A/N Hi all

This is going to be a multi chapter with each on being roughly the lengths of one of my one shots.
Inspired by Billy Joel's Uptown Girl

Enjoy xx

Draco Malfoy – Stealing hearts of the young and old.
Draco Malfoy, pictured below, was seen last night on the arm of the daughter of Russian Ambassador Igor Karkaroff, Anastasiya. Sources say that they were seen talking and dancing throughout the night. The topic of the young Mr Malfoy's relationships has long been discussed, never one to be seen with the same person more than once. Could this recent rendezvous be a sign of times changing? Could the Heir to the Malfoy fortune finally be settling down? A spokesperson for Malfoy incorporated was not available for comment.

"They'll never learn will they?" Draco said, rolling his eyes at the article. The photo attached however, was more than satisfactory. He looked every bit the untouchable socialite. His suit was perfectly tailored, his hair didn't have a strand out of place and his eyes screamed sex appeal. His publicist was doing a wonderful job.

"Draco I don't care what bile they've printed, it's all lies." Pansy said sipping her tea.

"Yes but it's positive bile for once." Draco pointed out folding the paper in half and setting it down beside him. "Now, you said something about a favour."

"Yes. I need to you take me to the gig tonight." She said with a grin.

"No." Draco picked the paper up again and started reading the economics section.

"Draco please, I need you." She was using that voice again, the butter would melt voice. Draco hated that voice.

"You are more than capable to take yourself Pans." He refused to look up from the state of the stock market. His father was going to be impossible this afternoon. "I have less than zero interest in watching you trot around some dirty dive bar while random men try to grab your ass."

Pansy snorted into her china mug. "I'm not going to a gang bang darling. It's actually a decent place, Blaise and I have been going for months. I got us VIP passes, we'll meet the band."

"A band I don't care about, whose songs I've never heard." Draco argued. "Just because Blaise has abandoned you this weekend does not mean I am a willing replacement. Quite the opposite. Contrary to your very misguided opinion, letting you try to suck the cock of some bassist is not the way I want to spend my Saturday night. Take Theodore."

"Theodore's in Dublin." Pansy stood up and sat on his lap, Draco hates his friends. "The owner's cute, gay too. Well at least I think he is."

"Pansy." Draco closed his eyes as her fingers started running through his hair. "Just because a man doesn't want to jump into your pants does not mean he's gay. Some would say that's the type of man you should be searching for."

"Please Draco, I'll do anything."

"Why don't you just get a car service?" Draco asked, relaxing more under her ministrations.

"Because then daddy would find out and you know how he hates when I don't do what he thinks is 'proper'."

"Heaven forbid." Draco groaned.

"I'll do anything, Draco there has to be something." She begged.

"No."

"I'll take you shopping."

"No."

"I'll let you shop for me."

"Tempting." Draco ran an eye up her ensemble, she looked 50 rather than 27. "But no."

"I'll let you see the bridesmaid's dress."

"Done." Draco opened his eyes wide. Pansy was in the wedding party for Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott. It would the wedding of the year with the who's who of England's elite in attendance. Naturally, every aspect of the affair was kept under a strict Non-Disclosure. Naturally, Draco needed to know everything before anyone else.

"Excellent." Pansy said jumping off his knee and grabbing her purse. "Pick me up at 630 and wear something mouth-watering."

"Don't I always?"

"VIP passes my love." She left a quick kiss on his cheek before walking back through his flat.

Draco liked to think that he was a good person. A good friend. A good son. He had finished his schooling at the top of his class. He went to a prestigious university and earned a respectable degree. He moved out of his parents multi-level home in Notting Hill and into an upstanding building in central London. He donated to the right causes and was seen at the right parties, with the right people. He attended, what for were the most part, mind numbing board meetings. He was nice to those who were socially beneath him and treated his employees with dignity and respect. Yes Draco like to think he was a good person. The problem though, nice people didn't want to murder their dads.

