Draco couldn't get her sad face out of his head all morning. There were any number of reasons why she could be emotional. But she wouldn't open up to him. And he didn't blame her one bit. But he wished she would.
He set his things down on the bench in the potions lab. He unconsciously glanced over at her usual seat and found it to be empty. He waited a few moments before checking his watch. She hadn't been here yet. None of her things were around.
He looked over at her table again and Potter caught his eye. He shrugged. Then he looked around before approaching Draco. "What happened in the meeting? Why isn't she here yet?" He asked.
"I have no idea why she's not here, scarhead. Nothing in particular happened that would make her not show up to class. Aren't you supposed to be looking out for her now? Doesn't seem like Weasel is anymore." Draco raised a brow and flipped open his textbook, feigning nonchalance. Potter scoffed and went back to his seat.
Draco couldn't help but be worried. The last time she didn't show up where she was supposed to be, she had been kidnapped and drugged. He glanced at the door and then his watch again.
Draco clenched his fist around his wand. Since when did he get anxiety over her whereabouts? This was actually getting out of hand. He'd been concerned about her this morning. He'd been wishing she would come to him, need him again. He had felt bothered by her running away when he'd reached out.
He needed to redirect. It was all supposed to be a conquest, a youthful indiscretion, a fling. He wanted her to be a notch in his belt. Care, concern, anxiety, those weren't the feelings he was going for. He wanted anticipation, tension, passion. He wanted her to yell at him, threaten him, slap him. He wanted her to beg for him, want him, need him. He wanted to blow her mind and then leave her wanting more.
Only so far he was the one left wanting more. And now he was annoyed with himself.
She came rushing into class at the very last second, flustered from nearly being late and flushed from running. But otherwise she looked just as she had when she left him. She didn't look in his direction. Draco scowled as he faced the front to listen to the professor and reminded himself not to get thrown off course by her big brown eyes. He attempted to pay attention but found his mind wandering to her curving hips in those tight black shorts. That was a daydream he approved of. Yes, back on track.
"So the trial is tomorrow?" Ginny asked. The two girls were walking back their dorm from watering their mariposa dittany for the night. Ginny usually took the mornings because nights sometimes interfered with quidditch practice, but after hearing the news about the trial from Harry, she decided to walk with Hermione anyway.
"Yep." Hermione said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder and freeing a few curls that had twisted around the strap. She'd spent the remaining time between meeting with the solicitor and now avoiding Malfoy once again. He seemed unaffected by it and she was even more resolved to not have anything to do with him again. The hot and cold attitude from him was too much.
"Well, I'm sorry Ron is still being an ass. Harry and I can go with you. I'm sure Mcgonagall will give us permission." Ginny mused.
"It's alright. I don't know how long it will take and I don't want to take over your whole day." Hermione waved her hand in indifference. Really she could use some support, but she never liked to ask for it.
"Nonsense, we're coming." Ginny said with finality. The girls continued on through the castle.
"Did you hear about the party?" Ginny changed the subject. "Zabini is throwing another one, now that he's finished all his detentions. And this time it's all above board, 'very classy' he said. With professor approval and chaperones."
"Hm. That's interesting. Where will it be held?" Hermione wondered.
"Astronomy tower. Starts at nine o'clock tomorrow. Attire is 'elegant'. Whatever that means. Nobody under fifth year is allowed. Ends at midnight." Ginny passed on all the information she was given.
"What is elegant attire? Like dress robes?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I dunno. Whatever snobby slytherins think is elegant is beyond me. I plan on wearing that black dress of mine and Harry and I at least want to go see what it's like. Zabini promised it to be an upstanding party for young witches and wizards to learn the class and etiquette that will launch them into respectable careers. I think that's the only reason Mcgonagall approved it." Ginny shrugged and Hermione gave the fat lady the password. The girls entered their common room.
Ron and Harry were conversing quietly in the corner. Hermione's eye was drawn straight toward them. Ron's back was to her but she caught Harry's eye. He gave a disappointed look her way and she knew it to mean he hadn't made any progress with Ron with regards to her. She gave him a small smile which she hoped to convey that she was grateful for Harry's continued friendship. He never once made her feel bad about Malfoy. He understood why Ron would be angry. But he tried his best to be a good friend to both of them still.
