Chapter 3
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
Ron walked down the alley to the high street, it was early morning and nearly everything was still closed. He wandered aimlessly around the streets of London until he saw a hiring sign in a diner window. It was open 24 hours so he walked in and took a look around. It was kind of small and served food and drinks. It was completely empty except for a man who looked as if he had been working on the same cup of coffee all night and a boy with his hood up and his head in his hands. A tall thin man with a huge smile definitely too big for this time of morning and a long pointy nose came from the back and was standing behind the bar.
"How can I help you?" he asked in a cheerful tone. He looked Ron up and down, "What happened to you? You look like you've been through a war or something."
"Or something," Ron sighed, I probably should have freshened up, "I was wondering if you were still hiring"
"Why yes! The position of bartender has just been filled but I could use another waiter in here at night. That's when we get most of our customers." The man talked on about the restaurant and what was required for the job.
Ron wondered if he could ever wait tables and how much of a crowd he was talking about. He also wondered if Hermione would ever speak to him again. He hoped she would understand. He knew that they were never officially together and now he probably ruined his chance but I need her to teach me how to count muggle money…
"Hello!" The manger waved his hand in front of Ron's face.
"Huh!" said Ron pulling himself from his thoughts.
"I said do you have any experience waiting tables." Repeated the manger with a raised eyebrow
"Oh, well I um…no." The Manger looked worried "But I could really use this job. I'm on my own for the first time, my brother just died, and I'm sure everyone in my family thinks I'm a selfish git, so please let me have this job I know I can do it." Said Ron in one breath with hopeful eyes, he knew he could because when no one was watching he would just whip out his wand.
The manger took a deep breath "I guess we could give it a try. But if you screw up your out of here, tonight you start at 10pm. My name is Timothy Marshall and you are?"
"Ron Weasley" He shook Tim's hand.
Tim looked away from Ron across the room "Draco".
Ron's head shot around so fast he was sure he broke his neck. The boy who had his hood up took it down and it was Draco Malfoy he looked as if he just woke up.
"Meet your new co-worker. Draco here is the new bartender. You will be working the night shift together." Draco glared at Ron as Tim returned to the back of the diner.
"Malfoy, what the hell are you doing here" Ron demanded as he approached the table.
"I should ask you the same question." Malfoy shot back.
They glared at each other in silence for a few moments. Ron sat down across from Malfoy
"Did I say you could sit down?" Malfoy hissed
"Is this your restaurant?" Ron defended
"No" he scrunched up his nose, "thank god."
Ron rolled his eyes.
"I know that you love muggles but I never thought you would be working in a greasy spoon outside of the wizarding world," said Draco with a raised eyebrow. "Then again it's not as if your future was looking all that bright anyway."
"Your one to talk, both your parents were death eaters! You hate MUGGLES!" Ron lowered his voice to a shouting whisper when he noticed the couple that just entered the restaurant staring at them. "Why are you working at a muggle establishment? Plan on torturing people for fun?"
Draco leaned back in his chair, his eyes becoming narrow, his face twisting calmly into a natural scowl that seemed to always make Ron worry. Any second now Ron was quite sure that he would jump over the table and strangle him… any second…It didn't happen Draco just sat there eventually putting his face back to his normal impartial state.
There was more silence
"Some battle." Draco turned to look out the window
"Yeah some battle," Ron grunted. "Way to simplify it, people are dead."
"People were dead before the battle, that's what happens in war. It's called conquering"
"It conquered my brother," he defended
"It conquered my friend," he shot back
"Crabbe wasn't your friend he was your lackey."
"Doesn't mean I didn't care about him," Draco shrugged
There was more silence. It was eerie that they were able to sit there without hexing each other. Perhaps they were both tired, tired of all the expectations, dying, and grief. The silence consumed them considering that more people had come in for breakfast and the room was alive with chatting and the scraping of plates.
The silence was broken when a waitress walked up to the table, "What can I get you?"
"Nothing," Ron shook his head
"If you're not going to order anything then you must go," she sighed. She looked as if she just woke up and though it was too early to be there.
"I'll have a coffee," Draco said, the waitress pivoted and walked away
"We can never go back came we," Ron sighed
"Of course not Weasel, life is always going forward," he crossed his arms, "not to mention your abrupt search for employment away from our world suggest you didn't plan on returning home."
"I could say the same for you."