"Father you need to start listening to reason." Draco was ready to beat his father with a paper weight. It might not do any good, but it would make him feel infinitely better. "The answer to our problems will not be found within Riddle's company. He's from a completely different part of the world. He doesn't understand our culture, the political climate. He needs time to acquaint himself."

"He built an empire over in America Draco." Lucius argued. "He is respected, feared."

"Yes but America isn't England." Draco felt like he was talking to a teenager. He brandished the papers that he had spent weeks trying to get his father to read. "Look at the numbers. People are calling out, begging, for greener options, efficiency. They want lower carbon foot prints, less emissions. You could be the innovator of that, you could put this company ahead of the market."

"It's just a fad." Lucius once again waved him off. "Left wing fancies born of Hollywood fairy tales."

"I'm urging you father. Pleading." Draco sat forward in his seat. "Listen to me. It is not a fad."

"Draco you have said this all before. Either come up with a different strategy or drop it all together. I have no idea why you continue to push." Lucius stood up and faced the floor to ceiling window to gaze at the scene below. The London landscape. The Malfoy empire.

"You are going to send this company into insolvency." Draco said tightly, biting down the anger than was bubbling to the surface. "If you follow Riddle all of this will be worthless in a few years."

"How dare you?" Lucius spat. "Let me make some things perfectly plain to you. I'll speak very slowly and refrain from big words, maybe then they will penetrate your thick skull. You are invited to sit at the board meetings due to my generosity. My hope is that one day you may learn a thing or two. You are barely out of nappies, you have zero right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my company. One day when I am no longer around to witness your truly embarrassing antics you will have free reign. Until then, sit on your ass, spend my money and shut up."

Draco's eyes flared. That's all he will ever be to his father, the spoiled little rich kid who knew nothing. Before he could argue back, the office door swung open. In walked his mother, a natural beauty in Louis Vuitton's, weighed down by the spoils of war she waged against Bond Street.

"Draco." She beamed at him. "I had no idea you'd be here. Are you joining us for lunch?"

"Mother." He stood up and held her tightly. "Just a quick visit I'm afraid. I find the air in this part of town to be a bit on the toxic side today."

"Draco enough of the dramatics. We will discuss this further at Monday's morning meeting." Lucius sat down in his high backed chair. "Now tell me, what are your plans for this evening? We have a standing engagement with the Greengrass's at their home and we have just been informed that Astoria is back from the continent. If we are to believe the stories, she has grown into quite the beauty."

Draco moved to pack up his papers. "Father you can beat down my ideas for the company all you like, as CEO that is your right. But you will not be marrying me off to whomever gives us the biggest advantage. We are not living under Queen Victoria, I will not have a betrothal, it's embarrassing to say the least. I will get married one day, but that person will be of my own choosing and that person will be a man."

Lucius growled. "I do wish that you would grow out of this abhorrent phase faster, it's been 10 years now. You're very lucky that I've managed to keep it out of the papers. Astoria is a respectable woman from an important family. This match would be perfect both for the company and the family."

"Lucius." Narcissa chastised.

"Don't mother." Draco waved her off. "Even if I was predisposed to this blatant attempt at public breeding, I have an engagement myself. Pansy has asked me to accompany her tonight."

"Parkinson." Lucius sneered. "I trust that you won't end up intoxicated lying in a gutter. Again."

Draco felt his nostrils flare. "In case you missed it father, I have gown up, I'm not 18 anymore. It might be time that you give it a go as well."

"As I said." Lucius said standing again and placing his hands flat on the mahogany desk. "Still a child. The fact that you have no qualms in destroying this family's good name and reputation by partaking in your unnatural proclivities proves this. You have responsibilities Draco, a lot of them. One of which is to father a child."

"I think I've had enough of being insulted for one day." Draco stuffed the papers back into his brief case. "I'll see you at Monday's board meeting. Mother, I am terribly sorry, but I am suddenly feeling rather sicked. I will see for you for breakfast on Tuesday." She closed her eyes and nodded mutely.

