Chapter 4

[Nothing like threats to get a girl to update, eh?]

"Potter, I refuse to let you higher him. Being aesthetically pleasing does not hide the fact that he couldn't tell his ass from a doorknob. Hire that nice Claufield girl. She seemed smart enough."

"Firstly, I think you're jealous of him. Secondly, he is not that stupid. Thirdly, I'm in charge of people affairs so let me decide who to hire."

"It's a joint project you winged ding bat! Kolo left the shop to both of us. And if he's not stupid then I'm a flying moose. I've got as much say in whom to hire as you do. And I am most certainly not jealous! I'm much better looking then he was. I'm damn sexy."

"Stop mentioning all these animals! It's confusing me. And I personally thought he was a wonderful people-person. He'd make an excellent employee."

"Yeah okay, and you're saying this because he was groping you under the table! And animal names really shouldn't confuse you at this point. Come to think of it, I think you're rather good for each other."

"You're not 'damn sexy'. I'd say you're more of a 'bark that's bigger than his bite' puppy."

"Bigger that my bite?" Draco licked his lips. "Wanna bet?"

The space between them minimized in two quick steps toward each other.

Time stood still. Harry couldn't stop staring at Draco's lips.

Then the bell above the door jingled as someone entered the shop.

"Hi. Are you still hiring?"

Draco and Harry jumped apart and cleared their throats nervously.

The speaker was obviously Asian with an American accent. His hair was short and spiky with the ends bleached to a blond-orange color. He was wearing a white T-shirt and baggy pinstriped pants with a black baseball cap in his hand. He looked to be about 18. He was looking around the shop, taking in the newest additions, two blue velour couches and some artwork done by Harry Potter himself. He looked impressed. \

"Uh. Yeah sure. Sit down. What's your name? Can I see your résumé?"

"My name is Berkley Breathed. Here." The boy pulled out a white sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Harry who laid it on one of the tables at sat down. Berkley looked around the shop appraisingly.

"Well sit down." Said Draco (A/N Felton says this is COS. I can hear him saying it to Crabbe and Goyle. *giggle*)

Harry started asking Berkley questions and Draco just tapped his foot and sighed impatiently. He was clicking a mechanical pencil loudly for about a minute when Harry snapped and asked:

"Is there a reason you're here?"

"Well, obviously it isn't the company, or the atmosphere, could it be that, oh yes, I own the shop!"

"Co-own you prat. You're not helping by acting like a two-year-old."

"I'm not acting like a two year old. But you didn't even introduce me to Berkley and I'm very fucking insulted."

"Draco, you scare people away. That is why I'm interviewing people and you're paying the bills. See, I'm the people person and you're the um…well you're Draco."

"Oh fuck you." Draco turned to Berkley who was looking at their exchange with a very puzzled look on his face.

"Hi, I'm Draco Malfoy. If you're going to work here you are going to have to get use to Potter's uncouth and improper behavior. I like you. Do you wanna work here?"

"Yeah, I'm the uncouth one. At least I know enough not to constantly put people down. I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day on your inferiority complex. Jackass."

"I'm choosing to ignore you now, because if I don't, then I'll end up killing you."

"Why Draco? Did I hit a soft spot with you? How many psychologists have you seen lately."

"You'd be surprised."

Harry gave Draco a funny look. Berkley looked at both of them with raised eyebrows.

"So when can I start?" he asked, the conversation not bothering him at all.

Draco snorted in a most out-of-character fashion. Harry's mouth opened and closed a few times before anything actually came out.

"Next Tuesday. Be here at 8:00."

"Great! But before I go, could you tell me the uh…name of this place? I mean, the add in the paper just said 'Now Hiring: Coffee Shop' but, its not named."

Harry looked at Draco, and Draco just shrugged his shoulders.

"Erm…"

"Happenstance Coffee." Draco said.

"Happenstance?"

"Yeah, happenstance: situations beyond your control that happen arbitrarily. Sums us up in one word."

"I like it!" Declared Harry.

(A/N LAURA! Good ole male strippers!)

"Of course you do, I'm a genius."

"Reading the dictionary regularly doesn't make you a genius."

"No, But I am the master of Scrabble."

"You've never played Hermione then."

"And I don't plan to."

Berkley interrupted.

"Listen, I've got to go. See you Tuesday?"

"Yeah, Tuesday. Nice to meet you."

"Same here."

Draco and Harry shake hands with Berkley and he pulls his cap on backwards and leaves.

They sit back down at the table, facing each other.

"Happenstance Coffee…we're gonna need a sign." Harry

"Sounds good. The kinda place people want to go to."

"Yeah. Did that shipment of paper goods come in yet?"

"Yesterday. What about those coffee beans?"

"Came in this morning."

"Everything else ready for Tuesday?"

"Completely. Kolo practically did the whole thing for us."

For once, the silence wasn't angry, it was companionable.

"I miss him."

"Me too. A lot."

"You wanna go see a movie?"

"What?"

"Do. You. Want. To. Go. See. A. Movie?

"With you?"

"No Potter, you fucking loon, with the Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo has a fondness for James Dean."

