Prologue

Hermione swallowed hard, trying not to let the nerves show as her heart raced inside of her chest.

Ice.

They were ice cold as he looked at her; as he kept his eyes upon her the whole time from under the peak of his cap as he lit his cigarette.

It only added to the intensity of his frame; he was so tall and broad that she hardly recognised him from the lanky, skinny boy that she knew him to be in school.

He was much changed; had grown into someone else entirely, and that scared her.

And why did he wear the cap? To hide his identity?

A question at the top of her list, but one that she still felt too intimidated by his mere presence to ask. When had he become so threatening to be in the presence of?

"How do we know you can trust her?" Zabini was looking at her too, only his stare did not seem to see right through her like Draco's did.

Shit.

She did not need to be uncovered this quickly.

If they even suspected the slightest bit of mistrust from her then this would all be over.

Before it even started.

She felt fear trickle its way into her nervous system; fear of what they would actually do to her if they found out her real reason for enquiring about the job.

There was a moment of silence as the tension crackled through the air, everyone ultimately about to hang on his every word; a mark of earned respect from his peers. Also a mark of fear, the air reeked of it.

"If she's lying, I'll kill her myself." His voice was low and terrifyingly serious.

Hermione felt her heart stop for a moment as she watched him watching her intently, taking a last pull on his cigarette and drawing himself up to his full height; he met the top of the doorframe that he had been leaning against.

There was one last lingering look; his eyes taking her in from top to bottom. And then he was gone, his duster coat trailing behind him and she was not the only one to let out a breath of relief.

Theodore shuffled a little nervously next to her, no doubt feeling as grateful as she did that her first encounter with Draco Malfoy since the War had ended had seemingly gone as successfully as they had both hoped.

"He's not talked about killing anyone by his own hands for years," The tall, dark hair man leaned in and whispered next to her. "If I were you, I'd consider yourself special."

And as his grey, menacing eyes flashed before hers again in memory, she realised that the last thing she was feeling right now was special.

She only felt fear.

Draco Malfoy- or, the man he now was - had her almost running scared.

Almost.