A/N: Thank you so much for favoriting, following, and reviewing the last chapter! I am glad you enjoyed it!

Your reviews help a lot!: please continue to review! Your comments help me improve and I appreciate that! But let me tell you now, I am an absolute horrible speller! I rely on spell check for most of my spelling errors! If I have the wrong word in somewhere it's probably because spell check told me it was spelled that way. :) Please forgive me!

If you are an artist and you would like to see your fanart as the cover for this story, email your fanart to me (my email is on my page) and as long as it is appropriate to the story, I may select it! You can email me as many covers as you want, but they must be different and they must be owned by you!

Let me explain: Draco is a bit out of character but you have to remember that this is four years after the war at Hogwarts. If you remember from the books and moves, toward the end, Draco really did not want to fight for the dark side anymore but he was forced upon it. I won't go as far as to answer your question: 'has Draco really changed?' but just keep these things in mind as you read this chapter and more chapters to come!

Pay attention: I give some info. in this chapter that is very important for future chapters so I advise that you pay attention :)


An Eye on the Enemy

This was the fifth day I'd walked by the cafe. Each day he had been sitting there, in the same spot looking out the window. Every day I'd walk strait by, making sure he hadn't seen me. But today I really wished he wasn't there. I was starting to crave some coffee.

If he was, perhaps I could sneak past and quickly grab a coffee from the counter and sit outside, or in the back with my face in a book again. I had come close to doing this yesterday. But I was too afraid he'd see me, and even more afraid he'd think I came for him.

I looked at the cafe's window from across the street. It was glowing yellow and warm as usual. But today it was different. Malfoy wasn't there. To my surprise, I felt a little disappointed that he'd given up. It had kind of made me feel good to see him there and think that perhaps he was waiting for me. God, Hermione! I thought. Get over it! You hate him, remember? Yes. I hated Malfoy. And he hated me. But ever since the day we bumped into each other, I couldn't help but think that maybe he didn't hate me anymore. That maybe he had really changed and was no longer the loathsome cockroach I remembered him being. Either way, I couldn't shake the horrible memories I had because of him. The nights I spent crying in the commonroom was because of him. My lack of positive self image, was because of him. The only reason I dreaded going back to Hogwarts was because of him.

I quickly crossed the street, eager for some coffee. Opening the door with a jingle, I scanned the strangers in the room making sure none of them where Malfoy. He wasn't among them. My shoulders sank. Was I really feeling disappointed? Absolutely not! It was Malfoy for heavens sake!

I walked to the wood counter and ordered my usual, a caramel cappuccino with whipped cream. I grabbed the mug and hurried to sit down in an empty chair in the back of the cafe. Sitting down I took a sip of my coffee. It burnt my tong but it was still delicious. I reached into my canvas bag and pulled out my book. This was one of my absolute favorite things to do, read and drink coffee. I opened to the bookmarked page, took another sip, and began reading.

Since learning that Malfoy worked at the Ministry five days ago, I had been coming into work early, leaving late, and trying to stay in my office as much as I could to avoid running into him. I thanked my lucky stars at the end of each day that he hadn't decided to stop by my department and have a chat.

Yesterday I met Ginny for brunch in a cute little diner in Diagon Ally. I had to tell someone about my encounter with Malfoy and Ginny was the only one I could trust.

"So you know that little muggle cafe I like in London?" I asked her.

"Yea, what about it?" She took a bite of her toasted egg sandwich. I took a deep breath. Could I even tell her?

"Well, I ran into someone from school there the other day" I said looking at her carefully. She didn't seem to be paying much attention. She took a swig of orange juice and another bite of her sandwich.

"At a muggle cafe?" She asked. "Who was it? Did they recognize you?" She glanced at me for a moment and then kept eating.

"Yes" I said still looking carefully at her "We had a chat"

She smirked at me. "Ooo" She cooed. "Was it a boy?!" I had her attention now but I wasn't sure if I wanted it anymore. Her smile was contagious, I couldn't help but smirk too and look down at my food I started playing with. She gasped. "It was wasn't it! Go one then! Spill it! Who was it!"

I looked at her, wide smile stretching across her face. "You remember Draco Malfoy?" I asked quietly.

"Oo!" She squealed. "Was it one of his gorgeous mates? That Blaise was smoldering!"

"No" I said. Her smile faded "It was Draco Malfoy" She frowned at me. I started to regret telling her this.

"Malfoy?!" She gasped in shock "You like Malfoy?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I did not say I liked Malfoy!" I raised my hands defensively. "I just said I saw him!"

"And talked to him!" She gasped at me, her sky blue eyes big and her mouth wide.

"Ginny!" I exclaimed. "It meant nothing! I could never like Malfoy! You know how he treated me at Hogwarts!"

"Yea, but he talked to you! Willingly!" She pressed. "So he must have changed, right?"

I sat back and took a bite of my parfait. "Ginny, I'm done" I told her, wishing she would drop it.

"So you do like him" She said getting excited again.

"I said I was done" I held up my hand to tell her I was through with talking about this.

She bounced up and down in her seat, sending her carrot hair flying. "You two can have a forbidden romance! Like Romeo and Juliet!"

I opened my mouth to protest and deny what she was saying but she hushed me. She grabbed her purse and stood up.

"Well, I have to go" She said. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!" She winked and held a finger to her lips as she walked away before I could say anything else.

