Reconnecting With Old Friends

[Drew Thornton]

The summer seemed to be slipping away and with each passing day, Drew was reminded that he still hadn't gotten an owl from the Academy. Everyone told him it was still early, that letters didn't go out until August, but he was still worried.

To top things off, he hadn't found a job yet. He didn't actually need one, but he had been hoping to have something to keep him busy during the days. As of yet, there was no luck.

After two weeks of hitting the pavement, Drew thought he could take one day to just relax and maybe visit an old friend. His reunion with Franco hadn't gone very smoothly, but in the end things had been worked out and Drew figured hanging out with his old buddy would get his mind off of things for a little while.

Setting down and dismounting his broom, he climbed the steps to the Cross-Eyed Dragon and pushed the door open to find the place fairly empty.

"Yo, Franco!" he called out, figuring his friend was probably in the back.

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco gasped slightly as heard the calling and looked at the little one who fortunatelly had not woke up. The man gestured the house elf to keep a look on the child and quickly walked out the room, closed the door and went down the stairs.

"Hey! shhh! don't yell! Hikaru is asleep" he said almost in a whisper, though it was not necessary, as set foot on the ground floor. The man gave a last look upstairs and as it seemed all quiet there, he relaxed a little bit and went to greet Drew.

"So! How have you been?" he said a little bit unsure of how friendly he should be with that guy. Although he had learnt that they had been friends since years ago, one thing was know it and another different thing was remember it. He hesitated a little bit then just give him a friendly slap at the back, feeling rather stupid though but still trying just to act normal.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew raised his hands in innocence at Franco's response. Drew hadn't expected the kid to be asleep, but wasn't surprised to hear it. "Sorry!" Drew whispered back, swinging his backpack off and moving through the establishment towards his friend.

"Doing good," he answered, giving Franco a light punch in reply. He was still a little wary about playing rough with his old friend, remembering the bruises he had gotten the last time he greeted Franco a little too enthusiastically. Then again, Franco hadn't realized who he was. Even now, Drew wasn't sure Franco fully belived they were friends.

"I wasn't doing anything today and thought I'd see what you were up to. So what's up?" Drew asked, figuring Franco couldn't go out or anything with a kid and all.

Yeah, Drew was still getting used to his buddy being a dad...

[Franco Masuoka]

"Uhmm... not much... as you can see!" he answered with an apologetic gesture around the empty place "It is OK though, at this hour is always like that" he said as walked slowly toward the kitchen and took a bottle made of ceramic, funny looking one, and poured the content on a glass. A dark liquid, looking similar to those made of tea or coffee. A little pick-me-up for times like those.

"Hikaru had some temperature yesterday, but it seems he is fine today. I better take care of myself, It won't be good for him if I get sick" he commented as gave a sip of his drink. "Oh! sorry! do you want a drink? or something?" he offered as just remembered he should attend his guest "my treat!" he said friendly wondering if Drew had had some food already or not.

[Drew Thornton]

"Slow during the summer?" Drew asked, figuring things picked up when Hogwarts was in session. Students couldn't exactly leave the castle grounds, but staff sure could and Franco's place was a good spot to get a cup of coffee. It was probably better if it was quiet if the baby wasn't feeling good.

"What's that you're drinking?" Drew asked, thinking a cold something would be good after his long flight. Franco's beverage looked like it might be warmer than he liked, but he could take an iced tea or coffee.

[Franco Masuoka]

"Uhmm... well... it is called 'seven roots'" he said giving it another drink and filling his glass again though it was not quiet empty, but he wanted to move around for what he though it was better fill it now to not have to return to fill it too soon "Not exactly a healing potion but is good for the cold or the flu. Want to taste it?" he asked as put his glass on the table and opened a cabinet to retrieve a glass for his guest.

"It is not bad really..." he said looking with a questioning look at Drew.

[Drew Thornton]

Seven Roots sounded like a crappy health drink to him, similar to V-8, but he didn't want to offend Franco any, especially since they had just started to reconnect. Besides, anything with wheat-grass was considered a delicacy back home in LA, so he figured he could handle a couple of roots pulverized into a health drink.

