"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Chapter Thirty-six: Disasterology

In order to change laws, the Department of International Magical Cooperation was involved. Since Hermione had previously done work there, it would be easy for her to get an audience with the Head. Unfortunately, she would have to talk to him about speaking with the International Confederation of Wizards.

While wizards and witches saw them as the finest men in their world, in reality they were a bunch of tired old codgers who were just happy to be able to sleep at night once again. Since Albus Dumbledore's death had removed him from his position there, Hermione could only dream of getting an audience with them under normal circumstances.

She placed no importance on herself nor her help in the defeat of the Dark Lord. As long as she assumed that she was just another muggleborn trying to make it in the world, the ease in which she obtained certain things continued to surprise her.

"You have two options, Hermione," said Richard Caticus, her boss, and the head of the department. "You can go in with a formal petition. They see you have people behind you and they always want to please the people of the wizarding world. Unfortunately, this takes weeks and even months of preparation, which I know you don't have."

Hermione nodded shortly. "I have a few weeks, if that. Draco's trial has already started."

Richard rubbed his neck, concern etched into the lines of his face. "You're going to want the second option then. The chance of success isn't as good, but you have a way with words. Let's hope it does you good."

"What do I need to do?"

"You need to prepare a lecture for them on the specific laws that need to change and why. You are going to need to name drop. Potter is a good one to have behind you on this, so I suggest you warn him of what you are doing. Make it personal, but not too personal. You don't want them to think that you are doing this for yourself."

Hermione wrote this down on a parchment pad, her brows furrowing into the tired, concentrated look she had worn since she had woken up in St. Mungo's.

"I know you've been at home recovering from your ordeal and your injuries, and I assume that you've taken that time to study. I remember how you get." His face split into a friendly crooked smile, remembering those weeks after the defeat of Voldemort, where so much got done in so little time. Hermione had been quite a catch; he was lucky he got to her first. She was the hardest working employee he had ever had. "So by now you should already know where the problem areas are. In order to persuade the Confederation of Wizards however, you are going to have to get to them personally. So research them as well. Laws are different in England than they are in other countries. I'd start with Romania; their laws against Death Eaters aren't as strict, or rather, there aren't as many of them."

She nodded, taking this down and already listing the members of the Confederation and their respective countries.

"I have to warn you: the Wizengamot will not like you breaking the chain of command and going above their heads. The Minister is fair however; he is not likely to be insulted by it. As you know, the International Magical Office of Law keeps track of the laws set forth by the Confederation of Wizards, and is the advisor to both the Minister for Magic and the Wizengamot."

"So if I win the approval of the Confederation, I am ultimately influencing two out of three powers in Draco's trial."

"This is the backdoor approach however. I'm assuming that Draco's attorney and his team are working on the front door approach: persuasion and evidence."

"And the head of the Department of Magical Defense."

"Nora? No kidding." He rubbed his face again. "This is a right mess, isn't it? Between the two of you, when all of this is over the Ministry is going to be split right in half."

The only sounds for a few seconds were the scribblings of Hermione's feather quill against her parchment pad and the sounds of memos flying past his office. It seemed as if Hermione knew the gravity of what she was getting into and even more than that, she knew the consequences. But the fact that she was still writing, still researching, and still fighting was the reason he hired her in the first place:

She always did the right thing, no matter what it took.

"Hermione. I hate to bring this up… but I have a some projects I want you to get started on."

She nodded, still writing. "Okay, sure. That will be no problem at all."

His eyes narrowed a little at the look on her face. She already seemed tired and stressed out enough, but he really didn't have a choice. He had kept her on the payroll during the entirety of her kidnapping and he really needed her to have something to show for it before his other employees found out. "Also, I have a few months pay waiting for you in your vault at Gringotts."

She looked up. "You kept me on payroll?"

He nodded. "I thought they'd find you. That vacation was paid time, remember?"

Hermione's eyes shone with gratitude. "Well, I didn't end up seeing a lot of Edinburgh."

"I know. Just think of it as a gift from me. I know I work you too hard, and the next month will be a real challenge for you. So… just try to keep afloat. And if you need anything else, let me know."

"Sounds good," Hermione said sincerely, getting up and putting away her parchment pad. Richard studied her face briefly. He could visibly see the gears still turning in her head, her mind puzzling out a plan of action.

Evidence. Everything came down to evidence. While anyone could sway a jury or the Wizengamot with words, evidence was necessary to satisfy the law and to satisfy the tougher members.

"We need him because he knows where to start. He's used to using things that can't exactly be traced back in paper for his argument and finding the documentation to back it up."

