Hi All! I apologize that I have been MIA for a while and that In Another Life, Maybe was abandoned. However, I recently had some inspiration and got back into writing a new story! Hope you like it!

As always I own nothing and all rights belong to JKR.

TW: This story contains elements of drugs/ alcohol abuse and trauma.

Draco leaned against the balcony, his arms crossed and dangling over the sides, a lit cigarette between his lips which he puffed on lazily. His glazed eyes took in the scene on the floor below him. The dance floor was packed with bodies, the tables stuffed beyond capacity, and the private booths held hushed meetings beyond closed curtains. The same scene as it was every Friday. They would drink, they would dance, and they would stumble home just to fall asleep and do it all again the next day. Draco was starting to wonder why they even bothered.

He spun around looking over at his friends who shared the VIP lounge with him that was offered immediately upon their entrance to the club, if only to keep them away from the general populace. Turns out, the world wanted nothing to do with former Death Eaters. As far as Draco was concerned, the feeling was mutual. The world could go fuck itself.

Theodore Nott was stretched out on a red leather couch, his left arm slung backwards and his right leg dangling onto the floor, a bottle of firewhiskey gripped in his hand. Beside him, leaned back in a chesterfield chair, his arms propped behind his head and his ankle crossed over his opposite knee was Adrian Pucey. The Slytherins had always been a close house, but had grown even more so following the war. After the trials most found it difficult to procure jobs and even housing, cast out of society and forgotten. How could they be expected to move on when the world would never let them?

"Where is that tosser? He said he would be here at 11:00." Theo croaked, his voice thick with alcohol.

Draco took a long drag of his cigarette before dropping it onto the club floor and grinding it under his boot. "Don't know. I haven't seen him come in."

Adrian grunted and dragged himself out of the chair, stepping up to where Draco was standing and peering into the abyss of the club below. His fingers tapped against the banister in time with the music. He scanned the area seemingly looking for any sign of their friend as Draco had been for the past several minutes. He suddenly tilted his head to the side and chuckled, pointing towards the area with the private booths.

"Oi, that bird looks a lot like Granger."

Draco turned around looking towards the area where Adrian was pointing, while Theo came up on their side. The group watched as a petite brunette woman with wild curls strolled into a booth and closed the curtains behind her, blocking out the world. From their perch they could still see as she walked over to the table where an older man sat, his face hidden under a large brimmed hat. She wore tight black pants and a leather jacket with fierce looking chunky boots. She pulled out the chair across from the man, sitting down and tapping her fingers on the table impatiently. A waitress strolled into the booth and quietly set down a glass tumbler in front of the woman and proceeded to pour in two fingers of scotch. The trio stared in confusion as she swirled the amber liquid around in her glass before tossing it back smoothly. The man began speaking and slid a small folded piece of paper across the table. The woman snagged the paper with her fingers opening it up and reading quickly. Her face grew more and more pinched, before she whispered back in confusion and then anger. She abruptly stood up, her chair toppling backwards in the process. The man jumped in his seat and looked up at her, his face unknown to the three Slytherins but showing a grim expression with a hint of fear they knew so well. More clipped words were exchanged before he finally huffed and extended his hand in supplication, concluding the meeting. The woman sneered at him jerking her head towards the curtains closing off their booth. The man sighed and left quickly, exiting the club without a single glance back.

Draco watched as the woman righted her chair and sat back down. She banged her fist on the table harshly rattling the contents on top, her glass from earlier perched precariously on the side. The waitress bustled back into the private room and they spoke shortly only for her to leave moments later. The woman bowed over and placed her face into her hands, her posture tense and her shoulders shaking slightly. The waitress returned carrying a tray with 5 shot glasses, all containing the same clear liquid. She placed them on the table before the woman and left. Throughout the process the woman had not looked up or removed her face from her palms, but once the liquid was arranged in front of her she sighed and stood up hovering over the table. A small smile toying on her face as she gazed longingly at the glasses. She slammed the shots back in rapid succession, one after another, until they were all empty. She gave herself no reprieve, her face a controlled mask. She huffed a breath and pulled a fistful of bills out of her pocket and tossed them onto the table.

The woman exited the private room and strolled through the club. The lights flashed across her face and hair making her look otherworldly. Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the dance floor, the bodies around her still gyrating to the music, ignorant that there was a lion in their midst. She looked up searching the rafters as if she could feel their eyes on her. She turned in the direction where the three Slytherins were hiding. Adrian and Theo immediately ducked down, instinctively reaching out for Draco's hand. But Draco Malfoy did not hide, especially not from Hermione Granger.

The two locked eye contact and Draco could swear time stopped. A rushing noise filled his head and ears as Granger slowly canted her head to the side taking him in. Theo was still tugging on Draco's hand and he shook him off, raising his hand up and wiggling his fingers in greeting, a smirk on his face. Granger's eyes narrowed in irritation before she turned and briskly left the club.

Theo and Adrian stood up before turning to look at Draco in confusion.

"What the fuck was that?" Adrian asked.

Draco was saved from answering as their friend finally deigned to join them. Blaise Zabini cocked his head to the side, his shirt haphazardly buttoned and a lazily smile plastered on his face.

"Did I miss anything good?" He asked, stepping up to where they were all gathered around the balcony.

Draco laughed, a smile growing across his face. "Granger was here."