CHAPTER 1
Rubbing his temples Draco sighed, he could feel a migraine coming up. His and His mother's trial ended today and thanks to 'The Golden Trio' they got off with minimum punishment. His father, though, was another story. Lucius Malfoy is ready to bargain information in return for least possible punishment but ministry is unwilling to repeat its mistake from the First Wizarding War. With Lucius still holding on to his primitive beliefs, his trial was not looking good but with country's best lawyer on duty the Malfoy family was hoping for the best.
Even though his father had destroyed his childhood, Draco still cared for his father wellbeing. How could he not, Draco was brought up with loving parents. His father did love him in his own twisted way. True he had done some horrendous things in his life; Lucius Malfoy had always been a family man. Everything he had done in his life whether right or wrong, he had done it for his family. Although Draco still held a grudge against his father he could not stop himself from hoping that his father gets off easy. With time Draco thought, he might be able to even forgive his father.
Putting an arm around his mother he walked out of the trial room, ignoring the stares. The Daily Prophet will have a field day with the golden trio coming to save the Malfoys. Regardless Draco was grateful to them not only for the trial but also for saving his neck during the war. As he walked out he noticed them standing in the corridor outside the court room. Excusing himself from his mother he walked towards them.
"I ...uh … I cannot put into words for what you guys did for I and my mother. Especially my mother." said Draco.
"My mother and I" said Hermione reflexively before blushing as Ron and Harry burst out laughing. Even Draco cracked a grin.
"Sorry. Force of habit." said Hermione.
"Nice to see you are still a Know-It-All, Granger." said Draco smiling. The four of them grinned coming to an unspoken agreement about the war. Even though all was not forgotten, it was forgiven.
"Some things never change." said Harry.
"And Malfoy you don't need to thank us. We fought the war for equality and treating you differently just because you were stuck on the wrong side, would have gone against everything we have fought for. Starting new prejudices would be hypocritical, wouldn't it be?" said Hermione. "And helping you meant helping the right cause. You were innocent Malfoy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"Your mother did save Harry's ass, so let's call it even." Ron said. Draco didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't deserve this kindness but he was grateful for it nonetheless.
"Draco dear." called Narcissa, saving them from an awkward silence. "Let us head home."
"Yes mother." Draco nodded to the trio and led his mother towards the public floo in ministry. It was an excruciatingly long journey with everyone stopping what they were doing to stare. The news about their trial had travelled faster than wildfire. Some sneered, some mocked openly and the rest whispered among themselves.
"So it is true, the golden trio helped the Malfoys."
"I have heard he bribed himself free. Death eater or not he is still wealthy."
"They say Narcissa lied to Voldemort. I wonder how much of that is true."
"Is it the right call to set them free or are we repeating the mistakes of The First Wizarding War?"
"I heard that Malfoy begged on his knees for forgiveness."
The last one made Draco scoff. As if his ego would survive such a blow. He sighed for what felt like a thousandth time that day. The rumour mills would be working overtime. He could hardly blame them, Golden Trio helping the Malfoys sounded ridiculous even in his brain. Regardless, he was eternally grateful to them.
Draco followed his mother through the Ministry floo. He just wanted to go to the bed and wallow in self-loathing that was beginning to rise.
"Maybe they can also speak something on your father's trial." Narcissa said. "You could suggest something. It would go a long way in your father's trial. You could ask them, they seemed friendly enough."
"Mother no! I won't ask them anything of the sort. They have done more than we deserve and honestly father does not deserve their help. I am not sure if he even deserve ours." Draco replied.
"Don't speak-"
"It is truth, whether you like it or not. Father is a criminal who supported a genocidal maniac." Draco said furiously walked away to his room. He needed to move out of his parents' home. He needed space to come to terms with things he had done, to stop hating himself, to heal. He loved his parents but he was not sure if he liked them. He was not sure if he even liked himself. No, that was not true; he most definitely didn't like himself.
Draco huffed as he lay on the bed. His healer would not be happy to hear that but it has been a difficult week and he didn't have the energy to fight self-loathing. After all, he had practically walked scot free. He didn't deserve it, he deserved to suffer but apparently even that was too much to ask. He reached over to the drawer to get the vial of sleeping draught, it had been a draining day and he needed a good night's sleep. Yeah that seems like a good enough reason for the mind healer.
.
Draco felt drained, he usually was tired after his therapy sessions but today's session was especially gruelling. Even though he had come a long way from his first session, talking about his feelings and war still left a bad taste in his mouth. He needed a drink, a strong one but he couldn't have one because damn mind healers and overbearing mothers. Apparently, turning to substance was not a good coping mechanism.
People were sneering, muttering obscenities under their breath as they passed Draco. He didn't respond and honestly how would he respond? He deserved this, no matter what others his mother or healer said. As he was about to enter the Leaky Cauldron, he heard someone calling him.
"Draco!"
It was Blaise, the only person who called him out about the bullshit he did during the war, atleast at the start of it. Blaise had managed to remain neutral throughout the war; mostly because of his mother shipped them out the country.
"Hey mate! How you doing?" Blaise asked. "Heard about the trial, you got off easy. Goyle got sentenced to 5 years in Azkaban."
"Yeah, lucky me." Draco sneered. It had not been easy. Trial had been gruelling, spilling your guts of all the awful things you did and to bunch of self-righteous strangers was tough enough, but the hardest thing to deal with was, still is, the insurmountable shame and guilt.
"I know the war was hard but all I am saying is you have a second chance, not everybody gets that."
"As if you would know anything about the war."
"Okay buddy!" Blaise said raising his hands in surrender. "See you around, I guess."
"Yeah" Draco said as turned back towards Leaky Cauldron. He chided himself; it was not Blaise's fault that he had not been a part of the war. Rather, he was glad that Blaise was free from the horrors that plagued so many.
"Hey Blaise." Draco called. "I am busy this week but would you like to grab a drink sometime next week."
"Absolutely. Just owl me whenever you are free." Blaise grinned as he said.
Feeling better Draco stepped through the public floo to iron out the last bits of his father's deal. A year in Azkaban and 5 years of probation without magic seemed nothing in the face of his crimes. His feelings about the deal were as confusing as his feelings about Lucius.