He smoothed down his exquisite dark emerald robes for the fifth time to ensure there was not a wrinkle present. As his mother had always told Draco, first impression is the last impression. He squared his shoulders and looked into the mirror, he looked and felt imposing with the legendary Malfoy smirk set on his face. However, he felt a wiggle in his stomach and hunched back.

"Malfoys are never nervous," he silently chided himself while straightening himself up again. He was finally promoted and given the opportunity to work as a proper auror for the Ministry. For a while he had worked small jobs in the department slowly working his way up. Now with another colleague of his he would go today to have an orientation and begin work. He wasn't technically an auror until he finished probation which unlike most jobs wasn't just a certain amount of time rather the accomplishment of a case.

With a final glance at the mirror he apparated to the Ministry. There were wizards and witches all around him bustling through the hallway which was full of chatter and noise. The knot in his stomach tightened and he became more nervous with each step towards the lift. He needed to remind himself again that this was inappropriate behaviour for a Malfoy. He couldn't screw this opportunity up. After the war, his father had been placed in Azkaban meaning that all his businesses were ended and some of the Malfoy fortune had been taken away for a homage for all the damage caused by the Dark Lord. Causing Draco to take up a job to make some money to make up for all that was lost.

Draco didn't mind the long hours and hard work though. It was better than staying in the Manor full of horrible memories of torture and misery through the war.

Once he got out of the lift and onto the Level where the Auror Department was located, he had to pause walking. He stood silently for a moment trying to fix his bearings. He had never been this anxious in his life besides for when he was ordered to kill Dumbledore and when Voldemort was in his house. Even when he was young, nothing ever bothered Draco and now he was here walking like a headless chicken.

When he realised he was getting near the Head of the Auror Office, he knew his behaviour was getting ridiculous. So he stopped, stood up straight, puffed out his chest, held his head up high and put on the Malfoy mask.

He finally arrived at the office and took a seat outside. Promptly after Charles Marvin a colleague of his arrived.

"Nervous?"

Draco put on his legendary smirk, "not the slightest." He hoped thought that nothing gave away the real fear he was feeling.

"As usual." Their friendship existed only at work and was more of a tolerance than anything. Marvin had been working at the Ministry few years before Draco had arrived and since then they had worked together for a majority of the time. Draco felt great pride when he realised that both of them had come to this point together even though it took much longer for Marvin and he had accomplished it much quicker.

A tall man with ivory skin, a pointed long nose and oily black hair came out of the office.

"Mr Potter is now ready to see you," The man spoke in a quiet voice but his gaze was sharp and glaring which reminded him of his once godfather, Severus Snape. He wondered how Potter managed to cope with this man who resembled Snape significantly.

The Snape like man lead them through the office and past many rooms and corridors. The way he walked at such a fast pace with his auror robes bellowing around him, made Draco wonder if somehow this was a clone of Snape. The man finally stopped in front of the largest office at the end of the hallway. On the door hang a golden plaque with the name Harry Potter engraved in it.

The man knocked twice on the door, when it was opened by another auror. This one had strawberry blonde hair and tanned skin that looked like he spent quite a long time in the sun.

"This way please and do take a seat." Finally, Draco thought, someone had manners.

There were to red plush seats on the opposite of a mahogany desk which Harry Potter was seated behind.

When Potter spotted the two walking over to him, he stood up.

He shook their hands, "Mr. Marvin and Mr Malfoy" he nodded to each respectively. When Draco shook Potter's hand he couldn't help but grimace a bit as this was his first friendly contact with Potter. Harry realised this and gave a small smirk to Draco. Potter had definitely changed, Draco thought. His hair was no more of a ruffled mess: however, was rather slicked down which was more to his personal liking. His face had also hardened and his eyes no more carried the childish gleam which possessed his eyes during school. Most of all there was no reminisce of a smile lingering or becoming present there. His overall appearance was imposing and slightly threatening. Draco thought that maybe due to his new position as the Head of the Auror Office or the brutal war with Voldemort.

"This is Robert Holdsworth one of the head aurors" Harry nodded towards Robert.

Draco and Charles shook hands with Holdsworth and took a seat opposite to Potter.

