A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Glad to hear everyone is enjoying this so far.
As the verdict passed, the previous silence in the courtroom became engulfed by surprised discussion amongst the audience members. Many felt they had witnessed a truly remarkable verdict and noted how Alice's persuasive speech helped sway the jury to her side. Upon hearing the verdict, Draco felt a heavy weight lift from his chest and he was caught in the surrealism of the moment. As he looked over to Alice, however, he noticed something was wrong. She looked stuck in her position and her eyes were slightly glazed over. Suddenly a large white aura engulfed her, causing everyone in the courtroom to stand up in surprise. The light cascaded upward to form a figure of a large phoenix whose great transparent wings flapped down over her form only to disappear in a shimmery gold vapor. The light in Alice's eyes returned but the sudden disorienting relocation of her mind caused her knees to buckle below her, she caught hold of the wooden handrail in time before falling to the ground.
Without second thought, Draco got up and made his way to Alice, hurrying down the steps of the bleachers and jumping over the barriers.
The head prefect was immediately aware of what happened, "It would appear Albus Dumbledore has repealed his enchantment," noting the phoenix symbol of the aura that appeared. He added in amused surprise, "This trial even exceeded my expectations!"
Nearby the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had decided at the last minute to attend the trial, said amused in relation to the light show, "That Dumbledore always had style."
Alice's eyes slowly blinked back to reality. She looked shocked and confused when Draco reached her. Alice spoke to him as if he was the only one in the room, but what she said was hushed and incoherent, "He says I'm ready." For what in the courtroom was only a few seconds, for Alice it felt like several minutes had elapsed.
Draco placed his arm around Alice to steady her, who, as she slowly came to her senses, met the concern and joy in his eyes, "Alice, you did it."
She immediately embraced him, completely unaware that they were standing in the middle of a hundred onlookers who gazed on the odd couple before them. In particular, Ron, Hermione and Harry looked at each other with raised eyebrows, not expecting such a display of affection to come from such an unlikely pair.
Aberforth had come down from the bleachers to meet them on the floor below. He also came to embrace Alice, joyful that he got to keep a great niece. "I am so grateful Alice," he said, taking both her hands in his. "Me too," she replied, trying to keep the tears from her eyes.
Nearby was Blaise, standing with his arms crossed, pretending to be unaffected by the scene.
"Miss McNally," he said breaking up the family reunion, "You will need to sign some paperwork and then you are free to go."
Alice could not help but smile at the man who now offered her freedom. She nodded at him civilly, "Thank you so much." The court scribe rushed to her side, handing her a large white feather quill. The piece of parchment which levitated in front of her outlined her freedom, conditions that she must swear to uphold according to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, and guaranteed her the rights allotted to all members of the British wizarding community. After reading it, she signed, thinking how odd it felt to use a quill for the first time.
As Alice confronted the parchment in front of her, Blaise looked at Draco and noticed his friend's overt happiness, something he had not seen in a long time. Though a relationship between these two was unexpected, he accepted it along with the court verdict.
Aberforth made his adieus after inviting Alice and Draco to his home that week for dinner; he did not like to stay in a public place for too long. Luckily the press had been told to wait outside the courtroom, allowing Alice to complete the necessary paperwork before their questioning.
Hermione, however, wanted a chance to greet Alice before leaving the courtroom and bid Harry and Ron do the same.
"Miss McNally," she said, coming straight through the crowd to Alice, "Hermione Weasley," her hand was outstretched for a shake.
Alice immediately recognized the name as she shook her hand, "Ah, I read your astute comments in the Daily Prophet this week. It's wonderful to meet you."
"I can say the same, you were brilliant and I'm so glad you won," she said beaming with positivity.
As the two girls greeted one another, Harry and Ron stood to the side of Hermione. They each looked at Draco who hadn't left Alice's side.
"Malfoy," Harry nodded to his old enemy, but his greeting did not show any contempt. Ron also nodded, though he had his arms crossed.
"Potter, Weasley. I had a feeling you'd be here," Draco replied, also without any hint of disdain.
