29. Chapter 29

Good day, lovelies. Here's the next chapter. But before that happens, a few things need to be said.

This has been a big week for Fate Has Its Ways. It was added to its first community, "Forsaken Destiny, Forsaken Fate". It passed 350 reviews, (at the time of this posting, we're at 387). It hit 200 favourites. And it passed 400 followers.

I am so blown away by this. When I started writing this story in early August of last year, I never expected it to get this kind of response. I love all of you so much. Whether you've been reading from day one, or this is your very first day, you are incredible. Thank you all so very much.

Anyway, that's enough of me being sappy. Carry on.

Disclaimer: No.

Draco woke slowly in the morning, drifting back into consciousness. Hermione was still tucked into his side. He brushed his fingers through her hair. She snuggled closer into him. He leant down a place a kiss on her forehead. She sighed in bliss. Draco looked down at her.

He felt slightly strange in his current situation. Having Hermione sleep next to him in bed was a new experience for him. Sure, he had shagged countless girls. He had slept in their beds, and left in the morning. He barely knew them, and he didn't want to. But simply holding Hermione in his arms while she slept felt more intimate than any time he'd slept over at a girl's house. Nothing huge had happened, but that one night had mattered more to him than any shag with some girl.

Hermione mattered more to him than any other girl.

Hermione began to blink. She hazily made her way back to him. She rubbed her eyes, and opened them wide. She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling.

"Good morning," she whispered. Draco smiled at her. Hermione sat up, and let the covers fall off her. Draco was once again reminded why tight pyjamas were a blessing.

Hermione snorted. "Eyes up here, Draco," she chuckled, gesturing to her eyes. Draco laughed, and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Well, where's the fun in that?" he whispered. Hermione leant in this time.

Their lips crashed together, all passion. Draco pulled Hermione in so that the only things separating them were thin layers of clothing. Draco fell back onto the bed, Hermione landing on top of him. It didn't break their kiss. If anything, it intensified it. She tasted like strawberries.

"Come on, you two. I just ate."

Hermione jumped off him, landing next to him on her back. Draco looked up at their interrupter and swore.

"What the fuck is it, Blaise?"

Blaise was leaning against the doorframe. He wore a bemused expression having caught them snogging. He wore a dark suit that screamed secret agent. Draco sighed. Auror business.

Next to him stood Potter. How Potter got into his house, Draco didn't know. The boy who lived was wearing his poker face, staring determinedly at the wall. However, Draco saw the hurt on his face from catching Draco and Hermione.

"Hi Blaise," Hermione said, waving a hand, her face a spectacular shade of red. Blaise nodded in her direction, but his face had turned serious.

"Morning you two. I have news."

Draco sat up. "Which is?"

"While you two were snogging, I got a letter from Azkaban."

Draco's mouth grew dry, and his heart started pounding. "What'd it say?"

Blaise opened the folder he was holding in his hands. Draco hadn't noticed he was holding one. Blaise looked down at the folder then up at him.

"Someone came forward," Blaise said.

Draco stuttered while trying to form words. "We found out who did it?"

Blaise shook his head. "Not the leader. Just one of the participants. We're going to the ministry in an hour. He wants to exchange his freedom for the story."

Draco sighed and tried to see the positives. They were one step closer. But, the thought of dealing with a death eater was not something he was looking forward to.

"What's his name?" Draco asked.

Blaise sighed and looked at the ground. "Nott Sr."

Draco swore. Fucking bastard. That man had fathered one of his best childhood friends. He was very well acquainted with Nott Sr. He knew who they were dealing with.

And he was not happy about it.

Blaise nodded in agreement. "I know. Nott's a bastard. But this is our only shot. So you two better get dressed and get your asses down to the kitchen. No more snogging."

Draco huffed. Blaise smirked at them and closed the door. Before it shut completely, Draco made eye contact with Potter.

Boy wonder did not look pleased.

Draco turned to Hermione, who was staring at the wall. She spoke without looking at him.

"Well, that worked out well." She sounded morose, and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Draco reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and holding her there. She was now seated on his lap with her arms around his neck. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"I'm nervous," she replied, in a small voice.

"What about?"

Hermione took a deep breath, and barely whispered the answer. "What if I don't want to remember?"

