The Dragon and the Angel - [Draco/Hermione]

Chapter Fifteen - The Hearing (Part. 2)

Chapter Fifteen - The Hearing (Part. 2)

Draco squirmed uncomfortably in his chair as Kinglsey Shaklebolt read off a small piece of parchment Draco's offenses to the whole court while his assistant, Percy Weasley - who had taken back his position after the Battle and much thinking - scribbled things down on his own parchment. Draco didn't quite understand what the redheadded boy could be writing at such a quick speed. Draco hadn't even opened his mouth to speak yet.

"Do you agree, or do you not, Mr Malfoy, that what I have just read is true?" Kingsley asked, snapping Draco out of his day-dream.

He nervously looked up into the stands to where his mother sat with her sister, Hermione and Ron sat. As he gazed up at them, Harry sat down next to Hermione, whispering something in her ear. Draco felt jealousy burn his insides as he opened his mouth to answer Kingsley's question.

Quite suddenly and without any warning, Draco's forearm seared with pain. His mouth snapped shut and he instinctively reached to touch it. He pressed down on it through his coat, hoping that the pressure would relieve him a little.

Kingsley stood in his chair the moment Draco's hand made contact with his coat and quite a few members of the council almost fell off their chairs. Percy Weasley began scribbling ever faster.

Draco couldn't quite understand what was happening. He looked back up at Hermione, Harry and Ron, who all looked confused, except for Hermione. She had her head in her hands and was peaking at him through her fingers, shaking her head urgently.

"Mr Malfoy!" Kingsley said in horror just as the pain in Draco's arm subsided. "I will have to ask you to keep your hand very far away from your... tattoo." he spat out the last word before taking a deep breath and continuing with a threat. "Or we will have to chain you to a chair."

Last time Draco was in a situation similar to this one, it had been the great Harry Potter that had helped him weasel out of it, but he knew that nothing Harry could say now would help him now. Every single person in this room had probably attended Lucius Malfoy's trial a few months ago, and were eyeing Draco very suspisciously indeed.

"I apologize, Minister," was all Draco mumured. "And I agree."

Kingsley looked taken aback, both by Draco's politeness and the sincere way he said those words. "With what, boy?"

"I agree with the offences, Minister." Draco said a bit more loudly.

Distinctive sobs could be heard from the visitor's gallery, emitted by Narcissa. Andromeda wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders protectively. Narcissa feared the same thing would happen to her only son that had happened to her husband.

Though Harry had been able to get Draco and Narcissa out of Azkaban, he could not keep Lucius out. He hadn't tried very hard either, but Draco understood his reasons and did not hold it against him. Neither, aparently, did Narcissa, but she was still cried at night for the loss of her husband.

The scratching of Percy's quill was heard as he recorded what Draco had said. A full confession, that should have been enough to send him straight to Azkaban and Draco didn't say he didn't deserve it, but got back a little hope when Kingsley hesitated.

"Well, um, you do now, do you?" Kingsley cleared his throat. "And you were aware of the consequences of your actions, Mr Malfoy?"

"Yes."

"Oh my, what is he doing?" Draco heard Hermione mutter into her hands from behind him.

He wanted to turn around and reassure the whole lot of them, but that would give everything away. Honesty was the best policy, Dumbledore had told him once, and he hoped the principal would apply here. Maybe, just maybe, if he showed the court he was sorry, Draco could slither out of this deep, deep pit he had dug for himself, and possibly his grave.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, why did you do it?" Kingsley leant forward in intrest, his forearms resting on the elevated stand in front of him. His dark skin shone under the floresent lighting, slipping into the new wrinkles on his forehead.

"Because I think a life inprisonment in Azkaban is a small price to pay to get my maniac of an aunt off the streets and away from people's children." What Draco said was true, except he didn't wish to be the one who had to serve the sentance.

All of the heads turned in perfect synchronization to face Andromeda, who - according to them - was Draco's only living aunt. She looked a bit baffled, but managed to shake her head in denial.

"Pardon me, Minister," Draco continued, cutting off Kingsley, who had been about to speak. "But I meant Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Nonsense, boy, Bellatrix Lestrange has been dead for almost half a year." Kingsley said over the collective gasps. "Can anyone prove it was Bellatrix Lestrange you murdered?"

"I can." said a voice.

It was Harry. He stood near the edge of the bench, towering over the sitting figures around him. He calmly strode over to where the wooden barrier made a big circle around Draco and swiftly jumped over it. He strolled closer to the center, stopping a few feet away from Draco and in front of Kingsley. He smiled, cheerfully.

"Good morning, Minister."

"Good morning, Harry," Kingsley said, slightly taken aback as he ruffled through his papers and through the pile Percy had created next to him. "I don't believe I was aware of your presence in the court room."

"Oh no, Minister, I'm accompanying Draco, and I'm ready to be questioned if necessary on the events of two nights ago." Harry smiled again, as if nothing in the world could dampen his spirits.

"Well, I'm sorry, Harry, to say that it won't be necessary." Kingsley said gravely. "By standing up, you have basically given us your word that you side with Draco's side of the story, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Again, Harry, I'm sorry, but the word of one eighteen year old wizard and a convicted Death Eater won't be enough."

Kingsley's expression was sad, though Draco couldn't possibly comprehend how Kingsley thought he understood. He didn't, and never would. In the last year, Draco had been sitting in this very chair, under this very roof, in front of these very people, for something Draco believed was the right thing to do. If Kingsley didn't take Harry's word, Draco didn't know what could save him.

"We also agree with Draco's side of the story," Hermione stood up, lifting Ron up with her. "Right, Ron? Harry, Ron and I all witnessed it happen. It was Bellatrix Lestrange up in the Gryffindor common room two nights ago, obviously searching for Harry."

"Pardon me, Minister." said a witch on Kingsley's other side. "But a hall full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Molly Weasley kill Bellatrix Lestrange on May second of this year. You gave the evidence yourself."

"It's like Sirius Black all over again." piped up Percy, then blushed furiously red when the minister's gaze fell on him. What Percy didn't understand, of course, was that the harsh look Kingsley was giving him wasn't because he had interrupted without an excuse, but because Sirius was innocent, and Percy should have known. "Sorry, Minister." Draco wasn't sure if the words were supposed to have a double meaning; all he knew was that Sirius Black had never been on Voldemort's side. 

"I undestand that, Mathilda, and I still am sticking with the original version." Kingsley said softly just as Hermione and Ron arrived at Draco's side. "I'm sorry, Draco, but you will have to serve life-inprisonment in Azkaban. Court dissmissed."

Draco's heart sunk so deeply in his chest he wasn't sure how it was still beating. Another wave of pain flashed through Draco but he did not move to try and relieve himself. Hermione was holding onto his shoulder while Harry and Ron looked dumbstruck.

"They can't do that, they can't do that..." both kept murmuring, but Draco knew they very well could, and when he was led out into the cold air, he didn't struggle against the Aurors that held him. He took in the sun's weak rays, knowing it would possibly be the last time he felt them against his skin again.