La Vie En Rose [Draco Malfoy]

🌠 Chapter Nine 🌠

Melantha was unable to go to St. Mungo's on either the seventh or on the eighth of December. She had hoped to do so but it was difficult to do when her schedule was so piled up with the upcoming trial. It wasn't anything that big for Melantha but she was surrounded by people who wanted to go through every detail to make sure that Lucius Malfoy would either be returned to jail for a further few months or other restrictions were to be put on his movements.

While it was very important for Melantha to make sure that any and all Death Eaters were in Azkaban for the rest of their lives, she wasn't sure much of it was needed in Lucius Malfoy's case – his biggest punishment was to live in the society that no longer revered his wealth and position. He was poor in the eyes of people and there was nothing he could do.

That was the punishment she found suitable enough for him but Melantha could also understand the feelings of victims and their families who would not want to see Lucius Malfoy around. And if there was anything she could to relieve that pain, she would.

All in all, Melantha wanted this chapter to close so she could concentrate on other issues. She wanted to get back to a steady schedule as the holidays approached.

Right now, however, Melantha was concerned she had been unjustly rude to Draco by blind-siding him regarding the letter she sent his address on the seventh.

Thus, it was important for Melantha to make time on the eleventh of December, heading to St. Mungo's just shy of lunch break so she could catch Draco. She wanted to see that he was having an okay time and not disgruntled by her behaviour and subsequent absence.

"Hey, Mel," Harry greeted as he stopped by Melantha's office and the older female looked up at him, filing away the paperwork. "The Manor's sealed off, I'm going to go check in. Also, I'll be joining you in the courtroom on the eleventh,"

"Well, I hope none of us has to go back there from today on," Melantha muttered. "I don't want people trespassing in there, either. I might just apply to get it demolished,"

"That'd be something," Harry said. "To be fair, we've wiped it clean – there's nothing to do there or steal. Demolishing would stop the teenagers from trying, however,"

"Sometimes, I don't understand teenagers," Melantha admitted and Harry cracked a grin. "But we were teens just two or so years ago, weren't we?"

"To be fair, you didn't understand teenagers when you were one, either," Harry responded and Melantha scrunched her nose up slightly. "Are you going out for lunch?"

"Yes," Melantha replied. "I'll go check in at St. Mungo's before that, however,"

"Checking on Malfoy, you mean," Harry pointed out.

"Well, yes," Melantha said. "That as well,"

"Would you mention about the manor to him?" Harry asked.

"Should I?" asked Melantha, looking over at him. "I don't... think it is a place that anyone wants to talk about. All that place has is horrific memories and innocent blood,"

Harry didn't say anything, and instead, changed the topic to that of the upcoming holidays. When Melantha was younger, it was easier to attend Christmas parties. She would have presents from her family, from her friends, from her boyfriend and all others. And she would get to see the joy in their faces whenever they received theirs.

Melantha was a meticulous person – she always took such a long-time in selecting gifts just because she wanted them to be perfectly fit for her person of choice. And it took even longer to match them up with wrapping paper and sealing it up for them.

Those days were now far gone... Melantha was no longer innocently attending Christmas at Hogwarts, with her family or with the Weasleys. Or attending the exhausting Slug Club Christmas parties that Slughorn still insisted on to this day...