Disclaimer: I don't own anything that anyone recognizes. The children however belong to me as they are my own creation. Otherwise, everything else belongs to J. K Rowling. Thanks

A/n: I'm sorry that this took so long for me to get out. I hope that all of you have stuck with me even though it has been a few weeks since my last update. I regret to inform everyone that I will not be able to update this week because my grandparents are visiting from another state and my computer access is limited to school purposes only. Sorry about that.

Chapter 7: Happy Halloween

No. She should have known that they would say no. After all, she had been gone for the last five years without a single word to her friends. She hadn't even told them that she was leaving or said goodbye. She just left. They had every right to tell her that she couldn't say with them. Already, that had been more supportive than she had hoped. They accepted her back into their lives, remained her friend, and believed her when she told them why she had to leave so suddenly, and most importantly, they didn't hate her for leaving like she had expected them to.

"I, I understand. I mean, even though you have accepted me back, you have every right to be angry at me. I never really expected any of you to forgive me for what I have done, but you already have for the most part. That is more than what I had hoped for. I understand how you feel. I really do. I'll just go get my kids and then we will leave. Thanks, and I'm sorry for intruding upon your families on such a nice day." Hermione rambled as she stood up and began to gather her thing.

"Hermione! Shut up and come over here." Ginny called from her seat by the window.

Puzzled, Hermione gently placed her luggage back on the ground and made her way over to the window. She didn't get why Ginny wanted her, but she figured that the least she could do was see what her friend wanted.

"Do you see that house over there? Across the street and a little to the left?" Ginny asked.

"The old white Victorian with the blue shudders?" Hermione asked not really understanding what Ginny was getting at.

"That the one. Isn't it beautiful?" Came Ginny's response.

"Yes." Hermione said more confused than ever.

"You see, that house is the reason why we can not allow you to stay with us. I don't think that it would be right for you to stay with us in this house when you could be living in that house." Ginny stated with a small smile on her face.

"I'm confused. What do you mean? How could I live in that house? Rent would probably be so expensive and I don't even have a job as of the moment." Hermione answered the three occupants a curious look as Harry and Ron made their way over to the window.

"Hermione, that house wouldn't cost you a single Knut. You see, you actually own that house; have owned it for the past five years actually." Harry said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Me? Own that house? How? For five years?" Hermione questioned them all, completely lost in this whole conversation.

"To make a long story short, Harry, Ginny and I pulled our money together at the end of our seventh year, Ginny's sixth. It was pretty clear to everyone that Ginny and Harry would one day be married meaning that sooner or later, Harry would be residing in the Burrow with Ginny and my family. The thing was, you wouldn't be. The house isn't that big and we knew that it would never be able to fit three families; two is a tight squeeze as it is. So after much thought and lots of planning, the three of us decided on buy the house across the street that had been on the market since I was a little boy. When we bought the house, it was a complete mess. If you remember in our seventh year, Harry, Ginny, and I were disappearing at random times. Dumbledore had given us permission to leave school grounds on certain times, of course accompanied by an adult, to work on the house. Our goal was to finish the house and have it ready for you as a graduation present. We ended up finishing it two nights before graduation. However, as you know, you disappeared right after graduation and only returned now. We kept the house all these years just in case you returned home. Now you have and that is where you shall live. You and your three children." Ron said, glad that his friend would was finally going to live in the house that they had fixed up just for her.

Upon hearing Ron's story, Hermione was shocked. Not only did she own such a beautiful house, but her friends had bought it and fixed it up just for her? She couldn't believe it!

"You really mean that you guys did all that for me?" Hermione asked shock evident in her voice.

"Sure we did, Hermione. We love you and we want you to live close to us. We wanted out children to grow up together and become close friends before they go off to Hogwarts. It's not too late for that either. All you have to do is accepted that house. So, will you move in, Hermione?" Harry asked her, hoping that her answer would be the one that they all were wishing for.

"Of course I will move in! Do you really think that I would allow all that hard work and such a pretty house to go to waste? Thank you! Thank you all so much!" Hermione cried as she through herself into Harry's arms and then the remaining two friends' arms.

Hermione and her kids spent the remainder on the day setting up the house. Ginny, Harry, and Ron had tried to help her, but she had sent them away. They had already bought and decorated the house for her, the least she could do was set it up without their help. When she entered the house she found that it had three bathrooms, one of course was connected to the master bedroom, and five bedrooms. She had also discovered that her friends had left all the walls in the house white so that she could decide herself what color each room was to be.

First Hermione decided to help her children decorate their rooms. Aaliyah had decided to take the bedroom to the right of the master bedroom so that she could be as close as possible to her mother. Once again her daughter wanted the Disney Princesses theme. Using a quick spell, Hermione painted her daughter's room pink with a princess painted on each wall. Up against one wall they pushed Aaliyah's daybed completed with a blue comforted with Cinderella and the Prince embroidered on it. On the opposite wall sat a pink and white dresser with a pink TV. On each corner of the TV was one on the princesses' faces. Near the door they placed a white vanity table and a pink chair. Next Hermione and Aaliyah hung pink beaded curtains over the window that across from the door and placed Aaliyah's stuffed animals upon the window seat. Lastly, Hermione installed a bookshelf which would hold all of her daughter's favorite bedtime stories.

