A/N: Hope you like it! Trying something new. Again lmao.

Hermione pushed through the door of the café, the bottoms of her boots squeaking loudly against the wooden flooring as she darted a quick look around the dimly lit establishment. The usual mix of students and office workers had cleared out for the night, leaving just one other person amidst the string lights and the slow burning, handmade candles. By the looks of the half-eaten scone at his table, he appeared to have been waiting for her for quite a long time. Were it not for the snow and the growing stack of paperwork on her desk, she might have made it out of the office sooner.

For the most part she was still confused as to why he had reached out to her in the first place. She worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but she was still fairly new. There were other, more qualified Aurors that could have helped him. But he had insisted on meeting with her and no one else.

Auror Granger,

This may come as a surprise, but there was a break-in at Malfoy Apothecary. If you would be so kind as to meet with me at The Magic Bean tonight at nine o'clock, I would very much like to discuss my options moving forward. I believe I've got a stalker.

Tell no one.

Signed,

Draco Malfoy.

With a deep breath, Hermione tucked the letter into her back pocket and slowly made her way to the table by the window, the loud squeak of her footsteps alerting Malfoy to the fact that she had arrived. Only then, as he lifted his gaze in her direction, did she ignore the twist of uncertainty in her stomach and greet him with a firm but polite nod of the head.

"You made it," he began, unmoved by the sight of her.

Settling down across from him, Hermione shrugged her coat off and unraveled her scarf, draping the damp pieces of outerwear along the back of her chair as she then released her breath. "Sorry for the hold up. The Auror Office is always so busy this time of year."

"No need to explain," Malfoy said to her without missing a beat. "I s'pose we should get on with business. You've probably got places to be. Flats to view."

Hermione swiftly lifted an eyebrow at him. "How do you know I've been viewing flats?"

"I've got connections."

"Er …"

"And I also happen to know that you've been experiencing financial troubles as of late."

She stopped, her face screwing at once. "How in Merlin's name could you possibly know th —?"

"Like I said," he interjected, smoothly. "Connections."

"Are you sure you're not the stalker here?"

"Quite sure."

"Then I suggest you to stop by the Auror Office and go through the proper channels," she uttered to him, curtly rising from her chair. "And whilst you're at it, maybe brush up on magical law and regulation before you go poking through my finances. The nerve of you to even admit that to an Auror of all people. Honestly …"

Unperturbed, Malfoy stayed exactly where he was, sipping calmly on his coffee before the words left his lips. "I'll transfer three hundred thousand Galleons directly into your vault if you agree to help me find my stalker."

Hermione halted mid-step, her back turned to him. Not a word came to mind apart from, "I don't take handouts."

"It's not a handout if it's earned," Malfoy countered, lightly. "And unless you've changed into an utterly different person these past ten years, I'm certain you'll go above and beyond to earn every last Galleon."

Spinning around if only to fix a sharp, disapproving look at him, Hermione tensed up. There was something about the look in those pale grey eyes that led her to believe Malfoy was serious. Not only had he reached out to her for the first time in ten years — for the first time ever, really — he had also offered to transfer more Galleons than her Gringotts vault had ever seen.

Would ever.

All because of a stalker.

"Listen," she began, folding her arms. "Even if I wanted to help you in my personal time, I'm far too busy at the Auror Office. Not to mention the fact that I'm not allowed to take cases under the table. Report it and you'll get all the help you need."

He looked to her, the calmness in his eyes tapering away to reveal the underlying fear that he had made a conscious effort to hide until that very moment. "I can't report this."

"Why not?"

"Because my stalker is dangerous, Granger. Ten steps ahead of every move."

There was a brush of knowingness in her eyes. "You're worried that if you report it, your stalker will kick things up a notch. Make you wish you'd never said a word to the Auror Office."

"Precisely," he confessed. "As it happens, I'm not the only one with connections in high places."

"You're saying your stalker has ties to the Ministry?"

"I'm saying it's possible." With a deep breath, he went on to explain his story in full. "The break-in was simply a distraction from the real thing. A warning. I've got every protective spell, barrier and security measure available to me in place. At Malfoy Apothecary and at home in my flat. But my stalker still managed to break in. And it would have gone undetected if not for this …"

Hermione sat back down, her coat and scarf bundled up in her arms as she glanced at the Muggle photograph that Malfoy had retrieved from within his coat pocket. At first she had no idea what it was that she was looking at. Only as she took the photograph into her own two hands for a closer look, did she realize Malfoy was in it.

Not only was he in it, he appeared to have been fast asleep at his desk when it was taken.

"Merlin. They snuck into your office and took a photograph of you whilst you were asleep?" she asked, traces of shock in her warm brown eyes.

Malfoy nodded, pocketing the photograph in the seconds after. "Being that I'm quite high profile in our world, this isn't the first time someone has threatened my safety and the safety of all those who work with and for me. People will do anything for a quick Galleon," he furthered. "But this person is different. They're not doing this for a quick Galleon."

"They're doing this because they can," Hermione finished, earning a second nod. "I'm starting to understand why you've neglected to report this. I would be all kinds of paranoid if some random person owled a photograph like that to me with no explanation."

"I was hoping you'd understand."

"And I absolutely do. But I still think you're better off reporting this, Malfoy. Like you said, this isn't just a matter of your safety. This is a matter of everyone's safety at Malfoy Apothecary."

"You're willing to turn down three hundred thousand Galleons just like that?" he inquired, more impressed than anything.

Even just the thought of three hundred thousand Galleons made her chest squeeze inside her top, but there was one aspect of the plan that made absolutely no sense to the brunette. "I'm flattered that you think I can help, but I've only just started out at the Auror Office. I … I mostly deal with smaller cases, paperwork, that sort of thing."

Malfoy gave her an obvious look. "You're Hermione Granger."

"So?"

"So, you've got to be itching for some real action," he furthered, as if he knew her all too well.

Tensing at the sound of that, Hermione fell silent for a couple of seconds. "Even if I am, I've got to work my way up before I'm given bigger cases."

"Given? The Granger I know doesn't wait until she's given work. She goes out there and finds it, makes it her own and puts her talents to use one way or another."

She couldn't help but smirk. "Funny."

"I'm serious," Malfoy added, as though he meant it. "You're the only one for the job, Granger."

"I could lose my actual job if I agree to this. You know that, don't you?"

"That's only if anyone finds out."

"Malfoy, I'm an Auror. It's my job to enforce the law. Not break it," Hermione stated, tired of all of this. "Wouldn't you rather have a team of Aurors behind you instead of just one?"

"Not for my plan."

"Okay, what's your big plan?" she asked, folding her hands on the table. "If your stalker is really ten steps ahead of you at all times, don't you think they'll figure out that I'm working for you if I agree to any of this?"

Only then did he hesitate, speaking his next words carefully. "They will if we make it obvious."

"And how do you suppose we keep from doing that?"

"Simple," he uttered, placing his hand on top of hers, gently. "We lead them astray."

A/N: Thoughts?