Chapter 2
Harry shakily opened his eyes and raised his head off of the bed. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a yawn; looking around the room before a look of pure dread was smeared across his face.
"Work...Ms. Goonts...I'M LATE...!" Harry screamed as he jumped up from the bed and headed for the bathroom.
With a tooth brush in one hand, his bag in the other, a piece of toast in his mouth and his shoes half on, Harry Potter opened the door to the apartment and slammed it just as quickly. Slowly the door opened again and Harry's head popped in.
"Sorry...I love you" Harry said with a mouth full of toast.
His bike wheels clicked on the pavement as he sped around cars and people. His gold and red scarf wafted in the breeze as he peddled through the city. He looked up at the sky. Grey and filled with thick clouds threatening rain at any second.
"Shit" Harry thought as he peddled even faster now, to get to work remotely on time, and beat the rain. He rounded a corner where he saw a familiar stout woman watering her flowers. Thick curly red hair and a tendency to help everyone yet take no prisoners when push came to shove. Just like Mrs. Weasley, well at least that is who he compared this woman too. She had a face of one who had seen much in her long life, but overall didn't look a day over 45.
"Hi Mrs. Florence" he called out to the woman.
"Hello Harry, late again are ya?" She yelled after him waving her hand wildly in the air.
"As always" He yelled going down a hill, her cheerful laughter fading and what sounded like "Your punctuality will be the death of you"
"Morning Mr. Luther" he yelled from up the street.
A old man sitting in a rocking chair on his stoop woke up rather violently to the sound of Harry calling him. He looked up the street to see Harry's frame closing in fast. Mr. Luther chuckled to himself and slapped his knee.
"That ol' bat Ms. Goonts is gonna fire your arse you keep being late" he yelled after him as he turned the corner.
"God can't these people get off of my back" Harry thought playfully, "But there nice, I don't know how I would get through this without them. Ever since I lost most contact with Hermione and Ron...STUPID...why didn't I get your number when I saw you the other day. Leave it to me to mess things up."
Harry turned another sharp corner, raven locks billowing in the air. He came to a tall building, made almost entirely of glass and metal, a tall statue of the Greek God Hermes on it. Harry had never gotten use to how mammoth this building was. Not that he hadn't seen a fairly large building before, he went to Hogwarts, but this looked like it went on forever as if it could touch the sky at any moment. This was Joshlin & Hornet Inc. Harry chained up his bike to a tree and rushed into the building. He ran, almost slipping across the reflective floor towards the elevator. The doors were inching closer and closer together.
"Hold the lift, hold the lift...wait, WAIT!" He screamed.
A hand went in between the doors giving Harry enough time to make it to the elevator. He stepped into the elevator panting. Saying something that resembled a thank you in between breathes. He looked up to see a familiar face.
"Lilla! You're a life saver."
"You bloody best believe."
Lilla was a tall regal woman. With a multitude of braids, and mocha colored skin. She had big brown eyes and carried herself with a sense that...well...
"Mrs. Goonts is gonna get you, you know that right? This is the fifth time you have been late for work and I wouldn't be surprised if she..."
"Fired me? Yeah I know." Harry interrupted, for a moment remembering how Hermione would always chastise him, but Lilla was no where as serious as Hermione.
"Well if you really knew you wouldn't be late all the time no would you. You know Ms. Bitchy Mcbitch Fit don't play around when it comes to punctuality. It's a blessing from God almighty she hadn't kicked your arse to the curb yet.", Harry sighed and removed his glasses from his face to clean them with a piece of cloth from his pocket, "Lillia four, Harry zero" She said making a circle with her thumb and forefinger.
"Yeah, ok Lilla . Hey you gonna...?"
"Take it" she said handing him a half drunken cup of coffee.
"Thank you so much you're..."
"A life slaver I know" she said as the lift reached their floor and the doors opened, "Good luck with Bitchy Mc. Bitch Fit, and you owe me one twenty-five for that coffee!" She yelled after him.
"Ok" Harry called back bolting through many rows of cubicles.
"Plus tax!" .
Harry came to his cubicle and took one last sip of the coffee before sitting down at his desk to start working. He put on his head set and went to press a blinking red button on the phone when his eye caught a glimpse of a photo of Him, Hermione, and Ron. It was from their fourth year at Hogwarts. All in their traditional robes smiling happily in the common room. Harry stared at this picture for a long while, a nostalgic smile tracing across his face. He rested his head in his hand as he recalled the years gone by.