Unlike their sister, both boys decided to share a room on the second floor. The two decided on a black bunk bed with matching silver comforters and green silk pillows. To Hermione's horror the two boys had decided that they wanted their room painted green with a silver snake painted on each wall and a snake border on the top of the walls. Since it was their room, Hermione complied, but still she didn't like how her two sons were so much like their father. Even without him being there, the two boys had already begun to like the same things that he had. The boys, simple as always, decide to share one black dresser and a silver and green TV sat upon it. As she had done in her daughter's room, Hermione magically programmed the TV so that they would only work when she gave her children permission and they were only allowed to watch shows that she agreed to.

After completing the kids' rooms, it was time for Hermione to decorate her won. She decided upon a canopy bed against one wall. The walls she decided that she would paint red with a silver trim. Like Aaliyah's room, Hermione also had a window seat. On the window seat she sat a bunch of small pillows in the colors of red and silver so that it would be a comfortable place to read. Next to it she sat her bookshelf that was filled from floor to ceiling with books. Next to the door Hermione hung a small mirror and placed her simple white dresser next to it. After her room was complete the rest of the house with the exemption of the library was quick and easy to set up.

With her house complete, the rest of the week seemed to fly by. Hermione and her children spent most of their days over at the Weasley household. Already all the children were becoming close friends and like Harry, Ginny, and Ron had said Becca really was a lovely, little girl. She could see that she was absolutely nothing like her mother and Hermione had already begun to care for her like she was her own. On her second day, Hermione met Ron's wife and their two year old daughter. It seemed that while she was away, Ron had gotten to know Hannah Abbott pretty well and eventually married her. Their daughter, Shyanne, was absolutely adorable. She had the Weasley hair and freckles, but she had her mother's brown eyes.

Also within the week, Hermione had learned that Mr. And Mrs. Weasley lived about five minutes away from the burrow. According to Ginny, her parents had moved out around the time that Sirius was born so that the house wouldn't be so crowded. All in all, Hermione was glad to be back. She was finally back where she belonged. In the wizarding world with loving friends was where she was suppose to be and where her kids were suppose to grow up. This was who she was and who her kids would become. This was home.

With Halloween approaching, all the children became excited. More so for Lily and James since not only would they be going trick or treating, but it was also their birthday. It had been decided on earlier in the week that Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Hannah would be the only ones to accompany the children that night. Ron, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to stay home to decorate for the twins party and to wait for Becca's father to arrive.

Around four thirty on October 31st, all the children dressed in their costumes and lined themselves up in the Weasley's living room for pictures. The first to arrive were the triplets. Mars was dressed as a vampire with fake blood gushing from his mouth. With the help of his mother, his skin was made to feel ice cold, but really with a help of a charm he was as warm as he could be. They didn't need to worry about changing his skin color since he was already pale to begin with. Phinny had decided to go as a devil, horns and all. Hermione had also helped him upgrade him costume by placing a charm that allowed a fire to form around him without harming him. Unsurprisingly, Ali had dressed as a Disney character, but had decided this year not to go as a princess, but as Tinker Bell. Her costume was also kept warm with a charm and another charm allowed her to fly about five feet from the ground with a trail of sparkles following her every move.

Next to arrive was Shyanne. Her mother had dressed her as Kiara for the Lion King 2. There had been an argument between Ron and Hannah over their daughter's costume. It seems like Ron had wanted his daughter to dress as an M&M, his favorite muggle candy, but Hannah had refused to allow her daughter to dress as an edible object. In the end, Hannah won the argument seeing as she was the parent that was taking their child out.

Shortly after Shyanne, came Becca. Her costume really was fitting to her attitude. A pixie; just the thing to go with her mischievous behavior. Last came the Potter children. It seemed that Sirius had found it fun the prank his sibling right after they had changed, resulting in arguments and more pranks for the eldest child. Finally ready, they arrived dressed and ready to go. James was Peter Pan, flying charm enabled just like Ali. Sirius, who had taken forever to pick an outfit decided to just dress in his football (soccer to all us Americans) and carry around his football. Lily, on the other hand, had dressed as a cowgirl from her favorite movie, Toy Story 2. She had her red hair pulled into a long French braid and had had her mother transform her toy Bulls Eye into a life size version that she would be able to ride.

Pictures took about an hour due to the fidgeting of the children. All were too excited to stay still for very long. Finally around six o'clock, the four adults and eight children set out for two hours of candy collecting.

Hermione was glad that that was done. Eight children were a lot to keep track of. Even with four adults. Thank Heavens that she wouldn't have to due that again for another year. Now all she had to do was go to the twins birthday party for a few hours and than she could go home and rest. What Hermione thought was going to be an enjoyable and fun party would soon turn out to be her worst nightmare.

Walking into the Weasley kitchen, Hermione held her daughter in her arms, with Phinny and Mars at her side. She was perfectly fine until she heard Becca's scream of 'Daddy' and turned to see the small girl climb into her father's lap. Normally she wouldn't have been bothered, but the man that Becca had called Daddy was the man that she had left five years ago. The father of her children. The one and only Draco Malfoy.

Quickly she turned to leave, but at that moment her daughter called out to her, causing the man she was trying to avoid to look her way.

As he turned she saw that his eyes had gone wide as he called out her name in pure shock and confusion.

A/N: Well there is chapter seven. I just wanted to thank everyone that reviewed and another round of thanks to those of you that gave me ideas as to the children's costumes. I wish that I could have used all the suggestions, but there were not enough children to do that. I also wanted to apologize for taking so long to get this out. Thank you all for being patient with me. Also I have a oneshot titled "Always Watching" that I recently posted. It is a Draco/Hermione so if you like this pairing please read and review.

I hope that everyone found this chapter satisfactory. I tried to make it a little bit longer than normal. Please review and let me know what you thought of it.

Thanks always,

PadfootObsessed329