Author Note 9/29/13 - For some reason, on my screen, this shows up as a Hermione/Draco/Marcus story. I don't know why that doesn't show in the search results. Please keep this in mind.

Here's something new! I mentioned in my author note for "Blessing Disguise" that I haven't yet figured out the pairing for this story yet. For now, I'll categorize it as Hermione only. Why isn't there a "The Slytherins" category? That would be so handy.

As always, I own nothing but the general plot. I do, however, have a birthday coming up if anyone needed a gift idea.

Chapter 1
The last place he wanted to be was muggle London. Marcus Flint wandered the crowded streets, glowering at all who bumped into him in their quest to reach their destinations. If it hadn't been for his father's actions during the Second Wizarding War, he never would have been there. As it were, several families had been excommunicated by the Ministry of Magic, including the Malfoys and the Notts. His best friend, Adrian Pucey, left the wizarding world as well, despite his family not having been a part of Lord Voldemort's army.

There was one small speck of silver lining to his life in the muggle world - the second-hand bookshop just blocks from the flat he shared with his friends. It was a small, quiet space filled with the comforting musty smell of old leather. There were never many customers, leaving the shop an uninterrupted slice of heaven in the middle of an overcrowded city. Rounding the corner, he entered the shop and breathed in deeply. Once the door closed, all the noise of the outside world disappeared.

"Hey, mate," Adrian whispered as he fingered the spine on a book of 17th Century poetry. Marcus nodded in reply so as not to disrupt the sanctity of the shop. Adrian moved down the row examining each title they passed. "This place is great. We should have visited the muggle world before."

"Will you shut up?" Marcus hissed, looking around to make sure no one heard. When he realized they were alone in the shop, he continued browsing. When they reached the end of the aisle, Marcus went left while Adrian went to the right. He breathed a grateful sigh when he was alone. The time he spent in the shop was his escape from the reality of what his life had become. Despite the prospect of a promising Quidditch career, his father's ousting had effected his chances to play. The money the Ministry had allowed them to convert had kept the Flints solvent for a period of time, but he was eventually forced to take a job as a stock boy in a local sporting goods store in order to pay his rent. His father resented him for leaving him alone, and Marcus resented his father for forcing him into a life of servitude to a madman.

In his musings, he reached the end of the row and spotted a girl across the way. She read intently, seemingly unaware that she was being watched. She tucked her straight, honey brown hair behind her ear several times in an unfruitful attempt to keep it out of her eyes. When he spotted Adrian, he motioned for him to join him.

"She looks familiar," Adrian commented. Marcus hummed in agreement as they tried to place her. "Looks like that girl from Hogwarts - Grimes or Grover or..."

"Granger," Marcus stated.

"Yeah," Adrian agreed, running a hand through his dark blond hair. "What do you think she's doing here?"

Marcus shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable about spying on his preoccupied former schoolmate. "She's muggleborn, right? It's probably as simple as that," he replied, turning away. "Listen, I have to go. My shift starts in half an hour."

He spent the majority of his six hour shift thinking about the girl in the shop. Rumor had it that Hermione Granger disappeared soon after the war ended, and no one had known where she went. Some said she died in battle, though none had proof. Other said she moved to Australia to locate her parents. Until today, Marcus hadn't cared which story was true. Three years separated them in school, and he had no interested in the young, frizzy-haired muggleborn.

Draco Malfoy spoke of her often. He spent years hating her for her heritage and good grades. But after the war, something in the once proud blond changed. The young man had been ruined by the war, both emotionally and in status. Marcus watched as the younger wizard scoured the newspaper for news of the missing witch. She'd become something of an infatuation for his friend. Perhaps, now that she'd been found, Draco would have some peace.

When Marcus's shift ended, he went back to the bookshop. "Hermione? Hermione Granger?" he called out before she reached the corner.

She stopped and slowly turned. "I'm sorry. I don't know who that is," she replied in a slightly frightened tone. Marcus apologized for the confusion and let her continue on her way. Her pace quickened until she disappeared around the block.

Whistling, Marcus turned around and walked home. Three blocks later, he entered the flat he shared with Adrian, Draco, and Theo Nott. The three roommates were seated around the television arguing about the night's programming options. "Malfoy, got a minute?" he asked.

Draco dropped the remote control and followed Marcus to the kitchen. "What's going on?" Draco inquired, taking a seat at the table.

Sighing, Marcus took a seat across from him. "I found Hermione Granger," he stated. "She's says she's not, but you should have seen how scared she looked when I said her name."

"Where?" Draco wondered. Marcus told him about his trip to the bookstore both before and after work. "She saved my life, ya know," he added when the older man finished.

"During the war?" he asked.

Draco nodded. "In the Room of Requirement, she cast a protection charm on me when Weasley tried to hex me," he told him. "Then when we were trying to escape, it was Granger who begged Potter to get me out. And then the war ended and she disappeared, and I never got to thank her for saving my life. She didn't have to do it, any of it, but she did. I've always wondered why."

"Well," Marcus sighed, "looked like you'll have your chance now."

Hermione Granger entered her flat, out of breath and scared. Five years earlier, she had turned her back on the wizarding world. But now she'd been found, and by a Death Eater no less. It was time to leave.