A/N: I conceptualized this story during bath time..It's crazy! hahahaha! I hope you guys like it and I will really appreciate your reviews ^_^

Places described are fictional, as I am not from London...I tried googling and mapping while doing this fic to provide accurate places, but, it's still really hard..sorry =(

Disclaimer: Characters in this story are owned by JK Rowling..=P

Chapter 1 - Found

It was December and winter has come in London. Near Knightsbridge, the streets are almost deserted as it was covered in a feet thick of snow. Shops are closed or closing earlier than usual because of the decline of customers in afternoon. Most of the flats here were deserted anyway, as the posh occupants are all away traveling to warmer places.

Standing by the window of his apartment at One Hyde Park, the most prime flat in London and probably the whole world, a certain wizard was awakened by the continuous decreasing temperature. Pulling the blinds of the windows, he peered at the deserted streets and saw nothing but white. It hurt his eyes, the lightness of the surrounding is unfamiliar to him as he was quite new in the area. He just left the Malfoy estates a few days back, to live a more independent life from his ever demanding parents and to establish a name for himself, not only one to be recognized as a Malfoy.

"Damn, it's too cold..." Draco said as he picked up his wand on the bedside table and pointed to the fireplace across the bed. "Incendio", He exclaimed and the firewood were engulfed in flame.

He grabbed his fur bathrobe hanging on the recliner by the window to provide more insulation to his body. He then left his room to go to the kitchen for some coffee to warm his insides. Looking up the wall clock, it was ten past nine already. He needed to be in the office at ten.

Sipping his warm coffee, Draco went to his walk-in closet to pick what he'll wear today. The same as the whole flat, his walk-in closet was floor carpeted. The room was filled with floor length drawers, rows of clothes encircled the room and a table was in the middle of the room, with all his grooming products, hair gel and more hair gel. His clothes were color coordinated, not that it needed much coordinating, they were all in shades of black, grey, brown and dark green. He was never a white kind of person. Just too much of it made his eyes hurt, that in the extent of it all, he arranged for his apartment to be painted in grey and black hues.

In the midst of all the choices, he went for the dark green rib knit turtleneck, a black knitted scarf, black trench coat and matching black pants, as well as a pair of black leather shoes. Laying down the clothes on the table and finishing his coffee, he went to take a bath.

It has been almost 3 years since he graduated from Hogwarts and started working for the Ministry of Magic as an Auror soon after. Even after everything that happened during the dark times, after the defeat of Voldemort, he made it back to school for an extra year. Maintaining his cool demeanor but more focused on academics now rather than making a shit out of everybody. Even befriending the great Harry Potter as they call him.

Graduating at the top of his class is an achievement for him. Honestly, he wouldn't be the top of the class if it weren't for a certain Muggle girl who mysteriously disappeared after the war. He took advantage of this situation which made him who he is today, a successful auror, one of the best, along with Harry who is the current head auror, Ron and all those who were brave enough to fight for the school during the war.

Claiming a fortune for his own, he left the Malfoy manor to be independent from his parents. It took time for them to get over the war. Their manor which has always been dark and gloomy, even became more than it is. He felt trapped in his own house. He needed out, and he found it in this place. The most expensive place in the world. A place he thought was perfect for a noble like him.

Dripping wet, Draco went out of the shower and stood infront of the whole body mirror. His hair was damp and his body trickling with warm water, "I bulked up in the last few months, huh.." He mused at himself. During school, he was toned but slim, now, maybe due to the work, the fighting and training, his body grew. Not as much as Ron, but more muscular than slim, more toned and manly.

After dressing up, his hair loose without the gel, Draco took a handful of floo powder in his hand, threw it in the fireplace and shouted, "Ministry of Magic!"

"Malfoy, Harry asked me to have you track this one" said Ron as he handed out the binder of paper clippings from the daily prophet and in-house files.

He flipped through the clippings and raised his left eyebrow, "He sure about this?" Draco asked.

"Yeah mate.." Ron replied, "..There seemed to be witnesses saying they saw him in London."

Draco sighed and leaned against his chair, "Rookwood, huh..that bastard.."

Ron grinned weakly and gave him a tap on the shoulder before leaving.

He looked through the clippings again. There are hundreds of accounts of Rookwood being seen in all parts of London. Probably, he apparates here and there, only staying in one place for a short period of time until someone takes notice of him. Surveillance images of him have been always in crowded places, blending in the mass. The last clipping of him showed of a familiar place, near his area, but not quite. It was in Brent, somewhere in Brook Road's shopping district in the northwest part of London. No wonder Harry asked him to do this assignment.

