Chapter Eleven: Sentencing
"Life is Worth Living" -Justin Bieber
"The Judge" -Twenty One Pilots
Hermione was pacing up and down a deserted hallway of the Ministry, waiting for the sentencing to begin. She had bolted as soon as Kingsley had called for deliberation. The looks on her friends' faces as they had watched her memories was haunting. She should have told them, not made them find out that way. But, she just hadn't been able to find the words. She didn't want to ever talk about it again, but she knew they would need to and she was going to have to be strong.
"'Mione?"
Her footsteps faltered as she was heading back up the empty hallway, and she turned around at the familiar sound of Ron's voice. He, Harry and Ginny were standing at the end of the corridor. Their faces were full of concern, mixed with a stormy anger that she knew wasn't directed at her. She smiled brightly at them, hoping pointlessly that they would let it go. Ron's arms found her first, and she buried her face in his chest, his familiar scent comforting and warm.
"I'm gonna fucking kill them," he swore, his voice gravelly. "Why didn't you tell us?" He whispered, squeezing her tightly.
"Because it doesn't matter. I'm fine." Hermione asserted, leaning back to look at him. His blue eyes studied her solemnly, but he remained quiet. Ginny pulled her into a crushing hug next, before Harry wrapped her in his arms. "Okay, okay," Hermione protested, "I'm right here, perfectly fine! It's really not a big deal!"
Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Harry cut him off, giving him a look that clearly said 'don't push it.' "We know you are, Hermione. We're just thankful. So thankful that you got out of there when you did. And thank Godric that Malfoy and his friends were there to keep Yaxley and Dolohov at bay." He scowled, clearly remembering her memory as he shuddered.
"Yeah, now I kind of understand the obsession you have with Malfoy." Ron said, tucking his hands into the pocket of his jeans.
Ginny shot him a thoroughly exasperated glare and Hermione's eye brows puckered together as she asked, "What do you mean, 'the obsession you have with Malfoy'?" Her eyes narrowed into slits as she glowered at him.
Ron shrugged. "It's just, you came back from being captured clinging to him and wearing his shirt. But now I understand, you know, he stopped Yaxley from- well, I mean, I can understand why you think you owe him something. Bloody hell, I mean, we're all grateful to him for that."
Ginny sighed, "Ron, take your ridiculously large foot out of your mouth."
Ron threw his hands up, glowering at her, "What have I said?"
"They're ready," Molly Weasley said, appearing at the end of the corridor, saving Ron from doing any further damage. "Best hurry."
Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She made a beeline up the hallway, quickly catching up to Molly and they entered the lift together. Hermione stood tapping her foot impatiently as they waited for the others to catch up to them. Once everyone was safely in the lift, Molly pushed the button to take them down to the court rooms.
"Don't be nervous, dear." Molly said, patting her shoulder gently. "Worrying only means you have to suffer twice."
Hermione tried her best to head her advice as the lift descended, but she found the task impossible. What would happen if they were all sentenced to Azkaban? The thought of never seeing Draco's silvery eyes glowering at her over some comment she had made was sobering. She couldn't live with herself, knowing that she was part of the reason for their capture and imprisonment. Her stomach clenched and she was doubly glad she had foregone breakfast.
They re-entered the crowded courtroom and Hermione searched the faces of the Wizengamot members as she walked to her seat. They gave nothing away, all of them sitting unmoving, with stoic expressions. Hermione took her place between Luna and Neville, waiting impatiently for Kingsley to call the meeting back to order.
The courtroom door swung open and Draco, Theo, Pansy and Blaise were led back in, each sporting 'no-magic' cuffs and being shoved along by an Auror. Hermione stared, hoping Draco's eyes would stray to hers, but she was left wanting as he stared pointedly ahead, not looking up into the crowd at all.
After several minutes, Kingsley approached the podium. "The Wizengamot have come to a unamimous decision regarding the sentencing of Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini." He paused, waiting to make sure he had everyone's full attention and quiet fell over the room.
"Theodore Nott, you are found guilty of Aiding and Abedding Known Death Eaters and Aiding in a Kidnapping Under Duress. You are sentenced to 2 years of probation and 60 hours of community service to be assigned by your parole Auror. Pansy Parkinson, you are found guilty of Aiding and Abedding Known Death Eaters and Aiding in a Kidnapping Under Duress. You are sentenced to 2 years of probation and 60 hours of community service to be assigned by your parole Auror. Blaise Zabini, you are found guilty of Aiding and Abedding Known Death Eaters and Aiding in a Kidnapping Under Duress. You are sentenced to 2 years of probation and 60 hours of community service to be assigned by your parole Auror." The three of them seemed genuinely shocked, but decidedly happy. Hermione was becoming nervous at how great a pause Kingsley was taking before reading out Draco's sentencing. After several more moments, he looked up from the podium and continued.
