Since making himself step outside of his home and re-enter society, this was becoming his favorite place to just sit and relax for awhile.  He'd often found himself sitting at a back table with a hot cup of coffee and just thinking about nothing.  Today he opted for some food too while he just enjoyed his cup of coffee.  He sat forward with his elbows on the table and the cup in his hands. He looked around the bar and just started people-watching.

"No way." 

"Don't look!" The barista hunched to be smaller than the espresso contraption.

Nemo was looking over her shoulder from her perch chatting with her friend who worked here at Alohomocha, eyes narrowed at a wizard sitting alone at the back table. He looked absolutely normal. The only thing that made him look like he could be Draco Malfoy was his blond hair and that he kind of looked like Draco Malfoy.

"Wait, is it him?" she mumbled.

"Stop staring. We're not supposed to draw attention..."

A smile crept to Nemo's lips. The seventeen-year-old American witch had lived in London a year and a half now, and there were famous people everywhere. Even in a city as big as this, the magical community was densely packed. She'd seen Ginny Weasley, been in the same club as Iggy Prewett, but she'd never seen Draco Malfoy.  She'd heard rumors he was a recluse.

"Stop..." Her friend's weak protestations were too little and late to stop Nemo from standing up straight, putting her hands in the pockets of her oversized jacket, and strolling back.

She tilted a little to get her head just into his view and made a little show of examining him.

"You look a lot like Draco Malfoy," she said.

Draco looked up at the young witch who had approached his table.  "You know, I get told that a lot, I don't know why though."  He sat his cup down on the table and leaned back in his chair.  "Why do you think I am him?  I heard that he doesn't leave his house, like ever." he said with a smirk.

When "Draco Malfoy" didn't tell her to piss off, Nemo was emboldened and slipped into the seat. So it was to be a battle of wits. Or, at least, a thumb wrestle of puns. She leaned forward and pretended to put on a pair of glasses.

Meanwhile at the counter, her barista friend was dying.

"I heard that too, but that'd be the perfect cover if he everdid leave his house. And sitting in the back of a coffee shop is the caffeine fiend's version of hermit. The hair is right. And no offense, but the skin is right. You have the palor of a wizard not recently enjoying the weather. No offense."

Counter point: Nemo spent plenty of time outside and she still had an Ever-Indoors complexion.

He decided not to contradict the young woman's assessment of him. After all, she was right.  He did have the paleness of skin that came from not leaving his house to enjoy the warmth of the sun.  Even though he still made his way places every so often, it wasn't enough to give him any color at all.

He took a sip of his drink and looked at her, "Well, what do you want, an autograph, to yell at me for things that happened in the past, or perhaps.. and this is my personal favorite... a chance to curse a Malfoy. " He knew he was being cynical, but truthfully, that last one had happened often enough, he'd just come to accept it.

First of all, oh my god, it was Draco Malfoy. Nemo was determined not to be starstruck, but wow? Draco Malfoy. Famous. Infamous. Controversial. Mysterious. And, apparently, harried and haunted.

Second of all, "oh my god," she whispered. "Who would dare? I would never ever. You're a hero." She said it as much in admiration as an attempt to convince him. They way he sat there, the way he sipped his drink? 

Nemo nodded her blonde head slowly, her black wide-brimmed had bobbing. "I know what you need."

He was slightly intrigued by the young woman.  "And just what would that be?" he asked her as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Truthfully this was a refreshing change from all the real and/or imagined looks and glares he often got.  "Are you sure you want to be seen with the likes of me?"

Nemo tried to hide that she was smug as heck. She leaned back, mirroring Draco Malfoy's posture with a little grin. She flicked the brim of her hat a little higher, her shaggy blond hair framing her round face.

"Oh. I'm sure. Absolutely. What you need is a familiar. You know. Like some witches have cats or crows. You'd have me."

She shrugged, her impulsive idea now laid on the cafe table between them. Now, Nemo hated being told what to do, but she was also entranced by the fact that the mysterious, controversial, eerily charismatic, puppy dog Draco Malfoy hadn't flicked her away like a jumping spider. Her mind was only one step ahead of her mouth at the moment.

"I dunno. I can, like, get things. Or locate people, or deliver messages, keep your secrets ..." Okay, she was an owl now apparently. But then her expression suddenly turned dark and she narrowed her eyes.

"But nothing funny. This would be all business."

With that, she extended her hand to shake on it. She had no idea if he'd agree, but she got the sense that confidence went some distance with Draco Malfoy.

Draco thought for a moment.  This could be either a good thing or a very bad thing.  On one hand, he could use something like an assistant to do all the things he didn't like doing. Errands, shopping, etc.  But he wasn't all too keen on getting close to anyone, even if it was just all business.

He stared at her hand, not wanting to accept the arrangement just yet, "I'll think about it.  I want to test you first.  Anyone who is around me has to know something about potion ingredients.  If you are serious about your offer, I would like you to go find me a rare potions ingredient.  I don't care what it is, or how you found it, but bring it to my house and I'll tell you what I've decided."

He was so sure that she wouldn't go through with it.  But he figured it might get her out of his hair.  He didn't bother telling her where he lived, if she was serious, she'd figure it out.

Nemo scoffed and pulled back her hand; Draco Malfoy's response was unexpected but everything she could have hoped for. From under his scruffy caffeinated hermitage, this was a peek at his complicated past. Nemo wished she knew how to arch an eyebrow, because that would be really nifty right now.

"Fine no problem, easy," she said casually, then reached over and took a chip off his plate.

"I'll need money. Unless you want me to steal it."

She rested her chin in her hand and chewed the chip. She rather hoped he didn't call her bluff. She acted tough but she didn't have the mustard to steal anymore more than sweets from a shop.

"While stealing something rare would no doubt prove you know what you are doing, I won't have a potential assistant doing illegal things for me.  No need to give the papers something else to talk about."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out 10 Galleons and lay them down on the table in front of the girl.  "Here.  Keep what you don't spend, I'm curious what you will find."

And with that he drank the last of his drink and with one final glance at the young witch, he left to go back home and await whatever was going to come next.

Nemo had never seen ten galleons in one place in her life.  She was about to attempt to turn her surprise into a straight face, but she shouldn't have bothered. He had just stood up and left.

She did a series of double-takes from Draco's receding figure, to the gold, to her friend at the bar. What had she just done?

"Oh my gaaaawd," she breathed. Remembering herself, she quickly slid the ten galleons into her bag and stood up, trying to hide her grin. The urge to run off and tell someone what had happened was only slightly overpowered by the dedication her new clandestine arrangement. And so, as she sauntered out of the shop herself, she only winked at her friend.

Now to learn Potions 101...

fin