a/n: Hello my dearest readers! I am terribly sorry about the late update but I was in no mood to write, at all. But your reviews made me smile, as always ;) Betaed by viv-heart as always.
To write this I had to reread a few chapters and noticed some formatting errors. I would be eternally grateful if you point them out if you notice them, as I am quite the perfectionist about that stuff. Now, on to the story! ;)
Draco woke up with his left hand clenched into a fist. He slowly opened it and hissed at the pain. Looking at his forearm he noticed the faint red lines over his Mark and smirked mirthlessly. He revelled in the memory of the sharp pain, jolting him out of his dark thoughts but then his smirk faded. He couldn't let his mother see this. His father would either understand or not even care, but his mother would fret and ask him if everything was alright and it Merlin be damned wasn't!
Startled by the sharp pain of finger nails in his hand Draco relaxed the fist he unintentionally had clenched again. His whole arm hurt from the tension, he had probably hold his hand that way for quite some time while sleeping.
The blonde turned on his back and looked up to the ceiling. He didn't want to get up, as he would have to go to the Ministry later. Repeat his testimony and see the smug faces of the Aurors when he admitted most of the crimes. Draco groaned and turned back on his side pulling his blanket up to his nose. He then realised why he was awake at all: he had forgotten to close the curtains. Stretching his arm from the blankets he felt for his wand on the night table and shut them with a flick returning the room into darkness. Before putting his wand back he cast a Tempus charm and groaned again, half past five was really too early to wake up. Especially since their appointment was in the afternoon.
A few minutes after Draco fell back into a restless slumber his mother awoke in the neighbouring room. Not woken by the sun like her son but by nightmares. She had long learned to put a silencing charm over her part of the bed as not to wake Lucius.
Now Narcissa turned to her still sleeping husband and smiled solemnly at his relaxed features. She nearly stretched out her hand to move a strand of his platinum hair from his face. But she didn't dare disturb his rest. None of them had slept peacefully through the night since that fateful day in June at the end of Draco's fourth year.
Trying to get out of the grasps of her nightmare Narcissa focused on her plans for the next few days. Today was the day of their testimony, Lucius would be the first, followed by Draco and finally herself.
She was suddenly reminded of the last time she had to make a testimony. She had woken up in the small hunting château in Sussex, Draco crying in his crib and Lucius was nowhere to be found. She thought he had made a run for it, but after she had calmed Draco down her husband came back. He had been running, something he hadn't done since school days. They had left for the Ministry and she had to wait for nearly three hours before they called her in. Hopefully today would be less stressful.
Tomorrow Narcissa was going to meet Hermione - the younger witch had confirmed the date late last night. And she had asked Narcissa to tell her of her experiences in both wars as well.
On Saturday Hermione and her friends would come over for lunch. Andromeda wanted to assure the boys that the Malfoys were on their best behaviour. Narcissa understood their worries, but felt rather offended that they thought she would let any harm come to her sister after finally reuniting with her.
Satisfied that she was able to divert her thoughts from her nightmare she started to leave her side of the bed when she felt an arm snake around her middle. Startled she turned around and found Lucius smiling sleepily at her.
"Why are you already awake?" she whispered.
"Instinct?" he answered quietly, arching his eyebrow mockingly. The gesture might have seemed arrogant and cold to everyone else, but Narcissa saw the tiniest curl of his lip in a smile and laughed softly.
"If you went for being nervous, I may have believed you," she answered with a playful smile. "Now, let me go, I need to powder my nose."
Chuckling Lucius drew his arm back and she pecked him on the cheek before leaving the bed and the room for the toilet.
Quarter to two the Malfoys and Andromeda flooed over to the Ministry. Mrs. Weasley had volunteered to look after Teddy while they did their testimonies and Andromeda ran her errands in Diagon Alley. Narcissa knew her sister loved caring for her grandson but she needed time for herself as well. She wasn't sure Andromeda had ever had the time to truly grieve for her husband, daughter and son-in-law. Maybe she should ask her about it.
For now she was standing in front of the office where their testimonies would be. Draco stood on her right side and Lucius to her left. When she looked down the corridor she saw an unruly mop of chestnut curls that could only be Hermione's. Narcissa internally arched an eyebrow. Why was she here?
"Narcissa!" Hermione called suddenly. "Draco, Mr. Malfoy, good afternoon."
The men shook her hand and Narcissa hugged the girl briefly.
