~ Go away ~

The war was over. He had survived and had left everything behind him. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: First HP and Dramione story, so I really need your feedback desperately. Read, enjoy and review please!

.

Thick black fumes started blowing out of his cauldron and Draco Malfoy swore just a few seconds before his copper cauldron exploded in his face. With a quick flick of his wand he had cleaned the mess and with another swish he had effectively repaired the cauldron, but the ingredients were wasted and his low stock indicated that he would have to visit the Apothecary in Diagon Alley soon.

Joy.

He hated going there after everything; after the war. Due to his now infamous last name, every single wizard and witch was looking down on him as if he was the scum of the earth. Not that he didn't deserve the treatment, he did; he just wished people would leave him on his own and would just let him be.

It had already been four fucking miserable years since the Battle of Hogwarts and the Malfoy family still was the scapegoat of the outcome of the war. His Mother had safely moved to one of their estates in Paris in order to avoid the wrath of the wizarding community and his father was locked away in a cell in order to serve his 20-year sentence in Azkaban, but still people found it necessary that the Malfoys had to pay more for their involvement in Voldemort's circle. It was a wonder really that Draco had been spared of imprisonment and he had to thank Harry effing Potter and his bookworm friend for this.

Not that he ever did. He had never thanked them in person or even spoken to them after his trial; a small bow of the head had been the only acknowledgement he had offered and even that had cost more to his pride that he cared to admit.

After Voldemort had fallen, he had felt relief and had been eager to start over with his life as every teenager in his age did, because he had been a fucking teen back then after all, although people tended to overlook this detail as it suited them. Little did he know then that he would be forced to grow up at once and grow out of the wizarding world if he wanted to avoid contempt and finally lead a normal life.

That's how he had ended up in Muggle London, running his own store and minding his own business in general. His current state was far from satisfactory, but until he was free to leave London and start afresh somewhere new - somewhere not a soul knew who he was or what he had done – it would have to do. "Herbs and Maladies", his otherwise muggle store – apart from the fact that a large portion of his products was magical potions - was flourishing and in that aspect he had finally succeeded. People rushed to buy whatever he introduced to his customers and came back again and again buying more and sharing the news in the most effective possible way; mouth-to-mouth marketing. In the next decade, he could be a muggle millionaire if he wanted, but his path was already set up and in just over than 2 years his business would be closed and he would at last leave London behind.

With the thought of finally leaving away in his mind, Draco set to visit Diagon Alley and purchase the supplies he would need for the new order of a bunch of beautification potion for his shop. This potion in particular was number one in sales lately and he had to replenish it at least once a week. Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron he kept his head high and the familiar sneer on his lips firm, silently willing anyone to dare and talk to him. He had learned eventually that this pose worked better than trying to keep a low profile around.

After he had successfully visited Gringotts, in order to exchange muggle money to galleons, and on his way to the apothecary, he mentally prepared the list of ingredients he would need to buy, trying to remember if he needed anything else from another store. He was so focused in his task wishing to save himself from another visit here soon, that he didn't notice the woman before he bumped hard on her back as he entered the Apothecary. He lifted his angry stare at her and swallowed hard immediately.

It had to be her. Of course.

He would recognize her curly chestnut locks anywhere. Out of all the witches visiting Diagon Alley, and all the other ones elsewhere which currently wished him death, it just had to be the one who had helped save him, didn't it?

Stabilizing himself, he watched her making the expectable moves; steadying herself and turning around to see who the idiot - or creeper - was. Her mouth formed a perfect circle as her cinnamon eyes assessed his figure from his black polished shoes all the way up to his infamous white-blond hair.

"Malfoy?"

Let's get this over with.

"Granger." he greeted stoically, willing her with all his might to stop staring at him and just go the fuck away.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned incredulously.

"I assume what everyone else does in the apothecary." when she didn't seem to understand his sarcasm he added "Stocking on supplies."

"But why would you? I mean I've heard you don't live… I mean I've heard about you and-

"Well, if you've heard about me that saves us from exchanging pleasantries which we both won't mean. Let's get back in our line and finish whatever it is that each of us is doing here, alright?"

