Chapter Two
"Harry…" came a soft voice near his ear, "we've landed and we're unloading." Harry groaned softly and his eyes opened to find Edward kneeling in the aisle beside Harry's seat.
"Good morning…" Harry mumbled as he sat up and stretched his bunched up muscles, "thanks for waking me." He stood up and smiled warmly, "Hey, here, let me give you my number so that you can call me if you need anyone to talk to."
Edward smiled faintly and pulled out a small silver cell phone, "Sure, that would be nice." After exchanging numbers, Harry and Edward shook hands again and disembarked the airplane to go their separate ways. Harry looked around with the eyes of a curious child as he walked among the bustling crowds of New York City Airport. The constant chatter of the New Yorkers and foreigners visiting the great city reminded Harry of his days in the great dining hall in Hogwarts. He walked slowly among them; pushing a small trolley he had found near the gates and put his suitcases on.
Harry paused as a strong, refreshing smell wafted across his path, and he turned towards the source of the scent and smiled. It was a Starbucks coffee store! "I need a good coffee," Harry mumbled to himself as he turned his trolley towards the tables sitting outside the open wall store. Parking the trolley next to an empty table, he walked into the Starbucks and got into the short line. As the refreshing scent of coffee cleansed his soul of the fear he had felt from his nightmare, he was pulling out his wallet to make sure he had enough money when he felt a hand on the center of his back.
He's hand was automatically reaching for the wand that wasn't there anymore when the hand's owner spoke, "Harry?"
"Edward," Harry smiled, closing his wallet and slipping it back into his back pocket as he turned to face Edward, "What are you doing here?"
Edward was smiling faintly, completely ignoring all the women who were looking at him obvious lust in their eyes, "I just wanted a cup of coffee; how about yourself?"
"The same," Harry stepped forward as the line moved forward, "Starbuck's is famous for their coffee in England."
"Ah, so you're a England native, then? I was trying to place your accent back on the plane," Edward continued, "I was just visiting the country for the scenery and to get away from it all."
"She back where you live?" Harry asked, then turned to the man behind the counter since it was his turn, "One coffee, milk and sugar, please."
"Make that two, please," Edward put in and nodded as he turned back to Harry, "yes… she is back in Forks with a enemy of mine."
Harry winced slightly, "I'm sorry to hear that. She must of have been a very beautiful girl for you to have taken notice of her." I know I wish you would take notice of me…Harry thought, the tip of his tongue lightly licking his top lip.
Edward nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips, "Yes, she was very beautiful. I found her very intriguing… then she left me for a dog." He shook his head slightly, knowing Harry wouldn't know the real meaning behind him calling Jacob a dog. The cashier set their coffees down on the counter and, before Harry could reach for his wallet, Edward placed the money needed in the cashier's hand, "Allow me to pay for this."
Harry smiled, nodding slightly, "Thank you; I owe you one." I know exactly how I would like to repay you…Harry thought as he took his coffee and walked beside the much taller Edward towards the table Harry had left his trolley. To his surprise, sitting beside Harry's trolley was a second trolley with the bags Harry had seen Edward with on the plane. Edward sat down so that his back was to the bustling crowd behind him and with Harry across from him.
"All we have done is talk about me," Edward said before taking a sip of his coffee, "lets talk about you now. The only thing I know about you is that you're from England and your name is Harry Potter."
Harry nodded and took a long drink of his coffee, "Well, my parents died when I was very young so I don't remember much about them. I grew up with my Aunt and Uncle, and their son bullied me everyday of my teenage life. They made me stay in a room underneath the stairs until I turned twelve, which was about the time I started going to a boarding school for…" Harry paused, trying to think up an excuse for Hogwarts, "a boarding school for gifted children."
Edward's eyebrow lifted slightly at the pause but didn't comment on it, "I'm sorry to hear about your parents, but your aunt and uncle seem like terrible people."
"Yes, they were terrible, but they did provide me with a roof over my head and they did feed me," Harry defended his aunt and uncle, "anyways, when I turned thirteen, I found out I had a godfather. I wanted to go live with him, but my aunt and uncle wouldn't let him take custody of me. He was really cool and very nice to me and my friends from school."
"Was?" Edward asked, his coffee halfway to his lips as he realized he had talked about his godfather in the past tense.
Harry looked down at his lap and his fingers twiddled with a button on his black button down shirt, "Well, he was murdered not long ago…"
"That's terrible," Edward whispered, his tone conveying his sympathies, "did they catch the murderer?"
"Yeah… they caught her," Harry mumbled as his thoughts turned to how Bellatrix had met her end, "I never forgave her for it either." Edward remained silent for a long time, watching Harry over the rim of his coffee cup. "Anyways," Harry forced a small fake smile, "Everything turned for the better when I met some very kind people at my school. They helped me through a lot of tough times and a lot of good times."
"I must thank these friends of yours sometime, for if they weren't there, you wouldn't be here now," Edward smirked faintly and set down his empty coffee cup on the table, "I'm sorry, Harry, but I must leave you now. I have some personal matters things I need to take care of."
Harry nodded sadly, wishing that Edward could stay a little longer, "I'm sorry to hear that, but I hope you have a safe trip, Edward." Harry stood up at the same time as Edward and extended his hand to him. Edward took Harry's hand with the same gloved hand he had used before and shook it warmly. Harry sat back down as Edward grabbed his trolley and walked away, pushing the trolley before him. He sighed softly as he watch Edward until he had disappeared from his sight and bit his lower lip, "My god…"
The sun was a quarter of the way down when Harry reached the apartment he had bought a month earlier. When the cab he had called pulled up in front of the beautiful studio apartment complex, Harry smiled faintly as he realized that this building signified his new life here in the States.
"Welcome home, Harry Potter," he whispered to himself as he picked up his bags from the trunk of the cab and made his way up the steps. When he managed to walk up the three flights of stairs, he set down one of his bags and dug the key to the door from his pocket. When he opened the door and pushed it open, he smiled as he looked around the empty apartment, the place he now called home. Walking slowly into the room, he slowly turned in a slow circle as he allowed his eyes to travel around his new place. The whole place was beautiful and Harry could see himself living here for his whole life. He moved over to the bed on the raised dais in the back of the apartment and set his suitcases down on the bare mattress's surface. Turning around, he placed his hands on his hips to look around the room, and smiled.
