HDOwlPost fic: Harry's Happy Bakery
Title: Harry's Happy Bakery
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco, Harry
Word Count: 565
Rating: PG
Warnings: Nothing but fluff!
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: hd_owlpost gift for brinimc
Notes: Thanks to kerrilee75 for the beta.
Summary: Draco darts into a shop to escape a snow shower, only to realize he's stumbled into Harry's Happy Bakery.
When the light snow in Hogsmeade turned into an honest-to-Merlin mini-blizzard, Draco ducked into the nearest shop for shelter. As he stamped the snow from his boots, he paused to take an appreciative sniff. A bakery...it seemed his luck was changing for the better.
"May I get you anything?" called a voice from behind the counter.
Draco strode forward, pulling his stylish green and purple scarf from his lower face as he did so. "I'd like a hot chocolate if you have any, and I'll take...Potter, is that you?!"
"Well spotted, Malfoy. One hot chocolate, coming up."
Draco stared at Potter's retreating back, still bemused at seeing him there.
Potter returned momentarily and handed Draco a steaming cup of hot chocolate. "Would you care for anything else?"
Draco wanted information. "What are you doing here?"
Potter's eyes shifted left and right, and he leaned forward, over the counter.
Draco automatically leaned towards him.
"I'm serving hot chocolate and baked goods to customers, Malfoy," Potter replied in a hushed voice.
Draco's lips parted in surprise, and then his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're taking the piss," he accused. Potter laughed, and the sound warmed Draco more than even the hot chocolate in his hands.
"I'm being completely honest," said Potter. "Didn't you see the sign above the shop?" He held up an empty baker's box and pointed to the logo on top.
Harry's Happy Bakery
"A bakery, Potter?"
"I happen to enjoy baking; it's quite relaxing."
Draco took a sip of his hot chocolate. "But, you were meant to be an Auror, or a professional Quidditch player, perhaps," he said. "At the very least, I imagined you would marry Miss Weasley and be shepherding around an entire herd of ginger children."
Potter produced a tea towel and proceeded to wipe down the counter between them. He shrugged and said, "I'm tired of fighting, I prefer to play Quidditch for fun, and I'm bent."
Draco sputtered.
"Malfoy! I just cleaned my counter!"
Draco couldn't think of anything intelligent to say in regards to Potter's revelation; he settled for simply saying, "Oh."
There was an awkward silence for a moment, until Potter finished wiping the counter and spoke up. "What of you?" he asked. "I reckon you're busy plotting, brewing, and raising the next Malfoy heir."
Draco mimicked Potter's earlier shrug. "I never took the Dark Mark, I chose finance over Potions, and I'm bent."
Potter's eyes grew round behind his specs. "Oh."
Draco took another sip of hot chocolate, cleared his throat, and plucked up his nerve. "Do you want...that is, would you like to have dinner some time? With me?"
Potter ducked his head, but not before Draco saw him smile. Potter wiped down his spotless counter again. "Dinner? Yeah, that sounds good. Fantastic, actually."
Draco found himself smiling, too. "Fantastic," he echoed. "Shall I meet you here tomorrow? What time do you close?"
"I close at five," Potter replied. "Why don't you come by at six? That will give me time to get cleaned up."
"Very well, I'll see you tomorrow at six," said Draco. He saluted Potter with his cup of hot chocolate and turned to leave. Draco exited the bakery and pulled his scarf up. The snow shower had ended as abruptly as it began, leaving Hogsmeade covered in a powdery white blanket. Draco strolled along, his steps and heart light and happy.
Cross-posted to hd_owlpost