Yes, Chef

Harry groaned as the Saturday morning light poured into the window above his bed. The air was cold and he wanted to bury himself deeper into the warm plush comforter that Zabini had convinced him to buy two years ago after seeing the old blanket that used to be on Harry’s bed after getting him to bed one night after a pub night. Harry flipped onto his back, cocooning the blankets around him as he began the mental checklist of everything packed in his overnight bag from changes of clothes, his travel toothbrush, and enough yen and gold hidden away in a mokeskin pouch that Harry could probably buy a new restaurant.

Harry did have alternative motives for bringing that much money and it all came down to acquiring a new chef knife while he was in Japan that specifically was made with Aogami No. 2 steel and had damascus layering. 

He was so excited . 

They were planning on leaving after the first dinner service that evening at eight, letting Pansy go ahead of them to claim the rooms and Rich running the second service himself, so that Blaise, Draco, and Harry would arrive in Japan at three in the morning. Harry felt a little neurotic about leaving the restaurant again on a day it was open and this was the compromise so that they didn’t arrive in Japan at nine in the morning and be expected to go try Sake and the one Japanese whisky distillery Harry was interested in checking out immediately and allowing them to get some semblance of sleep. 

Harry gave a small huff before kicking off his covers, facing the fall air that was seeping into the house and rushing to the bathroom to put the shower on at a scalding heat. He went through the motions he did every morning, today choosing a red chef coat with golden flowers that creeped up the sides of the coat. He pulled on his trousers and shoved his feet into his non-slip trainers before heading down the stairs to make himself a coffee. As he bustled about, mindlessly pulling a cigarette out and lighting it he set his wards to accept his mail while he was gone. As he snapped the plastic lid on the paper takeaway cup, he accio ’d his overnight bag and shrunk it to fit inside his normal work bag. After rechecking the wards and locks, Harry felt satisfied enough to apparate over to Canis, Lupus, Et Cervum to meet with his sous chef who he had entrusted to make the trip to Oxford for him that morning. 

When Harry arrived, he realized he was the only one who had arrived and hummed, sipping his coffee and smoking his cigarette as he walked to the office and settled behind the desk to place his orders for the new menu that was American inspired and sent out a couple of memos to specific vendors. He checked his copy of the menu from Hana, the Michelin star restaurant they would be visiting in Tokyo and ran his fingers over the coarse paper with black cherry blossoms adorning it, the menu written with delicate gold lettering. Harry didn’t think that his friends had tried omakase before and had booked a twenty four course dinner, knowing that the price and money would be well worth it. It wasn’t even the most expensive option he could have chosen and a lot of the bites were smaller, but he was rather looking forward to the experience that came with it. Harry hadn’t fully read the menu yet seeing how he wanted to be surprised, but he couldn’t help but appreciate the elegant touches that adorned it. He pulled his notebook out of his pocket and jotted down make the menus more aesthetically pleasing before closing the book and tucking the menu into his work back along with the notebook. 

Harry hadn’t even realized what time it was until Blaise came into the office, letting out an undignified yelp as Harry looked up at him. 

“Mate! I’ve been wondering where you were, Rich said he hadn’t seen you all day. Bloody hell, you scared me,” Blaise said, dramatically holding a hand to his chest. 

“Scared you? I’m quite literally just sitting here,” Harry said, standing up and stretching his now stiff limbs. 

“You’re never in the office this late. It’s four in the bloody afternoon, Harry. Rich did all the prep by himself, but he said he had it under control,” Blaise said, moving around the desk to shove Harry out from behind it. 

“You know what? Hell yeah. I wasn’t looking forward to it honestly, I’m a bit tired today. While you’re doing payroll give Rich a 3% salary increase, would you? He’s been stepping it up a lot lately, don’t you think?” Harry said, plopping into the seat on the other side of the desk. 

“Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter? You seem relaxed and willing to let others do the work for you, who are you?” Blaise teased, opening the ledger that was tucked under his arm and made the adjustment to Rich’s pay. 

“Mate, it’s so nice actually letting someone help me. Rich is really skilled, but I was so aggressive with wanting this place to run exactly how I imagined I let things slip. This is a bit nice,” Harry said, lighting a cigarette and taking a pull, wandlessly spelling the smoke to disappear so it was as if he wasn’t smoking inside at all. 

“Well, I haven’t seen you this relaxed in almost four years, Harry, so keep the changes, yeah? Keep you from throwing your all at work,” Blaise commented as he continued to write on the ledger. 

“Throwing my all at work? What do you mean?” Harry asked as he stood, realizing he really should check on the kitchen. 

“Means I’m a big fan of whatever this is you’ve got going on now, mate. You always give everything well over a hundred percent and I’m quite glad to see you giving it just a hundred so you can feel a bit more at ease,” Blaise said with a wave of his hand. “Go on, check on your ruddy back of house crew. I’ll come get you when it’s time for the portkey and Goldstein is already confident that he can carry the second service by himself on drinks,” Blaise said, snapping his fingers and pulling a parchment out of his pocket and setting it in the outgoing box, letting the paper disappear with a small poof! . “Almost forgot to submit his liquor order,” Blaise grumbled, fixing some numbers as Harry smiled softly at the man and headed back to the kitchen to check where his staff was in prepwork. 

