Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other recognizable work.

A/N: I am so sorry for the wait. I have no excuse but here it is. I would really love to hear your thoughts with this.

CHAPTER 18

DRACO
PAST

The wide, heavy doors swung open at their approach and Hermione didn't hesitate as she strode through them. There were aurors dotting the large room and Draco saw a few of them tense up as they caught sight of him , some even going so far as to set down their work or their cups of tea and not so subtly palm their wands. He told himself it didn't matter however as he continued on behind Hermione, ignoring their wary glances.

He was glad she seemed to know where she was going as she wove through the line of desks and it was only as they approached the office at the rear of the auror department that he realized she was heading towards Potter's office. He considered turning around in that moment but as if reading his thoughts she reached out for him, gripping his hand as they approached the door.

She said nothing as she opened the door and pulled them both through. Draco felt a cold burst of air that sent the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up before it was gone as quick as it passed.

"Hermione?" Harry asked as he saw their entrance, "Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes at the man's paltry acknowledgement of him.

"I need you to call Ron in here," Hermione demanded, leaving no room for questions, "And Robards as well."

Potter's brow furrowed and he looked between Hermione and Draco before he finally nodded, "Okay. Give me just a moment."

Hermione nodded curtly, her fingers twisting a stray string on her sweater and absently Draco reached out, grasping her fingers in his own to still them.

"You're going to ruin that ratty old thing," he muttered, "Actually, go ahead maybe then you'll stop wearing it."

Hermione swallowed, her face grim as she looked up at him with her deep brown eyes, "It was my father's."

Draco bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes moving anywhere else but at the witch before him as the weight of guilt settled over him and the door behind them opened.

"What's up Har- Malfoy? What are you doing here?" Weasley's voice was full of disdain and Draco wasn't surprised to see him fumbling for his wand.

"He's here because I asked him to be here," Hermione snapped, her voice tight and she stepped away from Weasley and closer to Draco, ignoring the smug smirk on the latter's face at the movement.

"Yes Potter?" The fifth, and last, addition to their party Gawain Robards entered the room and Draco was pleased to find the man barely acknowledged his presence as he addressed The Boy who Lived.

"Hermione?"

Hermione paused for a moment and Draco wasn't even sure she was breathing before she finally nodded once and then looked across to the weasel.

"Sir, I'm here to present evidence that the murders of the eight house elf victims was not, in fact, done by Blaise Zabini-"

Weasley groaned, "Hermione-"

"But instead by one Ronald Weasley,"

"What?" several voices asked at once and Draco watched as the color drained from the red haired man's face.

"Hermione, what are you talking about? I wouldn't-"

"Hermione, you can't be serious." Harry started

"Miss Granger, that is a very serious accusation-" Robards spoke, his tone tight.

"It is." Granger said, her voice louder and clearer than it had been all day as she straightened her shoulders back. "I have proof, however that the elves in question were being compelled to commit heinous crimes against those they call their masters and when they declined they were murdered in cold blood. I have brought the memories showing just that."

Hermione reached into her robes, procuring the substance which she handed to Harry and pointed to the cabinet in which she knew he kept his pensieve. She watched as he moved to pour the memories in and then, without waiting, dived headlong into them.

"But that still doesn't prove that Mr. Weasley had a hand in this, Miss Granger and frankly I'm surprised you would say such a thing considering your relationship." Robards said once Harry had delved into the memories.

"Ronald?" Hermione asked, meeting the redhead's shocked gaze, "Your wrist?"

"What?" he asked stupidly and Hermione instead crossed the room, pulling up his hand and pushing back his sleeve to reveal the watch that was nestled there.

"As you will see, this watch was also on the arm of the man committing the murders in the memory I have given you. A watch I gave to Mister Weasley December twenty-fourth last year a fact Harry Potter can attest to."

"Hermione-" Ron spoke again, his voice breaking, "You can't believe this. I would never do this. Please…"

"She's right." Harry said his voice solemn as he returned to the present, his face grim as he stepped forward and pulled Weasley's wand from his grasp. "I'm sorry Ron; I have to take you in."

Draco watched as Harry used his wand to restrain the man and Robards stood looking somewhat confused but all he could see was the look on Hermione's face.

The look of betrayal and pain.

He watched as she reached down and slid the ring from her finger, setting it next to the wand Harry had confiscated from the wizard in question, before she quickly left the room.

HERMIONE
PRESENT

"You wanted to see me sir?" she asked as she entered the minister's office and Kingsley looked up, smiling at her broadly.

"Hello Hermione, it's wonderful to see you looking like your old self," the man said kindly, "please, take a seat."

"Thank you sir," she said as she sat herself down in the plush chair across from his desk. Such a stark difference from the ministers of magic she actually remembered.

