House: Ravenclaw
Category: Drabble
Prompt: Job interview
Word Count: 501

"Hello and welcome to The Hippogriff Bookstore. How may I help you today?"

It had been a while since Draco had last been in Diagon Alley, and a lot had changed. There were so many new shops and a lot of the old ones had gone, having been destroyed after the war. No one was hiring either – at least, no one wanted to hire an ex Death Eater such as himself.

He'd been having trouble getting a job anywhere recently and if this job was hiring – well, what did he have to lose?

He peered to the back of the shop to see where the voice was coming from, but they appeared to be hidden behind a shelf of books.

"There was a sign outside looking for shop assistants?" Draco asked hesitantly. "I'm wondering whether or not the position has been filled."

"Well no!" The voice – a woman, perhaps in her early twenties? - said, sounding delighted. "If I'm being honest with you, we've been having rather a lot of trouble hiring people. No-one seems to want to hang around in a dingy old bookstore all day shelving books!"

The woman finally came into view. She was a little older than Draco expected, but still had a young-looking face and for some reason, purple hair.

"Oh my God." Her face fell. "You're a Malfoy."

"Well observed," said Draco, dryly. This happened far too often for his liking.

"I-I'm sorry, but we can't hire you," the woman said, already ushering him out the door. "You're a Death Eater."

"Was a Death Eater," Draco said, sighing in defeat. He'd expected this would happen as with all his other 'job interviews'. Well, some job interview this turned out to be.

"What's going on down there, Claudia?" A male voice shouted from a flight of stairs at the back of the store.

"Nothing! This Death Eater wanted the job as an assistant," she said, laughing. "Crazy, huh? I told him no, of course."

'Get out', she mouthed at Draco, frowning.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Draco said, his hands going up in surrender.

"Wait, Malfoy, is that you?"

The male voice came into view. "Potter?" Draco said, doing a double take. "What are you doing working here?"

"Being an auror was too stressful I guess," he said, shrugging. "So, what about that job interview?" His lady assistant opened her mouth in objection, but Potter shrugged her off. "He's an old friend. I owe him this." Draco would have very much liked to object on that statement, but he knew what was good for him and kept his mouth shut.

"Besides, he's not a Death Eater any more." Potter continued, and Draco was immediately grateful. Potter owed him no favours - in fact if anything it was the other way round.

"So, if you'd like to follow me? I think it's obligatory I give you a tour."