Life and the Choices We Make

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

Chapter One: Home

Draco sat in his stuffy apartment reading the paper and drinking his morning coffee. He was not feeling particularly well this morning. That may have been due to the fact that it had been five years to the day that Draco had left the wizarding world for good. He had decided to live as a muggle in the non-wizarding world. They were more accepting of people of the homosexual orientation.

Draco looked around his apartment. It wasn't much, only four rooms. There was his bedroom, his roommate's bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen/living room. However, the reason Draco had chosen this apartment aside from the low price was its view. It had a wonderful view of the Statue of Liberty, which was the first thing he saw when he arrived in New York.

America. He never thought that he could feel so at home in a world completely different from the one he was brought up in. That was what New York was for him: his home.

Draco looked at the time; it was 5:00 a.m. 'Well I guess I better leave, time for work.' Draco loved his job and the people he worked with. He worked at a little café/dinner by the Empire State building and they got a lot of costumers going to and from work.

"Hiya Draco!" Draco's manager and best friend greeted Draco when he arrived at 'The Little Café and Dinner Extraordinaire'

"Hey Brett, how's it going?"

"I'm doing all right; I finally broke up with Jennifer last night. It is sort of depressing even though I was the one that ended it. You should have seen the scene she made. She was in hysterics; she couldn't believe that I was breaking up with her."

"What did you tell her?" Draco asked.

"I told her the truth. I told her she was a 'self-absorbed stuck up control freak bitch,' in those exact words."

Draco started cracking up, laughing. "You didn't! Well she finally got what she deserved, I never liked her." Draco gave Brett one of his most angelic smiles.

Brett whacked Draco on the butt with a hand towel.

"Ow! My butt, oh my butt!"

"Oh come on you know you hated her and the only reason you put up with her for three months was that I liked her. I mean, you're part of the reason I broke up with her. She was absolutely horrid to you. If my girlfriend can't accept my friends, than I can't accept her."

"Oh face it, you broke up with her because she's a 'self-absorbed stuck up control freak bitch.'"

Brett fell into a chair with his hands over his heart. "Ouch that hurt. After all these years, I opened up my home to you. I gave you a place to stay for only 300 dollars a month. Ouch! The pain! The pain!"

"Oh, shut it, you. Which reminds me, you left home early this morning, and I had to make my own coffee. It was awful. It's too much effort. Sure the coffee tastes good, but to make it myself? …"

Draco was cut off by Brett, "Stop being such a drama queen. Clean some tables and be a good waiter. George and Emma should be ready soon."

"Yeah, well all they have to do is cook and you just stand behind a counter," Draco pouted. "I'm the only waiter here in the morning. I have to go back and forth, back and forth — " Draco stopped whining as he cleaned the tables.

George and Emma arrived right before six and set off to work. Within no time costumers started arriving and everyone was hustling and bustling.

It was finally 4 o'clock when the replacements for Draco and Brett came and they were able to leave work.

"Draco, me and the guys were going to go out for a drink later on today. Do you want to come?"

"You know I don't feel all that comfortable with your friends when they drink. They say stupid stuff and all they talk about is women and their body parts. I am not exactly an expert in that area."

Brett laughed. "Okay, I'll tell you the truth. Seth, you know Seth?"

"No, I don't." Draco said sarcastically.

"Anyway," Brett continued ignoring the snide comment. "His cousin's friend just moved from London and I figured since you were from there you could maybe help make him feel welcome."

"I'm sure that that's not the reason. You're a terrible liar so tell me the real reason you want me there."

"You're my best friend and you love me?" Brett gave him his most winning smile. Draco just glared at him.

"Fine! Fine!" Brett conceded. "He's gay. He's had it hard and I thought it would help if he met another gay person. He was treated like shit for a year after he came out and finally he decided to come here. I just thought that you could try and make him feel welcome, but if you don't want to be bothered, fine."

Brett was guilt tripping him and Draco knew it. "Fine I'll go."

"I knew you would do what was right." Brett said while giving him his famous shit-faced grin.

Draco gave him a playful whack as they entered their apartment building.

It was eight o'clock and the two friends were entering the bar. "Hey Brett, hey Draco! This is my cousin's friend—"

However, Draco didn't here a word he said. He was too busy looking at the man standing next to him. He just couldn't believe his eyes.