AN: Happy Tuesday. Here is a new chapter for you. I hope you all enjoy this. Please let me know if you do. My thanks, as always, go to be11atrixthestrange, Adenei, QuickSilverFox and cheesyficwriter who have been the most amazing betas, challenging me to make every chapter even better than the last. After this chapter, there are only three left, so make the most of them. xxx
Draco's day in court finally comes around, but can Hermione summon enough courage to deliver her statement.
Finally, the day of Draco's sentencing came around. After spending the day before in the park with Ron, Hermione returned to the house in a much better mood. However, her kidnapper's face still haunted her dreams, and she hadn't managed to get a lot of sleep. She'd woken with a headache, and she wasn't looking forward to spending the day in a stuffy courtroom.
By the time she came down the stairs, dressed in the only business suit she'd decided to keep, the house was a swarm of Weasleys. Not only had Molly and Arthur turned up to support Hermione and Ginny, but so had all of Ron's brothers.
As much as Hermione was desperate to meet them all, she was taken aback by the sea of red hair waiting in the foyer of the house. Fortunately, Ron seemed to notice her hesitance.
"There's quite a lot of us today." He raised his voice to be heard over the large group as he shoved his feet into the only pair of smart shoes he owned and grabbed his car keys from the side. "Bill, Percy and Charlie, if you go with Mum and Dad, then George can go with Harry, Sirius, and Ginny?"
Nobody complained or noticed that his suggestion left Ron and Hermione in a car together without any other passengers. She was sure that he'd orchestrated it purposefully so he could be alone with her for a little longer, and she appreciated that.
He drove to the courts with his hand on her thigh, lifting it only to change gear or use his handbrake. She stroked his lower arm, finding the repetition of the movement soothing.
"I'm okay," Hermione told him more than once.
Every time she said it, he acknowledged her with a smile. It was only when he'd stopped at a set of traffic lights that he risked turning to look at her.
"I know, love. But still, my brothers are a lot, and I don't want you to have to face that until you're ready. You have enough to worry about."
"I'm excited to meet them properly later, though."
"I don't think you have a choice. They're planning a massive party to celebrate the end of all of this." Ron pulled into the car park and turned off the ignition.
"What if there's nothing to celebrate?" Hermione unfastened her seatbelt and turned to face him. Her stomach had been tying itself in knots all morning, and she'd already thrown up once. "What if the judge lets him off or gives him a ridiculous sentence like a year?"
Ron scoffed. "Unlikely. The guy admitted guilt straight away."
"But what if that counts in his favour?"
"Hermione." He sighed. "You need to stop torturing yourself with this. Draco kidnapped you and my sister, beat you half to death. There's no way he's getting away with this. I promise."
Hermione matched his sigh. A thousand arguments wanted to spill from her lips, but she knew it was fruitless. Ron always had a sunny outlook on life, and, usually, it spilt over to influence hers, but not today.
Noticing her discontent, Ron leaned over to cup her cheek. She allowed her head to fall against it, closing her eyes at the touch of his thumb against her skin.
"I love you. It's going to be okay." He kept on repeating his mantra as he kissed her, whispering the words against her lips. She tried to let his words placate her, ingraining them in her brain and wishing that she could trust that everything would be fine.
A beep of the horn indicated that the others had turned up. Hermione pulled away from Ron and couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she eyed what looked like a hundred Weasley boys staring back at them. The glee on their faces indicated that they'd witnessed Hermione and Ron kissing and were desperate to tease them for it. However, a warning look from Molly soon put a stop to that.
"We better get out of the car, we still need to battle our way through the waiting press."
Ron nodded towards the front of the building, where a swarm of journalists and paparazzi were waiting. Hermione groaned, but started to move anyway. Their time with Harry meant she was well-practised with them, and with the army of people that had come to the courts today would surely help.
As soon as Harry and the others pulled in, the group made their way en-masse into the courts. The flashes of camera light blinded them, but with Ron's firm grip on her elbow, Hermione was able to find her way up the steps without tripping over her own feet. The shouting was a cacophony of noise, almost deafening them but as soon as the doors closed behind them, it was blocked out.
Kingsley, Moody, and Tonks were waiting for them in the foyer.
"I guess this is it." Hermione let Ron guide her away from the rest of his family. He seemed to have the same desperation of needing just five more minutes alone with her.
