CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

That night, she went down into the pub to grab a bite of supper. Finding a table near the opposite corner from where the Diagon Alley crowd would come and go, she sat with her back to the wall and her body in the shadows. She wanted to see if someone, namely Ron, would come looking for her. She did not, however, wish to be seen.

Seen she was, though not by anyone she would have expected. The platinum blond head of Draco Malfoy came into her line of sight just as she was tucking into a meat pie. He looked at her rather sheepishly as he asked to join her. Hermione gestured to the seat across from her and, once again, the two sat in near silence…only this time, they were eating rather than revising. It was Draco who broke the silence.

'What happened to your hand?'

'Ronald Weasley.'

'Oh.' They were silent for a few more minutes.

'Why aren't you at your Manor with your mum and dad?'

'Mother is under house arrest and is refusing to see anyone, and Father is still…'

More silence. 'Do you owl her?'

'Every day. I know she's getting my owls because Tipsy has been sending me treats. That's Mother's elf. But he also says that Mother refuses to write anyone back.' Draco was silent for a moment before continuing in a near whisper. 'I'm worried about her, Granger.'

The unconventional pair finished their dinner without saying another word and when it was time to part from each other's company, Draco did the unthinkable and asked Hermione to join him for ice cream in Diagon Alley. She agreed to the ice cream, but suggested instead they head out into Muggle London to find some. He surprisingly went along with her idea and the two soon found a quaint parlor not too far from The Leaky Cauldron. Draco, ever the gentleman his father raised him to be, paid for dessert and the pair began a slow and roundabout walk back toward the wizarding world.

They talked about nothing important for about a half hour, but the burning curiosity inside of Hermione eventually got the best of her.

'Malfoy, wh-'

'I think we're beyond last names, right? I mean, in my mind I've been calling you Hermione ever since that day you let me join you in the library. Don't you think we should let go of the past and start over? Names and all?'

She paused for a half of a heartbeat before she smiled and continued, 'Alright then… Draco…'

'Isn't that nicer, Hermione? Almost makes us seem like the friends we've become rather than the enemies we once were!' He said, chuckling right along with her.

'Draco, what's happening to your father?' Sensing his unease at the question, she plowed ahead with her reasoning for wanting to know. 'I mean, sure, he did some bad things, but he didn't have a wand when Harry, Ron, and I were captured. And I'm sure he didn't fight at all during the Final Battle. I was just… I don't know…'

The pair noticed more than a few strange looks at her mention of wands and battles, so they decided to take the conversation back into safer territories. Neither of them really said much of anything until they were safely enclosed within The Leaky Cauldron. Then, Draco did something that truly surprised her: he invited her up to his room to talk.

'But only to talk, Granger,' he joked at the scandalized look on her face. 'We wouldn't want Weasel to think you were really slagging it up with me, now would we?' He bumped her shoulder with his and they both laughed out loud at the joke. She then followed him up to room 11.

'This is your room?' He nodded. 'Mine's right next door!'

He led her inside and while he was stoking the fire, she transfigured the solitary chair into something a bit more suitable for the two of them. She sat at one end of the elongated seat and he came and sat at the other. Then he spoke, never looking at her, but rather staring at his hands in his lap.

'It's tough for Father right now. I've had some of the best solicitors money can buy look into his case, but the Ministry keeps claiming that they're compiling evidence against him. The way the laws are written, they can legally hold him until such a time as they're set to prosecute.'

'That's not fair!'

'You're not telling me anything I don't already know, Hermione. But the thing is, I think Father is content there. He's not happy, not in the slightest, but it's almost as if he's resigned himself to spending the rest of his life behind bars.'

'There must be something that we- I mean… What can I do to help you? No! Wait! I know! Draco, you're brilliant! Why didn't I think of it before?'

