Chapter Four

Exposed

Hermione was in the living room at Grimmauld Place, lying on the huge dark green carpet and surrounded by open books.

She had already read the one Harry had found, along with two others in the Black family library and four more she had borrowed from the Hogwarts library, with Headmistress McGonagall's permission.

And it had only been two days since she had found out what was happening to Malfoy.

Harry entered the room and observed the mess his friend had created.

"Are you ready? It's almost time."

"Yes."

Hermione wrote down the last thing she had just read about the Veelas, something that was going to be very useful to her at the trial. If Malfoy still didn't want to cooperate, she would have no choice but to do it.

She closed the notebook and put it in her beaded handbag, standing up. Harry was already throwing Floo powder over the fireplace.

"Malfoy's not going to like this, I'm warning you," he mumbled, frowning at her.

"I don't care. I'm going to get him out of there, whether he wants it or not."

"And then what?"

Hermione stared at Harry as she chewed on her lower lip nervously.

"I don't know. I can't be his... his..."

"I know."

"But I can't let him die."

"I know, Hermione. We'll figure out a way to fix this, I'm sure there's something we can do."

She nodded, holding his hand and squeezing it.

At least she wouldn't be alone. He was always there to support her through everything.

Harry gave her a reassuring smile and the two of them walked through the green flames together.

Draco was in his small cell again, on the tenth floor of the Ministry of Magic. The guard had left him there as soon as they arrived, without further explanation, and he was convinced he was dreaming.

Well, it was more like a nightmare. Soon he would wake up and see that no one was going to review his sentence and that he was still locked up, surrounded by Dementors and about to die. He repressed a shiver and huddled further into the corner where he sat, wrapped in the blanket he had found on his old mattress.

The cold of Azkaban was bone-deep and it seemed impossible to get warm again.

He heard footsteps and raised his head, staring up at the guard as he approached and opened the door.

"It's all ready, Malfoy. Let's go."

Draco grimaced as the man helped him up, leaning on his arm so he could walk down the corridor.

He closed his eyes and sighed as he saw the huge wooden doors of the Wizengamot room again. He wished he would wake up soon and die once and for all.

The guard opened one of the doors and stepped through, holding his arm.

Draco opened his eyes again and scanned the stands. His mother was back on the audience bench along with three redheads. Ron Weasley, his sister, and an older woman he remembered seeing at the Battle of Hogwarts. It could be their mother but Draco didn't know her name.

What the hell were the Weasleys doing there? And why was Mrs. Weasley talking to his mother?

Suddenly he was hit by a sweet, slightly sour scent that he had only smelled once before, a month earlier. All his muscles tensed and Draco anxiously searched through the crowd until he spotted the two people sitting on the witness bench.

He gritted his teeth as the guard helped him sit in the chair they had placed inside the cage, closing it with a wave of his wand.

Potter was a bloody traitor and he would pay dearly for it. He was sitting there, avoiding his gaze and with his best friend by his side.

Hermione Granger.

'Fuck.'

Draco let out a long sigh. Just being able to smell her was making him feel a little less weak.

"Mr. Malfoy, we are all here again to conduct the review of your sentence. Miss Granger filed an appeal two days ago and it has been admitted."

Draco narrowed his eyes, shooting a furious glare at the witness bench.

If only he had his wand... he would kill both of them. How dared they do that to him?

Hermione didn't blink, meeting his gaze with the same intensity.

The same blonde woman from the other day, who was once again seated next to the Minister, made the first question.

"Is there anything you'd like to say before we begin?"

McGonagall was also there, watching him with pursed lips.

Draco sighed, shaking his head.

"I reject all of this. Just take me back to Azkaban," he replied in a raspy voice.

A murmur rippled through the room but Hermione was on her feet before anyone could reply.

"You're not going to turn this down, Malfoy. It took me a lot of effort," she said as she approached the cage.

Draco frowned, his face darkening.