Potter started, "I am sure you both are aware of your current position now and the opportunity you have been given." Both men nodded.

"I will make this short and sweet. Tomorrow your probation will start and you will work on a case with a mentor. Marvin you will be Robert and Malfoy you will be working with me."

Draco's mouth automatically opened but as soon as realised he shut just as quickly hoping no one saw. Potter seemed prone to this and continued as if this was nothing new.

"You can move your belongings to your offices which are just down the corridor today and tomorrow go to your mentor's office at exactly 8 am sharp to begin your work. Good day"

As soon as he finished a witch arrived and swept him away from the office chatting to him with an urgent look on her face.

"Sorry, about Mr Potter's abruptness he has an emergency to attend to. Does anyone have any inquiries?"

Both men sat silently question-less.

"Alright then, you may leave."

Draco left Potter's office and went to his now old office. After transporting all his belongings in his office which weren't many as he had to move positions and offices a lot. There was also no point cosying up in the new office in case he was fired. However, Draco was confident that wouldn't happen to him, even though his mentor or what he preferred to say partner, Potter would probably take any opportunity to fire him. He was actually surprised to find out that Potter was going to work with him. Firstly, he was one of the Head aurors and secondly, they were practically enemies. Maybe he didn't get to choose or have a say in this, Draco thought.

"How was it?"

Draco had just apparated to the Manor and found Astoria lounging on his bed while reading a book.

"Alright."

"Good, your friends are downstairs."

"Why are you in my room?"

"We are practically fiancés remember?" She said without even glancing up from her book.

"I can't see a ring." Draco drawled knowing this would make her stir.

Finally Astoria looked up and floated over to him.

Wounding her arms around his neck she pulled him closer and cupped one hand under Draco's chin. "We been through this nearly one hundred times already." She sighed in annoyance and frustration.

Draco smirked at this, it was hard to break Astoria's cool and calm façade and when he did it was extremely entertaining.

"Until you have a secure job my mother and father will not allow me to wed you."

"Is it just your mummy and daddy or is it you that doesn't want to marry a poor man?"

Astoria sighed, "Draco dear, we both know our intentions for marriage and it definitely isn't true love."

Draco smoothly pulled away from Astoria's grasp, "Well in the Malfoy family, until a couple is wed they cannot show such a public display of affection or any at for that matter."

Astoria rolled her eyes and muttered, "Whatever," under her breath making Draco smirk.

He headed out of his room towards the stairs with a clearly annoyed Astoria in tow.

"Your sister's down there too."

"Obviously with Zabini"

"Yes, oh and look they just started making out again." Draco said with a huge grin.

"Disgusting, now that Draco is a public display of affection." Glanced towards where everyone was sitting and looked away just as quickly.

"Oh and please Astoria, if are to ever marry me, I would much appreciate it if you called my friends with their first name."

Astoria just turned around pretending to ignore that comment and apparated away. Draco walked down the stairs to one the living rooms that he occupied for his friends to hang out with him there.

When got down to the living room, Blaise and Daphne were still connected at the hip and seemed to be in their own world. Draco cleared his throat loudly like his father had taught him to make a big and grand entrance.

However, that didn't seem to work. "Hey you two, break it up!" Pansy hollered.

They finally glanced up and spotted Draco standing in front of them and pulled apart. Only Daphne sat in Blaise's lap while he caressed her brown locks. They really couldn't stop touching each other for even five minutes.

Draco took a seat in his favourite red plush chair that was reserved for him so no one dared to ever take it. Ever since the war Pansy, Blaise and Draco had hung out together more often and become best friends. Even though Daphne had recently joined them since Blaise and her were practically stuck together as if someone put a binding curse on them. In Draco's opinion Pansy also had lost some of her annoyingness and had become more bearable during the years.

"So who is your mentor?" Pansy begun with her obvious eager to hear gossip.

Draco became nervous, he wasn't sure how to say Potter was now his mentor and would decide his fate. "Umm... I don't think you remember him."

"We might know him, just give us a name," Blaise prompted.

"Okay… Harry Potter."

"What about Potter?" Pansy asked looking confused.

"He's my…um…"

"I think Draco means that Potter is his mentor." Daphne said.

Pansy gasped and Blaise cracked up in fits of laughter.

