Hi!!! this is my very FIRST actual story ive written in years. I only used to write drabbles but I never seem to be consistent enough in finishing the story. Just trying to get this out there! I'm still inexperienced, but do believe that one person can improve through continuous learning and writing. Hope you enjoy this somehow! Please leave a review!!! It would really help to know what I can improve on. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All rightfully belong to JK Rowling.

Long live Harry Potter!

Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger

APARTMENT TO BE

Chapter One

If there's one thing Draco Malfoy dislikes, it is the feeling of not being confined into the solace of his lovely mansion back in London. The vast and spacious land was nothing compared to what he is standing now. It's cramped, bright, and the walls apparently lacks enough thickness to muffle any sounds coming in from the other tenants. The walls were so damn thin he's been consistently hearing the muffled sounds of television for the past hour. Obviously, it wasn't coming from his own room. Heck, the size of the whole apartment itself is comparable to their guest bathroom back home. How did he manage to downgrade into this mousehole? Theo surely does not know how to pick a proper place for someone to live in temporarily. The thought makes his blood boil.

"I ought to give him a call," he muttered to himself. He took out his phone, the latest of its kind, and dialed Theo Nott from his contacts. The bastard better have a prepared explanation as to why he chose him to stay in this shithole, even if for a while.

A couple of rings took place before he finally answered. Draco was about to give old Theo a tongue lashing when the bloke beat him to it.

"Woah! W-wait wait!" He shouted through the phone.

Draco scoffed. "Spill it, Theo."

"The apartment itself isn't so shitty, right? There's a nice breeze, here and there, and the neighbors sure are lovely! I've talked to some of them when I went to check the place out," Theo reasoned.

"Who cares about the neighbors Theo? I didn't come here to make friends! You know I was just here for a small work-related trip," Draco Malfoy was slowly losing his patience.

"Of course I know that dear," Theo said, mocking in a doting voice. "You asked me to book a damn place when you have 6 other house helpers and butlers back in your mansion! You do know that we're all busy with our working lives, right?"

"Yeah I know that. But you know how busy I am!" Draco argued through the phone. "And you know those people at my place aren't good with technology. I trust you enough to deal with the petty things and yet it's been shitty so far."

"Shitty? The embassy is a 5-minute walk from your apartment! And that's the maximum, given how slowly you walk as if you have all the time in the world," Theo said.

Draco was slightly impressed with Theo on that part. He was correct. The embassy was so close he can see the building peek through his apartment window. But he still wasn't convinced. He should've just booked him a room at a nearby hotel.

"You know you could've just booked me to a hotel right?" Draco asked as if it was obvious.

"Yeah? Sure if you don't mind being 30 minutes away," the bloke said over the phone. "I know you Draco, you couldn't be bothered wasting your time spending a 30-minute ride every single day, back and forth. You're a busy man, didn't you say?" The tone at the last bit was mocking, and it made Draco scowl because Theo knows him, and he was dead-on.

Theo sighed over the phone. "It's only going to be for a couple of days Draco. Despite the size, the room's not bad at all. There's even a small stove to cook home-cooked meals."

"I saw that. I'm not completely barbaric," Draco dead-panned.

"No, I meant eating out less. You're a really picky eater and it's really shameful sometimes," he said dramatically.

"Yeah, whatever. Thanks, I guess," but Draco knew he only slightly meant it. The place was clean and modern, sure, but this cramped place is for rats. The bed only fit him exactly, no more or no less, the shelves were extremely small, not to mention really low. Overall, this wasn't exactly made for him due to his build. His long, slender legs and arms are not going to have the best of time as he can barely stretch his body within the place.

Draco sighed. There's nothing he can do. Malfoys are not supposed to be big complainers. Or at least, he try to be. But in this situation, he can't really help but complain. What good will it do to his reputation when people find out that he's been staying at this dingy apartment? He didn't have any problems financially, so when he trusted Theo into finding a suitable place for him for a whole week, he assumed that his best friend would pick a place that agrees with his acquired taste of environment. He is a well-mannered boy raised in a mansion, after all. He was not supposed to dwell with the average, mundane situations when he is living much more capable than the majority of the population.

"Anything you're still unhappy about, besides the size?" Theo added.

"You mean everything?" He asked as if Theo Nott was indeed ludicrous for letting him stay here. Heck, Draco knows for sure that Theo himself would not even stay in a place like this. They practically grew up in the same well-bred manner. He was born into the wealthy culture—those who have wealth were taught to only deal with wealth as much as they could.