"MR. POTTER!" a loud booming voice rang from over him.
Harry jumped at the sound of it, scattering papers every which way. He slowly turned around in his office chair slowly. A tall, round, woman. A nest of what was classified as hair by the rest of the population propped up on her head glared down upon him through multitudes of drifting paper. A currish expression on her face only complimented the arrogance and bigotry that littered her voice.
"Mr. Potter this is the fourth..."
"Fifth" Harry interrupted.
"Fifth time that you have been late. I'm am getting quite agitated at your complete lack of respect for the curfew that as been set by this establishment." She scolded Harry, whom was paying more attention to the scattered particles of dust in the air, "Mr. Potter do you hear me?"
"Yes Professor Snape" Harry said with a sigh"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean yes, yes Mrs. Goonts" He corrected hastily.
She gave him a strange look before turning around and walking out of his cubicle.
"And clean up this awful mess. This isn't your home, you must keep it neat at all times"
Harry sneered at her back before turning to his desk. He glanced at the picture again before pulling his wand out of his desk.
"See what you've done to me?" He said with a smile reminiscing about his time at Hogwarts.
"And she was all ..respect for the curfew set by this establishment..." Harry said imitating his boss.
He and Lilla were seated outside their favorite café, under the cool shade of a medium sized tree. Lilla continued.
"What the bloody hell does that mean?" Lilla asked looking at her magazine.
"I don't know, but I doubt she knew what she was talking about" Harry answered sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms, "Why do you think she hates me so much?"
"Because unlike you she hasn't had a sexual encounter since that night of prom when she got drugged up by some drunken lunatic named Earl?"
"Seriously why do you think?" Harry said laughing.
"Personally I'd be mad too if I were to give you a job..."
"That doesn't pay to well" Harry interrupted.
"Wether it pays good or not, she is giving you money to do a specific task and if you don't do it of course she will be agitated." Lilla answered now looking at Harry.
"Well I just think she hates me"
"Well if you say so, I'm still sticking with my sexual encounter theory" she said turning her attention back to her magazine.
"Are you ready to order?" A gentile masculine voice spoke with the up most civility.
"Yes..I'll have black coffee, no sugar, no creme" Lilla said.
"And I'll..." Harry paused as he looked up.
A gentle smile poised on an immaculate face. Rich, lightly curled, cinnamon locks draped over aquatic blue eyes. Harry's emeralds of sight gazed into his pools of sapphire. The heat rose in Harry's cheeks tinting them red with embarrassment as Lilla called his name bringing him back to reality.
"Um...nothing...thanks..." He answered looking down at the geometric pattern of the table cloth.
"I suggest...a mocha flavored espresso" he said staring at Harry.
"Umm no...that's ok I..."
"I insist" He cut Harry off.
Harry looked back at him and was once again entranced by the majestic combination of those sapphire eyes and soft smile. The man turned from Harry and began to walk away towards the inside of the café.
"What was that?" Lilla asked looking at Harry.
"What was what...that...oh it was nothing" Harry just managed to get out choking on his words.
"Whatever Harry...just go for it" Lilla said with a sigh.
"Go for what?"
"Don't play stupid Harry we both saw the way you looked at that guy, stopping being such a pansy and go for it"
"Pansy..what do you mean pans..."
"Shut up he's coming back"
Harry quickly bit his lip as out of the corner of his eye he saw him coming back. The man set down their orders and gave Harry another smile as he went to cater to another table.
Harry went to pick up his cup when he noticed a little folded piece of paper on the saucer at which the coffee cup was on. He picked it up, Lilla asking what it was, and unfolded it.
It read; Ryan 433-2776.
"Ryan..." Harry said to himself.
"What?" Lilla asked snatching the paper out of his hands.
"His name is Ryan" Harry said.
"I can see that" Lilla answered, "Well looky here a number, yeah you should defiantly go for it"
"Lilla..."
"Don't Lilla me, just do it will do you some good. Just might take your mind off of that bitch we call a employer" she said tossing the paper onto the table.
Harry sighed; picking up the paper off of the table and placing it in his back pocket. He picked up his cup and took a small sip. The warmth of the liquid slid down his throat, relieving the stress of work, and his troubles with Draco's condition, and he had to admit. The espresso wasn't that bad.