and smiled kindly. The elf bowed deeply and disappeared once again. As much as she hated to admit it, Hermione was glad that her and Draco had house elf's working in the manor. With it being so large, she would never be able to take care of the cleaning on her own. Shortly after they returned from their honeymoon, Hermione had approached Draco with the idea of paying their elves, providing them with time off and allowing them to wear clothes. "Of course Hermione. I was actually going to broach the idea to you tonight at dinner. But now it is settled." Every since then Hermione felt that she could see a difference in the attitude of the elves, they seemed happier.

Ever since she had come home from hospital, Hermione had had several visitors. Narcissa was at the manor nearly everyday, always at her daughter in laws side and just keeping her company. Even Lucius had popped by once, saying he was just checking on her, but it seemed to everyone that he was truly concerned for the well being of his daughter in law. Astoria, Pansy, Ginny, Harry and Blaise had come by and had lunch and dinner with them. It was delightful catching up with their friends and having a few laughs over a meal. It really was so great to have so many friends who cared for them and wanted to see their union prosper. Draco's friends had accepted Hermione, and Hermione's friends had accepted Draco. They all got along so well, it was almost as if they had been friends their whole lives. After Dinner one evening, while the girls relaxed by the pool, the boys went for an evening fly. "I just knew they were going to end up racing each other." Ginny said with amusement as the boys completed yet another lap around the rose garden. With Draco in the lead, but Harry in a close second. "Draco and Harry will never stop competing. No matter how good of friends they become. Everything will always be a competition." Ginny nodded in agreement and Pansy and Astoria laughed in amusement as they heard Draco howl in frustration that Harry was so close to first place "I wouldn't have it any other way!" Hermione laughed. The four girls settled into a conversation about Ginny's Quidditch career, before the boys landed right in front of them. Hermione grabbed a bottle of water and walked over to her husband "So who won?" she asked. "I won, but Potter over there thinks he almost beat me." Harry snorted as he finished taking a drink of water "I very nearly passed you on the last lap Malfoy. You'll be in second place next time." "In your dreams Potter." Astoria burst out laughing "Boys you do know you know each other's first names? And we aren't at Hogwarts anymore, you are actually friends now; thanks to your wives." Both Harry and Draco looked at Astoria and nodded "Yes of course we know that. But whenever we are near each other our competitive sides come out. Except for when we are at work." And the group burst out laughing.

Before Harry left that night he asked Draco a question "I wanted to ask your opinion. Would you like to be partners?" Harry frowned but pondered his question "Well since Ron was my partner, but now he is in Azkaban I could use a new partner. Alright Malfoy, you ready to bump it up to the A game?" "Please Potter, I'll be bringing the A-game. But don't worry, I'll help you too." Harry and Draco laughed as they shook hands "Oh by the way. Ron's trial day has been set, it's this Saturday. Hermione we will need you there to testify. You too Draco. It's in courtroom 7." They both nodded "Of course Harry, we will be there." Harry nodded and then turned to leave as his wife pulled him out the door.

"I didn't think I would have to face Ron so soon, I thought it would be months before his trial date came around." Draco grabbed his wife and pulled her towards their sitting room. "It was accelerated because of a few reasons. He was a war hero, an Auror, but more importantly he attacked the Head potions mistress at a very public charity ball. The Ministry wants this dealt with quickly." Hermione nodded as she settled onto the couch, Draco moved behind her and started to massage her shoulders "I suppose you are right. You know Ron didn't use to be like this. We used to be good friends, but shortly after we started dating he started to beat me. And then it got a lot worse from there. He isn't the same boy I used to know." Draco kissed his wife's forehead "Don't worry, after the trial you will never have to think about him or see him again. But if you ever need to talk about what he did to you, you know you can always come to me." Hermione turned towards her husband and smiled "Thank you, but I hope you don't mind if I just wait till the trial? I don't want to have to go throw it more than once." Draco nodded "Of course, whatever you need."

