Anything italicized is a line from the song The Greatest Story Ever Told by ICE NINE KILLS. Most of the characters and places come from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
The memories of last night come flooding back the moment I come to. There is no blissful moment when I could think it had all been a dream. No, the woman I love is gone, and there is no pretending otherwise.
I barely notice my surroundings enough to register that I'm not in my house, or in my own clothes. Where I am, though, I don't know. Don't know, don't care. I just want to lie where I am, never move again, and grieve.
I guess the universe has other ideas for me, though. I am staring blankly at the rocky ceiling, lost in thoughts about Hermione, when a woman, maybe a few years older than I am, enters the room. I vaguely realize that the whole wall where the door is located is made up entirely of bars.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. I'm Penelope Clearwater, your lawyer." She holds out her hand in greeting, which I ignore.
"What do I need a lawyer for?" She drops her hand and stares at me for a moment.
"Mr. Malfoy, you're being tried for the murder of Hermione Granger." She watches me intently as I process what she has told me.
'I guess that answers where I am,' I think, looking around with new eyes. Of course I'm in Azkaban. It seems kind of obvious now.
'Wait a minute, they think I killed her! They think I killed Hermione!' I'm outraged.
"No. No! I didn't kill her! I could never! It was that fucking boyfriend of hers, Chase Miller! He's the sick bastard who gets off on treating defenseless women like shit, not me!"
"I believe you, Mr. Malfoy. Hermione was a friend and colleague of mine. She always spoke very highly of you." I don't know why this surprised me. I should have guessed that my lawyer and Hermione would have known each other. Due to her lack of a muggle education, Hermione had been unable to secure a decent job in the non-magical world, even though she was desperate to escape from magic. So, after five months of futile job hunting in the muggle world, she had settled for working for the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She often worked very closely with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so it only makes sense that they would have come in contact with each other. "However, pretty much the rest of the wizarding world is convinced that you did kill her. I'm going to be frank with you, Mr. Malfoy. Winning is going to be tough. Even with an iron-clad defense, they still might convict you. The Ministry has been waiting two years for an excuse to arrest you again, and this is the perfect opportunity."
Of course. To them, I'm a Death Eater who escaped justice. Who cares about finding the man who actually committed murder when you can arrest someone you've always wanted to lock up?
"We will, of course, still try our best to win. So, I need you to tell me about your relationship with Miss Granger." I glare at her.
"If they've already made up our minds, then what's the point?" I ask bitterly. What does it matter, anyways? Hermione is gone, so what is there to care about any more?
"The point is, even if we can't get you off completely, we still can try to get you a light sentence." She must notice that her argument isn't affecting me, because she continues. "Draco, Hermione wouldn't have wanted you to be locked in a cell in perpetual misery for the rest of your life. You know that! She would have wanted you to do something with your life."
She's right. Hermione would have wanted me to do something productive. And I have just the thing in mind.
"Alright, what do you want to know?"
"Let's start with the basics. How did the two of you become friends? What exactly was the nature of your relationship?"
I really do not want to answer Clearwater's questions. They are way too personal. But I know I have to be absolutely truthful if I'm ever going to get out of here. So I look back up at the ceiling and spill my guts out to a total stranger.
"I love Hermione Granger, plain and simple, though we were never 'together'. We've been friends since the war ended. She, Potter, and Weasley had stuck up for me and my mum during the Death Eater trials; the trio was the only reason we had both gotten off easy. You probably knew that already, though.
"Anyways, two years ago, when we had returned to Hogwarts for our 8th year, I only had Hermione, Potter, and a reluctant Weasel by my side. About three-quarters of the school was convinced that I was a murderous Death Eater that deserved be rotting away in Azkaban, and the other fourth considered me a traitor for not rotting in Azkaban with the rest of the Death Eaters. Though Potter and I became friendly, I know I would have never been able to get through that year without Hermione. She became my closest friend, my confidant. I could tell her anything, and I would know she wouldn't judge me. In return, she told me her darkest secrets, like when her romantic relationship with Weasel wasn't feeling right anymore, or when she was desperate to feel normal, without the stress of magic and reputation." Merlin, I really hate revealing Hermione's secrets. But I know it's too important not to.
"I'm not sure when I began to fall for her, but I did. Hard. And I knew I could never tell her. I couldn't risk losing her; there was no doubt in my mind that I would lose it completely without her. Now I have lost her, and she will never know how I feel about her.
"It really is all my fault that she's gone. Maybe if I had been able to say the right thing to convince her not to, when she told me she was wanted to live as a muggle for a while for a bit of normalcy, she would still be alive. Maybe then she would have had her wand on her to defend herself, or maybe she wouldn't have been dating Chase. But no, the only thing I had been able to do is convince her to live in a magic-protected flat after we graduated, because I thought it would be safer for her. That plan turned out just grand, didn't it?" I laugh bitterly and look over at Clearwater. She's finishing writing notes on my monologue. Merlin, I feel like a one of those pathetic people who spill their heart out to a shrink.