Draco shook his head so fast he got a crick in his neck. "No, no, no, Hermione. You want to."

"But what if I don't?" she sounded choked up. "In the past few days, getting my memories back seemed like the distant future. I hadn't reall thought about it. But now that it's possibly hours away, I'm scared. Some of the things you guys have told me, the war, my parents, you. I don't want to remember those things."

Draco stopped breathing. "What do you mean me?"

Hermione pulled back. She looked him in the eye, and grazed over his cheek with her fingers. "Everyone tells me you were horrible to me," she said, examining his entire face slowly. "You said it yourself. But you're so sweet now, so kind, and so gentle. I don't want to remember a tyrant. I don't want my memories to change how I feel about you."

Draco could feel his heart ramming against the inside of his chest. "And how do you feel about me?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but just then, the door slammed open.

"For the love of merlin, you two! I know you want to make passionate bed breaking love, but we don't have time for that! Draco, get up. Hermione, Narcissa's here. She'll give you some clothes. Up! Get up!"

If Draco didn't have such good self-control, he would've killed Blaise Zabini on the spot.

About twenty minutes later, Draco and Hermione were sitting in the kitchen. They were wearing muggle clothes to help keep Hermione comfortable. She sure looked comfortable in dark skinny jeans, a blue t shirt, and a pair of converse. Draco knew they were going in front of the entire wizarding world today, so they probably should've been wearing nicer clothes. But whatever. Draco was so beyond caring about what the wizarding world thought of him. He was in his classic all black, jeans and a t-shirt.

Hermione and Draco were scarfing down pancakes, as Potter and Blaise explained what had happened to his mother. She had been the one who had let Potter and Blaise in. Blaise was there because he was technically still in charge of the case. Potter was there because…..Potter.

Draco was finding it hard to breath. He had thought about Hermione's kidnapping for seven years, and now, he was twenty minutes away from finding out what had happened. That was more important to him at the moment than getting Hermione's memories back. This was the mystery that had haunted the Wizarding World. He wanted the answers. He wanted to know what had happened.

He wanted to know how it was possible for Hermione Granger to lose.

Draco and Hermione finished their pancakes at almost the exact same time. They pushed back their chairs and stood up, joining hands thoughtlessly. When Blaise saw this, he rolled his eyes. When Potter saw it, he glared.

Narcissa gave Draco and Hermione a joint hug.

"It'll be alright," she whispered. Draco didn't know what she was talking about specifically, but that phrase could be used in basically every part of his life right now.

"Thanks Narcissa," Hermione whispered.

Blaise and Potter walked over to the two of them.

"So, we're apparating in," Blaise said. "Right into the atrium. There will be plenty of reporters there."

"Then why are we apparating there?" Draco asked. Blaise opened his mouth to answer, but Potter cut across him.

"Because we need to show the public that Hermione is alright, that she's not hiding. That's she proud and strong, especially after the memory loss became public."

Draco nodded. It seemed logical enough. Though it would suck. It would really suck.

"So," Blaise continued. "Hermione, get ready to look impressive. Just act like you know what you're doing. And stay in between Harry and Draco."

Hermione nodded, taking it in. The four of them joined hands making a pinwheel. With a sudden whoosh, they were off.

They landed in the atrium without stumbling, for which Draco was thankful. He only had a couple of seconds to get his game face on before cameras started flashing. He blinked several times, and got into position.

Hermione kept her hold on his hand. Potter was on her other side. Blaise was behind them. Ahead of them lay the largest crowd of reporters Draco had ever seen. On the other side were the elevators. That was their destination. Draco put on his best smirk for the cameras, and shot a look at Hermione.

It struck him how determined she looked. Her hair was out of her face, and her face was glowing. Her eyes were on fire, and a slight smile played at her mouth. Draco didn't know if she was faking it or not, but she looked like she damn well owned the place.

"Ms. Granger! Ms. Granger!" Cries filled the hall. Draco looked at Potter. They both exchanged a nod. They began walking, or strutting is more like it.

Hermione didn't look much at the reporters. She just walked forward, her hand intertwined with his. Potter looked angry. Draco just kept his smirk on.

Before long, they had reached the elevators. The reporters had gracefully parted for them to go through. They got into an elevator and closed the gate.

"What floor?" asked the bellman, eyeing Hermione nervously.

