Chapter 1 - Future surprises

Hermione Granger looked over at her partner. His blonde hair was slicked back against his head and while his mouth wasn't smiling, his eyes shone with the intensity of what they had achieved.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, the council has come to a decision regarding your crimes against humanity and how you are to be punished for the atrocities you have committed," Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, thundered in his voice that made even the brightest witch of her age shudder.

To her left Hermione could see the haughty profile of the Death Eater and noted the way the older witch lifted her head in defiance, her eyes spitting contempt for the proceedings.

"You are sentenced to a life in Azkaban with chance for parole discussed in the very distant future." The Minister for Magic lowered his gaze at the defiant witch. "Good luck with your old friends Madame Lestrange, they have been waiting anxiously for your return." Kingsley hammered the gavel before him and the courtroom erupted into loud cheering.

In the pandemonium that had erupted, the partners turned to see the dark witch watching them, her expression blank, her eyes murderous.

"Goodbye children. I will see you soon," Bellatrix growled at the partners, her tone dripping with malice and promise. Without a further word, the dark witch, the woman who had tormented the wizarding world as second in command to Voldemort for nearly half a century, Draco Malfoy's aunt and Hermione Grangers own personal bogeyman, turned on her heel and with her trademark cackle stalked out of the courtroom.

The partners looked at one another and while celebrating their victory, both knew that they hadn't seen the last of the dark woman.

It was six years after the second wizarding war, and Draco and Hermione were standing in Kingsley Shacklebolt's office, much the same way they had when they had been introduced as partners. Despite the trepidation both had felt at the partnership, both knew from their year as Head Girl and Head Boy that they worked well together and could at least be civil to one another. The irony was lost on neither as they took their seats opposite Kingsley and waited for his attention both thinking back to the day their journey together had begun. Malfoy winked at Hermione who smiled back as Kingsley cleared his throat and put down the folder he had been reading.

"As you both know, your services have been invaluable to the Ministry." Kingsley was not one to waste words, a fact that often had Draco smirking when it came to the man needing to sweet talk investors. "But the time has come for you two to be split up. As well as you work together, your efforts and talents are wasted in a sense when the two of you are combined. So, I have called you in here today to discuss your futures." His words hit a stunned silence as the partners gaped at each other. They had become accustomed to seeing one another every day and had become as close as Hermione had been to Ron and Harry during their months on the run.

Draco cleared his throat. "Sir, I don't know if that's a good idea. Hermione and I are two sides of the same coin when it comes to work and many cases we've pulled off have been thorough team work. I think I speak for both of us when I say we would be hard pressed to find better partners." Hermione nodded her agreement emphatically.

"We're not even entirely sure whether we have caught all the remaining Death Eaters yet!" Hermione added.

"Just last week we were made aware of some disturbing disappearances. Potter has been keeping us updated but as far as the Aurors are aware, of the five disappearances four were muggle-borns.

Kingsley held up a hand to stop Draco.

"I am aware of the situation Mr Malfoy. Mr Potter and I have been corresponding on this and I am personally keeping a close eye on the situation. But until the Aurors find out who is behind these disappearances, we can not assume they are Death Eaters. For all we know, these muggle-borns have decided that the wizarding world is not for them."

"That is a very naive view Minister," Draco said coldly. Hermione kicked him underneath the table.

"Mr Malfoy you will do well to remember to whom you are speaking. Now I do believe we were discussing your futures. I am well aware of the way in which the two of you work together and while I am most grateful to the two of you for the invaluable work you have done, helping bring stability to the new world in which we find ourselves, the time has come to challenge you further." The friends looked to one another dubiously, but nodded to show that they would hear their boss out – he was, after all, the minister.

"Mister Malfoy, your work has been invaluable and I would be hard pressed to find someone of your calibre to take over from you and Miss Granger. However, you have a natural instinct to teach and lead and so I am offering you the position of Head of the Department of Justice and Law Enforcement. In this role you would continue to take on the trickier cases but you would also be teaching new, fresh wizards to do what you and Miss Granger naturally did – get the bad guys what they deserved." A smile pulled at the corner of Kingsley's mouth as Draco's jaw dropped and he looked to Hermione for her opinion.

"Minister…this is an incredible offer…" he trailed off, not knowing what else to say. It was everything Draco had ever wanted – a job he loved that would make his family proud. Before he could string a sentence together however, Kingsley held up a hand.

"I will be awaiting your verdict by tomorrow afternoon," the minister smiled at the young man who simply nodded and wiped his face of emotion as he had been taught to do from a young age. Kingsley turned to the young witch who sat beside her partner beaming like a proud mother would at her child who had just taken his first steps.

"Miss Granger, once, many years ago I remember hearing you say you wanted to make a difference to the wizarding community; you wanted to bring about reform and make the future a brighter place. In the same breath however I can assure you that fighting for the rights of magical beasts would eventually bore you to tears." The minister noticed the young witch's slightly sad smile as she remembered the conversation she had had with Tonks shortly before her death in the second wizarding battle. "In any event, I have realized that someone as talented as yourself would need a real challenge to keep her busy and I think the council and I have come to a conclusion." He took a breath.

"The council and I have decided that while many of the witches and wizards there are there for good reason, Azkaban is truly an inhumane place and we are no better than the Death Eaters should we continue treating them the way we always have – with terror- and madness- inducing cold heartedness. So, we have decided to compile a team to rehabilitate those Death Eaters deemed stable enough until they are ready to once again live in society by themselves without the public needing to fear for their safety from them. And we want you to head the newly created department and be the first case worker. You will be allowed to pick the candidate from a list compiled by the council, you will be allowed to pick the team you wish to have working with you and you will be in charge of the rehabilitation program itself. We as a council have decided on a few basic guidelines but the rest will be entirely up to you. You have free reign in all aspects of this project." Kingsley fell silent and allowed his words to sink in. The young witch had schooled her features to remain impassive but Kingsley could see the cogs in her mind working overtime. Hermione glanced at Malfoy who smiled at her. The sat staring at one another for a moment before both turned to the Minister of Magic.

"We'll do it," the unlikely pair said in unison.