"Can't say the same about you," Ron said.
"Yes, well, working on this case was unexpected," Draco replied.
"It turned out well, though at first I thought it was a lost cause," Harry said trying to keep up the conversation.
"Well, Alice has a way of surprising people," his admiration was not hidden.
Ron's eyebrows rose, surprised by Draco's remark, but Hermione had turned from Alice to introduce them before he could respond.
"This is my husband, Ron, he works in the Auror's office here. And, as you might know, this is Harry Potter, he's the head of the Auror Office."
"Nice to meet both of you," Alice said, shaking their hands.
"It's nice to meet you too," Harry replied, "We were close to your grandfather."
Alice smiled and said, "I'm grateful for that."
Before leaving, Hermione said, "I run a monthly journal on wizarding world ethics; I would be honored if you could write for it."
"I would love to," Alice was delighted to have already met someone well connected in this realm; perhaps she could have a future here.
"Great. I'll owl you with details! Good luck with everything," she said, before leaving with Ron and Harry beside her.
Alice turned to look at Draco in disbelief, and he took her hand, "Come on, let's meet the press and get out of here."
Upon exiting the courtroom and returning to the grand atrium, Alice was again greeted by the bright lights of flashing camera bulbs. Draco waited by the side, trying not to bring too much attention to himself but also prepared if he needed to step in. Then an old, slightly overweight gentleman greeted her, followed by a blonde haired woman who Alice knew from her picture as Rita Skeeter.
"Alice McNally, Barnabus Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet," he spoke his title proudly.
"Mr. Cuffe, it's nice to finally meet you in person. Now about my book," Alice said, not wasting any time with pleasantries.
"She gets down to business, doesn't she?" The blonde haired woman butted in, "Rita Skeeter, charmed I'm sure," she offered her hand with feigned positivity.
"Right, nice to meet you," Alice shook her hand apprehensively.
"Miss McNally," Barnabus intervened again, "I have a proposition to make. Allow my people to publish more copies of your book and I'll even throw in a good royalty rate. How does 15 percent sound?"
"Try 20," Alice said, testing her luck.
"You drive a hard bargain," He said.
"The higher rate will offset any ill will caused by previous discrepancies," Alice replied.
Barnabus was slightly hesitant but since he did not want a case brought against him, he conceded, "Alright, it's a deal." The two shook hands to close the deal.
Rita Skeeter realized it was her time to talk, "Shrewd indeed, perhaps that's why you like the Malfoy boy." Her eyes glanced over at Draco and then back to Alice.
Alice looked at her a bit annoyed; she already disliked where this interview was going.
"Now we know where you were hiding all week," she said sharply, "Quite a feat considering their past anti-muggle debauchery. What would your grandfather say?"
Not wanting to speak in detail about her stay with the Malfoy family, Alice remarked calmly, "He would say the past is a foreign country where things are done differently. I think change is something that needs to be more widely accepted."
"Spoken like a true Dumbledore. And change for you now that your enchantment is broken?" Skeeter implored as her puffy green quill waited in midair.
The fast pace of everything that morning hadn't given Alice enough time to even consider the fact that her grandfather had broken the spell or that she would be able to use magic. She felt no different than before, no great revelation of change that warranted a leap in altering her lifestyle. "I have lived my life without the use of magic, to expect a radical departure from my daily routine would be asking too much. I do hope to have an engagement with this world now, however."
"No virtuous wand waving then, perhaps you are only good with a quill," her glasses tipped slightly down her nose as she peered disapprovingly at Alice who didn't respond. "Not necessarily following in the footsteps of her grandfather then," Rita told her quill as it squiggled down her words. "Any comments about the trial?"
"Well, I'm really grateful to those who stood by me so that I could continue on this path," Alice thought of Draco, his parents and Aberforth, and her grandfather who not only saved her life, but also gave her a new one to look forward to.
"That'll be enough questions for Miss McNally," a great voice interrupted Skeeter before she could respond, "We have taken enough of her time this week." The man was Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister of Magic. He had come to pay his respects to Dumbledore's granddaughter and perhaps apologize for any wrongdoing on the Ministry's behalf.
