Hermione stared out at the rain for who knew how long. No one disturbed her, Rose was quietly drawing something  as she sprawled out on the sofa, and Hermione had been waiting – quite impatiently – for Robert to show up.

But now the pouring rain held her complete attention. It took her mind off the fact that today was the day Draco was going to be freed... or sent to Azkaban. She could hear the splatters hit the window as though the rain was directed right at her. A puddle had formed in the Weasley’s front, messy, garden and some birds were flopping down into it as though hoping for food.

Hermione absentmindedly put her hand on the window, hearing the birds squawking loudly as the rain got heavier and heavier.

‘Mummy.’

Hermione’s finger followed a raindrop down the window until it joined onto another trail of raindrops. Was rain a bad sign for today? Was the squawking of the birds a bad sign too? It sure unsettled her.

‘Mummy!’

‘Hermione.’

Hermione jumped at the hand on her shoulder and quickly turned her head, feeling and hearing a crick in her neck. Wincing, she rubbed the sore part of her neck and looked at Robert who had probably apparated into the Burrow without her noticing. Robert was looking confident in his closely fitted suit and blue tie with a brown briefcase in hand that probably had all of Draco’s documents held in it.

‘Mummy,’ Rose muttered, looking at her mother impatiently.

‘Oh, Rose!’ Hermione jumped again, unaware that her daughter had been calling her.

Robert’s eyebrows furrowed up to make a frown. Hermione shook her head, trying to tell him that she was just nervous but she didn’t want to say that in front of Rose. Hermione moved over to kneel in front of her daughter and kissed her forehead, brushing a hand through her hair.

‘You remember what I told you this morning?’ Hermione asked quietly.

‘To listen to the old lady and not go outside,’ Rose nodded, throwing her arms around Hermione, ‘but, Mummy, I want you to stay!’

‘Rose, darling,’ Hermione stroked her hair, ‘this is the last time I’ll be leaving you. I promise. After this, we can go home.’

‘Home?’

‘Yes. You want to go home, right?’

‘With Dway-co?’ Rose inquired, pulling back to look imploringly at her mother.

‘I... um...’ Hermione stuttered.

How was she able to answer that question? She wanted Draco to go with her more than anything but it didn’t lie in her hands now. If it did, there would be no trial and Draco would be found innocent so they could go back to Australia. To their home.

‘We’ll see,’ Hermione tried to smile and kissed her forehead again, ‘I love you. I’ll be back soon, okay?’

Rose nodded and watched her mother stand up again. Hermione quickly called to Mrs Weasley that they were leaving and she said her goodbyes, offering her good luck too which Hermione gladly received. Hermione then looked at Robert and nodded, watching him disapparate first before following suit.

---

‘Are you ready?’

‘Yes.’

‘Shall I get you some tea to calm your nerves?’

Hermione looked at Robert incredulously, ‘Draco is in there. I don’t need tea.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Robert muttered a brief apology and nodded at the guard, offering his ID.

Hermione looked down at herself. She had dressed in a white tight fitted shirt, that belonged to Ginny, and some trousers that fit her perfectly. Her hair had been pushed back into an elegant bun and she was fidgeting with her fingers for a few moments before they were let into the place where Draco’s fate would be resounded in their ears.

Hermione’s eyes flitted every which way as they entered the high-ceilinged dungeon. Benches lined the walls all around them, coming to an abrupt stop by the door. The walls were made of dark stone, giving a cold and distant look, and the room was barely lit by a few torches on the walls.  Then her eyes focused on the sole reason she was here. Draco Malfoy. In a chair. In the middle of the room. Tied there with painful and heavy looking chains.

‘Take a seat over there.’

Hermione heard the gruff voice and made her way up a set of stairs to sit as close to Draco as the benches would allow. Draco turned to look at her and Hermione noticed, with a rising anger, that his wounds looked fresher than yesterday. His eyes had lost the little light that had held him together and his hair was dirtier too.