Leaving a bewildered Draco in her wake, Hermione ran from the room, fairly flew down the stairs, and bolted from The Leaky Cauldron. Turning into an alleyway, she made sure no one was looking and Apparated into what she knew to be an abandoned warehouse near the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Hermione walked briskly over to the public entrance, a simple enough looking public phone box, and stepped inside. After dialing the appropriate number (6-2-4-4-2) and speaking to the voice on the other end, she took and attached the visitors badge to her jumper. She made her way through the throngs of people who were awestruck to be in her presence and took the first available lift to Level 1. She needed to speak with Kingsley.

The witch serving as secretary to the Minister looked flabbergasted at Hermione's presence. She kept stammering about how the Minister was busy and how she couldn't expect special treatment simply because she was Hermione Granger. She went on to say that if she would just schedule an appointment, things would be easier. It was about that time that Kingsley Shacklebolt opened his door.

'Hermione!' the wizard boisterously exclaimed. 'How great to see you! How are things at Hogwarts? The school back up and running alright?'

'The school's running fine. Not quite back to one hundred percent yet, but it's definitely getting there! Listen, I was wondering if I could have a word with you, away from prying ears if you don't mind.'

'Sure thing, dear. Sylvia, cancel my dinner.'

The two walked back into the Minister's office and took up a less formal seating arrangement near a small table. Kingsley tapped his wand on the table and an assortment of teas and biscuits appeared. Once they'd prepared their tea, he asked what brought her to see him that evening.

'I know you're busy trying to keep the wizarding world up and running after the events of the past few years, but I've recently become aware of a most egregious miscarriage of justice.'

She told him all about her conversation with Draco Malfoy including what she'd seen at the Manor and during the final battle, of how his father was still being held, and how the Aurors and those in Magical Law were trying to hold him while they make a stronger case. It was also mentioned how Draco thought his father had become apathetic and almost accepting of his predicament. She then asked how it was possible for something like this to go on under his charge and, as her anger got the best of her, she threatened to bring down the entire weight of her name and status on the entire Ministry of Magic if things didn't change.

They spoke for a very short time after her outburst, and then Hermione left with the assurance that Kingsley would deal with those who were not following due process in the Malfoy case. When she reminded him that he most likely wasn't the only Death Eater dealing with that sort of prejudice, he agreed to look into that as well. Satisfied it was the best she was going to be able to do on such short notice and with so little research, she bid him a good night and returned to the Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione and Draco spent the final few days of their Christmas hols just enjoying each others company. Neither of them needed to explain when a sudden terror would overtake them, or why random noises would make them draw their wands. They were both veterans of a difficult war. Survivors. Kindred spirits in a way. When the time came to head back to Hogwarts, they rode in the same compartment.

Rumours flew around Hogwarts about the budding relationship between the war heroine and the Death Eater, but the two in question merely shrugged it off as gossip. That first week back to school saw Hermione and Draco thick as thieves, sitting together in class and even eschewing conventional seating arrangements in the Great Hall for meal times.

By the second week back, it was becoming more common to see students from other houses visiting each other at meals. It wasn't all the time, and it wasn't every meal, but there was definitely becoming a great sense of inter house unity.

When the post arrived on an unbelievably frigid fifteenth of January, both Hermione and Draco had letters delivered bearing the official seal of the Minister of Magic. With those also came a thick piece of parchment bearing a script that Hermione knew she'd seen before, but couldn't quite place. Hermione could almost feel the gears inside of her brain working when she noticed that Draco was staring at the second piece of mail he'd received.

'I need to go,' he said before blankly getting up and walking away from his half eaten breakfast.

She stared at him for a full five seconds before she got up and tore after him. He was walking slowly enough, seeming to be in some sort of stupor, and she caught up to him right before he was about to exit the castle. Her words about the weather didn't seem to affect him at all. He walked right out into the cold and continued until he was near a seldom used greenhouse.

'Draco!' she exclaimed, waving a hand in front of his face as he stared at the letters as if they may bite him at any moment. 'Are you mad? It's freezing out –'

'It's from Father.'