He saw her eyes narrowing in his obvious and rude dismissal and for a moment he thought he would find her fist on his nose again. But thankfully that didn't happen. She turned back to her line and whispered something along the lines of what a git, nothing has changed and blah blah blah.

It suited him fine; he just wished to ignore her and everyone else. If only he didn't desperately need those ginger roots, he would have spun on his heel and apparated back at his flat at once, but alas. Business had to come first and even he recognized that he would eventually need to face some people from the past if the situation should arise. So he patiently waited behind her in line, abstractly assessing her atrocious hair, her small height and her tiny waist until it was his turn on the till.

"I would like a bunch of fairy wings, a bottle of morning dew and two bunches of ginger roots."

"I'm afraid we have run out of ginger roots, Miss Granger just took the last lot, but I will bring you the rest ingredients in a minute."

"Are you getting some more soon? I'd better collect them all at once."

"I'm sorry Sir, no. Ginger roots are very difficult to find in this time of the year and I'm not certain when we are stocking again. Would you like the rest of the order?"

He calculated quickly in his mind. Would Granger share some of the ingredients she just bought with him? Highly unlikely, but the other prospect was to contact Longbottom and he'd really rather didn't. Damn it.

"Forget it." he said dismissively as he quickly made his way out of the apothecary trying to locate Granger around. She couldn't have gone far and he really needed the ginger roots after blowing up the potion today. Sure enough he spotted her figure in Flourish and Blotts – where else? – and followed her inside, approaching the shelf she was currently browsing.

"Granger." he said and tapped her lightly on the arm.

She had quickly turned back, retrieved her wand from her pocket and pointed it at him in just milliseconds. Wow; constant vigilance, indeed.

When she saw who he was, she instinctively lowered her wand but just a fraction – maybe because it was he after all. "Malfoy!" she said panting. "You gave me such a fright, you git. What do you want?"

He didn't apologize; he rather jumped to the point at once.

"I want to buy the ginger roots you just purchased from the Apothecary."

She gapped at him with round eyes. "You want what? Are you mental?"

"Look I need them and you bought enough, I'll pay twice their price if you just hand them to me without questions. Thrice the price." he added when she didn't reply.

"No. I'm not giving you my supplies, forget it. Why can't you just go and buy it in the shop?"

"Because you took the last of it you twit, that's why!"

"What a nice way to request a favor. I said no and that's final Malfoy, go and bother someone else." she turned her attention to the bookshelf again.

He swore inwardly. "Look Granger, you are supposed to be the sensible one. I need those roots and I'm willing to overpay them; in fact I will order for you the same amount as soon as it is delivered, why do you insist on being difficult?"

"Ha!" Hermione scoffed. "I'm not the one here being difficult Malfoy and I don't particularly care about you needing something" she said scathingly. "As for me being the sensible one, how would you know? Just go away, alright?"

He did just that. It really wasn't worth his time; Granger had always been that stubborn and it wasn't as if he had treated her better just moments prior – let alone thanked her for defending him at court four years ago.

Fuck this; he would have someone contact Longbottom on his behalf.

.

The next few days, while he was trying to kindly explain to his customers that beautification would be delivered next week - according to the status of the order he gave to Longbottom via Blaise Zabini - Hermione Granger popped in his thoughts more often than not. He forced himself to believe that this happened because she had refused to facilitate him that day and not because he had found himself intrigued.

Apart from Granger, she was the typical bookworm, know-it-all, Gryffindor's princess, scarhead's best friend and a mudb… muggle-born. He had absolutely no reason to think of her of something else than annoying. Hell… He had absolutely no reason to think of her, period.

As if to prove a point, that night he contacted Kate, the girl he was currently seeing, most times because she initiated their encounters rather than him. He effectively managed to push Granger, and all the other damning memories she brought to the surface, out of his mind for the rest of the week.

.

On Monday morning, Draco prepared himself to face that simpering idiot for the ingredients he needed; he really hated nothing more than stupidity and clumsiness and Longbottom scored high on both. Peachy.

