Author's Note:

Alternatively, this chapter could be called, "and now the shit hits the fan" or similar. Poor Draco... ;-)

I tried my best to research UK court proceedings and court speak as best as I could, so please be kind if some things aren't quite correct. (Plus, it's more like wizarding law anyway)

Again, many thanks to MusicLover19 for beta-reading and correcting a few court-related expressions!

Chapter 34: The Hearing

"...as laid out in detail, rebuking every single accusation from the prosecuting party, we proved the claim of patent infringement and plagiarism to be wrong and unsubstantiated. As a company, we take pride in our transparency policies as well as the partnership with the Economics department of the British Ministry for approval of any deal we might make. We worked hard for our company, for the jobs we created in the wizarding society, as well as the change we brought to society with our devices—we are not going to risk any of that by copying a design or a device without due credit. So, as stated at the beginning of this trial, we plead not guilty."

Early February, Hermione sat in a packed courtroom, watching intently as Pansy performed her closing speech in front of the judge panel at the Wizengamot. She was fascinated by Pansy's delivery, as if she was playing the role of her life.

Draco at the table of the defendant was a whole different story—while Pansy was all collected and in control of the moment in her role as defending lawyer, he was tense and upset. He had been similarly upset all throughout days leading up to this court date, even though he tried to hide it for her sake.

He was under a lot of pressure.

Right there, Hermione would have given everything to be able to sit at that table next to him instead of sitting in the audience, circled by a selected team of Aurors. Merlin be damned, she just wanted to support him, be there for him in such a moment!

"She's brilliant," Harry let out in an astonished whisper, sharing a quick look and a nod with Ron; they had seated themselves on either side of her, trusting no one else with her safety in such a location. "I don't think you'll ever win an argument against her–"

"Have you ever won one against Ginny?" Ron whispered back, his eyes glued on his fiancée at the front.

"Guys! Better hope we don't lose this one," Hermione said in an exasperated tone, looking at each of them in turn. For a split second, Harry avoided her gaze; maybe it wasn't intentional, but it only added to her growing feeling of unease that there was even more at stake than she initially thought, that all three men tried to keep something from her.

It had started when they all argued against her wish to attend the court date in support of Draco and his friends. She wanted to be there, not sit at home waiting for the outcome. That was why she hated how paranoid they all were about her safety, reminding her that they still hadn't captured The Hungarian or others involved in her captivity at the fight pit.

She was still a highly skilled Auror with a wand in her possession; she wasn't so easily defeated.

Yet, to appease Draco, she had agreed to have her friends act as guards as long as she was in the Ministry building. He shouldn't have to worry about her in addition to the pressure of the court hearing.

The Chief Judge of the panel, an elderly looking woman with a sharp gaze, rose to her feet, and the whole courtroom fell completely silent. "The judges will retreat to discuss the case once more in private before speaking any verdict."

"They all just need to pee," Ron said as he joined everyone else in the audience getting to their feet to get outside.

"I thought the case was pretty clear," Hermione replied as she made it into the corridor separating the bench rows in the middle. She completely agreed with Pansy's opinion of the claim not being substantial in any case, so the fact that the judges decided to retreat for a private discussion of the case didn't bode too well with her.

Looking back, she saw Draco in a deep conversation with Pansy, allowing himself a short display of his frustration as he rubbed his face, displaying a scowl, and then brushed through his hair.

"Hermione, please," Harry whispered, nodding in the direction of the exit. "Keep going..."

She sighed and finally made her way into the area in front of the courtroom. Around her, everyone was eagerly discussing what the judges' retreat could possibly mean, ranging from snippets about a possible sentence to people not liking the wait, and others just hoping that the toilets were free soon.

"I wish I could talk to him for a minute." With another deep sigh, she leaned against the wall close to the door, trying to ignore the faces of the Aurors acting like other audience members in order to cover her. It only added to her urge to slip away for a moment, if only to gather herself and possibly take another dose of Calming Draught before the trial would resume; her head was lowly throbbing from the overstimulation around her.