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When they landed in Tokyo’s portkey office, he didn’t expect to see a ramen vending machine in that very office that seemed extremely inviting at that moment. 

“Oh, now that’s brilliant,” Harry breathed, immediately going over to it. 

“What even is that?” Draco asked, trailing behind him and casting a subtle translation charm on Harry’s glasses. Harry gestured for him to get closer and fed the machine a couple of coins before picking out two bowls of ramen, one a spicy miso with udon noodles and the other a rich pork broth with traditional ramen noodles, before the machine whirred and made noise, two bowls appearing in the dispenser. Harry collected them and placed them in a bag from the caddy next to the machine and felt his mouth watering.

“That, my love, was a ramen vending machine . Who knew you could get ramen from a vending machine!” Harry said excitedly, both him and Draco beginning to be steered out of the office by an amused Blaise. 

“What’s a vending machine?” Draco asked, eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

“A vending machine is a muggle invention where they stock it usually with snacks or drinks and you feed it money and it will then let you select the item you want and it comes out of a dispenser,” Harry explained nearly all in one breath. Draco shot Blaise an even more confused look and Blaise shrugged. 

“Well, I’m glad you found a ramen vending machine, Potter, but let’s get to the hotel. I’d like to see my wife and see what she had gotten up to for the evening, if you don’t mind,” Blaise said, directing them through the streets that were filled with bright lights and people still milling about. Harry began pointing out different things like a child and they were just around the corner when he spotted a sign with big red and orange seven and green words that said eleven. 

“Is that a convenience store?” Harry asked, immediately attracted to it like a moth to a flame.

“Looks like it, but come on where almost-”

“I wonder what they’ve got that’s different,” Harry interrupted Blaise, completely undeterred as he made his way to the black doors and pushed them open. He was immediately bombarded by the rows of snacks and the large cooler full of freshly made goodies that then led to the drinks that wrapped around more than half the store’s wall. There were sausages rolling on a heater and food under warmers, a tea machine and an ice chest filled with little plastic takeaway cups of ice off to the side. The bright fluorescent lights were a contrast from the ones outside that lit the night sky and Harry immediately started roaming the shelves, leaving Blaise to try and redirect him while Draco began examining some of the snacks on the shelves. 

“Harry, please darling, the hotel is right around the corner. We can come back when we set all our belongings down,” Blaise tried, and Harry shot him a look.

“That requires me to go back out and I much rather pick out some drinks and snacks now so I can get into my joggers and settle in,” Harry said as he proceeded to pick out a couple of snacks off the shelves before opening the drink cooler. 

“He does have a point,” Draco said absently, his own snacks in his hands as he began to look over the drinks as well. 

“Oh bloody hell, I have to be the adult,” Blaise muttered before letting out an exasperated sigh and looking over the shelves himself, darting his eyes before picking out a couple of crisps and cakes that seemed to be interesting. As Blaise headed to the drinks, Harry and Draco made their way to the cooler full of prepared foods and chose a spam onigiri to share, a fruit sandwich, and dumplings with a special gyoza sauce. 

“Do you think we need ice chips?” Draco asked, looking at the cooler as he offloaded all his items into Harry’s arms, who now had a plastic bag on his arm and an overflowing armful of snacks, drinks, and food while Draco fiddled with the tea machine.

“No, we can just use a cooling charm,” Harry said with a shrug before heading over to the counter and unloading everything to be rung up. Blaise slunk up next to him and set down what he chose into Harry’s pile, shooting him a look when Harry made a face. 

“You dragged me in here, you’re paying,” Blaise said, moving back to let Draco set down a takeaway cup of tea. 

“Fair enough,” Harry said, letting the attendant bag everything before pulling out the required yen and taking their purchases. 

“Now we can head to the hotel,” Harry said proudly as if he had just won the world’s greatest prize. 

“Yes, of course, my apologies,” Blaise said before leading the two out the doors again with a quick thank you. 

“This tea is rather nice,” Draco commented as he took up stride next to Harry. 

“Well, Japan is rather known for their tea,” Blaise said, watching the two men with a fond amusement at their antics. 

“What's England known for? Housing Harry Potter?” Draco asked, tone teasing. 

“If it is, why must I pay taxes to Gringotts?” Harry snorted, letting the comment roll off his back. 

“Because even the rich pay taxes, Saviors included,” Blaise mused as he led him into a skyscraper building that looked to be almost made of glass. “Here we are, gents, Pansy said she would wait in the lobby with the key cards when it was close for us to portkey in,” Blaise said as they went through the revolving door. 

Pansy was draped over a black velvet wingback chair, picking at her cubicles. She looked up when she heard the doors, raising one eyebrow as Harry approached her laden with plastic bags. 

“Already went shopping then?” She asked, rising gracefully and passing a keycard to Draco. 

“Just some snacks. Let's go up so we can get comfortable and try everything,” Harry said, bouncing on his heels a bit. “It'll feel like a sleepover. Never had one of those growing up unless you count the end of summer break when I'd stay with the Weasleys or after the war when we'd all stay at each other's flats to not be alone. I want the real experience,” he finished, looking so excited that no one wanted to even consider saying no. 

“Well come on then. Let's get comfortable and try snacks and gossip,” Pansy said, leading the three men to the lifts. They began mindlessly chatting as they waited for the lifts to bring them up to their floor, all filing out once they reached floor fifteen. “Come, darling, we're just down here. We'll meet you two in your room,” Pansy said, starting down the hall to lead Blaise to their room. 

