An awkward silence passed between the three of them sitting at the small kitchen table with their tea and food in front of them. Hermione looked down at her tea, hearing Rose’s nonsense singing in the other room as she amused herself. Lifting the mug to her lips, she realised her hands were shaking a little. Well, she wasn’t surprised.

She had just told her ex-best friend, first kisser, and the person that everyone thought she would end up with, that she was in love with Draco Malfoy.

‘I can’t believe this,’ Ron muttered, after an agonising silence that felt like it was piercing through Hermione’s heart.

Hermione lifted her eyes, not even drinking her tea before putting the mug down. She tried to keep herself under control, knowing the Weasley’s would obviously not approve of this.

‘Why not, Ronald?’ Hermione asked, keeping eye contact with him.

‘Because... I-it’s Malfoy!’ Ron frowned at her, as though she had grown another head in the short span of five seconds, ‘you can’t fall in love with a Malfoy! Is he even capable of love? Does he-?’

‘I can assure you, Ron, that Draco is capable of love. He is a human, after all, no matter what you think,’ Hermione shook her head and sighed as she glanced at Mrs Weasley who was looking between the two of them, ‘I just need you to take care of Rose for me. For today and tomorrow is his trial. After that, Rose and I will leave... hopefully with Draco.’

Ron stood up and went over to the sink. He grabbed a glass and filled it to the top with water, sipping it with his back to her. Mrs Weasley watched her son for a moment and then patted Hermione’s hand soothingly, smiling as she listened to Rose giggling softly at something in the other room.

‘Of course I’ll take care of her,’ Mrs Weasley nodded, ‘you do what you need to and I’ll make sure she’s fed and bathed and I’m sure there’s a few children’s clothes in the attic. I have a lot of left-over clothes from my own children.’

‘Thank you, I can’t... even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this,’ Hermione said, honestly, looking at her.

Mrs Weasley shook her head, ‘you don’t need to, dear.’

Hermione smiled at her gratefully and stood up, glancing at the food. She wasn’t hungry, not much of a surprise, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Draco had ate. They were supposed to go on a romantic boat trip with dinner under the stars and light music and dancing. Now, she had to find someone to plead Draco’s case, someone good. That would be hard without any money but she’d find a way to make it happen.

She had to.

Hermione’s eyes flickered to Ron who still had his back to her and she sighed, ‘I’ll see you tonight, I think.’

Mrs Weasley nodded, ‘if you don’t make it in for dinner, I’ll leave some in the oven for you.’

‘Thank you,’ Hermione said, smiling slightly before heading into the other room.

Rose was giggling to herself as she played with a salt and pepper shaker that had been left on the table. Hermione smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Rose glanced up at her and suddenly threw her arms around her neck, hugging her tight, making Hermione fall back a little until she was sitting down.

‘Rose, listen to me, love,’ Hermione murmured, stroking her hair.

‘Mummy... is Dway-co okay?’ Rose asked, pulling back and looking at her with wide, innocent eyes.

Hermione wanted to say yes but she had no idea what Draco’s manner was right now. She kissed her cheek, ‘he’ll be okay and he’ll be back to sing you a song on his guitar. Maybe he’ll even draw you a pretty picture!’

Rose grinned, her arms still slung around Hermione, ‘he showed me drawings, Mummy, of you. You were on a sunny beach and a boat and in the rain.’

Drawings? Hermione thought, a touch of surprise flickering onto her face. She had never seen all the drawings that Draco drew of her even though she wondered what he had been drawing all this time. Hermione felt her spirits lift slightly, thinking about the fact that underneath all the teasing and jokes and attitude... Draco liked to draw her the most!

‘...and there was a pretty one of you cooking food in a kitchen. But, Mummy, you need to wear clothes when you cook,’ Rose said, in a disapproving tone which sounded eerily like Hermione. Hermione looked at her, confused, and Rose tapped her nose, ‘silly, Mummy! You said the stove is really hot! But in the picture, you only had a... a...’

Rose gestured around her self and Hermione just stared for a second before murmuring, ‘an apron? Like when I bake with you?’

‘Yes,’ Rose nodded, looking excited, ‘an apron! But you could have got an owwy like when I did when Grandma was making cookies with me and you were helping!’

Hermione didn’t listen to the rest as her face completely flamed up. Draco had drew a drawing of her in the kitchen with only an apron around her? And Rose had somehow seen this drawing? He must have left it lying around but Hermione wasn’t too bothered about that just yet. Her blush was still going full force and she snapped out of her thoughts when Rose tapped her nose again.

‘R-Rose, love,’ Hermione said, kissing her cheek, ‘Mummy has to go out but the kind lady in the kitchen will look after you, okay? Don’t leave the house and don’t eat sugary sweeties or anything. Listen to the lady, understand?’

Rose nodded, used to being with a baby sitter when Hermione had to work, ‘okay, Mummy!’

‘I love you,’ Hermione said, kissing the tip of her nose and smiling when Rose giggled.

‘I love you too, Mummy.’

