An Old Superstition
Title: An Old Superstition
Rating: PG 13
Warning: Muggle AU, Non Magical
Word Count: 1,000
Author's notes: Written for slythindor100's picture prompt.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
According to folklore, if you catch a falling leaf in autumn, you will be free from the cold all winter. This legend dates back to...
Draco rolled his eyes and turned off his Kindle, making a mental note to delete that ridiculous e-book as soon as he had the chance. It was a gift from Pansy and now, he was more than certain that she’d forgotten his birthday completely and resorted to a panicked last minute shopping spree. Why else would she give him a compilation on Pagan Folklore? Or maybe it wasn’t some ill advised attempt at irony and his best friend in the world simply didn’t know him at all.
Honestly, he’d graduated law school just last year, he was an up-and-coming star at his father’s firm and he always, always dressed in business casual- despite Theo’s threats to never take him clubbing again.
And fine, when he put it like that, his life did sound a little depressing but the fact remained that fantasy was for children. Draco lived in the real world and leaves were leaves and nothing more. The idea that some old superstition could have even the slightest truth to it...it was outlandish.
He shoved the Kindle in his briefcase, picked up his half finished cup of coffee and got up. It was time to leave anyway. Father wouldn’t appreciate him being late and...
“Watch out!”
Draco’s eyes widened and he turned around, just in time to see a bloke on roller blades, waving his arms about frantically and yelling.
A second later, said bloke crashed full tilt into him and he went crashing to the ground.
Draco groaned in pain and rubbed his head. Christ, that hurt!
“Shite! Oh god, I’m so sorry! Are you alright? I tried to warn you but I guess it came too late, huh? I’ve only had these skates a week and I’m shit at stopping and...”
Draco held up a hand to still the bloke’s nervous babbling. It was giving him a headache. When his head stopped spinning and his vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was brilliant, green eyes gazing anxiously at him.
“Here,” the man with the gorgeous green eyes said, putting a gentle hand on his arm. “Let me help you up. Oh god, I’m such a klutz. I really am sorry...”
Even Draco- who had once reduced a barista to tears over a tall, half-caf latte that turned out to be venti, decaf cappuccino- couldn’t find it in himself to berate someone who was so clearly apologetic.
Especially when they happened to be good-looking blokes teetering adorably on roller blades.
“It’s alright,” he broke in, when the stream of apologies showed no signs of ending. “No harm done.”
“But you dropped your coffee,” the bloke insisted unhappily. “And your coat’s ruined.”
Draco glanced at his torn sleeve and suppressed a sigh. “It’s okay,” he replied. “These things happen.”
“They do when I’m around,” the bloke replied with a sheepish grin. He shrugged and held his hand out. “Hello, I’m Harry Potter. Your friendly, neighbourhood accident waiting to happen.”
Draco laughed, partly out of amusement and partly out of surprise. “Nice to meet you,” he replied, taking the offered hand. “I’m...”
“Draco.”
Draco blinked in surprise. “How did you know my name?”
Harry nudged something forward with his left skate. Draco’s coffee cup rolled among the orange and brown leaves, his name still scrawled messily on it.
Impressive.
“Good eye,” Draco complimented.
“Nice name,” Harry replied easily.
Those green eyes roved his frame appreciatively and Draco found himself feeling inexplicably bashful all of a sudden. When was the last time someone had looked at him like that? Suddenly, he was very eager to change the subject.
Fortunately there was something poking out of Harry’s backpack.
“Camera!” Draco blurted out. Harry raised an amused eyebrow at his outburst and Draco suppressed a groan. Really, he wished he could kick himself. “I mean, I see you have a camera,” he amended quickly.
“Amateur photography doesn’t pay much but I love it,” Harry explained. “But we can talk about that later. First, let me buy you another coffee, yeah? And then we’ll see about replacing your coat.”
“Oh.” Draco startled, a bit caught off guard by the abrupt invitation. “That’s nice but you really don’t have to...”
“Please?” Harry implored, with large, pleading eyes. “I’d feel better if you let me make up for assaulting you. Just for a bit?”
Draco was starting to suspect no one could say no to Harry. Finally, he had to admit defeat. His lips twitched in a small smile. “Alright then,” he found himself saying. “Lead the way.”
Harry nodded, but his eyes darted to Draco’s head. “Hang on,” he said, extending his hand. Draco’s eyes widened as strong, capable fingers sifted through his hair. He didn’t even realise he was holding his breath until Harry withdrew...
...with a small, orange leaf in his fingers.
“Got it,” he exclaimed triumphantly. His green eyes glinted with mischief as he turned back to Draco. “There’s an old superstition about catching falling leaves, you know.”
“Is there?” Draco mumbled evasively, fiddling with his torn sleeve. “I...I wouldn’t know.”
Harry shrugged and pulled his skates off, shoving them in the backpack. Draco followed his example and took off his ruined coat, putting it carefully on the bench. The brisk chill made him shiver slightly but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.
“Ready when you are,” he said.
Harry just smiled. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he took off his jacket and draped it around Draco’s shoulders.
“There,” he said teasingly. “Now you’ll be safe from the cold all winter.”
Draco flushed and burrowed into the jacket, breathing in the scent of pine and cinnamon. He let out an appreciative sigh, only noticing belatedly as Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him off.
“You know,” he whispered in Draco ear, and making him shiver. “I’m really glad I ran into you today.”
Draco hummed in agreement and leaned into him.
