The Impatient Man and His Suit

And Boundaries Began Their Descent

Suddenly we found ourselves mulling about at the old Hogsmeade station, waiting in the misty silence for the train. The air outside held a pleasant humidity that made the foliage around smell sweet and our coats feel warmer. Standing a good length from my blonde companion, I sulked by a pillar and drew circles in the dust covering the concrete with my shoe. Instead of the usual devastation that seemed to debilitate me and my emotions, I felt stressed so much to the point that it pulsated through me like a repeating strike of lightning. Instead of being fazed by each electric shock, I was left with energy oddly powered by a screw-all source. Unbeknownst to Draco, I had reconciled within myself that I was going nowhere.

"I still have my pendant on, can't we just apparate there?" I questioned. I had assumed by then that as a traditional wizard, Draco's most preferred mode of transport must have been teleportation. Therefore, trying my utmost to be considerate and thoughtful, I prompted my question with the intent of reducing his stress which I predicted had rooted in a constant accommodation to my muggle needs.

Sucking in a great deal of air and taking time to steadily blow it all out, he began with a thoughtful tone, "No. I want time to walk about and think to myself. Besides, I left mine at home."

Staring at him, I wanted desperately to have my eyes penetrate his skull so that I might have a glimpse into the ideas that were swarming in his head. At this point, I couldn't quite doubt that I took up a great percentage of his thoughts, considering that I was always in a threatened position as his somewhat dependent. Moving my eyes to the ground, I meditated on my bizarre life and the events that brought the two of us together. It was fun to entertain the idea of fate.

In regard to being consistent, I kept silent during the full duration of our excursion and simply enjoyed the security and adventure provided via Draco. He truly was a companion to me and a leading one at that. With rare exception, every time he was by my side I could disappear behind the curtain of my thoughts and mindlessly yield to his every move. I was hardly required to make many decisions and often submitted happily to my role of subservience.

By the time of our arrival to Hogsmeade, the sun had already set and the beautiful town had exploded with bright and vivid post-Christmas-day festivities. But to my surprise, Draco had quickly strolled through the courtyard and into the Leaky Cauldron. Shuffling behind him, I watched his back while he walked nonchalantly, his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets and his gaze directed heavenward the whole time. We gathered many unfriendly gazes as we strolled on, yet they didn't seem to faze my escort one bit. After dipping in and out, we quickly found ourselves meandering the comfortably uncongested sidewalks of central London. The streetlamps paired with the light emitting from strips of shops and restaurants were bright and diverse in coloring on the black asphalt of the empty roads barricading us. Draco slowed to a saunter as he kept his head directed toward the many restaurants lining our path. I allowed a mild smile as I watched him peruse his options. Finally, he slowed to a stop in front of a small hole-in-the-wall Korean barbeque, scratched his head, and reached for the door.

"I'm ordering for you. I'm starved," he voiced the moment we seated ourselves.

Two steaming bowls full of short-rib stew were placed before us as well as an array of colorful side dishes and two small metal bowls overflowing with white fluffy rice. Strangely enough, this choice of richly flavored inner-city-cruiser-type London dining quite suited the other side of Draco's personality. On one hand, he was an introvert living alone in the middle of the country, chopping his own firewood and finding pleasure in reading books about mental habits, hence the book title "Perseverance". And on the other hand, he was a fully grown man bearing minor traits to his past of haughty and snobbish student-habitude. In conclusion, the latter best explained his unusual dining choice of the night.