"Oh man, you are dead. You'll probably be fired on the spot tomorrow." Blaise said in between huge breaths.

"You are so lucky! Potter has transformed since school. He looks so hot in the papers, right Daphne?" Pansy squealed while looking at Daphne. Daphne sheepishly looked away while Blaise stopped laughing and became concerned.

"You will probably have to rest well then before tomorrow," Daphne got up and quickly gathered her bag.

"Where are you going?" Draco inquired.

"Trying to get away from Blaise?" Pansy smirked.

"Oh no," she kissed Blaise deeply to prove it. "Mother made Astoria and I come for dinner tonight because we apparently don't spend enough time at home and some family are also coming over."

"Good luck Draco, break leg." She said.

"Be careful, Potter might actually do that," Blaise said with his smile returning once again. With that Daphne apparated away leaving the three best friends alone.

As soon as Daphne had disappeared, "we should celebrate."

"I can't tonight Pansy, their right I'll probably be fired as soon as Potter sees one tiny mistake."

"Come on, a drink or two can't hurt. Anyway I've never seen you drunk. It would probably take you like twenty drinks to just a get a bit slurred."

"Alright," Draco said with a smirk.

"I can't go guys," Blaise said while getting up.

"Daphne will never know and loosen up Blaise. We don't have much fun anymore."

Blaise looked like he was weighing up the options. "Fine but I don't want to stay for long. Draco also needs to rest."

"Okay then, everyone get dressed and we'll meet back here." Draco commanded. He got up and headed for his room knowing that Pansy would probably want to go to some Muggle pub or something. He put on some nice Muggle clothes he owned for times like this. Usually he hated doing or going anywhere Muggles where but it was safer than running into someone in a wizard pub and being exposed and humiliated. His family had already had plenty of that.

They all met back at the living room ten minutes after and Pansy apparated them away. After Draco got his bearings back from the apparition, he followed Pansy out of the dark alley in which they had apparated to not be seen by any Muggles. The town they had apparated in seemed to be a small old one at that. The roads were made of cobblestone and the shops looked dingy while some were closed down and were left rotting.

Pansy lead them to a small pub with a broken sign at the front and dusty windows. He couldn't make out what the sign said as there was barely any light coming from the dim and some broken streetlamps.

"Are sure this place is even running?" Draco whispered.

"Of course, came with Blaise a while before." Pansy replied.

Blaise shot Pansy a look that seemed to silence her before she revealed anymore. Draco reminded himself to ask later what that was all about.

Pansy opened the door and a wave of loud upbeat music hit them. Pansy walked into the pub followed closely by Draco and Blaise. The pub was dirty, dusty and smelt horrible but otherwise it absolutely the opposite of what Draco imagined from the outside. The pub was heavily crowded with young people and most of them were dancing in a bunch on the dance floor. The tables were all full and the bar seemed heavily occupied. Draco thought his eardrums would burst soon due to the loudness of the music. He wondered how he didn't hear it outside.

"I think we should go!" Draco shouted over the music yet Pansy could nothear him.

Pansy pointed towards the bar while Draco pointed towards the door. Shaking her head she grabbed Draco's arm and pulled over to the bar.

"Can I get two beers and what do you want Draco?" Pansy asked the old looking bartender who seemed to only have three strands of white hair left on his bald head and half of his teeth missing. Draco didn't know where that was due to old age or the teeth getting knocked out.

"Do you have any wine?" He yelled.

"Nah we only have beer."

"Fine give me one of those."

"It's all on me guys tonight so have as much as you want."

Blaise took his beer and downed the whole bottle in two long gulps. He sighed in satisfaction, "I'm gonna go and dance."

"Be careful Blaise, don't do something you'll forget." Pansy said with a smirk.

"That's why I only had one drink," he replied. He walked straight through the mass of bodies and started dancing in the middle with a group of girls who seemed to be fawning over him now.

"I want to dance too," Pansy said, heading the opposite way to some very happy guys. They seemed to love having her attention and Pansy mercilessly flirted with them.

Draco was left all alone now so he took a sip of the beer. He spat it out straight away, it tasted disgusting. No wonder Blaise drunk it in long shots but it was a miracle he kept it all in his system.

