Stay With Me

Chapter 1

Ministry Chambers - 2002

Harry knocked on the door of Kingsley's office, entered at his command and took a seat on the other side of the desk.

He was used to the silences by now. Kingsley only began when he was ready, the stress of taking on the role post-war had withered him down a fair bit, and the times for pleasant greetings had passed.

"Harry," he finally spoke, his eyes remaining fixed on whatever document he was writing on, "I noticed your name was still down on the list of those willing to rehouse war convicts?"

"Yes." Harry answered, but the silence drove him to elaborate, "I believe everyone deserves a second chance, most people anyway."

"It's worked out for you so far?"

"It's been manageable. The first lad I had wasn't much older than me, was dragged into Voldemort's army by his brother against his will, he returned to his parent's house once his sentence was finished."

"And the other one?"

"A witch in her mid-fifties. Bit of a loose cannon but she ended up in St. Mungo's with a hereditary disease anyway. That was four months ago, it's just been me in the house since then."

"I see," Kingsley said, nodding slowly. The silences during conversations often made Harry concerned, it usually meant unsatisfactory news was about to be delivered. "We have another one for you."

"Right..."

"Young man, early-twenties, ex-death eater, nothing you haven't handled before. His involvement with the Dark Lord was questionable and in court proven innocent under the grounds of entrapment and underage coercion, but I shouldn't need to explain this, I know you're all too familiar with this particular case."

He handed the document across the desk to Harry, and Harry, almost refusing to look down at the paper, had a feeling he knew what was coming.

Draco Malfoy.

"You are joking?"

"He has finished his post-sentence service and though he was placed under supervision of one of our senior ministry aids, circumstances have changed, hence he now requires a new place to live for the next 18 months. Should he endure that length of time with no further convictions, he will be granted freedom."

"18 months?! I only had the other two for less than half a year."

"18 months minimum. On grounds of regular check-ins from the Ministry and conformance with the terms of his release."

"There's nobody else you can give me?"

Kingsley's gaze flicked up from his papers, less than impressed. "Remind me, Harry, what you said about everyone deserving a second chance?"

Harry frowned, biting his tongue. He pushed back from his chair and began slowly pacing the room, processing it all.

"You know as well as I, that a vast number of those who joined Voldemorts' numbers did so under the imperius and cruciatus curse, others were forced due to threats against loved ones and livelihood."

"I know, I know," Harry sighed, recalling how divided the Wizarding world was after the war. Many people believed that anyone involved in Voldemort's army should have been sentenced to life in Azkaban, 'clean the streets of that filth!', they would chant.

Others, like Harry, understood the complications that brewed under the front of the Dark Lord, that a vast amount of people involved were doing so against their will. Hence a rehabilitation program was put in place, to allow those people more freedom, whilst still staying under a watchful eye.