"I'll be right back," Ron said after a look around and an affirmative nod from Harry. To get through the throng of people around them, he used his authoritative voice that had a stern edge to it and made the people move out of his way immediately.

"You're okay? There's an empty room nearby–"

"Yes, please! Just a minute or two would be great!" Hermione straightened up with a relieved yet expectant smile. "I mean, I'm doing okay, but a break would be great."

To her relief, the empty room turned out to be the next unused courtroom, albeit much smaller than the one used for the trial. It was a relief to get away from the constant noise from the people talking around her; taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, cherishing the silence.

It was a luxury today.

She only opened her eyes again when she heard someone else enter the room and talk quietly to Harry. "Everything okay? Have the judges come back already?"

It was Ron who had returned to the group, a smirk growing on his face as he nodded. "No, they are still discussing. However, Pansy agreed to do you a little favour..."

She just gasped loudly as Ron stepped aside and let the person behind him finally enter—Draco.

He had her in his arms within moments, his face buried in her hair and taking deep breaths. His magic felt frantic, like the onset of a storm, when it connected with hers.

"My brave dragon," she whispered after what felt like half an eternity, carefully rubbing his back.

His chuckle in response was bitter. "Nothing brave about being forced to listen to people taking you apart for being a former Death Eater with a successful business. It's a fucking farce–"

"They have nothing on you!" Loosening her hold on his frame, she looked up, only to see the fear in his expression.

He was scared.

Struggling to push down her need to protect him, albeit not without a sting in her heart, she framed his face with her hands, her thumbs brushing over his cheeks. After another heartbeat, she pulled him down for a comforting kiss; it was the only thing she could do right now. "It's over soon, then we can go back home..."

He pulled away, a frown on his face; his hands were still placed on her hips, the thumbs drawing soft circles. "I don't think it's going to be that easy. It's... Have you seen the faces of the judges? They can't wait to get their hands on me–"

"Shh... It's okay, Draco. You provided all the evidence that you have done nothing wrong. You built up something great, and they can't take it away from you."

He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath before he covered her hands on his cheeks with his. "I'm tired of all those games..."

"I know." She leaned her forehead against his, focusing on her magic connecting with his. She smiled softly when he sighed, almost in relief.

"I'm glad you're here."

"It's over soon, okay? Hold on just a little longer, then we can go home."

He nodded and opened his eyes again, only to press a kiss on her forehead. "I should go back now; Pansy said five minutes."

"Alright," she said with a sigh, disappointed that their time was too short, but hid it behind a last reaffirming smile as he let go of her hands. "She was brilliant, by the way. You'll see, they have to let you go..."

"Wait for me?" he asked as he turned away to walk back to the door, showing a small hopeful smile.

"Sure. I'm not leaving without you..." Her smile broadened, and she blew him a kiss as he opened the door to step outside.

Yet her heart still hurt for him, and she wished she could make people stop hunting him for every little detail of his life once and for all.

..

"The judges have made their decision," the Chief Warlock of the judges panel said, standing all pompously as she read from the parchment role she held up. "We all agree that the provided evidence supports the conclusion that Malfoy Company has indeed infringed on patent rights, copying a device without the permission of the rights holder."

Hermione wasn't the only one to gasp loudly in shocked disbelief at the incredulous judgment; the whole courtroom was filled with similar reactions. Her eyes were fixed on Draco at the front, who was shaking his head, pushing away any attempts of Pansy to comfort him.

The real shock arrived when the judges announced that they had to pay a fine, a ridiculously substantial one at that. The audience was crying out in outrage by now, several people yelling that this was a mistake, until the judges ordered the courtroom to silence.

Pansy was hastily collecting her things on the table, even briefly holding her glass of water with a glaring side-look to Draco before she turned around for the briefest of helpless looks towards Hermione.

"This has to be a joke," she whispered, leaning towards Harry. "What else do they need? I can't believe this!"

"They got him where it hurts," Harry whispered absent-mindedly. "And they won't stop until they have what they want..."

"Harry? Who's they?" His words alarmed her, they were like a confirmation that there was something else going on. Something she should have guessed a long time ago. "Harry!"

"Stop hitting me, Hermione!" Harry grabbed her hand as she kept on hitting his shoulder.

