Between Certifiable and Bliss

Chapter 16

TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER: descriptions of reactions to psychological torture and a self-harm attempt of a minor character.

--------------------------------------------------

Draco found himself in the wrong again.

Because the dinner with his mother and aunt was not the most miserable recent event he had attended.

It was definitely this morning's meeting in Sterling's office.

Granger and Sterling were all business, but everyone else seemed to have no trouble openly displaying emotions.

Johnson greeted him coldly, and Potter one-upped her with a muttered, "Thanks for the intel Malfoy, any other information you want to sit on for months?"

Granger had definitely updated them, then. But Draco could give a fuck. Because both Blaise and Theo looked thoroughly dejected.

Blaise looked like he might be sick at any moment and Draco wondered how much forewarning his friend had given him. Did he spring it on him over dinner just last night? Did he sit him down, drink in hand, and blurt out a teary-eyed confession?

However the information had been shared, neither of them looked as if they'd had a good night's rest.

But Blaise had shown up here today, so it seemed that honesty had not destroyed what they had together. Draco hoped he'd be able to say the same of his own relationship eventually.

As Theo settled into a chair in front of Sterling's desk, Blaise and Draco sat side-by-side on a leather couch.

Potter and Johnson stood like guard posts by the door.

Granger sat beside Sterling, quill poised over parchment, ready to record her ideas and theories. Her face set; grim yet determined.

Blaise's knee bounced; an aberration from his normal composed demeanor. Draco coughed and murmured in a low voice, "He's doing the right thing. I don't know what he's told you but—"

"Everything he could."

"Then trust Granger. And Theo too."

"I do. But he's... Merlin, fuck how didn't I notice... I mean I knew he was off, but I should have pushed harder, questioned him on everything. How didn't I see—?"

"Don't," Draco cut in sharply. "Don't second guess. From one mess of a person to another, it's the worst thing you can do."

"Gods, you do listen to me sometimes, don't you?"

"Not enough," Draco muttered back and settled back on the sofa.

Sterling was taking Theo through the official procedure. The reason Granger had been so busy over the weekend was she'd been chasing down signatures from Wizengamot members via owl.

"The good news is that our request to break the oath has been accepted. However, the court has not granted permission to allow current or former prisoners' memories as evidence."

"But we can appeal that," added Granger. "Provided Theo's testimony is compelling enough."

"For now, we will solely be working with the evidence provided by Mr. Nott," said Sterling.

"How will this all work exactly?" asked Theo.

"First we remove the oath. Mr. Potter, could you bring in the representative?"

Potter left and returned a minute later with an older wizard wearing Ministry Curse-Breaker robes of emerald.

Theo stood and clasped hands with the other wizard. The curse-breaker began muttering incantations in a slow, hypnotic stream and the entire room watched with collectively held breath. A string of gold issued from the wand, coiled around Theo's arm, ran up to his chest and wound around his throat. It remained there for a shining moment before disintegrating. Theo shivered and his eyes rolled back, but the next moment, the curse-breaker stepped back and nodded. "It is done."