AN1: Still an early update. You guys are pretty fortunate. I really didn't feel like updating. But...I already had this written due to my recent case of insomnia.

Disclaimer: Saying that I own Harry Potter is like saying that a hobo owns all the McDonald's restaurants in the world.

NOTE: Takes place 10 years post-Hogwarts. Ignore the epilogue and let's see how this plays out, yes?

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"Good afternoon," Draco Malfoy said with a smile as he walked into his part time job. It wasn't really necessary for him to work, but he enjoyed his job at the little café. The atmosphere was nice and everyone was friendly. The fact that it was muggle didn't bother him in the least, in fact, he preferred it that way. Nobody here gave him suspicious looks or questioned his motives. He wasn't punished for his mistakes as a teenager, nobody who worked with him knew his past, and that was how he liked it.

"Oh, finally, you're here!" One of his coworkers, Alice, said. "It's been so quiet today, that it is unnerving. It's never this empty! I was idle for most of the day and I can't wait to leave."

Draco laughed, "You can never wait to leave."

"True," she conceded, "but today, I can't wait to leave even more than normal!"

"If you say so, Alice."

She rushed to the time cards and clocked herself out. "See ya, sucker!" Draco laughed.

After the longest two hours in his life, Draco had to admit that Alice had been right. In the span of the two hours, only one person had walked in, and they just wanted to know the way to the nearest gas station. He sat at a table near the front and waited. He considered taking out his wand and charming random things in the shop, but decided against it. That definitely wouldn't be smart.

The bell chimed signaling that someone—the second person of the day—had entered. He about had a heart attack when he saw who it was. It was one of the last people he'd ever expect to come here: Hermione Granger. If she saw him, she didn't acknowledge him. She took a table near the back and sat down. Immediately, she took some papers out of her purse and started to scribble away.

Some things never change. Even in school, Hermione Granger didn't like to be idle. He stood up and approached her table. Just as he was about to start to talk to her, Christian, his shift partner, slid in front of her and smiled brilliantly.

"Hello Miss. Would you like to order anything?"

Hermione looked rather cross at being interrupted in the middle of her work, but she smiled back and placed her order.

She must be a regular here. She didn't even need a menu. Impossible! How have I never seen her here before?

"Draco!" The voice of Christian removed him from his musings. "A cinnamon dolce latte, with skim milk."

"Was there a please in that?"

"Please?"

Draco smirked and headed to the counter. "You got it." A few minutes later, he had the steaming latte out. He made his way to Hermione's table, but Christian intercepted him.

"I'll take it to her."

For some reason, this annoyed Draco but he shrugged it off. He turned to go back to the counter and heard loud laughter. He looked back and saw Hermione laughing at something that Christian said. This annoyed Draco even more, but he, again shrugged it off.

The next couple of days played out the same way. There were more customers, but Hermione was always one of them. She always sat at the same table and ordered the same thing. Christian always seemed to be the one to wait on her, Draco noted sourly. So after a week of watching Christian and Hermione become buddies, he was relieved the day that Christian called in sick and that it would be Draco on his own. Hopefully, it would be a slow day.

Luck seemed to be on his side that Thursday afternoon. There wasn't a rush of customers, maybe seven or eight. And right on cue—at three pm—Hermione walked in and sat at her back table. She quickly took out some paper and worked quietly. He watched her for about five minutes, mesmerized. She was completely focused on her work and didn't seem to notice anything around her.

"Hey, Granger."

She looked up at the greeting and her eyes widened slightly when she saw who was waiting on her.

"Malfoy," she wasn't nice, per se, but she wasn't outright rude either. It was a cross between curious and wary.

"Would you like a menu?" He offered her one but she politely declined.

"No thanks, I'll have a cinnamon dolce latte with skim milk."

"I'll have that out to you in a minute,"

She nodded and went back to her papers. When he returned with her drink, she offered him a smile. "That was very quick."

"I try." There was a slight pause and Hermione started to pull her work towards her again, but stopped when Draco started to speak.

"What have you been up to since the end of school?"

She looked a bit surprised at his question but answered anyway. "I got a job at the ministry in the Department of the Creation of New Spells and Hexes." This piqued his interest.

"Really? Have you created any yourself?"

"Yes, I just finished my third one: a hex to make whomever you hit speak in bubbles."

"Speak in bubbles?"

"Yes, whenever they try to speak, only bubbles come out." He laughed boisterously.

"That's quite clever; you'll have to show me sometime."

Hermione blushed slightly. "Thank you."

Another customer walked in and Draco mentally cursed them, he'd rather wanted to stay and talk with Hermione. "I'd better go." He motioned to the customer and Hermione nodded in understanding, though she looked almost sorry that he had to leave.

"It was nice talking to you, Malfoy."

He grinned. "Same to you, Granger." He walked away with the grin still in place. The conversation remained in his mind the rest of the day and when she left the shop, she waved goodbye to him and Draco waved back.

The next day, Draco wasn't really looking forward to. He didn't particularly want Christian to come back. When he discovered that his shift partner was still sick, Draco was glad. Sure it would mean coping alone, but if Hermione was there—as he suspected she would be—then it wouldn't be that bad.

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NOTE: This is mostly just an introduction. There is a second part to this, so don't worry; I didn't end as simply as that.

AN2: So, as usual, please review! Eleven or more gets an early update!