The training was hard and left me exhausted afterwards to the point where barely had enough energy to go up stair, take a shower and go to sleep. It had been almost a month since I had arrived at Stark Tower and I felt like I was finally happy, no one in the wizarding world has noticed my absence, but I'm counting on them finding out their mistakes. One day I was making breakfast and everyone was waiting at the table when there was a tapping on the window. I looked up and immediately left my spot in the kitchen, waving my hand in that direction to make sure it doesn't burn the house down. It was Hedwig! I opened the window and held my arm out and Hedwig flew inside, sitting on my forearm with grace and leaning on me.
"I missed you to Hedwig. I'm sorry for leaving, but I didn't really have a choice." I said petting her gently on the head. I walked back into the kitchen, placing Hedwig on my shoulder and giving her a couple pieces of bacon.
"Uh Harley? Why is there an owl on your shoulder?" Steve asked, looking at Hedwig with a bit of caution in his eyes.
"Don't be scared Steve, she's my familiar, she understands what I'm saying and she won't hurt anyone, unless they hurt me." I said, placing pancakes on the table. We ate in silence like always, but I was especially happy now that Hedwig was back and decided that I needed some owl supplies for her. After breakfast everyone cleaned up, but I got ready, getting dressed and grabbing my bag I went out on the town. Ever since I got here, I loved New York City and America for that matter, it was always nce in the city with different people and cultures from all over the world. It really opened up your mind. I was walking along, coming back from the owl shop when someone started running towards me and grabbed my bag. I was thrilled, this was my first mugging! I turned around and started to run after him, using my superior speed, I caught up quickly and took him down with ease, grabbing my bag back, I went on with my day. I was so proud of myself for that, I used the training Loki had given me for the past month and took down someone who wanted to do harm. When I got back we started training and by the time the day was over, my mind hurt from all the books I had read.
One year later…
It had been almost an entire year and a half since I moved to New York and luckily for me, I had learned a lot and so my training was more spaced out, enough so that I was able to start a little bakery shop next to Stark Tower that was quickly becoming a hit . One day I was about to close down the bakery when someone I thought I would never see again walked in. We were the only two people in the shop and I couldn't help but admire the man in front of me. He was very tall, towering over me with his pale skin and loose platinum blond hair accenting his entrapping grey eyes and perfect teeth, god, I never thought I would feel this way about one of my worst enemies.
"Potter?" Malfoy asked in absolute shock.
"Yes, Malfoy?" I asked, trying to stop myself from unknowingly flirting with him, but still trying to come off as hot.
"This is where you've been for the past year? New York City? While the entire wizarding world crumbled? We all thought you were dead!" My furrowed in confusion, it sounded like he cared about that last part.
"Why do you care? You're on Voldemort's side anyways." I said, continuing cleaning the counter I was behind.
"No, I'm not. I never was. That's why I'm here, I'm hiding." I was shocked, but I still pulled a joint out of my pocket and held it out to him.
"What's that?" He asked, looking at me as if I was insane.
"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot you didn't know anything about muggles. This is what we call drugs, thi one makes you happy and I'll share it with you." I said, hopping over the counter with grace and grabbing him by the wrist, dragging him to my upstairs office space that comes with a balcony. I sat down and he sat next to me.
"Okay so, you hold it up t your mouth like this and I'll light it, then you take a deep slow breath and try and keep it in as long as you can. You most definitely start coughing and that 's why have the water, but still you need to take a couple hits before you start feeling it." He just nodded and did as I said, and just as I predicted, he started coughing as if he had terminal lung cancer.
"God that was horrible." He said in between coughs.
"Keep going." I said until his coughing started to slow. After after five hits he handed it over to me.
"There you go, that's how you do drugs. Good job." I said with a laugh, this was so surreal. Looking back at Malfoy, he looked rough, like he had been sleeping in the streets.
"So, how do you like New York?" I asked, looking out onto the city.
"It's nice, I have never lived in a city before. Potter, why do I call you Potter? Why don't I used your real name? Are we even enemies?" Malfoy asked suddenly and I couldn't think of a reason to any of his questions.
"I don't know, but let's say from this day forward, we're friends. I'll call you Draco and you can call me Harley or whatever nickname you chose, that I approve of." I said.
"Okay, Harley. That's really a nice name, I must say." Draco said, making me laugh.
"Really, I thought it was a bit weird."
"Well, it's not like Draco's any better." He said and I could help but stare at his lips, he was perfect.
"I've got a question."
"Shoot." Draco said and I hesitated for a second, I didn't want to ruin our new friendship.
