Hermione Granger had never had a problem with moving out – in fact she welcomed it at times. Running away from everything and everyone she loved, however, was a totally different story. But she had to; she couldn't trust herself around them anymore. Especially after Ron… She had moved to a small, Muggle village in the British countryside. It was one of the last places she'd expect them to look for her in. As if they even wanted to.

Hermione looked up. She did not want to think about this. A tear leaked out of her bleary eye and down her cheek, but she quickly dashed it away. Taking a few shaky breaths, she stared out of the bus window with a solid intensity. She had almost given up magic after Ron's… disaster. She now used Muggle methods for almost everything and refused point blank to apparate anywhere. She thought she probably wouldn't even draw her wand in a fight to the death with the Death Eaters that were so desperate to kill her a few months ago. Let them come, and when they do, they can have me, she thought bitterly. But no one had appeared for her yet.

Gazing out of the window on her way to her crappy job in a tiny café, Hermione spotted a flash of white blonde hair in the bustling crowd. She straightened and gazed around, hoping to catch another glance of that oh so familiar hair, but it had disappeared. She slumped back against the uncomfortable seat and stared absent mindedly at the shiny, balding head in front of her.

Draco Malfoy had had enough of trying to live up to his father's expectations. The final battle of Hogwarts had jostled his view of his father, showing him that his dad was nothing but a selfish coward who only ever wanted his family to back the winning side, and he only stayed around to ensure his mother's safety. But she had gone mad in the end. So he left.

He snuck out in the middle of the night, using all sorts of potions to aide his escape, and made it out without much fuss (if you don't count the stunning of the squealer Wormtail). He then went into hiding in the one place he knew no one would look for him in – a Muggle village – and stayed there. At least for a while, he told himself.

He was making his way through the hurried crowd to his favourite slightly beaten bookshop round the corner when he noticed a mane of sandy brown hair on a passing bus straighten slightly. He narrowed his eyes as his quickened his pace to keep up with the speeding bus as a towering man stepped right into his eyeline. Growling, he shouldered the man out of the way, but the bus flew round the corner. Could it have been... Granger?

"Hey!" Yelled the buff man, "Watch where you're going kid!"

Draco snorted slightly. "I'm not kid," he retorted as he pushed the man out of the way, speeding down the street after the bus. As he flung himself round the corner, he saw the mane step off the bus and disappear into the crowd. He wrestled his way through the Muggles to find her. It would be quite nice to see a familiar face after so long, even if she did want to kill him.

Hermione stepped off the bus and almost immediately the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She whipped round and saw the pointed face that she so hated appearing round the corner of the street. She gritted her teeth, tried to smooth her hair down slightly, and ducked through the crowd. She did not need this. Not now she was nearly over Ron...

She had been feeling homesick for quite some time. Being away from her friends and her parents really affected her - she knew she couldn't go back because it was her fault, but she had just longed to see a familiar face. Draco Malfoy, however, was one of the last faces she wanted to see. Next to his father, that is. Yet Draco Malfoy was the face she saw, she was sure of it now.

She sighed exasperatedly as she scurried into her cafe. Grunting a hello at her colleagues, she tied her apron on, did her best to tie her hair in a tight bun (though it was really no use - it always got bushier when she was in a moist climate such as the cafe was now), and set off to work. She blindly took the orders of numerous customers but, just as her feet were beginning to ache, she saw the silvery hair once again. In her cafe.

Her eyes widened. Panicking, she glanced around the small space and saw Mollie strolling into the back, taking her apron off. Shit, thought Hermione. Mollie was obviously going on her break, which meant she couldn't slip out without Malfoy noticing her. She looked over at him again. He seemed a lot tireder and more drawn out than she remembered him, but then again so did she. It had been almost 5 years since they had last seen each other. He hadn't noticed her yet, but her boss had noticed him. Catching Hermione's attention, she gestured before Malfoy. They had a quick, silent conversation which included a lot of desperate looks on Hermione's part and determined looks on her boss', and eventually her boss came over to her.

"Hermione, sweetie," she said sweetly, "you need to serve the customers."

"No, Lucy, you don't understand," Hermione whispered, "I can't serve him. I just can't." She looked over at him again and, as he slumped against the table, a smidgen of pity washed in with her white hot fury. She quickly batted this away.

"Oh, you have history with him?" Lucy asked slyly. She was always one for gossip. "Well, we can always put that behind us. Now, get over there and take his order!"

"But-" Hermione started desperately. She knew there was no hope as soon as Lucy's sickly sweet smile disappeared.

"I don't hire you," Lucy interjected, "to stand around and look pretty. I hope to get the most out of what you are paid to do. I couldn't care less what he has done to you right now, you can tell me that later. You will serve him, or you're fired. This is your final warning miss Granger."

Hermione almost smiled. This side of Lucy, no matter how rarely it was shown, reminded her so dearly of the severely missed Professor McGonagall. Giving a sniff of submission, Hermione drew herself up to her highest, put on her fakest smile, and meandered her way over to Malfoy's table.

"Good morning," she recited to the slouched, blonde boy, "and welcome to The Pepper Pot Cafe, where the smiles are the brightest and the teas are the nicest. I am your server for today, how may I help you?"

Malfoy groaned almost silently and Hermione clenched her teeth as she poised her pen over her notepad. Then, slowly, very slowly, Malfoy lifted his head. A grimace covered his face as he saw the face that belonged to the recognized voice.

"Granger," he murmured.