Magic | D. Malfoy

22. The Hearing

They've taken him into custody.

The words seemed to echo in Sophia's mind as Blaise and Theo exchanged a look at her prolonged silence. They didn't say a word. They watched her as she tried to process what they had told her, her confusion turning to realization before it reigned once more, and she lifted her head to look at Blaise first and then Theo, evidently baffled.

"What do you mean? How did that happen? He said he would finish work and then find someone to talk to about our story so that they would not print lies any longer. What went wrong?"

"Well, he did go to work," Theo began as he exchanged yet another look with Blaise. The more they exchanged those looks the more anxious Sophia felt but she said nothing, just watched them and hoped they would tell her what was happening quicker. "He planned on finding someone right after but Aurors got to him first. They-"

"What are they?" she cut him off, her confusion too great to be ignored. "What are those Aurors?"

"They are something like your police," Blaise took over. "They are the ones sent to investigate when the need arises, the ones making the necessary prosecutions. That's why they found him after the investigation began."

"Alright," she nodded as she turned back to Theo, waiting for the rest of the story. He kept on talking at once.

"They told him they think he has the potential to be dangerous so they are keeping him in custody until his Hearing. A Hearing is like a trial, where he has to plead his case and prove his innocence."

"And they are keeping him in custody just because he could hurt me? They don't have proof he has hurt me but they still – isn't that extreme?"

"It is," Blaise gently agreed, "but he's Draco Malfoy. The public want him to be punished even though he may have done nothing wrong."

Sophia frowned as Theo sighed. "The Hearing is in two days. They don't allow him any contact with you, of course, but he could inform one person where he was and he told me. He wanted you to know so that you wouldn't think he had forgotten about you or abandoned you or anything."

She nodded at once, "How am I going to get there then? I imagine it's in your world so you would have to take me along, right?" Blaise and Theo exchanged yet another look and this time she couldn't keep herself quiet. "What?"

"He didn't say you should come at the Hearing and I am not sure if it's a good idea," Theo admitted. At her furrowed brows, he scrambled to make things right again. "Magical folk can be pretty judgemental-"

"Wait," Blaise cut him off, his gaze never once leaving Sophia. "They don't know she knows about us because they think Draco's charmed her. Having her there would make them realize she wanted to be there so she cares about him and there's no enchantment involved."

"I am not sure if we can get a muggle into the Hearing, Blaise."

Sophia watched his lips turn into that dazzling grin she knew meant he was up to no good and found herself smiling as well.

"Watch me. We can have any guests in the Ministry and audience is allowed during a trial, I only have to ensure their names are written down. It can be done."

"Great," Sophia grinned up at Blaise and he instantly beamed back at her while Theo only shook his head at them.

"Draco's not going to be happy we chose to expose Sophia willingly."

"I can't sit back and only wait for news he may have been pardoned," she insisted, her tone laced with concern. "I am the reason he is in that position in the first place. The least I can do is be there for his trial."