Saturday evening rolled around, Hermione and Draco were in court room 7 waiting for the trial to begin. A few minutes later, Ron Weasley was led into the court room with Auror's on each side of him. Even though it had only been a week, Ron looked horrible, Azkaban had not been good to him. His hair was even more unkempt than it usually was, dark circles under his eyes and it looked as if he had lost 10 pounds in the last week alone. Even though there were Auror's stationed beside him and all over the court room, Ron had shackles on him that restrained his movement and prevented him from doing any magic whatsoever. His eyes swept around the courtroom and he seemed disappointed that none of his family was present. Hermione had spoken to them a few days prior and Molly had said she didn't want to see her son like that. "Not only that, but we do not stand by what he has done to you. While he is my son and I love him dearly, he will have to suffer the consequences of his actions." Molly had told her. But the disappointment at none of his family being there was soon replaced with rage when he spotted Draco and Hermione hand in hand sitting in the witness staging area. "What the hell is that bitch doing here with that bastard?" Ron snarled. Draco put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and held her even closer and tighter when she started shaking. "Don't worry love, I'm here." Hermione smiled at her husband and kissed his cheek. "Mr. Weasley, you will keep a civil tongue in my court room. Auror's please place him in the center of the court room, and keep him restrained." Ron seemed to struggle against his chain and the Auror's but it was meaningless, he was moved into position. Once seated in the chair, chains appeared and he was restrained once more.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you have been brought before the Wizengamot for a variety of charges. They are as follows: stalking, harassment, breaking and entering, numerous cases of assault and attempted kidnapping. What say you as your defense." "I'm innocent your honor. I was just attempting to prove my love to Hermione. This is all taken completely out of context." Ron said. His court appointed attorney stood next "Your honor, my client is a war hero. He fought in the war against the likes of Mr. Malfoy and his family. He believed that he was saving Miss. Granger from death eaters. Maybe he was misguided, but he believed he was acting in good faith to try and protect the woman he loves." Ron turned his head and smirked at Hermione, clearly thinking he was going to get his way and walk out of the court room a free man. The members of the Wizengamot all muttered amongst themselves as the Chief Warlock nodded "Thank you for your opening arguments. The court calls Lord Draco Lucius Malfoy to the witness stand." Draco kissed his wife as he descended the stairs and moved to the witness bench. Taking his seat, their lawyer moved to begin interrogations. "Lord Malfoy, can you please state your relationship with Mr. Weasley?" "Mr. Weasley and myself previously attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadary together for six years before the war. We have currently worked in the Auror department for the past few years together." The lawyer nodded "Would you say you were friends?" "Under no circumstances could I say we were friends. I admit we were enemies in school, but I have held no animosity towards him since the end of the war. We had what I guess you could call a healthy work relationship." Ron snorted and attempted to speak but was silenced by a look from the Chief Warlock. "Can you describe Mr. Weasley's attitude towards, the then, Miss Hermione Granger?" Draco nodded and took a deep breath "Yes. Even before me and my wife were in a relationship, I could tell that Mr. Weasley was obsessed, almost dangerously, with my wife. Where ever she was, he seemed not to far behind." "And how did Miss. Granger react to that." Draco considered his words carefully for a moment "She seemed to be afraid. There were a few times when I noticed her walking in the hallways of the ministry, I would go up and clap her on her back and she would drop her supplies, very nearly screaming. I can only assume she was afraid of Mr. Weasley." Ron's lawyer stood up "Objection your honor, that is conjecture, he has no right to assume that." The Chief Warlock was silent for a moment "Sustained, only solid evidence will be considered Lord Malfoy." Draco nodded "In that case, my I submit my memories of evidence? I have a memory of when me and my wife first started dating." "I'll allow it. Would your lawyer please remove the memory and place it in the pensive for the court to view." Draco nodded and his lawyer used his wand to remove the memory, placing it in the pensive for the court to review."

The scene that unfold was from Draco and Hermione's first date at her loft. Hermione had opened the door expecting Ginny, but was shocked to see Ron standing there inside. She had opened the door wide enough for Ron to see Draco sitting on his couch:

Rage filled his features and he raised his arm and back handed Hermione across the face, causing her to stumble backwards several feet. "Why the hell is the ferret sitting on your couch? You'll entertain him, but you won't marry me?" He raised his hand to strike her again, Hermione raised her arms to try and protect herself when out of no where a bright red light knocked Ron to the ground.

Draco's lawyer ended the memory there, when Ron's lawyer stood up "In light of this evidence Mr. Weasley would like to press charges against Lord Malfoy." Ron smirked again, thinking he had found a way to discredit Draco. "Denied. You can clearly see Lord Malfoy was responding to the assualt upon his girlfriend at the time. His use of force was not an attack against your client." Ron looked furious when his lawyer sat down without a fight." Draco's Lawyer went back to his questioning "Lord Malfoy, can you please describe the events of the night of the charity ball?" Draco nodded and took a deep breath. "That evening me and my wife had arrived at the Ministry in support of the Squib Charity Ball. The Malfoy's have supported this charity since it's induction and we were expected to make an appearance. Me and my wife were in a conversation with the Minister of Magic, we did not notice Mr. Weasley approaching. He shot two spells: stupefy and incarcerous at my wife, also slicing her shoulder open with an unknown spell. While my wife was unconscious and bleeding on the floor, he held his wand to her throat and attempted to kidnap her. Me, my mother and father all pointed our wands at him and threatened him. I will freely admit that. But she is my wife and apart of our family now; Malfoy's will do anything for their family. Mr. Weasley also attempted to remove my wife's wedding rings, causing both me and her severe pain. When Mr. Weasley was distracted by Auror Potter; myself and my parents all fired separate spells at Mr. Weasley. Once he had released my wife, we fired no further spells or acted in a threatening manner towards him. We let Auror Potter deal with him, while we attended to my wife and her injuries." Draco's voice broke at the end of his speech, portraying to the court how much he actually cared for his wife; disproving the message that their marriage was loveless. Ron's lawyer stood up but before he could get a word out the Chief Warlock stopped him "And no, Mr. Weasley can not file charges against the Malfoy's. Their attack was in response to his own attack against a member of their family. I suggest you sit down counselor." Sighing in defeat, the lawyer sat down and just shook his head at his client. The Chief Warlock turned to Draco "Thank you for your testimony Lord Malfoy, you may step down. The Wizengamot calls Lady Hermione Malfoy to the stand." Draco quickly stepped down and moved to help his wife down the stairs and on to the witness bench as her shoulder was still bothering her today.

