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Unexpected Encounters

I walked into my favorite cafe in London. It was a muggle cafe, but I didn't mind. It was beautiful. There were flower boxes filled with flowers under the large window in the front, and trees with fairy lights in them were on either side of the building. Normally, I loved to sit outside under the striped parasols on the white metal tables, but today it was raining and the cloth of the parasols would do no good to keep the rain from me.

I stepped inside the yellow lit cafe. It was warm, busy, and all the tables were filled with people. I walked to the counter to order my coffee. A Latino woman in a light pick apron came to take my order. When she was finished she handed me the warm cup and I went to find a seat. All the tables were occupied, but I found a booth that only had one occupant, an old man reading the paper.

"Do you mind?" I asked him gesturing to the seat across from him.

All he did was look up at me quickly before returning to his paper.

I sat down anyway and took a sip of my coffee. As I reached into my bag to take out my book, I saw him glance at me again.

He folded up his paper and chugged the rest of his coffee. Grunting, he stood up and shuffled out of the seat.

Good. I thought. I liked sitting alone anyway.

I opened my book and buried my head inside it as I took another sip of coffee.

I had become so engrossed in my book I forgot to drink more of my coffee and it soon turned cold. It wasn't until I heard someone talking to me that I remembered where I even was.

"May I sit here?" someone was asking, a young adult male's voice.

"Of coarse," I said. I pried my eyes from my book to see who was about to sit across from me. My eyes met light gray ones. I froze. I knew those eyes. I knew that pale face and white hair. I thought back to my years at Hogwarts, three, four years ago? I remembered that same face laughing at me and making fun of me. What was he doing in a muggle cafe? I never thought I would see him of all people here.

Even in that moment when he sat down, I could see in his eyes that he was recognizing me now, too. We both were frozen. Afraid to move or speak. My book slipped out of my hand and landed on the table in a bang.

"Granger?" he said in disbelief.

"Malfoy," I blurted. "I... uh... I have to go" I said and started packing my book away. I reached for my coffee mug, but before I could grab the handle, his hand grabbed mine.

"No. Stay," he said.

I jerked my hand out of his like I'd been stung by a bee. I reached for my glass again.

"Granger," he persisted. "Hermione."

I looked at him in shock. I've never heard him say my first name before. It sounded odd. I wasn't sure if I liked it. I could tell by the look on his face that he had forced himself to say it.

"Stay. Really," he said.

Was this some kind of trap? Was he about to mock me in some way? I grabbed my mug but all I did was raise it to my lips and take a sip of cold coffee. I eyed him suspiciously. He was wearing a white button up and a black tie. His hair was combed back but some strands where falling into his pale and creamy face. Honestly, he looked good. I mentally slapped myself. What was I thinking? Draco Malfoy? Look good? I couldn't think this. This man was the cause of most of my pain at Hogwarts.

He took a drink of coffee and looked at me over the brim of his mug. I didn't like him looking at me. I tried to avoid his eyes but they were so piercing.

"So, how are you?" he asked hesitantly.

I didn't want him to make small talk with me

"Fine" I said, not sure how I should answer. Did he really even care? It was quiet.

I glanced at him again. He was still staring at me. Was he waiting for me to ask him how he was? Well he was going to wait awhile because no way was I going to ask Malfoy how he was. Absolutely no-

"And you?" I asked. I mentally slapped myself again.

"All right, I guess," he leaned back in the booth.

I could see his lean muscles through his shirt. I tore my eyes away.

"What have you been doing since Hogwarts?" he asked, sounding generally interested.

I glanced at him again. His eyes where still on me. What was he doing?

Stop it. I thought. Don't answer him. Just tell him you have to go and leave.

"I work at the Ministry," I said.

He leaned forward. "Really?" he sounded shocked.

Here it comes. The mocking. 'Granger works at the Ministry? What a know-it-all. What a nerd'.

"I do too!"

I looked at him, shocked.

"You- you do?" I asked.