"You sound like you're marching off to war, Hermione." His lame attempt to make a joke fell on deaf ears. "Please stop winding yourself up over this, you know your speech inside out. You've got this fucking nailed."
Not even his use of a swear word in a house of law made her flinch.
"I love you," he continued.
"I love you, too." She summoned her biggest smile and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips before letting go of him, immediately feeling the loss of his touch as her fingers slipped from his.
Ginny, having finished with a similar conversation with Harry, stepped towards Hermione and took hold of her hand. It was somewhat reassuring—at least she had someone to go through this with, instead of waiting by herself. The pair followed the police officers as they led them away from the Weasley family.
⁂
The waiting room was almost too silent. The courts had provided Ginny and Hermione with a private area due to the high profile nature of the case, and the girls had been left alone with Tonks once Kingsley and Moody had finished running through the proceedings.
All she could hear was the steady drumming of the police officer's hands against the seat of the uncomfortable red plastic chair. The lack of any other noise meant that Hermione soon succumbed to her negative thoughts again.
A small TV in the corner showed the hearing, next to a vending machine that looked like it had been stolen from the 1980s, but the steward had warned them the sound didn't work, and after a while, Hermione had given up trying to follow the subtitles.
"Remind me of what will happen?" She turned to Tonks, who was mindlessly staring at a picture on the wall.
"Ginny will go first. Kingsley will come and get you when it's time. You'll take the stand, make the oath and then read out your statements. As this is a sentencing and not a trial, there'll be no questioning." Tonks' tone was friendly, despite the serious nature of the conversation. "Judge McGonagall is very experienced. Neither Moody or Kingsley are worried about her. So it should all go swimmingly."
"And after the statements?" Hermione questioned.
"You can sit in the gallery with your family. McGonagall may make her sentencing today, but we might get called back on Monday. You just have to stay here until they're ready for you because they don't want what you say to be influenced by anything that's said in the courts this morning."
Hermione let out a hard breath, and played with the edge of her skirt. "Okay."
Sensing the nervous tension in the room, Tonks turned more towards the girls, a huge smile erupting on her face. "Did I tell you what happened when Kingsley and Moody tried to bring Rita Skeeter into the station?"
"No?" Ginny responded, her eyes lighting up.
"I only saw it 'cos I was on a smoke break. They tried getting her out of the car and the stupid woman made a run for it. Even with her hands in cuffs, she was fast. In the end, Alastor had to tackle her to the floor."
Ginny and Tonks erupted into laughter, but even the funny image that was now ingrained in her head of the Senior Detective rugby tackling the journalist to the floor couldn't calm Hermione's nerves. She drew her lower lip between her teeth time and time again, worrying the skin so much, it started to bleed.
The pair were still laughing when Kingsley entered the room; his eyebrows raised to where his hairline would be, if he weren't bald. The smile fell off Ginny's face, and she turned pale.
"We're ready for you Miss Weasley," he said, his voice calm but commanding.
Ginny gulped and her hand started to tremble. Knowing how bad she felt, Hermione got to her feet at the same time and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "You've got this. If you need strength, know that Ron and Harry are there on the balcony. And your mum and dad and everyone else. Look to them, okay?"
The redhead nodded against Hermione's shoulder then pulled away, letting out a shaky breath. "I'll be alright. I'll see you in a bit."
Hermione let go of Ginny and watched her leave the room before flopping back in the seat. She trained her attention back to the small television, trying her best to send good vibes to Ginny as she took the stand.
⁂
What felt like ages later, but couldn't be any longer than an hour, Hermione found herself following Kingsley down a narrow, wooden corridor. It was just as quiet here as it was in the waiting room, and only the sound of her heels clicking on the parquet flooring accompanied them. She yearned to make small talk with the constable, but no words would come. She hoped that once she got to the stand, they would show up. Otherwise, it would be pretty embarrassing if she just stood there and gawked like a fish.
They reached a set of heavy wooden doors, and Kingsley stopped abruptly, causing Hermione to collide into the back of him.
"Sorry, I wasn't watching…" she trailed off.
"It's okay. I should have given you a warning. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just nervous I guess."
"Don't be. McGonagall is firm but fair, and you've done nothing wrong. If you need a breather, ask for one, but the sooner you get through your statement, the sooner it can all be over, okay? I'm fully confident that Draco will be going down for a long time, but it all banks on what you and Ginny tell the courts."
