Theo POV

We suspected our probation officers would show up before the Christmas holiday. McGonagall had been feeding them updates, citing our studies to keep us from constant distracting check ins. She had gotten the approval for me to go to Malfoy Manor and it seemed that with her on our side, things were going smoothly as far as the Wizengamot was concerned. That couldn't last forever of course. We knew they would show up, but none of us could have predicted that there would be a week long evaluation of our rehabilitation. Even McGonagall seemed shocked by the news, not that she could do much more than protest as Draco and I waited outside her office the morning after she had caught us in the classroom. We heard the tail end of her complaints. She countered that the monitoring would interfere with our final lessons and exams before the break as they would remain until the morning of our veritaserum project. Her concerns were ignored. It wouldn't put a stop to the plans we had for the night after the project, but it had put a pause on all our research for kaleidoscope disease.

The two aurors that had been following us around for the past 6 days appeared to be in their late 40's- a blond woman with the most angler face I'd ever seen and a plump bald man with a salt and pepper mustache. Auror Stevens and Adams respectively. Stevens was tasked with monitoring Draco and I was left with Adams. I would say that I definitely got the better of the two, not that surprising given Draco's background versus mine. Auror Adams wasn't exactly kind, but he was polite and professional to a T. He allowed me some decent distance, probably the requisite amount as dictated by protocol. I could swear I had seem him pull out a ruler at some point. It wasn't exactly ideal, but it wasn't suffocating either. Stevens on the other hand, was a fucking hawk. She embarrassed Draco at every opportunity, her presence a beacon to the other students. Standing too close, sitting too close, breathing down his neck while examining every word on his parchment and every dish on his plate. It was a daily public shaming and Draco was starting to crack.

"Does she really have to follow me onto the fucking pitch?" Draco grumbled, tossing his quidditch helmet into the corner of the room after his Saturday practice. He'd put up the silencing charm the moment he'd stepped into our bedroom, all to aware of the woman standing just outside. With a huff of annoyance, he sat on the couch and I took my usual seat next to him, grabbing his hand that was still cold from being outside. A flicker of pink mingled with his cloud of gold and green. He looked at me, his gray eyes looking haunted. "And she never lets go of that damn wand of hers, as if I am going to hex her at any moment."

"They'll be gone on Monday."

There was nothing else I could say that I hadn't already said for days. We'd had the same conversation on repeat. We both knew that the aurors' jobs were valid. We hadn't been good people, we still weren't "good". It didn't make it any easier to look at him and not have anything worthwhile to say to comfort him. He wasn't seeking answers though. He was venting, that was obvious with how quick his eyes left mine.

"Did you get to talk to Granger?" He asked, changing the subject to something he actually wanted an answer too. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good answer for that either.

"No," I replied, shaking my head.

He leaned back against the couch with a sigh, his aura taking on an even more sickly green tone. He closed his eyes tightly, as if to hide himself from his own reaction or mine. There was no hiding our feelings on Hermione or anything now. I knew how much he hated the proof, but without Hermione it was even worse. I got the sense that he felt like he was failing us both. It had always been bad enough to fail himself. It was obvious that being separated from Hermione had made him increasingly depressed because he felt like he was failing me too. That only made me angrier. It was hard seeing how much he missed her, to know that she was hurting him again, the way she always did. I was done watching her hurt him. The veritaserum was going to solve that problem. The truth would be out.

"I'm going to spank her arse raw the next time I get her bare." I said with venom. I could swear Draco's lips twitched. There was a puff of pink and red. That smile, that little hint of good emotion, cut straight through me. I felt a twinge of that good feeling, lust and love and joy at the thought of her reddened arse cheeks.

I fought to get my rage back. The moment that Adams and Stevens were off our tails, I was going to make her regret ever running from us, or hiding. She was going to admit she loved us and then I would…I would…Ugh. Gone. The anger was lost. Every thought was smiles and giggles and moans, tears brought on by orgasms and soft hums against my skin. Those fantasies wiped out every inch of hate and left sadness, worry, and love. It was so easy to forget, to forgive. I wasn't even really angry with her after seeing the way that the aurors treated us, the way the other students hissed and whispered when we walked through the halls, or their laughter when Steven's sat beside Draco in every class. It was ten times worse than it had been. A group of 2nd years actually ran away from him in the hall the other day, laughing about death eaters. Laughing. If they had only known the fear we had felt under their rule. Maybe then they would understand. Fear was such a powerful tool.

Fear was the factor in Hermione giving us a wide berth since the classroom incident. In consolation, she at least seemed ashamed about it. Green followed her everywhere, snaking off her in wild wisps. She looked so sad every time we made eye contact, but quickly left the room when she was given the opportunity to speak with me. I had almost caught her in the library stacks today, but the moment I took a step in her direction she slipped passed me with a flash of red magic. She barely managed to get away, stepping inches from me while I whispered her name. When she was just out of reach, I caught an apology from under her breath.

"Sorry."

So soft, so quiet. I wouldn't have even heard her if I hadn't been so attuned to the sound of her voice, to her very being. Connected. Bonded. I wanted her to be ours, not just by magic, but by choice. It would cost her. She would have to make that decision, deal with the outcome, and maybe that wouldn't be the outcome that Draco and I wanted. Still…I was going to make her say it. I needed her to admit how she felt about us out loud at least once, even if she would never tell another soul.

"I'll submit my evaluation to the Wizengamot upon my return to the ministry, and correspondence of my results will be delivered by owl within the next 48 hours. I appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Nott, and wish you a good day," Adams said, reaching out to shake my hand. I would bet good money that he learned that exact phrasing from some sort of handbook. I returned his gesture with a perfect grip and a straight back using the same textbook etiquette that I had been taught from childhood.

Stevens only huffed at Draco's attempt at a handshake, looking like she'd rather touch a poisonous sewer toad than place her hand in his. I bit back the desire to say or do something terrible and highly illegal. The quicker they left, the quicker we could move forward. Draco dropped his hand and gave a curt nod instead, his mask firmly in place. On the outside, he looked completely uncaring to everyone else. I'd always thought he had slipped the mask into place so easily, but now I knew how much strength it really took. On the backdrop of colors of dread, I could see it in the bob of his Adam's apple and his rigid stance. It was strangely impressive.

We waited for Stevens and Adams to clear the hall before we sprinted for the potions class. It was still early in the morning. Classes would start within the hour. Most of the students and faculty were in the Great Hall. We had just enough time and a single empty vial to fill.