Name: The girl next door

Whom I happen to hate…

Rating: M

Summary: Draco Malfoy and his family have to be part of the Death Eater rehabilitation program. To do that, they must give up all their money; give up magic for a year, and move into a muggle neighborhood, guess who his next-door neighbor is? A funny story!

Author: Chaos

Warning: Does not follow all of the books plot.

A/N: What is history but a fable agreed upon? By its very nature, history is always

a one-sided account. -Napoleon

DMGH

Chapter 22: The Hearing

There seemed to be a certain peace through the castle at the beginning of June. Something that so hardly seemed possible at Hogwarts. Draco and Hermione had both, along with little Nathan James, moved to the small apartment Draco and Dumbledore had been creating for them.

There is a sort of happiness that only baby's seem to bring, one that filled up the newly filled house. Hermione and Draco couldn't be happier with little Nathan James in their arms. Draco would always pick him up gently, his eyes would shine with love and everyone couldn't help but smile at the love stricken ex-death eater.

With exams now over, and students no longer in a rush to study, Hermione and Draco got many visitors. Students, friends, and of course family members. All eager to see the baby and to give their congrats.

It seemed that the troubles that had began to show up were slowly evaporating and Hermione and Draco were closing the end of a chapter in their lives. However there were a few more details they had to resolve. A few loose strings to tie, and then they would be able to go on free to live their lives as they wish.

Hermione smiled, she was wearing a white sundress and placing baby Nathan in his baby car. Draco paced around Dumbledore's office in his best dress robes. Hermione walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Draco immediately stopped pacing he looked at her.

"Calm down," she said sweetly. "There's nothing for you to worry about, alright. Besides you've got Dumbledore at your side. There's no way he's going to loose this hearing," she explained. Draco smiled at her caringly and sighed.

"I know," he said. "But I can't help but feel nervous," he admitted. Hermione smiled again and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Draco didn't deny the kiss.

"Don't worry," she said once more. The two walked over to Nathan, where Draco tickled his small stomach slightly. The young baby smiled a crooked smile. Dumbledore descended the stairs that led to his own dorm and smiled down at the small family.

"It is time for you to go," he said. Draco nodded. Hermione kissed him once more and whispered a good luck in his ear. Dumbledore motioned to a quill sitting on his desk. Together the two grabbed it and after a second or two they were gone.

Hermione smiled at the empty office, if you didn't count the baby of course, she whished she could have gone but a portkey, side apparation, and flooing were all still too dangerous for the baby, and she wouldn't leave his side yet.

DMGH

Draco stared at one of the Ministry of Magic's conference rooms. Dumbledore had discretely mentioned that there would be no need for a hearing room. Draco sat next to Dumbledore on one side of the conference table. A few wizards from the DERP foundation and the Ministry of Magic sat on the other side.

"We are to understand then, Mr. Malfoy," said Marissa Gordon, C.E.O. of the DERP foundation. "That you'd like to have the magic removal spell taken off you sooner?"

Draco cleared his throat slightly. "Yes, M'am," he answered. The woman, who wore pointed glasses that he felt dated back to the sixties, looked sternly at him from above them. Draco stared indifferently.

"I see," she said finally, "and to what circumstances should we approve this plead?" she asked this time staring at Dumbledore.

"Mr. Malfoy here, has, with a little effort, recovered completely from his dark ways as was your wish, Ms. Gordon," Dumbledore said. "He has lived in a muggle home, made friends with muggle people. Even fallen in love with a muggle born. As you may have heard they just had their own small child,"

"Very well," she continued, a few wizards scribbled something down in pads they had in front of them. "It seems, though, Mr. Malfoy, that you have been doing well enough without magic, why then need it now? After all if your doing so well so far why not wait until August when you will most likely be given your magic back?" Marissa Gordon questioned.

"I have been offered a position to teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts," Draco answered. "I'll need it," he said, their was a few impressive grunts from the wizards sitting on the side of Marissa Gordon.