"I was just wondering, if you had a home?" I asked, holding my breath and watching the emotions cross his face.
"No, I do not unless you count the bench down the street. I came here to see if you had some free food for me. It's sad really, I used to be at the top of the food chain, but now I'm begging for food, that's life I guess." He said, with a sigh. I thought about it for a second, looking back at the little apartment I used for an office.
"Well, maybe not today. I have this apartment over the shop and I only use it for an office, if you want you could work at the shop and live in the apartment at the top." I said, insecure about almost everything in that entire sentence. Draco's head snapped up, looking me in the eyes to see if I was kidding.
"Really?" He breathed.
"Yeah, I don't have a bed in there, but I could order some furniture and it would arrive tomorrow morning. If that's okay. I get how hard it is for people who left the wizarding world with no or only a bit of muggle education on record." Draco thought about it for a second, I could tell he was shocked at my offer, but I didn't want him to sleep on the streets.
"Thank you, I don't know how I can repay you." He said, I was only slightly embarrassed at the gratitude he showed me.
"Well, I said that you could work at my shop, I've had a hard time finding a cashier and I'll even pay you, you need new clothes anyway." I said, looking down at the dirty rags he was currently wearing. We continued talking until the blunt was gone, that's when we went inside and I grabbed some blankets from a closet and set them down on the only real thing of furniture, a couch.
"Well, I'll be back in the morning to lock up. Everything works, there's food in the kitchen. Goodnight." I said, walking out and locking him inside. I walked back to Stark Tower in a daze. Not only was I super high, but it was also because of everything that just went down, two years ago we were trying to kill each other and now we shared a blunt on a first name basis. When I got back I realised how late it was and Loki was sitting on the couch, waiting for me.
"Where have you been? You were suppose to be home almost two hours ago." I immediately felt like a little teenager being caught after sneaking out all night long.
"I met someone." I said, sitting down across from Loki on the couch.
"You met someone and you're also completely stoned. Tell me you used a condom." Loki said, making me sit up straight, looking at him in utter terror, this is not a conversation I wanted to have.
"You think that because I said I met someone and I'm super high that I had sex? Do you think I'm some kind of whore? God! And even if I did I'm stupid enough not to use protection. It's good to see the amount of faith you have in me." I was crying, why? Because I was super high and on my period, not a great combination. I ran to my room, leaving Loki behind in complete confusion, questioning why he even bothered with girls, slamming the door behind me. Now my high was completely ruined, great, does Loki even know that I've had sex before, that I never even bought some condoms before? I cried myself to sleep for no reason, thinking about everything after ordering the furniture for the apartment. Maybe I should invest in some protection?
Business was great, and Draco really helped, I could make more pastries and such if he was managing the front, the day after he started I even went out and bought him a complete wardrobe of clothing so he didn't look like a homeless person. Our friendship was slowly growing whenever we talked there was always a few… suggestive things thrown in and I got a little idea that he might just like e. We would go out at night and ever since that first night, Loki hasn't said a word out my sex life which so far, was obsolete. One night Draco and I were sitting in the living room, I was doing the budget and Draco was managing the orders when he stopped, grabbing us both a beer from the fridge that I had taken from the tower.
"Come over to the couch Harley." He said and I smiled I loved it when he called my name. I got up and walked over, sitting down next to Draco, I could tell he was nervous about something and I hoped it was something good.
"Harley." He said after a couple sips from his beer.
"Yes?" I asked, wondering what he could be so nervous about!
"Well, ever since I was little I heard stories about you and I wanted to… marry you. I know it sounds silly, but bear with me. Once we got to Hogwarts and you had rejected me, I was so hurt that I hated you and I hated myself for hating you. Now, we're friends which makes me very happy, but I want to be… more than friends." I nearly screamed with joy, he liked me! Instead of giving him an answer, I leaned forward, into his arms and kissed him on the lips, something I've been wanting to do ever since he walked into my bakery almost a month ago. The kiss deepened and I wrapped my arms around his neck, never wanting it to end, but due to our creation, we couldn't live without breathing and so we broke apart.
"Well, I guess you agree." He said with a laugh as I leaned in closer to him, letting him hold me as we both drank together. It was perfect, everything was amazing I couldn't believe how my life has changed. I left the shop with a kiss goodnight and instead of walking straight home I went to a local grocery store and bought some condoms, just incase. I put them in my purse and decided to go to a bar. With my powers I made myself a fake ID and got pretty tipsy, but not completely drunk, walking home I only stumbled a little bit.