Draco tried to decide if he should wear muggle clothes or wizard robes for their meeting, when an owl landed on his open window and dropped a parchment on his feet. He bended over and retrieved the note. Longbottom couldn't make it. Fuck.

How was he supposed to deliver the products on time, if the supplier couldn't keep a fucking deadline himself had set?

He continued reading the note further on. The roots could be delivered today if Draco could fetch them from a bookstore in Muggle London until noon. He cursed Longbottom to hell and back and hurried to study his map in order to locate the damn bookstore. He considered apparating right outside of it to save time, but his experience with muggles had taught him that they were rather observant and if the Ministry had to alter the memories of someone for the likes of him, restrictions would be set up in place and the possibility to finally move abroad would jump out of the window. So he got out in the road and got a cab to his destination.

Out of all the people in the world, it had to be her that she ran that particular bookstore in the muggle world. It was just his luck, wasn't it?

"Granger." he voiced and effectively greeted her for a third time in a while.

She looked up from her desk and her features immediately hardened. She didn't look surprised though.

"Neville told me that you would probably be coming today. If you can wait ten minutes, I'll finish something and get the ingredients for you. Please have a seat." she indicated the armchair across her desk.

He nodded and took the seat along with the opportunity to study her while she worked.

"Is this place yours?"

She hesitated before answering and he saw her shoulders tense. "Yes it is."

"How… I mean, why a bookstore in the muggle world? When you could have any job you wanted in the Ministry? An Auror, let's say." Draco asked with real curiosity.

"As if you care Malfoy."

"Try me, Granger."

She studied him for a second and her lips twitched. "It was never my aspiration to become an Auror if you must know."

"A minister employee then, a teacher at Hogwarts?" he offered. "Why here, why that?"

"If you think that you are insulting me by degrading what I've built here, you are very mistaken. I love my store, I like what I do. You of all people questioning me about my occupation is a little hypocritical, isn't it? Considering the fact that you run a muggle store yourself."

"I'm not trying to insult you, far from it."

"Good, because you wouldn't manage it even if you tried."

"Granger, don't get your knickers in a twist ."

Her cheeks turned crimson and her pupils dilated; she was so easy to rile up as she had always been. Being the logical and collected member of the trio though, she kept herself from reacting and turned her attention to the documents at her desk again. He didn't know why he found it necessary to behave badly towards her; he supposed old habits die hard – if at all.

She took her time finishing her task and all, until she disappeared to the back of her shop to get the box he had ordered. A few people had gathered in line before the till and he absently started tapping his fingers on her desk impatiently. When she got back, she tended to her customers with a smile, ignoring him completely until she had served them all. Draco fixed his stare on her and noticed that she started to shift uncomfortably from one foot to another. At last she took the box in her hands again and pushed it towards him.

"That will be 2 galleons and 3 sickles." she said with a flat voice.

"That must be wrong, my order costs 20 galleons."

"Indeed, but that is only part of it. Neville has planted more in his greenhouses but the rest will be ready in around three weeks from now."

"What?" he inquired angrily at her. "That is not possible, I was supposed to get the whole amount today, that's why I agreed to get supplies from Longbottom! That useless twat!"

"Don't call him that. Neville had to use some roots in one experiment of his, for a new potion in his business, so your order has to wait."

"And you call that business, Granger?" he spat "If your supplier failed to send you your orders in time, what would you do? Would you be so understanding?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not my business Malfoy, I'm merely delivering, so don't shoot the messenger. It is what it is, take it or leave it."

The look he gave her had her knees trembling wildly and she could have fallen, had she not supported her weight by leaning on her desk. Draco grabbed the box with the ginger roots and tossed 3 galleons at her desk before leaving her store in foul mood.

.

As soon as he finished brewing the beautification potion, he stored it in several small bottles in his potions' cabinet and started cleaning his working place furiously. He was still so mad at Longbottom and Granger that it was really a miracle that he managed to concentrate and brew the potion correctly. But he was a perfectionist in everything that he did, so that he couldn't mess up the potion again and fail to supply his customers. Again.

The front door of his shop opened and upon hearing the ring he got himself on the front, only to find out that Miss Goody-Gryffindor-Bookworm had apparently decided to stalk him lately.

