Free at Last

Chapter 21

                It had been a couple of months since Elizabeth had started working and so far she had spent two weeks each in just about every main department at the Ministry of Magic just like Kingsley Shacklebolt asked her to do. There were only two departments left, the Aurors and The Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts that she had yet to work.

                Elizabeth made her way to work that day with a heavy heart. Astoria still had not signed the divorce papers so the divorce was going to trial later that day. She wanted to be with Draco so bad and she knew he needed her support, but they couldn’t risk her being there if he wanted to succeed in finalizing it. Draco was being forced by Astoria to bring his case before the Wizengamot, a group of about fifty wizards whose job it was to decide cases and convict wizarding criminals. Elizabeth knew that Draco was nervous about this, but he put up a brave front for her. He just wanted it over with so that he and Elizabeth could move on in their relationship and he could be with Scorpius more.

                When she arrived in the Aurors offices she was assigned none other than Harry Potter to show her around the department and teach her how the department was run. Elizabeth was surprised by him. After all that she had heard about him she was expecting someone a little more charismatic and tougher looking, but instead he reminded her of some of her smarter friends, that muggles liked to call nerds, back at the University. He wore his round dark rimmed glasses and he wasn’t much taller than Elizabeth. His dark brown hair looked in need of a cut and his clothing was simple. He seemed somewhat shy at first, but soon he and Elizabeth hit it off wonderfully. Elizabeth couldn’t stop staring at the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Draco had told her all about how Harry had been cursed by the dark lord the night his parents had been killed, but yet he had survived, leaving behind only the scar on his forehead.

                “Kingsley told me about your parents,” Harry told her later that day when they were on a break in his office, “They were very brave to take a stand against Voldemort and join the Order of the Phoenix. A lot of great wizards were part of that fine group, and many made the ultimate sacrifice in their quest to defeat him.”

                “Thanks, Harry,” Elizabeth sighed, “I just wish they had not kept everything from me. I always thought my parents didn’t care for me and that was the reason they always shipped me off to those muggle private schools, never letting me know about this world that I belonged to.  And they were never home, always giving me the impression that they were off socializing. I believed they never cared for me. I even thought my father was nothing more than a drunken gambler and that is what he made me believe. And my mother, I just thought that she was too busy with her friends to spend time with her daughter,” Elizabeth could feel herself getting a little emotional, “Now I find out they weren’t so bad and were actually doing good in the world and it’s too late, because now they are dead and gone.” Elizabeth wiped the tears she felt creeping from her eyes.

                Harry put his hand on her shoulder, “I know how hard it is. I lost my parents and never got to know them. We just have to keep them in our heart and know that they loved us.” Harry was looking at Elizabeth intensely. “You know I am best friends with Hermione Weasley here in the department of Magical Law Enforcement and she told me some interesting information.”

                Elizabeth looked at him in surprise, hadn’t she asked Hermione not to say anything about her and Draco’s relationship, “Don’t tell me, let me guess? She told you about me and Draco.”

                “Yes,” Harry said solemnly, “But I have said nothing to anyone else about this because she made me swear it to secrecy. Not even her husband Ron knows about it and he is my other best friend. The reason Hermione brought it to me was because she was worried for you and I am an auror. I have ways of getting information that others can’t.”

                “Look, Harry,” Elizabeth was getting angry, “I don’t appreciate being done this way. I wasn’t around Draco when he went through being a death eater, but Draco is a good guy now and I love him.”

                “I know this Elizabeth,” Harry said smiling at her.

                “You do,” she said surprised.

                “I know Draco is no longer a death eater. And I also know that he was never as bad in school as he would have liked for everyone to think. I realize he was only doing what his father wanted him to do. I knew it the night Dumbledore died and Draco was supposed to kill him, instead it was Professor Snape. Draco couldn’t do it,” Harry took Elizabeth’s hand; “You don’t have to defend him to me. I hope that you and Draco will be happy together because he deserves that in his life and so do you.”

