Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. Only the ones that people have never seen before in the Harry Potter books, if there are any. All the rest, apart from the plot of course, belongs to J.K Rowling. Happy reading!

Hiding From the Past

Chapter 1: A Lost Wizard

My name is Hermione Emilia Granger. I am 23 years old, a top honours graduate at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, former Head Girl and now currently working in the Ministry of Magic's Defence Against the Dark Arts office.

I shared this job with my two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley after we were offered it for being the main people involved in carrying out the defeat against You-Know-Who. Yes. At the end of our seventh year, we, along with the help of another character, defeated Voldemort and put most of the wizarding world at peace - for the time being that is. Now it seems, some of the death eaters who had escaped are slowly and gradually starting to climb back to power, eager to retaliate against the fall of their lord, to continue in his footsteps, and to put it plainly, take over the entire world – muggle and wizard.

As for the other character who helped us in our victory, well, he's a funny story that one. Head Boy alongside me, a Slytherin and generally a not very nice boy, most presumed he was a death eater. Or at least someone who regarded Voldemort with respect and bowed down low to kiss the ground he treaded on.

His father obviously worshiped You-Know-Who, being the right hand man and all and now he was the one uniting all the death eaters again – we have no idea how we let that worthless man escape. Lucius did though and we hadn't had a word from him for five years. Until now – to say he's bringing them all back. You probably know whom I'm talking about right now. And I'm sure that you guessed correctly.

Draco Malfoy. At our immense surprise, he had acted as a spy and his help was one of the main reasons that we were able to succeed. He was still the same really, in his snarky actions, he didn't treat my friends and I any better, but he did indeed help us. Why isn't he working alongside you in the ministry then? You might ask. Well, he was offered a place, but the problem was, he disappeared. Yes. Vanished, completely out of our sight on the last day of seventh year. No one knows how, no one knows why. We just know that he did. And that was it. We haven't seen him since.

I brushed my long, brown hair, put on a pink T-shirt and jeans and appraised my appearance in the mirror in front of me. My hair had lost some of its frizz over the years, although as soon as it hit moisture, then bang! You know what happens next. I wasn't too fat, nor was I too skinny and the features on my face were pleasant to look at. Nothing spectacularly stunning, but I wasn't a model was I?

However, I was single and by the looks of things, going to be for quite a while. I did date Ron for a bit, but then things didn't work out as I had planned and so we decided that our relationship would be better if we just stayed best friends. Our friendship didn't change because of that though. We're still as argumentative, but as close as ever. Harry and Ginny were going out for quite some time now. Which I was very pleased about. They suited each other them two and it looked as if their relationship had a very big future ahead of them.

The other males close to my age at the Ministry were not really my type. Some I knew from Hogwarts, others were just new aquaintances, but all in all, I wasn't that desperate. I mean, the people that I could have considered were already taken and the rest, um cough. Cough. I don't need to say anything more. I could live being single, until I found someone I really admired. Someone that lived up to my expectations, and trust me, they were high.

A tapping sound broke me away from my thoughts and I glanced up to see a tawny owl banging its beak against my window. Smiling, I got up, slid the window open and the owl flew in, settling with a flurry of wings at my desk and sticking its little leg out. I untied the letter, gave it an owl treat from inside my drawer and with soft hoot of thanks, it soared out the open window and into the sky.

I focused my attention back to the letter it had brought me and opened it quickly, realising that the seal was a Hogwarts one.

Dear Miss Hermione Granger it read.

There is a little job that I would like you to favour me by doing. As you well know, Draco Malfoy has disappeared and it has come to my attention that he may soon be in very grave danger. I need you to find him as quickly as possible as I believe that you know him best. The Ministry has already been informed and your files located in your office may help you as well.

Best wishes,

Albus Dumbledore

I snorted. Me? Knowing Malfoy the best? But it was Professor Dumbledore's decision and I had to trust him in that, although it wasn't highly likely that his judgement was correct this time around. I apparated into my office at the Ministry of Magic and saw Ron and Harry already sitting at their desks, hard at work.

"Good morning."

They looked up and as soon as they saw me, their faces brightened. "Hi Hermione!" Harry greeted.

"How are you?" Ron asked.

I gave them a half smile. "I'm not too bad. Have you heard about the job that Dumbledore's given me?"

Harry nodded glumly. "It's going to be quite hard. We'll have to do quite a bit of research and some more poking about to try and figure out where he's got to. It would have been a lot easier if he hadn't been gone for so many years."

I knew that if I saw him, I wouldn't have the problem of recognising him. All I needed to do was to find a lean, tall, handsome boy with blonde hair, and an arrogant expression upon his pale face. The trademark Malfoy smirk could also be helpful. I could distinguish that smirk anywhere, having seen it so many more times while we obediently did our head duties. Yes, I do admit that he is handsome. He always was and always will be. Every girl in the school knew it and there's no point in me denying it now. Oh and also, his eyes. They were a uniquely greyish blue, another of Malfoy's signature clues.

I hurried over to the filing cabinets beside my desk and searched through them. I...J...K...L...M. Taking the file out and placing it on my desk, I flicked through until I saw the word that I needed. Malfoy. The report on the Malfoys seemed to be about fifty pages at least.

A throbbing headache soon came to my attention and I closed my eyes, fighting the sigh that bubbled up in my chest. This was my job and I had to do it, but if I was going to sit there reading fifty pages about the people that I dreaded the most, I was not going to do it all cramped up in a tiny office with no space to breathe or soothe my nerves. Shrinking the notes so that it would fit inside my handbag, I jumped up from my desk and checked that I had enough muggle money in my pocket.

"I'm going to go to a café to revise my Malfoy knowledge."

Ron snorted at my announcement. "Have fun."

Harry gave me a weak smile. I could tell that he really pitied me right now. Who wouldn't?

With a pop, I apparated out of the Ministry of Magic and into a corner of a busy London street. With all the people milling about and doing their weekly shopping, I was sure that no one would notice if a girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Hugging my bag tightly between my arm, I pushed myself from the crowd and went into what seemed like a peaceful café.

After ordering a café latte to a nice looking girl with lots of spots at the counter, I sat myself down at a round two-seater table at the back and unzipped my bag. I looked at the little book that I had taken out. To anyone else, it looked just like any ordinary book with the innocent title, 'Surviving the Office Life'. To me, it was the much-dreaded notes on Malfoy's history. Oh, how eager I was to read this book. Not. Grumpily, I turned to the front page and was about to start reading when...

"Here's your café latte madam." A male voice said as he lowered my drink down in front of me.

I looked up from my book to say 'thanks', but he was already proceeding towards another table. He had white blonde hair.

Author's Notes: hehe. I hope you all liked that. So, if you did, or even if you didn't, PLEASE REVIEW!!! I will not be updating until I get enough. Any constructive criticism wanted as well. Hugz! xx