"What time are you leaving?" Ginny asked before Hermione could run up the stairs.
"We're supposed to meet in Mcgonagall's office at 9:00." Hermione answered.
"Alright, we'll go to breakfast together then. And go a bit earlier to get her to write us out of classes too." Ginny squeezed Hermione's hand affectionately. "Will be nice to have this over with, yeah?" She asked quietly.
Hermione shot a sad smile toward Ron who pointedly refused to look at her, even though it was clear he was listening to them. "Yes, it will." Hermione let go of her friend and went upstairs alone. Just before she turned the corner toward her dorm, she looked briefly back over the rail and caught Ron's eye. He looked at her feet immediately, and she continued through the door without missing a beat. But for just a moment, she thought she saw a sad longing reflected in his eyes. Her heart ached as she went to sleep.
Draco waited for the staircase outside the headmistress's office to stop spinning before he jogged up it. He knocked on the door and adjusted his tie. He wore his crisp and professional robes, all black, no school colors today. He swiped his palm over his hair just above his ears, making sure everything was in place.
He was confused and then annoyed when Potter was the one who'd opened the door for him.
"A send off party? How... supportive." Draco sneered as he looked around the office. The she-weasel was clinging to Granger over by the headmistress and a tea cart. Granger glanced up at him briefly before taking a sip from a teacup. That was all the greeting he would get he supposed.
She looked smart for the trial. A pale silky blouse, hair pinned back. That skirt was far too tight though. Even though it was black and below the knee, it seemed to be just as tight as those pajama shorts of hers.
Potter interrupted the evaluation of her outfit "we're not a send-off party. We're going with you." He clapped Draco on the shoulder like they were mates and strolled over toward the witches. Mcgonagall handed him a biscuit in a tin.
"Of course." Draco drawled with an eye roll. He checked his watch and adjusted his cuff sleeves.
"What?" Granger snapped in annoyance.
"Nothing." Draco shrugged. "If you want the press instantly swarming and all the headlines to talk about how the boy who lived accompanied his friend to her sexual abuse trial, then by all means."
The solicitor arrived via the floo just then and Draco went to shake his hand in greeting. He glanced over to watch Granger shake her head in annoyance at his remark.
Potter's girlfriend put her arm around Granger's shoulders defensively. "We're here for support for Hermione." She huffed. But Potter looked uneasy. Draco raised a brow at him.
Granger caught the look too. "What? You don't think he's right?" She asked.
Potter shot her a guilty look. "I dunno. I didn't think about it before. But he might be. I would hate to draw attention away from the case."
His girlfriend scoffed "you won't. It's fine. We're here to support our friend. No comment. That's all." She reassured Granger.
"You saved all of wizard kind," Draco said sarcastically. "You don't get the luxury of not having everything made about you anymore."
The solicitor seemed to catch on to the discussion at hand. "If you're discussing whether or not Mr. Potter should attend the trial, I would advise against it. It may very well cause a stir at the ministry and they may postpone the trial if things get out of order."
Draco tried not to give Granger a knowing smirk. She sighed deeply and tipped her head back, eyes closed. She-weasel took her hand. "We'll still go. We can stay out of sight. We will be there for you." She emphasized again.
Granger shook her head and took another deep breath before opening her eyes. She squeezed her friend's hand. "It's alright. If they're right..." she glanced up at Draco. His chest twinged at the eye contact. He felt like he was taking something away from her and he felt guilty. He looked away, turning toward the fireplace and adjusting his watch again.
Her voice continued behind him "I want it over today."
The solicitor spoke up again "Miss Granger alone will be enough to cause up a stir. With Mr. Potter in our group, I fear a crowd attempting to get into the courtroom, or a relentless fan interrupting the trial. The defense may try and use that as an excuse to reschedule or even have Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy banned from attending again."
There was a quiet exchange behind him as they discussed what would be done. The solicitor graciously declined the headmistress's offer of tea.