Upon agreeing to hunt down a certain wizard, Aurors can go in and out of the office to their liking, so long as they file a report of what they discover in that day and send it by owl to Harry for documentation and assessment. Picking up his things and case documents, Draco went to Harry's office to let him know he'll take Rookwood's case.

He knocked on the wooden door of Harry's office and heard "Yes, come in!"

Opening the door, Harry was almost unseen behind the pile of paperwork on his desk and Draco couldn't help but wonder why Harry even took this post in the first place. He did more paperwork than actual fighting. He knew he wanted to do more, to imprison criminals, to track down and take to custody all escaped living death eaters. Instead, he's up to his noses with all these files.

"Hey, Potter" Draco greeted and can't help but smirk at Harry's reaction as he shuffled through the documents at hand.

"Malfoy, hey..uh...what's up?" He asked.

"You look like shit, Potter"

Harry laughed, "Well, thanks for that..."

Draco snorted, "Sorry mate, just came here to say I'll take down Rookwood"

He looked up to him and smiled, "Oh, is that right? Thanks..You leaving now?"

Draco motioned to his things, "Yeah, thought I'd start early to get the job done."

"Alright" Harry replied, "Just send me an owl for anything"

"Sure mate" Draco waved farewell and left the office.

"Brent borough..." Draco skimmed through the latest clippings of Rookwood's file as he sipped a cup of coffee.

He was seated in a coffee shop inside the Brent Cross shopping center. It was in the file that Rookwood had been spotted here, mingling with Muggles. It could be that he is a changed man as was Draco, but it does not mean that his victims will not receive the justice they deserve.

Draco looked up and scanned the area, only few people have gone to the mall. Basically due to the weather, he presumed. But, unlike in Knightsbridge, Brent's population seemed densely multicutlural, somewhat like Hogwarts. He found it interesting and thought he'd explore this part of London once he finishes this case.

"Damn you, Rookwood." He said closing the case file. "Where are you hiding..."

He took his bag and files and stood up. But as he turned away from the coffee shop, he saw something overly familiar. Blinking his eyes, twice, thrice and looked again to the person who had just left the shop.

His gaze seemed permanent as he began to stalk. Draco couldn't believe his eyes. He was so near, that he can hear a conversation transpiring between the person and a mobile phone. Yes, a mobile phone. He knew that as he took Advanced Muggle Studies as one of his electives. Also, being in contact with the Muggle world for the past years due to cases, made him familiar with the different Muggle lifestyle and gadgets they use. He even got a computer at his flat as well as a mobile phone.

"..Really?" He heard the person said, "..No it's alright. Yeah...I'll see you there, bye!" Then the phone was turned off and placed inside the bag.

Following closely, he didn't realize that he was now in the parking lot.

'Damn..' He thought, 'It couldn't be...'

He argued with himself as he fought the urge to come up and interrogate. But he was so close now, he even followed to the car. Draco knew that if he doesn't act now, he would regret it for all his life. If he doesn't make a move, every question that have bothered him since school will never be answered.

'I have to...I have to do it!' He urged his body to move. He was a meters away.

Then as he saw that the car door was open, he ran, he ran like hell and grabbed the hand holding the car door.

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

He saw shock, confusion and fear in the eyes in front of him. But he didn't let go, he won't, not now when he finally knew that he was not wrong in following this person throughout the mall.

Draco's gripped tightened and he felt the hand being pulled away out of resistance. He immediately let it go, but slammed the car door shut.

"What are you doing?! Who are you?!"

"Wha—" He was about to argue but recalled what she have just said, 'Who are you?!' 'Who are you?!'?

Draco's brows furrowed and he clenched his fist. "What are you talking about?" He asked, "It's me, Malfoy!"

"I...I...Sorry, but..I don't know you.." was the reply.

'No..' He thought, "You're lying! How can you forget me?" He shouted.

"You must have mistook me for another person..please, let me go.."

Draco blocked the car door, "I never...I will never forget that face..." His gaze softened as he raised his hands to touch the face he once knew, the face he won't ever forget. The face of the person who, without the knowledge of everyone, made him feel miserable.

"Don't you remember me..." Draco started.

"Don't you remember me at all...

...

...

"Granger?"