"Draco Malfoy, you are found guilty of Aiding and Abedding Known Death Eaters, Aiding in a Kidnapping Under Duress, Aiding and Abedding Lord Voldemort, and Stunning an Auror. You are sentenced to 12 months in Azkaban," Hermione's heart stopped and she could feel tears welling up behind her eyelids as she reached up to clasp her fingers tightly around the green pendant hanging around her neck. "Or 3 years of probation and 100 hours of community service, hinging on your release to a suitable relative, who will be held solely responsible for any mischief that you might cause. Do you have a relative who would be willing to take you in, Mister Malfoy?"
Hermione watched him, her tears threatening to spill over as she took in the defeated look on his face. "No." He said bitterly.
"Yes, Minister, he does." Hermione's eyes shot up to find Andromeda Tonks standing in the crowd of people here for the trial. "I will take full responsibilty for my nephew, on the sole condition that he return to Hogwarts at the beginning of the semester to finish out his last year of schooling."
Draco was staring at Andromeda in shock, he glanced over to meet Hermione's eyes and she grinned at him. That wasn't so bad...
"Mister Malfoy? Do you accept those terms?"
"Yes, Minister." Draco said, too stunned to even sass Kingsley.
"Very well. You are all free to go," Kingsley said. "Stop into the Auror office before you leave to fill out your probation paperwork. Dismissed."
The Aurors were still undoing their cuffs as Hermione bolted down the steps and across the court room. Draco's hands were barely freed when she threw herself into him.
Draco struggled to regain the breath that she had knocked from his lungs as she plowed into him. He hesitated, unsure of how to react. She shouldn't be hugging him and he shouldn't be liking it, yet here they were. He reluctantly wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug for the briefest of moments, catching Weasley's glare, he smirked and quickly let go.
"Granger, I was just released and your friends look like they're plotting my murder. Maybe you should keep your hands to yourself."
Hermione blushed, turning to catch her friends' eyes.
"Draco," Andromeda said, approaching them.
"Thank you, Andromeda. I... I don't know why you did it, but thank you." Draco said earnestly, extending his hand to her. She glanced at it and chuckled, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. Draco looked especially uncomfortable, his arms hanging limply at his sides as she crushed him. Hermione stifled a giggle with her palm and Draco flipped her off, causing her to lose control and crack up.
"And I did it, because any one with eyes can see that you are a good person, Draco Malfoy. A good person who makes extremely questionable choices, but good none the less."
"Yes, wee baby Dwaco. Him makes silly willy choices sometimes," Theo said, coming up from behind them and pinching Draco's cheeks teasingly.
Draco thrust an elbow back into his stomach, and Theo released him with a grunt.
"Says the man who jumped through a window to make a statement." Draco snapped.
"Oi!" Theo shouted, indignantly. "That was brilliant!"
"According to whom?" Blaise asked as he and Pansy approached, hand in hand.
Theo pursed his brows together as he glanced around their grouping. He stopped on her, grinning. "Granger," he snapped his fingers and pointed at her, "My exit was a stroke of brilliance, was it not? Pure brilliance."
"Erm," Hermione hesitated, biting her lip. At Theo's hopeful gaze she relented. "Yes. Yes, it was... lovely." She lied swiftly.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Ah, Granger, don't fucking encourage him."
"Language," Andromeda scolded. "I won't have Teddy picking up on that particular habit."
Theo gave a loud guffaw. "That's the best habit he has," he choked out. "The rest are like, 'see how many slags I can have bedded by morning' or 'joining evil gangs trying to end the world as we know it'." Draco shot a glare at him and he shut up, though his grin never wavered.
Andromeda watched the teasing good naturedly shaking her head. "Are you ready to go? I need to get back to Teddy. This is the first time I've left him since... I don't like to leave him. I'm sure Fleur is doing just fine, but it makes me anxious."
"Right, yeah." Draco said, feeling slightly uncomfortable and wondering if he had missed something. He caught Hermione's eyes and smirked. "See you around, Granger."
"Bye, Draco." She murmured, as he turned to walk away with Andromeda.
"Hey, uh, Dromeda?" Theo said, hustling to catch up with them. "Would you mind if I come along? I mean, just for a couple of hours. I don't really fancy going home to an empty house..."
Draco was suprised by his friend's candidness. It was rare that Theo didn't hide his feelings behind a joke.
