AN: I'm so, so sorry, guys. But this is what happens if you don'T ahve any back-up chapters (finished) and life decides to bite you in the... you know where. In the end things turned out ok but life had to turn my weekend upside down first. I apologize for being late.
On a happier note, tommorrow I have a day off which I plan on dedicating to writing so that this won'T happen again. Writing meaning writing DB. I hate being late.

Warnings: short chapter and the usual.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters. BlahBlahBlah. Seriously, this. is. a. fanfiction. a FANfiction. That should be a clue. Anyway, don't own, don't profit - you know the drill.

The next morning he was woken by screams.
"Sn..Sna…SNAKE!"
Draco yawned. What in the world was going on? Only Myrtle could be meant with "Snake". But it didn't make much sense for his roomies to scream because of her even if she escaped his room.
"Don't worry. That's only Myrtle. Though I'm surprised she's escaped to the hall." That was Lynn's voice. Sighing Draco got up and got dressed – well he got decent.

"Where did she run to?" He asked upon exiting his room.
"GYAAH!"
He blinked. 'What the hell?'
"Morning." Lynn smiled at him – obviously she wasn't the one who squealed.
"M'ning," he replied and then he blinked in surprise. There was another girl standing next to her. "Morning." He greeted the stranger.
"Lynn? Who's the hottie?" 'Hottie?'
"Oh, he's our new roommate, Draco. Dray, this is my bf, Isabelle."
"Nice to meet you." He gave a tentative smile – for Lynn's sake more than anything else.
"N..Nice t-to meet you, too." The girl stared at him.
"So, where's my girl?"
"Myrtle? She was slithering towards the kitchen…" Lynn grinned at him.
He nodded his thanks and went to get Myrtle.

"Oh my god, he's hot!" Was that girl really that stupid or did she just not care that he could hear her perfectly fine?
"Is he available?" Inwardly he groaned at her question.
"No, I don't think he is." Lynn sounded indifferent.

Draco was searching for Myrtle, he wanted nothing more than to retreat back to his room and barricade the door. He didn't want to deal with something like this so early in the morning.
"Ah. There." He picked Myrtle up and draped her around his neck.

"Pity. But I guess it's only natural for someone like him to have a girlfriend." 'I don't have a girlfriend either. I'm just not…' Draco's thoughts got interrupted by Lynn's words.
"Oh, he doesn't. He's just not available."
"Sooo, you have your eyes on him?" Draco felt his jaw drop.

Stunned silence followed that question-turned-statement until Lynn found her voice again.
"What?" she sounded flabbergasted. "No. God, no. … No offense Dray." The last part was mumbled, he could barely understand it - needless to say, he did not take offense. "I'm not interested in him."
"Sure, sure." 'That singsong voice is scary.' He shuddered.
"Iz! I'm serious. I mean, yes, sure, he's gorgeous – even Cassie's brother had to admit that." Draco snorted at the grin in her voice. "But he's just… not a candidate, don't ask me why. That's just the way it is." She sounded slightly curious about it. "And I meant only that he is not interested in having a relationship or anything at the moment."
"Is he gay?"

Draco's jaw dropped – again. What did that have to do with anything?
"Nope. He just moved here, he wants some time to settle in and stuff."
"So he's gay."
"No he isn't." That was Glen. Draco decided to hide out in the kitchen until this conversation was over – to walk out there now would be way to embarrassing for all parties involved.
"Trust me. He isn't. My gaydar tells me he's as straight as they get." His what? "Anyway, good morning girls." He could hear him walk away towards the bathroom.
"Damn. Every time I see a hot guy, there's some… complication. Someone up there must hate me."
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Iz!" Lynn was telling someone not to be overly dramatic? Had Voldemort finally decided he loved muggles or something?

Draco was cleaning the kitchen until the girls left a few minutes later. Somehow, he felt like back at the dorm. Overhearing some girls whining that all good boys (or girls) were already taken. Hearing someone talk about him. It was bloody annoying but it felt kind of nostalgic, too.

He returned Myrtle to her cage and then got ready for work.