Before he could even close the door behind him, Draco heard his father say, "You realise that this is all your fault don't you. I was warned when he was a baby. They all said it, don't let the mother coddle him, they grow up little mummy's boys, they grow up wrong. Because of you the boy's grown up to be nothing but a poofter."

Years ago those words would have sent him in a either a fit of rage or uncontrollable sobs. Now though, after hearing them yelled so often, all he could do was shake his head and sigh.

"I still cannot believe you actually wore that." Pansy was shaking her head from the passenger seat.

"Seriously! What's wrong with it?" Draco asked, not for the first time. He had picked her up 20 minutes ago and she had remarked on his attire 5 times since. "You said to wear something mouth-watering, so I did. I do believe it was you that made me buy it. You said that it made my legs go on for days, my ass look edible and my eyes smoulder. You said I could be on the cover of GQ."

"That's all very true darling. But sweetie, it's a £2,000 suit." She was wearing the smile that clearly said that Draco had finally lost it. "You're going to stand out like a beggar at one of mummy's party's."

Draco stuck out his chin, he did not look pompous when he did it either. "There is nothing wrong with showing a little class."

Pansy laughed, loudly, for a long time. "You're such a dork."

"You're the dork." Draco stuck his tongue at her. "And who are you to comment on my choice of wardrobe? You're the one walking around with holes in their clothing."

"For a gay man living in one of the worlds fashion capitals, you're terribly out of touch with it." She said, twirling her hair. "I for one, am actually going to fit in tonight."

Draco chose to rise above the slight, he was a big boy. "How much farther is it anyway?"

"Second street on the left, just pull into the alley out the back."

"Pansy! I am not leaving a £150,000 car in some alley!"

"Draco dear, you really need to stress less, you'll get lines. Do calm down." She grinned as Draco turned a corner and drove down the secluded alley. "See there's a parking lot and there's always a security guard on the door."

"Oh I feel so much safer. Truly I can't wait to leave my baby in the care of a man who earns a fraction of what this car is worth." He pulled into a spare bay. The area reminded him of the opening scene of one of the mobster movies he watched while at school. There was a big truck where men were busy unloading heavy black boxes, one street light and a big burly man who looked allergic to smiling. "I suddenly don't feel much like going out. Let's go see a movie. Or we can watch something at your place with a bucket of ice cream."

"Stop being such a bore." She opened the door and jumped out. "It'll be fun."

"The last time you said something would be fun I ended up shaking up with a backpacker and was on penicillin for 2 weeks." Draco climbed out of the car.

"I don't see how your naivety is in any way my fault Draco." She threw over her shoulder as she walked towards the burly man.

"What ever happens," Draco crouched down and fingered the blue paint work. "I am so very sorry."

"Nice ride." He looked over his shoulder at the man leaning up against the truck. The stranger had broad shoulders, black hair and glasses.

"Thanks." Draco said sadly, hoping this wouldn't be the last time he'd see her.

"Do hurry up darling!" Pansy was leaning across the railing that led up to the back stairs.

He patted the roof of his precious and cast one last look at her before following what was once his best friend.

"Finished feeling up a piece of metal?" Pansy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't Pansy, she's perfect." He looked back sadly and almost growled at the group of people who had gathered to look at her.

"Name?" The burly man without a smile grunted.

"Pansy Parkinson."

"You're the plus one?" The man looked at Draco with bored eyes. Did this man know how to not be intimidating?

"Yes." He said slowly, very uneasy with the whole situation.

"ID." He held out his hand for both his and Pansy's, after close scrutiny he finally let them pass.

"I swear on our friendship," Draco held her back by her wrist. "If I end up in the hospital or my car has even so much as a scratch, I will tell your father what you got up to in France last year."

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" Draco shot back.

"You're a right-" Draco never found out what exactly he was because a voice said, "VIPs?" Turning he saw a woman with far too much hair wearing a headset.

"Yep!" Pansy shot before turning to face the woman. "Hermione! James has you working tonight?"

"Pansy, I was wondering when you were getting here." This 'Hermione' woman said. "Jamie wouldn't know what he'd do if I took a night off."

