Chapter 2

Draco nodded his head along with all the many rules that were being outlined for him. He would spend a week in Azkaban while they arranged his working and living conditions. He would be fitted for a magical tracker. He would not be able to see his family, friends, or any person associated with Voldemort or his followers. He was not allowed to access any of his family funds or properties. He was not allowed to have anything to do with his father's company until his two years was over and he was judged an asset to the wizarding world. If he was not judged to be an asset, or if he could not abide by the rules given to him, he would finish his life in Azkaban.

"These rules will be written out for you, and you will have a wizard assigned to your case that you will be able to contact if you have any questions. Do you have any questions at this time?"

Draco stared at the men for a few moments before asking quietly, "May I say goodbye to my mother?"

"No, Mr. Malfoy, you may not."

The man's tone was in no way apologetic, it was hard and trained. Draco had expected as much, but it still stung and he hoped that his mother would not worry too much in the next two years. She was a softer woman than most people knew, and her family was the most important thing to her. Draco nodded his acceptance to the two men and they led him away. He was passed on to a new man who shackled his wrists to his ankles with magic and offered him to a new man who would be taking him to Azkaban.

Azkaban was not as bad as Draco would have thought it would be. The dementors were gone, no longer the constant guards in the Prison. There were not many left if what he had heard was correct. The Ministry had only kept a few and those few were only kept to perform The Kiss. Draco gulped as he thought about it; his father would be getting The Kiss.

He saw his father only once during his week stay at Azkaban. As he was being led to his cell for the first time, he spotted the man from between Lucius' cell bars. It looked as though he had been beaten, and for some reason that Draco could not really understand he felt nothing when he stared briefly at his father's beaten body. The man had long ago lost any feeling from his son. His father had turned into a man that Draco had no respect for and would never strive to be akin to.

The week in Azkaban went by faster than he had expected it to. He had grown up hearing the stories of men wasting away from the lack of happiness, but without the dementors there was no soul sucking sadness for Draco. He was neither happy nor sad; he was just content with the fact that he would not be living out his days in prison.

He was put in separate wing from the adult Death Eaters. Though he was not permitted to speak with any of the other prisoners, he recognized quite a few; they all had haunted looks in their eyes and he knew shortly which were to stay and which had been saved by being underage. The guards treated the prisoners in different ways. Those that would get out sometime within the week were treated, not with kindness, but with simple disinterest. Those who would have the dreaded privilege of living out their lives here in Azkaban were not given such disinterest. They were sneered at, insulted, and sometimes even beaten. Draco shuddered when a prisoner would be walked by, his body having to be supported by guards. He shuddered because he had been so close to that fate. If Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had not stood for him at his trial….he didn't want to think about what torture he would be receiving if they had not. He was still confused as to why the wizard and witch had stood for him. He had treated the both of them with nothing but disrespect their entire childhoods.

He watched all week long as different wizards came and collected his cell mates. When his week was up, a wizard came for him too. He was tall, well built, and he had a clean cut mustache. He took the magical shackles from Draco's wrists and ankles. He smiled a small smile and offered his hand.

"My name is Chaz Brighton, I will be the wizard in charge of you for the next few years," his smile seemed genuine and his eyes were kind. Draco thought for a moment about simply not taking the man's hand. The thought left his mind rather quickly after he realized that this man would be instrumental in the decision of his freedom in two years' time.

"Draco Malfoy," he murmured. He took Chaz's hand and shook it briefly.

"Nice to meet you! What do you say we get you out of here?"

Draco tried not to flinch at the cheerful man. He could tell that it was going to be a long two years if Chaz was going to be so damn chipper all the time. Draco simply nodded his head at the man, and followed him out the door and toward the exit of Azkaban.

The man, Chaz, had chattered the entire way out of the prison. He asked Draco if he understood the rules that lay out before. He asked Draco if he had any questions and then he turned the conversation to himself.

"I have worked for the ministry since I was 18 years old. My father worked there, and I guess I just followed in his footsteps. Never really had any goals of my own, always being pushed on way or another by my father, but I guess you would know all about that."

Draco tried hard not to role his eyes, but nodded his head in a stiff manner.

"I have worked in the parol office for only 7 years, but it has been the best out of the various positions that I have worked. Feels the most like I am making a difference."

Draco nodded his head again.

"Though, I have to say, some of the rules I have never like. I am truly sorry that you are not able to say good-bye to your mother. I will be in contact with her, so she will know how you are doing. It will only be two years."

A silence descended on the twosome for a few minutes.

"When will you be in contact with her?" Draco asked. His voice was soft, and he was surprised that he had spoken at all.

"I have already been in contact with her. It is my job to inform the family of my ward the details of their family member's probation. This way she will not unknowingly get you in trouble. She asked me to tell you not to worry about her and to be strong."

Draco hummed and nodded his head. "Thanks," he commented back.

"Though I should let you know that I am not strictly supposed to pass messages back and forth. However, since you were not allowed to talk to her before you were given the rules of your probation, Is there anything you would like me to pass along the next time I talk with her?"

Draco was mildly surprised about how nice Chaz was being. Part of him wondered if this was some kind of trap. If he agreed to pass along a message would he be thrown back into prison that he was currently leaving? Chaz looked at him expectantly. There was no deception in his face, but Draco still hesitated.

"If you need some time before talking to her, then I understand. I will simply tell her that you are adjusting well," Chaz told him with a kind smile.

"Thank you," Draco murmured.

The two wizards walked in silence until they reached the doors that lead to the freedom outside of Azkaban. They stopped at the station beside the exit and Chaz explained that he needed to sign a few papers and attach Draco's magical tracker.

"Now, this will sit on the back of your neck," Chaz explained as he held up a small round bead.

Draco examined the thing in Chaz's fingers. It looked almost like liquid and it shimmered with magic.

"It will bind with your magic and will not be able to be removed until your two years are up. Do you understand?"

Draco nodded his head and turned his back to Chaz. The man pressed the strange bead into the back of Draco's neck. He felt the moment it attached to him and his magic. A sharp warmth spread from the back of his neck to the tips of his fingers and toes.

"Now this tracker will alert us if you are anywhere that has been forbidden under your probation. With a simple spell I will be able to locate you no matter what spells or shields you might be hiding behind. Do you understand?"

Once more Draco nodded at Chaz. Chaz grinned, signed the papers and motioned Draco out the doors. As soon as the doors pushed open, Chaz started chatting again. Draco tried to pay attention, understanding that it would be best to stay on the good side of the man who would be determining his future, but the more the man talked, the longer Draco was realizing the next two years were going to be.