The war has been over for 3 years. As all the previous wars, this one ended with many death and much sorrow. The people were furious at the Death Eaters and Tom Riddle's followers. There seemed to be an extreme want to prove that they were as far from those monsters as possible through better muggle relations, political correctness towards muggleborns and harsh punishments for those who did not conform. In their pursuit of justice and muggle acceptance, they people became far more like those monsters they tried so hard to punish.

All those who bore the Dark Mark and even those who had suspected relations with them and were not public about their support were either cast out from society or sent the Azkaban. The latter of which was now brimming with prisoners.

The unforgiving nature of the new government have caused friction. But no one wanted a war or civil unrest so soon after such a long war.

A month ago, Kingsley got elected, finally. Those who had actually fought in the war and knew of the consequences of extremism and unresolved anger. They saw where the wizarding society was heading and desperately wanted to make a change.

And change did happen. But in tiny, minuscule steps. Once in office he made adjustments to the law surrounding the wrongfully, in his opinion, imprisoned people despite protests.

Kingsley was at his wits end when the bill finally passed. A hilariously botched up facsimile of the original bill. But it passed.

The new legislation states that only prisoners with sponsors will be able to be on probation and leave Azkaban, which is now guarded by Dementors again. A sum of 1000 Gallons must be paid in advance as bail and the assurance that the prisoner would not me more than 100 meters from the sponsor.

But it was still better than Azkaban. It was inhumane in there.

Hermione Granger was the saviour of the downtrodden and all around philanthropist with her newly acquired fund from her Order of Merlin and war reaping, a lot of which she did not approve of. She was neer one to simply sit still while the world turned to… well shite. So she devised a plan, rather a program.

She had an entire bank full of Gallons from the war. Apparently for her efforts, she was given a share of all the spoils of war. Something she found absolutely barbaric. She did not earn the money and it was taken from people who were suffering. Sure, they may not have been the best of people or spent the money in ways she approved, but it was theirs. And the money in her bank was no better than stolen money.

So she put is to good use. She created a fund for the Restoration of the Wizarding World. Mostly the fund would allow people to bail out their loved ones from Azkaban as many of the Pureblood and Tom Riddle sympathizing families were left with little money and even less connections.

Now she simply needed volunteers. And who better than her two favourite boys, now men, in the world.

"Hermione…" Harry all but whined.

"No listen Harry," she continued her argument. "It would be just like a Foster system. You cannot possibly believe in leaving those people in the hands of Dementors."

"Well no… but," he sighed.

"Is this safe?" Ron asked her after listening to her entire argument. In the past few years, Hermione has found that Ron have grown wiser though also a little more distant. But she supposed they all had to change and grow up.

"Yes!" she told his excitedly. How could she have forgotten the most important part? "A vow. I've worded it perfectly so they cannot harm you intentionally or kill you. In addition, there will be a spell to see their true intentions which can be used as a sort of screening process."

"Well," Harry told her a little dejectedly. "There is no winning with you is there?"

"I'm not forcing you do to this," she told his calmly.

"I know… but I want to support you," he paused and considered his next words. "It's just that Ginny and I… well our family is… going to grow soon."

There was a long paused for his two friends to register his words.

"Bollocks" Ron mumbled to himself.

"Wow…" Hermione recovered quicker. "I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Yeah…" it came out as a half incredulous laugh. "I can still barely believe it myself."

"Congratulations brother," Ron said affectionately patting him on the back.

They sat there in comfortable silence as they all simply marvelled at how fast their lives were moving.

"Sorry Hermione," Harry started again sheepishly. "I didn't want to ruin your announcement with mine…"

"What? No… you could never," she told him good naturedly. "It's fantastic. And I would understand if you could not…"

"But I will!" Ron volunteered before the other two could go and start an apologizing loop.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. Out of the two of them she had expected Harry to be the more accommodating one. "That's fantastic!"

"Yeah well, that's what friends are for," he told her with a crooked smile that was just so endearing.

"So, I was thinking Draco and Narcissa," she began. "They… have no other family and well we know of their actions during the war."

"Oh…" Ron mumbled sheepishly. "I was thinking of Blaise."