"What are you doing here, Hermione? I thought you had your repeat this morning?"
"Yes, I did-"
Hermione was cut off by an Auror stepping out of the office and calling Lucius inside. He followed the woman and Narcissa turned her attention back to Hermione.
"As I said, I did. But I found out that Harry, Ron and I have to apply for a license to be allowed to have a second house-elf if he or she isn't related to our current house-elf. Can you believe it? I actually researched it and it was installed to stop house-elf trade! Some people stole house-elf children and sold them on the black-market!" the younger witch's hair was sparking by now and Narcissa saw her son hiding a chuckle behind a cough at Hermione's rant.
"But shouldn't you be happy that they tried to make sure that the elf-children stayed with their family?" Draco asked curiously, still smiling slightly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "They should have just forbidden the trade of house-elves all together. But then they would have had to admit that they are sentient and intelligent creatures just like us," she scoffed and crossed her arms defensively.
"Well, if you want something done, you always have to do it yourself," Draco answered teasingly and Hermione huffed but smiled. Narcissa watched the two teenagers with a smile hidden behind her hand.
"If you would excuse me, I will be in the cafeteria finding out whether they still have that heavenly raspberry tarte," the blonde witch said to the pair and drifted down the corridor out of sight. Andromeda would be fascinated by the new development.
As soon as Narcissa left Hermione grew unsure and decided to sit down on the chair on the opposite side of the hall. Draco followed her there and sat down after a few moments of awkward silence.
"Is your hair always sparking when you get angry?" he asked with a chuckle evident in his voice. Hermione started and tried to pat down her hair.
"Sometimes," she blushed and looked down at the floor. "It just annoys me terribly that elves are treated like animals although they have magic just like us, can think rationally and use logic just like us. They definitely need more rights."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked actually sounding curious. "It is their deepest wish to serve wizardkind. What good would it do to free them?"
"I am not talking about freeing them. I know now that they need the bond to their master to stay sane, as only a few are strong enough to live without it. But their owners should be forced to provide them real living quarters and some kind of pension when they get too old to work and if they aren't happy with their family it should be their right to leave them and search for a family that suits them better."
Draco nodded pensively. "I think you should be able to convince the more progressive part of the Wizengamot of this. Especially with Professor McGonagall as Chief Sorceress. She always liked you."
"The problem is that I don't know how. Furthermore I haven't even finished my education!" Hermione exclaimed. Draco looked at her incredulously and laughed loudly.
"As if anyone would care! You are a war-heroine and one third of the Golden Trio. If you asked them to jump they would only ask how high!"
"I just want to do this properly," Hermione said quietly, looking away from the blond wizard beside her. She had watched his face closely when he laughed and noticed that the mirth didn't fully reach his eyes. Of course it wouldn't. He has been through hell, just like you and he doesn't even know whether he has a future outside of Azkaban! Hermione chastised herself. When she looked back to him his mask of indifference that he had worn earlier was back in place.
"Well, I am sure the 'Brightest Witch of her Age' will manage that," he said with a hint of his old disdain in his voice. Hermione still wondered why she felt hurt about him turning cold again when Narcissa returned with a bright smile on her face that only faltered for about a second.
"Mother, Hermione, I will be back in a moment," Draco excused himself hurriedly and left.
"What was that about?" Narcissa asked, looking after her son with worry.
Hermione looked shocked. "I don't know, one moment we were speaking about me having no idea how to petition something in the Wizengamot and wanting to finish my education. The next moment he is as cold to me as he has been during our school days."
Narcissa nodded slowly. "I think I know what happened. You don't have to worry, you didn't do anything wrong. I wanted to ask you whether our date for tomorrow afternoon still stands?"'
"Of course, I am looking forward to it. But…I think I am not ready to talk about what happened in the Manor. I will talk about the rest of our adventures, but not that and nothing that happened afterwards," Hermione looked up to the older witch next to her who smiled reassuringly.
"That's fine with me. I am sure we will be able to meet again later and talk some more. If I am allowed to leave the house by then we could go on a shopping trip to Muggle London and I could finally buy all the books you wrote about!"
Hermione was stunned speechless before she started to laugh, loudly.
Draco sat on the hidden stairwell, his face buried in his palms. His knuckles hurt from punching the wall, but he felt somewhat better. Why did he have to bring up the future! She would have one, and a great one on top of that. And here he was sitting, heir to one of the oldest magical families and not even living in his own house. Not to talk about not knowing whether he would live there ever again or end up in Azkaban for life.
