Draco made a beeline to Arthur when everyone exited the trail room.

"Mr Wealsey!" Draco called, causing Arthur to turn around and wait for Draco. The rest of the group continued walking to the waiting area they were in last break. "I can't thank you enough for that."

"There's no need to thank me Draco, I just spoke the truth." Arthur said kindly.

"Well I still will. If you need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask." Draco offered.

"I have one thing…" Arthur started, and Draco nodded encouragingly. "...treat Hermione like my son should have." He said glumly.

"This must be awkward for you…" Draco started slowly, only for Mr Weasley to wave him off.

"At first it was, but now all I want is for Hermione to be happy and she seems to be with you." Arthur stated. "Don't hurt her okay?" He added protectively.

"I won't, I promise." Draco confirmed, holding his hand out for a shake that Arthur willingly reciprocated.

"I wish I could stay, but Molly has her hands full with Teddy. She wanted me to invite you back to the burrow after the case concludes, if you're up for it." Arthur said earnestly. Draco had wondered who had Teddy today, but so much was going on that he didn't have the time to ask.

"It's the least I can do." Draco said with a small smile and shook Arthur's hand before he left. He saw Arthur bid farewell to his children and the rest of the crew and left without another word. Draco joined the group, draping his arm around Hermione's shoulders who kissed the back of his hand lightly.

"Can I have a word?" Harry asked, approaching the couple but looking only at Draco. Draco nodded and the two walked out of the room and down the hallway a bit. "You never told me that I was the reason your mother is in the state she is."

"That's probably because you aren't the reason." Draco reponsed dryly.

"You just said in there that he tortured her for helping me." Harry shot back.

"Yes Potter, good listening skills." Draco spat playfully. "You are not to blame, he is." He said a bit more seriously.

"If she never helped me sh-"

"Listen Potter, I know you have a savior complex mixed with survivor's guilt but I genuinely do not have time for this bullocks." Draco said with a laugh, but Harry was still very serious. "I do not blame you, and that's the last I'll hear of it."

"Fine." Harry finally gave in, though not happy about it. They started walking back to the room when Draco stopped short, touching Harry's shoulder so that he would stop as well.

"Arthur invited me back to the burrow after the trial….good or bad?" Draco asked, eyeing Harry closely.

"Idea you mean? It's a good one. Molly loves to host and she's been asking me about you and Hermione." Harry informed.

"What about Weaslebee?"

"Nobody has seen him since George told him he needs to go to St Mungos to get checked out."

"You're not worried?" Draco eyed Harry suspiciously.

"I'm too exhausted to worry." He answered truthfully, and the boys made their way back into the room.

Draco rejoined Hermione, kissing her cheek softly upon his arrival and Harry rejoined Ginny, placing his hand lovingly on her still flat stomach. Draco tried to tell his coworkers that they didn't have to stay, but he was quickly silenced by an uproar of objections. He couldn't help but admit how nice it was to have a support system like this. He barely had time to tell Hermione about Arthur's invite to the burrow before Kingsley came back and announced they were restarting. Everybody piled back into the trial room at their previous spots, except Hermione who was whisked away by Kingsley and now was at the interrogation spot. Draco was so overwhelmed that he barely noticed that Hermione had not testified.

"It seems we have forgotten one witness statement." Kingsley announced, everybody's head swiveling around at the sound of his voice. "Hermione Granger will testify and then we shall move on to the healers." He explained and everyone nodded, except Lucius who was spewing the word Mudblood as fast and loud as he could. He was silenced once more. "Really Lucius, you aren't doing yourself any favors." Kingsley retorted. This was the first time he had broken his professional manner. "Hermione, are you ready?" She nodded. "Do you consider yourself close to Draco?"

"Yes." Hermione's cheeks were turning a slight pink, but she tried her best to ignore it.

"Would you say you know him well?"

"Yes"

"How did this change in relations come to be?" Fredrickson chimed in once more.

"Well I was hired at Hogwarts and we've had to work very closely with each other."

"Why's that?" Fredrickson drilled.

"Minevra has set into place a house unity regimen that includes heads of houses to work together to expose students to other houses they might usually not be forced to interact with." Hermione answered evenly, not allowing Fredrickson to stir her.

"So you and Draco are both heads of your house?"

"Yes that is correct"

"So this unity was forced upon you by your work situation?" Fredrickson twisted.

"No, not at all." Hermione retorted firmly. "Working with him has exposed me to a different side of him…a side I rather like." Hermione added, smiling at Draco.

"And would you agree with Mr Longbottom's testimony that Draco has been a force in stopping purest mentalities?" Kingsley interjected, clearly not happy with Fredrickson's acute bias.

"Yes I would. He's much more on top of those things, a stark difference from when I was in school." Hermione answered pointedly.

"Would you say you trust Draco?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything else you want to add?"

"Yes." Hermione said firmly, turning her sights on Lucius. "We have very different versions of what disgraces a wizard's name. Your son is the only thing in decades that gives yours a fighting chance." Hermione spat at Lucius, who was still muted but everyone knew what he was saying.

