The prosecution may begin...
Hermione left a flat key with her parents, bussed the baby on the cheek, and left for work. Upon arrival, Clarice came into her office and deposited some intra-ministry correspondence to her in-box.
"Good morning, Miss Granger. Allbright wants to see you," she said.
"For pete's sake, I just got here," Hermione fussed, grabbed a pen and pad and went to her boss's office.
"Do you have your division robe here with you?" he asked.
She nodded.
"What are you up to this morning?"
"Preparing my case brief."
"You're presenting it Wednesday, correct?"
"Yes sir, after lunch."
"Good, so this morning shouldn't take up too much of your time."
"Time for what, sir?"
"I need you to sit in my place and take notes at the Council of Magical Law meeting this morning."
"Sir, pardon my asking, but shouldn't one of the more senior advocates be present?"
He waved the question away. "Bah, you'll be fine. Just take notes and leave them in my box when you return."
Back in her office, she gave Clarice a list of books and cases to consult once she was done with the council meeting.
"You're going to be working with me on the Lancaster case, so if you can run across anything else that's not on this list that would be useful, please add it to the pile," Hermione said.
"Me?" Clarice asked.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, Miss Granger. It's just that the more senior clerks usually get chosen for trial work. Or the prettier ones."
"Well it's my choice and you're it. You're smart, responsible, and think along the same lines that I do."
"Thank you for this chance, Miss Granger. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, but on a personal note, you really shouldn't downplay yourself so much. Harry Potter is one of the youngest Aurors, but he's also the Head Auror over there. As for pretty enough, I happened to notice that Draco Malfoy gave you a second and third look when he was in here last week."
"He did? Me, a witch only five months out of Hogwarts?"
"As you're finding out, things change. You're not in Hogwarts anymore. Hell, when he asked me to lunch, I had to look out the window and see if pigs were flying."
When the council meeting was over, she laid four pages of meeting notes in her boss's inbox and returned to her office. A bouquet of flowers was on her desk. She took the card from the vase and read it with a smile.
Thinking of you, hope to see you at lunch. Did you manage to stay awake at the council meeting?
Love, Harry
"How was the meeting?" Clarice asked from the doorway, pen and pad in hand.
"I'd rather stab myself in the eye with a blunt wand than go to another one ever again."
"Say no more. I gathered the materials you asked for," Clarice said.
"Great! Let's see what we can get done before lunch, shall we?"
At lunchtime, Harry wasn't surprised to see Hermione in the Law Division library. She most likely got caught up in whatever she was doing, lost track of time, and forgot about lunch. He leaned against the door jam and watched. She's lovely, no matter what she's doing. She was leaning over a table, resting on her hands while she read from a book. A cream-colored satin blouse, black knee-length skirt that flared at the hem, stockings (with garters, that much he knew) was her usual working ensemble, but today she had removed her shoes and dug her toes into the carpet as she read. She raised her right foot to scratch the back of her shapely left calf. He cleared his throat. With a dazed look that he knew came from intense study, she caught his gaze.
"Planning on eating lunch today?" he asked.
She blinked, looked at her watch, and slipped her shoes on.
"Yes, just got caught up in something, I'm famished."
"So, aside from the council meeting, how are you?" he asked, kissing her cheek as they left the office.
"Finished the outline for my brief."
"How are your parents?"
"They went to see about flat this morning."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"I suppose so, dad told me that he's worried about cramping my style and driving you away."
"For the record, nothing could drive me away from you. I'm addicted to you, Miss Granger."
"You make me sound like some kind of drug, Mr. Potter."
He pulled her to the side of the corridor, out of the way of people milling about. He dropped his mouth to her ear and whispered, tickling her earlobe. A witch giggled at the two when she walked by.
"If I could bottle your scent, I would. I would walk around with a little bottle of it around my neck and I could sniff it any time I want. If I could bottle your taste, I would. I would be drunk from it. So yes, I'm addicted to you, but it's all natural, nothing harmful."
She was a little shocked and a lot turned on by his behavior right there in the Magical Law Enforcement corridor! And didn't that giggling witch that walked by work in her office? Sod it, she didn't care. She glanced over his shoulder and saw a picture of a broom on a door. A broom cupboard? Hmmm. Could they....here and now? How much time was left for lunch? Did he stop in this spot on purpose?
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, turning his head to see what she was looking at.
He wasted no time. In three seconds, they were across the corridor and in the broom closet. Seven minutes later, a wizard jumped back in surprise when the broom cupboard door almost hit him in the face as he walked by. Harry and Hermione emerged, flushed and smiling. They dashed to the canteen to grab a bite to eat in the five remaining minutes of their lunch hour.
Just when she put the Shepherd's Pie in the oven, her parents returned.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"We signed a lease," Ian said, holding up a key. "We're letting it month to month. That's unusual for a lease, but the man understands our situation. He knows that we're good for it."
"Free cleanings for his daughter helps too," Grace added.
"We're having it cleaned and some furniture delivered this week," Ian said.
"How did the meeting with the insurance bloke go?"
"They're stalling, not surprising, it's a big payout. They claim to be waiting on the fire department's report."
"Can they do that?"
"According to the cover papers, they can. Personally, I think they're waiting to see if the fire department deems us liable for the fire in any way. If so, the payout will be less."
"And we decided to just buy a home. Building one will be costly and take longer than we're willing to wait. We really want to get into a home again, as soon as we can," Grace said.
"Is that Shepherd's Pie I smell?" Ian asked.
