Chapter Three – ''…there are terrible temptations that it requires strength and courage to yield to.'' Oscar Wilde (An Ideal Husband)
''But why won't you listen to me? I've tried to tell you a million and one times that I had nothing to do with that and…''
''The Ministry of Magic is under no obligation to listen to murderers such as yourself Malfoy!''
Draco ground the heels of his palms into his eyes and spoke through gritted teeth. ''I have never killed anyone in my life. I was a Death Eater, but I never killed anyone.''
''What an original claim.'' The Ministry Official's voice was disbelieving. ''I suppose we should give you marks for sticking to your story.''
''It's not a story, it's the truth. There's a considerable difference Mr…''
''Catton. But the fact remains Malfoy, the Ministry has a strong stance on Death Eaters. The public sees you all as murderers, regardless of what you say. And for the Ministry to excuse you simply because you have a different story to the dozens of other Death Eaters that we have put on trial makes no sense at all! It would cause riots!''
''You seem to have seriously overestimated the extent to which people will protest. I doubt very much that there will be riots.'' Draco drawled at the official, who coloured slightly.
''You cannot expect to be excused.''
''I do not expect to be excused Mr Catton.'' Draco sighed and spoke with exaggerated politeness. ''I merely expect to be punished for crimes which I have actually committed. I expect an unbiased trial. I have been in this cell for a week now without being told when my trial is and what crimes I will be accused of. All I have had is day after day of your guards harassing me and asking me which people I've killed.''
''You…''
''I am entitled to significantly better treatment than this, despite why I have been captured. And any Death Eater who knows you will freely tell you that I was the worst supporter Voldemort ever recruited. My father signed me up, and then frequently expressed his disappointment in my lack of zeal in torturing the innocent.''
''A touching story Mr Malfoy.'' Catton's voice was just as biting as Draco's. ''Unfortunately for you, I don't believe a word of it.''
The official got up and stormed out of Draco's cell, leaving the young man to lie back on his bed, staring at the blank ceiling. His teeth were clenched firmly together, his mind racing. There was no way that he could get out of this one. The Ministry were determined to pin all unsolved murders on him, and they would carry on badgering him, keep him locked away from daylight until he caved in. He tried to relax his jaw slightly. Well, he wasn't going to be giving in anytime soon. Let them fret over trying to get him to talk.
Hermione looked up from her work as a shadow fell across her desk. ''Harry!''
''Hey Hermione.'' Harry grinned at her. ''Fancy going to get lunch?''
''Definitely,'' she answered, shuffling her papers into a neater pile. ''Just give me one minute.''
Daisy rushed into the room and plopped behind her desk. ''Only fifteen minutes late…Hermione, if Angela asks, I was here the whole time.''
Hermione smiled. ''What did you get this time?''
''Some fantastic candles and this beautiful…Oh, hello Harry.''
''Hi Daisy. What's all this about?'' He gestured at the bags across her desk.
Hermione grabbed her bag. ''Daisy is in the first throes of a new romance and is splurging away all her savings in order to transform her house into Venus's lair.''
Daisy rolled her eyes. ''It'll pay off in the end.''
''Keep telling yourself that.'' Hermione laughed as she and Harry left the office.
The sunshine was buttery and warm against their backs as they walked across a small courtyard, and the small grassy area was thronged with wizards and witches making the most of the inconsistent British weather.
''So, to what occasion do I owe the honour of the great Harry Potter coming to have lunch with me?'' Hermione teased.
''You mean I can't just have lunch with you any more?''
''Harry, you're twitching about like nobody's business, which means you have something to say. Go on, spit it out.''
''Well, it's a little awkward.'' Harry took a bite of his sandwich and looked at her apologetically, as though the mouthful would unfortunately take up a serious amount of time, so it would be best to change the subject. Hermione just put her fork down and looked at him calmly. Finally, he swallowed. ''Erm…well…uh…Ron kind of…sort of…''
''Ron what?'' Hermione snapped, with a horrible, sinking feeling.
Harry took a deep breath. ''Ron told me you asked him to kiss you.''
'Oh dear, this is all turning around and biting you on the arse, isn't it?' The little voice piped up.