He escorted Alice from the press's bombardment to a more secluded location.
Once they were out of hearing distance he said, "You must forgive the messiness of this situation, the press's involvement has been extraordinary."
"I think I'm partially to blame for that. My commentary sort of tipped them off," Alice thought back to the first owled mail she ever sent.
"Well, being Dumbledore's granddaughter is enough for interest and I believe it's been for the better," Kingsley replied jovially, "You have given us much to consider, as you said yourself, the unconsidered life is not worth living. I hope this will only improve our future handling of these events."
"I certainly hope so. If you don't mind me saying, having knowledge that I'd possibly lose all recollection of this week along with eight years of research, well, the stress was astronomical," Alice said venting her frustration.
"Again, an apology is in order. The length of your incarceration was unusual. I also would not have consented to staying at the Malfoy's, considering their past involvements."
"That was probably the best place for me to be. I owe them my sanity, especially Draco."
"Well, I'm surprised, but glad to hear that. In any case, I do need to discuss with you the importance of being discrete about this world. I am confident you know this now, but if you plan to live two lives, one outside this realm as well as one in it, then you will have to be cautious. No more books," He said the last sentence with a smile.
"I understand," Alice smiled back.
"Good. I knew your grandfather you know, he would definitely be proud to have a granddaughter like you," Kingsley led her out of the back room, bidding her farewell.
Just outside was Draco, now talking with Blaise who wanted to make sure his friend was sane.
"You do know what you're getting into?" asked Blaise cautiously.
"I do," Draco said, looking at Alice who just appeared from the back room. The two smiled at each other, feeling the emotional connection of triumph and something more.
"I'll leave you to it then," Blaise said, nodding to Alice before leaving the two alone.
Alice apprehensively walked over to Draco, she had not foreseen a happy ending back in the waiting room before the trial. Suddenly she wondered whether she was too bold to have kissed him. Were his feelings really the same as hers?
"I want to take you somewhere, then I promise I'll let you do whatever you want," Draco said, realizing he was no longer in charge of Alice's doings.
Alice smiled, "I guess I am a free woman now and you're also free of your task, you probably need a break."
"A break from you? Not likely," Draco said, taking her hand and leading her out of the Ministry where they could disapparate. As they walked through the grand atrium, Alice noticed the stares they received from some of the workers. She assumed, given enough time, such interest would die down. After this week, her name would no longer be in the paper and people would hopefully move on. Draco, on the other hand, ignored the stares, recognizably unconcerned with being seen with Alice.
The couple exited the grand entrance of the Ministry onto a cobbled street, which Alice presumed was another extension of the wizarding world, hidden from muggle London. She was again surprised at how antiquated it looked, like stepping back in time.
"Ready?" Draco asked intertwining his fingers with hers. Alice smiled and nodded back at him before closing her eyes.
Before she opened them again she felt a cool breeze go through her hair and she could smell evergreen trees. Draco had apparated them to the same location outside of Hogsmeade, where they sat and talked a few nights ago.
Opening her eyes, Alice looked upon the familiar landscape, the rising hills and glass surface of the lake. Then she allowed her eyes to sway over to the mountaintop where Hogwarts stood. There, glistening before her eyes was no longer a ruin but a magnificent castle with rising walls and tall towers. The sight made her speechless. Water welled in her eyes, as if she could finally release the stress of the entire week in a few tears. Draco brought his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him.
"I don't feel different," Alice said, her voice slightly quivering, "But I guess I am." She wiped the few tears that had fallen away and faced Draco, "Thank you for everything. I couldn't have made it through this without you."
Draco brought a hand to her face and gently brushed her hair behind her ear. He then drew his head down to hers and gently kissed her on the lips. Closing her eyes, Alice melted in his soft touch. It was him who kissed her this time and suddenly all her apprehension about whether he felt the same way disappeared. In that moment she felt empowered to move in a forward direction, with Draco and with her new awareness of herself and the world.
