Draco Malfoy sat in a café on the main street of Diagon Alley; tomorrow he would come into his Veela inheritance. His father had explained to him that it would be painful process, which would last several hours, and hopefully he would pass out from the pain.

He read – contrary to popular belief he did have a brain and didn't spend his time shagging and making up insults to use on potter. Once Draco had read every book he could lay his hands on with veela's mentioned, Draco had come to the café and tipped back over 20 coffees in the last hour.

Draco was not looking forward to finding his mate, he knew he had not control over it but it could turn out to be Parkinson or even worse potter or Weasley! UUGH. Draco said he'd sell everything to make sure it wasn't. Parkinson was bad enough, she spent enough time glued to him when he'd been horrible to her, he'd had nightmares just thinking about it.

At least Draco knew it would be someone he knew, when he'd read in a book it could be someone from the other side of the world Draco had thrown a fit and his father had calmed him down by saying that that book was written by someone even worse than Gilderoy Lockheart who didn't know the simplest spells.

Draco had gone into muggle London as he would be anonymous and wouldn't have tons of witches falling onto of each other to get to him. He got up to get another coffee when he bumped into someone. "Watch it – Granger? What are you doing here?"

Hermione's eyes went large and still like Draco had grown another head or something. Two tall men came up behind Hermione, the taller one said; "Move along boy, Miss Granger would you like us to get rid of him?"

"Granger!"

"Malfoy go crawl back into that pureblood whole you crawled out of, or can't you manage without daddy to direct you?" she said before she moved off.

"Mudblood!" Draco said as he was pushed roughly off into the street of busy muggle, he turned to see Hermione walk followed by the two men into the café.

Hermione was shaken; she hadn't expected to see anyone from the wizarding world. Draco Malfoy, The Pureblood Slytherin Prince, lest of all.

Hermione had spent painstaking hours before entering Hogwarts to become this bookworm; her father was cold and Hermione didn't want anything to get back to him. (AN before letter from Hogwarts Hermione was going to a private exclusive boarding school..)

Harry and the Weasleys assumed that Hermione lived in this perfect little bubble, they never asked about her home life, and Hermione had taken to saying that they went on holiday in the summer vacations which was true but she neglected to mention that she and her parents saw nothing of each other apart from the evening meal in the restaurant.

Hermione had not wasted her to like the other rich children, partying, drinking and causing as much trouble as possible. She'd worked, not wanting to depend on her father who was cruel and a mother who saw her as a symbol of being tied down and not being young anymore.

That was mainly why she'd taken an instant dislike to Malfoy and the other Slytherin who had never done anything even though they had all the resources at their fingertips, they tortured muggleborns and half –bloods to make themselves appear superior. Normal children she could understand for they were brought up to love and just enjoy life.

Hermione didn't. She'd saved her money and worked at the hotels in the vacations from prep school and by the time of Hogwarts she had invested it in shares. She met other children like her in prep school and they worked for her and they'd planned to all leave at the same time. Hermione had used a spell from Dumbledore to make her computer and mobile phone work; also he somehow made the Internet connection work.

She worked when she was supposedly going to the library and read and did homework when everyone else did; she had read all the schoolbooks once a month to keep up.

Hermione now had money so as soon as her education was complete she could leave; she was completing business when she'd seen Malfoy.

Malfoy wouldn't do anything; he thought that he was royalty and would forget all about their meeting. Hermione sat down and got on with her lunch.

Draco said goodnight to his mother and his father, saying he'd probably see them tomorrow afternoon, once his transformation was complete.

At midnight Draco was attacked with an agonising pain, house elves surrounded him, splashing water all over him, Draco broke out in a sweat, he felt his skin grow tight over his body, his eyes felt like daggers were sinking into them.

At three in the morning Draco passed out from the pain, the elves had tied ropes to his arms and legs to keep him from ripping the flesh from his body; he'd been repeatedly dosed in ice cold water then dried.

The elves waited till twelve midday then tidied Draco up, he would wake in another hour.