He would have to thank Pansy later.
Rating: PG 13
Warning: Muggle AU, Non Magical
Word Count: 1,000
Author's notes: Written for slythindor100's picture prompt.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
According to folklore, if you catch a falling leaf in autumn, you will be free from the cold all winter. This legend dates back to...
Draco rolled his eyes and turned off his Kindle, making a mental note to delete that ridiculous e-book as soon as he had the chance. It was a gift from Pansy and now, he was more than certain that she’d forgotten his birthday completely and resorted to a panicked last minute shopping spree. Why else would she give him a compilation on Pagan Folklore? Or maybe it wasn’t some ill advised attempt at irony and his best friend in the world simply didn’t know him at all.
Honestly, he’d graduated law school just last year, he was an up-and-coming star at his father’s firm and he always, always dressed in business casual- despite Theo’s threats to never take him clubbing again.
And fine, when he put it like that, his life did sound a little depressing but the fact remained that fantasy was for children. Draco lived in the real world and leaves were leaves and nothing more. The idea that some old superstition could have even the slightest truth to it...it was outlandish.
He shoved the Kindle in his briefcase, picked up his half finished cup of coffee and got up. It was time to leave anyway. Father wouldn’t appreciate him being late and...
“Watch out!”
Draco’s eyes widened and he turned around, just in time to see a bloke on roller blades, waving his arms about frantically and yelling.
A second later, said bloke crashed full tilt into him and he went crashing to the ground.
Draco groaned in pain and rubbed his head. Christ, that hurt!
“Shite! Oh god, I’m so sorry! Are you alright? I tried to warn you but I guess it came too late, huh? I’ve only had these skates a week and I’m shit at stopping and...”
Draco held up a hand to still the bloke’s nervous babbling. It was giving him a headache. When his head stopped spinning and his vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was brilliant, green eyes gazing anxiously at him.
“Here,” the man with the gorgeous green eyes said, putting a gentle hand on his arm. “Let me help you up. Oh god, I’m such a klutz. I really am sorry...”
Even Draco- who had once reduced a barista to tears over a tall, half-caf latte that turned out to be venti, decaf cappuccino- couldn’t find it in himself to berate someone who was so clearly apologetic.
Especially when they happened to be good-looking blokes teetering adorably on roller blades.
“It’s alright,” he broke in, when the stream of apologies showed no signs of ending. “No harm done.”
“But you dropped your coffee,” the bloke insisted unhappily. “And your coat’s ruined.”
Draco glanced at his torn sleeve and suppressed a sigh. “It’s okay,” he replied. “These things happen.”
“They do when I’m around,” the bloke replied with a sheepish grin. He shrugged and held his hand out. “Hello, I’m Harry Potter. Your friendly, neighbourhood accident waiting to happen.”
Draco laughed, partly out of amusement and partly out of surprise. “Nice to meet you,” he replied, taking the offered hand. “I’m...”
“Draco.”
Draco blinked in surprise. “How did you know my name?”
Harry nudged something forward with his left skate. Draco’s coffee cup rolled among the orange and brown leaves, his name still scrawled messily on it.
Impressive.
“Good eye,” Draco complimented.
“Nice name,” Harry replied easily.
Those green eyes roved his frame appreciatively and Draco found himself feeling inexplicably bashful all of a sudden. When was the last time someone had looked at him like that? Suddenly, he was very eager to change the subject.
Fortunately there was something poking out of Harry’s backpack.
“Camera!” Draco blurted out. Harry raised an amused eyebrow at his outburst and Draco suppressed a groan. Really, he wished he could kick himself. “I mean, I see you have a camera,” he amended quickly.
“Amateur photography doesn’t pay much but I love it,” Harry explained. “But we can talk about that later. First, let me buy you another coffee, yeah? And then we’ll see about replacing your coat.”
“Oh.” Draco startled, a bit caught off guard by the abrupt invitation. “That’s nice but you really don’t have to...”
“Please?” Harry implored, with large, pleading eyes. “I’d feel better if you let me make up for assaulting you. Just for a bit?”
Draco was starting to suspect no one could say no to Harry. Finally, he had to admit defeat. His lips twitched in a small smile. “Alright then,” he found himself saying. “Lead the way.”
Harry nodded, but his eyes darted to Draco’s head. “Hang on,” he said, extending his hand. Draco’s eyes widened as strong, capable fingers sifted through his hair. He didn’t even realise he was holding his breath until Harry withdrew...
...with a small, orange leaf in his fingers.
“Got it,” he exclaimed triumphantly. His green eyes glinted with mischief as he turned back to Draco. “There’s an old superstition about catching falling leaves, you know.”
“Is there?” Draco mumbled evasively, fiddling with his torn sleeve. “I...I wouldn’t know.”
Harry shrugged and pulled his skates off, shoving them in the backpack. Draco followed his example and took off his ruined coat, putting it carefully on the bench. The brisk chill made him shiver slightly but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.
“Ready when you are,” he said.
Harry just smiled. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he took off his jacket and draped it around Draco’s shoulders.
“There,” he said teasingly. “Now you’ll be safe from the cold all winter.”
Draco flushed and burrowed into the jacket, breathing in the scent of pine and cinnamon. He let out an appreciative sigh, only noticing belatedly as Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him off.
“You know,” he whispered in Draco ear, and making him shiver. “I’m really glad I ran into you today.”
Draco hummed in agreement and leaned into him.
He would have to thank Pansy later.