"Thank you Hermione, you are dismissed." Kingsley informed her, and she took a few steps to rejoin Draco. He took her hand and kissed it softly when she sat. "We now call Narcissa Malfoy's two healers to the stand, Florindia Babilot and Salevra Drainstot." Kingsley announced and two witches entered from the side entrance that Draco and Hermione had used. One witch was a plump older woman with dark brown hair and green eyes while the other was a tall young blonde with piercing blue eyes. "You have requested to take the stand to together, is that right?"

"Yes, minister." Florindia spoke tersely.

"Could I ask why that is?" Kingsley asked politely.

"You see, we are both with Narcissa every single day. Our expertise is fuller and more accurate together than apart." Salevra answered.

"Very well, what do you classify Narcissa Malfoy's injuries as?"

"An aftereffect of the Cruiciatus curse." Florindia said.

"Without a doubt?"

"Yes." Salevra retorted.

"There is no other curse that could cause the damage she has?"

"No sir, just the Cruiciatus." Salevra answered once again.

"I see, and what day was Narcissa brought to the hospital?"

"May 2nd, at 10pm." Florindia said.

"Who brought her in?"

"Her son Draco." Salevra answered, looking kindly at Draco.

"And what did he say happened?"

"He said that his father tortured her and now she wasn't moving." Salevra answered again.

"To your knowledge, where was Lucius?"

"We were informed by the ministry that they had gone and taken him to Azkaban just a few minutes before Draco brought his mother in." Florindia answered, clearly having gone back and looked at the details prior to coming here.

"How many minutes before?" Fredrickson asked, excitement in his voice.

"I have the transcript of the call, if you'll let me take a look." Floridinia said, taking a long piece of parchment out from her cloak.

"Yes of course, and then if you wouldn't mind letting us have a look afterwards." Kingsley responded, Florindia nodded curtly.

"The man I spoke with told me that Lucius had just arrived, and this call took place two minutes after Draco arrived with his mother." Floridina read aloud, and then passed the parchment to Kingsley who in turn passed it amongst the judges.

"Is two minutes enough time to cause this type of damage?" Fredrickson asked, causing the other judges to gasp at his flagrant accusation.

"Most certainly not!" Salevra almost yelled. "This type of damage happens after at least an hour of consistent torture." She spoke with venom in her voice, clearly picking up on Fredrickson's bias. Neville looked down with tears in his eyes, thinking about how long his parents must have been in pain for.

"Thank you. Would you like to add anything?" Kingsley spoke once more.

"Yes I would." Floridina said firmly, she turned slightly to look at Fredrickson directly. "Draco comes to see his mother once a week without fail. He spends the entire day talking to her and doing small healers tasks to make her more comfortable. He even sends healing flowers to his mother and his friends' parents every Monday without fail." Neville's head snapped up, shocked by this. "For six consistent years he has been nothing but kind and even thoughtful, that's not something easily faked when faced with bad news every single day." She finished, turning her head towards Draco as she finished. Draco's face showed more emotion than Hermione had ever seen, and it was all she could do to not kiss him right then and there.

"Thank you both for willingly sacrificing your time to take part in today's trial. You are dismissed." Kingsley said kindly and both ladies smiled softly at Draco before making their way out the door they came in. Kingsley unmuted Lucius and tried to let him speak in favor of himself, but his slurs and hate speech earned him another silencing charm. "We will now deliberate, we will let you know when to come back." Kingsley announced and everyone filed out once again.

Everyone was sitting around the waiting room, which wasn't really a waiting room but an empty room with four chairs. Draco sat in one, with Hermione sitting off the arm of the chair with his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady. Harry sat in another with Ginny sitting on the floor, leaning her head into his lap, while Professor McGonagall and Andromeda occupied the last two. Neville stood uncomfortably leaning against the doorway while George and Hagrid were whispering about something.

"Draco…" Neville spoke sheepishly. "I didn't know you sent my parents healing flowers, I thought you didn't believe in those things." Neville said, trying to crack a small joke.

"I don't." Draco answered with a chuckle. "But it can't hurt right?"

"Thank you." Neville said evenly, and the boys exchanged a sweet handshake.

"Thank you for all being here, I really appreciate it." Draco said, and everyone nodded.

"Am I invited to the after party?" McGonagall asked with humor in her voice.

"You think you can handle it?" Draco countered.

"I've been attending parties since before you were born Draco." McGonagall retorted.

"Which is why you might be tired."

"Oh I'm tired of something entirely different." McGonagall chided and the room filled with laughter. Most had never seen McGonagall so free to banter like this, it was a side of her that Draco definitely amplified.

"It might not be much of a party anyway…" Draco almost mumbled.

Before anyone could rebut, Kingsley came in to announce that the council had reached a decision. They shuffled hurriedly into the trial room. Lucius was spewing insults at each person as they entered. It was actually quite entertaining, if you looked at it objectively. Once everyone took their original places, Kingsley stood and waited for silence.

"After much deliberation we have come to a verdict." Kingsley said firmly. "We have found Lucius Malfoy guilty of the accusation. He will be sentenced to life in Azkaban."