A/N Hello and welcome! Thank you for reading this story. I've already written ahead so I promise to update regularly. I'm not going to nag for reviews and such, but I will say that I would appreciate a review, follow, or favourite so that I know that you are interested or what you would like to see. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks

*The story takes place the summer after the final battle. Everything up to that point is in canon.

~All of this wonderful world belongs to JK Rowling

Hermione smiled contentedly as she walked down the cobblestone path of Diagon Alley. The street was finally restored to its former glory. Gone were the boarded up shops and the air of despair. Now that the war was over everything was bright and cheerful once more. Hermione was in Diagon Alley to get her school supplies. Always the over-achiever, she was returning to Hogwarts to complete her 7th year even though she didn't need to. Part of it was that she craved normalcy after the horrors of the war. She expected that those sentiments were shared by Ron and Harry and were what had made convincing them to come back surprisingly easy.

After her routine visit to Flourish and Blotts and a trip to Madame Malkins for some new school robes, Hermione made her way to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. It was packed when she got there however. The only seat available was at the bar next to a man with an extremely familiar shock of white-blonde hair. "Malfoy," Hermione murmured. After the war, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had been sentenced to Azkaban—for life in Lucius's case, in a highly publicized trial. Harry had testified for Narcissa, speaking of how she had saved his life by lying to Voldemort, and earned her a reduced sentence. Draco Malfoy had gotten off completely, and had retreated from the public eye. Hermione wondered if the war and the events afterwards had changed him at all. She certainly wasn't going to go over to ask him however.

Tom the bartender noticed her at that moment. "Ms. Granger! What an honor. Please come have a seat." He gestured to the stool next to Malfoy's.

"O-oh that's alright Tom. There don't seem to be any seats available." Hermione said desperately.

"That's alright Granger. I won't be offended." The ever-familiar drawl of Draco Malfoy cut in. Not to be outdone, Hermione marched over and sat down.

"Well in that case!" She snapped.

Malfoy smirked but didn't say anything else. He merely stared straight ahead and took a sip of his drink. Tom, after looking back and forth between them shrugged and said, "What can I get for you Ms. Granger?"

"I'll have a plate of Sunday Roast thanks," Hermione said with a smile. Tom bowed and walked away. Draco snorted.

"What?!" Hermione snapped.

"I wouldn't have expected any less from you Granger. Always the snob."

Hermione huffed but said nothing, not wanting to engage him in one of the tiring exchanges she'd grown to expect from their school days. She could not stop herself from glancing over at the brooding blonde next to her however. Malfoy was still as good looking as ever, she grudgingly admitted to herself. Something was different however. Not only in the dark circles that stood out under his eyes, but in the way that he held himself. His posture was no longer as arrogant or self-assured. Hermione's observant eyes also noted that despite the hot summer day, Malfoy wore a long sleeved shirt. Finally noticing her gaze, Malfoy followed her eyes to his arms and reflexively grabbed his left forearm. Sneering at her, he drowned the last of his drink, threw down a few coins and stalked out of the bar before Hermione could say anything.

I know now that this chapter and the next are incredibly short, but they were the first chapters I ever wrote. Looking back now, I should have combined them. I caught on though, and all other chapters are at least 3 times as long. Thanks for sticking it out with me!