Witness statements, procured during the trial, were only part of what was going to lighten Draco's sentence, if they even decided to lighten it at all. Physical evidence tended to be the most powerful because it was tangible. "The more of that we have, the better." Gerard ran a hand through his hair and continued to pace. Nora sat writing in her pad, her quill making light scratches on the parchment.

"We need witnesses that are going to give evidence of what actually occurred. We need people who were there, who saw them together, who can prove that Draco is not the same person he was when he stood across from Albus Dumbledore that night at Hogwarts. Hermione needs to be one of those, but we can't wear her out too much. She needs to go on last. Also, trust that the prosecution is going to try to get under her skin, if the International Magical Office of Law even allows her to testify."

"Okay. Should we still try to get Frank?"

Gerard shrugged. "It's a little redundant. How's he doing, by the way?"

"He's stable. St. Mungo's takes good care of muggles, you know how it is. He's going to miss knowing though."

Gerard nodded admittedly, then turned to Draco. He stared for a few seconds before he spoke. "Is there anyone else that you ran into on your journey? Anyone who would be able to help us?"

Draco thought. He didn't fancy getting everyone involved in his screw-up, but if it meant a chance at freedom, at least in the long run, then he was all for offering information. "Kajsa. She helped us get from Sweden to America."

"Kajsa? Swedish name. You say you stopped in Karlstad? Was she in Karlstad?"

"No. Some town along the way. She works at a restaurant."

Gerard nodded. "We'll find her. I've got a team. Oh, and before I forget - we received a message from your uncle in Bath. He received a peculiar package the other day."

"Yes, that would be Loki. She's the Worthington's cat. We took her with us all the way."

"Really? Interesting. We need to get that cat. I'll send someone over to pick her up."

Nora looked up briefly. "Animal memories? Interesting."

"Yes. They can be the most innocent and unbiased look at a situation. People seldom think of them. It's unfortunate really. They tend to be perfect witnesses."

"So that's another one for memory evidence. We still need physical evidence. We still need a backbone to the case."

"Yes well, that's the problem, isn't it? The best we can do is research for now, and see where it takes us. Did you bring those psychology books with you? We've got some major reading to do. That means you too, Draco."

Draco looked up, wondering if Gerard was mad. "The guards won't allow it. I'm just to sit here and listen."

Gerard shook his head. "No you aren't. Here's what's going to happen: we are going to ask you questions. You need to give your honest answers. I need you to admit things to me that you won't even admit to yourself. Is that clear? Your pride disappeared the second they put the Dark Mark on your arm. There's no need to pretend you have any now." The muscles on Draco's jaw worked, and his gaze hardened. "See? That's good. I need you to get emotional. This is emotional. This is about emotion. Emotion is going to save you. There's no need to push it down and hide behind a mask of indifference and disgust. It's not necessary here."

"He doesn't like being lectured," Nora said with a sigh.

"No one does. But I need him to work with me here."

Draco shook his head at his situation. How many years had he spent letting his emotions sit in the corner of his mind, collecting dust and rusting over, to the point where he almost didn't know how to feel anymore? How long had he squashed every emotion that had worked its way up his throat? He'd hid behind his taunts and his sneers because it was easy. It was easy for him to be negative.

Gerard was asking him to do something that was not only difficult, but nearly impossible. Especially since it was for someone who wasn't Hermione.

Draco's head fell into his hands again. Where was she?

"I need her," he mumbled into his palms. "I need to see her. Why hasn't she come to visit me?"

Nora's face fell. "It's not that she hasn't come to visit you. She's not allowed to. By law, abductors and their captors have an ocean of laws keeping them as far away from each other as possible. It's to prevent… retaliation."

"The Minister thinks she's going to waltz in here and try to kill me?"

"It's not entirely in his control. He doesn't make the laws, and if he grants any special treatment he has to have a damned good reason for it." She watched the anger rise in Draco's face. "He's already stuck his neck out enough. He doesn't appreciate me bothering him with this constantly."

"You have to take things a step at a time, Draco," Gerard put forth, his voice a lot softer than it had been a few moments ago. "You will see her. She's already at work on her end, finding out how she can get into the dungeons."

Draco shook his head, not at all certain of anything anymore. It was odd, really, how Hermione had simply disappeared the second they were back on solid ground and she was back in the arms of her friends. Had he been right this whole time? Had she simply fallen victim to a need for companionship, and he had fulfilled that?

Were they both victims of the circumstances? A person you knew, thrown together with you on a journey more dangerous than any you had undertaken? One was bound to form a bit of dependency. Or whatever it was.