"You could but you'd only be partially right," he leaned in to grab the sugar from the center of the table as the waitress brought him his coffee, "thank you," he told her
"That's right your on the lamb, running from the law being a Death Eater and all, where are you parents stashed," Ron crossed his arms
Draco took a sip of his coffee, "My Mum was never a Death Eater but I was... well I am, I suppose. Of course you know about my father, but if the Ministry wants to fine me I'm sure they'll have absolutely no trouble at all."
"Why did you do it?"
Draco shrugged "For power… and to protect my family. After my father failed in getting the prophecy and let the journal be destroyed because he didn't know what powers it possessed. He was on Voldemort's …" He stopped suddenly as Ron winced at his name. He smirked. Malfoy continued "bad side, he tortured him and our family. Until he decided that he wanted Dumbledore dead. I was the perfect way to get to him. I was going to be at school anyway I had the perfect access."
"Why would you agree to something like that?" Ron asked curiously but mostly upset. "I didn't think you had what it takes to murder someone."
"Gee thanks Weasel" Draco rolled his eyes" for some reason my mum loves the old bastard and she didn't want anything to happen to him. Not to mention my father assured Voldemort that I was ready and willing, this also made my mother very upset. Because she knew that the Dark Lord would kill me if I didn't succeed. So I had to try because either way my mother would have been devastated… and well I would have been dead. I know that killing Dumbledore is a bit extreme but I'm sure that you can understand doing anything to keep your family together."
"Yes that is one of the reasons that I had to help Harry in his quest to kill You Know Who. He probably would have slaughtered my entire family after all my parents and brothers are known members of the order of the phoenix."
Malfoy nodded in understanding. "When it was time for me to actually kill Dumbledore I kept seeing my mother's face and I knew that she would be happy if we could just be a normal family. But at the same time I couldn't let my father win. I couldn't let him have the satisfaction of being the Dark Lord's greatest servant."
There was a long pause before Draco said anything else. Ron wondered why on earth he was sitting here talking to Draco and more so why was he willingly exchanging in conversation.
"I had no intention of killing Dumbledore. When Snape arrived I was 100% positive that it would be him who would tell the Dark Lord but instead he killed Dumbledore himself. He dragged me from the castle I was completely petrified and I couldn't comprehend what was happening. Next thing I knew everyone was saying Dumbledore was dead." Draco ran a hand through his blonde uncombed hair and stared blankly pass Ron. He looked disheveled in his black hooded jumper, jeans, and trainers. He wasn't as polished as he generally was. It was odd to see another side of Draco Malfoy, a real one.
"Dumbledore knew you weren't going to kill him." Draco directed his attention back to Ron. "Harry said that Snape and Dumbledore made an arrangement where Snape was supposed to kill him and not you."
"So that's how he knew what I was up to, Snape!" Malfoy sneered
"Yup" Said Ron "He seems to know everything"
"That's why that old bag was so calm when I was attempting to kill him." Spat Malfoy
"I can't believe were having a normal conversation." Ron pointed out
"Neither can I Weasel." Malfoy smirked
Ron rolled his eyes and got up to leave when…
"Weasley"
Ron turned around "What?"
"Where are you staying?" Questioned Malfoy
Ron raised his eyebrow "Why? So you can come and murder me in my sleep."
"Not a bad idea. But there's a flat for rent down the street and I could use someone to split the rent with." Said Malfoy plainly
"Draco Malfoy rich boy needs a flat mate. What happened to the trust fund?" Ron said with a smile.
Malfoy rolled his eyes "My parents have money, not me and I'm sure that now, since I never plan on speaking to them again I will get nothing. I'm not trying to become best mates or anything this is simply a business arrangement."
Ron thought about this for a moment. Living with Malfoy would be hell, but he did need some place to stay and he would need a flat mate because he wouldn't be able to afford living alone working at this crummy job.
"Alright Draco you got yourself a deal. Any funny business and I'll hex you into oblivion" he warned.
Draco snorted, "Yeah right! Last time you tried to hex me I recall you tossing up slugs."
Ron's ears turned red, he was completely uncertain about what he agreed to "Let's go see this place."
Malfoy stood, tossed some money down on the table, "you have muggle money," Ron said as Draco followed him onto the now busy street.
"Constant vigilance" is all he said before he began leading Ron down the street. Ron followed what the hell.
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" Green Day
