Title: favourite crime
Characters/pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Rating: Explicit
Word count/length: 6851 words
Warnings: Major Character Death
Summary: The sparkling, ornate, probably even diamond and maybe emerald she thought, chandelier dazzled across the recently cleaned marble drawing-room flooring, no marks or scuffs showing the damage, hurt and betrayal that had been forcefully pushed throughout the corridors of the Malfoy Manor because of this Second Wizarding War. Upon spotting the second chandelier dazzling and glistening near the first really confirmed how fucking fancy this particular room in Malfoy Manor was. Hermione knew that drawing-rooms were nice but had never been in one like this before, though thinking about it truly, Hermione hadn’t ever even been in a Manor before today. Hermione supposed that there was always a first for everything. Even if she was about to die today. Hermione Granger was his favourite crime and yet, Draco Malfoy would never be enough.
Chapters: 1/1
–
Make sure to leave a kudo & comment, and share with all your wretched friends 💜💀💚
The first time Hermione saw Draco Malfoy after the Battle of Hogwarts was at his trial.
While most Death Eaters were put on short trial – sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban – the Malfoys, among others, were put on trial for potentially days on end. A whole week was scheduled for the family, cruelly overlapping with Draco’s 18th birthday. Harry was to testify on behalf of Narcissa and Draco. Hermione had prepared a testimony for Draco, as she saw no need to add to Harry’s testimony for Narcissa, which would likely be key to release her anyway. But she had made one resolution as it became clear that the Golden Trio, as the Prophet now dubbed them, were to testify in any trial they wished: No classmate of hers was going to prison on her watch.
In the first week of June, Ron was notably absent in the courtroom after their fallout over hers and Harry’s engagement with the Malfoys’ sentence.
Hermione watched Lucius, a shadow of his former arrogant self, as he tried to worm his way out of his actions, relying heavily on his lack of engagement during the Final Battle and on the threat of having Voldemort in his house. He was sentenced to 30 years in Azkaban after two long and tiring days before the Wizengamot, but Narcissa was released as expected after a few short hours, around midday the next day. She left the hearing room with her head held high, shortly nodding towards Harry, but her face was hollow, her gaze was trained on the door. Hermione thought she saw her hands trembling slightly.
“She could be more grateful”, Ginny observed coldly in between Harry and Hermione.
“Draco’s next”, was Harry’s even reply. As Hermione turned away from Narcissa to face them, she saw her best friend shrug towards Ginny, who seemed unappeased.
The day after, Thursday, not only brought the youngest accused, but also the biggest protests the trials had seen so far. Word had gotten out that Draco Malfoy, the youngest Death Eater in the second Wizarding War, enabler of the murder of one Albus Dumbledore, was likely to be tried prudently. Protesters had made their way into the Ministry and the trial had to spontaneously be turned into a closed hearing. Hermione would later learn that the protests during that day would eventually turn into a riot in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, with several hexed or jinxed.
As a result, Draco Malfoy didn’t enter a bustling courtroom, but stepped on the dais in an eerily silent, expectant surrounding.
If this surprised him, he didn’t let it on. Hermione watched his slender figure on the way from the door to his seat. He had always been lean – ‘pointy’, as Harry would always say – but the weeks in prison had not been kind to him. His features were sunken in, the malnourishment obvious and yet another motivator for Hermione to deliver a convincing testimony. Malfoy looked tired. He showed the obvious signs of insomnia, with hands shaking, skin bordering on an unhealthy tone of grey and bloodshot eyes. However, he also looked tired on another level. Just tired of this process.
Despite his physical degeneration, or because his slender frame stood in such a drastic contrast to it, Hermione couldn’t help but notice that he must have grown taller since they had been held captive at Malfoy Manor around Easter.
With his back to the crowd, the bulky security guard behind him seemed almost comically short, barely reaching up to Malfoy’s shoulders.
Similarly, as he sat down before the Wizengamot, Malfoy’s straight posture looked equally out of place and yet eerily fitting. His long legs seemed awkward in the small space he was given.
Malfoy didn’t speak during his trial, he just sat in his chair and stared in his lap as his legal defence attorney made one careful point after the other. The accusations – accessory to murder in at least thirty cases, terrorism, crimes against wizardry and humanity – washed over him and sparked little reaction.
He barely turned toward the witness stand, as Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini made statements, and he neither lifted his head during Professor McGonagall’s nor Harry’s testimonies.
Hermione heard Ginny hiss next to her when, after Harry’s empathetic and pleading statement, Malfoy still appeared to be unimpressed by the whole situation, his eyes trained on some point near his knees.
However, when taking a closer look, it was clear that it took Malfoy every fibre of his being to hold it together. His downcast gaze was not bored or aloof, he was staring down, probably occluding, hands constantly balled to fists with the knuckles standing out against his skin.
The next day was much of the same, with Professor Slughorn making a flimsy statement in the morning.
When her name was called out shortly after midday, Hermione took a deep breath before standing, Harry squeezing her right hand briefly. Her eyes were trained on the console where she was to testify, trying, and failing, to forget the stark contrast between bright, grey eyes and the bloodshot whites, trained on the floor.
Thus, she missed that the only time Malfoy briefly raised his head in surprise during his trial was when she walked past him.
Author’s notes: This took a while. Sorry for that! I was out visiting my sister and hiking, a relatively COVID-friendly holiday, you could say :) I plan for one more part of this before we’re back to usual drabble business!
In other news, this blog has now reached 500 followers! Thank you all so much for being around and making this such a fun account to post on!
What would happen if Draco had feelings for Hermione Granger long before the Golden Trio are captured by snatchers and brought to Malfoy Manor? When he sees her being tortured by Bellatrix, he risks everything to save her life. But things are never that simple. Draco POV.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review: This fic was beautifully written, with characterizations to die for and a plot that had me addicted for the entire day. I recommend this to anyone who is feeling like settling down with a cup of tea and losing themself in a fanfiction that will have you wishing it never ended.
Ships: Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger, with Draco/Blaise friendship.
Words/Status: 139k, Complete!
TW: self induced death, sexual activity
Follow for more HP fic recs, personally rated and reviewed!
Normalcy was an unrealistic ambition when everyone must return to Hogwarts for their final year after the war. The pretence impossible to continue as all are called on to save the wizarding world - yet again, by law, this time.
Summary: ONE-SHOT "Come on, Malfoy, give me a Valentine’s miracle. Let me spend one night with you, and then you’ll never have to again. You don’t have to tell anyone what happened. I just want one night to call you mine." HG/DM
