HARRY:
Harry woke up with a jolt, with his t-shirt plastered to his back and sweat trickling down his forehead. It was 3 years past 2nd May '98 and he still had those horrifying dreams sometimes. Staying in a different continent had clearly not helped.
He fumbled for the bottle of water on his bedside table and took a gulp. He checked the time on his watch, it read 4am. It wasn't time to get up yet but sleep was the last thing that would oblige him at that point. He got up and opened the sliding doors to the balcony of his New York 2BHK apartment.
Life for him had changed over the years, surrounded by muggles, he took in the cool American breeze. He ran his hand through the same messed up black hair and settled his glasses. He worked at a corporate sector now, something he had never thought he'd end up doing. He was still new at his job and didn't earn enough so he had to share his apartment with another fellow.
Standing on that cantilever balcony, his thoughts drifted to the people he dreamt about, Ron had called him a few days back to let him know that he and Hermione had finally moved in together in a small apartment in London.
"we miss hanging out with you", Hermione had said
"bloody hell mate, when are you visiting next?", he had heard Ron shout in the background.
"i don't know", he had replied, "i don't get many holidays."
"how are you even putting up with him?", Ron had added before Hermione had forcefully snatched the receiver from him and said, "you'll manage Harry", and disconnected the call. So Hermione.
Harry smiled. He really missed those two.
RON:
"Blimey Hermione! that looks ghastly!", exclaimed Ron
"cook your own dinner then", replied the frizzy haired one.
"Ghastly but delicious", corrected Ron
"oh shut up Ronald", replied Hermione and burst into one of her typical laughters.
The two of them sat in front of their flat-screen television set watching a muggle sitcom, as they gobbled Hermione's pitiable attempt at a shepherd's pie.
They were quite accustomed to their life in London, Ron wanted to be a police officer, which he interpreted was the muggle-counterpart of an auror, but he was currently in-between different jobs.
Hermione on the other-hand worked as a book-keeper in the local library while working on her degree in medicine. Both managed to earn enough for a habitable livelihood.
"how about being a bartender, eh?", Ron put in.
"people will be served some nasty drinks then", laughed Hermione.
"i'll get to see drunk ladies", winked Ron, "not that i'll pursue something", he added when he got 'the' look.
DRACO:
He woke up to the girl beside him, barely covered in sheets. She was still asleep. Her face, with a lock of blond hair fallen over it, looked peaceful.
What was her name? Melonie? Megan?, he couldn't remember. He had met her in the pub last night.
"Bartend! can i get a gin and tonic?", she had almost screamed, already tipsy.
"pardon me, but it wouldn't be wise to drink anymore miss", he had replied.
"and you care why?", she had added, "do your job and give me my drink"
"what if you don't drink anymore and i take you out for some dinner after my shift?", he had put in as he had spotted some men staring at that pretty lady, waiting for her to get completely wasted.
"i'll take you up on that offer but only. because. you. are. cute", she had giggled.
"sounds fair", smiled Draco.
Now, lying on his bed, he thought to himself how different his life had become, his father would have never approved of his current lifestyle.
He studied at an art college during the day and bartended at night. He wasn't quite fond of drinking but he had to earn somehow in order to pay his bills. Surprisingly, his life had turned out quite well. He smiled these days, he even had fun, things he'd never thought he'd be able to do after that day.
He dozed off again, thinking about the day he had had an argument with his father and had left the manor, with a backpack on his shoulders, for New York.
6 a.m
Harry finally surrendered to his hunger and made himself some scrambled eggs and bacon. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down on the kitchen table with his breakfast.
He had hardly eaten a forkful of scrambled eggs when he saw a blonde come out of Draco's room wearing nothing but a blue shirt that Harry had given Draco the previous Christmas. She was very pretty and Harry couldn't believe the feelings that erupted inside him that very moment. Was he jealous? No, he possibly couldn't be.
"hey, you must be Harry, right?", uttered the beauty in blue.