"Sorry, we would have been here earlier, but this one." She pointed at Draco. "Was having a case of separation anxiety. What is it with boys and their machines?"

"Oh don't even get me started!" Hermione groaned, she was leading them through a series of hallways littered with posters and up a set of stairs. "You should hear the way Jamie goes on and on about his god forsaken bike. He has never and will never love anyone more than he loves that death trap. If it was legal I'd be planning the wedding."

"Where is James? I figured you would have put him on baby sitting duty." Pansy asked.

"One of his guys is running late so he's helping the band set up." Hermione opened a heavy door into, in Draco's surprised opinion, a comfortable and pleasant room, all things considered. There were leather lounges spaced throughout, a bar off to the side, posters of various bands lining three walls and a large window overlooking the venue below. There was a set of stairs that led down to the right and a closed door to the left. "You know James, he'd never ask someone do something he would never do himself. You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've caught him cleaning the loos in the middle of a performance."

"Good man." Draco was impressed, it was a similar mentality to his own.

Hermione tapped a button on the head piece. "No do not let anyone it yet. James will flip! Tickets clearly state that doors open at 8, if they wanted to meet the band they should have paid for VIP tickets. I don't care what they are offering you." She tapped the button again. "Sorry about that, I have no idea why people think they can flirt their way through a door. Anyway, help yourselves to the bar, Jamie and the band should be up shortly."

"This place is nice." Draco admitted begrudgingly when Hermione had walked off. He wondered over to the large window. "Not exactly the crack den I was envisioning."

"You're such a ponce, you wouldn't even know what a crack den was." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm getting a drink, want anything?"

"Scotch." Draco said, distractedly. "As long as it isn't actually water from the Thames."

"As I said, ponce."

As Pansy wondered off, the room began to fill with an alarming amount of boisterous red heads. Where in the world does one find this many gingers? He let his attention drift back to the scene below him. There were scruffy men, Draco assumed must be the band, testing instruments on the stage. People moving around with the same heavy boxes that he saw being unpacked from the truck. What really took his attention though was the singular man that looked like Draco's high school wet dream.

"Who are you?" He whispered to himself. The stranger had thick black hair, broad shoulders and when he lifted his shirt to wipe sweat off of his brow, Draco damn near moaned. "You have got to be the most gorgeous thing within 100 Kilometres."

"That my favourite flaming queen," Pansy said, handing him a glass. "Is James Black. Quite the dashing young man isn't he?"

"The owner?" Draco had been imagining salt and pepper hair, tattoos and eyes that said he'd been there done that. The man down stairs could only be classed as young, fit and beautiful.

"Oi Jamie!" One of the red heads with a long noes yelled from the side stairs. "Get your ass up here and bring the boys! You've got shit to do!"

"How crass." Draco rolled his eyes, not liking the ginger.

"Who the fuck runs this place?" James yelled back.

"Hermione!" Came a chorus of voices.

Draco watched as James said something to the scruffy band member next to him. The six of them weaved their way through the floor, James stopping to say something to each employee they met along the way. When he eventually walked through the door, he promptly tripped on a loose piece of carpet. "Bugger. I thought I fixed that."

"No, you said you would." Hermione said walking up beside him with a stack of files. "You also promised that you would go through these applications, your liquor licence is about to expire. Fix the hole in the storage room that you caused when we lost that last contract. Not to mention that you also said you'd take a day off." When James took the files and started going through them she added. "Do not go through that here. You have an office, use it." James glared at her. "You're the one who wanted to start meet and greets. 'It'll be great Hermione' you said, 'Just you wait' you said, well it's done, it's fun and this is the only place for it."

"Fine." James sighed and placed the files on the side of the bar.

"James!" Pansy crossed the room in three long strides and threw herself into his arms.

"Pans!" James wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "I'm so glad you came. Where's Blaise tonight? Or do I not want to know?"

"He was cruelly abducted by his father and forced to sit in a chair and listen to what will undoubtably be the most boring and mundane of men." She let go of James. "I brought a more than adequate substitute though."