"Well, that was informative. I never knew that Hermione was so tired of the magical world." She said as she looked up.
"Yeah, not many people did. Wasn't exactly something she advertized. The pressures of being famous and branded 'the brightest witch of our age' were getting to her, though. It was the reason why she didn't go into a field that involved more spell-work, though. And I'm positive that it was the reason why she clinged to her muggle boyfriend, even though I'm sure she knew he wasn't right for her."
Clearwater looked deep in thought for a moment. "You know, I've been suspicious of this boyfriend for a while now. We worked together for about six months, and for about the last three, her movements have seemed very cautious, like she's afraid of getting hurt. And every one in a while, I notice a bruise on her arm when her sleeve slides up or a cut on her stomach when her shirt rides up. Do you know anything about that?"
Ok, I really don't want to talk about this. Just thinking about what he did to Hermione makes me see red. It's crucial that Clearwater knows about it, though, so I take calming breath. The cell is silent for a moment as I gather my thoughts.
"I remember the first time he hit her like it was yesterday. It was early in the morning, the day after Valentine's Day, and I had just begun reading the sports section in the Daily Prophet. The Wimborne Wasps had just creamed the Chudley Cannons, 260 to 30.
'"Cannons scored a whole three times. I'm shocked!' I snorted as my house elf, Palmy, brought me my breakfast. And yes, I do pay my house elves, thanks to Hermione's incessant nagging.
'"Master, Miss Hermione is here. She is coming through the floo,' the elf squeaked.
'"Hermione? Where is she? Well, what are you waiting for- take me to her!' I demanded. Hermione had already given me my cell phone the month before, which I'm sure you saw in evidence, so I was anxious. Why was she at my house so early without calling first?
'"Yes, Master.' Palmy bowed and led me to my study in the left wing on the second floor.
"Hermione was staring out the window with her back to me when I entered the room. I thought this odd; usually, she would browse through the many shelves of books that line my study when she waited for me.
'"Hey Hermione.' She jumped, like she had been taken off guard. Also unusual. After spending months running and hiding from sick monsters who would torture her mercilessly until she begged for death if they ever had the chance, Hermione was impossible to sneak up on. She was always very aware of what went on around her.
'"Oh, hi Draco!' Her tone was way too cheery, even for her.
'"Ok, what's wrong?'
'"Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to see you!' She smiled brightly. Her words made my heart swell, but I knew that she wasn't being totally honest. Something was up and I was gonna find out what.
'"Don't give me that bullshit. Something is wrong and you are going to what. Don't even try to deny it!' She had opened her mouth, probably to refute me, but she promptly closed it. 'You come to my house unannounced early on a Tuesday morning when you should be at work, you choose to daydream instead of read, and then I catch you completely off guard. Not to mention the way you're acting, it's way too happy. It's creepy! So tell me right now, what the hell is wrong!'
'"Nothing. Is. Wrong.' She annunciated each word slowly, as if that would convince me she was fine. She dropped the happy act, though. She was glaring at me, and I was glaring right back, neither willing to budge. It almost felt like we were back in school and I'd just called her a mudblood for the umpteenth time.
"All of a sudden, Hermione's façade broke, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. 'Oh Draco, Chase and I had a fight. It was awful!' That's all she managed to get out before her crying got the best of her, and I knew she wouldn't be able to tell me any more until she calmed down. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, letting her cry into my chest.
'"Shh, it's ok Mione, let it out. I'm sure that whatever happened was his fault. He's a bloody idiot.' I whispered into her hair. Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say; it actually made her bawling worsen. I began rubbing her back to try and sooth her. She jumped back and let out a small whimper. It was like I had hurt her.
'"What is it now? Did I do something wrong?'
"She frantically shook her head. 'Oh, no! It's not you. It's…' She trailed off.
'"What is it, Hermione? Cause I'm at a loss.'
"For a moment, she looked frightened, like she had no idea what to do. I had never seen her like this before. It was alarming, to say the least.
"Hesitantly, Hermione lifted up the hem of her shirt. For a brief second, I was confused. Why was she showing me her purple undershirt? Then a gasp escaped my lips when I realized that that was not a shirt. Her belly was a collage of the blacks, purples and blues of contusions.
'"My back's the same. It's just… tender right now.' She said as she pulled her shirt down.
'"Tender? Fuck Hermione, that looks downright painful! Did Chase do that to you, cause if he did, I will kill him!' I was pissed. How could anyone do that to someone so innocent?
'"Draco, no! Don't hurt him. It was my fault anyways. He wanted to be…intimate last night, but I said I wasn't ready.' She looked about ready to cry again.