"Your favorite. Harry's too," Hermione said. "With Strawberry Shortcake for dessert."
The doorbell sounded. "Can you get that, mum? My hands are busy right now," Hermione said.
"Harry, lovely to see you," Grace said. "I assume you're here for supper?"
He nodded. "Anywhere Shepherd's Pie is being made, that's where I am."
He had a bottle of Hermione's favorite Eleven Wine in one hand, a stuffed snitch in the other, for the baby. After supper, Harry helped Hermione clean the supper dishes. This one's a keeper! Grace thought gleefully.
"I found my costume today," he said.
She gave him a blank look.
"All Hallows Eve? Big party? Ring a bell?"
"Oh, that."
"You're going, aren't you?"
"Honestly, I forgot all about it. So, what's your costume?" she asked.
"It's a surprise."
"Surprise huh?"
"It's a great costume, trust me."
"Then I'll have to find a great one too."
**
While she was laying out the couch-bed, she saw Evelyn playing with the stuffed snitch Harry bought for her. In a flash, she knew what her costume would be. She placed a floo-call to Ginny.
"Gin, I need your help with a costume."
On October 21st, Hermione presented her case brief to Allbright. It was only three pages, but it was a fairly straight-forward murder case. However, she had to be as precise and aggressive as possible, because a clever defense advocate would find any hole in her prosecution to poke.
"Very good, this is a solid brief. I'll send it to the Wizengamot today."
On October 23, Allbright called her to his office. "The Lancaster trial is scheduled for next Friday at nine a.m."
"That was quick," she said
"The Auror Division was pushing for a trial date sooner than later, and since they're the face of the Ministry...at any rate, I'm sure the Aurors will be most accommodating."
So over the course of next week, she prepared her evidentiary evidence, gathered the pertinent statements from the Aurors involved, and made sure Clarice was ready to appear with her before the Wizengamot.
"You'll be assisting me, so you only be talking to me. Someone else in the chamber might speak with you, but that's not likely to happen during the trial. Yes, they're the Wizengamot, but they're really just wizards and witches who were once fresh from Hogwarts too. Their job is to listen to the testimony and evidence I present, and make sure I do my job properly while ensuring that the accused gets a fair trial. After that, they decide the fate of a wizard's life."
"How many times have you been before the Wizengamot?" Clarice asked.
"Fourteen times, so I'm no stranger to them, and the defense knows that I'm not overwhelmed by being in front of them. Once you've testified that you were mauled by giant, rabid rabbits and endured the amusement of the Chief Warlock, the splendor of the chambers is somewhat diminished."
The night before the trial, Hermione was enjoying a soothing bubble bath when the telephone rang.
"I'll get it," Harry called from the kitchen.
He talked to someone for a few minutes and returned to the bathroom.
"Your parents said good luck tomorrow," he said. "I'm curious about Ginny's call. She only said, and I quote- it's a go and for you to pick it up Saturday morning," he said, using his fingers to make quotes in the air.
"Oh, that's my costume."
"Well, come on then, what is it?"
"Like yours, mine is a surprise too."
The morning of the trial, Hermione presented Clarice with a Legal Division robe. Hermione would wear the purple stole of an performing advocate with her robe. "In honor of your first Wizengamot appearance. We leave in ten minutes."
At the Division doors, Allbright was there to walk with them to the Wizengamot. He straightened Hermione's stole and they left the division.
"Nervous, Miss Granger?"
"Not really, sir. I'm confident with my case, but prepared for any bludgers that might come my way."
Once in the Wizengamot chambers, Allbright wished them good luck and promised to drop in for the verdict. Hermione acknowledged the defense advocate and noted the news reporter that was already present. She and Clarice arranged the case materials on the table while she gave Clarice a few pointers.
"Ignore the reporters, act like they're not even there. During the trial, never just sit there. Quietly shuffle papers, look like you're reading them, scribble on some papers- just keep up the appearance of being occupied with something. It tends to keep the defense wondering what we could be working on. When Lancaster is brought in, don't look at him. Again, appear to be occupied, we need to look unconcerned at his appearance, as if this whole thing is just a formality. I'm not going to give him any additional attention, the press has already done that. Good so far?"
Clarice nodded.
"One last thing. You'll probably hear testimony today that's quite unpleasant. Don't let it get to you, or at least don't let it appear to let it get to you. Lancaster may say some vile things about me, but don't concern yourself with it, because I'm certainly not. Desperate people say and do desperate things. If it gets so bad that it disrupts the proceedings, the Chief Warlock will have an Auror silence him."
Hermione straightened Clarice's robe as the Wizengamot filed in.
"Look smart and take a sip of water, here we go," she murmured.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, in his role of Chief Warlock, started the trial.
"Today, the 30th of October in the year 2009, this august body comes together to hear the case Addison Lancaster, wizard, accused and charged with the highest degree of murder. Is the prosecution ready?"
Hermione nodded. "Hermione J. Granger, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Advocate with the Office of Magical Law."
"Very well. Is the defense ready?"
The defense nodded. "Barton Cudney, of Dunstan, Heaton, and Sellick, a public advocacy firm."
The scribe noted the identity of the advocates and gave Kingsley a sheet of parchment.
"Have the accused brought in."
The doors opened and Harry marched in, Lancaster behind him in magically enhanced wrist and ankle shackles. Two Aurors flanked him, gripping him by the arms as they made their way to the chair of the accused, where his shackles were bound to the floor. Harry took a seat in the gallery while the two escort Aurors flanked the accused's chair.
"The prosecution may begin."