“See you,” Harry said, following Draco and feeling his arms getting a little tired from holding all the bags. Once the duo had found their room, Draco scanned the key card and let them in and flipped on the lights. Harry placed all the snacks on the bed and pulled out his work bag from his pocket, unshrinking it before pulling out his overnight bag as well and unshrinking that as well. 

The room was quite modern with a luxurious white comforter that had red flowers embroidered on the soft material, white walls with light coloured wood for the furniture. A black chesterfield style couch sat near the window facing a large television, the walls decorated with paintings of trees and rivers as the bulbous lights from the light fixtures reflected off the oil. A tan coloured bathroom door was on a black track and secured from the top of the door and Harry watched as Draco slid it open like a barn door.  There was a desk near the front door with a full-length mirror on the wall next to it and the glass doors attached to floor to ceiling windows on the other side of the room opened up to a small balcony. There were two small caddy's on the dresser that was across from their bed that had tea service and a mini bar, a small fridge next to it. 

Harry opened his bag and pulled out a pair of joggers and a worn out Gryffindor quidditch shirt before unbuttoning his chef coat and kicking off his shoes and trousers to pull on the more comfortable materials. He cast a quick cleaning charm at himself before getting on the king sized bed to unpack all their goods from the 7-eleven. 

Draco came back out into the main room wearing a pair of black joggers and a green Slytherin quidditch shirt before settling on the bed next to Harry. 

“I would like to try this ramen from that vending machine first,” Draco said, reaching for the bowl that had the pork broth. 

“Be my guest, I don't think I've eaten today so I'm looking forward to trying everything,” Harry replied, tucking into his own spicy miso ramen. Their door made a soft clicking sound as Pansy let herself and Blaise in and Draco raised an eyebrow at the two who made their way to the bed and kicked off their shoes. 

“Just let yourselves in like uncivilized people who can't knock,” Draco chided, scooting up against the pillows to allow the two up on the bed. 

“Darling, if you think I was going to let either of you carry both keycards after almost missing the portkey back to London from France, you must be thick,” Pansy retorted, picking up a bag of prawn flavored crisps and opening the package. 

“I must say, I'm loving the house pride between you two. McGonagall would love our blatant display of inter house unity, I must say,” Blaise said, picking up a milky cold tea drink. 

“If I had been sorted into Slytherin like the Sorting Hat wanted, we would just be among Slytherins. Instead I'm your token Gryffindor,” Harry said off handedly, bringing the bowl up to his lips and drinking the broth before vanishing it completely to see three pairs of eyes on him in disbelief. “What?” He asked, furrowing his brow as he reached for the onigiri. 

“What do you mean you were almost sorted into Slytherin?” Draco pressed, one eyebrow raised incredulously. 

“Exactly what I said. The hat suggested Slytherin, but I, er, didn't have the greatest impression on the house before that so I asked for Gryffindor,” Harry shrugged, unwrapping the package and taking a bite from the tip of the triangle. 

“Are you implying that my eleven year old self insulting Weasley’s family resulted in you choosing Gryffindor ,” Draco demanded. 

“Oh, he's pretty too. I'm not implying, I'm saying that’s partially why I chose Gryffindor. The other reason was the lunatic who murdered my parents was a Slytherin. Besides, I had to live with the bloody psychopath in my head for nearly seventeen years. I'm sure the Hat just picked up that Riddle was in my scar,” Harry said, taking another bite before passing it to Draco. 

“Harry, Darling, what do you mean he was in your head?” Pansy questioned, shooting Draco a look to keep quiet despite him looking scandalized, crumpling her packet and vanishing it before choosing a matcha cream cake to try. 

“Er… we didn't necessarily make it public knowledge, but when the killing curse rebounded off me as a baby, Voldemort accidentally created his seventh horcrux, which was me. When he went through periods of high emotions, I was susceptible to seeing through his mind after he returned after fourth year. It's why Snape tried to teach me Occlumency in fifth year under Dumbledore’s request. When he tried to kill me during the battle he only succeeded in killing the part of his soul that was in me. I really did die, but I chose to come back,” he explained, shifting uncomfortably as he snagged a packet of crisps from the pile. 

“He made seven horcruxes? That's extremely dark magic and he made seven? No wonder he didn't look bloody human!” 

“You were taking Occlumency lessons from Snape ?” 

“You saw into his mind ?”

“You died at the Battle of Hogwarts? You're having me on, that's- you survived being AK’d twice ?” 

The trio kept flinging questions at Harry, basically parroting back what he had told him. He gave them all a pointed look before popping a crisp into his mouth and swallowed it before replying. 

“It's rather a long story, quite honestly. I have had a madman after me since I was eleven and fought for my life each year until he died. Honestly, what twelve year old should face a Basilisk?  You know, Draco, your dad had one of the horcruxes. He slipped it into Ginny’s cauldron at Flourish and Botts in second year right after Lockhart demanded I take a bloody picture with him,” Harry mused, popping another crisp in his mouth. 

“I have so many questions and a lot of them revolve around questioning why Dumbledore didn't do anything,” Blaise said, leaning back on his elbows as he picked at a cake. 