Kingsley's speech was designed to calm her down, but all Hermione could feel was the lurch of nerves, escaping her belly and threatening to take over her whole body. Her legs shook, and she worried she might be sick again. Instead, she forced herself to nod.
"Okay, I'm ready," she mumbled, her voice trembling.
Kingsley pushed one of the doors, holding it open for her. Hermione already knew where to go; before taking them to the waiting area, Kingsley and Moody had given the girls a tour to familiarise themselves with the courtroom. Focusing solely on putting one foot in front of the other, she made her way up the small set of steps and placed both palms on the lectern in front of her, letting the cool wood calm her.
"Miss Granger." Hermione looked up where she was told the judge would be sitting, observing the severe-looking, older lady. She could tell the judge was traditional by the indication of the wig on her head, although it didn't completely hide the woman's black hair that she had pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. Despite her frightening look, the woman exuded confidence that helped to calm Hermione. "Would you like to take an oath or affirmation?"
"Affirmation, please, my lady."
The judge's lips twitched upwards as Hermione addressed her properly. The brunette figured McGonagall didn't get to hear it very often.
"Very well, please read from the card."
Hermione's fingers clattered along the wooden lectern as she fumbled with the laminated statement. "I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that the statement I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
"Thank you, Miss Granger. You may start when you're ready. Remember, we are not only looking to hear the facts of the incident that happened last month, but how this has impacted you and made you feel. That is very important in helping me to decide what sentence to give Mr Malfoy."
Hermione lifted her eyes from the judge and stared across the court at the pinched-looking blonde man waiting in the dock, and her chest seized. He had a smug smile on his face, but his skin was sallow, with deep circles under his eyes. It didn't look like he was doing well in prison.
Still, his appearance did nothing to quell the rising panic as she faced him for the first time since her escape.
Resisting the urge to look to the gallery and find Ron, Hermione fixed her attention on Draco.
"The morning when Draco kidnapped Ginny, I mean, Ginevra and I started as a normal one." She let out a shaky breath, hating the fact that her voice trembled as she spoke. "I woke up, had breakfast in bed then got on with some work whilst I waited to be picked up. Ginevra asked me to accompany her to a meeting with her manager at Stamford Bridge because she felt nervous about asking to go back and needed moral support. I agreed because neither Harry nor Ronald were able to go with her, and over the past few weeks, I'd grown close to her. She's a sister to me now.
"Draco provided all the right credentials at the security gate, and we buzzed him in. He was friendly and kept up a good conversation as he drove us out of Watford. Ginevra and I talked about her life living in London, and she was pointing out all her favourite parts of the city as we got closer to our destination. We drove past Regent's Park, and that's when she noticed we were going in the wrong direction."
Hermione took a moment to pause. Draco had stopped looking at her. Was he feeling ashamed of what he'd done? His face was impassive, not giving anything away and her nerves were replaced with a surge of anger. Need to stop the urge she felt to shout at Draco to look at her while she spoke, Hermione risked a glance up to the gallery, trailing her eyes over the Weasley family. Molly's face was pale. She'd already had to hear the story so many times and reliving this again through Ginny and Hermione must be tough for the matriarch. She was being comforted by Bill and Arthur.
Harry had his arms around Ginny, whose eyes were rimmed with red. Sirius stared out over the court with a steely face. Next to him was Ron. He was perched on the edge of his seat, his hands gripping the front of the empty pew in front of him. There was no hint of his usual comforting smile on his face. Like the rest of the family, he'd had his fair share of having to listen to the grizzly details of their kidnapping, but it was only now she was realising the full effect it was still having on him.
She forced herself to look away. It would do her no good to fall into worrying about Ron right now. Later, she would speak to him and make sure he was okay.
"It felt to us that Draco was deliberately weaving his way around London to throw us off. It didn't take long for us to lose our sense of direction. When we got to the house, our belongings were taken off us and we were bound. I fell out of the car as I was trying to evade Draco's accomplices and was knocked out. When I woke up, I was tied to a bed in a mouldy bedroom. There were no facilities for us. We were fed only once. The situation was so dire, we were forced to go to the bathroom in a corner of the room."
Molly cried out in anguish, interrupting Hermione's flow. The brunette felt tears fill her eyes, and she cursed herself. There was no way she would let Draco see her cry again. She shifted her gaze back to Ron quickly. He gave her a small, reassuring nod to let her know that it was going to be okay.
