authors note: Another new dramione story! I'm sure many of you would rather I update than do a new story but I couldn't help myself. I thought of this idea and had to write it! This will be short, no more than 5-7 chapters, and I am so excited about it as I've never done anything like this before and I really hope you take to it and enjoy it! Also my multific readers, Not My Story and Go Down In History will be updated soon!
As always enjoy, and if I don't write before, merry christmas all!

song recommendations: Blank Space - Taylor Swift (Imagine Dragons do a great version too!), Wings - Birdy, Empire State of Mind - Jay Z/Alicia Keys (stripped down version is also awesome!).

concrete jungle where dreams are made of

-x-

She had comforted him in 6th year, had patted his back while he cried. Had tried so hard to convince him to go to Dumbledore to no avail. She had kissed him on the cheek as he went to his mission, had told Dumbledore of it, to no surprise the old man had already known and she had stayed out of it. She had helped Harry but she had never fought Draco. They had shared a look as he was hurried away.

She had found him at the battle, had a moment of held hands and whispered words before they both went back to their sides.

She had testified for him at his trial. Had stood in the stand and recommended a full pardon. She had spoken of his bravery at Malfoy Manor.

She had visited him in prison, working under the Magical Law Office she had advised him, had given him a cloak to keep warm before he trailed back to his cell in Askaban, it was no longer home to the Dementors but was a prison all the same.

She had shot him a small smile when he was cleared of all charges. The smile had turned to frown as he had walked away, not looking back, not for a second. It had hurt a little.

She had thought they were friends. She had bonded with him when visiting him. She had seen that he had changed, had seen the way he covered his dark mark up at all costs, had seen how he was ashamed of what he had done. She also saw the many scars he bore from the torture he had endured, and the flinch he had gained whenever there was an odd noise. She saw what war had done to him.

She had forgiven him, she had felt for him.

And then he was gone. She had seen him leave, and had wished him a good life before getting back to her own, a twinge in her heart.

It was four years later, she was 23, a Hogwarts Graduate and recently resigned assistant in the Magical Law Department. She had given up the job having no love for it; she had pushed through her House Elf legislation, that had been her aim. She was finished. Done.

And now she was leaving.

Life wasn't as she had hoped or expected. The romance she had with Ron had long since fizzled out, he was much happier in Lavenders arms. A result of this meant Sunday dinners at the Weasleys had turned from a happy atmosphere to an awkward one. Her only real friend was Harry and he was in a similar position to her. Overwhelmed by the war he had been about less and less, even he wasn't around the Weasley's much especially since he hadn't reconciled with Ginny. Still he was happy at work, he had something at least, unlike her.

She didn't want to stay, had nothing really to tie her to her home. She had left her parents in Australia, upon finding them she discovered her Mother was pregnant and they were incredibly happy; she wouldn't ruin that for them, so she had left them with their fake memories and had returned to an empty apartment. She didn't really have anyone now; not a real family, besides Harry.

She had no love life, no social life and work really wasn't her passion. She had become bored, sat at home every night doing extra work or going to bed early, she needed a change. She needed something exciting. Hermione was too smart not to be continually challenged, she needed to shake things up.

When the position of Analyst at Gringotts had come up Hermione had shoved it to one side, she wasn't interested in banking. However on second look she couldn't help but see the allure in the job. She'd be working for the USA branch of Gringotts, living in New York and traveling to South America every so often to review artifacts and the like. It was great pay, came with accommodation and she had more than the necessary skill set.

She had seen it as fate when she applied and been given the position without interview.

Ron acted unhappy but she knew he was partially relieved, their friendship was only awkward now. Harry has really sorry to see her go but she reassured him of her decision, and that they would talk continually. The Weasley's cooed and worried but quickly went back to planning the duel weddings coming up; Ron and Lavender's, Fred and Angelina's.

Hermione knew she needed to get away, and America sounded perfect, the perfect place to escape to, to start a new life.

