The Marriage Decree

Chapter 25: One Less Drunk

After checking the clock on the wall for the fifth time in an hour, Draco decides that he's not getting to sleep anytime soon and gets out of bed, making his way downstairs into the kitchen for a warm glass of milk. Mitty used to make him a glass whenever he woke with a nightmare as a child and couldn't get back to sleep.

He takes the glass into the living room where he lounges on the couch. Athena chirp at him for attention. With a flick of his wrist, the cage door burst open and Athena flutters around the room for a few minutes to stretch her wings before landing on Draco's shoulder.

"Hello, Athena." He greets her, stroking the top of her head, glad that she's forgiven him.

Athena chirps at him again as she leans against his touch.

"What are you doing awake at..." He checks the clock. "Half one in the morning?" He sighs, leaning further back into the couch. "Can't sleep either?" He yawns.

Athena chirps in reply.

Draco sips at his glass of milk as he thinks. Will the Minister take their 'bribe'? What if he doesn't? Bribery is an imprisonable offence that could end them both in Azkaban. When he testified against his father, he promised himself that he would never end up there with him. Would he risk it for Hermione though?

"She's confident it will work out in our favour." He tells Athena who cocks her head sideways at him. "I'm not so sure a simple speech at a dinner will be enough to persuade the Minister to give us both access to the Ministerial Wizarding Register Department." He admits. "We need to give him something he won't be able to turn down." He mutters as something hits him.

He needs to go to the Manor.

Draco runs as quickly and quietly as he's capable of up the stairs and sneaks into their bedroom over to their wardrobe. He grabs a black pair of robes, a black cloak and his black boots, taking them into the bathroom to get changed. He's about to creep back downstairs when he remembers that he left his wand on his bedside table. He opens the door wide enough to fit his hand through and whispers, "Accio wand."

His wand flies silently into his hand, which he pockets then heads back down the stairs. He finds Athena already in her cage, asleep on her perch when he enters the living room and downs the rest of his milk before leaving it in the sink to wash later. He finds a scrap piece of parchment and a quill which he uses to writes Hermione a note.

Hermione,

Don't go to the Ministry. I should be back before lunch.

Draco

He leaves it on the coffee table, where he hopes she'll find it when she wakes up. He rushes out of the front door, locking it behind him, then almost runs down the street towards the gate where he disapparates straight to the gates of the Manor. He doesn't waste a moment in unlocking the gate and running across the grounds towards the door.

After a minute of banging on the door, Gharther finally answers then bows when he sees it's him.

"Master's Mother is sleeping, sir." He announces, nose almost touching the floor.

"I need to use the library." Draco pushes past Gharther and rushes towards the library doors. "Mitty!" He calls out and a second later, his house-elf is stood in front of him, looking sleepy. "Sorry to wake you Mitty but I need your help."

"Mitty is grateful to help Master." She tells him with a curtsy.

"I need every issue of the Daily Prophet since Sunday 3rd May 1998." He tells her as he starts fingering through the piles of newspapers on the shelf. "In chronological order please." He adds.