Hi guys! Sounds even weirder to be saying this, but here's the third chapter in five days! I can't say I have written this much this quickly EVER, so I am super happy to have been able to update this as much as I have recently. I think it may because I am trying to procrastinate with packing for our big move in 11 days, but... oh well. Not going to complain!
Also, I have never written a trial, nor do I have a ton of knowledge about how courtrooms work, so I apologize if this isn't quite accurate or what have you. I tried. lol Hope you enjoy anyways!
Dedicated to Alana for putting up with me messaging her all the time recently. :P
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"You're guilty all the same; too sick to be ashamed. You want to point your finger, but there's no one else to blame." ~Guilty All The Same, Linkin Park
The first month after Scorpius' birth seemed to pass all too quickly for Audrey. She had always heard motherhood was not for the faint of heart, and that was incredibly right. She had never been so tired in her life. Her son hadn't established a set sleep schedule yet, and it was often hard trying to sneak a few hours of sleep in when she could. She was lucky in a sense that she had Artemis to help her, although he was just as drained as she was these days. Having Narcissa around was helping too, although Audrey mainly tried to only use her son's grandmother as a backup for when she needed a shower or the like.
Not that having those two was going to help her today.
Audrey, along with many other close friends and family members, were being called to testify in front of the Wizengamot against Lucius and several other accused Death Eaters, including Pansy Parkinson. It had been a long day at court already, and all Audrey wanted to do was go back home to Scorpius and nap. She knew he was in safe hands with Artemis' mother, but it didn't make her feel any better about it. Although she couldn't tell if her uneasiness was caused by being away from her son, or if it was because she was about to come face to face once again with the man that killed her husband.
It was probably safe to say it was both.
Testifying against Pansy and some of the other Death Eaters had been easy. Audrey legitimately wanted to see them suffer for their part in all of this. But Lucius? She was so torn, and she was sure Narcissa felt the same way. This man was family. He had taken her in. He had once seemed like he cared about her. And then... he killed Draco, his own son. He had nearly killed them in Diagon Alley before that. Because of Lucius, Scorpius would never meet his father. It was because of him that Audrey had gone through so much hell the last two months. And it was because of that Audrey knew she could show him no sympathy when it was finally time. He didn't deserve kindness, and Audrey was sure that since Kingsley Shacklebolt was in charge, Lucius would get what he deserved.
As they drug the most recent Death Eater off the stands, Audrey knew that she really needed to start preparing herself. She was fairly certain the next person was going to be Lucius, and she was bound to be one of the first to testify. She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. Getting worked up before even seeing the man wouldn't help her. Audrey felt a hand rest on top of hers, and didn't even need to look over to know it was Artemis.
Before she had time to react to that, she saw the guards drag in yet another person for trial, and it was exactly as she thought. Lucius was next, and she knew that she was going to have to be brave. She studied her father-in-law's facial expression carefully. Lucius looked completely unfazed, although certainly disheveled from his two month stay in Azkaban. As the court went through with their formal introductions with the accused, Audrey took another deep breath, steadying herself and preparing for the questions she would be asked.
Artemis noticed, and squeezed her hand tightly in his before whispering, "Are you okay?"
"As okay as I can be," Audrey replied quietly.
Artemis didn't have time to respond before the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, began speaking. "Lucius Malfoy, you stand before the Wizengamot accused of murder, high treason, use of Unforgivable Curses, and inciting violence," he began. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," was Lucius' simple response.
"Liar," Audrey hissed under her breath, which caused Artemis to squeeze her hand once again to calm her down. She appreciated the effort, but it wasn't helping much. She still wanted to leap from the bench and strangle Lucius herself.
"What my client meant to say was that we're pleading insanity," the defense lawyer spoke up, quickly trying to counteract Lucius' statement. "Due to his mindset, he should not be held accountable for the crimes committed."
Kingsley wasn't buying it, and it was obvious. "The amount of evidence mounting against you, Mr. Malfoy, is quite insurmountable, especially since you haven't properly proven that you are in fact insane," he stated. "Your wand was tested, and it showed you had in fact at least used the Killing Curse before you were arrested. We also have witnesses who saw you murder several people- including your own son, Draco." He paused, letting that sink in. "I would like for our first witness to come to the stand. Audrey Malfoy?"
The young woman took a deep breath, and stood, making her way to the witness stand. She glared at Lucius, and she was determined to make him pay for what he did to Draco. The man looked unremorseful, as if he didn't even care that he had killed his son.
"Now, Mrs. Malfoy, how is it you're related to the defendant?" Kingsley inquired, although that was information he was already well aware of.
"He's my father-in-law," Audrey stated plainly. "Draco is... was... my husband."
Kingsley nodded. "It is the Wizengamot's understanding that you were present when Draco Malfoy was murdered by the defendant. Is this correct?"
The words stung as they left her lips. "Yes, it is."
"Could you tell us exactly what you witnessed?"
Audrey knew that was coming, but even knowing wasn't enough to mentally prepare her for answering it. She wished nothing more than to let Artemis take her place on the stand and let him explain it without stuttering or hesitation. Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't do that, and had to tell them herself. She took a deep breath before she spoke.
"That evening we were at the Weasleys' home having a gathering when the Death Eaters attacked. All of us battled against them, and eventually Draco and myself came face to face with Lucius. Some words were exchanged, and he revealed himself to be their new leader. We argued some more, and he pulled his wand on me. He used the Killing Curse, but Draco pushed me out of the way to save me and our child," Audrey explained, surprising herself with how calm she sounded. "If it wasn't for Draco, both me and our child would be dead. That curse was meant for me."
No one spoke, seemingly knowing that they wanted her to continue speaking. Audrey took another deep breath, contemplating how exactly she should say what was on her mind. "Because of his actions, my son will grow up without his father. Draco was robbed of ever meeting him. It's... not fair," she went on. "My father-in-law at one time was a very kind man. He took me in when my family was being difficult. But today... I'm not sure who this man standing in front of me is. But he deserves to suffer for what he did to Draco, and to our family. Draco's a hero. I cannot say that enough."
"Thank you for your testimony. You may return to your seat," Kingsley stated, nodding sympathetically.
Audrey stood from the stand and made her way back to her seat between Artemis and Narcissa. She didn't hear who was called up next, but she assumed it was her mother-in-law since she stood and walked up to the stand herself. Audrey zoned out, not on purpose, but because her emotions were so out of control. She was reliving what happened that night all over again, and it was torture. The girl rested her head on her best friend's shoulder, crying quietly as he wrapped his arm around her. She was lucky he hadn't been called up to testify; she knew that this trial was going to be hard, but it was taking a much larger toll on her than she had anticipated.
Some time later, the last witness ended their testimony, and the Wizengamot adjourned for a moment to make their ruling before they returned with their final decision. By this point, Audrey was incredibly nervous. What had they decided? Was he going to get off free of his crimes? Or was Lucius going to pay for all the crimes he had committed? Audrey could only hope it was the latter.
Kingsley looked directly to Lucius as he spoke. "The court has concluded that you, Lucius Malfoy, are guilty on all counts, and sentence you to life in Azkaban, with no possibility of parole."
Audrey felt a sigh of relief come over her, and she immediately hugged Artemis and Narcissa both. Sure, it hurt that this man was family, but it hurt more that Draco had been taken from them. As the guards drug Lucius from the courtroom, Audrey finally felt like the last problem in her life was coming to an end. She could finally start trying to heal from losing her husband, knowing that the man who killed him was going to rot in prison for the rest of his life. Things were still not going to be easy, but she could at least know that Draco got the justice he deserved, and would be remembered as the hero he most certainly was.