                Elizabeth and Harry talked some more about Hogwarts and Elizabeth got a better picture of how things were at the school at that time. Draco really had changed since his younger teen years from what Harry told her. He also told Elizabeth about Narcissa part in the final battle with Voldemort and how she lied to the dark lord, telling him that Harry was dead when he was very much alive. She may have done it so she could get in the school to check on Draco, but she probably wanted the dark lord defeated as much as anyone else. Lucius Malfoy was another story. Elizabeth had yet to meet him and she preferred it that way, because if she ever did she knew she would have a few choice words to say to him about how he had let a young Draco be put in danger by allowing him to become involved with the death eaters.

                It was all Elizabeth could do to stay away from the 10th floor where the Wizengamot was having the trial to decide Draco’s divorce. She didn’t want to think about what was going to happen if they did not grant Draco his divorce from Astoria. Harry could tell that she was bothered and did his best to distract her with tales about the dark wizard’s they had captured and one’s the aurors were currently after. There were still a lot of them out there that were still loyal to Voldemort and his pureblood ideals despite the fact that he had been destroyed.

                Meanwhile, Draco sat to the side in the circular seating area of the Wizengamot as Astoria and her lawyer made her case for denying Draco the divorce he was seeking from her. And she was laying it on thick with her false tears and crying about how much she truly loved Draco. He felt like he wanted to vomit. The only thing she truly loved was his money and what she could get out being married to him. Astoria even brought up Elizabeth and how she had stolen her husband from her. Draco had to admit she was good at it and he was getting worried, but his lawyer assured him that everything would be fine.

                It finally came time for Draco to give his own testimony on why they should divorce. He spoke truthfully and told them all about his cold marriage and how it had been arranged before he even left Hogwarts.  He went on to tell how Astoria was only concerned with what he could give her and also how coolly she treated their only child, Scorpius. He even had his own mother testify to that fact and how she regretted ever signing the betrothal agreement that  Lucius had set up for his son.

                After all the testimony was given the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt called for a moment for the jury to deliberate. Draco sat there nervously as they discuss the matter in whispered voices amongst themselves, many of them looking his way and some discussing things with the Minister. Narcissa reached over and took his hand tightly in her own, trying to be supportive. Lucius thankfully had seen fit not to attend the trial.

                Finally, Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke up asking for the verdict on whether or not to grant Draco his divorce. “All those in favor of granting Draco Malfoy his divorce from Astoria Greengrass Malfoy, please raise your hand,” he spoke in a booming voice. Draco was afraid to look. But finally his eyes scanned the jury, all fifty of them, and there were only about fifteen that did not raise their hands. He wanted to get up and shout for joy and then run to find Elizabeth. But he contained himself.

                “The wizengamot has seen fit to grant Draco Malfoy his request for divorce from Astoria Greengrass Malfoy,” Shacklebolt’s voice sounded throughout the courtroom, “As for your son, you are both awarded joint custody of Scorpius Malfoy. He will spend alternate weeks with the two of you. This order stands unless one of you is seen unfit to care for your son. The court is now dismissed.” And Kinglsy Shacklebolt sounded the gavel on the wooden podium. It was over just like that.

                Draco couldn’t help the huge grin that lit his face. He hugged his mother tightly and thanked her for all she had done to help him with her testimony. He couldn’t wait until he could see Elizabeth and let her know that he was now free.

                Elizabeth and Harry made their way to the elevator to head to the third floor and the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. Harry was investigating an incident that he thought might involve a dark wizard. As they were walking Elizabeth almost came face to face with Astoria Malfoy.

                “If it isn’t the bitch who stole my husband,” she snarled at Elizabeth. Elizabeth had no time to react as Astoria yanked her wand out, pointing it at Elizabeth. Astoria released a Cruciatus curse on Elizabeth, hitting her strongly with it. Harry immediately pulled out his wand and broke the spell. Astoria was coming at Elizabeth where she lay on the hard stone floor. Harry quickly used a disarming spell to send Astoria’s wand flying from her hands. By this time other aurors had come running and grabbed Astoria as Harry ran over to Elizabeth where she lay on the stone floor several feet away.

