Ministry Law (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 1

The war was over and people were trying to rebuild. Father was in prison for his part played as a Death Eater. For this reason, I had returned home. After Voldemort had returned in our fourth year, I had come home believing my family would not return in their service to Voldemort. I had been wrong. Father was there when he returned and I vowed to them that they would not see me again until he was defeated and he would be I assured them. I told them I would not be put in danger like that by the very people who were supposed to protect me. I spent the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts and the Summer holidays with my best friend Cecilia. My twin brother wasn't so lucky as you may know.

See I am Persephone Nott. I come from a pure-blood slytherin family and while I had always been the beloved daughter of the Nott family, it came as a great shock and disappointment when I had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Theo had been sorted Slytherin and that had brought my father and mother great joy. When Voldemort returned he followed our parents. We were still relatively close. I understood his choices and the pressure that was on his shoulders. I didn't blame him for not following me in leaving. Where would he have gone? To his best friends house? That would have only been worse. The Malfoys had been housing Lord Voldemort.

As I said, I had returned home the summer after our horrible seventh year. Now Theo and I were meant to return to Hogwarts to retake our seventh year. Most of the seventh years from last year were returning. This would be an incredibly interesting year to say the least. The wizarding world had lost many of our numbers in the war and I knew that there had been rumblings from the Ministry about how they could save our kind. I had no idea how drastic the steps they were willing to take would be.

Theo and I were sat in my room speaking about what we thought was going to take place when we returned the following day. I had made sure that we were both fully packed and ready to go yesterday. It was much to Theo's surprise when I had showed up the previous night in his door offering to pack as I had done the years prior when I had been home, but he smiled and thanked me.

We both knew that no matter what this year was going to be crazy and that we would need each other to lean on. As we sat in a small silence from our previous conversation about what Theo hoped would be at the welcoming feast, I turned to study my brothers face.

"Theo, what do you think the Ministry is planning?"

He looked confused as his face turned towards me, "What do you mean? They are focused on rebuilding the damage. There is nothing about that to effect us during the school year!"

"I think we are going to find that to be incorrect. Theo, mother keeps talking about the whispers from the Ministry about how scared they are of the depleted wizarding numbers. I think that whatever they do, is going to have a huge effect on us. I just want to know that I won't lose you again because of it." I couldn't meet his eyes as I finished, but I felt an arm thrown over my shoulder before I was dragged to my brother's chest.

"No matter what happens, Pers you never have and never will lose me."

I smiled at my brother, but as I opened my mouth to respond a soft knock on my door stopped me. Both of us turned to the door as our mother peaked in.

"All packed," She asked the two of us. We responded with a quick nod before she fully entered my room and too a seat on the couch across from us. "I need to tell you both something, and I need to you to take this seriously and remember what I say."

Her tone shocked us both. Theo and I made eye contact for a moment before turned and nodding expectantly at our mother. "What is it mother," I asked nervously.

"This year is going to be very difficult, the Ministry is enacting a new law and it will effect the both of you. I cannot tell you expressly what it will mean, as we have been instructed to let McGonagall explain its implications, but I wanted to warn you. When you arrive at Hogwarts tomorrow you will have the welcoming feast and after you will be told about the law. You will be given three options and I want you both to choose to wait until summer. Please remember that. Can you both promise me that you will remember that?" I didn't have to look at my twin to know he had quickly agreed to our mother request. That was one of the few differences between us, he always took our parents word as gold. I however wanted all the information before making a decision that was based on that.

"We will both remember you asked us to wait until summer for whatever it is. I think that we can both agree to that at least, right Pers?" I turned to see Theo looking at me with a pleading look on his face and gave a brief nod to his request.

"Okay, good." Our mother stood and turned towards the door, but when she reached our and grabbed the handle, she paused taking a deep breath and turned back to look directly at me this time. "I know how much you hate to do what I ask," seeing that I was about to disagree she held her hand up to continue, "I know it is because you want to know all the facts and think through to come to your own conclusion of what is most logical. I know it is not to hurt me, but I want you to really consider what I am asking Persephone. I won't be angry, whatever decision you make, but I want you to at least consider what I ask of you and consider that it might be best. Can you please really consider my advice?"

I sighed, "Of course I will. You may not believe this, but I have always seriously considered your advice and how it would effect you in every decision I have made that you may not have agreed with. Always!" At my words she gave a soft, sad smile and left the room. "She means well, but whatever this law is I want us to make an agreement." I turned to see Theo looking at me expectantly. "When we are told what this is, I want you to also hear me out. You and mother both think about what is best for the family in a different sense than I do. I want you to hear out what I think is the logically smart decision and then make yours. I know you will always do what you can to make mother happy and I don't judge you for that, but when I make my decision I want you to understand why and respect that for me. I can't argue with you about another decision I make that our parents don't agree with. We are adults Theo and I can't keep arguing with you. You are the most important person to me. You always have been."

Theo gave me a hug and promised again that no matter what happened tomorrow we would be there for each other.