Harry had one place that he could escape to. Just the one. A singular place that he could go to be away from the wizarding world and all of the pressures of being the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice. It was a small, quant diner in muggle London called Doug's. When a day at Hogwarts or at the Ministry's endless meetings gets too rough, Harry goes to Doug's Diner for diner and tea.
However, in this case, he had neither a tough day at work or at meetings, Harry had been with the Weasley family all day. He spent all day at the Burrow with the exception of the past hour or so. He loved them all dearly but things just weren't the same anymore. The war had changed them all and his coming out and dumping of Ginny made the tension almost palpable. It was that tension that made being with them for very long a stressful experience.
So, Harry thanked Merlin that there was Doug's and the privacy and anonymity that he found there. No one at Doug's knew that he saved the world at the age of eighteen, no one there knew of the things he had seen and done. At Doug's Harry was just that, Harry, not the Savior.
Harry walked into the familiar diner and smiled at the familiar bell chiming. He saw the large man behind the counter look up at him and wave, to which Harry nodded in return. The raven-haired man quietly took a seat at his usual booth and opened the red and white covered menu, even though he already knew what he was going to get. An old woman named Lucille brought Harry a cup of tea, exactly the way he liked it, for him to drink as he took his time reading the menu he didn't need. He loved being a regular.
Harry was only on the third side of the menu when the doorbell chimed. He looked up and came face to face with Draco Malfoy. He watched as the familiar large man behind the counter waved at Draco in the same manner as he had Harry. Interesting. What was more interesting, however, was how Draco nodded at the man in the same fashion Harry had. At this realization, he'd be lying to say he didn't snort just a bit.
Harry watched as Draco came to a stop at Harry's booth. The blond took a seat on the opposite side of the booth. Harry looked at the man, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"What, Potter? I always sit here and I will not change that for the likes of you," Draco spoke with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
Harry just smiled and watched in fascination as Lucille carried out a cup of tea for Draco as well. Lucille said, "Blaise, I didn't expect you on a Sunday night."
Malfoy shrugged and Lucille walked away. Once she was a safe distance away, Harry broke out in a fit of laughter, to which Malfoy only lifted one elegant brow at.
"Blaise," Harry laughed some more, "a fake name, Draco, really?" He continued laughing at the blond.
"Neville! Keep it down over there!" Lucille shouted and Draco's head snapped towards Harry so quickly the man probably had whiplash. Harry had the nerve to look bashful.
"Okay then, Neville," Draco smirked and sipped his tea.
Harry went back to his menu and sipped his tea. Eventually Lucille came back and took their orders even though she was writing them down as she walked over to the pair. Harry thought to any outsider it would seem as if he and Malfoy were a couple who came here together regularly. With that thought he almost spilled his delicious tea.
He and Malfoy drank their tea and ate their meals silently only daring to look at each-other every now and then. The silence was surprisingly comfortable as was the company and Harry wondered when exactly he started to feel more comfortable with Draco Malfoy than with the people he had spent his teenage years with. It was odd and ironic but he couldn't bring himself to lie and say he wasn't okay with that.
Draco Malfoy was the only person who had treated Harry the same no matter what. He knew what to expect and he knew where they stood at all times, except possibly now. Where they friends? Still rivals? Indifferent? Harry didn't know but he thought that they were awfully friendly to not be friends, even if they primarily were silent when together. He wished they spoke more.
As if reading his mind, which was quite possibly the case, Draco started up a conversation on the Hogwarts quidditch season. Harry enthusiastically took the offering and the two men talked about anything they could think of until Lucille kicked them out late that evening.
