Wow, two chapters in two weeks! I'm impressed with myself! ^_^ Of course it might have to do with the extension my summer class just gave me, which gives me more free time to derp around on etsy and fanfiction. :3 Anyhoo, this chapter's been in my head for a bit, and now it's here for you all! I hope you like it! Yes, I sent Lucius and Draco to America, don't shoot - I know nothing about European culture and that's the only way to make this story work. Also, I'm disappointed nobody got the Billy Mays reference in last chapter. :( There's an important decision that I'm going to need reader feedback on at the end of this chapter, so please read and review!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"FUCK!"

"What the hell is making that obnoxious beeping sound?"

"I don't know!"

"Well make it stop! And PUT THAT BLOODY FIRE OUT!"

"I'm trying!"

"Well then, at least open the windows so all this smoke can get out!"

Lucius Malfoy dashed through the kitchen and shoved his son away from the toaster, which had flames and a great deal of black smoke coming out of it. He went to pour water in it when a line from the book Hermione had given them popped into his head - "NEVER EVER EVER GET ANYTHING THAT PLUGS INTO AN ELECTRIC SOCKET WET WHILE IT IS PLUGGED IN, AND PREFERABLY NOT WHEN IT IS UNPLUGGED EITHER." He reached behind it for the black cord and yanked it out of the wall. "What the bloody hell were you trying to make with it anyway?" he demanded of his son while trying to figure out how to safely put the small fire out.

"Toast."

It was only three days since they had been left on their own, and this was the second fire to occur in the kitchen. The first time had been when Lucius had tried to make a simple pasta and had let the noodles burn in the pan. Lucius sighed. He was pretty sure it took a special kind of incompetence to burn toast and noodles.

Once the two men had gotten the kitchen under control (the toaster now safely cooled down and in the trash bin), Draco sat at the table and put his head in his hands. The beeping had stopped, but his headache had not gone away. "Father, I'm sorry about the fire. I just wanted an easy snack...guess I shoved the bread in too hard."

Lucius laid a hand on his son's shoulder, feeling discouraged himself. "It's alright, Draco. I suppose we're one for one now with lighting food on fire." He paused. "We're going to have to go shopping for food today if we want to eat a real meal."

Draco looked up at his father. This was the first time he'd suggested leaving the house, going out into muggle-land. "I don't know, Father... do you think we're ready?"

"It doesn't really matter if we are or not, we're out of the already prepared food and we're down a toaster. There's supposed to be a small grocery store not far from here that we can walk to." Lucius was sure that his first time out in the muggle world would lead to some kind of small disaster, but at least there probably wouldn't be fire.

Draco seemed to have reached the same conclusion and stood up next to his father. "Alright then, but you're the one talking to the cashier if they ask any funny questions."

Half an hour later, Lucius and Draco were standing inside the entrance of a grocery store, staring at a row of shopping carts that had just been put there by an employee wearing a bright orange vest.

"What d'you suppose those are for?" asked the younger Malfoy of his father.

Lucius glanced at the carts and into the store, where he saw an elderly woman placing a small box in her cart. "I think we push them around with us and place the things we plan to purchase in them." Lucius glanced at the rickety shopping carts and remembered that they hadn't been wiped down before being left for customers to use. "Correction. YOU will be pushing one."

Draco shrugged and pushed the cart into the store with his father beside him. Neither of them had ever been shopping for things they actually needed before, even in the wizarding world. It had been considered house elf work. But now, with hungry stomachs and a credit card (linked to their massive vault at Gringotts, Granger had assured them), the two men braced themselves and began down the first aisle.

Draco decided that shopping wasn't that bad. He and his father were nearly finished after about two hours. They had learned a lot, he thought, from reading the labels on the products and asking questions of the helpful staff. The store had a bakery and Draco had been delighted to discover that his favourite treat, scones, were sold in America.

Being forced to live in America was also a good thing, he had to begrudgingly admit to himself. Being foreigners had given them an excuse to be confused or surprised by anything when muggles were around. All they had to do was look awkward and mumble "we're not from around here, sorry" (which came quite naturally to Draco when he'd been caught marveling loudly at a display for blenders by a middle-aged woman) and people would just smile and offer to explain things.

Lucius had also seemed to sincerely enjoy picking out food ingredients, his eyes lighting up as he carefully compared fresh fruits and vegetables. Draco had a hunch that once they had figured out how to cook without lighting things on fire, spending time in the kitchen might develop into a serious hobby for his father.

While his father paid for the groceries (which was bound to be another awkward experience that Draco did not wish to be present for), Draco wandered over to a small kiosk near the entrance to the store. When they'd come in to the store there had been a long line at the counter, and he was curious as to what they sold that wasn't available on a shelf in the store.

As he approached, Draco caught a whiff of espresso and hot milk. Ah, a coffee shop, he concluded.

As he turned to walk away, curiosity quenched, the barista working there stood up from stocking a display case full of cookies. Draco's heart nearly stopped as he found himself looking at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his entire life.

Woot! Finally some potential romance XO Sooo here is my question for you all. Should I make Draco gay? I'm personally leaning heavily toward "yes," but I'd like to know what my readers think. So please leave a review and let me know! If enough people prefer their Draco straight I will be happy to comply. Plus, how do I know you like the story at all if you aren't reviewing? I will try to reply to all of the reviews on this chapter, I promise. :)