"I am no one's substitute, particularly not Blaise's." Draco glared at her then held a hand out to James. "Draco Malfoy."

Draco couldn't help but notice a peculiar twitch in James' left eye. "Malfoy?"

He really couldn't go anywhere it seemed. "Yes, those Malfoy's."

"Did I hear you say that your name's Malfoy?" Hermione had walked back over and was wearing quite the impressive frown. "As in Malfoy Constructions?"

"That's my father's company yes." Draco felt the need to state that he didn't in fact run the place, he was rather cowed under that stare.

She let out a hard breath. "Your father,"

"This probably isn't the best time, is it Hermione?" James interjected putting an arm around her shoulder. "Can you go and make sure Ron and the twins don't drink too much? I really can't handle what they have planned tonight. It took me weeks to get the gum out off of the walls last time."

She glared at Draco viciously before turning to talk to the gingers.

"Sorry about that." James ran a hand through his hair. "She's on a mission at the moment. Well she's always on a mission but lately your name has been thrown around more often than not."

"Does she have an issue with the birds, the wages or the environment?" Draco asked feeling exasperated. This was exactly why he was trying to change his father's mind.

"Ah, the birds. But don't let her find out about the other stuff."

Draco had to deal with more than enough protests on a daily basis because of those birds. His father was planning a new development in southern Wales that happened to be in the middle of an endangered species of birds habitat. The more he thought about his father, the more he was convinced he was actually the antichrist.

"Why are they doing that?" James was looking down through the window with pleading eyes. "Speakers don't go there. Where's the two way?"

"You stress too much." Draco smirked leaning against the window.

"I just no what I want." James glared.

"You sound like me. I didn't realise how condescending it comes off." Draco took a sip of scotch.

"I've got to go and get Hermione on this. Then I need to battle the paperwork monster that is currently eating souls in my office." He pushed himself away and shook Draco's hand again. "Enjoy your night yeah?"

Draco nodded and watched him say something to Hermione and disappear into the adjoining room.

An hour later Draco was bored out of his mind. The band had left to do whatever bands do before they perform so Pansy had switched tactics and was throwing herself at the ginger with the earring. He kept casting glances at the closed door, thinking that what ever lay beyond had to be far more entertaining. After yet another high pitched giggle from his 'friend', Draco had made his decision.

"Sorry to interrupt." Draco said as he opened the door. The room looked like some mix between office, library and living room. There was a desk in the corner, comfortable sofa's around the centre, a bookshelf that took up one wall and the same mirror that seemed to continue in from the last room. "There's only so much time you can invest into watching your friend attempt to catch and STI."

James chuckled, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "So you're looking for entertainment?"

"Isn't that your business model?" Draco walked over to the overflowing bookshelf.

"I rarely entertain behind closed doors." James said walking up to stand beside Draco. "I let the club down the road corner than market."

Draco smiled as he began to read the titles. "Grimm, Perrault and Anderson? Seriously? What are you? 8?"

"There is nothing wrong with a good fairy tale." He seemed to have a sad look about him when he said it. "They remind me of a simpler time."

"There are perhaps, no days of our childhood we lived so full as those we spent with our favourite book." Draco said absently as he continued to scan the spines.

"Proust?" James scoffed. "Of course you're a fan of Proust."

"What's wrong with Proust exactly?" Draco pinched his lips.

"Nothing at all." James put his hands in his pockets. "If you don't mind a healthy serving of pretentious pomposity with your literature."

"There is nothing wrong with a bit of pretention." Draco scanned the books and his chin dropped as he grabbed a book. "And that's all a bit rich isn't it? Coming from a man who has a very worn out copy of 1984."

"Give that back." James snatched the thin novel out of his hands. "Everyone should read it, it's a good warning."

Draco raised an eye brow and went back to his perusals. "So how does someone this well read come to own a bar?"

"It's a hobby." James shrugged.

Draco turned and leaned against the shelf. "Which one?"