“If this is what we're getting into tonight, I'm going to need you to pour me one of those bottles from the bar caddy,” Harry snorted, scooting back to settle against the pillows. He leaned his head against Draco’s shoulder wearily who wrapped an arm around his shoulders to bring him a little closer. 

By the time Harry had a two drinks, he had given a simplified version of his time at Hogwarts and his time with his maternal family, not delving into the too personal details he most likely would never share with anyone like elaborating how he was Nagini when she attacked Arthur Weasley in the Department of Mysteries in fifth year. By the end, he felt emotionally exhausted, Draco having begun to rub small circles into his arm as he traced the tattoo of the Horn Tail on his arm that was holding his glass. An uncomfortable silence was on the group before Blaise took a breath, rubbing a hand over his face. 

“Bloody hell, mate, fuck Dumbledore,” he said which came with noises of agreement from the other two Slytherins. Harry snorted and set the glass down and vanished the wrappers on the bed along with any crumbs. 

“I guess one could say that,” Harry said softly, taking comfort in the warm body next to him. He wrapped one arm around Draco’s waist and felt Draco drop a kiss on the top of his head while they began to discuss less disheartening topics, but it wasn't too long after Harry felt his eyelids get heavy as he drifted into a comfortable sleep and listening to the soft murmur of his favorite Slytherins. 

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When Harry woke, he was under the covers with his arms wrapped around a warm body that was curled into his chest. What was odd was the warm body that was behind him and he opened one eye and raised his head only to see that Draco had Pansy holding him from behind while Draco was buried face first in his chest so Harry could only assume that Blaise was behind him. Harry let out a soft noise and rubbed his eyes before summoning his glasses so he could see better. The clock on the nightstand behind Pansy revealed it was ten in the morning, the soft sunlight filtering into the large windows of the room. Draco shifted and lifted his head, eyes a little bleary from sleep. 

“They ended up staying. Both of them fell asleep while we were talking so I just shifted them to where they fit,” Draco said softly. 

“That's okay,” Harry said softly and kissed Draco’s head, worming his way out of between Draco and Blaise so he could get out of bed. He motioned that he was going to take a shower and slid open the bathroom door before closing it again, stretching his limbs. Harry undressed after turning on the water, letting it get hot before stepping under to let the sleep wash away from his brain. He mindlessly went through the motions of washing his hair and his body, silently thanking Draco for unpacking his toiletries, and stood there for a few minutes under the warm spray before shutting off the water. He toweled off and went about brushing his teeth and fixing his hair, letting a few curls brush his forehead. When he finally exited the bathroom with a towel around his waist, Pansy and Blaise were gone and Draco was sitting on the bed with his clothes. 

“I'll be ready in a few,” Draco said, eyes trailing a small droplet of water that ran down Harry’s chest and cleared his throat while standing. 

“I just have to get dressed and then I'll be ready,” Harry said walking to Draco and giving him a small kiss before moving over to his bag to pick out a black long sleeved button down with gold leaf designs and black slacks. Draco let out a small noise before disappearing to the bathroom and the sound of the shower starting filled the silence. Harry got dressed and tied his combat boots before spraying himself with his cologne and sliding on a wand holster that was charmed to be undetectable by muggles. He went to stand in front of the full length mirror before, adjusting his collar so the tattooed snake wasn't as visible before filling a cup with water with a flick of his hand and casting a strong warming charm so he could make a cup of tea. 

The clock read eleven by the time Draco reemerged from the loo, hair left down but charmed dry and wavy. He was wearing white button down with a light blue fitted jumper and grey jeans that disappeared into his own pair of boots, the soft scent of lavender and vanilla escaping from the bathroom behind him. 

“You look brilliant,” Harry said, setting his tea down to walk forward and wrap his arms around Draco’s waist. 

“I always look brilliant, ta ever so,” Draco said with a small smile and leaned forward to press his lips against Harry's. At that moment, their door clicked and a groan filled the room as Blaise pushed open their room door. 

“Come on, boys. If you don't break apart now, we'll never leave,” Blaise teased, holding the door open. Harry rolled his eyes and broke away from Draco, grabbing his pouch and intertwining his fingers with Draco before walking over to the door. 

“Please, you were enjoying our little cuddle session this morning,” Harry retorted as they left the room and made their way to the lifts. 

“I'll have you know you're quite warm,” Blaise sniffed as he pressed the button for the lift to open. 

“Was… I'm confused about what that remark was. Was it a compliment? An insult?” Harry asked, walking into the lift when the doors slid open. 

“Don't worry about it,” Blaise replied, adjusting his coat and stuffing his hands in his pockets. Pansy and Draco were exchanging amused looks as the lift brought them down to the lobby and they walked out, making their way to the self-serve coffee so Harry could make himself a cup and the others could pick at what was left over from breakfast at the pastry bar.

 Once the items were collected, they continued onto the street, Harry pulling out a cigarette and lighting it wandlessly and bringing it to his lips, rummaging his hand a little bit in his pocket to make it seem like he had used a lighter. The began walking, Harry managing to hold the coffee in one hand with the cigarette tucked between his fingers so he could let his free hand be intertwined with Draco’s as they walked. 

“It's a bit warm for full on long sleeves, innit?” Harry asked as they approached the apparition point. 

“You're both wearing long sleeves,” Pansy said, adjusting her black jumper dress and the diamond choker that rested on her throat. 

