Were all Malfoys cold? Not in the evil sense, but in the physical one.
Draco's skin was deliciously cold. Those sharp chills that make you shiver and tingle in just the right way – the feeling of cold washing over you after you've been too hot. If Lucius wasn't the same, then clearly, it was a trait that Draco inherited from his mother.
As Hermione sat back in the courtroom, her ass numb from the wooden bench, she gripped Narcissa's hand. And while Hermione's was clammy with nerves, Narcissa's was deadly cold, like ice fresh from the Black Lake during winter.
Harry was seated on her other side this time, his fingers nearly going purple with how hard she was squeezing them. Thankfully, Ginny had the foresight to hand over the numbing cream that Hermione had given her for just this occasion.
She couldn't breathe – and not in a good way like when Draco kissed the air from her lungs. Her chest was tight and her heart was struggling to beat. Everything was riding on this, on the words Kingsley was about to speak as he took his seat back on the podium.
"Bring in the defendant," he ordered as Draco was escorted by a team of six Aurors into the room and chained to the chair that waited for him in the middle of the circular floor. As the echo of the chains began to fade, Kingsley began to speak. "Draco Malfoy, after careful deliberation, this council has come to a decision. For your crimes of murder, mass murder, torture, thievery, burglary, aiding and abetting a known Dark Wizard, aiding and abetting the attack on a secure Ministry facility, in this case Azkaban, improper use of magic, use of the Unforgivable Curses, destruction of property, arson, attempted murder, treason, kidnapping, extortion, possession of Dark Artefacts, the teaching of Dark Magic, this council finds you...guilty."
Hermione's whole heart fell to her feet. It fell to the floor. She never knew that the hope and happiness could be sucked out of her so quickly. It was worse than a Dementor's Kiss. So much worse. She couldn't breathe. She was frozen and limp at the same time. She couldn't move and she couldn't do anything but think of the worst-case scenarios. She couldn't hear anything Harry was saying to her.
Draco was still. He was so still. He didn't move. He didn't react and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Usually, you would be sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss before you spend a lifetime in Azkaban," Kingsley said. "But these are extraordinary circumstances. You are, after all, The Right Hand of the Dark Lord and largely regarded as the second most Dark Wizard in all Britain."
A single whimper tore itself out of Hermione's mouth as a single cold tear slid down her cheek. She could smell the salt. It made her sick.
Harry grew concerned at the fact that Hermione's hand had gone limp in his.
"And after taking into consideration the various witnesses who have testified on your behalf today and the sworn statements that we have, we have decided to sentence Draco Malfoy to 5 years of probation."
Hermione couldn't help it. "What?" she gasped. She wasn't the only one who was shocked, she was just the one who verbalised it.
"A valid statement, Miss Granger," Kingsley said. "It was, indeed, a very brutal deliberation. But considering that many prominent members of the Order, of Hogwarts and of the war effort have shown up today in defence of this man; considering the gravity of the deeds he has done, Draco Malfoy is to be released from custody and is to serve 5 years of probation. The Trace shall take effect once more and any dark spells used will result in his probation being rendered null and void. He will be reprimanded to Azkaban. But until that happens, if it ever happens, at the end of the 5-year period, Draco Malfoy will be a free man."
The chains holding Draco popped open, and his eyes seemed to almost pop out of his head. He was rubbing his wrists. His free wrists. Hermione couldn't breathe as their eyes met and her smile, her expression, her, was the brightest thing in the room. She was like a beam of sunshine that he wanted to bask in for the rest of his life.
"However, Mr Malfoy," Kingsley continued, "The Ministry will be requiring you to turn over any and all information you have pertaining to several escaped Death Eaters, so that they may pay for their crimes."
He smirked. "It would be my absolute delight."
"You will receive an owl in the days coming to set up a meeting. But until then, you are free to go, Mr Malfoy. The Trace will take effect upon your departure from the Ministry today. This court is adjourned."
Draco had the intelligence to incline his head at the Minister. "Thank you, Sir," he said before his gaze returned to Hermione. "Get the fuck down here so I can kiss you, Granger."
"Gladly."
Hermione stood as she wriggled past Narcissa and to the stairs. They'd never seen her move so fast, especially in heels, as she made quick work of the gallery stairs. She was flying. She was flying and Draco was the one to catch her when she finally made it to her destination.
His hug felt like coming home. His hug was safety, and it was comfort, and it was love. And the contours of her body fit perfectly into his as did her lips. And he kissed her the way she craved to be kissed. He didn't just kiss her lips, he kissed her heart and he kissed her soul...he kissed her. the good and the bad, the broken and the scarred, all of her. He kissed her.
"Draco," Hermione panted when they finally came up for air. "Will you please take me home?"
He gave a low groan. "Hermione, it would be my absolute fucking pleasure," he said before he pecked her lips again. "But, I do have to say hello to my mother before we depart – otherwise, I may end up in prison again."
"Fine," she pouted. "But only because I love Narcissa enough to consider parting with you for a single moment."
"We're still going to discuss that," he said with a pointed glance before he gave her a final peck and finally proceeded over to where his mother and mates were patiently waiting. "Mother."
