This fic isn't for my own evil purposes. This is actually for my best friend in the whole wide world, Daisy. It's her birthday today and this is my gift to her, because of a long and complicated story involving anime, a certain book series and hot boy on boy action. I will post this prologue and 12 chapters, each chapter to be posted on the 11th of each month, so the story will have ended this time next year. I hope you enjoy!

 I based the title on the Alanis Morisette song, because I thought it was a good song. So sit back and relax. Oh, and also in OotP, the jury Harry sits before is called the Wizengamot, so I assumed it would be the case for all serious trials. Correct me if I'm wrong.

D/c: I don't own the characters or anything legally claimed by JK Rowling and/or her affiliates.

Forgiven

"He fought beside me against Voldemort! He fired the killing curse!" I shouted, and felt my face flush as my anger consumed me. At his name, the Wizengamot shared a collective shudder, but this seemed to only deter a few of them from their vicious questioning.

"And Mr. Malfoy has also been named in no less then twenty tortures of aurors, many of which didn't live through his. attentions." A bulbous man with a wiry comb over, Mr. Hagut, replied, sneering. I felt myself start to shake.

"We've been through this! He came to oppose Voldemort before his fall, and all that stuff was just brainwashing by his family." I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose again, barely noting the motion in my fury.

"I think the real question here, Mr. Potter," At first I looked around, for I couldn't remember a voice like that. "is why Mr. Malfoy is not here to defend himself." I spotted a woman of strong build, Mrs. Gretchen her nameplate read, looking over her glasses haughtily at me.

"I think the inquisition has ruined his life enough, don't you think? It's rather hard to get by when your assets have been stolen and your wand snapped." I seethed. I knew I shouldn't have come. I just got so angry, but I couldn't force Draco to go to another trial. This was a landmark case, the one that would decide what others in his position got. I- we, couldn't afford to lose this.

"So are you suggesting that one good deed can redeem a man from countless cruelties?" Mrs. Gretchen spoke again, but before I could get a word in Fudge waved his hand decisively.

"This is not a battle on moral judgements. This is a legal forum. I believe we have heard all we need to, unless you have something to add, Mr. Potter?" I pressed my abused lips together so hard they started to bleed, but shook my head. Fudge nodded, and all the jurors took their rise. I quickly did the same and all but ran out of the room.

When I was safely away I gritted my teeth and softly pounded the side of my fist into the wall. This wasn't going anything like I had wanted it to. However, even as I left, all I could think about was Draco. This was his trial. He had switched sides in 7th year, shortly before the downfall of Voldemort. Of course, he had been the downfall of Voldemort. In my face off against Voldemort I had started to loose. In fact, I was almost ready to die before Draco found his way to me. Draco had then killed Voldemort. I wasn't sure how, exactly, as I had been delirious and tired at that point. All I knew was that he had saved the world and now he was being treated like a traitor.

In the wake of Voldemort's death many death eater families had been caught and interrogated. This lead to many people speaking of Draco. They claimed he had tortured a lot of people, including ministry officials and students of Hogwarts. His entire history was eventually brought into light, and a fact had been revealed: he had been abused by Lucius. Mentally, emotionally, physically and sexually, Lucius had used every sort of way to undermine him. So the ethical debate had started. Was it the fault of the ministry? They had their suspicions that Lucius was a death eater, why didn't they try to get Draco away? Hogwarts teachers had seen signs of abuse, and even thought as to report it on his student file, why hadn't they done anything? Basically, it came down to whether he was born evil or created by circumstance. Then came the battle of if he should be forgiven for his past crimes in light of the gracious act of destroying Voldemort? Some still wouldn't believe he did it, even with my corroboration.

But I knew the truth. Draco hadn't tortured anyone. He had looked in my eyes and told me he had been set to become a death eater, until he saw what they did to people. It was far too gruesome, and he had converted to our side. I knew it was true because of the look in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice. The other death eaters were trying to get revenge and now Draco was suffering.

In truth I was tired of it. The battle had been going on for almost a year now, and for the first eight months no one on the ministry's blacklist was allowed to get a job, own a wand or do any magic, including potions. It wasn't bad, I had become a quidditch player for England, and was paid very handsomely. Watching Draco mope around the house was slightly depressing, however, even if he did do it in a very tidy and constrained way.

The hearing had been about giving Draco back his wand privileges. Initially, anyway. It had just degraded into a screaming match between the Wizengamot and I on his innocence. Draco had already been to one of the hearings on the matter, and we had agreed he could sit this one out. After all, he still had numerous legal battles to go through, the most important being the one deciding whether he was innocent or guilty, which would decide if he was forced to Azkaban or not.

I wasn't sure if this was to be the final hearing or not. How things often worked was the Wizengamot just randomly decided your verdict (or so it seemed) and sent it to you by owl.  All the hearings were getting to be ridiculous!

However, as I entered the house and saw a particular blonde sleeping on the couch, all my anger flooded from me and I felt a tenderness wash over me. He was so beautiful. Lean body stretched out, mouth slightly parted, hair shimmering. there was nothing I could compare it to. Taking off my shoes and cloak, I crossed the carpet, grimacing as my sock feet made unbecoming creeks on the floor. I knelt down beside him and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

I let out a soft laugh as Draco's eyes fluttered open, glancing around suspiciously until he recognized me. He then returned my soft smile and sat up, stretching like a cat.

"How was the trial?" he yawned. I grimaced again.

"Don't ask."

"Well, if you're going to be like that at least give me a proper kiss." I grinned as he stood up and I took him in my arms, pressing my mouth firmly against his, savouring the feeling of his smooth, soft lips against my hard, chapped ones.  Draco took a slight swipe at my bottom lip and then pulled away.

"If you're going to play quidditch Harry, then at least use chap stick. It's like licking a bloody vampire. or a snake." I laughed as he wrinkled his nose, and I knew it was going to be OK. We had each other, and no one was going to take him away. No if I could help it.

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K, this is just the prologue, the next chapters should be longer and more shall be explained.  See you on March 11th.