Title: 500 Hours
Author: pantheradraconis
Rating: T
Pairing: Hermione/Narcissa
Summary: Hermione, unexpectedly crashing and burning after the war, finds herself in community service with nonother than Narcissa Black. Through the course of their mandatory 500 hours, the two slowly find a mutual understanding which eventually blossoms into a relationship.
Her head was pounding. That was the first thing Hermione thought as she sat in the cold wooden benches outside the courtroom. Ron moved a bottle of water under her scrunched up face but she pushed his arm away. The idea of trying to keep anything down made her want to vomit all the more. And where was that incessant tapping coming from?
The door to her left opened and the noise grew. It was the typing from the scribe inside the courtroom. Hermione growled and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall, her long bushy hair working as a sort of pillow. Why was she here? She hadn't done any harm, no true harm at least.
"Looks like you're next." Ron's voice was low and calm.
Hermione didn't have the patience to appreciate his tone and instead stood up too quickly. Her head rushed and she leaned against the wall. Ron's freckled hand held her up at the elbow and he led her into the courtroom. He walked her all the way to the front benches where she joined a few other witches and wizards all called to Magistrate's Court. Hermione felt incredibly out of place as one after another was called forth for gambling or unpaid taxes. Her head continued to throb.
Looking around, Hermione noticed Ron, his bright red hair easy to pick out, was no longer at her side but sitting near the back of the court, behind a small gate that separated the accused from the rest of the populace. It was the first time Hermione felt like she might have done something wrong.
Harry sat next to him, his thick black hair had grown shaggy and the five o'clock shadow took up most of his tanned face. He was constantly staring at his watch. Hermione growled and turned away. She took in the rest of the room, it was very different from the large courtroom used by the Wizengamot for the Death Eater trials. This room was small, with long benches and a large raised desk where the judge sat. He leaned to his left, his off-white wig leaning as well. The purple gown and red sash both looked uncomfortably tight and his face was red either from the tight clothes or from talking so much.
"The court now calls upon Hermione Jean Granger." A rough voice brings Hermione out of her observations. She stands and wobbles slightly before catching herself and stepping forward. She was dressed in a simple white blouse which contrasted against her light brown skin and her legs lacked stockings under her plain black skirt and black ballet flats.
"His Honour Judge Bulwark," Hermione calls before dipping her head slightly.
The judge pushes some papers around his desk and grumbles under his breath. Notes about disrupting the public and public drunkenness were scattered around as he looked through the papers. Finally, he looks up and asks, "What on earth are you doing here?"
Hermione smiled her innocent, top of her class, teacher's pet smile. "I am sorry to bother you, Your Honour, it appears to simply be a misunderstanding."
"Yes, yes, of course. Honestly, Hermione Granger, Golden Girl. Of course, it must be a mistake. Let me take care of this and you can be on your…"
Hermione closed her eyes in an attempt to starve her head of the sounds of Harry standing up and clearing his throat.
"His Honour Judge Bulwark, may I say a few words."
"Harry Potter? Of course, yes, what did you need?" The judge shifted as though to sit up slightly straighter.
"Your Honour, as the arresting Auror, I would like to push that the court takes these allegations seriously."
"Well, I…" The judge started to say but Hermione cut him off.
"Harry, would you for once just let things be?" She raked her hand down the front of her face.
"No, not now, not ever. You need to see through the repercussions of your actions."
"Now, if I may…" The judge tried again.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Hermione called out in an exhausted fluster.
"You cast scourgify on a whiskey glass at a muggle bar."
"As if anyone even noticed." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"You hexed the bartender when he wouldn't serve you any more drinks. He broke out in boils."
"It didn't cause any long-lasting harm!"
"You cast a bombarda on the bar itself! You're so far gone you don't even realize the actions you are committing!"
The judge stood up abruptly, causing his chair to scratch against the floor. Hermione immediately found herself nauseous from the noise.
"Enough! Both of you! I will have order here!" Looking over the youthful adults the judge stood boldly and silenced the Golden Trio members. Hermione looked angry and slightly sick, it was obvious she was hungover, but Harry looked defiant.
"Your Honour, I ask that Hermione be charged for breaching the Statute of Secrecy," Harry said in a clear, authoritative voice.
"Very well, if you are so adamantly in support of Miss Granger's rehabilitation," The judge cleared his throat before continuing, "What do you say to 500 hours of community service?"
"Thank you, Your Honour." Harry nodded his head and looked at his watch again.