"Department of Mysteries," Potter told the man. He turned to Draco. "It's a full Wizengamot."

Of course it was.

Draco raised his hand to hold one of the golden handles at the top of the elevator. On its first jolt backwards, Hermione grabbed on to him. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist while she wrapped hers around his. Draco held her there until the elevator jerked to a final stop.

They stepped off the lift and Blaise started leading them down a long, dark corridor. They arrived at a set of large doors. Draco could hear voices mulling around within them.

"We're here!" said Blaise. "So, when you go in, take a seat on the bench right below Kingsley. Nott's not in there yet, but he's in the building. They should bring him in soon."

"Where are you going, Blaise?" Draco asked.

"I'm still head of this case. I'll be sitting with the other aurors. Harry is coming with me. Oh, so you know, the Weasleys are all sitting in the visitor boxes. Well, except Percy. He's working upstairs."

"Just what I needed," Draco muttered. He met Blaise's eye once more, and his best friend of nearly fourteen years gestured to the doors. Draco sighed, and turned to Hermione.

"Ready to have the most dramatic entrance possible?" Draco smirked at Hermione. She nodded. She looked a little pale.

Draco leant in and whispered in her ear. "This won't change anything." She nodded, understanding. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, while Potter coughed. Draco rolled his eyes.

He smiled at her, and she returned it. She took a deep breath, and together, they both walked into the Wizengamot.

The entire chamber went silent. Draco looked around and saw all the wizarding officials, some more reporters, the Weasleys, and finally, his eyes landed on Kingsley. The minister was sitting high above the rest of the officials. Below his platform was a bench. Draco pulled Hermione towards it. They sat down.

Draco turned his head and whispered to her. "The officials in the gowns decide on the outcome of the case, or the witness in this case. They decide if his information is good enough to shorten his sentence."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully; completely aware that everyone's eyes were on them. She still looked slightly pale.

Draco looked straight ahead of him while he waited for Kingsley to start. He was exceptionally nervous. They were about to be in a room with one of Hermione's attackers. Not the main one, but that didn't matter to him. It would take all his energy not to kill the man.

Kingsley's voice boomed out suddenly from behind them.

"Court in session! Kingsley Shaklebolt, minister for magic speaking. Case 394, missing persons. Subject: the disappearance of Hermione Granger, 1998. Ms. Granger has been found and a witness has come forward to speak about her disappearance. Bring in Mr. Nott Sr."

The doors opened on the other side of the chamber. Two of the wizard cops came in, escorting a man in shackles. His face was sunken and hollow. His hair was limp and gray, falling over his face. His clothes were ripped and dirty, falling over his frail form.

Boy, had the pure-blooded supremacist gone downhill.

The guards brought him in and sat on a chair in the middle of the room. The chair immediately bolted him there. Nott couldn't get away even if he tried.

Kingsley got the attention of the room once more. "Mr. Nott, you have been brought here from Azkaban on your own request. Why is that?"

Nott looked up from his seat and straight at Hermione. His eyes were piercing gray, angry yet calm at the same time. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Hermione flinch.

"Because of the girl," Nott rasped.

Kingsley rolled his eyes. "We know. Please specify."

Nott coughed and looked up at Kingsley. "I know what happened to her. I was there. I….helped." His voice sounded like nails on a chalk board.

Kingsley drummed his fingers on his desk. "And in exchange for this information, you would like…"

"My freedom," he rasped, coughing even more.

Kingsley paused for a moment. Slowly, he began to speak again. "If we deem your information acceptable, we will consider your claim. So talk, prisoner."

Nott twitched several times. Defiantly, he said, "I'm not saying anything until I get my freedom."

Kingsley sighed. "We can't give it to you."

Nott growled. Actually. He growled. "Well, good luck getting her memories back then." He nodded his head in Hermione direction. She twitched, and Draco wrapped his arm around her to keep her calm. Cameras flashed in the corner of his eye.

Nott snarled up at Kingsley. "If you don't want to know how she was tied up and tortured, feel free. If you don't want to know how she got to Canada, go ahead. If you don't want to know the name of the man who stood above her and ripped away her world, that's fine with me." He was rasping by the end.