---

A while later, Hermione stood in the Ministry of Magic while people bustled around and about her. She stuck out like a sore thumb in her jeans and shirt that was a little tight around the stomach and chest. The perks of having a child, she thought glumly. She was glad she had asked for a coat before she left the Burrow so she could wrap that around herself and look a little more presentable.

Hermione forced her legs to move and she repeated ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ as she fought her way past the crowd of people that were trying to unintentionally, but successfully, trying to suffocate her. When she finally made it to the lifts, she stepped in and didn’t look around as she jabbed the button for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on level two.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she couldn’t stop her mind from going to the memories she had in this place. None of them were good. Fighting with the nasty death eaters in her fifth year was an experience she would never forget but would never repeat. Harry had lost his god father here... Sirius Black. Hermione felt a gust full of sorrow fill her up as she thought about the many people they had lost in the war and in life. She was glad she found her parents after the war since they had really helped her, financially and emotionally.

‘You getting out, Missy?’ a particularly grumpy man shoved Hermione forwards when the Department of Magical Law Enforcement floor had arrived.

Hermione straightened herself, turning back to give the man a piece of her mind. Didn’t he know better than not to shove people out of lifts? The lift had disappeared almost as soon as she turned around and she sighed, looking around at the circular hall way that she was in. Her sigh bounded off the wall and Hermione hurried over to the sign that would hopefully point her to the right direction.

Auror Office.

Improper Use of Magic Office.

Wizengamot Administration Office.

It had to be the Auror Office, Hermione thought, and headed down a lengthy corridor before passing into huge double doors that were made from solid oak. Not a single mark was on this door. As soon as Hermione passed the doors, her eyes were met with Aurors everywhere. Some were casually leaning against the reception counter with files in their hands as others grabbed coffee and talked to their co-workers professionally about some cases. Hermione noticed that most of their eyes seemed to be adorned with black bags as thought it was some sort of fashion between Aurors.

‘Can I help you?’ A bored looking receptionist asked as Hermione approached the desk.

‘I’d like to visit Draco Malfoy,’ Hermione said, confidently.

‘Are you family?’

‘No, but I’m as close as family. I’m his... wife,’ Hermione lied, glancing around briefly before looking at the receptionist, ‘and I’m very worried about him. I’d like to-’

‘Mr Malfoy is in a meeting with his lawyer,’ the receptionist said, looking down at a notepad.

‘Lawyer?’ Hermione asked, confused. Did Draco even have a lawyer? She knew nothing about that but it wasn’t like she had asked him about it. She didn’t think an issue like this would ever come up.

‘Yes, a lawyer. An arbitrator or negotiator. A person who practises or studies law-’ the receptionist reported rudely, pushing up her glasses that were on the bridge of her nose.

‘Yes, I know what a lawyer is, thank you,’ Hermione said, curtly, ‘I’ll just wait for him and I’d like to know as soon as he’s done with his lawyer.’

‘Waiting area is over there,’ the receptionist briefly pointed to a cluster of chairs in the corner.

Hermione looked at the cluster of chairs and sighed, heading towards them. She sat down on the edge of one chair, crossing her legs and nervously playing with the hem of her shirt. She wondered if Draco would have any chance of escaping punishment and she really hoped his lawyer was good. Hermione had barely been sitting there for a minute when a door opened and Draco was walked out by a couple of Aurors.

His shirt was ripped to reveal a gash along his stomach which was the first that Hermione had noticed that peaked her outrage. His hair was dirty blonde rather than just blonde and blood was trailing down from his lip. Hermione watched as an Auror said something to him and Draco responded back with a smirk, not showing how much pain he was in. A handsome man in a suit stood next to him and jumped back in surprise a little when Hermione threw herself at Draco.

‘Draco!’ Hermione nearly yelled, taking a tissue from the handsome to wipe at Draco’s mouth rather than her tears, ‘you’re hurt! They’re not allowed to hurt you! I’ve read it and you can use this against them! Draco, I’ll get you out-’

Hermione’s yells were cut short as Draco roughly pressed his lips to hers, unable to pull her closer since his hands were tied. Hermione wasted no time in responding to the kiss as she moved to secure her hands in his hair, brushing away the dirt. She could taste the blood against his lips but the thought didn’t gross her out even though it would have if she had been in another state of mind.

Two hands yanked her back and Hermione found herself beating on the person that was pulling her away from Draco. Draco looked at her, his eyes showing sorrow briefly before he was dragged away to a door. Hermione watched him go, her tears coming heavily now, until she could no longer see him.

‘Here,’ the handsome man, who was Draco’s lawyer, handed her a tissue, ‘and this one is for the tears.’

Hermione took it from him, still looking at the space where Draco had been. She wiped under her eyes and then turned to the man, looking at him, ‘you need to help him! I don’t care how much money it takes! You need to!’

‘I wholly plan to help him, Hermione,’ the man said, holding out his hand, ‘Robert Greene.’

‘How do you know my name?’ Hermione asked, shaking his hand briefly.

Robert uttered a deep, throaty chuckle, ‘Draco’s in love with you. He talks a lot about you. We were really good friends a couple of years back and I got him out of sticky situations. Here’s my card. I think we have a lot to talk about this evening. Let me give you my address.’

