Broken

Logic

'I told you! I told you he was lying!' Ron shouted, waving his arms at a nearby row of holding cells.

'Ron...' Harry sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

'You!' Ron rounded on Hermione as she walked past. 'What did you do that for?! You seriously need to consider where your loyalties lie!'

'What are you talking about?' Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Malfoy, he was lying! He knows all of those people but he said he didn't!!

'They were wearing masks, Ronald, how was he supposed to know?'

'But he knew them all from school, he must have been involved!'

'You're being absurd. By your logic, perhaps we should investigate you, since you had classes with them?'

'That's...that's ridiculous...!' Ron spluttered.

'Really? But I was simply extending the logic of your own argument...' Hermione smiled, nastily.

'Cut it out you two,' Harry snapped. 'This isn't helping!'

A nearby door opened and shut. All three heads whipped around.

'O....k, this seems like a bad time...' Draco murmured, as three pairs of eyes fixed on him.

'Not at all,' Harry told him, stiffly. 'You are free to leave, thank you for your time.'

'How are you feeling?' Hermione asked as they left the auror department.

'I'm feeling like you are an absolute goddess!'

'Ok, let's get you back...'

'I'm kidding,' Draco smirked as Hermione blushed. 'The potion wore off ages ago, I'm back to my normal, untrustworthy self once more.'

They walked in silence along the corridor, Hermione's dress swishing quietly with each step.

'If you were a goddess,' Draco teased, 'you'd be the Goddess of Thunder, Lightning and Everything Frightening.'

'You'd definitely be a Trickster God!' Hermione pushed him playfully, laughing.

'I'm certainly handsome enough,' Draco preened.

'Hmm, I take it back. You'd be the Greek god Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection!'

They laughed and teased each other until they reached the Ministry's apparating point.

'Thank you,' Draco muttered, 'for helping me. I hope it doesn't cause too many problems with your friends...'

'It was nothing,' Hermione smiled warmly.

'Maybe to you, but to me it was everything.' Draco apparated away with a sharp crack before Hermione could respond.