"I wanted to talk to you about the upcoming fundraising gala for St. Mungos. I know you were set to give a speech on the introduction of the magical beings department you helped develop but if it's too much for you.."

"Oh, er…" she started, reaching up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. "I don't really know Minister-"

"Please, it's Kingsley," the man chuckled, the deep sound reverberating through the small space.

"Right," she nodded, "I don't think, I mean I don't know much about the department. Maybe someone else would be better for the job? I mean, that is if there is anyone else…"

Kingsley smiled once more, "Actually, I do believe the next person in line would be your husband."

"Draco?" she asked, surprise coloring her tone.

"Yes, he is quite the business man. He was able to fully finance the project with donations from private parties. It was important to him after the house elf eradication and who were we to stop him?"

Hermione smiled as she thought of the man she knew now versus the boy she had known in school. She was sure that the boy she had known would have never thought twice about house elves or any other magical beings for that matter. She felt a warm smile play on her lips as she thought of Draco.

"I think it would be wonderful for him to do the speech sir," she finally said and Kingsley nodded once in affirmation before he asked her how the children were and the two fell into easy conversation until finally, Hermione left his office.

Suddenly, she didn't much feel like being at work anymore. With a quick word to Sadie she headed out, her coat tossed over her arm as she used the floo and headed to Diagon alley, hoping to catch him before he left.

DRACO
Past

Draco had no idea how he had been let into the small room that adjoined the interrogation room but he assumed it had something to do with the bushy haired witch who had yet to return. Now he stood, shoulder to shoulder, with a group of the weasel's peers. He wondered briefly if this was what it was like when he had been dragged into this very same room after the war. When he had faced his actions had this many people crowded into the small room? Had they even cared.

He doubted it.

He stood in the dark corner, watching Weasley from above the heads of his coworkers. There were murmurs and mutterings but for the most part, no one paid him any attention. In fact, as soon as the door to the interrogation room opened, he became invisible as an auror that Draco didn't know walked in. He wondered, briefly, where Potter was but before he could so much as move to look the door to his room opened and they walked in. Hermione's hand was nestled in Potter's and Draco felt a strange urge to curse the man before he quickly batted it away and focused, instead, on the questioning happening before him.

"Is this your watch?" the man asked, his voice near monotone.

"Yes but-"

"And did you, in fact, receive it from one Miss Hermione Granger as a Christmas present?"

"Yes but-"

"And were you indeed responsible for the recent rash of house elves-"

"No!" Weasley said quickly, his eyes darting to the window, "Hermione, you know I wouldn't do that. You know me."

"Mr. Weasley-"

"I didn't kill anyone. I didn't," Weasley sighed, rubbing his face.

The room was silent save for the quiet breaths of those around him and Draco felt the warm body slide up next to his.

"Take Hermione out." Harry Potter said too close to his ear, "She won't listen to me but she doesn't need to be here for this."

Draco scoffed, "You don't think she should make her own choices? What, now you're deciding to think of her?"

Potter's jaw clenched and Draco tried not to smirk as he pushed away from the wall, making his way to where Granger stood.

"Potter says I should take you out of here," he said simply, looking ahead and he felt, rather than saw her shoot the man a glare from across the room.

"I'm not leaving," she snapped.

"I know," he replied simply, his eyes trained back on the room before him.

"-no, I was at The Burrow, my parent's home, the evening of the attack. I left after dinner and returned home shortly after. Before you ask, no, no one can corroborate my story because my fiancé was not home at the time and I had just finished a case."

"Yes," the man said, looking over his glasses at the parchment in his hands, "The Malfoy case. Tell me, can you tell me your whereabouts at the time that Mr. Malfoy was attacked…"

The air around him shifted and Draco felt the eyes slowly find him in the darkened room as the moment dragged on and Weasley didn't answer. Not right away.

"I was at home-" he finally said, his jaw tight and Draco saw something there. The slightest of pauses.

"It seems that the Malfoy case was closed rather quickly, can you tell me why?"

"Closed?" Draco asked, turning to look at Hermione who merely shook her head, her eyes looking forward.

Weasley said nothing, his face growing red as he sat under the unseen scrutiny of his peers before he finally snapped, "It was closed because it was the right thing to do. People died because of him; Friends, family, my brother died and the git gets off with a slap on the wrist. I didn't kill Blaise and I don't know who did. I didn't attack Malfoy but if the worst they're doing is going after the cowards who arse kissed their way out of punishment than far be it for me to stop them and if it gets him away from my fiancé then all's well that ends well."

The silence in the room was near deafening as the weasel finished, his voice louder and more angry than Draco could ever remember it being before, and he felt as though the room was just a bit too small.

He moved then, pushing past those around him as he made his way to the exit, ignoring Hermione's call for him as he quickly exited the room, slamming the door behind him.