“Well I didn't look up the bloody weather,” Harry said and rolled his eyes. 

“Talking about the bloody weather like you're grandmas,” Blaise mused as they stepped forward. Harry made a noise of disapproval before they were snatched up and popped out behind a couple of Japanese maple trees on a gravel path that led to the sake brewery they were going to. On the same property was a Japanese Whisky distillery that was accessible through a marked path on the grounds. This had been decided to be their one “stop” for sampling that day as they also featured not only their own sake and whisky, but also according to the online guide had several other local distillers’ products in their tasting room to showcase the region. 

It also just felt easier to knock it all out so Harry could eventually drag everyone back to the city to look at knives before their eight o’clock reservation. 

The leaves on the towering trees around them were changing and fluttering to the ground as they began towards the wooden steps of Kenja no ishi. Pansy flicked a translation charm at the group and Harry watched as the words rearranged to Philosopher's Stone in English and let out a snort, pushing open the wooden door that led them inside. 

“What's so funny, Harry?” Draco questioned, raising an eyebrow as they walked in. 

“I didn't bother translating the name when you were scrolling on the computer at home. It's ironic that in English the name is Philosopher's stone because old snake face tried to kill me over it in first year,” Harry said, following behind Pansy and Blaise as they were led to a comfortable seating area with a low coffee table and plush leather chairs that surrounded a stone fireplace. There were coasters on the table and Harry ended up settling into one of the chairs closest to the fire. 

“I can't believe you still faced a troll that year,” Pansy said, taking a glance at the menu as she sat. “Just didn't even believe it when I first heard about it. What eleven year old knows how to fight a troll?” She questioned. 

“Er- I kinda just winged it,” Harry shrugged. He was saved from the conversation when a waitress came up to the table and Draco ordered them a flight each of plum wine, unfiltered sake, and filtered sake. At the last minute he also added one more sake to the order before turning back to the group. 

“Sobering charms,” Draco said with a wave of his hand as Blaise had one eyebrow raised. 

When the sake came, Draco took it upon himself to explain why he chose each one and explained that the plum wine would be sweet, the unfiltered sake had nice floral notes and was a bit dry, one of the filtered sake was a bit sweeter but still not as sweet as the wine, and the last was more dry and not very sweet at all. 

Harry started with the plum wine, puckering his lips a bit at the fruity taste. 

“That is rather sweet,” he said hesitantly, watching as the trio had started with a different glass. 

“It's supposed to be very sweet. Some floral, but it's made of plums. It's rather popular with fried chicken dishes to balance the salt,” Draco explained. Harry supposed he could understand  that logic and just kept taking small sips constantly until he had drained the glass. There were other patrons around them immersed in their own conversations while Harry chose one of the clear sakes next. Their group chatted quietly to be respectful to the others around them, discussing ways that they could incorporate the sake into drinks, food, or into the menu in general. 

Harry rather liked the first clear one that he tried due to likening the floral and more fruity notes of it more on this one than the plum wine before he had moved on to the milky looking sake on his flight. This one had a more creamy texture with a full mouth feel, but the bits of floral notes still broke through. His eyes drifted to the large bay windows that were situated along the back of the distillery that seemed to open to a back porch and flower garden that had brightly colored leaves of reds, yellows, and burnt orange decorating the landscape. 

The establishment itself seemed warm and comforting, like a cabin in the woods that offered asylum away from the bustling urban city they were outside of. The crisp mountain air was refreshing when they had been outside, the breeze almost slightly cooler now that they didn't have large skyscrapers to break the wind. 

They continued drinking, the last one being more crisp and fresh than the others, and chatted for a while as they still relaxed around the fire before deciding to move on to trying to find the Whisky distillery on the property. Draco had put down some yen before they began walking back outside, Harry now glad he wore longer sleeves as Pansy had to cast a warning charm almost immediately. 

Silence fell over the group as they walked through the back garden, finding a path that had stones aligning it and starting upon it. There was the soft sound of water running in the distance as the sunlight created a large array of colors through the leaves above them. The sounds of birds and serene quiet enveloped the group, Harry gently taking Draco's hand as they crossed a bridge. 

“This really is beautiful,” Harry said softly, not wanting to break the spell that the surrounding nature had them under. 

“It is quite nice, isn't it? I think Autumn is one of my favorite seasons honestly,” Draco said, squeezing Harry’s hand. 

“I like spring. It's not too cold and everything comes back to life,” Harry said, finally seeing a building further up the path that had two large stone pillars marking the path's end. 

“I like the colder weather,” Draco replied, leading Harry up stone stairs as they finally met the end of the path. Pansy and Blaise were in their own little world as the four went into the brick building, pushing open glass doors to be met with a wooden and brick interior with multiple round high tables for them to sit at. Harry barely heard the employee that let them know they could sit wherever they'd like as Draco pulled him along to a high table in a corner. 

“Alright, Potter, will you do the honors of choosing the whisky?” Blaise teased, peeking around them before asking a sobering charm at the group. Harry groaned as his stomach gave a gentle roll before taking a look at the menu before him. He ran his fingers over the words as the server came up to them. 

“Good afternoon, what would you like to taste?” Their waiter asked promptly. Harry looked at the long list of different whiskies and their regions before answering. 