Before James could answer, Hermione's head appeared at the door. "Jamie, the boys are about to go on."

"Thanks 'Mione, I'll be down in a sec." Harry carefully put his book back on the shelf before looking at Draco and biting his lip. "I can't do it."

"Do what?" Draco had a sudden feeling of dread.

"The twins wanted to let you go downstairs like that and not say anything." He opened up a chest that lay behind his desk. "I was going to let them for Hermione's sake, but well, you seem like a nice enough bloke. I might be wrong, but it just seems unnecessarily cruel."

"Why does everyone have an issue with what I'm wearing tonight?" Draco sulked. "I'll have you know that I am impeccably dressed at all times."

"It's an Armani suit." James said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and Draco should really stop arguing.

"Yes. And?" Draco threw up his hands. "Wait, how did you know it was Armani?"

"Good guess?" James shrugged, Draco didn't think that was it at all. "Look the point is, they're going to eat you alive down there. Wear these and you'll fit right in."

Draco looked down at the jeans and black T-Shirt in his hands. "There's holes in them."

James laughed and made his way to the door. "You don't have to wear them, but not everyone gets to say that got in my pants."

Draco's jaw, not for the first time that night, dropped. Who was this guy? This guy who could recognise Proust, argue about the merits of Orwell, identify designer clothes but owned a bar and wore holey clothing. Draco had no idea if he wanted to hit him, shag him or marry the twat, all three sounded pretty ok. The smell on the shirt when Draco pulled it over his face was enchanting.

All things taken into consideration, the night wasn't actually a complete disaster. Yes the band was too loud, and the crowd was too sweaty, but Draco enjoyed dancing with Pansy none the less. His only regret, he thought to himself as he drove them back to Pansy's flat, was that he didn't get the green eyed man's number.

"Oh my god!" Pansy squealed as she pounced onto the bed.

Draco let out a sob. He was having such a wonderful dream. It was filled with green eyes, old books and hard muscles. "Pansy do fuck off."

"He texted." She flopped down on her front beside him, effectively ignoring his command.

"Which one?" He grumbled into the blankets. "The base player, the drummer or the ginger?"

"Not me honey." She said with far too much glee. "He texted you."

"Who?" Draco yawned and covered his eyes to hide from the sun peering through the window.

"James of course."

He quickly propped himself up onto his elbow. "But I didn't give him my number."

"I know." She said with a wicked grin. "Listen to this. 'Pans, tell the leggy blonde from last night that he needs to stop leaving things that cost a small fortune in strange places. Jamie. Ps I have his phone.' What on earth did you leave there?"

"No idea." He said, sleep still clogging his mind.

"Alright." She started moving her hands across the key pad at a frightening speed. 'Morning Jamie, do you mean the leggy blonde whose eyes could melt diamonds? Because he has no idea what you're on a bout. P.'"

"I hate you." Draco pulled the pillow over his head.

"No you don't dear." She patted his stomach. "He says, 'The embarrassing suit he wore last night. His phone has been going off since 7, should I answer it?' See I'm not the only one who thinks it was embarrassing."

Draco grumbled and then the drowsiness finally faded, he jumped straight out of bed. "Fucking hell did he say he has my phone? Shit!" He scrambled to find the clothes he had worn the night before, Jamie's clothes. "Fuck my father's going to kill me."

Pansy sat up quickly. "Go there now. I'll call your mother, she'll calm him down."

"I love you, you know that right." He said pulling on his shoes.

She rolled her eyes but was smiling. "Yes if you were straight and I wasn't a bint, I've heard it all before. I'm doomed to be forever a handbag."

He bent down and kissed her head. "I haven't forgotten your promise by the way. I expect to see that dress, hoops and all."

As he ran to the door she called, "Did I mention it was peach?"

Draco drove to the same back alley as the night before and noticed immediately the stark contrast between night and day. In the dark he didn't see the full and healthy herb garden, the meticulously painted mural on the wall or the sounds of birds singing in the trees. It felt homely. He ran straight to the back door and started knocking.