"Fill 'er up," Drew answered with a grin, nodding toward the offered beverage. If he didn't like it, he'd wash the taste down with a butterbeer, but at least he'd give it a try.

[Franco Masuoka]

"at your service, Mister" he said jokingly as filled the new glass. He asumed, of course, that Drew had some ethilic culture just like him, not an expert but not a rookie either, and will appreciate the taste of a new drink.

Then placing the bottle on the table he took both glasses and walked to the bar, placing Drew's drink on it and gesturing him to join him.

"Cheers!" he said still in a kidding manner holding his glass up "For... whatever!"

[Drew Thornton]

The glass that he was handed was filled with something that looked like a cross between a strong tea and a weak coffee. Drew took the glass in his hand and raised it in response, finding it funny to toast with something that sounded awfully close the the V-8 juice they sold back home. Of course, it really didn't look much like the hopped up tomato juice they sold in Muggle stores back home.

Didn't taste much like it either. As he took a sip, it felt warmer going down than he had expected. Once it hit his stomach he was aware of a minty sensation, pleasurable enough to take another sip, but surprising enough to take it slowly. The inital sensation was a bit of a kick, but once it went down, it was pretty tasty.

"Ish good," he told his buddy with a wide smile. "You guys drink thistuff in Peru a lot?"

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco smiled as he found funny people tasting that drink for the first time, indeed any alcoholic drink drank for the first time was funny to see, then took a long drink from his own glass.

"Not really. It is produced in certain zones only, near the jungle. But I like it" he said as brought the bottle near and sat down on a bench at the opposite side of the bar and without ask he just filled the glasses again.

"It does not look too tasty but is really good. Indeed I just bought it because the man told me it was good for when you have cough" he said smirking "But after taste it well... you can guess I never used it for that purpose" he said as took another drink.

[Drew Thornton]

So it was a health drink. Drew wasn't usually big on the natural remedies that were the rave back home, never understanding why anyone would purposefully drink soy anything, especially added to gecko biloba, but this one was pretty good, once you got over the initial kick.

"Iduzn look too tasty, budis pridy good," he said, unaware that Franco had just said the very same thing. "Iss okay if I don't have a cough an I still dringit?" he asked, concerned there might be some sort of medication in it that he might not react well too. Then again, if Franco was drinking it without a cough, then it was probably like V-8 after all.

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco eyed his friend as noticed Drew was already speaking funny wondering if he was just faking or Drew really was a rookie.

"Yeah. It is not medicine" he said shrugging at the odd question "It is like you know, when you get low preassure and drink some vodka to get it higher...? Not medicine but works... Are you drunk already?" he asked finally chuckling slightly as still thought Drew was just faking.

[Drew Thornton]

"Voka?" Drew questioned, wondering what hard alchohol had to do with root juices. He had heard of people drinking rum or fire whiskey to warm up when they had a bad chill, but hadn't ever heard of using vodka as a remedy of any sorts.

"Drunk? I not drunk," he objected with a louder than usual snort. Who ever heard of getting drunk off of health drinks? Even if it was medicine, which Franco just said it wasn't, it would take a heck of a whole lot to even get tipsy off of.

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco just smiled at him but as Drew dared to claim that he was not drunk, Franco found even funnier to fill his friend's glass again. If he was not drunk then he could not complain... but ask for more right?

"... You use to speak english better than me..." he commented as re-filled his own glass "Anyway! Cheers again then!" he just said and toasted once more for nothing in particular gesturing Drew to keep drinking wondering how long it would take till Drew accept that he was drunk.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew didn't understand what Franco meant by the whole speaking English thing, but he didn't spend too much time contemplating about it. Right now, he was enjoying the warm buzzing that was going through his head too much. It felt kind of good and had to be what Franco had been talking about when he said it was kind of like a healing potion.

Franco refilled his glass and Drew took another swig, noticing that the drink seemed to go down smoother this time. "Yeah... I like distuff!" he said, wondering if he could find it somewhere outside of Peru. If it had health benifits, it was probably something good to keep around.

He finished off his second helping and placed the glass on the table again, not about to argue if Franco served him again. "Hey, I wone gesick by dringing a bunsh ovdiss stuff, right?"