Once she was seated on the bench the lawyer began "Please state your name for the record." "Lady Hermione Jean Malfoy, Nee Hermione Granger." "Please state your relationship with Mr. Weasley." Looking at no one but her lawyer Hermione started "Mr. Weasley and myself attended Hogwarts for six years. We were on the run with Auror Potter during our seventh year in our quest to destroy Lord Voldemort." The lawyer turned pale at her use of his name but continued his questioning "When did your relationship with Mr. Weasley turn romantic?" "During our fourth year at Hogwarts, just after the Yule ball." "And when did you end your relationship?" "At the conclusion of the Battle of Hogwarts, when the war was over." "Interesting, and why did you end your relationship." Looking at Draco who smiled at her with support, Hermione took a deep breath and answered "Because Mr. Weasley had been abusive towards me since nearly the very beginning of our romantic relationship." Hermione dared a peak at Ron and saw he was staring at her with a venom and hate that she had never seen before. "Can you describe to us how he was abusive towards you?" Nodding her head she continued "Verbally, mentally and physically. He would constantly put me down, berate me and after months of that; he would hit me." "Bullshit!" Ron yelled out. His lawyer stood up hastily "What my client means to say, is he objects. Miss Granger.." Hermione held up her hand "You will address me by my married name." "Of course. Lady Malfoy, do you have any proof to your claims." "I do." Hermione flipped her hair to the right side of her head and showed off her left shoulder blade; where the discoloration and scars from one of Ron's attacks still stood out against her skin. The members of the Wizengamot all gasped as they saw the scars on her shoulder "Objection your honor, how do we know those marks were left by my client?" Before the Chief Warlock could respond "If I may your honor, I would also like to submit my memories as evidence. I have them in this vial here." Chief Warlock looked at the vial in surprise "That's a rather large container Lady Malfoy, am I to assume it contains more than one memory?" Hermione nodded as she handed over the vial to her lawyer, who dumped her memories in the pensive for the entire court room to see.

A 14 year old Ron and Hermione were walking hand in hand at Hogwarts, as they approached the grand staircase, Ron let go of her hand and roughly shoved her down the stairs. Hermione tumbled head over heels down three flights of stairs before coming to as rest. She looked up at Ron with tears running down her face, pain evident in her eyes "That's what you get for making me look stupid in Astronomy tonight." He said with a shrug as he continued down the stairs, not bothering to help her up.

The memory shifted, showing Ron purposefully spilling a boiling hot cauldron on Hermione's leg during potion's class. Snape lazily said "10 points from Gryffindor." She was holding back howls of pain, as the potion at through her robes, charring her skin, Ron did nothing but laugh as Hermione limped towards the infirmary.

Again the memory shifted, showing Ron digging his fingernails into Hermione's left shoulder blade. She was crying out in pain, but they were in an empty classroom, so no one could hear her cries. "Now Hermione, dear, you must be crazy to think you can leave me. No one else is going to want you, I guarantee you that. We are never breaking up." Ron forcefully shoved her into one of the desks in the room, smirking at her as she fell to the floor. "Clean yourself up. I'll expect you to be better behaved tomorrow."

Another memory shift. Ron was slapping Hermione in the face repeatedly, "Stop it!" Ron smacker her harder and harder "How dare you let me get detention. You should've let me copy your Transfiguration essay 'Mione." Hermione raised her head definitely "That's not my name." Ron smirked and punched her in the stomach, standing back as she doubled over in pain "Your name is whatever I say it is. After all, you are the future Mrs. Ron Weasley. Get used to this 'Mione."