“We'll each do a flight. Let's try the Suntory Yamazaki 12 year old Whisky. I see that there's notes of sherry, spice, and a touch of smoke? Sounds lovely. Then we'll do the Nikka Coffey Grain since it's more vanilla and honey and spice… then the Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu The Peated,” Harry said, pausing for a moment. 

“The malt is quite rare. Notes of peat, citrus, and sweetness,” the gentleman said with a nod of approval. 

“Yes, that would do, and then we will do your Whisky. The Hanyu Iwai Tradition. It looks interesting with the fruit, spice, and wood,” Harry finished, taking a peak at a food menu. “Let's also add some shrimp and vegetable tempura, chicken yakitori, and four miso soups, if you would?”

“Very well, good choices, sir,” the waiter bowed slightly and gathered the menus from the table. 

“Thank you,” Harry said as he leaned back a bit to allow the server to set the menu aside and fill their water glasses that were set on the tables before he had turned and left to gather their flights. 

“I’m so glad I've started drinking whiskey,” Pansy said, taking a sip of her water. 

“This is whisky. It's a bit different because it's only distilled in Japan, Canada, and Scotland. Whiskey is distilled in America and Ireland… and one more. Can't remember the name. Then you have cognac which is like whiskey, but can only be made in the cognac region of France. The fine dining restaurant I worked at in New York had a large selection of different Whiskeys and he made it his own pet project to explain all of them to me,” Harry said and almost missed Pansy’s look of apprehension. 

“Sorry I said anything,” she muttered as Blaise laughed fondly. 

“Who would've known you knew so much about whiskey, Harry,” Blaise said, wrapping an arm around Pansy and giving her shoulders a small squeeze. 

“I didn't know you could retain that much,” Draco said in a teasing tone, nudging Harry's arm. 

“Thank you kindly,” Harry said and rolled his eyes, moving back to let their flights be set in front of them. 

Once the flights and food arrived, they fell back into the comfortable banter they had while trying sake, picking at the appetizers that Harry ordered. 

“It's almost three in the afternoon already,” Draco started, dipping a shrimp in ponzu sauce before continuing, “What time is our reservation for tonight?” He asked. 

“It's for eight. I wanted to have time to look at some of the shops for a new knife,” Harry said, taking a sip of the Suntory and feeling it numb his throat just a bit. 

“A new knife? What do you need a new knife for?” Blaise asked, folding his hands on the table. 

“I don't need a new knife, I want a new knife and Japan makes some of the best chef knives in the world,” Harry said, sticking out his tongue before taking another sip of his drink. 

“I feel like I need a nap before dinner,” Pansy said, covering her mouth as she let out a yawn. 

“A nap sounds so nice,” Draco sighed, draining one of his glasses. 

“How about we finish here, you three head back to the hotel and I'll find my knife? Then I'll meet back with Draco and we can head to dinner at quarter to eight?” Harry suggested, picking at the food and mainly focusing on his flight. 

“That sounds brilliant,” Blaise said, finishing his first whisky. 

“I shouldn't be too long, really. We need to remember the charms that allow us to acclimate better to time changes when we go back,” Harry said, rubbing his face a little as he started on his second whisky. 

“I'm inclined to agree with how tired I feel right now,” Pansy said, alternating between sipping water and her whisky. 

They only stayed for another thirty minutes, having chatted more subduedly as they finished their drinks and the food Harry had ordered. Harry set ¥28,119 on the table and they all stood. Harry led them all outside after offering their thanks and moved them to be behind a tall bush so they could apparate without being noticed. Once they landed back at the apparition point in Tokyo, the noises of city life filled their ears as cars passed them and people were walking quickly, some talking into cell phones as they clearly were redirected away from the apparition point with a muggle repelling charm. 

“Alright, I’ll be back in a bit, okay?” Harry said as he let go of Draco’s hand, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“Just don't get into trouble and try to save the world,” Draco said, letting Pansy and Blaise link their arms with him and start leading him towards the hotel. 

“Sure, I'll try,” Harry snorted, feeling his heart tightening. 

It was certainly too soon to say ‘I love you’ wasn't it? 

Harry smiled fondly after them before turning to start his own trek, peeking into shop windows and trying to decide which store he wanted to enter. 

He finally found a store that sold strictly knives and he entered, a little bell jingling above him in the doorway. The shopkeeper barely looked up at him as Harry began looking at the glass display case that had numerous different knife sets, cooking knives, hunting knives, and pocket knives. 

Harry made it to the end of the case, eyes trailing over each one before landing on an absolutely stunning chef knife that came with its own sheath. It was clearly made with Aogami No. 2 steel and used the Damascus technique, but what caught his eye was the beautiful golden Chinese dragon that was etched so delicately in the blade, its beard moving up the blade and the tail curling around the bottom. The scales were so small that Harry wondered how the blacksmith was able to even get the design in and the handle was made of a dark, burnt wood that complemented the charcoal grey blade. The knife sheath was black with The Great Wave off Kanagawa etched into it, but instead of birds the same Dragon as the knife twisted in the sky above the wave. 

Harry knew this was the knife. 

“How much for this one?” He asked, finally addressing the brooding shopkeeper. The shopkeeper huffed and came over, gesturing to the price tag that was right below the knife. Harry felt the tips of his ears burn as he muttered that he would take it, watching as the man took it out of the case and sheathed it, wrapping the knife in thick brown paper as Harry counted out the money. 