"Well if you're gonna insult me about it…"

"Stop acting like a piss ant. Do you want to go or not?"

"Did you say James Dean?"

"Yeah, there is a marathon, down at the Capitol Theater."

"I'm in."

"Wonderful."

They grabbed their coats and set out just as the sun was setting.

"You know, I've only been to the movies two other times in my whole life." Harry said off handedly.

"Excuse me? You're such a liar. I know for a fact that you were raised by muggles. Muggles go to the movies all the time."

"Erm…not if you were raised by muggles who didn't like you." Harry said quietly.

"Didn't like you? You're the savior of the world and the 'didn't like you'?"

"Yeah, they hate wizards. I was un-human to them. They made me sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. I never got a birthday card until I was 13." This might sound like a sob story, only Harry said it lightly and offhandedly. Like it didn't bother him.

It bothered Draco. It made him feel even guiltier for the years he spent taunting Harry because his father told him to, for thinking Harry was anything but perfect. It bothered him more than it should have.

Draco thought he had gotten over constantly feeling guilty about his past digressions.

Being around Harry changed all that.

Draco thought that all the stories about Harry the Tragic Boy Hero Who Has Save-The-World-Syndrome and Came From Nothing To Do Every Thing were all lies. Knowing they were true, that Harry really was as good as he sounded…made him feel like dirt.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Harry as a thought dawned on him. Harry stopped too and Draco's jaw dropped.

"I-I don't deserve to be around you. You're…perfect."

"Have you gone demented, Draco? What's wrong?"

"When will you be applying for sainthood, Potter? Why are you even talking to me? The things you know I've done---I'm contaminating you." Draco's voice was ragged and desperate.

"I've known forgiveness Draco. Its only right for me to forgive others in turn."

"When did I become Draco to you?"

"When I learned how you hated the Malfoys, how you hated yourself for being one. Remember you stopped answering to it that day, in 7th year? You didn't answer to Draco either. I couldn't taunt you like that. Calling you Malfoy seemed like--- I was hurting you. You'd flinch and---Gods, I'm rambling. Sorry."

"No. Thank you. For---everything."

"And thank you."

Draco didn't have to ask for what.

They made their way to the movie theater, talking about small things. Not their childhoods or school (still open wounds for them both) but about books.

Both of them seemed to like the same authors. They got into and argument when the reached the subject of Lord of the Rings.

"They are defiantly lovers. I mean there is so much evidence pointing to it."

"Oh really, such as?"

"You know that part in Return of the King, after Frodo's been beaten up badly by the orcs and Sam finally finds him? Well, firstly, Frodo is completely naked, but its more than that. Sam says the sweetest, most loving things and he is so gentle and he says 'I love you' several times. He even kisses him. There is so much evidence."

"That's because they're best friends! Not lovers. I would have done that for Ron and he'd have done it for me, back in the day. He loves him as a friend. That, by the way, was one of my favorite parts. Very emotional."

"Yeah. Forgot how much you like Lord of the Rings. Your code name for the Order was Strider right?"

"You're one to talk, wasn't yours Celeborn?"

"No. It was Isildor. Big difference."

"Figures you'd chose a king."

"Figures you'd choose the hero Er…and the king too!"

They laughed loudly.

Both of them were startled when they realized they had reached the theater. The bought tickets and popcorn, then sat down on the worn velvet seats.

Rebel Without a Cause flickered onto the screen and Harry and Draco sat up straighter in their seats.

Draco (who had seen this movie too many times to count) mumbled the lines along with the characters. ('You wanna bug us till we lock you up!' along with the cops in the first scene and then later 'It's the age where nothing fits!' along with Jim's mother.)

When James shouts 'You're tearing me apart!' Draco shouted it too, and found that Harry had done the same.

They looked at each other with eyes both curios and surprised.

Draco liked how the artificial light played across Harry's feature and how his lips shined with popcorn butter.

Harry was amazed to find the moving pictures had formed a halo around Draco's head, making him look ethereal.

Both of them felt a mysterious heat in there hands and they looked down to find Draco's pale hand had covered Harry's.

/Move you're hand. Pretend it was an accident. Move your hand move your hand move your hand. But---I like it where it is. No. No. NO! Move your hand!/

Draco was mentally yelling at himself and was distressed to find his hand would not obey his brain. It seemed to be commanded by his heart.

Harry was still staring at their hands, and slowly, so slowly Harry rotated his hand until they were palm to palm.

And Draco, in turn, hesitantly laced his fingers with Harry's.

Judy's voice in the background said 'All the time, I've been looking for someone to
love me--and now I love somebody. It's so easy.'

When the movie ended and the next one came on (Giant) Harry found his hand was sill intertwined with Draco's even when the last movie, East of Eden, came on their hands were still together.

But when East of Eden was finished and the lights came up, their hands came apart. Both of them were pleased to find that their palms weren't sweaty or clammy, just pleasantly tingling.

The exited the theater in silence, and when they parted ways it was with nothing but a mumbled good-bye and thoughts of the empty houses that awaited them.

~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`

Tuesday dawned cold and gray, the perfect day for a nice warm cup of coffee at a cozy local shop.