Robert quickly scrawled his address down and handed it to Hermione. She took the card, glancing at it before pocketing it with a quiet ‘thank you’.

‘I’m sure you’ll want to visit Draco so you should go now. They don’t give you enough time though,’ Robert sighed and shook his head, ‘I hope to see you tonight. I live alone so come over any time and we can talk about the trial tomorrow. I have a lot of evidence for Draco to get clear from the charges. Don’t worry about it.’

Hermione couldn’t help but throw her arms around him in a hug, ‘thank you so much, Robert! I’ll definitely chip in to pay-’

‘Don’t, uh... Don’t worry about the payment,’ Robert shook his head, slightly surprised at her very forward hug, ‘Draco’s already paid me but I did give him half his money back. I owe him a lot from the past so this is my pleasure.’

Hermione pulled back and nodded, ‘I’ll see you tonight then.’

‘See you, Hermione,’ Robert nodded.

Hermione turned around and marched straight past the receptionist and to the door where they had taken Draco. She expected someone to stop her but carried on even when no one did. The door led to dirty stairs that were a complete contrast to the reception  area outside. She walked down the stairs, holding onto the railing when the steps jiggled a little, and let out a sigh of relief when she got down in one piece.

‘I’m here to see Draco Malfoy,’ Hermione said, purposefully, to the first person she laid eyes on.

The man just stared at her as though she had spoke in  a completely different language rather than English. She couldn’t make it any more plain than that, Hermione thought, a little on the edge. She grit her teeth, feeling her patience wear thin, and glared at the man.

‘Hermione Granger?’ The man spluttered out, ‘here to see Draco Malfoy after five years of absence of the wizarding world? Oh, the reporters will love this!’

Hermione got her wand out and pointed it at the man, ‘I may have been away for five years but I do know a couple of spells. Draco Malfoy’s cell, where is it?’

‘Down the corridor, very last one, to the right,’ the man said, looking at the tip of her wand until he was cross eyed.

Hermione pocketed her wand, hurrying down the corridor. She glanced briefly at the  other cells that had death eaters and other misfits who catcalled to her as she ran past. Out of breath, she finally got to Draco’s cell and grasped the bars as though she could tear them away and get out of there with him. Draco looked up in surprise and came over to her quickly, taking her hand.

‘Draco.’

‘Nice shirt,’ Draco commented, glancing down at her shirt which was tight, as Hermione kept forgetting.

She ignored his comment and looked into his eyes, ‘does it hurt?’

‘No.’

‘Draco...’

‘I said, no,’ Draco frowned, moving away slightly and crossing his arms over his chest, ‘I knew I’d get caught if I came anywhere near you. It was worth it. My life meant nothing anyway. I have no job, no family, no money...’

‘No family? Draco, a little girl has constantly asked me when you’ll be back to draw her pictures and play the guitar. If that isn’t family then I don’t know what is. A job and money isn’t what life is about. It’s about love and you have me so don’t you dare say that!’ Hermione glared at him, furiously, ‘I’ll get you out of here if it’s the last thing I do!’

Draco sighed and looked at her, pleadingly, ‘I’ve... Granger, I... I love you.’

‘I love you too,’ Hermione said, softly, reaching her hand out for him, ‘but that isn’t what you were going to say. What is it?’

Draco shook his head but took her hand, kissing it, ‘does Eva know?’

Eva, Hermione thought, she had completely forgotten to get in touch with her. Hermione slowly shook her head and Draco nodded, looking okay at that fact. He leaned his head against the bars and let her run her fingers through his hair, soothing him.

‘You’ll get out of here,’ Hermione murmured, closing her eyes, ‘and we’ll leave... we’ll live together and go on that boat trip and take care of Rose together. We’ll be together when she goes off to Hogwarts and when she graduates. We’ll grow old together and never think about this horrible cell ever again.’

‘I don’t see a ring on my finger,’ Draco said, lifting his head. He smirked as Hermione opened her eyes in shock and then rolled her eyes.

‘Very funny,’ Hermione said sarcastically, but chuckled. She looked at him, ‘so my daughter was telling me all about the millions of drawings of me in your notepad. There was a particular one... one in the kitchen. I was just wearing an-’

‘Apron?’ Draco nodded, surprising her by chuckling whole heartedly, ‘I really missed you at that time. Rose saw it?’

‘Yes and she told me off for not wearing more clothes since the stove is hot,’ Hermione smiled, still running her hands through his hair, ‘I hope it wasn’t too inappropriate...’

‘The good parts were covered,’ Draco said, kissing her hand as he glanced at the approaching guardsman.

‘Visiting time’s over, Miss Granger,’ the man said, looking at Hermione and then at Draco as though he had never seen two people before. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked into Draco’s eyes for a second before pulling away.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Hermione said, blowing him a kiss, ‘I’ll see you get free tomorrow.’

Draco nodded and watched her go, wondering if that kiss would aid his survival in the extremely cramped cell.

---

A/N - I told you I'd update after the 22nd of May. That's me officially left school :) Tell me what you think of this chapter. I think I may end this at chapter 20 but I'm not sure.