When Draco arrived at this flat he automatically scanned the room for Hermione. He didn't see her so he went directly into the bathroom to take a shower. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He opened the door and walked to his room, only to find Hermione on the bed reading a book and completely in her own world. He observed her for a minute, laying on her back with her knees bent and her book propped up on them. He couldn't help but notice how her curly hair cascaded behind her and her breathing was shallow but steady.
"Hey." She spoke, breaking him out of his observation mode. Hermione was trying to act unbothered but she couldn't help but be distracted by his half naked body.
"Hey." He said back, looking exhausted.
"Go put some pants on and join me." Hermione said nonchalantly.
"Not a shirt? Just pants?" Draco was more than amused, his smirk coming back full force.
"No, pants are just fine." Hermione responded unbothered. Draco chuckled and left briefly to put on his sweatpants. When he reentered the room, Hermione patted the place next to her on the bed. "How'd it go?"
"The healers are more than happy to help, same for Blaise and Astoria." Draco answered, joining her on the bed.
"That's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed, closing her book and placing it on the bedside table.
"How was your mysterious adventure?" Draco asked, leaning towards her slightly, eyebrows raised.
"It went well."
"That's it?"
"That's right." Hermione retorted, trying her best to keep a straight face.
"So you aren't going to tell me?" Draco asked incredulously.
"Nope!" Hermione answered cheerfully, leaning towards him.
"Sneaky Granger."
"I learn from the best." She shot back, cocking her head to the side. He seized the opportunity and pulled her into another kiss.
Hermione responded in kind, this time more passionate than the last. She straddled him only for him to flip them over and kiss her with more fire. Their hands roamed, groping and squeezing as their mouths explored each other enthusiastically. Draco suddenly pulled away, kissing her lightly multiple times until he was back in his original spot next to her.
"I want to do this right." He said softly, kissing her shoulder lightly. Hermione smiled and snuggled into his chest. He was running his hands lightly up and down her arms, and he hovered over the spot where he knew her scar was. "Why do you like me?" Draco's words were quick and sad.
"Why do you like me?" Hermione shot back, rising from his chest so she could look at him. His eyes hardened, like it was the biggest insult in the world. "Exactly." She said, laying back on his chest. "How are you feeling about tomorrow?"
"Numb." His voice sounded it, so Hermione rose from his chest again and kissed him softly. "That helps." He said sheepishly, and Hermione kissed him a few more times before laying on his chest again.
"I'll be with you the entire time." Hermione said reassuringly, traces circles on Draco's bare chest.
"Thank you." He answered, stroking her hair softly.
The pair stayed like this for hours, talking easily and eagerly until they drifted off the sleep.
Draco woke up with a familiar weight on his chest. He smiled down at her and started to stroke her hair again. He lay there awake for a long while just admiring her before he woke her. It was 7 o'clock and he knew she'd be mad if he let her sleep any longer. He shook her lightly and she started to stir, so he got up and went to make them coffee. He could have just spelled it, but he liked to do it by hand, it was sort of a routine now. After he set up the coffee, he returned to the room to find Hermione sleepily sitting up in bed. He walked over and kissed her softly, and she smiled up at her.
"Good morning" they both said to each other and Hermione rose from the bed and went to the bathroom.
The couple drank their coffee and ate breakfast rather quickly, leaving plenty of time to get dressed and get to the ministry by 8 o'clock. They didn't speak much before they left, it seemed they both had too much on their minds. At 7:45 they apparated to the public bathrooms and were just about to make their way into the ministry when they heard a multitude of POPs.
"Think we'd let you walk in alone?" Harry's voice came from behind them and standing behind him were more than a few people. Ginny, Fred, Arthur, Andromeda, Neville, Hagrid, Blaise, Astoria and lastly Professor McGonagall.
"You all…" Draco's voice faltered with emotion, Hermione took his hand and squeezed it. "You all didn't have to come." Draco suddenly noticed that this was Hermione's secret mission from yesterday, and it made him like her even more.
"He means thank you." Hermione said and everyone laughed a little bit.
"Yea." Draco said a bit awkwardly. "What about the school" Draco's question was obviously towards McGonagall.
"I gave the students the days off, told them it was for studying purposes." McGonagall answered evenly.
"I…don't know what to say." Draco said.
"Let's go take care of this shall we?" McGonagall announced to the group, trying to make Draco more comfortable.