Hermione swore under her breath and held her temples gently. The judge dismissed her and Ron walked her out to the back of the courtroom where he answered basic questions before taking a roll of parchment and tucking it in his coat pocket, the action looked somewhat amusing given his tall stature and the low setting of the desk. They made their way outside the stuffy room to the hall. Just as Hermione realized Harry had left them, she felt a huge wave of nausea and ran to the bathroom, barely making it in time to vomit up bile, as she had missed breakfast.
As intimidating as the Wizengamot before her appeared, Narcissa couldn't help but smile to herself as she noticed one of the older wizards yawn. The court had been brought to order nearly a half-hour previously which meant all the allegations had been brought against her. Somehow, the prosecutor was still listing items but Narcissa had stopped paying attention. They were no longer speaking of her but of her late husband.
Lucius' trial had gone through at the end of the war, nearly three years previously, along with the rest of the declared Death Eaters. They were processed harshly and banished to Azkaban where the Dementors had returned to feed on the prisoners before newly appointed Minister Shacklebolt had reformed the prison. Lucius had not lasted long and was laid to rest less than a year later.
There was a part of her that wondered if the same fate was to befall herself. Of course, the dementors were no longer used but how long would she last if imprisoned? Long enough to see Draco marry? To see any grandchildren? Narcissa looked down at her hands at the same time the Chief Warlock Violet Roots, who did not have any purple hair, called for an end of the prosecutor's speech.
"Ms. Black, do you have any witnesses to call to your defense?" Madam Roots asked in a tired voice.
Narcissa looked up, stood politely, and then searched the room. She had no friends among the Wizengamot, no friends among the bystanders, and although her son begged to be present, she had sent him away.
Turning back to the Wizengamot, Narcissa tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear, cleared her throat, and began to speak. Suddenly, the doors to the large courtroom thundered open and Harry Potter shuffled in. He looked around before spotting Narcissa, then he made his way to her side. Surprise was only the most apparent look on Narcissa's usually stern face.
"Mr. Potter?" Madam Roots asked. "Do you claim to be a witness for Ms. Black?"
"I do, Your Honour," Harry said in a strong, clear voice. Narcissa looked him over carefully. He had asked Draco when her trial was to be held but she thought it was merely an interest of his. He had been present at every Death Eater's trial as well as most of the other family members who were tried. He had been present at Draco's own trial where Draco was sentenced to only one year at Azkaban, a sentencing that was reduced only a few months later by request of Harry Potter. At all of these trials, he rarely spoke, instead merely paying close attention to the proceedings. To see him now, speaking on her behalf, left her in quite a bit of shock.
"Your Honour, I would like to bring forth the following information about my personal escape from Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange at Malfoy Manor, a retelling of the Battle of Hogwarts, and several notes I have accumulated since the end of the war of Ms. Black's actions." Harry then pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment with chicken scratch markings both in straight lines and several added notes in the margins.
"You may speak," Madam Roots nodded and began taking notes. Harry spoke of the dreadful time when Hermione Granger was tortured by Narcissa's sister Bellatrix, or what resembled her sister. He spoke of Narcissa lying to Lord Voldemort and allowing Harry to escape and rejoin the battle. Narcissa let the words wash over her. In Harry's voice, it sounded like she had done some good. He noted several comments he had picked up during the last few trials, things Narcissa had even missed, or simply not focused on, but Harry thought all the more important to discuss.
Narcissa knew it wasn't enough. She had spent her entire life believing her blood made her more important, more powerful than those around her. It took watching her own son pressed under the heel of her husband's master, a teenage girl tortured by her own sister, and a defenseless child killed, as Harry had most certainly been dead yet somehow made his way back, before Narcissa realized she was on the wrong side. What good she had managed in her life could never compare, even if she hadn't been a Death Eater in name.
When Harry was finally done, Madam Roots nodded her head and thanked him. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation between the members of the Wizengamot, Madam Roots spoke again.
"We have found the defendant, Narcissa Ernestine Black, guilty of all charges." Harry sighed beside Narcissa and reached out to squeeze her hand. The action was so familiar and yet so unfamiliar it gave Narcissa a strange tingle up her arm. "It is agreed upon by this court that given the witness provided by Mr. Potter, we shall take into consideration what Mr. Potter believes Ms. Black's sentencing should be."
Smiling, Harry nodded and requested, "500 hours of community service."
A/N: Let me know your thoughts and your concerns, haha. For those of you that followed this over from my Bella/Rosalie stories but still aren't too sure what you're getting into, remember this: This is a story of a spunky, whip-smart brunette falling for an older blonde. Give it a shot!