Meet the neighbours

Chapter One

The sound of the till rang throughout the 'Little crooked shelf' a recent addition to Diagon alley. Hermione had been working here since the restoration of Diagon alley a month or two after the end of the war. She still lived with her parents being only 19 but found herself a job here while she was rebuilding in Diagon alley. Hermione was enjoying spending time with her parents after losing them in the war.

"So they aren't happy?" Ginny asked from her point in the children's section, which she insisted was the nicest part of the shop, but Hermione thought it was more the fact that Ginny desperately wanted children and didn't want to admit it.

"I don't blame them. They sold their home of 25 years; quit their jobs, to move to a different country, before moving back and having to live in a strange place where they don't know anyone. I isolated them. They can't find any work so they don't have that to try and immerse themselves in. My mum met a woman in Diagon alley, they have been meeting for a while and turns out she's just as lonely after the war and offered their house next door. I can't say no to them!" Hermione said while leaning on the edge of the counter and writing down the latest sale in the account book. Hermione looked around her shop. Book cases towered all over the walls in the small book shop. To anyone else it would have seemed like chaos to organize to Hermione it was like heaven.

"So you have to move away because you saved your parents from death?" Ginny asked hoping out of the mini chairs (that can't have been comfortable) smoothing her trousers and chiffon blouse.

"Ginny..."

"Fine." Ginny held up her hands.

"I really don't mind, I'm not at home much anyway, not with this place and it makes my parents happy." Hermione shrugged. Ginny saw Hermione was being sincere and decided to drop it.

"So on to more interesting topics, any hot neighbours?" Ginny said with a wink leaning across from Hermione. Hermione blushed brightly.

"There is only the one family next door."

"And...any sons?" Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Yes. One." Hermione said hesitantly.

"Please say he's legal?!"

"Ginny!" Hermione blushed even harder as she went to change the 'open' sign to 'closed'. Ginny turned to face her, with her back against the counter, her face in a pout. "Fine he's 18, couple months younger than me." Hermione sighed. She walked behind the counter to retrieve her bag and cardigan. She walked into the tiny back room and hit the light switch.

"OOOOOO!" Ginny made a sound of delight. "Now we have even more reason to shop!" Ginny squealed. Hermione rolled her eyes, before she was yanked by the arm out of the little shop.

"What?" Draco called from the sofa not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. His parents had asked him to come into the west sitting room so they could talk to him. His father had even poured firewhiskey, so Draco guessed it was something they would rather discuss without the bother of being even slightly sober.

"We have sold the house next door." Narcissa said gathering her skirts and sat with her husband across from their son.

"Why?! That was my house!" Draco shouted sitting up straight now. He took a large swig off his drink and swirled the ice around the bottom. He was a bit peeved that his future house had just been sold without asking him first. Although new neighbours...that could be fun.

"Oh come off it Draco. We all know you're too spoiled to move until you've found a woman to take care of you and because you refuse my candidates I don't see that happening anytime soon." Lucius sneered, the vicious tone in his voice evident.

"And whose fault is it that I am the way I am, Lucius." Draco bit out. Things had been strained between the two of them to say the least. Draco avoided him at all costs mostly taking up residence in the east side of the house. Draco couldn't be blamed for holding a grudge against his father for the way he had to live the past few years. Draco loathed sitting in the same room as his father. Since the end of the war in May, Draco and his mother had avoided an Azkaban sentence thanks to the word of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter but the same couldn't be said for Lucius. While Draco had spent the summer under house arrest, Lucius had spent it in Azkaban. Although he had a light sentence of 4 months because of him defecting away from Voldemort's side during the battle and all the information he gave to the ministry about other Deatheaters whereabouts and crimes. He had returned home the a few weeks previous having learnt nothing. He proceeded to concern himself with how they were perceived to the wizarding world even more so now that if he was reported to be saying anything against muggleborns or any muggle he would be straight back in Azkaban. Even with this he still believed and preached in the comfort of his own home about how the Malfoy's were superior and everyone was below him. Hence Draco's general avoidance of him.

"Draco." His mother warned snapping him back into reality. Narcissa was the only reason Draco hadn't left. That house was his only real escape once he knew his mother was alright and safe. Granted it wasn't exactly the best escape plan being half a mile away from the Manor but it was better than nothing.

"You still disrespect me child?" Lucius rose from his seat looming over Draco. Draco hesitated only for a second before rising from his seat to meet the angry gaze of his father. The boy had long outgrown the heights of his father. When Draco wasn't helping his mother with the decorating of the manor or studying the work he missed at Hogwarts he spent his time jogging around the manor to escape his father and the dreary cloud of misery the Manor cast over him. His new found height and build gave him a vote of confidence against his father and any situation when he needed to protect himself. Never again would he feel as he had done in May. Unprepared and unprotected.

"I am no longer afraid of you, Father. You can't intimidate me anymore, your little Lord is gone and I've seen you. You're cruel and a coward and I don't have to listen to you anymore." Draco went to leave the room.

"You think you are better for this family than me?" Lucius roared. "You think you could have protected this family more than I have done?" He took slow steps towards Draco.

"I have been dragging the Malfoy name out of the mud that you sunk us in. I have been working with the ministry, helping the rebuilding of Hogwarts and Diagon alley, and not just by throwing money at people. People no longer despise mother and I because of what I have done! Not you, you would still be rotting in Azkaban had you not begged and bribed. You think you belong out of Azkaban? Do you? Because I don't and I damned well don't have to listen to your crap about blood superiority. I was saved by what you taught me to be scum all these ears. I have seen her with blood dripping and let me tell you it was as red and my own." Draco growled furiously anger rising through him. refusing to revisit the image of a girl writhing on the floor, screaming as his Aunt tortured her.

"You are under my roof-"Lucius yelled seeming to ignore everything his son had just shouted.

"NO!" Narcissa shout with a voice so powerful it shocked the both of the Malfoy men. "You both live under my roof! As much as you dislike it Lucius, the Ministry passed the house over to my name. This is my house and it is only because of my good grace that you still live here, and you will not talk to our son that way." She seemed to break slightly. "Why can't you be the man I knew at Hogwarts? Before all this madness." A tear rolled down her cheek. she regained her composure and looked stern again. "And Draco you will not talk to your father in such a manor." Draco said nothing before storming out of the door and back to his side of the Manor. He could hear the echo of his parent fighting and wished he could be anywhere but here.