Right, so this is the first bit of fanfiction that I've EVER uploaded anywhere so I hope it's decent. This is an au where the characters live in a small (nameless) town and there's no magic *gasp*. Otherwise the characters are pretty much the same or I've tried to make them the same, so try and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Characters, locations and some of the dialogue belong to J.K Rowling (basically anything you recognise) please don't sue me

It was my first day working in Starbucks and I was nervous as hell. The only reason I'd wanted to get a job was, quite obviously, for the money and quite lately, I'd been running on fumes. My parents couldn't afford to give me pocket money anymore, even though they're both dentists and should be able to earn quite easily – ever since my Dad's stupid idea to start up their own dental practise, everything had been a bit tight.

I'd had countless books that I wanted to buy for a while now and no money to buy them with so I'd gone part-time-job hunting. It would be that the only job going would be in Starbucks of all places. The place where I'm most likely to run into as many people from school as humanly possible owing to the shop being the most fashionable place to go and buy crappy coffee at the moment.

It was a Saturday morning, about half an hour before opening time and I had arrived earlier that was entirely necessary in the hopes of making a good impression. The shop was empty when I went in and it was peaceful for a moment. I nervously flattened down the black dress that I'd bought specially for this job, though why we had to wear all black was beyond me. I couldn't think of a more depressing colour to wear – and we're supposed to be cheerful to the customers.

The door that had a slightly rubbed off 'STAFF ONLY' sign on it, suddenly crashed open and a tall man with a long hooked and shoulder length hair which was disgustingly greasy swept into the room, his long black coat billowing behind him and making him look astonishingly bat-like. He stopped when he saw me, waited a moment then said,

"You must be my new employee" he waited, as if he expected her to say something and then added, "Miss Granger." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement but I responded anyway,
"Yes sir, are you Mr. Snape?"
"I am."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, holding out my hand. He looked at it disdainfully for a few seconds and then replied,
"I'm sure it is." and then turned his back and walked back though the door he had come through. I was slightly taken aback to say the least. Not knowing what else I could do, I followed him through the door seeing as I was now staff.

I'd always wondered what it would be like behind the intimidating 'STAFF ONLY' signs but I guess I should have known that it would be a let-down. There was a store room stacked with tons of cardboard boxed containing god knows what, a tiny cloakroom to put coats and bags in and then a single toilet. I knew that it was a small coffee shop but surely they should have a separate male and female toilet at least. The thought of sharing a toilet with the greasy haired bat manager made me want to heave and I decided then and there that I wasn't ever going to use that toilet no matter how badly I needed to go. I'd rather go to the Costa's down the road wearing a Starbucks apron and ask to use their toilet.

Dismissing all thoughts of revolting toilets behind, I dumped my coat and bag in the cloakroom, slightly worried about the safety of my purse and phone but Ieft them there anyway. Exiting the 'STAFF ONLY' rooms I surveyed the coffee shop. This Starbucks was really tiny compared with the ones that you saw in shopping centres in the city. I suppose it is on account of the size of our town and the fact that they probably don't get much business because of the Costa along the road. Who'd want to go to Starbucks when you could get proper coffee in Costa? And Costa didn't do the ridiculous names on cups either; I didn't think I'd be able to stand working here if I had to write 'Mrs. Bieber' on even one cup. I sighed, maybe because the shop was really small we wouldn't get many customers and I could just sit and chat with the other employees. I wondered who the other employee could be. It would be nice if it was someone else who liked books because then at least we wouldn't run out of things to talk about.

The bell over the door tinkled and it made me jump and looking up I saw him walk in. He didn't look ridiculous in all black like I did, in fact he looked almost fantastic in it. It contrasted well with his pale hair, oh god what was I thinking? This was Draco Malfoy of all people! He was one of the un-touchables; rich, popular and a complete and utter dick to anyone he considered below him. He and his 'elite' group of friends at school tormented the other students, particularly the younger ones without mercy and because of that I hated him. I hated him and his ilk for humiliating me in the corridors between classes and now, of all people, it was him that worked here!

He stalked past me without sparing me a glance and I suddenly wondered why on Earth he was working in this Starbucks of all places. His parents must have been billionaires and owned half the town as well as their huge estate with the illustrious Malfoy Manor which looked like it came out of some ridiculous fantasy book about wizards and all kinds of fantastical things. If anything, he should have been working at some overpriced designer clothing store, somewhere slightly more distinguished for little prince Malfoy.

He re-entered the shop, followed by Snape who stood facing the two of us. Malfoy still didn't look at me.

"Miss Granger, this will be your only colleague, Draco Malfoy, and he will be teaching you the subtle science and exact art of coffee making." And with that bizarre statement he swept back out of the room, his coat billowing behind him. I wondered exactly he went when he left the shop, did he skulk around the cloakroom or hide in the toilet? Maybe he had a hideout in the storeroom where he hung upside down like a bat, no, no what was I thinking?

I sneaked a look over at Draco but found him studiously ignoring me. I was absolutely fine with that, I didn't want to talk to him at all and I was confident that I'd be able to work out how to use the coffee machines by myself too. After all, how hard could it be?

So that's my first try! If you were kind enough to read this, perhaps you would be kind enough to leave a comment and tell me what you think