He wiped away the tears and stared down on the split skin of his knuckles. He had been so angry, so fearful and desperate at the same time. Draco wasn't sure how much longer he could have hold onto his mask if his mother hadn't come and he could leave. He needed to get a grip on himself! But what for? After the First War his father escaped punishment due to the good contacts of his grandfather to the Ministry, but now? In this new world nobody would stand up for him. Hermione only did because he had been treated unfairly by the Ministry. It wasn't as if she cared about his fate.
Draco clenched his fist, relishing the pain from the split skin. He decided to only glamour it instead of healing it and stood up to go back to the office where he would have to repeat his testimony. He felt sick all over when he thought of the triumphant faces of the Aurors from the first time. This wouldn't be any better.
He arrived just as Hermione started to laugh about something his mother had said. He looked at the two witches curiously, but kept his distance. Draco wasn't ready to face Hermione after treating her like he did in school. It wasn't that he didn't know it to be wrong. His seventh year had made him re-evaluate most of his beliefs about blood-supremacy. It was just so much easier than being civil. He was honestly too angry about his own fate.
A few moments after he arrived the door of the office opened and his father left, looking rather ashen. Narcissa jumped up and led him to the chairs while Draco mutely followed the Auror into the office.
He sat down on the hard metal chair and as soon as he was seated completely chains snaked around his ankles. He was offered a glass of water to which three drops of Veritaserum had been added.
"Now, Mr. Malfoy would you please answer some standard questions to ensure that the Veritaserum works properly?" the auburn haired witch asked.
Draco nodded.
"State your full name and birthday."
"Draco Lucius Malfoy, fifth of June 1980." Draco felt the pull of the Veritaserum, but he also felt his Occlumency shields letting most of it slide off.
"Alright, now try to lie to me."
"The sky is…" Draco felt the Veritaserum force his tongue. "…blue," he finished.
"Very well. We will now begin with the questions," the dark haired wizard said. His colleague nodded and continued.
"Were you a Death Eater?"
"Yes."
"When were you marked?"
"Sixth of July 1996."
"Did you want to join the Death Eaters?"
"Not really. I only wanted to protect my mother from the Dark Lord's wrath."
"Where you forced to join the Death Eaters?"
"Not in words or actions. But if I hadn't made the right decision they would have forced me."
"Did you commit crimes in the name of the Dark Lord?"
"Yes."
"What crimes?"
"On the day I was marked, I was forced to murder a muggle girl with the Avada Kedavra. Back at school I imperiused Madam Rosmerta on the nineteenth of October 1996 and kept her under the Imperius for nearly the rest of the school year," Draco hesitated shortly before continuing - lying would do no good. "I purchased a cursed necklace at Borgin and Burkes and made Madam Rosmerta imperius Katie Bell to bring it to the Headmaster. Due to an accident she touched it and was cursed.
Shortly before Christmas I purchased mead and made Madam Rosmerta add poison to it and send it to Albus Dumbledore. Somehow it ended up with Professor Slughorn who kept it until March when he served it to Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, inadvertently poisoning Weasley." Draco coughed, his throat had gone dry from the talking. "Could I have some water?" he asked.
The Aurors exchanged a glance, the wizard shrugged and refilled the glass with a quick Aguamenti. Draco took a gulp of the water and settled back down. He felt the Veritaserum fading, but he was sure that they would soon give him more.
"Alright, where was I? Ah yes. On my seventeenth birthday I was taken out of school to 'celebrate' with the Death Eaters. I was forced to torture a muggleborn man with the Cruciatus curse. I let Death Eaters into Hogwarts on the thirtieth of June 1997 which resulted in a fight and badly injured people on both sides and the death of Albus Dumbledore by the hand of Severus Snape. On Christmas 1997 I tortured Luna Lovegood with the Cruciatus curse and made her hit her head on the floor so she would pass out. That is all."
"Alright, we will take a short break and will refresh the Veritaserum after that," the female Auror said, not completely suppressing the disgusted look on her face.
a/n2: I hope you liked it, let me know in the reviews! :) Finally some Dramione action *phew* Hermione and Narcissa will probably have their talk in chapter 10 (originally it was planned for chapter 7 but some stuff needed to happen first) Cya next week! :)