When Draco arrived at the shop at 7.00 am sharp he was completely shocked and amazed to find what was waiting for him there.

A line had formed at the door. Waiting to be let in.

Draco could not believe it. There must be at least 35 people waiting outside.

He had to shove people out of the way to get to the door and unlock it. He squeezed himself in and locked the door behind him. Harry was already at the bar. When he saw Draco he bounced excitedly and exclaimed.

"Draco! Can you believe it? All these people. That add in the paper and the announcement on the radio work great! There are reporters here too! I can't believe this is happening."

Draco gulped.

"Reporters?" He squeaked. "I-I can't let them see me Harry. If I get into the paper---BAD things will happen. Oh God, Harry. Pretend I don't exist if they ask you questions. Try not to mention my name. Be very vague."

"Draco, don't worry. They're just gonna review the shop. I won't let anything happen."

Draco was ashamed to admit he was grateful. Harry couldn't protect him from his past, but it was nice of him to try.

Berkley showed up a few minutes later looking chipper and a little tussled.

"Nice sign." He commented, coolly to Draco, acting as if he wasn't just mobbed by the crowd.

"How are we gonna serve all these people?" Harry said, his voice panicky.

"I mean, this is ridicules! They haven't even tried out coffee yet." he continued, looking paler.

"I've drunk a lot of coffee in my life time, and I must say your's is one of the best." Berkley said, putting on his apron.

"Thanks. I add a secret ingredient." Draco said smiling, taking in Berkley's appearance.

Today, all three of them were in jeans and trainers. Draco had a orange 'Girls Scouts of America' shirt on, Harry had a blue one that said 'My dog Sam made me do it.' and Berkley was wearing a bright red plaid thing that would look tacky on anyone but him. (A/N Think Orlando Bloom's shirt collection. Hideous, yes…but damn could that man pull it off and make it look good…)

Draco hoped they made a good impression.

Harry set to work making sure they had enough cups and covers while Berkley placed pound bags of coffee on the shelf near the front counter. He also checked to make sure there was enough money in the register to give the proper amount of change.

Meanwhile, Draco was in the kitchen in the back making scones. ('It's a family recipe.' 'Somehow, I can't see the Malfoys making scones' 'Okay, so I stole the recipe from the Zambini's…but they're really good!') he also had back a whole bunch of others pastries. He'd been up forever but they turned out really well.

When the clock in the corner chimed eight o'clock, Harry went and opened the door.

"Hi!" He said to the masses, "Thank you so much for coming here today. Careful you don't hurt anyone. Erm…welcome to Happenstance Coffee."

The people poured in and got in line.

Draco, Harry and Berkley worked very fast, trying to do there best to please everyone.

Draco's scones were a big hit and Berkley could make a damn good cappuccino. Some customers got their coffee to go and others sat on the blue couches and stayed a while. A group of girls seem quite taken with Berkley. Draco laughed when he saw them try and flirt with him. Was Berkley blushing? HA!

One person even inquired about the 'wonderful artwork' and it was Harry's turn to blush. The person promised to return.

Throughout the day they had a steady flow of customers and absolutely no complaints. The three of them were immensely proud, Draco and Harry especially.

They saw a food critic scribbling away on a note pad and hoped for the best. They had all sorts of odd people come into the café, from the very elderly to the young and fresh. Draco talked with practically all of them.

All in all, the day had been wonderful.

Harry and Draco couldn't believe they had pulled it off. They dismissed Berkley and said they'd see him tomorrow.

When they had finished calculating the day's earnings Draco and Harry plopped down on one of the couches and lean against each other for support.

They were exhausted.

"Good work to day Harry."

"Same to you Draco."

"I'm going home."

"Me too."

They parted ways at the door again and went home, both of them barely able to walk straight, for the tiredness.

Harry had just laid himself out on the couch in a pair of sweat pants, with a beer in his hand, watching the telly when he heard a knock at the door.

He groaned loudly and stood up.

He pulled the door open and was surprised at what he saw.

"Harry, can I stay hear tonight? My house…the power is out."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"You don't have to lie Draco."

"I do if I don't like the truth."

~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`

A/N PINCH ME! Author's note time! I'd write it if you'd stop pinching me. OW! I said stop! Thank you. Longest chapter I've ever written. Sorry I made you wait. Sorry I made it a cliffhanger. Sorry Sorry Sorry! Please tell me what you think. I was thinking of changing the name of my story to Happenstance Coffee. I like the way it sounds. Your opinion? Hmmmm? It means soo much to me, really. I want you to review. Make sure it's nice and long. This is some of the only outside human contact I get you know, so help a poor sheltered girl. Feed her back. As for the next chapter…well our favorite boys are gonna have themselves a little slumber party. Hehehehe. Review and you can read it. The holding hands in the movies bit is stolen from Rainbow Boys (a really good book, just so you know.) Erm…James Dean quotes belong to him and the characters belong to JK Rowling. That's all!

Thanks for reading, now be good and REVIEW! Oh yeah…and if there are mistakes, I'm really sorry. It's 3 am.

With Something Resembling Fondness

Darkie