The Way I Are

Chapter Six

"I'm very glad you came out with me tonight," Bailey smiles, talking in that adorable American accent of his.

"I am too. It's been a stressful week at work and I need to unwind," I smile back, taking a swig of my beer bottle.

"Glad I could be of service."

Bailey and I sit at the bar together, chatting aimlessly about anything and everything. The conversations come easily—especially because with my English accent and his American, things were said differently, or words were used differently, making the conversations entertaining.

"Harry, can I ask you something without you getting mad at me?" Bailey asks, seeming apprehensive.

"I suppose so," I reply, wondering what he could possibly ask that would make me mad at him.

"Why was the blonde at the bar on Saturday looking at me like he wanted to kill me? Jealous ex-boyfriend or something?"

Oh, that.

I laugh nervously, "No, not an ex. He's my business partner. And I don't think he was jealous. We work at a very prestigious, very high-profile, very dangerous company. He might have just been concerned that my head wouldn't be in the best place to cover his arse if need be."

"I know jealousy when I see it, Harry. He was jealous. Are you sure there was nothing going on between you two?"

"It's history, Bailey. The girl I was with on Saturday is a mutual friend of ours, and she was playing matchmaker, trying to get he and I together. She seems to think that he and I are 'meant to be together' and she's barely tolerating my seeing you. Mental, that one."

"Well, I apologize for the bad air with you and your friend. But I'm not so sure I want to stop seeing you. I like how I feel when I'm with you, Harry," Bailey smiles, lifting his beer bottle to his lips, taking a swig.

"Good, because I like how I feel when I'm with you."

"Again? My goodness, Harry, how many times are you going to sleep with Bailey this week?" Hermione gasped, laughing lightly.

"Week's over, 'Mione," I winked, laughing back.

"Harry, I'm serious. Pansy came to speak with me, and she's rather concerned about how her plan to get you and Draco together is going to pan out if you're always playing house with Bailey."

I sigh, pulling his legs to his chest on his living room sofa.

In truth, I still find Draco to be incredibly attractive. Especially when he's fuming because I'm the one coming into work sporting the Just Shagged look.

"I get that, 'Mione, and believe me, I would love nothing more than to give Draco his wish of office sex, but he doesn't want it. He went home with a new guy last night. Pansy told me."

"Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, he's compensating for what he's not getting from you?" Hermione asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Then he should just come out with it and be honest with me. But regardless, Bailey is at least treating me like I exist. Draco may be my business partner, and yes, I do find him incredibly attractive, in both looks and personality, but he makes me crazy. Especially when we're fighting because he's jealous of Bailey," I answer, unfortunately spilling more about how I feel toward Draco than I would care to admit.

"Well, fine then. But remember, you do have to deal with him on a daily basis. Don't you think it would be easier do deal with him if you weren't fighting?"

"Or, at the very least, sleeping with him."

"Harry, could you get my wallet out of my pocket? My hands are kind of full," Bailey asks, holding a tray with three to-go cups of coffee in his hands.

"Of course," I reply, pulling the wallet out of his pocket for him, taking out the money he owed for the drinks and handing it to the barista.

Now, I'm not usually a snoop, but something in Bailey's wallet definitely caught my eye—a picture. A picture of him, a woman and two little girls, smiling up at whoever must've taken the picture.

"Who's this?" I ask, showing him the picture.

"Oh—that's my sister. My sister and her daughters." Bailey stutters, walking with me outside of the coffee house.

I nod, slightly confused and take the two drinks Bailey had bought for Draco and I from him and hand him back his wallet.

"Shall I walk you to work?" Bailey asks, but I shake my head.

"No, thanks. It's only a block or so away. I'll do fine," I reply, still feeling slightly uncomfortable when he leans down and kisses me before turning away, heading in the opposite direction as the Auror offices.

As I walk to the office, I still can't help but think there was something off about that picture. I didn't even know Bailey had a sister. But, the very fact that Bailey was leaning toward the woman in a way that didn't look very familial made me a little curious.

I arrive at the office, and strangely—particularly for a Monday morning—Draco was already there. But I suppose that was a good thing because then his coffee wouldn't get cold.

"I brought you some coffee," is the first thing I say when I walk in the door to mine and Draco's office.

"Milk and a bit of sugar?" he asks in return.

"Of course. I know how you like your coffee, Dray."

Draco smiles, taking the cup from me, closing his eyes contently when he takes a sip, making me wonder what he looks like when he's feeling a very different kind of sensation.

"Thanks, Potter," he says as he swallows.

I nod, sitting down at my desk, cringing at the almost palpable awkward silence between us.

"Look, Dray, I'm sorry. Fighting with you last week wasn't exactly my proudest moment. And today has already been weird enough for me and I'd hate to make it worse by having an awkward silence for the next eight hours," I apologize, taking a sip of my own coffee.

"And I'm sorry too. I suppose some of the things I said would probably be construed as inappropriate. If you're happy with this Bailey, then I should—at the very least—be civil."

"Well, I can't really say how much longer I'll be seeing Bailey. But thanks, anyway."

"Oh, no. Trouble in paradise?"

"No, no. I'm just not sure seeing him is working out anymore," I sigh, thinking again about the picture.

"Did he do something?" Draco asks, sipping his coffee again as he scrawls something out on a piece of parchment.

"Well, well, well, curious aren't we?"

"No, just trying to make small talk," he answers, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Uh huh."

"Pansy, I need your Slytherin advice."

"Okay, what's the problem?" Pansy asks, swiveling herself in Draco's empty office chair.

I called Pansy over to the office after work to discuss the possibility of Bailey being already previously in a relationship—or even married.

"I think Bailey might be married. There was a picture in his wallet of him and some woman—whom he claimed to be his sister—and two children. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but doesn't that seem sketchy to you? When I asked him about it, he started stuttering and he nearly dropped our coffees."

"My best advice is to find out. If he turns out to be in some sort of relationship already, then kick his arse to the curb. Plus, this chair is insanely comfortable. Which means, not only is Draco able to work for eight hours without getting sore, but it's big enough for two," she winks, her head falling back in laughter when she sees me start to blush at the mere thought.

So, it's been months since I've updated. And believe me when I say I'm sorry for that. I truly love writing Fanfictions and I cannot for the life of me figure out why I haven't been writing. Nothing's changed. I have school, I have work, and I have my boyfriend, but that's not any different than it was when I last updated. But I really am sorry for not updating, and I will really try to be back to updating.

I am so thankful for all of the people who have stuck by my Fanfictions and by me in general. Ya'll are amazing and I am so so blessed to have ya'll in my life.

And of course, please review if you enjoyed! It makes me smile!

Love always, xoxo,

K.J.