Why do you only ever show up at times like this? And why do you never say anything helpful?, Hermione spat. ''What else did Ron tell you?''
''That he kissed you, and then you burst into tears, ran into your flat, locked him out and are now refusing to talk to him.''
''Oh. He was very thorough.'' Hermione's lips felt frozen.
''You kissed Ron?'' Hermione looked at Harry, and saw a hundred hopes in his eyes.
''Harry, it was a mistake,'' she told him gently. ''I've been feeling quite…lonely. And I know Ron has feelings for me, and I thought maybe I could make myself feel the same way. It was really selfish of me…I owe him an apology.''
''Oh.''
''Sorry, no double-dates.'' She tried to get a smile out of him, but he just reached over and grabbed her hand.
''Are you sure you couldn't give it a try? Come on Hermione, you've known him for so long.''
''Harry, I get enough pressure from my parents about bringing a boy home. I do not need you turning matchmaker on me.''
''But you were saying that you felt lonely, maybe Ron's the answer.''
''He's not the right answer.'' Hermione said bluntly. ''I tried, and it wasn't right.''
''One panicked kiss in a corridor is not trying. And you know it.''
''Harry, I will make the vital choices about my love life, thank you very much.'' Hermione pushed a forkful of pasta into her mouth.
''One date.'' Harry grinned at her. ''Just one date. And then if it isn't right we can all drop it.''
Hermione swallowed. ''He's put you up to this.''
''Yeah. I thought I was being subtle.''
''Look up subtle in a dictionary! I can't believe you two were plotting this behind my back!''
''Go on this date, and I won't make you apologise to Ron. Come on Hermione, you said you were lonely, give Ron a second try.''
Hermione looked at her watch. She needed to get back to her desk…which meant a quick decision.
'Don't say yes, you'll regret it so much' the familiar voice screamed at her.
But Harry was looking at her expectantly and pleading for his best friend with silent eyes.
''Fine. One date. And it won't work, because Ron and I are friends. And as soon as this farce is over, I expect things to go right back to normal. Understand?'
''Completely.'' Harry beamed at her around his sandwich.
Hermione made her way back to her office, unable to shake the feeling that she had completely lost her backbone: giving into a bit of pleading so easily? That wasn't like her at all. And she knew exactly why she had done it. Because she was lonely, and disappointed. She desperately wanted to believe she could move beyond pain and lovelorn sickness, and if Harry really thought that Ron would do that for her, then she wanted to trust Harry, no matter what her gut was telling her.
Sitting down at her desk, watching Daisy fiddle around with her new purchases, she smiled halfheartedly. If only her life could be so easy.
Daisy saw her looking. ''I've been meaning to speak to you about that.''
''About what?''
''About that miserable expression you've been wearing for the past week. I've had enough now.''
Hermione stared at her. ''Well what do you want me to do about it?''
''You're going to tell me exactly why you're so miserable. Now.''
Hermione looked at her friend. ''What do you want to know?''
''This is all about Draco isn't it?''
Hermione nodded, and taking a deep breath, told her friend everything. From how no one she had met could ever live up to Draco, to the nights she spent crying, crushed under her aching loneliness, to how she had tried to use Ron to fill the void inside her. ''And do you know what Daisy? The worst part is that it all stems from my own stupidity. If I hadn't pushed Draco away, I wouldn't be in this mess, and he wouldn't be either.'''
''Ok, that's a lot of blame you're putting on yourself. You don't know that Draco wouldn't have ended up a Death Eater if the pair of you hadn't broken up. And you told me yourself that he wasn't right for you.''
''But what if love isn't meant to be flawless? What if it only comes once and you have to take it as it comes?''
''It doesn't. Hermione, have you told Draco that you're sorry for the way things worked out.''
Hermione shook her head. ''What good would that do?''
''It would help you feel better about yourself.'' Daisy looked earnestly at Hermione. ''And if he accepts the apology then you can both move on. And if he's a jerk about it, then you can just decide he's an idiot and move on anyway.''
''Things aren't that simple,'' Hermione whispered.
''You're making them more complicated than they need to be. Just trust your instincts for once,'' her friend snapped. ''Stop being so bloody pathetic! Or are you just scared?''