"Whatever Potter told you, it's not true. Get away from me," he growled through his teeth, clenching his fists.

Hermione ignored him and looked over to where the court stood.

"Draco Malfoy lied during his trial."

"Shut up, Granger! I didn't ask for any of this!" Draco shouted angrily.

"No, you shut up!"

Draco froze at her reply and Hermione took advantage of it.

"He has Veela blood and he didn't want anyone to know, that's why he pleaded guilty," she continued, turning to face the stands. "And, apparently, I'm his mate."

Draco jumped to his feet, grabbing onto the bars of the cage to keep himself upright.

"That's a fucking lie!" he roared.

Hermione turned her head and looked directly at him, making Draco flinch. She stepped a little closer, walking the few feet that still separated her from the cage, and his eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

"If you come any closer, I'll hurt you," he warned her in a deep voice.

She ignored the threat and took four more steps until she was face-to-face with him.

"Are you really going to hurt me?" she asked in a whisper, raising her right hand and bringing it close to the bars.

"Stop! Miss Granger!"

Hermione blinked, glancing back to where the members of the Wizengamot were.

Several of them were standing, some had very pale faces and three Aurors had drawn their wands and were pointing them at Draco. The two guards next to the doors also had them in their hands and were walking very slowly towards them. Narcissa's face was pale and Mrs. Weasley was whispering something in her ear.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Hermione murmured, turning back at Draco.

His grey eyes were staring at her with hatred. Perfect.

"Are you dangerous, Malfoy? Are you going to attack me?"

Draco clenched his jaw as if he was trying not to answer. He shook his head from side to side, not taking his eyes off her.

Hermione reached inside the cage, bringing her hand up to his face. He gasped and threw his head back, avoiding contact.

He wanted to stop looking at her but he simply couldn't do it. He couldn't even blink.

"Am I your mate?"

Draco nodded silently.

"What is it you're doing, Miss Granger? What does all this have to do with the trial?" asked one of the Wizengamot members.

"Everyone will understand very soon. Veelas can't lie to their mates. When they look into their eyes, they see their souls and they can't do so. As long as he maintains eye contact, Malfoy can only tell the truth," Hermione explained, her eyes fixed on Draco's.

She wasn't blinking either. He squared his shoulders and Hermione knew that, if looks could kill, she would be dead.

"How the hell do you know that?" Draco asked, gripping the bars so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Hermione gave him a small smile.

"Let me touch you, please."

Draco didn't reply, though he moved his body closer to the bars again and Hermione placed a hand on his cheek.

As soon as she brushed his skin, every cell in his body reacted and a chill ran down his spine.

He held his breath and his grey eyes widened. Shit, he was going to transform again.

"I just want to help you," Hermione whispered.

"Why? I'm nobody to you."

"Because I'd like to think that you'd do the same for me if things were the other way around."

Draco snorted, placing a hand over hers. Granger's hand was soft and small, and all his blood burned under his skin from being so close to her.

"This is going to be so much worse than dying in Azkaban," he replied in a low voice as his body began to tingle.

Hermione shook her head, staring up at him.

"Everything's going to be okay."

Draco grunted, pulling his hand away. His fingernails were getting longer and he didn't want to risk hurting Granger. He ripped apart the grey and white shirt he was wearing with his other hand, and pieces of fabric fell to the floor.

He clenched his jaw hard. At least the pain wasn't as horrible as the first time, and it seemed to be happening faster. The skin on his back tore and he stifled a scream.

His huge wings stretched as far as they could inside the cage, encircling his body.

Hermione gasped as she saw the silver feathers out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her eyes on Draco. His irises were changing too, turning bright and silver, and his jaw was sharpening.

She moved her thumb, stroking his cheek in an attempt to soothe him. His skin was now as soft as velvet.