James answered wearing impossibly low slung pants, a crumpled shirt and his hair was, if possible, in even more disarray.

"You were asleep?" Draco said in lieu of greeting. "Of course you were asleep because you work nights. You were asleep and my phone was going off. I am so sorry! Wait you live here?"

"You talk to much." James said with a sleepy grin and a yawn. "Yeah I live upstairs, I did have a flat once but never ended up spending much time there."

"I am so unbelievably sorry." Draco said again. "I never ever leave my phone anywhere. It rarely shuts up long enough to let me."

"I noticed." James stepped aside to let Draco in. "Come on it's all upstairs."

They walked through the same hallways and up the same stairs, but instead of going into the room from the night before, Draco was lead to the end of the corridor and up yet another set of stairs. His mouth opened when he walked into the studio. This man was a mystery Draco was now determined to solve.

In between what was obviously second hand furniture was art work that he knew cost thousands. There was cheap cereals standing next to a container of Draco's personal favourite brand of tea, he knew of only three stores in the city that stocked it. There was a recycle bin filled with cheap bottles of empty beers but on the fridge stood multiple bottles of top shelf spirits. Not for the first time, Draco wondered, 'Who is this guy?'

Jamie went over to the dresser where Draco's suit was folded neatly, his phone resting on top. "I figured I'd bring it up here when we closed last night. The cleaners have it in their heads that I can't clean my own office, they would have just dumped it in the lost and found."

"Thank you." Draco took his bundle but flipped open his phone straight away. 27 missed calls from his father starting at 7:04, it was now 9:37. "Oh fuck, I am so bloody sorry. He's going to kill me."

"I was tempted to answer, just to tell him to fuck right off." James said easily.

"That is something I'd love to see." He laughed.

"He does realise it's Sunday right? Day of rest for a lot of people."

"He knows." Draco sighed. "He just doesn't care. I should really call him back."

"Sure." James nodded. "Do you want a cuppa?"

"I should really let you get some sleep." Draco said, wracked with guilt. "Have I mentioned that I'm incredibly sorry yet?"

James smiled. "A few times yeah. Don't stress though, I've got a delivery soon anyway."

"Then I'd love a tea." He put his suit down on the kitchen table and held up his phone. "I'll just call my very own personal stalker shall I?"

"Feel free to use the balcony." James said flicking on the kettle. "It's small but it's quiet."

"Thank you." He walked to the glass door and stepped onto the metal frame. It was big enough for a small table, two chairs and yet another herb garden.

"Draco you are ridiculously irresponsible!" His father said angrily as soon as Draco had rung.

"I'm sorry father I,"

"Yes I know, the Parkinson girl rang your mother." He cut Draco off. "Who leaves their phone in their car? What if it was an emergency?"

"As I said I'm sorry."

"This isn't good enough Draco."

Draco took a deep breath and stretched out his neck. "Was there something you needed from me?"

"Yes, I will be picking you up an hour earlier tomorrow." It was scaring how fast he could flip from disappointed dad mode, into CEO of a multinational. "We're meeting with Riddle prior to discuss the future of both companies."

"Father no, you promised the board that you wouldn't make any decisions until after the meeting."

"It's merely a formality. Anyone in that room with a lick of sense will know that getting in bed with Riddle is a good idea."

"It's not father!"

"That's enough." Lucius yelled. "I've given your opinions on the matter more time than they're worth. Riddle and I have come up with a plan that will finally, once and for all, wipe out our competition."

"Father,"

"I said enough." Lucius said firmly. "I will see you in the morning."

Before Draco could attempt to argue further, his father had hung up. "Asshole." He kicked the railing.

"Pleasant chat then?" James asked as Draco walked back in. "Sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop, you were loud. I don't know how you take your tea. Milk? Sugar? Honey?"

"Can I do it?" No one ever got Draco's tea right, James just smiled and put the condiments on the table. "My father is the most stubborn, reckless man I have ever had the misfortune to meet. He's gone and got himself wrapped up with a man that I frankly feel is dangerous and now they're planning to take out a competitor. He's going to destroy us."

