Chapter 1

Muggle Medicine

Hermione Granger sat in a café in Muggle London that she had come across after her meeting with an old Muggle shop owner. The head of her department had sent her out on a lead for the Thomas Case. Hermione worked for the Ministry of Magic, along side St. Mungo's Healers, researching cures for dark jinxes and curses used by the Death Eaters during the height of the war.

Despite the fact that in the last five years most of wizarding society had become comfortable in a Voldemort-free world, an entire wing of St. Mungo's remained full of victims for whom cures could not be found. The magic used by the Death Eaters was so dark that many of them did not fully understand the consequences of the spells they cast on any nonsupporter of the Dark Lord. Even intense interrogation of the remaining Death Eaters kept in Azkaban could not uncover what the Healers needed to cure those kept in the Frank and Alice Longbottom Ward. (So named by the war hero Neville Longbottom after he raised an immense amount of funds for victims of the war.) This left the researchers of the Cures for Incurable Curses Department going on wild goose chases hoping to come across any lost information that might lead to a new discovery. They had already tried every kind of healing magic imaginable and had even attempted those things heard in old Muggle wives tales.

Hermione was now seated at a table looking through the old book she had procured from the Muggle book store owner. He had said that the book had been donated to the bookstore about five years ago after the death of the owner. Apparently the family had just wanted to clear out his things and get on with life. At first glance this book was seemingly unremarkable. It appeared to be an old medical text. The information was out of date even by Muggle standards, one page suggesting to "bundle a person under the effects of a fever so that he might not become chilled."

She was interrupted from the perusal of the book by a waiter who asked if she would like anything. Without looking up she replied that a cup of coffee, two sugars no cream, would be fine. As the waiter walked away she paused in the reading of a paragraph of how to cure hives when a familiar scent touched her nose. It was the scent of peppermint and lemon. The picture of a blond boy with storm gray eyes flashed in her mind. She thought this peculiar as she had not even thought of the boy in years. The last she had seen of Draco Malfoy had been at his father's trial.

Draco and his mother had been found not guilty and released thanks to the testimony of Harry Potter. Harry had testified to the events of the Astronomy Tower at the end of sixth year and Draco's inability to kill Dumbledore. He had also testified to the false report that Narcissa had given Voldemort on the condition of Harry after the Avada Kedavra cast at him, giving Harry the chance to get into position to ultimately end the life of the Dark Lord. Despite the fact that Lucius did nothing to help Voldemort in the final stages of the battle, he also did nothing to justify his release from Azkaban. In fact the mistakes he had made between the time Voldemort had returned and The Battle of Hogwarts had earned him a verdict of guilty. He was scheduled for execution by the veil the next week. After the death of Lucius, it was rumored that Narcissa had moved to a cottage in Southern Italy, and Draco had seemed to just vanish. No one had seen or heard from him since.

The waiter returned with her coffee. She took a second to sip her coffee and then turned her attention back to the book in front of her. It was her devotion to the Thomas Case that made her accept this task in the first place. She was supposed to start her holiday that morning, but couldn't pass up the chance that maybe this time she would find the clue that could help. Dean Thomas was hit with a curse that erased his memory every time he would fall asleep. He would wake up each morning not knowing who he was or where he was. Some days were better than others and he would wake up calm and allow the Healers to explain to him his condition. Other days he would wake up hysterical as if he had awoken from a nightmare, although he could never remember what the nightmare was about. After arriving to visit during one of these episodes, Hermione found it harder to visit her old friend. She told herself that he didn't know her anyway and then redoubled her efforts in finding a cure.

After an hour of searching through the book she decided that she would not learn anything until she could get back to the office. She signaled for the waiter to bring her the check. He came over and asked her if her coffee had been alright. She assured him it had and reached in her bag for some change. As he reached across her to retrieve the empty coffee cup, she caught the scent of peppermint and lemon again. She looked up and caught his eyes for just a moment. She thought she saw a shadow cross his dark brown eyes, but it was gone.

A man called from across the shop, "Hey Max, are you coming or what? "

"Yeah, just let me put this in the back." The waiter glanced back at Hermione. "Have a nice day."

She watched him leave noticing that while he seemed handsome enough, he also seemed to be someone you would not remember or even notice. His skin was tan as if he spent time outdoors, and his hair was a dark brown cut in a short style. She put the book in her bag and draped her sweater over her shoulder and went out in search of a dark alley in which she could apparate back to the office.

Draco Malfoy glanced at the clock. One hour until his shift ended. He had promised his friend Jack that he would go to the pub after work to catch the football game. He had become quite enamored with football since his sabbatical into the Muggle world. He refilled the coffee cups of the university students sitting by the window. He wondered what it must be like to be a normal kid, raised in a normal family whose only expectations for them were to actually finish school and get a decent job. He thought what his own father might have said if he knew Draco was waiting on Muggles in a coffee shop. He wiped down a table, refilling the sugar canisters and pushing in the chairs.

The bell above the door rang announcing the entrance of another customer. He glanced up and his breath caught in his throat. None other than Hermione Granger entered. Remembering that there was no way that she could recognize him, his heart rate slowed and he took in her appearance. She was dressed in Muggle jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Her face was flushed as if she had been walking a ways.

Hermione walked over to an empty table and sat down as she took off her sweater. After taking a deep breath she took an old book out of her bag, opened it and began to read. The familiar scene plunged Draco into old memories of the Hermione at school. Then he had been an arrogant git and would have probably walked up to her making some comment about her heritage and how she was such a know-it-all. Now he just watched her for a moment and thought that she was really quite pretty with her face set with concentration. He was not sure how he had never noticed when he had once only cared about impressing pretty young girls, intent on getting in their knickers. Maybe it was because he knew he never had a chance with the girl who was one of Harry Potter's best friends, and the fact that she was a Muggle-born. He shook himself from his reverie and drew up his courage to go take her order.

Trying his best to speak in a normal voice he asked her if she would like anything. She ordered a cup of coffee, with two sugars no cream, without even glancing up from her book. It looked like an old science text and he couldn't imagine what might be so fascinating about it. He went for her coffee and then busied himself around the shop.

He stayed where he could see her and watched her as she sat and read. He longed for word on how the wizarding world was faring but did not dare approach her with his real identity. He was as happy as could be with his current situation and had even become quite comfortable in the Muggle world. It had been five years since he had picked up his wand. It stayed locked safely away in a magical chest. In fact he would not be able to open it without the help of a witch or wizard. The lack of them in his life now kept him from giving in to his temptation of taking up his wand again.

Hermione stayed for nearly an hour reading and sipping her coffee. It was nearing the end of his shift, and he was trying to think up an excuse to go talk to her. Just as he was about to go ask her if she would like a refill she signaled for her check. She was pulling the change out of her bag when he reached across the table for her empty cup. She glanced up at him. Their eyes met and Draco was sure that she had recognized him, but then the moment passed. Jack had yelled from across the room breaking the temporary silence. Draco felt a strange sense of a lost opportunity, but sent a reply back to Jack and turned to take the empty cup to the back. When he came back out she was gone.