Granger stepped up next to Draco by the fireplace. She was fastening a cloak over her shoulders. She then pulled her curls out from the neckline and secured the clips. One strand was stuck out of place and he itched to reach over and fix it for her. He forced himself not to.
"What time will you be back? We'll be right here when you get here." Potter asked.
"There is really no way of knowing when it will be over. It's totally dependent on the defense and wizengamot. We could be done in an hour, or it could take all day." The solicitor explained with more patience than Draco would have.
The she-weasel fixed Grangers hair before hugging her tightly. "If you change your mind just send word. We will come immediately." She assured.
"Thanks. I'll see you soon." Granger promised.
Draco followed his solicitor through the floo during the gryffindors goodbye's. He was immediately met with flashes from cameras. He was pulled out of the way of the fireplace by his solicitor just as Granger stepped through.
She was blinded by the flashes and assaulted with questions about the trial. She raised her hand in front of her face in defense. Draco shoved back over and shielded her with his body as they made their way to the lifts.
"Miss Granger, what is the trial about?"
"Miss Granger, will Mister Potter be in attendance today?"
"Miss Granger, Why all the secrecy?"
"Miss Granger, can you tell us why you're working with Mister Malfoy on this?"
She squeezed in tighter to him as they were ushered through the crowd. Aurors blocked the press from entering the lifts with them and finally the noise was silenced.
"I guess word got out." She said, trying to act unruffled by the unexpected onslaught. The lift took off abruptly and she was thrown into him momentarily as she grabbed a handle. "Sorry." She muttered.
Before he could respond, the solicitor spoke up, "We submitted the case file to the wizemgamot a week ago in order to get this trial scheduled. They aren't allowed to talk about it at all, but I'm unsurprised that word got out that there would be a trial involving Hermione Granger today."
"I guess it's a good thing Harry and Ginny didn't come then." She conceded tiredly.
Draco looked over at her easy admission. The lift stopped and Draco watched Granger's eyes widen in alarm before she schooled her features and stepped away from him to make room for their new lift-mates.
"Hermione! What are you..." the Weasley patriarch looked confused between the unlikely trio. One of his older sons, the pompous one from Draco's early Hogwarts days was with him.
"Mr Weasley! Percy. Lovely to see you both." Granger attempted pleasantries as the lift took off again. The group swayed as they held tightly to the handles.
"What's going on? What are you doing here?" The older man glared suspiciously at the solicitor. The two seemed to have come across each other before because there was palpable hostility from both wizards.
Granger sighed in defeat before answering her almost-father-in-law. "I'm here for a court hearing. We're all on the same side. It's alright." She assured him. Draco rolled his eyes dramatically, turning toward the front of the lift.
"You didn't send an owl did you? Ron hasn't told me anything. What's this about?" Weasel senior wasn't satisfied with the amount of information she shared. The lift stopped abruptly and Draco followed the solicitor out.
Granger stepped around the two redheads. The father said something to the son and left him behind on the lift as he followed Granger. The solicitor continued down the corridor toward the courtroom. Draco waited for her, checking his watch and adjusting his cuffs. She shot him an apologetic look.
"Really, Mr Weasley. Everything is fine." She tried again. But he cut her off.
"Why isn't Ron here with you? Or Harry? A trial for what? I know that solicitor, he's never represented a muggleborn before. In fact he's always been on the opposite side of every case I've been involved with." He was rambling off and glaring down the corridor.
Granger put her hand on his forearm, "Ron and Harry are both well aware of this. So is Professor Mcgonagall. We felt it better not to draw a crowd and I asked them to stay at hogwarts. Malfoy and I were victims of a heinous crime, the details of which will be shared later. I assure you the solicitor will represent both of our interests in this, we are allies today." She squeezed his arm to reassure him.
Draco rolled his eyes again and cleared his throat to remind her they needed to go. He was annoyed that she had this need to comfort and console all those ginger twats. What was with her and that family?
"Well, let me clear my schedule and I'll go with you." Weasley tried again, eyeing Draco now with suspicion.