"Of course you can, Theo." Andromeda said, giving him a sad, understanding smile. "You two are welcome, as well." She said, throwing a smile over her shoulder directed at Blaise and Pansy who seemed to relax fractionally.
"So, Draco, on a scale of 1-10; how dead do you think we are if the others find out we got off with a slap on the wrist?" Theo muttered, swinging his arms leisurely.
"A solid 11, I'd say." Draco said, rubbing the back of his head. The first thing he wanted was a shower. And then maybe some food that wasn't in the form of porridge.
They took the lift up to the Auror Office on Level 2. Draco was less than thrilled to see Potter standing to the side, talking to the sodding bell end that he had stunned. The man caught his eye and Draco met his look of animosity with the same intensity. It was safe to say that they were definitely not fond of each other. Harry looked around when he noticed the other man's attention had drifted else where and when he caught sight of Draco, he excused himself and made a beeline for him.
"Malfoy," he greeted, when he was close enough to be heard.
"Potter," Malfoy sneered, picking at an invisible piece of lint on his shirt.
"I just came over to say thank you," Harry said, extending his hand. "If you hadn't... Well, Hermione's my best friend. I would hate to see her hurt and you kept her from it, for the most part. You're the reason she and my other friends are safe now. So, thanks."
Draco stared at his outstretched hand for a moment before clasping it and shaking briefly. "I wish every one would stop with the adoration spiel. I'm not a bloody hero."
"What are you, then?" Harry asked, an eyebrow lifting to meet his messy hair line.
Draco scowled, and shrugged. "I dunno. Draco Malfoy."
"Well, he's okay in my book," Harry said, stunning Draco into silence. Potter nodded to him once and then walked away, striding over to and through an open doorway.
"Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley called from his left. Draco turned and found him leaning against a desk. "I have your paperwork. You can fill it out here. I'd like a word."
Draco smirked and made his way over to him, happy that now he could walk away if Kingsley decided to play games with him.
"I'll start by saying, 'Congratulations'," Kingsley said, when Draco merely raised an eyebrow, he continued. "Start filling that out while I talk," he said, motioning to Draco's probation paperwork. Draco sighed, but obliged.
"Your performance during the escape was admirable. Very notable, indeed. Several members of the Wizengamot made note of it during deliberation. I shouldn't be telling you this, in fact, I could be sacked for it. But, I feel like it's important that you hear it from somebody, and for now that somebody is me."
Draco was watching him curiously now, in between scribbling his quill across the paperwork. He couldn't help but wonder where this was leading.
"We, meaning my colleagues and I, took note of your clear skill in combat type situations. We are impressed, Mr. Malfoy, to put it bluntly."
Draco scoffed. "I barely did anything."
"But you kept a level head. You got a group of 8 novices out alive, fighting off 6 skillfully trained witches and wizards with vast knowledge of dark magic. It's nothing to snarl your nose at. And for that fact, I'd like to ask you, provided you are interested, to apply for the Auror training course. After your probation if over with of course."
Draco stared at him dumbfounded. People kept suprising him today. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. "But, I'm a Malfoy," he protested.
Kingsley sighed. "Yes, you are. And it's your choice, whether to continue carrying that chip on your shoulder, hiding behind your surname... or you could move beyond it, expand it, apply yourself and change the way you're perceived. So, can I expect to see you back here for training in a few years?"
Draco considered, briefly, before nodding. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Excellent," Kingsley grinned at him as Draco handed over the paperwork. "Thank you, Mister Malfoy and I look forward to working with you in the future. Your first meeting with your parole Auror will be July 11, at 2 pm."
Draco found Andromeda in the crowd of people in the Atrium. His friends had beat him there and Andromeda looked especially anxious. "All set?" She asked. When he nodded, she turned on her heel and murmured, "Follow me."
She stepped into one of the Ministry floo fireplaces and spoke her address very plainly so that they could all hear. They took turns disappearing into the flames until finally, only Draco was left. He stepped in, spoke the address and threw down the powder, immediately being sucked away and deposited in another fireplace.
"Aw! What a little sweetie!" Pansy was squealing when Draco stepped out of the hearth, brushing soot from his shoulders. He followed the sound of her voice into a small sitting area. A small boy was perched on Andromeda's lap with a shock of pink hair, blowing spit bubbles as Pansy cooed at him.
"Grandson?" Draco asked, moving to sit on the opposite end of the couch. Fleur Delacour, er, Weasley was standing off to the side with her husband. He had large scars marring his face, and Draco knew immediately what, or rather whom, they were from.