That afternoon Draco disapparated Alice back to her flat in London and she admitted that it felt strange to have him leave without her. She had grown accustomed to being with Draco that she slightly wondered how she got around being alone before. This week had been surreal in the grandest sense that the mundane life in her tiny space in the noisy city left her disenchanted.
Before Draco left, he asked Alice to meet him the following day at the Leaky Cauldron. He figured he could take her to lunch in Diagon Alley and also bring her somewhere else, though he wanted to keep that part of it a surprise.
"So like a date?" Alice asked slyly, thinking it appropriate to assert that they were dating now.
"Yes, a date," Draco blushed slightly, "I'll meet you in the pub and take you through the back."
"You mean there's a passage there to the magical world?" Alice asked intrigued.
"Yes, there is. It's amazing you went through the doors that day, most muggles would turn away," he said, noting the enchantment on the pub's exterior to help deter the muggle passersby from entering.
"The place looked abandoned and I actually did hesitate, but when I'm trying to conduct research my mind is pretty set on the task," Alice said defiantly.
"Well, you shouldn't have a problem tomorrow," he said laughing, "I'll meet you at 12:30, during my lunch break?"
"I'll be there," she smiled, and noting that it was time for him to leave she added, "Please tell your parents thanks again and that I owe your mother a shopping trip."
Draco took Alice's hand and gently kissed the back of it, "I will, see you tomorrow Alice." Then he disapparated back home.
Alice stood motionless for a few seconds. The reality of the situation fully sunk in; there she was back at home, her memory intact, free to move about the two worlds she now knew existed. And something had also changed inside her; her grandfather had lifted the enchantment and her magical gene should be working, though nothing of the sort seemed apparent at that moment. She felt only the revelation of victory and the excited anticipation of her new relationship with Draco. Gathering her thoughts, Alice decided to do what must be done after a week of absence: a lot of laundry, grocery shopping, and finally responding to the numerous emails she had neglected. In some ways, the old routine felt reassuring after so much stress.
Draco returned to Malfoy Manor beaming inside.
A shrill voice from the far wall cried out, "Ah, young Draco has returned sans that filthy muggle." It was a portrait of Draco's grandmother, an unpleasant woman who was as pale as her hair was white. Then a portrait of a wizened old man, his great uncle spoke, "To think we had to endure such distaste all week."
"Continue to speak ill of her and I'll place another muffling spell on you," Draco said back; his spell was what kept the portraits from raising their voices while Alice was there.
From the drawing room, Narcissa appeared rushing towards him, followed slowly by Lucius.
Narcissa was overjoyed, "We heard the good news," she grasped her son's hands. "There was an early edition of The Daily Prophet that explained everything."
"And a little more," Lucius said disdainfully.
"Ignore your father, I think it's wonderful," Narcissa said cheerfully.
"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, a bit unsure of what his father meant by "a little more."
"You and Alice, on the front page," Narcissa mused.
"The front page?" Draco was not sure whether to be surprised that the press would run with a story on his obvious relationship with Alice.
"Know that I approve," she remarked.
"Well, I certainly don't approve," Lucius said boldly, making his way towards Draco.
"And it's been a long time since we've cared about your opinion," Narcissa snapped at him but then quickly changed her tone when turning back to Draco, "Is Alice alright?"
"She's fine. Just getting situated back at home. She did mention that she owes you a shopping trip."
Narcissa smiled approvingly, "That girl. You are seeing her again soon, right?"
"Yes, mother," he suddenly felt like his mother was being a bit nosy.
"Good, don't think I'm prying. Just don't want you to let this one get away."
"Don't worry, I won't," Draco was a little shocked that his mother was so adamant about this.
"What has this family come to?" Lucius said disparagingly.
"Better things," Narcissa snapped angrily.
"It's alright mother," Draco said calmly, then turning to his father he said, "I know not to expect your approval initially father. I'm going to wash up then I'll be back down for dinner."
After leaving the room, Narcissa looked at her husband and said solemnly, "For once, just be happy for your son." Lucius said nothing though he suspected his wife was right.