                The aurors were taking a hysterical Astoria away from the scene as Harry checked on Elizabeth. Elizabeth didn’t know what hit her when Astoria hit her with the spell. It was the worse pain she had ever experienced in her life, as if someone were sending thousands of volts of electricity through her body, going to every nerve ending in her body. The sad part was she couldn’t move other than to shake. She felt it when the spell stopped but the pain was still there and fading very slowly. She heard Harry’s voice of concern as if from down a tunnel and then he was leaning over her, trying to lift her up.

                Draco was finally leaving the courtroom when the elevator finally arrived on the ground floor. Something was going on. He could tell by all the people running around and then he saw Astoria being escorted out by a group of wizards. He got a bad feeling. Then he looked several feet from the elevator and there was a group of people surrounding someone. Then he saw the long golden hair lying there and he lost it. Draco took off, busting his way through the crowd, “Elizabeth,” he cried out. He dropped down on his knees. She was lying there; her eyes clenched shut tight and her body still shaking slightly.

                “What happened?” he cried out, he was holding Elizabeth’s face gently, “Sweetheart, are you okay. We have to get her to St. Mungos now!” he shouted out. He gently lifted her up into his arms.

                “She was hit with a Cruciatus curse,” Draco looked over. It was none other than Harry Potter. “Your wife was getting off the elevator when Elizabeth was getting on and she cursed her. I was able to stop her before it got too bad, but it sent Elizabeth flying.”

                “We have to get her to the hospital,” Draco cried out desperately, “She is pregnant. It might have harmed the baby.”

                “Come with me,” Harry took Draco through a door and down a long corridor. They finally came to what looked to be a solid brick wall. Harry ran his wand along the bricks, mumbling something under his breath. Suddenly the bricks revealed a door and they walked through, standing in the middle of the St. Mungos hospital lobby. Harry went to the desk and told the nurse that they needed a healer immediately. Quickly they were rushing Elizabeth into an emergency room and Draco laid her gently on the bed.

                ‘I’m better, Draco,” Elizabeth rasped out, her voice shaky, but now her watery eyes were open and she was only wincing with the pain.

                “Thank goodness, you scared me to death,” he smoothed back her hair from her face where she was sweating.

                “I just feel like I stuck a wet finger into an electric outlet, but the pain is going away slowly. It probably would have been worse if it had not been for Harry being there. I didn’t even see her coming until it was too late and I didn’t have time to react.”

                Draco looked over at Harry. He had not seen Harry since Hogwarts. “Thank you,” Draco said roughly, shaking Harry’s hand. Harry was surprised and shook his hand back.

                “No problem,” Harry responded, “You might want to keep a good eye on Elizabeth from now on because your wife knows who she is and Elizabeth will need to be on guard.”

                “My ex-wife you mean,” Draco stated factually.

                “So you are finally free of her,” Elizabeth cried joyfully, wincing as she tried to sit up.

                Draco took Elizabeth in his arms gently, “Yes, it is final,” he said hugging Elizabeth to him gently. The healer finally came in to check Elizabeth while Draco looked on. Harry started to leave, “Thanks again, Potter,” he told him as he was leaving.

                “You’re welcome, Malfoy,” Harry grinned back, “Take good care of her because she is worth it.”

                “You don’t need to worry about that. I don’t know what I would do without her,” Draco assured him as he left.

                Elizabeth and the baby were fine and Draco took her back to their room at the Leaky Cauldron, helping her bathe and then holding her that night as she fell asleep, exhausted from what she had been through. He had a surprise coming for Elizabeth and he had a lot of work to do. Also, Kingsley Shacklebolt had caught up with him after the trial and offered him a job at the Ministry of Magic and he had decided to take him up on it. At least that way he would be closer to Elizabeth. Now that he was free of Astoria it was time he made Elizabeth his forever.