Disclaimer: JKR wrote 7 amazing books. So far at least. I own nothing that has to do with them, or them. The end.

"Lynn I have never seen you in jeans." Was the first thing out of his mouth two months later.

"Well Jake, we can't all wear ball gowns all the time. I can't stand them, for one." He smiled, and let me in to his apartment.

"Lynn. That's so, well it's sophisticated, I give your mother that. What am I going to knick name you…Elle? Like letter wise…Ellie?"

"I'm getting a knick name?" I fake shocked as I sat down on his couch.

"Why not…I feel like your old boss still calling you Lynn, and sorry I won't resort to 'Miss Veglia'." He said, sitting on the other end of the couch and throwing his feet up. Relaxed. Jake was just, he could be Mr. Suit and Gorgeous and then flop on couch. Loveeeee.

"I can't believe you were my boss. You were like, 22?" I laughed, the thought of him being 22 was funny now.

"Yeah, I'm 38 now. It was kind of nice, being set for life that early but at this same time I wish I could have gotten more things done you know?" He sat there, almost a sad look on his face.

"Kind of like you wanted to figure out who you were and what you wanted to do and where you place was… but someone took that all away. You didn't have much of a choice." I spilled out…oh god…my life story, here goes…

"Yeah, exactly that." He agreed.

"It's like, we like our jobs, our lives are pretty darn good compared to a lot of other people's, but we'd still trade it all for something…a little more low key and less public." I thought…thinking of Apple and the stress all of the deals and patents had been lately.

"Wouldn't mind working in a clothes store living in a regular flat with a regular family and just, regular everything else."

"I hear you, seriously…I can't tell you the last time I went out on a date, Ellie, oh my god I feel like such a loser. I'm going to hit 40 and I'm still not even with a steady girlfriend, my employees must think I'm a loser." He shuddered, looking adorable in his plaid pj pants and a black tight long sleeve shirt.

"Oh come on, you're not a loser! Please, I'm the one who hasn't dated since they were 17 so please, don't even go there." I said and knew I was wearing the "I so need you" face, god I hated that about myself. I always wear my feelings on my sleeve. It's just, really sad when I think about it.

"Ellie.." he said with a look of pity on his face, "I'm just your friend," those words stung and stabbed like nothing else, "but I have to say I can't see why anyone wouldn't date you. You're pretty, you're smart, you've got everything all set out for you. You know what you're doing with your life, you're just…good." He said, not looking me in the eye. Kind of awkward for him to say I guess.

"Yeah well, I don't know what I'm doing wrong." I whispered, curling up a bit and getting comfortable on the couch.

"Ellie! Nothing. You're doing nothing wrong. The other guys out there must be idiots or something, I don't know...We're weird." He said, trying to make me feel better.

"I know that much."

"You want something to drink? I don't know if you're working tomorrow or anything but if you want anything. I've still got that wine.." He asked.

Jake was a good guy. Sitting here, talking to me, all of this. We had been running into each other here and there and are now hanging out? Shocking.

"Um, actually, just like half a glass or whatever is fine…I don't really drink much these days." It was true. Alcohol did not appeal to me much anymore, but I couldn't be rude.

"The wine. Trust me, it's good. It'll make you feel better, I can tell you're not so great tonight." He got up and went in his kitchen. Honestly his flat was like the ideal thing, stainless steel 101, very cool. But at the same time it was homey. It had a good, "I made this my home" kind of place.

I liked it. A lot. And I liked Jake, a lot. But he didn't see me as a girlfriend I'm guessing so I don't think it's going anywhere. I wished it would, but he just...despite what he said to me and gave me the cute knick name and such…I don't know.

"Here you are madam, from England's finest Brewery, a merlot aged to perfection." He passed me a glass. Despite it was merlot, it was a very reddish wine. Interesting.

"Cheers!" We touched glasses and drank. Kind of reminded me of the old Three Broomsticks days with Ron and Harry. Only Butterbeer could not top this. I had to admit, this wine, was really, really good. It was like sweet, but not too much, and almost had a punch to it. The after taste when I set my glass down kind of gave me a rush.

"I take it you like it?" He grinned.

"It's…woo…"

"Thought so." He emptied his glass and set it down next to mine.

"Jake, this is funny."

"What?"

"Talking with you like this, hanging out in your flat, drinking your wine…etc etc.." I rolled off.