''No!'' Hermione snapped, as she sat up straighter.
''Then go and talk to him.'' Daisy turned back to her desk, apparently losing interest in the conversation.
''Fine.'' Daisy heard the snarl, felt the gust of wind as the office door slammed shut, but it was only when she was sure that Hermione was gone that she let a satisfied smile slide across her face.
Hermione made her way through the corridors in a blistering, white-hot rage. How dare Daisy call her a coward? Daisy had no idea what Hermione had been through! Her internal rant kept her busy until she was practically at Draco's cell. Then the crippling fear and confusion rippled through her.
What was she going to say?
How would she look the object of her dreams in the eye and apologise without falling at his feet?
Would he even want to talk to her?
Daisy's voice was circling her head…just trust your instincts, trust your instincts, trust your instincts.
Not giving herself any more time to think, she stepped in front of the door and spoke through the glass. ''Excuse me, Draco? May I talk to you for a moment?''
Draco's head shot up. Hermione's voice, shy and quivering a little, was in his cell, and she was outside his cell, her long hair pulled back off her face. ''What are you doing here?''
The words could have sounded harsh, cruel even, but he spoke them with such delight, clearly happy to see her again, despite the circumstances. Hermione felt some of the tension leave her body, only to be overwhelmed by a rush of adoration so strong that she had to clutch onto the door frame in order to stand up straight. ''I came to see you.''
''Well, I'd guessed that much.'' Draco stood up and walked towards the door. He was far taller than she remembered, making her feel even smaller. His face was lean, dark shadows beneath the eyes, but his eyes were exactly the same smokey grey, a swirling mix of love, wary caution and acerbic wit. He smiled at her, and for the first time in two years Hermione felt properly happy. She was sure she was glowing, incandescent with joy. If it weren't for the setting, it would be possible to believe that nothing had changed between them.
''How are you?'' she asked, perfectly aware that it didn't come close to what she wanted to know, but it would do for a start. All thoughts of apologies were gone, vanished into the nether. She only wanted to keep him close to her.
Draco opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Catton was striding along the corridor. ''Young lady, that prisoner is not entitled to visitors!''
Hermione stood up straight. ''You seem to be determined to deny the prisoner all his basic rights! I was checking the boards, and you've kept him here for a week without charging him with anything, and you've kept him locked in here twenty four hours a day!''
''Who are you?''
''Hermione Granger, I work for the Protection of Magical Creatures.''
''Miss Granger, I didn't realise it was you.'' His tone had become obsequious. ''Surely you don't want to be involving yourself with a prisoner given what you fought for?''
''I fought for a fair world.'' Hermione answered icily. ''Does Mr Malfoy have anyone to defend him?''
''Well…no.''
''Fine. Then I'll do it.'' Hermione snapped. ''I expect him to be charged within the next twenty four hours.''
Catton gawped at her. ''But why?''
''I don't really want to talk about it. Please, I need some time alone with the defendant.''
''I can have a security pass ready for his cell by tomorrow,'' the man mumbled and fled up along the corridor, clearly bewildered.
Draco stared at Hermione. ''Did you just abuse the power of your reputation?''
Hermione smiled weakly. ''That one's going to come back to bite me.''
Draco raised his hand towards her absentmindedly, wanting to brush a loose curl off her face. He was stopped by the glass, but he didn't lower his hand. ''Why are you doing this?''
Hermione raised her hand towards his, letting her fingers trace the outline of his hand. ''Don't ask me, because I really don't know. I just…I just feel like trusting my instincts for once.'' She pressed her palm against his, wishing the cool glass didn't separate them. ''And this is what my instincts are telling me to do, no matter how scared I am, no matter how much my sanity screams at me, no matter what people are going to say. This is what I'm meant to do. This is the way it's meant to be.''
AN: Ta-dah! Well, that was chapter three. I've had such a fantastic response with reviews so far, please do keep it up! I love reading my reviews, and I respond to all that I'm able to. If you haven't read them, please do check out my other stories (just click on my author name), and let me know what you think of them too. Lots of love…Petitesorciere xxx
Ps. I've begun writing my first non-fanfiction story (eek!). Is there anyone who would be interested in having a look over the first few chapters? x