‘Robert Greene. I will be representing Draco Malfoy...’ Robert announced.

Hermione used this time to quickly scan the other benches. The Minister of Magic, looking very tired, sat in the middle, directly in front of Draco. Surrounding him were fifty men and woman that looked to be the jury. No one else was sitting near Hermione... not even Harry.

She had hoped he would be here. She had kept that little trust in her best friend and he had let her down...

‘The charges are as follows,’ the minister of magic, whom Hermione did not recognise since she had lived her past few years in Australia, spoke up, ‘that Mr Draco Malfoy has, in full knowledge of his actions and consequences, allowed death eaters to enter Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry therefore allowing the death of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore to  be carried across by a... Professor Severus Snape. Do you deny this charge?’

‘No,’ Draco spoke clearly.

Hermione’s hand gripped the edge of the seat tighter and she looked back and forth as questions were shot at Draco from all angles.

‘You were aware of the illegality of your actions?’

‘You used dark magic to help in your quest?’

‘You were the one responsible for Albus Dumbledore’s death?’

Robert took a step forward, ‘Minister, as Mr Malfoy’s lawyer, I would like to present you some cases as to what Mr Malfoy has been doing these past five years that he had been, as many of you like to say, on the run.’

‘Proceed,’ the Minister waved a hand.

Robert took a while to open his briefcase and Hermione looked at him nervously. She was nearly bouncing up and down from her nerves, thinking that made tea would have calmed her down. All thoughts were forgotten as Robert produced a folder and started to show it to the Minister.

‘Four years ago, in December, my client was homeless,’ Robert stated, ‘Mr Malfoy had to live on the streets because he was being chased and harassed by employees of the Ministry of Magic.’

‘It is an Auror’s job to capture death eaters,’ the Minister pointed out.

‘Yes, that much is true but they would not be allowed to use dark magic in order to capture them would they? I direct your attention to page two of the folder,’ Robert pointed it out and Hermione wondered what sort of dark magic had been used.

A ripple of gasps and outraged shocks ran through the benches. Draco kept his face straight, void of any emotion.

‘Case number two. The harassment became too much for Mr Malfoy so he had to flee to another country just to get away from Auror’s. I’d like to remind you of the Act of 1875 that states that an Auror in Britain, from Britain, is not allowed to hunt for prisoners in another country or state. Yet, I have seen many cases of Auror’s after my client when he only wanted to have a normal life after his parents died,’ Robert continued.

The minister flicked to the next few pages and Hermione was unashamed to say that she was glad of the fact his face was draining from any colour. She also thought Robert was a very impressive lawyer and really fought for Draco’s deserved innocence.

‘Case number three. Mr Malfoy has done many months on and off of community service and charity work. He had made a life for himself and bought an apartment with the money he had earned from a lousy job in the muggle world,’ Robert straightened his tie and spoke, ‘and then he was forced to run away when your Auror’s smashed his house to smithereens and stole his money.’

Robert didn’t wait for the outraged gasps this time as he carried on.

‘And finally case number four. Mr Malfoy found love and as they say, love can teach you a lot in this world. Love can make a blind man think his woman is the prettiest. For Mr Malfoy, this was his chance to settle down with a beautiful woman and child. His past was mainly due to his family who have let him live to suffer the consequences. Minister, it wasn’t his choice,’ Robert pleaded, ‘he is a young man with a lot of his life still to go. I would like to also mention that in these four cases Draco Malfoy has never used the tiniest glimpse of dark magic anywhere. Nor has he hurt another human or committed any sort of crime. Therefore, I would like to plead the case of Draco Malfoy to be freed from all charges.’

A silence hung in the air as though a mist of fog that had silently descended on them. Hermione could feel the tension and amazement radiating from all of them. Her palms were a little sweaty as she wringed her hands together, waiting for the Minister to speak. He was looking through the rest of the folder and finally closed it.