Or maybe they were just using each other. He knew that he had used her in a way, as justification for his revenge, as a force to keep him moving in that direction. Without her, he probably would have hidden away forever. It wasn't like she didn't want the same thing, right?

Had she used him this whole time, convincing him that going after the Death Eaters was a good idea, as by some ploy by her department?

Draco's eyes widened. Of course. She was employed by the Department of International Magical Cooperation, so she would have been a regular on the Ministry floor before she had gone to Edinburgh. Perhaps everything was an elaborate rouse concocted by the Ministry to weed out the rest of the Death Eaters.

But who would be behind such a plot?

Draco looked sharply over at Nora Constable, who was leaning cross-armed against the table.

"You," he said simply, his face twisting into a sneer.

Nora raised an eyebrow. "I did what, now?"

"You set up this whole thing, didn't you? You set up everything. Hermione's trip to Edinburgh, her capture, everything. Master is your brother, after all. You two probably coordinated the whole thing. Oh, this is just perfect."

Nora backed off the table, facing Draco squarely. "I don't know what has gotten into you, but I have been often times your only friend in this - "

"And isn't that convenient that Master escaped? Does Hermione even know about it? Oh, she does, I bet. She worked her magic on me as well, to make sure I stayed on task. And I wondered why she was so keen on us finishing."

"Are you mad? I thought my brother was dead, Draco - "

"Sure. And you also thought Hermione couldn't handle it herself, could she? And you knew I knew about the inner workings of the Death Eaters. Now that I look back, my escape was a little too easy, especially knowing Master. I bet the Worthington's were pawns as well? It was rather convenient that Frank was waiting for us that day, ready to take us to Norway and keep an eye on us. But when we got too comfortable, you had to shake things up to get us moving, didn't you? His family even admitted he was working for the Death Eaters. And air-port security. That was a lot more painless than I thought it would be. So how did it work? Have you and Master been planning this for very long? I seem to remember her being a Death Eater for a while. You've probably been planning this for years. And what the hell happened during the battle? You still haven't told me!"

"Draco," Gerard said cautiously, "this is massively counter-productive. You know that this place is messing with your head."

Draco laughed without humor, slapping his chained wrists on the desk. Nora jumped slightly at the loud bang. "You're missing my point, Constable - "

"That's enough, Draco."

"No!" he shouted, banging his hands on the table again. "I'm sick of this bullshit. I want to see her. End of story. How do I know that anything was real? Anything at all?"

Nora ignored the warning signs of Draco's growing anger and knelt at his chair, her hands attempting to be comforting on his shoulders. "Draco, look at me. Look at me. Do you remember what you told me on the mobile?"

He shook off her hands, knowing that he was being childish but refusing to care. "Get off!"

Nora took ahold of his shoulders again, her face suddenly open in a way he hadn't seen it before. "Do you remember?" she asked. "You said that you had no future, but you had a present. And you wanted to stay with her. That is why you brought down the Death Eaters. You single handedly handed us the rest of the Dark Lord's followers on a silver platter. Hermione had nothing to do with that. And neither did the Ministry."

Draco shook his head, his mind gone, his eyes closed. "And I wondered why she even began to like me at all. I wondered constantly why she was different."

"She loves you, Draco. There's no question."

He snorted, turning away.

"She's been trying to complete lawyer training in a fraction of the time. She's been pulling strings at the Ministry trying to get laws changed. Do you have any idea how hard that woman is working to keep your soul in your body? I had to get Harry to pick up her potions from St. Mungo's, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten a refill. She's been working her arse off for you. Can you respect that a little?"

"Guilt," he sputtered, turning away.

"Not on your life. Hermione doesn't operate that way. She loves you."

"Then she needs to be here with me!"

"She's more use to you on the outside. Don't think for a second that the law can keep you apart forever. She will find a way, a loophole, or she will bring down our entire legal system in the attempt. Look," she murmured, seeking his attention again. "I know you miss her. I know it's hard. And I know that this sucks. But it's necessary."

Gerard put a hand on Nora's shoulder. "She's right, kiddo. This isn't a conspiracy. We're doing the best we can."

Draco raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement, but his expression hadn't changed. He knew that the two of them should have stayed away, stayed on the run. He knew that the feeling of their time running out had been so real.

He could not be sure anymore, though. Of anything. He needed her to set his mind right.

Author's Note: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for your concern; I have been feeling better recently, and your kind comments definitely helped. Happy New Year! I hope everyone is enjoying the direction the story is going.