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Title: I Swore.

Chapter 6: The Epilogue

Three Years Later:

I sat stiffly in my seat as the Wizengammot reconvened. It had been a long, long wait for this day, but finally it was here. Voldemort was defeated, the Death Eaters disbanded and imprisoned, and Harry Potter was the Saviour of them all.

I could barely smother the snort that threatened to escape from my throat. Though the brat had made it quite clear that he would support me in this trial, I was still not quite certain that he would not betray me. But no- he was immediately behind me, sitting next to my son, eyes sparkling with the knowledge of my 'innocence'. This time I did snort, but quietly, and no one heard. Or admitted to hearing it.

I have never in my life been 'innocent', my father had made sure of that. I had followed the Dark Lord willingly- right up until the point when he had made me kill my wife. Only after that did I turn to that interfering old fool for help. And I had only survived Dumbledore's machination's through Severus' force of will.

My childhood friend had vouched for me, standing firm behind me even as the other members of their precious 'Order' wanted nothing more than my death. But he knew what had changed me, he knew yet never told, and for that I would be forever grateful. It is bad enough to owe my limited freedom to the Boy-Who-Lived, it would be worse for the world to know I had completely lost control, though it may have only been for a limited frame of time.

As the old fools before me finally finish retaking their seats, I sigh. This is going to be humiliating.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, rise." My lips curled into a sneer even as I obeyed. I could not seem to help the instinctive urge to express my superiority, and I felt more than heard the Potter brat sigh.

"You are charged with willful endangerment of a minor, consorting with and abetting the enemy, treason, murder of Innocents and Muggles, and the use of the three Unforgiveables. How do you plead?"

I straightened my spine. "Guilty." No surprise there; and I wondered briefly what ace the Potter brat had up his sleeve that would get me out of the Dementor's Kiss, and the fool went on.

"In addition, you are charged with the cold-blooded murder of Narcissa Druella Malfoy nee Black. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

Bellatrix, Dolohov, Yaxley, and Rabastan looked at me from their seats as if I had finally gone insane. I smirked at them- this was not me insane. The Grand Mugwump of the Wizengammot had a disbelieving look on his face.

"We have the sworn testimony's of those, who under the influence of Veritaserum, watched the callous execution-style murder of your wife by your hand. Do you still wish to plead 'Not guilty'?"

I nodded, once. My representative, one 'Kingsley Shacklebolt' by name, shook his head as he watched me perjure myself. Or so he believed. He, after all, did not know everything. The old man shook his head, but dropped the matter. "Then the trial of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy has begun."

My trial continued over the course of the next three hours. I was vaguely surprised. In all the years I had followed the Dark Lord, I had never actually taken an account of my actions. Even Bellatrix managed to look astonished as she heard the peal of my crimes. Once the repetition of my misdeeds was finished, the court asked for one of my character witnesses to stand and come forward.

I watched, a sneer curling my lips again, as the Potter brat stood and made his way forward calmly. The silence that followed his action was lovely, as if these weak-willed idiots could not believe their Saviour was about to vouch for me. Potter took the stand, and in the reverent silence - my lips curled even further- he began.

"I have known Lucius Malfoy for ten years. He has been a constant thorn in my side, a pain in the arse, and sometimes a traitorous fool." Well done, Potter, I congratulated silently, you've managed to get me sent to the Dementor's. He went on.

"The deeds he has committed in his life have certainly not been in the best of taste, but he has admitted to all of them. But what you may not know is that he has been a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a member for three years." The shocked gasps that echoed through the courtroom made me smirk, and the looks on my former associates faces were priceless. As the Potter brat went on I stared at them, daring them to do something.

They just glared at me, but a glint in Bellatrix' eyes made me smirk wider. She thought I did it to get free of the charges against me? A true smile curves my lips as I held the glare, and she frowned. She knows nothing.

The Potter brat finished his testimony in the same silence in which he had begun, and the Grand Mugwump regarded me carefully. I glared back, wondering what he would do. I had just been, for all intents and purposes, exonerated of all crimes by his Saviour. But he looked away as the brat walked off the stand, and said, "If there are any other character witnesses for the defense, please let them come forward now."

The silence that followed this announcement was broken by the creak of a door opening. I glanced over my shoulder, and smiled slightly as I saw a familiar blonde head making her way past the frozen crowds. She halted next to me, my Narcissa, and gave me one of her secret, beautiful smiles. She continued on to the witness stand, and the court seemed to hold its breath as she sat.

"State your name." The Mugwump's voice was shaky. I smirked. 'Not guilty', indeed.

"Narcissa Druella Malfoy, nee Black." Her voice was a balm to my soul after such a long separation, and her eyes smiled at me as she answered question after question, my prosecutors apparently having forgotten this was my trial.

"Were you not reported to have been killed by your own husbands hand?"

"Yes." Her voice was a perfect blend of respect and sarcasm. I turned my head slightly to observe Bellatrix, and smirked as I saw the confusion, fear, and disbelief warring on her face.

"How is it that you are alive?" My attention was returned to the trial, and I watched as Narcissa smiled at the old man. Her smile was the full, brilliant smile that could melt any heart, and it shocked the courtroom. They had never seen her thus.

"My husband never used the spell the Dark Lord was so fond of. The words may have been the same, but in magic, it is only the intent that matters. He would never have done such a thing." Though my reputation suffered a heavy blow from her words, my heart lifted as Narcissa smiled at me. I could not help but return the gesture, and the Mugwump stared as he saw the expression change my face.

Gone, I knew, was the arrogant mask that the world saw, replaced with the caring smile that only my wife- and, rarely, my son- ever saw. Though there was still the rest of my trial to go through, I knew that my fate had been sealed the moment I smiled at my love. That Potter brat certainly knew what he was talking about when it came to manipulating humanity.

I stood outside the courtroom, free- fully- at last. No longer was I bound to a crazy fool, no longer was I bound to an insane one, and the only people I cared about in the world were ranged behind me. I smiled secretly at my wife, and tucked her hand into the crook of my elbow as I escorted her down the stairs, Harry and Draco following closely behind.

We are free.

Here ya'll go- the Epilogue, as promised. I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review telling me whatcha thought about it.

Speaking of thoughts- my sister has been begging me incessantly to type Narcissa's P.O.V. What do you all think of that, hmmm? Let me know, okay? And I'll see all of you lovely people soon, I'm sure.

Ta ta for now,

Netrixie

p.s.: Legalesse provided free of charge by ManHattanWitch