And so three weeks after she'd applied she was packed and ready to go. She had a small apartment in Manhattan waiting and started work on the Monday. As she moved to the Internationally approved Apparation spot she felt a fizzling of something she hadn't felt in months; excitement. She was excited for her future, no longer going through the motions.

This was her chance to start over. She could work hard, move up the ranks, maybe find a guy along the way. She could really begin the life she wanted to lead. This was her fresh start, her chance to be truly happy. With a smile on her face she nodded to herself; this was it. This was where it began.

And with a pop she disappeared.

He held his hand out to shake and bowed his head before turning from the man in front of him. Adjusting his suit and dusting his hands he turned out of the meeting room and resisted rolling his eyes. His assistant – Merida? Miranda? He couldn't remember hurried up to him and he waved her away before walking into his office; enough boring meetings for today, he needed a drink.

He settled down in his office, the New York City skyline his view. With a small smirk he poured himself a measure of scotch and sipped it appreciatively. This was a life he once aspired to, had briefly believed was beyond him, and was now his. It was quite something. A surge of pride hit his chest as he stood, one hand in his pocket, the other nursing his glass. The view was beautiful, and he only had a moment to appreciate it before the shrill ring of the telephone interrupted his musings.

Downing his drink he picked up the muggle device (surprisingly he employed quite a few of them in his line of work; the muggles knew a thing or two about making a company more efficient), and listened to the yapping on the other end for a minute before his tolerance cut out. He was quick in telling his investor that he had to hurry along and to set up a meeting through his secretary – Mandy? Melissa? He didn't know.

As he placed the phone down Draco couldn't help but allow his mind to wander. Here he was on the 63rd floor of Malfoy Industries, CEO of his own incredibly successful potions manufacturing company. After his Father pretty much fled the country to become a nobody in Argentina Draco had set his plans for the future. He had moved overseas with his Mother and had set up his company, using his inheritance and family investments to make it work.

And god did it work.

He had already far expanded the Malfoy fortune, had made a great name for himself, few even remembered his sticky past now. He was a widely respected business owner and CEO, he was no longer the kid who had never lived up to expectations, he wasn't a death eater or a coward. He was Draco Malfoy, and goddamn it he was successful. His potions company wasn't his only venture, he invested in several muggle companies, owned a Quidditch team and the US equivalent of Witch Weekly, his was a millionaire in muggle and wizard currency many times over.

He lived in an apartment in Soho, his Mother was set with all her comforts in a penthouse in Manhattan and he had everything he could possible want. A different model every Saturday night, expensive liquor and suits, success in every business venture he put his mind too. He was a success.. but something was missing.

He was lonely.

He could admit that to himself. His apartment was too big and always empty. He had a hole in his heart he knew he needed to fill. Problem was every-time he considered who would fill that hole? His mind flashed back to Hogwarts, to the girl who had stood up for him, had probably saved him from prison. The girl he had built a tentative friendship with before he had fled to the states. The girl he knew could never be his.

And so he was resolved to be lonely. He knew that the curly haired brunette would never be his, and so he had put her to one side, and had stopped thinking about her. He was an eligible bachelor and so there was no shortage of women. His mother was insistent he settle down but he was having fun, and had no intention of marrying.

She was settled in, her apartment was a good size and she had already decorated it to her liking. Dressed in clothes suitable for New York autumn she stepped out of her apartment. A beaded bag hanging on her shoulder, her wand stuffed inside. She was ready to was excited to check out the world of New York and was happy that the weather remained good. She wanted to really get her fill of the city; this after all was her home now.

A smile lit her features as she stepped into the fresh air. She neglected a passing cab and decided to walk her way into the centre; she was quite close. She strolled her way along, her smile never wavering. Soon she had found 'Exponentia Square', she had read about it in anticipation of her move, and located the hidden magical section of New York with ease. It was similar to Diagon Alley but larger and she immediately fell in with the shoppers.

Several shops later and her arms were full of bags carrying books, several new sets of robes (all with the Gringotts insignia on the left pocket), and potions ingredients. She was happy to stock up and had immediately fallen in love with the book shop here; it had so many different magical texts she would never have found in England. One bag was particularly heavy as it was filled with several large spell-books.