His response effectively cut her off. She pulled out her wand and cast warming charms on both of them as she looked at the parchment still clutched in her left hand. Realizing what this meant, she immediately felt a panic overtaking her. Kingsley was writing her. The Ministry and his father had written to him. She felt certain that the letter from Kingsley was an apology to her on how long it had taken, and letting her know that he'd taken the matter of Lucius Malfoy before the Wizengamot. She was also certain that the letters from both the Ministry and his father were informing Draco that Lucius was once again going to be sent to Azkaban.

Hermione felt like she couldn't breathe. She sat next to Draco as he ever so slowly opened this missive from his father. In the course of the longest minute of her life, she watched as Draco's face went from concern to suspicion to complete elation. He quickly pulled the letter from the Ministry to the fore and ripped it open, almost destroying it in the process. Scanning the words quickly, Draco gave one short laugh as he returned to his father's words.

Now her heart was in her stomach. This was a boy she was coming to care for like a brother that she'd never had, yet here he was celebrating the fact that his own father was going to be rotting away in a Dementor-filled hell hole for the rest of his days! Her anger was almost palpable when he threw his arms around her and lifted her up to spin in a completely un-Malfoy way.

'He's free!' Draco exclaimed with childlike joy.

Sure she was hearing things, she asked him to repeat himself. 'My father, Granger. He's free! Do you know what this means?'

Hermione turned from him to look at the letter in her own hand. Tuning out whatever it was he was going on about, she broke the seal and began to read:

Hermione,

Thank you for coming in to see me the other week. Regardless of the circumstances, it was nice to see a friendly face amidst the world of politics and reconstruction.

As to the reason for your visit, I'm sorry to say that I was too late to really do anything for more than a few of the accused Death Eaters. Fortunately for your young Mr Malfoy, I was able to step in just in the nick of time to save his father from a similar fate.

By the time you're read this owl, the elder Malfoy should be comfortably ensconced back into his ancestral home. The Aurors in charge of his case have been dismissed and charged with Obstruction of Justice. They will face house arrest with magical limitations at the minimum. Once the inquiry into their actions is completed, I will be able to update you as to the extent of their punishments. It is far too early to know just how many people were affected by their actions.

On a more personal note, it was nice to see you've moved on from the youngest Weasley boy. I like Ron as much as the next bloke, but anyone with eyes could see that you two aren't well suited for each other. Whatever the young Mr Malfoy has done to earn your love and forgiveness, it must have been substantial. You deserve someone who will love you for all you are, including your intelligence. Perhaps Draco Malfoy is just that person for you.

I wish you both the best of luck in your blooming relationship. You'll have to bring him round for tea at some point…just be sure to make an appointment.

Hermione could almost hear the wit behind his final words to her. While the letter was signed personally, it still bore the seal of the Minister of Magic, which was rather a collectable in Hermione's mind. After all, how often did one get a missive from the minister himself? She was confused, though, as to why he'd thought she'd be in a relationship with Draco.

Looking up at the young, blond wizard, Hermione caught him looking at her with the goofiest expression she'd ever seen on his face. In fact, he looked younger than he had in years! Elation was clear in his features as he asked why she'd also gotten a letter from the Minister. Taking it from her hand, he read over the missive, he expression changing from complete delight to confusion.

'Hermione,' he asked slowly, 'What does the Minister mean by this?'

As if coming out of a fog, she looked at him. 'Mean by what? He said a lot of things in that owl.'

'Let's start with the obvious, shall we? He said you went to see him?'

Hermione started with the moment they'd sat in his room at The Leaky Cauldron. The conversation they'd had had really shed some light on some things for her, and it was as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. Ignoring his question about what a light bulb was, she continued to tell him how she'd left him there and gone straight to the Ministry. Of course, being Hermione Granger had its perks, and one of them was being on a first name basis with the Minister of Magic himself. She told Draco how she'd basically ripped the Minister up one side and down the other about the misuse of power by those who are charged to protect and met out appropriate justice. The obvious personal vendettas of those in the Auror office was a big thing that she'd discussed with the minister that day.

'But what about this last bit,' he hedged. 'Do you?'

'Do I what?'

'Love me?