Authors note: Since the first chapter was so short and I had the second one already written I put it up as well. Thanks to my wife/editor for proof reading.

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own any of this except for one character.

Chapter Two - Can't be choosers

When she saw Valerie sitting on the couch and laughing with none other than Draco Malfoy, she stopped dead in her tracks. They looked up and saw Hermione kicking the door shut with her foot and glinting dangerously at Draco.

Valerie instantly put down her glass and got up, "Hi Hermione. Draco here was in the neighbourhood and said he wanted to drop by and chat about old times. He said you two were in school together? I hope it's OK I invited him in." She had a feeling it wasn't.
Hermione turned her eyes away from Draco and looked at her flat mate, "Could you give us a minute, Val?"

It was obvious to Valerie that something was going on here that she had missed. Knowing Hermione it was best to just give in to her request. She grabbed her glass and went back to her room to pick up on the work she had abandoned when she had opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione hissed as soon as her flat mate was out of earshot.
"Please hear me out before you chew my head off, Grang...- Hermione." Draco said, holding up is hands defensively.
"You have two minutes. Spill," Hermione said impatiently. Clearly, she'd much rather kick him out.

Draco put down his glass of firewhiskey and started to talk, "The trials for all the Death Eaters are about to start and they will start with the lower ranks."
"I know all that Draco, I'm sure you don't want to use your two minutes to recite something I'm already familiar with," Hermione interrupted him.
"Well, yes. The thing is, my parents will probably be tried as some of the last people and we both know it might take another year or two until we're there. Until then all the Malfoy financial assets are frozen and I'm sort of...well, I need...can you maybe..." Draco's mouth twitched, "I'm broke," he concluded.

Hermione looked at him, obviously amused, "I can't believe it! Draco Malfoy comes to me begging for money. This is too good! I have to tell Harry and the others." Hermione's laugh reverberated through the room. Draco blushed a deep red. He had feared this would happen.
"I knew it was a stupid idea to come here. Just forget what I said." Draco said and started towards the door, but Hermione took him by his arm and held him back, "I'm sorry Draco. I didn't mean to laugh at your misery. But you have to agree, it is somewhat amusing."
"Are you willing to help me out or not?" Draco asked.
"And what do you suppose I should do? Give you a loan?" Hermione shrugged.
"You work in the minister's office! Can't you pull some strings?" Draco pleaded.
"Look, Draco, I might work in his office, but I'm not him. And even if I were the Minister, there is nothing I could do. Those assets are frozen for a reason. I fear you will have to resort to more ordinary ways to get money. Earn it!" Hermione explained. Draco looked crushed and was about to protest but the look Hermione shot him made him close his mouth tout de suite.
"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for you in that regard and now please leave my flat and don't ever charm your way past my flatmate again!" Hermione said as she held open the door for him.
As soon as it was closed, Hermione started to chuckle again. This was too funny, she had to write a letter to Harry. She went to her room, found some parchment and a quill and wrote,

Dear Harry,

you won't believe what just happened. Draco Malfoy came to my flat and asked for money. He is broke because all the Malfoy accounts are frozen. I have to give it to him, he has guts. Coming over here and asking me to abuse my position in the Ministry to get him back his trust fund.
I hope everything is alright again with you and Ginny. This fight sounded rather nasty. You really should come over for dinner some time and we can talk about it.

All the best,
Hermione

She put the letter into an envelope, sealed it with red wax and her personal seal (a small otter circling around the letters H and G) and went to the window and holding out an owl treat she called for Tyton. A few seconds later a grand Barn Owl landed on the window sill. She gave him the letter and sent him on his way.

Hermione sighed as she went to the kitchen to whip up some food. Living with a Muggle made a lot of things very complicated, but the anonymity paid off hundredfold. She couldn't have moving pictures in the house or keep her owl inside, most of the books had Disillusionment Charms on them and cooking was a lot slower when Valerie was in the kitchen with her. But living with her also meant that she didn't have to deal with tons of wizard reporters outside her house or "fans" that wanted an autograph or Harry's address.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione had lived with Ginny and her parents at the Burrow for a while but even though Molly was the perfect host, Hermione wanted to have a place for herself. She moved into a little house in a remote magical area of London only to find that reporters and fans camped outside to get a glimpse of her when she left it to catch some fresh air, go to the market or something similar. Harry and Ron had not fared any better. After the war, everyone knew about 12, Grimmault Place and no Charm in the world was able to protect them from the hoards of people who wanted to meet them. After all they had saved the world. A lot.
She rented a small apartment right in the heart of Muggle London and put out an ad in a Muggle newspaper, looking for a room mate. That was when Valerie moved in with her.
After the excitement for her person had died down a bit, Hermione had gotten used to living just around the corner from the Ministry without anyone knowing. Despite all restrictions that came with living with a Muggle, it was a quite acceptable solution, she thought.