The group headed into the ministry ready to face what came next. Hermione could tell Draco was emotional so she kept close to him, rubbing small circles in his hand as they walked. When they arrived in Kingsley's office he explained that the witnesses would have to be there both days, depending on how long each part took. It would start with Draco's testimony with his use of the truth serum, and then onto the pensieve, and to conclude with the character witnesses. He informed them that this could happen all in one day, or in two. Kingsley also added that Lucius was here and ready to start, so Draco had to go wait in the room to get the serum and then he'll be walked into the courtroom. Hermione asked to go with, and was told she could but just not into the courtroom, for that she would have to sit in the audience like everyone else. Everyone wished Draco good luck as they parted, and Hermione and Draco headed towards the serum room.
The serum room was just an ordinary room with three chairs and a desk. Draco and Hermione sat next to each other, leaving the third chair across from them empty. Hermione saw how tense Draco was and started to massage his shoulders, adding kisses randomly. She was massaging him when a ministry worker walked in, explained the risks, and watched Draco drink the serum. They waited a couple minutes before telling Draco it was time to go, and Hermione was allowed to walk with them until they reached the doors. They stopped at the public entrance, and Draco and Hermione hugged briefly. To Hermione's surprise Draco kissed her softly as well, and mumbled something she didn't quite catch. The ministry worker walked Draco around the corridor as Hermione headed in.
The square room was daunting with benches rising on levels against the stone walls. It looked like the room could hold at least 200 people, not including those participating in the trial. Hermione watched as Draco walked in through the old black door off to the far right of the room. Hermione took her seat next to Harry, who put his hand on her back in a reassuring way.
"You unworthy piece of scum!" Lucius yelled from within the medal cage hanging top center. "You are not my son!" He spat, Draco ignored him completely.
"Mr Malfoy, watch your tongue." One of the many judges spoke. "Draco take your seat." The same judge instructed, and Draco did as he was told. He locked eyes with Hermione before he sat. "Draco Malfoy, is your name correct?"
"Yes sir."
"This man is your father?"
"Unfortunately."
"UNFORTUNATELY WHY YOU LITT-" Lucius was screaming and it jarred most of the room, except for Draco of course.
"Don't make me silence you Lucius." Kingsley spoke for the first time, and then nodded to the other judge to proceed.
"Draco is it true that you are here today to testify against your father for using an unforgivable curse after the war was over?"
"Yes sir."
"When did this happen?"
"When we got home after the war ended."
"Who did he use it on?"
"My mother." The room erupted. The vast amount of judges gasped and Lucius was yelling once more.
"YOU ARE NOTHING! NOTHING YOU HEAR ME! YOU WERE ALWAYS WEAK! A WEAK UNWORTHY SON OF A B-" Kingsley had made good on his promise and silenced the maniac. Hermione's fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles were white.
"Draco if you would, what curse was it?"
"Cruciatus."
"Do you have evidence of this?"
"I have put my memory in a pensieve for you to view."
"We shall look at that later. For now, is everything you just said true to your knowledge?"
"Yes sir."
"Very well, Kingsley lift the spell please." Kingsley did as he was asked and Lucius was smart enough to stay quiet long enough to be asked a question. "Do you deny his accusation?"
"My son is not capable of understanding how marriages work…" Lucius started and Hermione could see Draco was finally showing signs that he could hear his father.
"Maybe because I'd never witnessed one." Draco spit out, nobody hushed him.
"You SPOILED git!" Lucius spat. "It is not my fault that your mother didn't give me the respect a husband deserves!"
"Don't you DARE talk about mom!" Draco rose from his seat with anger, and Kingsley gave him a pointed look causing him to sit down.
"Look at you, taking orders from the likes of HIM." Lucius responded frantically pointing to Kingsley. "Fearless to fearsome." He spat coldly, looking down upon his son.
"I was never fearless." Draco mumbled.
"What was that boy!?" Lucius questioned with pure intimidation in his voice.
"That's enough." Kingsley's voice boomed through the trial room. "Do you deny his accusations?" He asked, redirecting the conversation.
"He's a liar." Lucius mumbled, knowing full well his son was incapable of lying under the effects of the serum.
"Very well." Kingsley said, turning his eyes to Draco. "We will take a brief break to set up the pensieve. You will be informed when you are to return. We will review your memory and then take character witness accounts. Before you go, since you are still under the serum I have to ask, have you or anybody you know tampered with the memory we will be seeing today?"
"No, I didn't even know that was possible." Draco blurted out, causing Kingsley to smile a bit.
"Very well, is there anything else you wanted to say before we conclude?"