"Competition?" James said carefully, sitting down across from Draco.

"It could only be one group, no one else gets him that angry." Draco groaned when the first sip hit his lips. "He's always had a bit of a bee in his bonnet about the Potter Corporation. They've beat him out on a few too many contracts. God I hope whatever it is, isn't illegal."

Draco noticed James' knuckles go white against his mug. "Is that likely? The illegal thing?"

"I'd like to say that it's not." Draco sighed. "But I honestly don't know. I don't think anything would surprise me at this point. We're talking about the man that knocked down an orphanage."

James swallowed and nodded once. "So, aside from being ripped a new one by your doting dad, what does Draco Malfoy do with his Sunday?"

Draco took a long drink. "Draco Malfoy is planning to head home, shower, put on some of his own clothes, eat his weight in chocolate and read something truly pretentious. Have you got any recommendations for me?"

James laughed. "I think we've established that you're the expert there."

"What about you." Draco asked, hugging his mug and leaning forward. "How does James Black entertain himself?"

"Well as I said I have a delivery coming later. 23 pallets of alcohol need to find a home somehow. Then I'll probably go and see my godfather."

Draco drank deeply. "Are you close with him?"

"Yeah he's great. He's more like a best mate than a parental figure." James was smiling, but it wasn't what Draco would call happy. "I trust him with everything. When my parents passed, he was the one who understood what I was feeling the most. He let me do my own thing for a while, still does actually."

"Oh I'm so sorry." Draco said quietly. "When, how, never mind. That was entirely inappropriate, you don't have to answer."

"Don't worry it's fine." James waved him off. "It happened just as I finished university. Last day of exams to be exact. They were on their way up to take me out to celebrate. Car accident, they died at the scene. It's coming up to 7 years."

Draco was speechless. "I honestly don't know what to say. That's terrible."

James nodded. "Yeah, it's better now though, than it was I mean. I miss them every day, but it doesn't hurt as much."

Draco smiled sadly at him. "And here I was thinking that we would partake in mindless small talk over a pot of truly amazing tea and I'd leave you with my number."

James cracked a large smile that stole the air from Draco's lungs. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who has the patience for small talk. I wouldn't turn down the number though, seems terribly inconvenient not having it, not to mention awkward to talk to you through Pansy."

"She would survive. God knows I've seen her flirt enough over the years."

Their conversation, despite James' words, drifted onto lighter topics. Football, music and art. By the time James walked Draco to his car, he found himself not wanting to leave.

"So how long exactly is this going to go on for?" Draco pulled out his sunglasses from the centre console.

"What's that then?" James was leaning against the metal railing.

"The flirting of course. Don't get me wrong, I have no issue in eyeing up a gorgeous entrepreneur but are you ever planning to ask me for a drink? I'm a busy man you see, I really do need schedule these things."

James flashed that smile again. "Thursday?"

Draco nodded and got in his car. Winding down the window he said, "Call me."

"I might just do that."

Draco smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot and down the alley. He should learn to leave his things in random places more often..

"Sirius," Harry said to his god father's voicemail. "Call me back, we need to talk."

Making his way back to his small flat, above the place he worked so hard for, he pulled out the small chest he kept under his bed. It had been over a year since he had opened it. It was full to bursting with papers, mementos, photos, all kinds of knick knacks from the life he tried to walk away from. He put aside his degree from Cambridge that he never actually got around to framing. He ignored the many articles that were written about his parents accident. He pushed it all aside until he found the stack of photos at the very bottom.

He riffled through the mix, they were all of him. There were photos from uni and high school. Photos of him and his parents or his friends. Every one of them had Harry smiling in a way he hadn't for almost 7 years. Finally towards the bottom of the stack he found the one he was looking for.

Two boys stood, smiling and waving at the camera. Both faces were covered with chocolate, their arms around each other's shoulders. Turning the card over, his mothers neat hand writing said;

Harry and Draco, Halloween 1984

TBC

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