Draco pushed the bottle away and turned around on his chair. He scanned the room for anything that looked interesting. To him all the girls looked the same. They all wore very short body clinging dresses like Pansy, even though her's was more modest and didn't reveal too much. They all has their hair out and with the madness in here their hair was sprawled everywhere. None of these girls were his taste, he like girls that were naturally pretty and didn't were too much make up. He especially didn't like girls that exposed them too much.

"Hey John!" Draco heard someone say.

He turned around and saw familiar slicked down jet black hair. It then hit him who that person was and his suspicions were proven when the man turned around. Draco quickly hid his face and relaxed again when Potter continued talking to the old bartender. Potter held up a piece of paper and to that the bartender shook his head. Draco wondered what Potter was doing here, he was wearing Muggle clothes and they surprisingly looked very good on him.

"Jack come over!" Potter turned around and headed to a group of men huddled on a table who seemed to playing some sort of Muggle game. Draco then wondered that maybe Potter was undercover for some reason. Trying to mind his own business went back to staring at the mayhem on the dance floor.

Finally deciding to maybe dance, a girl came up to him. She was the typical girl that he didn't like she was exactly everything he had listed before.

"Do you wanna dance?" She slurred clearly having too much to drink.

"No thank you.'

"Come on, just one dance."

"No," He said disgusted.

"You can't waste all that prettiness by just sitting on the sidelines." With that he marched onto the dance floor and through everyone, clearly losing her.

He let out a sigh of relief, she clearly didn't know what "no" meant. Feeling a little better, Draco slowly started to dance letting the horrible but yet upbeat music flow through him.

When he was younger, his mother had given him dancing lessons but that was classical music and not eardrum cracking music squished in between people.

Suddenly, someone tapped him on the back. He turned around to find a neat looking girl slighting shorter than him. She seemed pleasant enough, she had her dark hair in a top knot and wore a red dress that flowed halfway above her knees.

She stood on her tip toes and whispered into Draco's ear. "Do you want to dance?"

Draco smiled, "it would be my pleasure" he whispered back.

To this she giggled sweetly and put her arms around Draco's neck while he placed his arms around her hips. Keeping out the loud and fast music they slow danced in the middle of the dance floor. Every once and a while someone would bump into them but they would still dance on strong as if nothing happened. They didn't exchange anymore words but just stared into each other's eyes.

Draco thought that the girl had the most beautiful eyes. They were emerald green, it reminded him of someone else's eyes but he just couldn't put his finger on who.

All of a sudden, the girl moved her hands from his neck to his face and cupped it. She then stood on her tip toes and moved her face closer. Suddenly somehow her lips were on his and all he could think about was he had to go. It didn't feel right, it just felt like wet sloppy skin on his lips. No sparks or anything magical like what Blaise said when Daphne kissed him.

Draco gently pushed away, "I'm sorry, I don't even know your name. I can't do this."

He walked away pushing anyone that wouldn't move. Draco turned around when he got to the edge of the dance floor. The girl was standing still while staring at him. She looked confused but Draco was sure she had heard what he said.

Finally feeling frustrated and tired he walked out of the pub and onto the street. Across the street he spotted a Muggle food place. Suddenly feeling hungry he walked over and into the shop. Taking a seat on one of the tables, a waiter approached him.

"What would you like sir?"

Draco grabbed one of the menus from the table and picked the first burger on the menu. He really didn't care now.

The shop was dimly light and dingy like the pub. However, this place looked like anyone hardly ever visited. He knew he should probably go back home and eat but he was tired and so hungry he didn't care at the moment if the burger even had cockroaches.

Finally the waiter brought his meal and placed a jug of water on the table too. The water looked like it came from a river, it was murky and slightly brown. Draco took a bite out of his chicken burger it was surprisingly not that bad and it fortunately didn't seem to have any bugs.

However, after a few bites he lost is appetite and laid his head on the table. He felt so tired but his thoughts kept on going back to the girl at the pub. She looked pretty and acted decently until she kissed him. She probably didn't even care about what his name was only his looks. Usually things like this never bothered him as he happily lead on poor losers and dropped them before anything went too far.

He decided closing his eyes for a moment would do no damage so he succumbed to his fatigue.