"My darling Draco," she breathed as she embraced him tightly and Hermione visibly saw Draco's shoulders fall and some of the tension from his body ease. Hugging Narcissa Malfoy would do that to you. "What have they done to you?" Her eyes were glassy as she held his face.
"Mother, it is nothing. I am fine. You know that," he promised her.
"You will be once I have you out of these abhorrent clothes – or what passes for them."
"Relax, Mother dearest. You will get to inspect me and my health once I've had a shower and slept in a decent bed. You have my word," he swore as he kissed her cheek before finally moving over to Blaise and Theo.
They clapped their hands together before pulling each other in.
"What the fuck, mate!" Theo exclaimed. "You know, for a minute there, I didn't think we were gonna see you again."
"I, however, held out hope. Mostly because I didn't want to piss your girlfriend off," Blaise countered before he took his turn to clasp Draco's hand. "Good to have you back, Boss."
"Good to be back," Draco mused as he clapped Blaise on the back before letting go. "You're also not gonna stop calling me that, are you?"
"Doesn't look like it, Boss," Blaise grinned.
"Right. I take it that you two wankers aren't going anywhere either?" he said with a knowing smirk.
"Unless the Minister assigns us somewhere else," Theo said.
"Which he won't do because he's bloody scared of Hermione. I don't blame him though. The bird is right scary when she wants to be," Blaise finished.
"Ain't that the truth," Theo agreed.
"And why would the Minister be assigning you anywhere?" Draco questioned.
"Because you're looking at two of the newest Dark Wizard Catchers in London," Blaise beamed as he and Theo leaned on each other's shoulders.
"See, this way we get to kill them and it's legal," Theo smiled as if he'd cracked the code to some age-old mystery.
"Yeah, we figure, we do this for a year or two and retire and then just kick back. Maybe retire to one of Ma's many villas in Italy," Blaise blabbered on.
"They really hired you two numbskulls?" Draco asked.
"That hurt. Considering that we are the people who just got you acquitted from the longest list of crimes I've ever heard," Theo answered.
"And you're gonna need much thicker skin than that if you're gonna be tracking Death Eaters," Draco advised, his hands on his hips.
"Believe it or not, but I said the same thing," came a new voice as Harry Potter made his way down the stairs and toward them.
"Knowing these two, I'd believe it, Potter," Draco said as the bespeckled boy laughed before Draco turned his full attention to the Chosen One. And he held out his hand.
Harry didn't hesitate to shake it and he cut Draco off before he could even speak. "You don't need to thank me. Your mother and Hermione did most of the heavy lifting. Consider this a fresh start, Malfoy. Don't fuck it up."
"I don't intend to," he replied, his grip just as firm before he let go. "Right, now finish your stupid story about how you plan to catch Dark Wizards when you were barely Dark Wizards yourselves."
"Yeah, well, we figured – well, I figured –"
"Oi!" Theo exclaimed as he cut in.
"What? It was my idea!" Blaise spat back before he continued speaking. "Anyway, we figured that –"
But Blaise didn't get to finish his sentence for the second time as Draco walked away. He didn't mean to, but his legs moved before his head did. His heart took control as a fist encircled it and squeezed tight, restricting his breath and breeding his wrath.
His vision tunnelled, only able to see a single figure before him. His long legs made quick work of the space between them. His joints popped as he stretched them before his hand curled into a fist, his knuckles white. And then they were red and painted with blood.
Draco wiped the red stain of Weasley blood off his hand and onto his shirt as he watched the redhead fall to the floor.
"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed as she was suddenly at his side, a hand on his arm but it did nothing to diminish his growing rage at the sight of the weasel of a man before him.
"You're lucky I didn't kill you with that punch," he snarled.
"You're gonna get your evil Death Eater arse thrown in Azkaban!" Ron spat, blood pouring from his nose which was definitely broken. His eye still had a nasty purple ring around it and his cheek had a healing cut from where it had been split open.
Draco leaned down to Ron's level. "I don't need dark magic to make you suffer. I'm perfectly happy to get my hands a little bloody. In fact, I prefer it." He shrugged Hermione's hand off his arm before he wrapped a hand around Ron's neck and no one made a move to stop him, especially not the Aurors that Draco had knocked on their pathetic asses and who'd been tasked with seeing him out of the Ministry. "If you ever lay an unwanted hand on a woman again, I will ensure that you lose that hand. And if you ever come near Hermione again...well, I suggest you don't if you have any facilities left that are capable of prolonging your worthless existence."
Draco shoved Ron to the ground, his face set in a permanent scowl as he spun on his heel, took Hermione's hand and marched from the courtroom. "Let's get the fuck out of here."
They weren't the only ones that trailed out of the courtroom. Narcissa, Blaise, Theo, Harry, Ginny and the twins followed after them as well, leaving Arthur to haul his son to his feet and shove him out of the door.
But as Hermione was tugged toward the exit, the Ministry workers fleeing from their path as they saw Draco coming, there was one question that was being screamed inside her head.
How the bloody hell had Draco known what Ron did?