Ron snuck up behind Hermione at Hogwarts as she was on top of the Astronomy tower with his wand out "Levicorpus" he whispered. Hermione screeched as he was hung upside down over the edge of the Astronomy tower. "Ron put me down! I'm scared of heights!" "I don't think so 'mione, this is your punishment for hugging Harry earlier. You didn't honestly think I would let that go, did you?"

The memory shifted again. But this time it was a much older Hermione in her flat in London. The picture from Draco was hanging above her fire place. You could hear pounding on the door. "Dammit Hermione let me in! You can't hide from me forever!" The banging and the screaming continued, as Hermione buried her head in the pillow, trying to block out the noise. The memory shifted from day to day to day, so everyone knew that at least three days had lapsed in that one memory.

Finally the memories in the pensive stopped playing, Hermione addressed the court "Those are just a handful of the memories where I suffered abuse at the hands of Ronald Weasley." Members of the Wizengamot were all looking at Ron with disgust, as Hermione's lawyer stepped forward "Lady Malfoy, earlier your husband testified that he thought you were afraid of Mr. Weasley, can you tell the court if that was true?" Hermione wiped tears out of her eyes "Yes it was and is true. I've been afraid of Ron for years now. I always felt like he was watching me, like he was around every corner just waiting for me." Ron's lawyer stepped forward "Lady Malfoy, you are charging my client with breaking and entering. How do you know it was him in your flat?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at the slimy man "Because my husband and myself both saw him. We were just returning home from our engagement at his parents house. When we entered my flat, discussing the wedding, furniture was being flung towards our heads. We ducked and I shot a spell in the direction that I heard the incantations coming from. Once the subject was subdued, and we were no longer in danger, we both got up and found Mr. Weasley laying bound in my floor. That's how I know, counselor." Ron's lawyer nodded and his shoulders were slumped in defeat as he took his seat next to his client. Ron however was looking at only Hermione "You bitch, I was only trying to save you from Malfoy and make your dreams come true. And this is how you repay me?" The Chief Warlock all but snarled at Ron "Mr. Weasley thanks to you constant outburst, I am now holding you in contempt of court. Now be quiet." Ron glared at him but backed down once again. "Lady Malfoy you may leave the witness stand and return to your husband." In a flash, Draco was beside Hermione, gently holding her and helping her up the stairs and back to your seats.

"Counselors, your closing arguments?" Ron's lawyer stepped up first "Your honor, my client believed he was acting in the best interests of the woman he loved. Can we truly fault him for that? Also his record as a war hero should be taken into account." With nothing left to say he sat back down next to his client, who was looking quite confident, even with all the evidence against him. Draco and Hermione's lawyer was next "Your honor, we have provided undeniable evidence of the rage and anger on Mr. Weasley's part. This court could speculate that he never loved Lady Malfoy, he just viewed her as some sort of property that he alone had rights to her. Both of my clients have showed you memories, memories of his abuse and attacks on Lady Hermione Malfoy. She even showed you memories from all the way back when they first started dating, testified that she was afraid of him. Even though he is a war hero, can we really let this man back out onto the streets? In my opinion, and I hope that the court agrees with me, Lord and Lady Malfoy would never be safe from him." Instantly the courtroom was a buzz with conversation at the end of their lawyers closing arguments. "Silence!" Roared the Chief Warlock. "The Wizengamot, will now take a short recess to reach their verdict." And with that a silencing and invisibility charm was placed around the Wizengamot members, effectively blocking them out from the rest of the court. No one could see or hear or even guess at which direction they were leaning.

No more than an hour later, the invisibility and silencing charm around the members of the Wizengamot was lifted. "Have you reached a verdict?" "We have Chief Warlock. In the case against Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley, we the members of the Wizengamot, find him guilty of all charges." Ron roared in anger as the verdict was read. Draco embraced his wife, rubbing her back soothingly "It's over love, it's all over." Hermione smiled into her husbands shoulder "It's not over until we know how long he will be sentenced for." The Chief Warlock pointed his wand at Ron and calmly said "Silencio!" Instantly Ron was unable to speak, although the entire court could see his mouth moving. "That is for your continued outbursts in my court, despite the warnings I have given you." Waiting for the courtroom to settle he continued "Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley, you have been found guilty of the following charges: stalking, harassment, breaking and entering, numerous cases of assault and attempted kidnapping. Even with your record as a war hero taken into consideration, you will be sentenced. I, the Chief Warlock, sentence you to 50 years in Azkaban. You may be eligible for parole after 30 years, if you have served with good behavior. My judgement is final." Ron struggled as the guards unbound him from the chair and dragged him from the courtroom, everyone could tell that he was yelling, but thanks to the Chief Warlocks spell no one could hear a thing. Hermione was crying into Draco's shoulder, but they were happy tears "Now it's over." She whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear. Draco rubbed his wife's back soothingly and just rocked her back and forth.