Stronger Together

Chapter Two

Hermione arrived at the place she was supposed to be meeting the Minister and show him that she was ready. She had to face a trial. She looked at her watch. She was a few minutes early. About five ministry officials appeared suddenly, holding Draco Malfoy. He looked just like the small innocent boy she had smiled at on the King's Cross, the one who didn't care that she was a mudblood. He had hurt her, in his own way, just as much as Ron. Hermione stared as she saw the officials unchain him. Hermione gasped as she realised that the chains were the strongest spell-proof ones only used for the top priority prisoners in the most secure cells in Azkaban. Surely this was all too much. They pulled out a large bottle of a bubbling transparent liquid. The truth potion.

She knew what was happening, but asked all the same. The Minister gave her a long hard look and replied gruffly.

'You will interview a former Death Eater under the influence of Veritaserum, the truth potion as I'm sure you know of. You had outstanding in every subject in both your OWLs and Newts, correct?' Hermione nodded shyly, with many glares from the other employees. He continued 'This is Draco Malfoy. I expect you are familiar with him? Anyway, you will interview him using the Quick Quote Quill. I expect a full report on Friday.' They both knew it would be in well before Friday but Hermione nodded meekly and they apparated away leaving her alone with Draco. She breathed.

'Drink this' she said gently.

SECOND YEAR- HOGSMEADE

She and Draco had snuck out to meet each other without the scrutiny of the other students. They decided on Hogsmeade, in the middle of a harsh winter, without permission, and Hermione had never felt more alive. Hermione's smiles cheered Draco up and he was soon laughing softly with pleasure, and he looked at the girl who had made his world a better place with a cheeky grin and loving eyes. He jabbed her in the side, about to suggest they went for butter beers when Hermione started talking about Harry. Draco growled and sneered 'Ah yes, we can't go a full minute without worshiping Potter, can we?' Hermione laughed, her sweet delicate laugh ringing out into the snow-covered village. She smiled even brighter and grabbed his hand, causing tingles to plague Draco's arm and hand. She pulled him along with a happy smile set firmly on her face and dragged him around the frozen waterfall. Draco's fingers were turning blue but ignored it, watching Hermione dance in the snow. She grabbed his hand and yanked him, with so much force that Draco stumbled forward into a huge pile of snow, his styled hair now pointing out in every direction.

Hermione pulled him up again and asked in a concerned voice if he was ok. Draco was about to say yes, but his lips were so cold they wouldn't move. Hermione soon sussed it out and herded him into the private booth in the Three Broomsticks. She ordered two butter beers and set them down beside a shivering Draco.

'Drink this' she said gently.

Hermione cast aside the happy memory, not wanting to remember any more and started to examine the potion hanging out awkwardly in her hand. Little did she know, Draco was also thinking of the Hogsmeade trip.

He took the mug gratefully and gulped it down, the warm taste lingering in his throat. Hermione bit her lip, nervous and inched closer to Draco. He noticed and asked cautiously if she could lean on him for the warmth, she did so with a small smile. He put an arm round her and began to talk about anything and everything. They even talked about politics and Draco just watched Hermione talk, fascinated. Out of the blue, Draco leaned in and hugged her. In his mind he was kicking himself. He didn't have the guts to do it. The warm bear hug seemed to go on for hours before Hermione pulled away grinning and hugged him again, so hard he couldn't breathe. From that day forward Hermione seemed to be walking on the clouds at school.

Draco reached out for the potion and Hermione set it on the table to avoid contact. He gulped it down and cringed as the potion took effect.

Hermione turned on the Quick Quotes Quill and started.

'On the day of the battle where were you?'

Draco had barely any time to register the question before he had answered

'At malfoy manor then to hogwarts. I went to the room of requirement to bring harry to Voldemort.'

Hermione nodded and continued her rapid interrogation.

'Why didn't you kill Dumbledore? What happened afterwards?' There was a rumor that he had been put under crucio, when he failed to do as Voldemort had asked, by his own father. The ministry were waiting on this answer, so they could decided Lucius Malfoy's fate.

'I couldn't do it. Dumbledore was a good man and didn't deserve to die. Neither did Snape. I got to the house and my father put my under cruciatus curse and I almost died. He held my mother by her arm, spat in her face and wouldn't let her tend to me until she said she loved him.'

His voice went from remorse to anger and then finally disgust.

'What are the scars from?' Hermione's voice became gentle and sympathetic.

'My poor excuse of a father. He beat me tirelessly until one day I stood up to him. That was the first time he used the cruciatus curse on me.'

Hermione breathed sharply. Draco had been abused as a child? Her heart or what was left of it, went out to him. How ever broken she was, she was ready to fix other people. She finished her questions rapidly.

Hermione turned off the quill and asked gently

'Why did you do something like that to me? In the fifth year. I don't want an excuse; I never did. I just want the truth Draco.'

His head turned sharply and he took a deep breath.

A/N thank you so much for reading.

Hope you all have/had a great day!