Andromeda's eyes pinched up in pain. "Yes. Yes, my one and only. He's my greatest blessing." Draco frowned as a tear rolled down her cheek and he looked around for answers.
"Brave parents the boy had," Bill commented, giving Draco a pointed look. "The best pair of witch and wizard that I ever had the pleasure of knowing."
And now he was up to speed. The boy's parents had died in the battle. Draco felt a pang of sadness for the child. He would never get to know his parents as he grew. He would never have a father to look up to, even if he was a horrible role model like his own had been. A boy needed a father. He would find a mother in Andromeda, but Draco was almost positive that her husband had been amongst the muggleborns that the snatchers had killed.
"What's his name, again?" Draco asked, as the baby's hair transitioned from pink to green. A metamorphagus. Cool. He should have caught on just by seeing the pink hair.
"Teddy. Teddy Remus Lupin." Andromeda said proudly, bouncing him on her knee.
The boy was watching Draco intently and suddenly stretched his pudgy arms out for him. Draco looked up at Andromeda in alarm, but she simply laughed and plopped him onto Draco's lap where he stared up at him, drool oozing from one corner of his mouth. Draco watched enthralled as Teddy's eyes changed from brown to blue. Blue to green. Green to purple.
"Agoooo," Teddy hummed, and Draco grinned.
"Agoooo, to you, too."
Theo burst into a fit of laughter. "I would never have believed Draco Malfoy capable of baby talk."
"I've had a lot of practice, talking to you over the years."
"Are you calling me baby, Draco? I might tear up."
"Your mental status is what I was referring to. Teddy here is brighter than you already. Isn't that right, Teddy?" Draco asked, smiling at the infant. He responded in kind with a mess of spit bubbles.
An owl tapped at the window and Andromeda went to retrieve it. She unfolded the parchment and read over it quickly. She smiled brightly, and tossed the parchment into the fire, setting it ablaze.
"Right, if you all need showers, I suggest you do it quickly. We're going out for supper." She said, scooping Teddy up from Draco's lap. "I'll get you some clothes scrounged up." At the sight of nobody moving, she rolled her eyes, "Up you get now. There are two bathrooms upstairs. You can take turns. Hop to it."
Draco stood and started up the stairs. He didn't much care for being bossed about, but he was in no position to argue. Plus, he had wanted a shower and food, and she was presenting him with both. It was a non-lose situation, really. He found the first bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He cringed at his hagard appearance reflected back to him in the mirror. He couldn't believe they had let him appear in court looking that way. His hair was getting long, he noted. He could tie it back into a ponytail.
He took his time in the shower, washing every inch of his body twice. When he was finished, he dried with his wand, brushed his hair and bound it back. It would do until he could get a proper hair cut. He wasn't much for ponytails.
Clothes were perched on the bathroom vanity. He picked them up, suprised to find them almost perfectly his size. A simple black, long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, socks and boxers. He slid them on, followed by his trainers.
Everyone else was waiting for him when he arrived back downstairs. "You take a longer shower than fucking Pansy," Theo complained, "and she's a witch!"
"Language, Theo." Andromeda said, covering Teddy's ears.
Theo grimaced. "Sorry, my bad."
"Are we all ready?" Andromeda asked. "Right, then we'll be on our way. We'll be apparating. With so many of us, the floo will take too long. Draco, take my arm. Bill will take Theo and Blaise. Fleur can assist Miss Parkinson."
"Why can't we apparate on our own?" Draco asked as he grabbed hold of her free arm, immediately suspicious.
Andromeda winked at him and grinned. "Because you don't know where we're going."
He was sucked away before he could retort, and they popped back into existence in some sort of grassy field. Two more pops and the others joined them. "You said we were going to eat," Draco accused.
"We are. Just over that hill," Andromeda said, marching forward. Draco groaned. He had a bad feeling about this.
They topped the hill and his suspicions were confirmed. The Weasley hovel lay before him, in all its rustic glory. There were chickens pecking about in the yard and a fat cat sprawled out on a garden bench.
"Andromeda, I don't know if this is such a good idea. The Weasley's don't very much like me, you see-" Draco started, only to be interupted.
"Non-sense. Molly personally invited us." And she marched forward, swinging the wooden gate to the garden open and strode across the yard. Bill and Fleur followed quickly after.
A plump red haired woman, Draco vaguely recognised as being the mother Weasley, hurried out to greet Andromeda, pulling her in for a hug, before relieving her of Teddy. She planted a loud kiss on each of his fat little cheeks, earning a giggle.
"Well, should we tuck tail and run now?" Theo asked, grasping Draco's shoulder, "Or are we going in?"
Draco sighed. "Going in, I suppose."