"Blaise?" Harry said the name as if it were foreign to him. "Is he that…"

"Yeah, Slytherin beater," he nodded. "He never got the mark and has no other family. Annoying as hell, mind you, but he doesn't deserve to be in Azkaban."

"That works too," she agreed. "After all, one less person in Azkaban is the point of this thing."

Two weeks later, Hermione had the forms all filled out. And as it happens, Ginny was quite adamant that they were also going to be in this programs. And she would love to have Narcissa over.

It was not a well-known fact, but Molly had sent Ginny to Etiquette schooling prior to Hogwarts, worried that growing up with so many brothers she'd be missing something. There, Ginny has met Narcissa who was one of the warmest women who taught at the school. And that left a lasting memory on Ginny's mind.

She could not imagine that immaculate and prim woman in some dark and moldy cell.

"Well," Hermione grinned at the two red heads with her. "This is it!"

"Mione," Ron called her inquisitively. "You are acting as if you've never done this."

"Well…" she tried to look innocent. "I was actually…. We are the first to do this. Kinsley thought that if this went well, then we could publicise it and bring in more people. But for now… no one really wants to come here or do this or even know about this new bill. It's been very hush hush…. What with that Umbridge like woman on the Wizagamot.

"It's alright Hermione," Ginny encouraged sweetly. "We're here for you."

A straight woman with grey hair pulled into a tight bun greeted them as they disembarked the boat on Azkaban Island.

"Welcome Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Potter," she greeted then each with a curt but polite nod. They returned it awkwardly.

Hermione was never one for strict authority that border on militarization. And this place, the uniformed guards and this woman.

As they entered layers and layers of warded, charmed and transfigured stone doors, they finally made it into what looked like a visitation room. Or a very large prison cell with a single long table with benches on either side.

"Please wait here," she ordered the three outsiders. The strict woman then walked to the door and shouted out. "Bring No. 927, 898 and 899!"

"Numbered!" Hermione exclaimed in a disgusted hushed whisper.

Neither Ron nor Ginny quite understood why she was so outraged but they did also think that numbering people was a little detached.

Before they could think too much about it though, sounds of metal hitting metal in the rhythmic sound of footsteps sounded.

As the door opened, the first thing Hermione noticed was the stench that engulfed the room. It was horrible and acrid. The prisoners looked like they smelled. Which was not good at all.

"Sit," she ordered the prisoners as they were led across the table.

The earlier smell which their noses had just gotten accustomed to, re-emerged when the dirty and dishevelled trio sat down across from them.

"Why are we here?" the rusty unused voice of one Draco Malfoy sneered.

Hermione reminded herself that the man has spent 3 years in what was essentially hell on earth. She breathed slowly and tried to be professional about this.

"Draco," she began.

"That's Malfoy to you bitc—" he never finished his sentence as Mrs. Malfoy gave a yank at her shackles which pulled on his as well.

"Do continue," she woman urged her while giving Draco a meaningful glare.

"As I was saying," Hermione wondered if she was in over her head. "Ron, Ginny and I would like to sponsor the three of you for probation."

"Why?" Blaise croaked from the other side of Draco.

"Because we want to," Ginny told him compassionately while Ron simply said petulantly, "Why not?"

Blaise's eyebrows rose until they were hidden by his dirty and matted hair.

But before he could say anything, Narcissa, ever the diplomat spoke up, "No reason. We appreciate what you are doing for us."

Malfoy groaned audibly which earned him another scanting look from his mother.

"This is just precautionary but I need to cast a spell to see if any of you have any ill intentions towards us or the public," Hermione explained.

"If you must," Narcissa replied reluctantly while giving a sad look towards Draco. No one would say it, but they all wondered if he would pass this test of good faith.

As Hermione took out her wand, Draco stared at her intensely and almost menacingly. She tried to forget about him and focus on her spell.

A shimmering light appears around each of the prisoners and Hermione was relieved that they all glowed a weak blue hue. They'd passed.

"Well, I suppose we should get the bindings in place and get on with it," Ginny grinned at her. She had been quite glad that this was working out. After all, her sympathy for these three and risen tenfold upon seeing them in their current state.

"Binding?" Blaise asked a little curiously.

"Right, apologies," Hermione mumbled. "It appears that in here, you do not receive much information."

