Hermione was exhausted.  She was so tired she was surprised she was still standing upright and making sense when she spoke.  While all she wanted to do was sit down for a moment, she knew she wouldn't get back up if she did.  There was still so much to do after the battle and so many kids to take care of that she couldn't stop yet.  As long as she stayed focused, she could get everything done quickly then go get Draco.

"Hermione."

With the speed of cold molasses, Hermione turned to see who had called for her.  She blinked and suddenly Blaise Zabini was standing in front of her.  He looked worried, but she couldn't remember the last time someone hadn't looked worried around her.

"You should take a break,"  he told her.  Hermione shook her head and when she focused again on Blaise, it felt like an hour had passed by.  He gently grabbed her shoulders and steered her to a ledge where she could sit.  "Everyone's taken a break except you."

"There's so much to do,"  she told him.  She watched as Ginny vanished a bunch of rubble across the room.  When she looked back at Blaise, she realised he'd just finished saying something.  He didn't seem to care she hadn't been listening at all and just smiled.

"This is what I mean,"  he said, "You need a break.  The clean up here is going to take weeks and we can do the immediate repairs without you."

"But Draco—"

"I'll take care of it,"  Blaise promised.  Hermione frowned.  The Aurors were unlikely to listen to Blaise, but if she could tell him to tell Harry to tell—

"Hermione?"

She blinked and Harry had joined Blaise in front of her.

"Harry!"  she exclaimed.  She must have tipped forward because both Harry and Blaise moved to steady her and she felt the world sway around her a little.  "You need to tell Kingsley Draco isn't a Death Eater.  He doesn't deserve to be in Azkaban with them."

"When was the last time you slept, Hermione?"  Harry asked, ignoring her directions.  Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed him away when he looked a little too concerned for her.  "You look exhausted and—"

"Well I did just fight off a hoard of Death Eaters,"  Hermione snapped.  Harry fell silent and Hermione couldn't help but feel a little guilty.  "I'm sorry, Harry.  I am tired, there's just too much to do.  Hogwarts is destroyed and there are so many students we need to get home."

"I talked to McGonagall and she said they'll wait until summer to fix Hogwarts,"  Harry told her.  Around them, people were still clearing away rubble, but Hermione could tell no one was attempting to fix the school.  "Our priority right now is to clear the rubble and find anyone trapped underneath.  Pansy took all the students into Hogsmeade a while ago."

Hermione paused.  When had all that happened?  She could have sworn she was just on her way to—Oh.  She had been on her way to help Pansy escort the students to Hogsmeade when Luna and Neville had asked for her help taking a few of those that had been injured to Madam Pomfrey.  On her way from the infirmary, she'd gotten distracted by Blaise and then Harry.

"It's all taken care of then?"  she asked.

Harry and Blaise both nodded and she felt her body slowly relax.  She felt her back hit a wall behind her and her eyelids suddenly felt much heavier than they had a second ago.  Harry's lips moved and Blaise grinned, but she was too tired to focus on much of anything else and it wasn't long before all she could see was black.  She could rest for a little while since Harry seemed so sure everything was okay for the moment, but in five minutes, she would get up and continue to help.

When she opened her eyes again, however, she had the feeling more than five minutes had passed.  Almost all the rubble had been cleared and while the castle was still destroyed, it looked better without crumbled rock everywhere.  At first, she thought she might be alone, but she could hear muffled voices around the corner and a mass of red hair was resting against her shoulder.  The soft snoring told her it was Ginny beside her and as the voices came around the corner, she was met with smiles from both Harry and Kingsley, the newly appointed Minister of Magic.

"Oh, Kingsley!  I need to talk to you,"  Hermione said, scrambling to her feet before he could slip away.

"If it's about Draco Malfoy, the matter has already been discussed,"  he said.

Hermione frowned.  They hadn't talked about him with her around?  How was she supposed to know if he'd been accurately or fairly represented?  If someone else had managed to convince Kingsley that Draco was a Death Eater through and through, how would she manage to get him out of Azkaban now?

"Kingsley, I swear he didn't want to be apart of them!"  she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and waking Ginny up in the process.  "He's helped me all school year and whatever you've heard, it's not true.  He's not a bad person!"

"I don't know what you've heard,"  Kinglsey said, giving her a worried smile, "But I know Draco Malfoy isn't apart of the Death Eaters.  I'll arrange with Azkaban tomorrow for you to bring him back where the Wizenmagot will ask for him to testify against all Death Eaters and any accomplices.  They will also ask him to provide memory evidence in exchange for his freedom."

Hermione felt like an exchange was unnecessary seeing as Draco hadn't been guilty in the first place, but Kingsley was clearly trying to do the right thing so she accepted it.  It made sense the Wizenmagot would want solid intel on any hideouts or missing Death Eaters and Draco was an easy source.  Anyone in the public who had a problem with Draco going free could be told his freedom had been in exchange for information, a common bargaining tool from the first wizarding war.

"I can't go today?"  Hermione asked.

Kingsley shook his head.  He was busy making sure all those who had fought at Hogwarts were either taken to the hospital or otherwise taken care of.  There were still so many people unaccounted for despite all the clean-up they'd done, it would be a while before Kingsley would have time to deal with those who had been imprisoned.

"As soon as I can, I will contact the prison for you,"  Kingsley promised.

Hermione couldn't help but feel like he could be doing more, but she also knew he was trying hard.  If she had been newly appointed Minister after a war, she wasn't sure what she would do.  At least Kingsley had plans.  As long as he didn't try to forget Draco in Azkaban, she supposed she would trust him to do his thing.  In the meantime, she would find McGonagall or someone who could give her something to do.