As she wandered she took in everything, her eyes not missing a thing...except something she couldn't possibly have guessed. She was so enraptured with the magical quarter of New York her eyes easily drifted over her old school rival. In fact as she made her way into the Magical Creatures shop (to pick up food, Crookshanks of course was with her in the Big Apple) she didn't even register who was a few feet away from her at a bustling coffee shop.

After all, how could Hermione have known it was Draco Malfoy stood outside of said coffee shop, a shocked expression on his face, a dropped cup of coffee at his feet?

It couldn't be. It simply couldn't be.

Only half an hour earlier Draco had left yet another meeting with a company he was taking over. Malfoy Industries was quickly becoming a monopoly in the potions world, and he had yet again engulfed a smaller company into his own. He had shook hands with those he was buying out and had hastened out of the meeting; it was near lunch after all and there was nothing worse than being roped into a corporate lunch.

And so he had dashed out, his assistant shrieking that he had another meeting. He had brushed her off in seconds, and Pansy his head of Staff and PR had taken the girl to one side; no doubt he would have a new assistant in a few days, they never did seem to last.

With a rueful smile he had apparated to Exponentia Square, before heading straight for his favorite coffee place. He'd grab an Americano, and chill out for a bit before picking up a few things and then heading out. If he remembered correctly he had a charity gala in a few days and needed to prep his speech; oh the dullness of life.

And so he had walked his way down to the coffee shop, occassionaly gtreeting others and shaking hands. He was a known name around America now, and he had managed to get something from his fellow Wizards here that he had never truly commanded in England; respect.

So he sat nursing a coffee on the table outside of the little shop, before standing to his feet; he could get in a touch of shopping whilst he was here. He always liked to come down and check out his own apotheracys (in place all over the world including Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade), and look at the new volumes in Classics and Spells (a hybrid spellbook/muggle texts shop). He smiled to himself as he turned, to the bookshop first, and then he'd head to the robe shop for dress robes for the gala.

As he turned he raised an eyebrow; his eyes catching on a field of bushy brown hair, just like that of Grangers. He felt a stirring in his stomach, a reaction. Still he went to shrug it off, it couldn't be her; last he had heard she was working as an Assistant in the Office of Magical Law Enforcement (something far below her he felt), and planning a marriage to Weasley (again very far below her).

So he moved forward, and then it hit him, as she turned to look over her shoulder, Malfoy dropped his coffee in an instant, ignoring the shrieks of those around him who had been sprayed with his fallen coffee. His hand fell to the table in front of him as he leaned forward in shock. It was her.

When Draco saw her, he felt the breath leave his throat, felt a cold sweat break on his neck and most importantly felt a niggling in his brain; Granger wasn't just a childhood crush, his brain was screaming at him that she was more and not to blow his chance again. God damn, what was she doing here?

And so with an almost automatic pace he hurried forward, pushing through the crowd, ignoring an ex-girlfriend he had never really broken up with (wasn't leaving early and not phoning ever again enough of a break up?), he was quick as he reached the animal emporium. Perfect, he could go in on the pretense of talking to the manager (he owned this place too).

So straightening his shirt, ruffling his hair and taking a deep breath, he opened the doors Granger had just passed through. He knew this was a risk, knew it might not go well but his brain was still screaming at him; he couldn't blow it again.

'Here the fuck goes' He muttered to himself, and so he did.

So what do you think? Different right? I really enjoyed writing it, and love where this story is going. Ahh! I will be updating soon. Btw what do you think of the name for the magical sector of NY? I wanted to do a Diagon Alley style area, and called it Exponentia Square, meaning Spell Square (Latin). I will also be adding an all Wizard village on the outskirts of NY for this story later on.

Please, please review (a writer doesn't know whether to continue otherwise), and tell me what you think. Also throw me a fav/subscribe/follow and I will be smiling through christmas!

Thanks you reading! An again merry christmas :)