Once the transaction was complete, Harry took the knife and said a quick thank you before darting out into the street, taking a breath as he was happy he was finally out of the shopkeepers scrutinizing gaze. Harry had no idea what could've garnered that reaction, but he pushed it out of his mind as he made his way back to the hotel. 

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After Harry had shown Draco his new knife, he was forced to abandon it in favor of a nap at five in the afternoon. When they woke again, they had quickly freshened up before meeting Blaise and Pansy in the lobby to head to dinner. Harry had led them through a series of alleys and cut throughs before they finally reached Hana. Harry reached out and knocked on the bamboo door which clicked and opened as they were let in and silently led them to their spot at the sushi bar. Four chefs, three in white and one in red, stood behind the counter on the other side as they got settled in their seats, two different couples coming in behind them quickly after to sit in their spots at the bar. 

“Before we begin, any allergies?” The chef in red asked. When no one responded he took a step back and they were all served with water and given a copy of the menu. “This is tonight's menu, there are no substitutions,” the red chef said again and letting everyone look over the menu, 

Hana 24 Course Omakase Michelin        Experience 

Amuse Bouche / served with Junmai Daiginjo Sake (dry and delicate)

• Kabocha Tempura - lightly battered kabocha squash with a touch of sea salt 
• Steamed Bamboo Shoots with Dashi - tender bamboo shoots with a delicate dashi broth 
• Foie Gras Mousse with Truffle Oil - Rich and decadent foie gras mousse served with toasted brioche 

Hot Appetizers / served with Yamahai sake 

• Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushrooms - steamed egg custard with fragrant matsutake mushrooms and a touch of truffle oil 
• Tsukune - grilled chicken meatballs with a sweet soy glaze and a touch of ginger 
• Agedashi Tofu - crispy fried tofu with a light dashi broth on the side and bonito flakes 
• Grilled Mackerel with Yuzu Kosho - perfectly grilled mackerel with a tangy yuzu kosho sauce

Sushi (1x piece) / served with Chablis 

• Tai - lightly seared sea bream with yuzu kosho
• Hamachi - yellowtail with a slice of jalapeno and a squeeze of lime
• Hotate - Hokkaido Scallops with sea urchin and caviar 
• Akamai - lean tuna with soy sauce and wasabi 
• Chutoro - medium fatty tuna with a touch of garlic chives 
• Otoro - fatty tuna with grated ginger and a touch of ponzu, lightly seared 
• Uni - sea urchin with a squeeze of lemon 
• Ikura - salmon roe with a touch of soy sauce 
• Anago - grilled eel with a sweet soy glaze 
• Kuruma Ebi - sweet shrimp with a touch of yuzu and ikura
• Sake - sockeye salmon with a black truffle olive paste 
• Kinmedai - golden eye snapper with a touch of flaky salt 

Specialty / served with a two ounce pour of each: sparkling sake, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Pinot noir 

• Fugu Shirako - lightly grilled pufferfish milt with ponzu sauce 
• Wagyu A5 - A5 wagyu beef served rare with truffle shavings 
• Abalone - grilled abalone with a touch of sake 

Dessert / served with plum wine and Gyokuro green tea

• seasonal fruit plate with yuzu syrup and grapefruit sorbet 
• matcha ice cream with a red bean paste mochi 

“Twenty four courses? Where am I supposed to even fit all of that?” Pansy hissed quietly as they were served their first drink and amuse bouche. At the same time she cast a subtle Muffliato that was modified for the servers to enter the bubble, but not to allow anyone within two feet of them hear what they were saying. 

“You'll be fine, each course is small,” Harry hissed back, admiring the plating for a simple piece of squash. The small plate was a beautiful white with blue designs along the edges, the singular piece squash sitting on a bed of edible flowers. Harry picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the squash, savoring the light fry and how basic yet delicious the dish was. 

“Who knew fried vegetables would taste this good,” Blaise said, speaking Harry’s thoughts out loud. 

“You say that as if you don't inhale chips at the pub,” Draco chimed in, leaning in to look past Harry so he could see Blaise. 

“Are potatoes vegetables?” Blaise pondered, taking a sip of his sake and looking amused. 

“Bloody hell you help me run a restaurant. Yes potatoes are a vegetable ,” Harry said, shooting Blaise an incredulously look. 

“They just don't get the same treatment as vegetables,” Blaise shrugged, not even attempting to elaborate. The spell around them bent a bit as their waitress cleared their plate and immediately served a small bowl full of bamboo shoots and broth. 

“Just because your mum didn't shove them down your throat trying to get you to eat your leafy greens doesn't mean they aren't vegetables,” he retorted, shooting Pansy a look. 

“Don't look at me, we had an arranged marriage,” she said with a sniff, sipping the warm broth in front of her. 

“Darling, you wound me ever so,” Blaise said dramatically and Draco choked, coughing as a bamboo shoot tickled the wrong side of his throat. 

“You two are perfect for each other. Now, please attempt to not kill me before we make it to the specialty course,” Draco rasped, his free hand finding its way to rest on Harry’s thigh reassuringly. 

“Yes, I'd like it if my partner doesn't die before I get to shag him tonight,” Harry said, which caused Draco to tighten his grip on Harry’s thigh as he choked on another bamboo shoot. 