"What's going on?" She narrowed her eyes at him, flexing her fingers as they started to prickle. But before she could continue, the trial was closed and the audience rose to its feet, the noise exploding within moments.

They followed everyone else outside, even though Hermione would have preferred to stay in the courtroom and run up to Draco as soon as it was empty. Once outside, she was surprised when Harry pulled her towards the small empty courtroom she had been in during the break, his eyes suspiciously fixed on every person they passed.

"Harry?" she repeated, startling when the door behind her closed, only to see that Ron stood guard with a surprisingly dark mien.

Harry was now leaning against one of the tables, cleaning his glasses. "I can only guess what you noticed so far–"

"Noticed?" Hermione huffed at him. "I'm not blind, Harry! You kept things from me, and you know I hate that! This whole charade isn't a coincidence, and with you three all paranoid about my safety and whatever–"

"You're right, this isn't a coincidence." He put his glasses back on and crossed his arms with a sigh before he met her angry glare, seemingly collected. "They want you back. And they will only stop when one of us hands you back."

She had suspected as much, yet she still gasped. "Shit. Of course they'd make him pay for rescuing me."

"Yes–"

"And no one thought about telling me?" Momentarily giving into her creature's anger, she made a step towards Harry who tried to put the table between them.

"Hermione, please," Ron said, a hint of warning in his voice, as he approached them from his previous guarding spot. "You already had enough to deal with, like the therapy and... and the reconciliation with Malfoy."

"And we all received threats, not just Malfoy."

Briefly taken aback, she glanced at Ron with a questioning look; her anger spiked once more when she saw him nod with a grim smile. "You did? Who else?"

"Just us, I think. Maybe Theo as well, but I'm not sure."

"You idiots!"

"No, Hermione!" Harry moved back from behind the table, his expression now matching the level of anger she already felt boiling just underneath her skin. "They threatened Ginny and my children."

"Oh, that's why Lily and James are visiting friends abroad–"

"You think it's fun knowing that they could take you away any moment just because we weren't careful enough?" Ron said, not at least intimidated with her growing angry agitation. "We almost lost you once–"

"I'm not a child, Ron! You of all people should know that! Gods, how many times have I saved your bloody backs? Yes, I've been through a lot but I'm not a fragile flower, for Heaven's sake!" She was now pacing in front of them, agreeing with her creature's urge to protect their mate as well as those she considered family. "There has to be a way to stop them! No one touches James and Lily, or Draco for that matter, and gets away with it!"

"I wish I knew, okay?" Harry replied in a frustrated sigh. "They are everywhere, the whole Ministry is infiltrated, and we could never weed them out completely! I mean, what do you think you could possibly do?"

The door opening startled all three of them, and they all made a step backwards in fear that they could have been overheard.

"Here you are!" It was Pansy who cried out in relief before she came closer to give Ron a kiss on the cheek. "Damn, he's flipping out. This wasn't a fair verdict!"

"Where is he now?" Hermione asked; her previous anger dissipated upon hearing about Draco's state, replaced with a rapidly growing worry.

"Outside. But maybe give him a mo–"

"I'll take him home. Might be safer." Ignoring Pansy's cautious remark, Hermione stormed towards the door but was held back by Harry grabbing her arm.

"No word of what we just discussed." He only let go of her when she nodded in understanding and agreement, even though she tried to pry his fingers off.

Seconds later, Hermione was outside in the hall where she could already hear Draco's angry and frustrated utterings. The closer she came, the more she felt the frenzy of his magic, ready to burst any moment.

She found him in a corner, pacing up and down in front of a window; the smaller items in his direct vicinity were ever so slightly shaking. "My dragon."

He stopped mid-step when he heard her, a faint smile softening his face as he opened his arms for her; she gladly accepted and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Inhaling, he buried his face once more in her hair. "My lioness. I'm sorry..."

"Shh... It's okay."

"It's not," he replied in a muffled whisper, taking another deep breath. "In the worst case, I might have to close the company. So much money..."

"Let's go home."

..