‘Does your client have anything to add?’ the Minister asked.

 Draco shook his head, ‘I think Robert has taken the words right out of my mouth.’

‘In that case, I would like to take a short break to go over the evidence. Meet back here in ten minutes.’

Hermione got up on shaky legs and watched Draco being escorted out. His eyes stayed on hers and Hermione felt a wave of relief when he smiled at her and then he did something that made her blush. He winked just before he left through the door.

Hermione wondered if he felt confident about this case and she really hoped it meant that. She felt confident too since Robert had pleaded his case really well. Robert led Hermione out and they sat in silence outside in the waiting area. Hermione briefly told him he had done a good job and Robert had nodded in response. The ten minutes dragged by agonizingly slow. Hermione put her head in her hands.

---

Seated once again in the hearing dungeon, Hermione stared at Draco who was in the chain linked chair. Her nerves were getting the better of her and she felt an urge to throw up Mrs Weasley’s egg and toast breakfast. She shivered a little as the door opened and Robert came in with...

Harry Potter.

Hermione sat up straighter, her mind racing. Harry was here to plead for Draco. Draco would be saved and then they would never have to think about Azkaban ever again. She and Draco would take Rose and build up a little house together and...

‘Ah, Mr Potter. We have been waiting for your arrival,’ the Minister said, looking at Harry as he took a seat on his right side, ‘I trust you have been keeping up with this case.’

‘Yes. Very compelling argument, Mr Greene,’ Harry said, sounding professional.

Hermione didn’t like his tone of voice. That wasn’t how Harry sounded at all, it was though the Ministry had changed him in ways that she could never know of. Her thoughts from before vanished and she sighed, of course Harry hadn’t come here to plead for Draco. Harry always had the final say in the death eater cases, she guessed that now.

‘Thank you, Mr Potter. It’s my job,’ Robert answered. Hermione glanced at him, a little surprised. She hadn’t noticed him come in and sit next to her. Probably because of her nerves.

Draco’s eyes were fixed on Harry, his glare intensifying by the second, ‘Minister, I request someone else to make the judgement call.’

‘Oh?’ the Minister asked, sounding bored, ‘why is that?’

‘He’s biased and we’ve had history,’ Draco stated, glaring at Harry, ‘I request another person.’

‘I’ve taken an oath to not be biased when it comes to trials like this, Mr Malfoy,’ Harry answered, not taking his eyes off the folder, ‘so you don’t need to worry. Whatever decision I make will be perfectly suited, I assure you.’

Hermione let out an angry scoff, letting it echo off the stone walls. A hundred pairs of eyes turned to her, excluding Harry’s, but Hermione didn’t care. The decision would be biased and unfair towards Draco, she knew it.

‘Will the audience please refrain from making noises that disturb the hearing,’ the Minister said loudly.

‘Yes, Minister,’ Robert nodded, sending a look to Hermione.

Hermione kept her eyes on Harry but said nothing. Harry read through the folder one last time and then looked up, shutting the folder so that it made a resounding noise. Hermione felt her hands gets sweaty again.

This was the moment.

Either Draco would be freed to live his life in peace or he would be kept like a rat in a cage with creatures feeding on his soul.

‘I would like to announce that Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy, is subject to six months in the Ministry dungeons due to the charges against him.’

Hermione fell back onto the seat, not noticing when she had been leaning forwards. Draco’s face was a mixture of relief and annoyance but Hermione was inwardly relieved. No Azkaban.

In six months, she and Draco could be together forever.

---

A/N - You guys are lucky. I was planning on having him shipped straight to Azkaban. ;) 

In other news, I've got a job! Woo! But that means I won't be able to write much, boo :( But I will write whenever I get the chance.

I made a new account called: TellerOfTales96 where I will be writing non-fanfiction stories so yeah, please follow me on that if you wish. I follow back :) Thank you!