When he was about to enter the building he was nearly run over by his boss.
"SORRY! Oh, hi Draco! Go make some coffee! See you later!" And she was gone before he could respond.
Upon entering the building Draco was told to go buy some ink cartridges. After activating the coffee maker he didn't even make it out of the front door before was told to go to the archives and sort all files that were scattered when one of the shelves collapsed last night.
After returning with the stuff for the printers he went to the archives but was held up when he was told to bring some plans to another office in the building.
When he finally made it to the archives he found out that not just one shelf collapsed but several. He was in the middle of restocking the second shelf when he was called away again by "Mary-Ann" as she reminded him to call her. That day was going to be a busy day apparently.

"Sorry to interrupt, hon, but I need your help with something. Whatever you were about to do can wait. Follow me." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him along. It was all he could do to stop himself from panicking. 'She's not Bella. She's not. Bellatrix is dead. She's not her.' Taking a deep breath he followed along. Only when they were half across the building did he realize that he was dragged around by a muggle. He figured that it was good news. It took him longer to think about something like that, maybe he was able to break habit and rid himself of Lucius influence a bit. – But if he was honest to himself… he probably had just been too scared to worry about such a thing. Imagine that. The great Draco Malfoy –scared. His year mates would have a field day over this.

Before he knew it he was in a wardrobe-like room, being measured and then told to change into a tux.
"I need someone to accompany me to a lunch party. You're good-looking enough for the job."
Draco supposed that it was meant as a joke but he still found it somewhat creepy.
"Don't worry, dear, you'll just have to smile and look nice. I have no clue what idiot decided to do a lunch party – and on such short notice but now we have to attend. It's hosted by one of our biggest clients, so…. We'll have to comply. I'm really sorry hon, but whatever job you were supposed to do, will have to wait."
Dumbfounded, Draco only nodded in response.
"Great! Well, then. Let's go. Paul should have called a taxi by now." She linked arms with Draco and carried him off.

He felt like a figurehead the way his … 'Mary-Ann' showed him off. This lunch party thing reminded him of his father's business parties where he always had had to play the perfect little heir, not a toe out of line. It wasn't that different now.
She introduced him – and he was supposed to smile and make nice. Pay a few compliments that made him feel sick but he made them anyways. Smile some more and listen attentively to whatever the person opposite him was saying. The random topics he had to talk about reminded him of Lynn. The weirdest topic being the efficiency of pocket watches.

They were greeting the tenth, twelfth business partner when it happened.
"Hey aren't you the kid of that multi-billionaire Lucius Malfoy?"
Draco cringed. "Who?"
"Oh, you now, long blond hair? Good looking, too, apparently, well, according to my wife – and one hell of a haggler. No? You look an awful lot like his son."
"No." he shook his head. "I don't know anyone like that."
"Really? You look like the kids twin. Well, you're a bit older than he was when I last saw them at some business dinner, but… you sure look like him."
Draco shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know, I've never met the people you're talking about."
"What's your name, son?"
"Black…" He cursed inwardly while hoping against hope that the guy did not remember his first name. But with his boss there, he could hardly lie about his first name. "Draco Black." 'Please, please don't remember my first name!' But he had no such luck.
"HA! Now I know that you're lying! The son's name was Draco, too." '
"I didn't…"
Mary-Ann interrupted him. "So you lied about who you are?"

"No, I didn't." He lied. 'Yes, I did, but…'
"I see. You're fired. Be happy I'm not calling the police."
"WHAT?"
"And now leave. I'd rather break convention by having no lunch date here by being here with a criminal."
"I'm not a criminal!" 'Seeking asylum is no crime. I think.'
"So you say."

Draco tried to defend himself but he didn't stand a chance. His boss had decided that he was guilty of whatever crime she decided he had committed and was not listening to reason. And Draco couldn't prove her wrong because technically she was right. He had once been Draco Malfoy even though he left that life behind. Still he tried to convince her they were wrong and overreacting which, admittedly, they were.

When she actually called security, he gave up. Even if he could have convinced her there were now more points against this job than for staying there. The attitude-change she had and the fact that she reminded him of Bella were a big part of those points against.
He decided to scratch that job and find something else instead so he went home

Yet somehow he had the feeling that that wasn't the last time he heard from Mary-Ann.

AN2: I know that's not my best chapter but it was the best I could do with all the chaos. It's just a bit rough around the edges.
In case anyone is wondering, Isabelle is Lynn's best friend and she came to get her because they arranged to go for breakfast. Isabelle is not important (yet). She still has a minor role to play but later on. I'm not going to tell you what kind of role she'll play, though. ;)
TBC next weekend.