"A right detective you are," Malfoy scorned sarcastically.

"Draco," Narcissa hissed again. "Don't be rude." Or stupid.

He lowered his eyes and stared at his hands on the table. They were covered in layers of dirt and grime. He wondered what they looked like before.

"The Wizagamot has agreed to a probation program as Kingsley, the new Minister of Magic believes this place to be barbaric and your imprisonment unjust. So here we are," she motioned to the two redheads. "But…."

"I knew it," Blaise complained bitterly at her reluctance to say the caveat.

"Oh just bloody listen," Ron told him exasperated. "It's not that bad."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "Well you must be bound to your sponsor. It's not permanent. It is only until Kingsley gets through to your pardons or appeals. For now though, the binding requires the two to be within 100m of each other."

"Not nearly as bad as I thought," Blaise grinned relieved. "Do I get a wand?"

"Yes," she replied. "But any Unforgiveables and well… it's back here."

"Let's get on with it then dear," he smiled charmingly at the woman who may have just saved his life. Blaise Zabini was used to a certain kind of lifestyle and he did not know how much longer he could last in the cold and wet cell.

"What's in it for you?" Draco finally said. This was the first thing he said which was not entirely snide or rude. Though Ron was starting to wonder why on earth Hermione wanted to help this ungrateful twit.

"Justice," Hermione told his determinately and held his gaze as if just challenging him to say something.

"We just want the peace of mind of knowing that mistakes of the war and the subsequent years are put to rest," Ginny said diplomatically. Both Ron and Narcissa smiled indulgingly and proudly at her diplomacy.

"Just cast the bloody spell then," Draco told her uneasily. It was as if asking for her help physically hurt him.

She was about to but the strict woman who stood in the corner of the room, watching this entire thing play out, cleared her throat and walked over.

"I believe it would be best if I performed this spell," she told them. "For partiality."

"Partial my arse," Draco spat at her. His mother didn't even try to scold him for that one. There was no love lost between them.

"I would much rather do it," Hermione told her decisively. "After all there is nothing that says I cannot."

Hermione had a stare off with the severe woman.

She won.

Hermione smiled smugly as she cast the spell on Ron and Blaise first and proceeded to unshackle the tanned man who stretched lazily like a cat. But his bones creaked, betraying the number of years he has not had the pleasure of doing so.

She proceeded to do the same for Ginny and Narcissa who were already chatting animatedly like old friends and talking about her pregnancy.

"That leaves us," Draco held up his shackled hands with a mocking smile.

Doubt rose up in Hermione's chest and she wondered if she could really do this. She remembered the Draco from before Azkaban. It one who had remorse and wanted to be better. The one that had tried to do the right thing despite circumstance. But this Draco before her was bitter, cynical and possibly dangerous.

Hermione hardened her resolve when she saw Narcissa look at Draco sadly. She was reminded the he was somebody's child. He had once been innocent. But the world was not.

She cast the binding spell on them and unlocked his shackles.

There was no 'thank you' from him or anything.

"Hey," Ron called her attention. "Can we head out? This place is giving me the creeps."

"Try living here for 3 years," Blaise quipped.

Despite his best attempts, Blaise's good humour could not remove the tension from the group. They were all tired, stressed and little anxious to be off the island.

Narcissa who was wont to worry, know that the true extent of their stress would not start until they arrived back to their residents. While she would do her utmost best to carry her own weight against the house hold, there were still the problem of her need to stay within 100m of Ginny. She best get on well with the girl, woman.

She looked over that the other two pairs. Perhaps Ron and Blaise would not be too big of a problem but Hermione and Draco… she worried. He had changed in the past 3 years. She saw him sometimes, rarely really but each time she did, his temperament seemed to worsen.

How her angel has fallen from grace.

Before she group parted at the apparition point, Narcissa requested to speak with Hermione.

"Thank you," she told the younger woman. "And please, be patient with him."

A/N- Hello lovelies! I know it is probably not a good idea to start a new story right before the start of school, but hey inspirations comes at odd times.

So let's start this story off with a general and all applicable disclaimer. I own nothing. All characters are JK Rowlings and the title is inspired by The Red Jumpsuit Aparratus.

As always, comments are always appreciated and read.

Happy Reading! :)