"No! Please," Granger said in alarm. "I appreciate the offer, I do. But I've got it handled. Malfoy has it handled, actually. I promise if I need anything I'll send word."
Weasel senior finally relented. "Alright. Of course you've got it handled. I don't mean to imply that you can't handle it, I just was caught off guard, seeing you here with those two and without any information about what's going on." He continued to spew words as if they were worth all of their time.
The solicitor stuck his head out the door and motioned for them to come now, so Draco grabbed her hand and tugged her behind him. "Come along, Granger. They're waiting for us."
She jerked her hand from his but followed. "Goodbye, Mr Weasley. We'll talk soon." She called behind them.
They heard the sound of the lift arriving as they neared the door to the courtroom. Granger hissed in anger "why would you grab my hand like that in front of him? Now he's going to speculate. What if he says something to Ron..."
"Gosh, Granger now you've got me worried." Draco looked down at her sarcastically as he held the door open for her to pass through. "You were taking forever and he wouldn't shut up. What was I supposed to do?"
"You were supposed to keep your mouth shut and wait. I'm aware of our schedule." She snapped quietly as the solicitor showed them where to check in their wands and led them to their seats.
Draco was very conscious of what taking her hand would convey to Arthur Weasley. He grinned to himself as he sat back comfortably. Granger huffed in annoyance. She unfastened her cloak and removed it, laying it across the back of her seat before giving him an eyeful as she turned and sat next to him. That fucking skirt.
The room slowly filled up around them. The aurors on the case joined their side of the room. Draco knew most of the members of the wizengamot. They'd all been present at his own trial not even a year ago. They had been very sympathetic to his story after Potter chimed in with his two cents. Draco had never felt more embarrassed than having to watch that memory of himself crying to Dumbledore about having to kill him. It wasn't the fact that he'd cried. It was the fact that potter had witnessed his darkest moment and then shared it with hundreds of people.
Draco shook off the assault on his memory as Granger shuffled in discomfort next to him. "Is the inability to sit still a collectively gryffindor trait?" He drawled. Annoying her would distract both of them from their anxiety.
"Is the inability to keep your mouth shut a collectively slytherin trait?" She rolled her eyes at him, "prick" she added under her breath.
A woman Draco didn't recognize in elegant robes sat across the room from them. She curled her lip in disgust as she saw him and Granger. "Don't tell me that's Mclaggen's mummy." Draco nodded in the direction of the woman and Granger whipped her head around to follow his gaze.
"Oh, my. I suppose it must be." The woman glared at Granger before turning her head in dismissal. "Hm. Interesting attitude to have when your son is on trial for attempted rape." Granger rolled her eyes.
The solicitor approached them finally as everyone seemed to take their seats. "Almost ready now." He said quietly to Draco.
The doors opened again and McLaggen was escorted to the middle of the room by two aurors. He didn't look around, just stared angrily at the floor. They sat him down on a wooden chair before turning and standing guard by the exit.
Minister Shacklebolt hit his gavel and spoke to the room. He reminded everyone present that this was considered a high-profile case and the particulars were to be kept confidential until all decisions had been made. He gave a small nod toward Granger who gratefully nodded in return.
The trial proceeded as expected. The details were rehashed extensively by the aurors and the respective solicitors. McLaggen didn't turn to look in Draco's direction once. His mother began to sob silently as she heard what her son confessed to under veritaserum. The situation was clearly hopeless.
When Draco's solicitor communicated their demands, Mclaggen finally looked over at them in pure hatred. To Granger's credit, she didn't look away. She glared defiantly down at their former classmate turned assailant. Draco joined her as he sneered in disdain at the pathetic wizard.
The defense attempted to talk the Minister down from the request. But everyone in the room was on Hermione Granger's side, from the moment the trial began. Draco felt bad for Mclaggen's representative. There might have been room for a plea, or probation, if McLaggen had chosen anyone other than the golden girl to assault.
"We will take some time to review all of the information presented and reconvene in one hour. I will remind everyone present that nothing may be discussed outside of this room. The press will be kept in the atrium so please avoid that area." The minister of magic dismissed the court for recess.