There was a pause in the chamber. Everyone seemed to be thinking over what Nott had said. Draco was thinking about it too. He did want to know those things. He wanted to know them very much. But was setting a death eater, one who had murdered hundreds, on the loose a fair trade? Draco couldn't make that call.

The silence in the courtroom prolonged. Draco looked around. Everyone was thinking, and Nott was just smirking, thinking he had won. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room grew tense. It was like the calm before the storm. Draco nearly swore. He knew what was coming before everyone else did.

So when Potter stood up and shouted, Draco wasn't that surprised.

"My name is Harry Potter, auror," he shouted from his place with the aurors. Blaise started tugging on his sleeve to get his ass down, but boy wonder wouldn't budge. "On behalf of the ministry of magic, I offer Nott Sr. his complete innocence in any death eater acts committed during the Wizarding War on the condition that he tells the courtroom absolutely everything he knows about Hermione's disappearance."

Of course Potter just did that.

The courtroom froze. No one said a thing. Kingsley's jaw had dropped to the floor. Weasel's eye was twitching. The officials in gowns seemed shell-shocked. Blaise had his face in his hands. Then out of nowhere, Nott shouted out, his face alit.

"I ACCEPT!"

Then the courtroom exploded.

Papers flew everything, people began yelling at each other, Blaise slapped Potter across the face, Nott cackled in joy, Kingsley was shouting for order, while all the officials started arguing. Hermione turned to him and buried her face in his chest. He held her there, trying to understand what was going on.

After ten minutes, Kingsley managed to regain order. He looked angrier than Draco had ever seen him. His ears were steaming.

"Well," the minister hissed. "As Potter knows, when an offer is made in the courtroom by the ministry, and the suspect accepts, it becomes a bounded magical contract. We are now required to give you your unconditional freedom. However, and we will be testing with veriteserum, if you hold anything back, or lie in the slightest, we will be sending you back to Azkaban with no chance of exit. So, you had better tell us what you know right this second."

Nott smirked. "I can do one better. If you have a pensieve on hand, I can just show you."

Kingsley stared for a moment. "Mr. Nott, you shall release all your memories of Ms. Granger's disappearance. Will someone get a pensieve?"

One of the guards brought in a pensieve and laid it on the desk in the middle of the room.

Another guard raised his wand to Nott's head. Silver liquid had begun to leak out of Nott's eyes and ears. The guard collected all the silvery liquid and put it in the pensieve, where it began to shimmer softly. The memories in the pensieve began to swirl around, forming blurry images that Draco couldn't quite make out.

Draco leaned forward in anticipation. He was shaking. They were actually going to see what had happened to Hermione. He had never imagined this possibility. He had thought they would hear about it, if anything. Draco shuddered when he realised the full implications of seeing what had happened to Hermione. Draco looked at Hermione. She looked scared, curious, determined, and confused all at the same time.

Draco couldn't believe was about to happen. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly around him. The discovery of the memory block, the Quidditch pitch, dinner last night, the paper, and now this. Life wasn't giving him any time to adjust to what was happening. Life hadn't given them any answers about Hermione in seven years. Now, in the last three days, more had happened with Hermione than ever before.

Draco thought back to something Hermione had said to him in Canada. Fate has its ways. That's what she had said when talking about them running into each other again. Draco supposed she was right, in more ways than she had known at the time. Fate was doing this. Fate was doing all of this. It was running the show. Draco guessed that it must be working towards something. It has its ways. His mother used to say that everything always works out in the end. Fate was working towards their end. It was setting something up. Everything was happening for a reason.

But what their end was going to be, Draco was scared to find out.

Kingsley stood up. "Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger and I shall enter the pensieve and watch the memories. Afterwards, I shall describe what I saw and ask Nott Sr some questions."

Draco stood up thoughtlessly. In less than a second, Potter was at his side. Hermione was still holding his hand, with Kingsley on his other side.

Kingsley leaned across the group quickly and whispered to Potter. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will fire you on the spot."

Potter nodded, but didn't seem to care. Kingsley sighed. It seems there was no getting through to the chosen one. Draco wasn't surprised. When it came to the ones he loved, there was nothing he wouldn't give up.

And he loved Hermione more than anything.

Draco stuttered over his thoughts for a second. Something was forming in his mind. Something was beginning to make sense.

Draco was just trying to figure out what that something was when he was pushed forward into the pensieve.

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