Hermione's voice croaked as she continued. "Over the following twenty-four hours, Draco's friends subjected us to countless beatings. He didn't lay a finger on us, at least, not at the start. After surviving the night, Ginny and I knew we had to do something. Earlier, Draco had smashed a wooden chair. We took the chair legs and used them to attack Goyle and Crabbe. We knocked them out, and I'm sorry for doing that."
"I think the court will forgive you for hurting the men who kidnapped you, Miss Granger," Judge McGonagall quipped, and a ripple of laughter travelled over the court, dispelling some of the tension. "Please continue."
Giving the judge an appreciative smile, Hermione fidgeted with her papers as she summoned her courage to finish her statement. She was almost there now.
"The front door was locked, so we started to look for the key. In the first room we got to, well, it could only be described as a shrine to Harry. His photos were everywhere. There were even pictures of me, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra and Harry, but the three of our faces were scrubbed out. Draco caught up with us in the room and tried to threaten us. He grabbed hold of me, and held a knife to my neck." Hermione's hand drifted instinctively up to the red scar, rubbing it nervously, before continuing, "I managed to hit him and escaped his grasp but as I did, he cut my arm, too. That's when the police arrived.
"Since the attack, I've struggled to sleep. I have nightmares almost every day. I'm very fortunate that I have an employer who has the ability to pay for therapy for me. It hasn't even started to help yet, but I have faith that it will, eventually. The nightmares, and constant fear that if I leave the house without someone accompanying me, I will be grabbed again, has meant that I have not been able to fulfil my duties as Personal Assistant to Harry Potter and Sirius Black as well as I usually would. Again, I'm fortunate that they're very understanding and that I was kidnapped as part of my duties, I guess." She let out a shaky laugh, relieved to see Sirius and Harry joined in. "I hope to continue in their employment.
"Finally, my kidnapping has also affected my relationship with my boyfriend." Hermione's cheeks filled with heat as she considered her next words, especially as the whole of the Weasley clan were currently staring at her, but Ron had assured her that it was okay to say it, not that she needed his permission. "Over the past six weeks, I've not been able to be intimate with my boyfriend, aside from him comforting me. I'm lucky to have his support, but I would really much like to have my normal life back now, something that I believe Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe stole from me."
The courtroom was silent as Hermione folded up her notes. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she worried the whole place would be able to hear it. She chanced a final glance up at Ron, and was pleased to see him beaming back down at her, telling her that she'd done an excellent job.
"Thank you, Miss Granger, for your vulnerability and openness." The judge's voice brought Hermione's attention back to her. "Since you are our last witness, I'm going to call a recession on this court while I reflect on everything I've heard this morning. Please do not go far, I will call you all back in when I have made my decision."
McGonagall got to her feet, and the rest of the court stood too. Two prison guards escorted Draco out of the courtroom first, and then the judge left. Once they were both out of the room, everyone remaining seemed to relax.
"You can go and be with the others now, Hermione." Kingsley held out his hand to help her down off the stand, and Hermione took it willingly, using his grasp to steady her legs. "I'll lead you up to the public waiting area."
This time, Hermione held her head up high as she followed Kingsley back down the musty corridor and up a flight of stairs. There was only one person she was interested in seeing, and as soon as she stepped onto the landing, she surveyed the waiting area for her boyfriend's red hair. She soon spotted him, stood amongst the rest of his family.
Breaking away from the police officer, she crossed the waiting area, weaving through other families waiting to access the rest of the courtrooms. He had his back to her, and she wrapped her arms around him from behind, not caring about who else could see her.
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, quickly turning around to regard her. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
"Brilliant!" Hermione beamed, and she meant it. She felt like she could achieve anything now she finally faced Draco and told her story. "Absolutely fantastic!"
Relief washed over Ron's face and he squashed her against his chest in a tight hug. "You fucking nailed it, Hermione."
She didn't get to have him to herself for long. The Weasley boys had finally given in to their impatience. Despite the sombre mood in the waiting room, Hermione found herself being tugged out of Ron's arms and passed between all four of his brothers, who welcomed her with hugs and jokes about Ron. Finally, she found herself standing in front of Molly.
"You did so well, love. I can't believe what that awful awful man put you through. The way you've supported Ginny has been phenomenal too. I'm so glad we have you in our family."
The emotion of the day became too much for Hermione, and she felt tears escape her eyes. Molly noticed this straight away and pulled away from the hug, digging a clean tissue out of her handbag. "Now come on love, it's all over now."