Neither of them had noticed, but several people had squealed and the reporters in the room kept snapping pictures. Narcissa was scowling and with her arms crossed, glaring at the photographers, and Harry was one of the few who was still seated. He trusted Hermione completely.

"He's a Veela!" the blonde woman in the courtroom shouted in a frightened voice.

"No. He has Veela blood, which is different. But he's still human," Harry replied, standing up and glaring at the woman.

His gaze met Narcissa's and they both smiled at each other.

"Bring a dose of Veritaserum. The accused won't be able to lie this time," one of the older members proposed, pointing his head at one of the guards.

Before the man could move, Hermione spoke.

"That's not necessary, this is as effective as Veritaserum. Right now, Draco Malfoy can't lie."

Their gazes were still connected and Draco was breathing very fast. He was still glaring at her, though his whole body was starting to look better.

His skin was regaining some colour and the dark circles under his eyes were fading.

"Is that true?" Kingsley asked.

"Answer his question, please," Hermione asked in a whisper.

Draco squared his jaw. It was very difficult for him to refuse something if she was the one asking, and it seemed Granger knew that.

Surely she already knew all about Veelas. He was really fucked.

"Yes, that's right. I can't lie," he admitted in a low voice.

"Ask him the questions, Hermione," Kingsley mumbled, sitting back down.

She nodded, exhaling slowly. Hermione was so nervous and she had no idea what would happen as soon as she broke eye contact.

"Have you ever killed anyone, Draco?"

He cringed at hearing his name said by her and his silver wings quivered.

"No."

Gasps sounded all around the room but Hermione ignored them.

"What happened to Albus Dumbledore? And the two Muggles they found near your house?"

Draco pursed his lips, clenching and unclenching his fists. His own nails were digging into his flesh, though he didn't care.

"I tried, the Dark Lord had asked me to. I had to do it or he would have killed my mother and me... but I couldn't. Snape did it for me, he was the one who killed Dumbledore that night."

Several people began to whisper and mutter things as Draco continued to speak.

"I have no idea what happened to those Muggles. Maybe the Death Eaters killed them before they came into my house and left them there."

"Why did you let them into Hogwarts?"

"I had to. I couldn't fail, my life and my mother's life were at stake."

Hermione nodded, her eyes stinging more and more. But she didn't blink.

"Why didn't you identify us when we were captured? You recognised us and you didn't say anything."

Draco swallowed.

"Yes, I knew who you were... but I couldn't do that. They would have killed all three of you, and Potter was the only one who could defeat the Dark Lord. It would have been the end for all of us."

"So, even if you joined the Death Eaters, you didn't support their cause?"

"After what happened in the Department of Mysteries, once my mother told me about it... I didn't want to support an insane man who thought it was okay to kill fifteen-year-old kids. But I was forced to accept the Dark Mark and everything got worse. The things I'd believed in all my life... they were just big lies."

Hermione was holding her breath, remembering when she and her friends had faced Death Eaters in her fifth year. And Lucius Malfoy was among them.

"And the murder attempts? Katie and Ron?" she asked, not taking her eyes off him.

A tear was rolling down her cheek but she didn't want to move. Draco lifted one of his hands and gently wiped it away, keeping his claws from brushing against her skin.

Hermione let out a shuddering breath.

Reliving all that was quite painful for her. She had a scar on her side as a reminder of that battle in the Department of Mysteries.

Draco grimaced, lowering his arm again.

"The necklace and the bottle weren't for them, they were for Dumbledore. I meant no harm to anyone else."

"Thank you for telling the truth," Hermione said, trying to smile.

"You've left me no choice, Granger," Draco muttered with annoyance.

Hermione blinked and took a step away, her hand leaving his face. He gasped and gripped the steel bars tighter as he looked around.

"You've all heard it, Draco Malfoy is innocent. He is not a murderer and what he did was under threat. I demand his release right now, just as you did with his mother," Hermione said, glancing back at the members of the court.