"Harry? Have you got a moment?" Hermione asked as she stood in the door frame to his office, knocking to gain his attention. As always, she was amazed at the organised chaos in his office, yet he had a system and she would never dare to touch anything.

His startled reaction made her smile briefly, as he had been buried in a file which was most likely related to the raid at the fight pit. "Sorry..."

With a sheepish grin, he straightened up and rubbed his neck before stretching his arms. "It's okay, a break is always nice. How is everything?"

"Want the truth or the nice lie?" she replied and sat down in the visitor chair on the opposite side of his desk and sighed. "You were right; they hit him where it hurts most. He's falling back into some of his old behaviour, and it is hard to watch him fall back into a hole, despite everything I try to help him... Like, he burdens himself with everything, and he refuses to talk about it."

"The verdict was quite a blow, yeah..."

She nodded, her lips a thin smile. "Pansy is trying everything to get the verdict appealed, but the chances are small. But the worst is that outrageous fine! It puts the whole company into a precarious situation, since they are already struggling."

After closing the file in front of him, he leaned back, folding his hands on his stomach, but he said nothing.

She put her head on her hand and let out a sigh. "The nightmare was supposed to be over after the rescue, you know?"

"Yeah, we all thought that..." He nodded with an understanding smile. "But honestly, I did freak out when I received that threat. I mean, it's not the first one I received–"

"True."

"–but this one is the first one that really scared me. It's like back then, with everyone trying to get me, dead or alive. And what's worse, they threatened my children." Harry closed the file in front of him, giving her his full attention, exhaustion clearly visible on his face. "At least they are safe right now."

"And Ginny?"

"She's stubborn enough to stay here, but at least she can defend herself if needed." He stretched his back until there was a loud crack, causing him to wince in pain. "But why are you here? Anything you need?"

She studied him intently for several seconds, watching him find a comfortable position in his chair. "I need to do something. There has to be a way out of this mess... Let me investigate on my own, go through files to find as much information as I can on The Organisation, let me talk to Riverside and that shop manager. I don't mean field work, I know I'm not cleared for it, but you know how my brain works. There has to be a way, and I want to find it."

"Hermione, please." Harry winced again as he leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "Draco would kill me if he knew I'd allow you to do anything that puts you in danger."

She ignored his remark and rose to her feet instead to come around the desk. "I can't see you wince anymore. Get up."

After a questioning gaze at her, he got up, turning his back towards her. He yelped when she found the spot that was hurting. However, he tried to suppress any more yelps in pain with his jaws clenched. "I know how your brain works... DAMN, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!"

"What you need is Ginny giving you a back massage... But I think I dissolved that knot for the moment."

"Thanks." He carefully stretched again, relieved that he could move once more. With another sigh, he returned to his seat while she leaned against his desk. "Look, I don't want you to be on your own, at least not in the Ministry. I know I can't really stop you, so please do work with Theo. And you keep me informed about everything, I want to know what you're up to..."

"Fine. I can live with Theo following me around, but I'll restrict the access to my office to just the three of us. I can't bring the notes home without Draco noticing... I promise I'll behave."

..

The Sunday following the trial was the first real opportunity for Draco to catch his breath, as he tried to deal with the aftermath of the verdict. While he had been celebrated for helping in her rescue not too long ago, the press now had turned on him, using the verdict as a free card to publish malicious pieces about him that questioned his motivation. They didn't even shy away from bringing up his past as a former Death Eater once more, spreading subtle fears about his true intentions.

So, Hermione wanted to use the day to help him relax, to distract him for a while from his worries.

He was still fast asleep when she snuck back into the bedroom of her safe place they now shared, lying on his stomach; his arm was stretched on the side she was sleeping, as if he was searching for her in his sleep.

She quietly Summoned one of the chairs in the room and placed the tray she had carried upstairs on it. With a smile she then climbed back on the bed, her hand reaching for his cheek. "My brave dragon... Wake up if you want breakfast."

He hummed in response to her gentle brushes through his hair and over his cheek, yet he kept his eyes closed. "Not hungry."

"More for me then," she replied with a teasing tone, only to be surprised by him grabbing her hand and pulling her down. His smirk made her laugh, and she let him pull her along as he turned on his back. "The Sleeping Draught helped?"