"Yes actually." Draco spoke with confidence, his eyes meeting Kingsley's, who nodded so that Draco would continue. "I know the council might question my motives for bringing this to light now instead of during my father's original trial. I had just been through hell, much like the rest of the wizarding world because of the war. I was emotionally drained and quite honestly a bit numb to the world. I knew my father would be sentenced for his crimes as a death eater, so I didn't see a reason to complicate the situation." Draco seemed deflated as he finished, but Hermione was so proud of him for addressing the elephant in the room.
"Thank you Draco. We will take a break now and will let you know when we are to resume." Kingsley said and Draco nodded.
Draco rose from his seat and to Hermione's surprise headed right towards the audience seats. She thought for sure he wouldn't want his father seeing him interact with some of the others, and more specifically, her. For a split second she thought he was heading for Blaise and Astoria, but his eyes locked with hers and she knew he was coming for her. She started down the levels, trying to meet him halfway. When they finally reached each other Draco took her face in his hands and kissed her fully. For several moments the world around them disappeared, that was until Lucius's sneering shouts reached their ears.
"FILTHY MUDBLOOD LOVER! YOU DON'T DESERVE THE MALFOY NAME YOU BLOOD TRAITOR!" Lucius' voice was booming with disgust, and it was the only reason Draco pulled out of the kiss. Instead of reacting to his father's insults he kissed Hermione on the forehead and slipped his hand into hers.
"Let's go." He said softly, guiding her back up the levels and to their friends. Their friends knew well enough to not say anything Lucius could use against Draco and just follow the couple silently out the back doors of the trial room.
"Do truth serums affect your behaviors as well?" Blaise asked playfully, punching Draco on the arm.
"Shove off!" Draco shot back.
"You did amazing Draco." Astoria said, smiling brightly at him. "Your father is…well he's the same as he always was." Her voice hardened towards the end of her sentence, seemingly having dealings with Lucius herself.
"Thanks Stori, have you two officially met?" Draco asked, Hermione and Astoria both shook their heads. "Hermione this is Astoria, Astoria this is Hermione." Draco said formally.
"Call me Stori." Astoria said kindly and forcibly hugged Hermione.
"Nice to meet you, Stori." Hermione answered in kind, smiling widely at Astoria.
"I'm stealing her!" Astoria said quickly and pulled Hermione away by her forearm. Hermione shot a look at Draco who just looked happy that the two were hanging out.
"I appreciate you all being here." Draco said, turning towards the people that remained.
"Don't mention it." Harry said, causing Ginny to make a face.
"Or do, flattery gets you everywhere." Ginny joked.
"You are something else Weasley, that's for sure." Draco answered, laughing lightly.
"I'll take that compliment as well." George chimed in.
"That's a compliment?" Neville asked, clearly amused.
"The closest he'll ever give." Blaise chimed in.
"I reckon the council is impressed with ya!" Hagrid said, patting Draco on his shoulder.
"Thanks Hagrid, it was nice of you to come." Draco answered, trying to be as nice as he could.
"You are a part of the Hogwarts staff, which means you will never face things alone, Draco." McGonagall spoke for the first time, wisdom seeping out of every word.
"I am not sure I deserve that, but I appreciate it." Draco answered solemnly.
"I won't justify that ridiculous statement with an answer." McGonagall retorted.
Draco didn't answer, but noticed how quiet Arthur was. He wondered whether he felt uncomfortable seeing as he wasn't there for Draco, but against Lucius. It also could be that he felt he was betraying his other son by supporting Draco. He wanted to ask, but didn't know how to without it being awkward. He almost took the plunge but Hermione came back with Astoria in tow and distracted him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, feeling the way she sunk into his embrace. He noticed the satisfaction in Astoria's face, but was too focused on Hermione to let it bother him. Just as everyone was getting comfortable, Kingsley approached to tell them the trial would continue.
"Kingsley." Draco called, and Kingsley turned back towards them. "Can Hermione sit with me for the remainder of the trial, now that I've testified?" Draco asked quickly.
"Yes of course, just not when she is called to testify." Kingsley answered and spun on his heels to return to the trail room.
"Do you mind?" Draco asked Hermione, looking quite nervous.
"I'm ignoring you." She answered, kissing him softly on the lips. The pair watched their friends walk back into the visitors doors and made their way around the corner to their entrance. Draco and Hermione sat at the lonely table in the middle of the room, hearing Lucius' hisses of disapprovals but chose to ignore them as the second part of the trial commenced.