TITLE: Surety
AUTHOR NAME: Ria and SBBO PiHD
AUTHOR E-MAIL: ria_and_sbbo_pihd@yahoo.co.uk
PAIRING: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
WARNINGS:
Archive:
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was originally a plot-bunny posted to ffn by TickTock, offered to anyone who wanted to write it. We've taken her up on the offer and hope to do her great idea justice. This is the Prologue and original plot-bunny/ prompt. From here on out, it'll be our writing.
-SBBO and Ria
The war was finally over. It was strange to be back here, in Hogwarts hospital wing, strange to feel safe, strange to have so many people missing, and strange to have so many people together again. Even Malfoy was here—he hadn't been hurt in the battle, just some normal accident, but with all the hospitals full, he had been diverted here.
My thoughts were interrupted by a furiously whispered argument.
"We can't delay it any longer, Poppy. We will have to turn over Draco to the ministry tomorrow."
"You can't do that, Albus!"
"Why do they want Malfoy?" I interrupted.
"Harry! We didn't realize you were awake. We'll go and talk somewhere else. Sorry for disturbing you."
"No." I was no longer a child to be that easily placated. "Why do they want Malfoy? He wasn't even in the war."
"Well, you see, after they realised how many death eaters they'd released the last time, the ministry is being much less forgiving with suspects. I'm afraid Draco is the son of a confirmed death eater, and as you pointed out, he wasn't on our side."
"He wasn't on their side either!"
"Can you prove that?"
"What, are we going with guilty until proven innocent here?"
"Yes, I'm afraid they are."
They couldn't be serious.
"But that must mean dozens if not hundreds of people!"
"It's not as bad as all that. Most people have some one to stand surety for them. Unfortunately, Draco has no family member whose name is entirely clear to do so for him."
"Stand surety?"
"Swear to ensure that the other person will not perform any dark magic in the future," Poppy filled in, tight-lipped.
"So why can't you stand surety?"
Albus' resigned tone was beginning to infuriate me. I couldn't believe Albus Dumbledore, Hero of the wizarding world, was knowingly going to let one of his students rot in Azkaban for something he hadn't done. Even Malfoy didn't deserve that.
"I wish I could, Harry, but it's too big of a commitment. It would mean having to personally grant permission each and every time Draco wanted to use magic. It would mean having to live at close quarters for years, possibly even decades, until the ministry is satisfied with his loyalties. I have a school to run. It wouldn't be fair to my students for me to devote that much time to a single person."
"Then I will."