He nodded, his hands running over her back and sides as he always did when she lay on top of him. "I'm glad you have nothing planned for today. It was a horrible week... How the hell are we supposed to pay that fine? Either we sell properties and fire people or I cover with some of my private fortune."

"Shh... Not today, okay?" She placed a soft kiss on his lips to stop him before he could fully plunge into the vicious cycle of his thoughts. "Today is for relaxing, not worrying. Please, for me?"

He nodded before he pushed an obstinate strand out of her face. "Thanks for your patience, my lioness."

"I try my best." She purred as he dug his fingers into her curls on the side of her face. "Now, breakfast first or...?"

He chuckled, his lips curling up in a teasing grin as he pulled her gently closer. "I wouldn't mind the second option right now. I'm hungry for something else, but you might need to get out of your pyjama bottoms for it."

"Draco!" Her cheeks blushing, she giggled before she leaned down to kiss him deeply. An anticipating moan escaped her as he started to pull her bottoms down with teasing fingers.

The breakfast tray on the chair could wait until later.

..

One very satisfying orgasm later, the breakfast was still untouched on the chair next to the bed. Hermione let out a content sigh as she relished in the afterglow high, only to giggle as Draco slowly peppered her stomach with brushed kisses, wandering upwards. Every single touch of his lips tickled her still overstimulated skin, but she loved the tenderness of it all. "That was great..."

He finally reached her cleavage, peppering her clavicle and her shoulders with more kisses. When he reached her neck and her lips, he shifted his position so that he was now straddling her hips. "I love watching you let go, you know? You're no longer scared of it..."

"With you? No, not anymore. It-It feels different, you know? I don't know how to explain it, my dragon... Like, I'm whole again and I can just let myself fall. But most importantly, I feel safe with you..." With an ardent smile, she brushed a strand out of his face, noticing the subtle storm darkening his pale grey eyes as he simply gazed at her.

She would do anything within her power to have him look at her like this for the rest of their lives. There was so much adoration and hope in those eyes, she couldn't help but feeling happy in that single instant.

She'd do anything to protect him.

"I'm so glad to have you back," he finally whispered before he captured her lips in a heartfelt kiss. "And I won't let anyone take you away..."

Given the situation they were facing outside their little bubble, those words meant more to Hermione than any renewed and stumbled confession of love. "I'm glad you gave me a second chance."

Before he could respond, however, they heard the faint sound of the fireplace being activated, announcing a visitor.

Hermione sighed and stroked over his back until she reached the seams of his pyjama bottoms. "I thought I blocked it for today."

He kissed her forehead before moving to the edge of the bed. "I'll chase them away."

Chuckling at his smirk as he left the bedroom to deal with whoever had managed to get through, she propped herself up in order to get out of bed and find the pieces of clothing he had pulled off her earlier.

She was just putting her curls in a lazy bun when he returned, holding a sealed piece of parchment envelope in his hands. "What is it?"

"Tilly sent this over," he replied, turning the envelope in his hand. "For you. It wears my mother's seal, though."

She reluctantly opened the envelope moments later. The last meeting with his mother had ended on a difficult note. After looking once more at Draco who nodded in reassurance, she started reading the note, only to be surprised by its content. "It's... It's an invitation to a tea. For tomorrow afternoon."

"What?" He grabbed the parchment from her hands, furrowing his brows as he read it. Finished, he let out a sigh and handed the parchment back. "I don't like it. At least let me come with you–"

"Draco, it's tomorrow afternoon! You can't possibly sneak away from the company just to have tea with me and your mother..." She reached for his hand, twining her fingers with his. "I'll be fine."

He nodded and tried to smile, squeezing her hand. "Alright."

She knew how much it took him to accept it, so she pulled him closer. "She wants a response, so I'll offer to hold it at your place, I think that's safe enough for your liking. Like a neutral ground or so."

To her relief, he nodded with a smile slowly growing on his lips as he let go of her hand to frame her head instead, leaning down. "Thanks."

"Breakfast now?"

"I'm starving!"