“You're all trying to kill me! I'll cut all of your bollocks off if you try to kill me again,” Draco exclaimed finally after drinking a full glass of water and some of his sake. 

“Darling? I'm a woman,” Pansy stated simply, pushing her empty bowl to the side. 

“Then I'll make due and cut up that new balenciaga dress you just got,” Draco hissed, finally finishing his bamboo shoots without choking. 

“I will disembowel you, love. Don't even try,” Pansy chided as their bowls were taken and the final starter before appetizers was placed in front of them. 

“I will hold you underwater and you'll choke on your own saliva while you drown,” Draco shot back. 

“Oi, I could give you-”

“If you finish that sentence you're next,” Draco shot at Harry. Harry raised his hands and shrunk in his seat and shot Blaise a look before draining the last sip of his sake. 

“Tensions are a little high tonight, innit?” Harry asked, glancing at Draco. 

“I would say they're a normal level considering you're dealing with portkey lagged Slytherins,” Blaise shrugged, patting Harry’s back. “Don't worry, darling. With some food, we'll all feel better.” 

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Harry finished the last bite of ice cream on his plate, not feeling too full yet not feeling at all hungry. 

“That was perfect. How did you lot like it?” Harry asked, leaning back a bit in his chair as he brought the teacup of green tea to his lips. 

“I think it was unique. I liked the red chef,” Draco said, sipping his plum wine. 

“You're saying that because he gave you an extra piece of wagyu,” Pansy sneered, pouting a bit as she ate a piece of fruit. 

“Ah, yes, I apologize for being gorgeous, darling,” Draco said, teasing the girl. 

“Let's see if you're gorgeous when I get my claws into you. It was almost the best course,” Pansy whined and Harry chuckled, setting out the yen necessary to cover their bill. 

“Now now Pans, let's not try and commit murder,” Blaise chided, fondly running a hand through her hair and Pansy seemed to deflate at the touch. 

“Won't even defend me, Potter? What a terrible boyfriend. At least Blaise is trying to calm her down,” Draco said, folding his arms over his chest and tilting his chin into the air. 

“Brat,” Harry said with amusement and gently tugged on the silky strands. Draco made a squeaking noise and shot Harry a withering look. 

“I shall expect you to make that up to me back in the room because, must I remind you, we're in public ,” Draco said sharply. 

“Then why don't we go somewhere where it's a little more private?” Harry smirked, standing from his seat. 

“If you must insist,” Draco responded with a roll of his eyes, Pansy and Blaise making moves to follow them as well, draining the last of their wine. 

“We should head back anyways. I arranged for a two o’clock portkey back so we would be home at nine in the morning on Monday so we could have a bit of a lie in that day,” Pansy said, following them out of the restaurant. 

“Rich and I will be meeting Tuesday anyway for the tasting, so that works perfectly,” Harry said, stretching once they were on the street. 

“I'm looking forward to the Blueberry and Bourbon sorbet with mint oil,” Blaise chimed in as they began their walk back to their hotel. 

“I think I'm looking forward to the New York Strip,” Pansy said while flashing her canines. 

“Gods help us, we might need to put that one down,” Draco snorted, gesturing towards Pansy. 

“Pans, you'll get your steak. Draco, be nice,” Harry laughed. Draco turned to give Harry an indignant look, but Harry leaned down and wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist and hauled the blond over his shoulder. 

“Harry Potter! Put me down!” Draco yelled, thumping his fists against Harry’s back. Harry felt laughter bubbling at his chest and threw his head back as Draco continued his assault. 

“Do you promise to be nice?” Harry asked, seeing the hotel come in view. 

“I will bite your fucking ear off!” 

“That's not very nice.” 

“I will literally set your carcass on fire!” 

“You're a little feisty right now. That's not very nice either.”

“Bloody hell- fuck! I promise to be nice!” Draco finally laughed, reaching out to Blaise who stuck his tongue out at him. Harry let Draco down right in front of the doors and kissed his lips with a lopsided smile. 

“I just wanted an excuse to carry you,” Harry said while Draco had a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks. Blaise clapped Draco on the shoulder and Pansy draped herself over Harry’s arm as they caught up. 

“Potter, I would love it if you carried me like a sack of potatoes,” Pansy said with a dreamy sigh. 

“You have your own man. Use him,” Draco retorted. Harry rolled his eyes fondly and steered the three inside to the lifts, ready to smoke a cigarette and fall into bed with Draco. 

“I just like utilizing my options,” Pansy replied once they were on the lift. 

“Yes, darling, but Draco would never let you utilize Harry,” Blaise snorted. 

“That's completely right,” Draco sniffed as they made it to their floor and stepped off the lift. The two couples bid goodnight to each other before going their separate ways down the hallway, feeling nice and satiated from the evening. When Draco finally opened their room door, Harry kicked off his boots and shed his shirt, pulling out his pack of cigarettes to set on the coffee table. 

“Little eager?” Draco teased, pulling off his own sweater and unbuttoning his shirt so he could get comfortable. Harry gave Draco a wicked grin before striding forward and pushing Draco down on the bed. 

“Maybe just a little,” Harry breathed, running his hands up the pale expanse of chest. “Actually, I'm more than eager,” he breathed before falling into bed with Draco.