"There's a public park outside, just right next to the apartment building if it makes you feel any better," Theo knew the situation was already hopeless, but he can guarantee that the place itself was not bad at all.

"You know that parks are just for people with no private gardens, right?" Out of all people, Draco knew Theo would understand that best. And yet he still couldn't figure out why he chose this place to start with.

"Damn right I do," replied Theo. "Well, anyway, duty calls! Talk to you next time."

Before Draco can even say goodbye, with a click, the phone call was cut to an end. So much for an explanation.

Well, that's it. Guess he just has to live with it for a while. He didn't want to accept it, but this place was only temporary anyway. A couple of days in this shabby apartment won't do him any harm. Probably.

It was a Monday afternoon, 4 PM to be exact, and he just arrived from the airport through a taxi. He couldn't be bothered to commute or to rent a car and drive himself due to exhaustion. He might as well pass out on the bed right here and then if it wasn't for the fact that he still has to unpack his clothes and reading materials from his luggage.

This is going to be a really long week, he thought to himself as he sighed.

Draco woke up to the sound of incessant ringing elicited by his phone.

6:48 AM.

As he read the digits, he figured that the alarm has been ringing for some time now. He set an alarm at 6 AM and was supposedly to wake up by then. Last night, he slept as early as 7:30 PM so that really just goes to show how tired he is, or maybe the fact that he really is not a morning person. If it wasn't for his job, he swear to God he would be sleeping in every single day he can to his power. But things are different, and he has a job to attend to, so he mustered all his energy to make himself get out of bed and take a quick shower.

Draco Malfoy was privileged enough to be born into such wealth that he can choose not to work, and still have gargantuan amount of money that can last him his lifetime. He can be as carefree as he wants with his spending, and he never has to worry about being bankrupt because that's just how much the odds favor him. He was born into such a wealthy lineage that the concept of money is taken lightly for it is something that they know they will never run out of. Businesses, tycoons, entrepreneurs under the Malfoy name are under their works and even if the Malfoy's sit back and do absolutely nothing, the current of money goes in their way and they still proceed to earn more.

So why is Draco Malfoy working?

Because he simply wanted to. He didn't want to spend his lifetime rotting. He wanted to contribute to society and continuously learn. Draco got himself involved in foreign affairs and is working for the government. Through hard work, and some lowkey nepotism taking place, Draco made a title for himself as an esteemed diplomat representing London in various countries. It's a very rewarding job, honestly, because he gets to deal with serious issues and the position allows him to be able to help people not just in his country, but also internationally.

It didn't take much time before he got fully dressed and ready. As he buttoned up his polo, he opted to not wear a blazer and a tie in this slightly blazing heat. Neatly tucking in his cream long-sleeved top into his soft, dark blue slacks, he slightly fixed his belt and then proceeded into putting on his wrist watch. With everything seemingly ready, he took his charging phone off the socket and slid it in his back pocket, leaving behind the charger. Draco Malfoy took his briefcase, the apartment keys, and he was all set. Combing back his blonde locks with his fingers, he trudged down the door with a few steps and went outside the apartment without so much a glance of himself in the mirror.

Draco Malfoy dressed simply. Just like how a common government worker with style would dress. Yet, he exudes an aura that no other man can compare. With his genetically good looks, exquisitely expensive taste, Draco Malfoy shows everyone that he is on a whole other level without having it to say himself.

A fact that everyone he has socialized and spent time with throughout his lifetime can undoubtedly agree on: Draco Malfoy is untouchable.

Twisting the doorknob in order to make sure that the place was locked, Draco Malfoy walked towards the elevator. He could leave the door open and allow burglars to step inside the place for all he cares, but due to force of habit, he made sure that everything was alright. It was only a short walk from his apartment towards the elevator. He didn't consider taking the stairs for he was located at the 13th floor. Draco didn't want to break a sweat as early as 8 AM in the morning while being freshly out of the shower.

Pushing the down button, he patiently waited for the elevator to make its way up to his floor down from the ground floor. Waiting for a brief moment, the elevator finally arrived and he stepped in. The elevator was empty and he proceeded to push the close button. The doors started closing when suddenly, a female voice suddenly shouted.

"Wait! Wait!" The woman sounded frantic, and being the gentleman that he is, quickly countered the closing doors by pushing the open button. He got caught off by the sudden outburst in such a quiet hallway that he failed to realize for a moment who the woman that stepped inside the elevator and stood alongside with him was apparently someone he was very familiar with.