"how'd-you-know-m'name?", Harry said with a mouthful of eggs, that is so un-gentlemanly you dufus, he thought to himself.
"oh, um, Draco told me", she replied innocently.
"he talked about me?", Harry said quite startled but happy nonetheless.
"not much, just that he lived with a guy called Harry", she put in and smiled.
"oh", Harry replied, why the fuck am i disappointed?, he thought.
"is there some more of that?", the girl asked, pointing at his coffee mug.
"yeah, right there in the kitchen", replied Harry
"thanks, i'm Kayla by the way"
So the blonde has a name, thought Harry.
As she was pouring a cup of coffee for herself, Harry couldn't make sense of the eruption of feelings and emotions inside of him. The simple idea of her with Draco was suddenly pissing him off, what the hell, i mean he didn't even know her but her mere presence made him irritable and annoyed.
"is Draco up?", he asked in order to break the silence.
"No, he's probably still sleeping, sleeps like an angel, that one", laughed Kayla.
And it took Harry all his effort to stab his eggs with the fork and not her.
What on earth was wrong with him?
"i like this shirt", she said, playing with the fabric.
"yeah it's good", Harry grunted
"he has a good choice", she said
"hmm"
silence.
"so, what do you do?", he asked
"i'm a model", she replied.
Ofcourse.
"and you?", Kayla said.
"accountant", he replied.
"what sort?", she put in.
"um, it's kind of...", Harry began when
"morning", Draco Malfoy entered in nothing but his glorious boxers.
His perfectly toned body was a pleasure to look at, with the boxers just on his hips, the sight was worth Harry slightly choking on his bacon.
Neither of the boys were muscular, but Draco was probably born with the perfect body, or must have lifted some weights in his stupid slytherin dungeons, Harry had decided.
Why was he thinking of Draco Malfoy's body?
"HEY!", squealed Kayla and went up to kiss Draco.
He obliged and came to lean on the kitchen counter.
For a moment there both the boys exchanged a look that neither of them would ever like to discuss about or own up to.
"do you want some coffee?", cooed Kayla.
Harry couldn't believe how grudgingly he was eating his breakfast.
"no, i prefer tea", said Draco, already preparing to boil the water "this one here likes coffee", he added pointing at Harry.
Harry didn't know till then that he could smile internally.
"you could just buy ready-made tea you know", Kayla said.
"that's not tea", Draco said calmly, "this is and he took out some tea bags"
how the fuck can he be so calm? freaking saint, thought Harry.
"maybe i'll try it sometime", she said seductively putting her arms around Draco.
Harry banged his fist against the table and stood up.
Startled, the couple looked at him.
"I'm sorry where are my manners", he uttered, "pardon me but i'm getting late for work so i'll leave you two, um, alone", he said, maneuvering his way to the sink to wash his plate.
"Leave it there, it's my turn to do the dishes anyway", Draco said.
"you are the maid?", Kayla laughed
"no, don't worry, he washes the clothes", Draco smiled.
"he washes your clothes?", she asked, surprise evident on her face.
"yeah"
"ALL your clothes?"
"oh, um, no", Draco replied, "i wash my own boxers", and there came the dazzling smile.
"Do you want to grab some breakfast?", she asked.
"oh", said Draco, "i'm already late for work"
"oh", Kayla said, a bit disappointed, "some other time maybe"
"some other time", added Draco.
"i'll go collect my clothes", she smiled and kissed him.
She put on her shorts and still wearing Draco's shirt, went for the door.
"call me", she said.
"hey, Kayla", Draco called out.
"yeah!", she replied, excited that he had changed his mind about getting breakfast.
"can i have my shirt back?", he uttered
"SERIOUSLY?", she said and threw the shirt at him before bolting through the door.
Harry sniggered.
"What?", Draco said with a look of surprise, "it's my favourite shirt!"
"how are you late? you don't even go to work", Harry laughed.
"i know", winked Draco.