Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter.

A/N You may kill me for the shortness of this and the Epilogue, I just really could not explain a lot or it would have, as my Beta said, opened a whole different can of worms :P and yes I had to use that quote! Anyways enjoy the last two updates for this story :) Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, cheali.meep., sinsoftheflesh98, AmethystAquamarine Sadly the very romantic fluffy stuff won't happen in this story, I can always make a side to it with that sort of scene though xD, MidNite Phoenix, crazyfrog hehe glad you think it would be a good story, it would be a lot more angst filled then this one, Angelina-Floorina, UK All The Way you're review made me laugh out loud hehe, I loved all of the reviews :)

Harry watched Draco come into the restaurant while he stood at the cash, counting the money in the till to make sure there was enough in it. Harry looked up when the door opened and squinted because the light blaring in all but blinded his vision. Nodding, Harry quickly finished his job and went to find Larry.

Larry was busy talking to one of the cooks about a pay check when Harry appeared and tapped him on the shoulder, the man turned around and glared at Harry. "What do you want, Potter?" he asked, obviously still regretting letting Harry once again get away with skipping work.

"Could I have a quick break right now?" Harry asked, knowing this was a bad time to ask Larry for generosity. Larry narrowed his eyes at Harry in his dark garb and growled out in frustration, giving in because he was busy with someone else.

"This isn't a damn social scene, Potter, fifteen minutes with your blond friend or my lenience will run thinner then it already is with you," Larry said, indicating he realized who Draco was and knew he and Harry were friends. 'How the hell do you know he's my friend?" Harry thought for a second.

Harry shrugged it off, knowing he had bigger things to deal with right now. Walking back into the seating area Harry found Draco sitting at the corner. Manoeuvring around the chairs and tables he reached Draco and seated himself on the opposite side of the blond.

Draco's blond hair had been tied back, his shirt and pants were simple dress, and he looked as if he hadn't had a good sleep despite obvious facts to try and hide those bags under his grey eyes.

Harry placed his hands on the table in front of him and eyed them, opting not to greet Draco with anything but silence. He had spent about two hours the other night on the phone with Alex, screaming, sometimes, about the problem he was facing with Draco.

"Oh come on, Harry, if it hurts you it's pretty obvious."

"Fuck no it's not, Alex."

"Yes it is, he hurts you, or you're hurt by him. Either way you need time to heal and be alone."

"…"

"Harry, are you still there?"

"You sure I have to heal?"

"Oh for pity's sake… Yes!"

"Alex I think I'm perfectly fine—"

"You wouldn't be on the phone with me if you thought there was nothing wrong. Now just do what's right for you."

"Fine!"

"Goodbye, Harry."

"Wait; who said I wanted you to go?"

"Well normally you hate talking on the phone…"

"Forget normal, I know nothing of the bloody sort. Now help me figure out what to tell Draco tomorrow."

"Tell him what you feel."

"You're the best help ever, you know that?"

"Shut up, Harry."

Harry could re-think the conversation a thousand times over and in the end he knew Alex told him was the way to go. "Draco…" Harry started, stopping when Draco looked eagerly into his face.

"I only have about eleven minutes so here goes…" Harry said and Draco listened intently for his next words.

The tension was rising up in Harry's body and it was only let out through the words that came out of his mouth. Harry said what he needed to say quickly, very unsure of what to say so what came out was not the best of sayings.

"We can only be friends."

Draco heard, and he couldn't control his face falling to show how much it did hurt to be rejected. Yes it was nice rejection, no they had not been dating anyways, but in a way his offer to be boyfriends had silently been asked through his whole visit.

And now it looked like it would never happen. "Harry," Draco tried to say, to say he would do anything to make Harry feel okay around him, he'd do anything to have Harry want to be with him. Yet he could not find the words to do so.

"I can't, Draco. I want to be friends with you and then maybe after awhile, it might work out," Harry told him, making sure there was no room for argument.

"Might," Draco said sulkily, looking down at the table with a pout on his face.

"Yes, might. I need to do this."

"Fine," Draco replied, getting up to leave in a dejected angry manner. Harry put a hand on Draco's, looking into his eyes stubbornly.

"Stop it and please, just be my friend. Do this for me, stop being selfish," Harry said, gaining a bit of insight into Draco. Draco wanted to glare at Harry for hitting home, but knew that this would have to be the way it would be. He would hate every minute of it, though.

Draco settled back down in his seat and Harry's head swerved to the right, looking at a clock on the wall. "Five more minutes," he mumbled and looked back at Draco, giving him another half smile.

"You said yesterday you loved me," Draco said, whining in a way to the dark haired boy in front of him. Harry sighed and shifted in his seat, now getting uncomfortable with where the conversation was going.

"I did, and I do," he replied in a whisper, still having trouble admitting it.

"Then why?" Draco asked, searching for a better answer from Harry, one Harry was too nervous to give.

"I can't be in a relationship, not right now anyway. Can we still be friends?" Harry asked, needing the answer from Draco. If he didn't get one he knew it would never be what it could be.

Draco nodded reluctantly, and said in a low voice, "I guess." Harry smiled and nodded, looking out of the corner of his eye at Larry looming over him menacingly. He had to get back to work now.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but I have to go back to work," Harry said in parting. He got up and pushed the chair he had been sitting on back under the table. Walking back to his spot at the cash to count money again. He sighed when he saw Draco walk out of the restaurant erratically.

"So, Potter, I had better see some changes in your behaviour," Larry grunted out before walking back to his office behind the kitchen. Harry went back to handling the change, dropping them into the right sections as he went back to working.

'You wouldn't fire me even if I wasn't trying to change; I'm one of the only ones who will be a waiter here,' Harry thought but refrained from opening his mouth.

Draco left the restaurant in a hurry, needing to go and have some sleep. Last night he'd dreamt dreams that told him what he would be told; all night he knew there was no hope for him and Harry.

Now walking down the sidewalk he ignored others walking to and fro around him, putting one foot in the other while he thought. Harry had told him that he wanted to be friends, the same thing he'd told Harry three years ago.

So what goes around really does come around. But Draco understood something this time, unlike Harry he had to be there for Harry. He was upset, and if this was the end of it all he'd be damned. He'd seen Harry and how damaged he was, so maybe this was the best way to help Harry.

But he really did not know how to keep himself form wanting Harry, it would be hard. Draco sighed and hoped, hoped he was up to the challenge of being Harry Potter's friend. Harry had, in more or less words, indicated he might one day want more, hadn't he?

Draco took the flicker of hope and went on back to Pansy's. He had a life to sort out as well he figured; it was time to settle back down at home. The hurt was still there, but now he'd ignore it and feel it later. He had to get a job, and get on with life where he had left it.

Nothing had really changed, Draco guessed, and as much as he hated to admit it, he really was just picking up where he'd left off three years ago. Only maybe this time it was more painful and troublemaking.

Before everything went back to normal, he'd feel the pain.

Review please! I'm sorry again about the size of the chapter ;.;