"Silence!" demanded the blonde woman, slamming the table.

Everyone who was talking fell silent. Some watched Draco with curiosity, others with fear... and others couldn't hide the hatred on their faces.

"Do the two witnesses confirm what the accused has said?" asked Kingsley.

Hermione nodded.

"It's all true. I saw Draco Malfoy when he tried and failed to kill Dumbledore. And I also know that he recognised us that day in Malfoy manor when he lied to protect us," Harry said, walking to Hermione's side.

He put an arm around her waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out another sigh.

They both heard a gasp from behind them and turned around. Draco had a hand on his chest and was breathing heavily.

With a start, Harry jumped away from his friend.

Hermione took that moment to get a better look at Draco's body now that she no longer had to stare into his eyes, noticing the four long scars that went all the way across his chest.

She furrowed her brow and glanced sideways at Harry, who was also watching his old nemesis with his jaw clenched. Draco survived the unknown spell Harry had used on him in their sixth year, but he had been left with those scars.

The jury was discussing everything they had heard in whispers and Narcissa was wringing her hands nervously.

A few minutes passed in complete silence until Kingsley stood up again.

"We have decided to change the defendant's sentence. He will not have to return to Azkaban, though he will spend two years on probation. An Auror will be in charge of checking that he is at his house every day, and he will only be able to leave accompanied by a Ministry worker."

"I volunteer to be that Auror," Harry offered, raising his hand.

Draco snorted, mumbling some words under his breath. Hermione heard something similar to 'That bloody Potter will pay for this'.

"Any Ministry worker?" Hermione asked.

Kingsley nodded.

"Yes, Hermione. You too will be able to accompany him when he wants to leave his home."

"We need the 1026-D form. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy must sign it now that they are bound together as mates."

Hermione's face went pale.

"I didn't... I didn't agree to be his mate."

They heard someone gag and Hermione turned, startled. Draco had gone completely white, his lips were turning blue and he seemed to be choking.

"I-I knew this w-would be much wo-worse," he managed to say as he gasped for breath.

Hermione ran to the cage.

"No! Wait, that's not what I meant!"

She held one of his hands through the bars, squeezing it gently.

"I'm not rejecting you, Malfoy. I'm just saying I don't want to be your mate for now. We need to talk about a lot of things first, and in private," she added, looking around as her brow furrowed. "I have some conditions and a lot of questions."

"Conditions," Draco repeated, filling his lungs with air.

"Yes. Can you accept that?" Hermione asked, looking him in the eye.

Draco looked away and nodded.

"I'm fine. It's okay, Granger."

She sighed in relief and turned her head to where the members of the Wizengamot were standing.

The Minister of Magic cleared his throat.

"Draco Malfoy, we find you not guilty on all charges. However, you were part of a criminal organisation and used an Unforgivable Curse, so you will be under surveillance for two years. Any false move and you will be back to Azkaban. Do you understand?" Kingsley said, looking at him with a serious face.

Draco nodded, rolling his eyes.

"As a creature, from now on you are forbidden to use a wand. It has been confiscated and can be picked up by a family member."

Hermione's eyes went wide.

"But that's not fair! He's human, he needs his wand!"

"Silence!" the blonde woman demanded, scowling at Hermione.

Narcissa stood up and glanced at the Minister of Magic.

"I will collect all his things," she said, lifting her chin.

"The same applies to your husband from now on, Mrs. Malfoy. Once Lucius is released from Azkaban, he will not be able to use his wand."

Narcissa folded her arms, snorting softly.

Hermione was furious, clenching her fists and glaring at the court as she bit her tongue to keep from telling them everything she was thinking.

"It doesn't matter, Granger. Wizarding laws are like that."

Hearing that whisper, she turned to glance at Draco with fire in her eyes.

"Laws can be changed, Malfoy."

Harry smiled. Draco Malfoy had no idea what Hermione was capable of, nor did the Wizengamot.