Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination and whatever else is in this story that doesn't make sense. I was inspired by J.K. Rowlings wonderful world. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Her Cold Dark Corner

scene 1

I have been careless,

and so have been thwarted by luck and chance,

those wreckers of all but the best laid plans.

But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before.

~Voldemort

Back at the bar.......

"what's that fer?" Tom asked as he looked over the waitress's shoulder. But with his poor, posture the effort wasn't very well accomplished.

Mrs. Lufkins was busy wrapping a tiny bowl.

"No need to save any, He made e'nuf to feed the bloody world." Grunted Tom.

"Tis not for storage ye old fool, It's for Mes Ganjer's cat," she said turning her head to look at him. She then place a clean cloth over the dish. "ce pauvre he is on his last leg, should be any day now."

Tom slapped his thick drying cloth on the bar counter while jabbing his thumb at the stone wall behind them. "Aaa …out wit ye. I'll not 'ave it ye hear. Tis yer fault we've gots loads o' cats in that blasted alley. Knocking th' bins ova every night and it's ye fault I tell ye.

His voice grew louder. "Feeding 'em every night. She can fetch herself one o' dem." he said. -"They all meeoows don't it."

"Ney, no witch would care for those useless bags of fleas," she said. "common strays from the muggle streets. -sans valeur -Worthless!" She was pleased with her wrapping, and exited the bar with it.

Tom turned away muttering about cat stew.

Draco toyed with the last of his bread pudding. The conversation between the two had only been a little ways from him, and hadn't escaped his ears, because he took in every word of it. He'd have to give credit where credit was due. The bread pudding was very good indeed. Perfectly moistened, with just the precise splash of rum sauce to give it a delicious flavor. But, in spite of that he swirled his spoon against the dish and periodically his eyes found the other end of the room.

Now it seemed that, either the once perfect sauce was suddenly too sweet for his liking, or that rolling knot in his gut was concern for furry beast he hardly gave a damn about

-he decided it had to be the too sweet sauce.

Soon it would be daybreak. Hermione, had left her table at some point, and Draco also noticed that other than himself no one else remained. A narrow window just above his table gave way to a speck of light and newborn morning rays splashed against the wall just opposite of him.

Lost in thought, it took a moment for Draco to realize that the thumping, coming behind the counter was Smitty, the cook. He was drying and resetting a clean arrangement of drinking glasses. "Aye, Six o' clock sharp we'z be closing soon" said the cook.

Draco gave a puzzled look It was a bit odd, why would you close at the start of a work day?

"Muggles," said Smitty, "Keeps'em from wanderin' in looking for their cappuccino's and white cocoa latte's" he said. His tone was a bit on the edgy side as if this had become an annoying problem for them. Muggles wondering in. "We'll be back bout ten `er so shut her down again bout mm..lunch."

"Muggles?" Draco asked with a note of curiosity

"Ye got it. Muggles!"