"But term only starts in September and by then you'd have you magic back," Marissa continued. Draco looked up, his anger boiling, hadn't he done more than enough to prove that he was worthy of having his magic back? Why were they making this so difficult? He was just about ready to blow his guts out to all of them when Dumbledore spoke.

"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore began, "Will need to get classes ready. He'll be taking the place of the Deputy Headmaster as well," Draco tried to look like this part of the story wasn't new to him.

"He'll need it to help around the castle during the summer so that everything will be ready when the new school year begins," Dumbledore said.

Marissa Gordon did not look very happy, especially at the fact that they had answers to all her questions. She sighed heavily, and rubbed her eyes.

"Alright then," Marissa said. "All those in favor of giving Mr. Malfoy his magic abilities back?" she asked. Almost everyone in the room raised their hand, only a few stern looking wizards kept their hands down wanting more proof. Marissa sighed again.

"Majority rules, Motion passed," she said and got up. A small looking wizard came in and whispered something over Draco's chest. Immediately Draco felt a sudden rush of coldness build up inside him. With a wave of his wand over some shattered wood sticks; the wizard held a new one in his hand.

He handed it to Draco who stared at his old wand again. He couldn't be happier to hold his dear friend in his hands again. He turned smiling to Dumbledore.

"Thank you, sir," he said. Dumbledore simply nodded.

"Remember Draco, good things happen to good people," he said. Then grabbed a handful of Floo powder and shouted. "Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's office," with green flames wrapping around his body he was gone. Draco smiled once more and left with a flash of green flames.

DMGH

Back in Hermione and Draco's apartment the group of friends celebrated Draco's victory. Though Nathan James was now already asleep, and they tried not to make too much noise, to make sure he didn't wake up. They still sat around the living room sipping drinks and talking.

Hermione then stood up and smiled. Draco walked over to her and kissed her. The two looked at their friends and gave huge grins.

"We have a few announcements to make," Hermione said. The few of them looked at the couple.

"As you all know we are getting married," Draco said. They nodded. "But we found a date," The group sat up slightly.

"July twenty-sixth," Hermione said happily. They all stared carefully. That was only about a month away. However Ginny began to clap lightly and the others soon joined in, giving them their congrats once more.

"And another thing," Hermione continued. "Ginny, Blaise, because the two of you have helped us so much this year. And because we don't know if we could have done this without you," said Hermione.

"We'd like you to do us the honors of accepting our proposal. We'd like you to be Nathan's Godparents," Draco finished. "On September twenty-fourth," he continued. Ginny stared open mouth and Blaise spit his tequila out.

"Are you serious?" Blaise said. The two nodded. Ginny shrieked slightly and ran to Hermione and Draco hugging each on of them at turn.

"Of course I accept," she said. Blaise got up and hugged them both as well.

"You got it, mate," he said. Hermione and Draco smiled. Everything seemed to be falling into place once more.

"Well Ron and I have some news too," Nikki said. They all stared at them.

"We are officially dating," she said as Ron took the opportunity to grab her close and place a kiss on her lips. There were some small whoops around, that died out quickly.

Hermione and Draco couldn't be happier as the small loose strings were being tied down. They're lives were settling in just as they wanted them to. Hermione couldn't wish for more that she had at the moment.

She was surrounded by friends, family, her baby, and Draco. What more could she ask for, really?

As the day began to die out, the friends cleared out of the apartment one or two at a time heading back to their own dorms. Hermione yawned slightly and fell asleep with her head on Draco's shoulder.

He picked her up and carried her into bed. He rubbed his hand carefully on her forehead, caressing it. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. He wanted to have her sleeping at his side forever.

"I love you," he whispered as he lay down on the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I love you too," he heard a small grunt coming from the back of Hermione's throat. Draco smiled and the two fell into an easy, peace filled dream.