He breathed out resigned and he fixed his features in a frown. "What do you want Granger?"

"Um, hello. I came to offer you a bit of help."

He scoffed. "How?"

"I brought you some roots from my private supplies. I understand that you must need them desperately and I thought to take upon the offer you made to me in Diagon Alley the other week. If it's still on." she finished uncertainly. "I fail to see why you would need them for business purposes… except well for beautification potion." She gave a thorough look to the store around her and her left eyebrow arched and raised high in her forehead.

"Well, that's precisely why I need it." he confirmed."But why would you help me Granger?"

"Merlin's beard Malfoy! Is it even legal? Selling potions to muggles for profit? What else are you selling to them?"

"Why don't you check for yourself while you're here?"

She did just that. She browsed all his shelves in the store, examining each product and each label, recognized a camouflaged pepper-up potion or a simple cure for boils or "for acne" as it was labeled. Hopefully she only identified harmless staff and a great variety of his products was muggle based after all. She would have been impressed, if that wasn't Malfoy's doing.

Malfoy ignored her while she was wondering around his shop, or at least he tried to. Her perfume, very light and flowery, had started triggering something in his mind and he was so focused trying to remember what it was that all other thoughts had faded. What did it was exactly and where had he met the aroma before? With the skilled olfaction of an accomplished potioneer, he distinguished it had a scent of grass and probably citrus or green apple with a tad of mint and something he couldn't quite discern. It reminded him of mist and eerie nights of spring, apples, the vanishing cabinet, the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore.

No.

Cold sweat started forming on his forehead and his spine started shivering.

Not again. He turned his back at her and dropped something off his desk in the process. Granger turned to look at him questioningly – was that concern in her eyes? Like the Gryffindor she was, she approached him and made to touch him on the shoulder when he shook her hand violently off.

"Get off." he warned with force trying to control the tremor in his body and lock out the unwanted memories. He was accomplished in Occlumency, he knew how to detach from memories that even he couldn't remember those locked away in his subconscious sometimes, but today, this time, they were stronger. It was her scent he knew it, and now that she was closer it was getting more intense - worse.

"Malfoy?" she tried hesitantly touching his shoulder lightly again.

"Don't touch me you –

"Filthy Mudblood?" she finished his sentence with supple sarcasm in her voice.

"Stupid bint." he finished less offensively than he intended. Why was she using that derogatory term for herself, the effing bookworm? Yes, better. This provided a welcoming distraction and he was able to remove Dumbledore from his mind. There was no Amycus now, no Snape, no Greyback. He was moving backwards the staircase of the Astronomy tower, he had not mended the cabinet in the Room of Requirement, he was fast asleep in his dormitory in the dungeons. He was here in his shop serving clients, yeah.

His vision cleared again and he was able to see Granger observing him with great interest. Bossy know-it-all.

He cleared his throat forcibly and she seemed to get out of her trance immediately.

"Was that…are you having-

"I'm perfectly healthy despite your wishes. Forget this and leave."

"Malfoy, this is serious. It's been four years-

"Five years, two months and five days, I know, what's your point?"

She gasped and shook her head. "The Battle was four-

"Astronomy Tower." he defined unwillingly. "You should leave, I've lots to do. I am… grateful for the ingredients." not quite a thank you, but it would have to do.

Her eyes sparkled and she was quite bold to suggest assistance. "Can I help you with that?" A sodding Gryffindor all the way.

"Forget that it happened, will you? I'll have the roots delivered in your bookstore as soon as the Apothecary stocks up. You can cancel the rest of the order with stupid Longbottom. How much for the ginger roots?"

"It's nothing, it's a gift." she explained.

"Fine, I'll have them replaced as soon as possible in return." go the fuck away now, he screamed inside.

She nodded and was ready to say something more when he interrupted her.

"The door is on your left." and he disappeared inside again.

After a few minutes of silence, he heard the door click open and closed and he was able to breathe again. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

.

a/n: Thank you for reading and please review and let me know if I should continue or not, I would love to read your thoughts. As I said this is my first try on Harry Potter stories and feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcomed. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them.

Victoria