Aurors escorted McLaggen out of the room and his mother and solicitor followed. Granger checked her watch. "It's noon? Ok that's good. Maybe we will be back for afternoon classes." She was muttering to herself.
"Come on, Granger. Let's go get lunch." Draco stood and adjusted his cloak.
"What? Oh I don't think we should leave. The minister said to avoid the atrium." She looked like she planned to sit there for the entire hour.
Draco removed her cloak from her seat back and held it open, "We will avoid the atrium. Let's go." He shook the cloak in impatience. The rest of the court was making its way back out of the room. A quiet murmur of voices filled the air.
The solicitor leaned over and said quietly to them "I have no worry about their decision. Not a single member of the wizengamot showed any signs of sympathy for the defense." He checked his watch. "I'll leave you two to lunch, I've a few owls I need to send. Will see you back here at one o'clock." Draco nodded in understanding and the solicitor took off.
Turning back to Granger, Draco held up the cloak, again gesturing for her to turn for him. But when she finally stood she tugged the cloak from his grip and threw it over her own shoulders. She huffed in annoyance as she freed her hair from around her neckline. "Fine. Lead the way then." She gestured for him to go ahead.
He grinned down at her for just a second longer before he caught himself. What was it about her irritation that entranced him? Something about the furrowed brow or the pouty lips.
He spun and walked them out of the courtroom and toward the lifts, vaguely wondering when or if Blaise's contact was going to find him. He could hear Grangers footsteps close behind him. He wished she was in the lead this time. Where did she get that skirt? He wondered what she would wear to the party tonight? He had his plans, of course. Of finding her at the decoy party, of seducing her into leaving with him. Hopefully right in front of the weasel. He just had to make her curious enough. Then he'd sneak her down to the real party, away from her babysitters. Maybe get her on the dance floor again.
"Miss Granger, please!" Someone cried out. Granger gasped in alarm and Draco reacted on instinct, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind his back while turning. His wand hand groped at the empty pocket in his sleeve. Ah, yes, they'd checked their wands in at the beginning of the trial. He dropped his arm, poised to hit whoever was confronting her.
Granger's hands clutched both of his sides and she strained to look around him. He felt the pressure of her fingers digging into his cloak. McLaggen's mother had thrown herself at them in desperation. "Please I beg you. Have mercy on my son. He's just a child. He's reacting poorly to our change in circumstance. Please."
Aurors finally stepped in to do their job, hauling the manic woman backward. "Please! He's just coping. He didn't mean any harm!" Her voice faded as she was removed from the corridor.
Granger let go of him too quickly, brushing at her robes. "We don't have our wands." She breathed.
"Are you alright?" Draco asked in concern.
"Yes of course." She snapped out of the trance. "She just startled me." He grinned as he watched the fire flare up again. "Absurd. Her fully grown son doses me with a love potion and sticks his dick in my face and she begs me to go easy on him? Stop it." She snaps at Draco who is still grinning, probably stupidly. He blatantly stared at her mouth as she shoved his shoulder. "Keep going." She demanded and he obliged with a chuckle.
Draco tapped the button for the lift before leaning casually against the wall. "You surprised me." He crossed his arms and assessed her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, suddenly defensive.
"I half expected you to cave to Mclaggen's sobbing mother. War changed you." He raised a mocking brow.
"You have no idea who I am, or what I would do." She sneered up at him. Gods, she was adorable.
"Ok, Granger." He nodded sarcastically.
"I'm serious." She pouted. "Did you know I kept Skeeter in a jar for months until she promised not to write anything I didn't want her to?" She lifted her chin haughtily. Draco blinked in disbelief and pride. "I don't cave to pathetic, abusive and manipulative jerks." She huffed.
Draco smirked. "Skeeter in a jar, McLaggen in Azkaban. Where will you lock me up, Granger?" His eyes twinkled with innuendo.
She scoffed and dismissed his flirting, "go on." She shoved him into the empty lift, following him inside. He grabbed onto the hand hold, smirking as the lift took off. Yes, he expected tonight's pursuit to end perfectly.