Yep. I thought. Defenitly a wrong idea to tell Ginny. I should have expected it though. Once she thought someone liked someone else, she just wouldn't drop it! And she always went way beyond just talking about it. She would make up romantic stories about the two and fantasize what their love letters would be like. Back at Hogwarts, when she found out that Nevil had a crush on Luna, she would trap him in the commonroom and force him to talk about 'the love letters he was going to write to her'. The poor bloke! But I could only expect the same treatment the next time I saw her and I felt sorry for myself!


I took a swig of coffee as I started a new chapter in my book. I heard the bell on the door to the cafe ring as someone entered. I lowered the book just enough to peer over the edge at who ever it was. My heart stopped. It was him. He glanced at the booth we had sat at the first day and ran his long pale fingers through his hair. Walking to the counter, I saw him surveying the rest on the room. I shrank down in my seat and covered my face with my book as his eyes wandered in my direction.

I could hardly breath as I thought for sure he would recognize me. I counted to five, hoping by then he would have looked away. And then I counted to five again, just to be sure.

I peaked, just barely, around my book. He was taking his coffee from the woman behind the counter. How could he be so calm around all these muggles? He'd never been able to even stand mudbloods or halfbloods but here he was, surrounded by muggles, and he seemed okay with it. He even smiled a thank you to the muggle woman at the counter.

I watched him walk to the same booth with long and smooth strides. He sat down and took out a leather notebook and a quill. Was Malfoy fond of writing? It was odd to me to think that perhaps he liked something calm. I had always thought he was more the action type, Quidditch and such.

Bringing his mug to his mouth, he pursed his lips lightly and blew, making the rising steam disappear. He carefully took a sip and then set the mug delicately back on the table. For some reason I found these simple actions memorizing and I was unable to look away. Was it out of fear that he would notice me when I wasn't looking? Or was it something else?

I should get back to my book. I wanted to get back to my book. But I couldn't. Instead I watched him scribble away in his notebook and I couldn't help but wonder what he was writing. A novel? A journal? Was it perhaps for work?

Again I thought about how odd it was that he was an Auror. Had something in the last four years change him so much that he wanted to leave the dark forces and actually fight against them? What where his parents thinking? Surly they had to be disappointed. I couldn't imagine what my parents would do if I went against everything they believed in. Then again, I wouldn't know. I hadn't been able to find my parents yet after the war. I visited their house as soon as it was over, but when I knocked on the door, a young couple answered.

"May we help you?" They asked eyeing me up and down, probably wondering why a young woman would walk up to a stranger's door by herself.

I was shocked at first that my parents had moved, and I didn't know what to say to this young couple. All I could do was explain to them that I had lost contact with my parents a few years back and that I was looking for them.

"They used to live here" I explained.

They looked at me blankly. The man cleared his throat.

"Do you have any idea where the previous owners where moving to?" I continued. I was hoping they would mention some where close or somewhere I would remember.

"I'm afraid not." The woman answered.

My shoulders sank as they closed the door firmly.

I asked every house on the street if they knew where the previous owners of that house had gone. They all looked at me strange and shook their heads. The older lady across the street named Judy Heder was finally kind enough to tell me that they had moved quickly and hadn't even waited for the house to sell before they where gone.

"It was odd" She said "They just up and moved one day"

My first thought was thought was that they were captured by Deatheaters and probably killed after Voldemort's fall. I spent weeks hiding in my room in the small apartment I shared with a kind witch named Analiza. I was so depressed I couldn't function. Nothing was interesting to me. I didn't eat, I hardly slept, I called in sick to work almost every day.

After about two years, and no sign of my parents, Harry assured me that they most likely were not captured by Deatheaters. He told me that they would have killed them by now and the wizarding world had never found any bodies to justify that they were dead.

My depression eased up after I realized what he said was probably true. But it still pained me to think that they were out there, somewhere, and they had no idea that their daughter was looking for them. They had no idea that I even existed.


Malfoy looked up from his scribbling and out the window like he was thinking. He rested his chin in his hand and took a drink of coffee. How could I find these ordinary acts so fascinating? He looked back down at his notebook and started writing again. A few pieces of snowy hair fell down in his face and he ran his hand through his hair to get them to stay in place, but they fell right back down again. Even this I found interesting.

I started to wonder how long I'd been sitting here watching him. Ten minutes? An hour? They sky outside was a deep blue and the first twinkling of stars were starting to appear. I could tell it would be a lovely and clear night. I thought should probably get home soon but I couldn't leave yet. I couldn't decide if I was too afraid to leave because he would see me or if I was to afraid to leave because I wouldn't see him.

Either way I was going to get to leave soon. Malfoy began packing up his things and scooting out of the seat. I hid behind my book as he returned his mug to the counter and I didn't look up until I heard the bell on the door ding. I watched him through the glass on the door. He took a left and walked calmly down the sidewalk until he was out of view.

"Excuse me miss" I looked up to see the woman from behind the counter standing by my table.

"Yes?" I said. She had a pleasant smile on her face and a folded piece of paper in her hand.

She extended the hand that held the paper toward me. "I was asked to give this to you"

I looked at her confused and carefully took the paper from her.

"Thank you?" I said, unsure of what to think exactly.

She went back to her spot behind the counter.

I looked down at the paper in my hands. It was folded neatly with care. All the edges lined up perfectly. I took it by the corners and pealed it open with shaking hands. I gasped quietly. In my hands I held a letter signed: Draco Malfoy