"Yes! I can't believe I've never seen you there before!" he laughed. I've never heard him laugh like that before. It was different. I almost liked it. "That's amazing! What do you do?"

"I work in the department of wizarding studies. I research and write reports for the Minister," I looked for the familiar mocking look in his face but I only saw a friendly smile. Why was he doing this? What was causing him to act so strange. It was preposterous! He was being so nice.

"Wow!" he said running a hand through his albino hair. "That's only a couple floors down from where I work! I can't believe we've never run into each other!"

Don't ask him what he does. Do not ask him what he does!

"What do you do?"

He seemed glad that I asked him.

"I'm an auror!" he smiled.

Seriously? Malfoy an auror? I had always thought he would do something with potions or dark magic. I never thought he would be fighting the dark arts. I must have looked shocked because he laughed again. "Is it really that hard to believe, Granger?

I smiled weakly. It felt so odd to be sitting here like this with him. And without him making fun of me at all, actually being nice to me. I felt uneasy. Something had to be up. The Draco Malfoy I knew would never do this. Was this really him? Should I be afraid? Or had he changed in the four years since Hogwarts?

He leaned back again. I think he could tell how uncomfortable I felt talking to him like this. He took a sip of his coffee and looked away from me for once.

"What about Potter and Weasley? How are they?"

I never expected this question. First he cared about how I was doing and now he cared about Ron and Harry?

"They're fine I guess,"

He raised his eyebrows. "You guess?"

"Well I haven't seen Ron in a while," I explained "I just know what I've heard from Ginny."

"You two aren't a thing anymore?" he asked, surprised.

I looked at him suspiciously.

"No."

Ron and I had called it off a couple of years back. We had realized that we felt more like siblings than lovers and it got weird being together since then. I wished we could find some way to spend more time together, like real siblings, but he was always 'busy' when I asked. Ginny and I stayed friends though. She was the sister I never had.

"Wow," Malfoy said. "I'm sorry. I always thought you two would make it"

"It's alright," I said feeling a little awkward talking about Ron and me with Malfoy

"Do you and Potter still get along? I see him occasionally in the department at work but we never talk much."

Harry was big in the auror department. He had talked before about becoming head auror in a couple years.

"I see him on occasion," I said

I realized that my answers to Malfoy were short and rather snippy. I felt a little bad since he was being so friendly to me. But then I remembered how he was in school and the way he treated me, and I didn't feel so bad any more.

We sat in silence for a while. I figured Malfoy must have run out of things to ask. I gulped down the remainder of my cold coffee. I turned to the side and pretended to check the clock on the far wall, even though it was too far way to see.

"I think I better be off," I said, trying again to get away from him.

He only nodded this time as I gathered my bag and mug. I stood and shuffled out of the seat and walked past him.

"Hermione."

I jumped at him using my first name again. I turned to face him.

"This was okay," he said. "I mean..." he wrung his hands together. Was he shaking? Was he nervous to be talking to me? "...I'd like to bump into you like this again," he said, his voice shaking. What was this? I didn't like it. "If that's okay" he added hurriedly.

I really didn't know what to say. Was this Malfoy asking me on a date? I was repulsed by the idea. At least I think I was.

"Maybe we will," I said. "Sometime."

I hurried away before he could say more. I slammed my cup on the counter and ran out of the cafe.

The rain outside had stopped but it was growing dark. I marched to the ally across from the cafe and made sure no one was around. I turned to look back at the cafe and saw that Malfoy was watching me through the window we had been seated at. I aperated.

A/N: If you enjoyed this please follow and favorite and review the story because there will be more if enough of you like it! Reviews motivate me so the more you comment the faster I put up the next chapter! :)

UPDATE 5/1/15: I'm starting to go back and fix my mistakes in these chapters. Nothing too drastic, mostly just spelling and grammar, so you don't have to worry about missing anything if you've already read it. There are things I would like to change about the plot line, but I don't feel like rewriting every chapter. Maybe some day...

Continued reviews are appreciated! :)

With love,

Wren Gebel