"I know." Hermione felt her cheeks burn and she rolled her eyes at herself. A strong hand placed itself on her shoulder and she turned back into her boyfriend, who immediately comforted her.
"Seriously guys, she's only met you once and you've already made my girlfriend cry." Ron threw a scathing look at his brothers.
"Nah, it's you mate." George grinned back. "I'd be crying if I was your girlfriend."
"Good job you're my brother then, isn't it?" Ron smirked and led Hermione over to a set of chairs. "God knows how long we'll be waiting."
Hermione automatically leaned against Ron. She'd had a rough night's sleep, and combined with the nervous energy she'd been carrying around all morning, she was exhausted. She wasn't sure she'd be able to survive the supposed big party the family had been planning to hold if they even had something to celebrate.
Ron kissed the top of her head before sliding the fingers of his spare hand between hers and holding her until the Judge was ready for them.
⁂
Eventually, they were called back into the courtroom. The Weasley clan, with Hermione, Sirius, and Harry filed into the wooden pews in the gallery, remaining on their feet as Judge McGonagall took her seat.
"Bring in the accused." She spoke with a harsh tone, and Hermione's stomach leapt, but this time with excitement. Surely this was going to go their way?
Despite the fact she wasn't the one on trial, Hermione still did exactly what the judge told her to do when she commanded that everyone sit, reacting instantly for fear of crossing her path. Maybe one day, she'd be a fierce judge like her, demanding as much respect and action. She could only hope. Her hand found Ron's and she took a firm hold of it as Draco was led back into the room.
"Please remain standing, Mr Malfoy, and approach the bench. It won't take me long to address you. It is a Friday afternoon after all."
The room remained silent as Draco approached the judge, still flanked by his prison guards. The cuffs clinked as he adjusted his suit, and Hermione felt a fleeting surge of sympathy as she noticed his legs were shaking. It was soon washed away as the blonde turned his head and threw a threatening glance at Harry and Hermione drew herself higher.
"Mr Malfoy, I will summarise my understanding of the case before delivering my sentencing.
"Ginevra Weasley and Hermione Granger are two innocent women who were going about their daily business in May 2020, when you decided to intercept their town car and kidnap them, holding them against their will overnight. You and your friends subjected these girls to unforgivable amounts of mental and physical torture, and we have heard today how both of them have been unable to continue with their lives as it was before that day.
"Miss Weasley has not been able to return to her football team, and Miss Granger, although returning to work for Sirius Black, has struggled to leave the house and has found it hard to concentrate on her tasks."
The judge took a sip of water, letting the anticipation of the watching court fill the room. Nobody dared to speak, or even cough, for fear of disrupting the proceedings. Setting the glass back on her wooden desk with a noisy clunk, McGonagall shuffled her papers before continuing.
"I have taken into account the fact that you did not protest your arrest and admitted your guilt at the earliest opportunity. You have since worked with the police, not withholding any information and have behaved in an exemplary manner whilst awaiting your sentencing.
"However, this good behaviour does not supersede the way you behaved prior to the kidnapping. There are a number of charges listed, including but not limited to breaking and entering, sending malicious letters, aggravated theft, and stalking. Although you have shown willingness during your counselling sessions, I believe you are still a threat to Harry Potter, and the people that work and live with him, and for that reason, I cannot give you a lighter sentence."
Judge McGonagall pulled herself up to her full height, setting her shoulders straight as she looked Draco square in the eyes. Hermione held her breath, her heart pounding hard against her chest as she waited for the words she'd been waiting to hear for six long weeks.
"Draco Malfoy. I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment, as required by law. I am also required to order that you serve a number of years as a punishment. Giving regard to all the circumstances, I order that you serve a minimum of twelve years, which will be backdated to the day of your arrest."
The hammer hit the gavel, signalling the end of the sentencing. Around her, the Weasleys whooped and cheered, but Hermione watched in disbelief as Draco was pulled away by the prison guards. He'd been imprisoned, the judge had sentenced him and it was more than Hermione could have hoped.
A muscular set of arms wrapped around her, pulling her to his side and she let Ron embrace her.
"It's done, Hermione," Ron whispered into her hair. "It's all over."
His words sunk into her and she sagged into his arms, finally letting the relief wash over her. It was done, the ordeal was over and she could finally get back to living her life again.