"Last night? This happened hours ago and you didn't come to me until right now? You should always come to me as soon as you have a problem, alright?' She nodded. 'Good. And now listen here. What happened was not your fault. No gentleman hits a lady, no matter the reason. And no decent man will try to force a woman into having sex, especially not one he cares about. Remember that, Hermione. I trust you left that bastard after this?'
'"Not yet, but I'm planning on doing it tonight.'
'"Good. Come by afterwards to let me know how it went. I want to know that you're ok.' She agreed.
"There had been many things I'd been expecting when Hermione came by that evening. I'd been prepared for hugging, crying, hating, blaming, hysterics, screaming, hitting, a medley of offensive spells directed both at me and the priceless artifacts that grace the halls of my manor (like I even gave a shit about those), and ice cream and chick-flick cravings. After all, I knew that the girl loved the damn guy, even after what he did to her. What I wasn't expecting was exactly what I got: a beaming Hermione. And it was by no means fake. I was truly boggled.
"I didn't have to wonder long, though. As soon as she saw me, she ran over to hug me. 'Draco, it's ok. Chase apologized for what happened!'
'"You didn't forgive him, did you?'
'"Of course did, silly! I love him.'
"A sharp pain shot through my heart. 'Why can't you love me instead? I'd be much better for you, to you!' I wanted to shout at her. But I didn't. I just took a deep breath to calm myself, and said instead, 'And you're still with him? After he used you as his personal punching bag?'
'"Draco, he apologized. He told me he loves me and that it won't happen again. He said he'd do anything for me.' Her eyes bore into mine. They were alight with happiness, I hated that I was about to extinguish that. But I knew I had to.
"I led her over to the nearest sofa and we both sat. 'Hermione, you need to listen to me. You might think you're in love, and he might promise you the world. Don't believe what he says, he's not real. He's lying to you, Mione. No man would hurt the woman he loves.'
'"You're wrong. He does love me. I know he does.' She crossed her arms. I knew her well enough to know that she was now 'stubborn and determined' mode, and anything else I would have said against her relationship with the bastard would have just made things worse. So, I tried for a different angle.
'"Fine, you're the know-it-all, you know everything! I'll trust your judgment.' Really, I didn't trust it for two seconds. Not on this. 'But only if you promise me three things: that you will keep your wand on you to defend yourself just in case anything does happen, that you will come to me if he or anyone else ever hurts you again, and that you will break up with him if he ever so much as touches you without your expressed permission.'
"Hermione glared at me. 'I don't have to promise you a bloody thing, Malfoy!' She stormed off and, before I could stop her, she disappeared into the floo.'"
All falls silent again. I am trying to calm myself after telling that story. If only I'd been able to get through to her that day, she might still be alive.
"Why didn't you ever go to the authorities about this? Domestic violence is never to be taken lightly." Clearwater finally asks.
"Oh, believe me, I tried. But no one would talk to an ex-death eater, even if I was found not guilty in the court of law. I tried going to her friends, too. The only one who would talk to me was Potter. Nearly had him convinced. But they don't call Hermione the smartest witch of her age for nothing. Bloody brilliant with glamour charms. And she was always so quick on her feet- made her a damn good liar."
"I see. Mr. Malfoy, I have one more question before I leave." I nod, telling her to continue. "You mentioned several times that this boyfriend is a muggle. Is that correct?" Again, I nod. "I don't see how he could be the killer, then. She-."
"The fuck he didn't! That-."
"Mr. Malfoy, please be quiet and listen to me! Now as I was saying, it just seems impossible. Hermione Granger was found dead in her flat in the wizarding London. No muggle would have been able to enter that building without both being accompanied by a person of magical blood, as well as being knowledgeable of the magical world. We have no records of Miss Granger ever enlightening a muggle, other than immediate family, of the existence of our world. So I just don't see how he could have done it, and you know the prosecution will be all over that if we accuse this muggle in court."
I'm stunned. It was him, I know it was! I just don't know how. "Could someone have lost the records? Or maybe someone stole them?"
"I'm afraid not. Our records are magically updated and protected. We would have known if someone took them. Nonetheless, I am going to do a bit of research on this boyfriend. What was his name again?"
"Chase Miller," I spit out his name. She jots the name down in her notes.
"Is there anything you can tell me about him to make finding him easier?"
I scan my brain for anything I know about him that might help. "Only that he's a muggle, he's a scumbag, and he's from America. Oh and that he's got 'the most beautiful blue eyes that you can just lose yourself in.' Hermione's words, not mine."
"Alright, then. I think that was a productive meeting. I will be seeing you again soon." She holds her hand out as a goodbye and this time, I shake it.
The guards have just opened the cell door to let my lawyer out when a question pops into my mind.
"Hey, Clearwater!" She turns around. "How did the Aurors know to go to Hermione's flat? I didn't think that the neighbors would have heard anything."
"No, it wasn't the neighbors. The Aurors got an anonymous owl informing them that, and I quote, 'Hermione Granger is dead in her flat in wizarding London. The culprit is still in there. Hurry."'