He thought about that. "It's not funny, I bet it's just strange for you?"

"Yeah, in a lot of ways it is."

"Why is that?"

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I was ready to tell someone…about everything. Jake wouldn't believe me on the magic part either, he'd probably go like "Yeah, you're on drugs, get the heck out of here." Or something like that.

Before I knew it, I had dumped it all on him. He sat there and listened, commented here and there. When I got to Ron and Harry dying he just looked sad. I started to cry. Years and years of bottling it up just, poured out. He passed me a tissue and then hugged me.

"Shh, it's going to be okay Ellie, it's alright, calm down, it's over now, you're allowed to live." He whispered in my ear.

"It's never going to be over," I sniffed. "It's going to drive me crazy, the life I threw away. And why haven't you freaked out that I can do magic?"

"Because. I would have went to Hogwarts. I know exactly what you're talking about. I denied my letter. It wasn't that I didn't want to go, I just, I didn't want to leave the life I had started like you ended up doing once you finished there. I can't believe you went there!"

I was shocked. This guy...wow…but that made me cry harder, knowing he wasn't going to want me. Everything he did was out of friendship. Nothing more. Two months had passed since my dinner in his restaurant that night and it wasn't looking "romantic" at least. This wasn't, I knew it wasn't. It could very well be considered that but I knew it wasn't.

"Jake I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." He still had his arms around me, the touch of his skin to my body was sending sparks and five million other "OH MY GOD!" electrifying emotions running through me.

I tried to calm down a bit more. He looked at me, moved my hair out of my face and wiped at my tears. "You know, you're pretty even when you cry."

I half smiled. "And you, Mr. Male Model of the World over here.."

"Oh Ellie," he laughed. He moved off the couch and took the glasses. "I'm a neat freak, I'm going to go put these away, one second.."

Sometimes he acts strange but I think it's cute. When he does stuff like this. And I can't believe he just held me. Good god. If I wasn't crying buckets it would have been better.

He sat back down, a little closer to me than he had earlier. "I'm surprised you trusted me with all that, you know."

"In a lot of ways so am I. I haven't told anyone that. Ever. God Jake that merlot you gave me must have done something. Sure I trust you but…that's like…something so…"

"Personal. I understand. Don't worry about it, anytime you need to talk or whatever's fine Ell."

"I owe you." I said, noticing the time. "Ugh it's 11:30 Jake…I should go, especially since you're working tomorrow."

"I'm not actually, and look, out the window, it's, snowing…I'm not so sure you want to travel in that…Late Novembers here can be nasty…You could stay here if you want."

OH.
MY.

GOD.

THANK YOU, MOTHER NATURE. GOD. WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS.

"Jake you're too nice, I feel like a total imposter, I could just get a cab you know." I hurried, nervous now.

"No it's alright, you want the guest room? The couch? My room?" HIS ROOM. HIS ROOM. HIS ROOM. HIS ROOM…

"Whatever is fine Jake, you are seriously too nice to me."

"I think you'll like the guest room…here follow me." He took my hand (OHMYGOD) and guided me through his flat. Which had two floors! He took me up the staircase and brought me to the room at the end of the hall. It was phenomenal.

One wall was entirely glass. The bed face it, so it overlooked the city. It was big too, perfect. "Jake this is…"

"I know, it's my favorite room in the house. I want you to sleep though, you look like you need it, don't worry about getting up at all tomorrow." He said, trying to be serious.

I laughed. "I might just hold you to that." I kicked off my heels and started to pull back the covers. I was going to climb in and it was going to be one nice siesta.

"Oh let me get you some clothes or something, sleeping in jeans isn't exactly great…"

He was back in two seconds with a pair of boxer-ish sleep shorts and a plaid button down sleep shirt. "I'll leave you to sleep, my room's right next door if you need anything. Night Ell."

"Thanks Jake, really."

"You're welcome here whenever." He smiled and closed the door behind him.

I stripped off my clothes and dressed in his. They smelt so great, of his cologne or whatever it was he wore. I slipped between the sheets and silently thanked god. Things had really picked up. And this, this was huge. BIG steps here. I trusted him, we were friends, things were just finally…good for once.

My stomach had finally settled down, I knew I could sleep soundly. I could hear Jake next door getting into his own bed. I had reopened the door once I finished changing, I didn't like sleeping with it closed.

The thought of the morning with him and whatever was to come was the last thing on my mind before I drifted off.