HDFanFair fest fic: Twisted Wizards
Title: Twisted Wizards
Author: enchanted_jae
Prompt: # 119 submitted by leontinabowie
Career: Harry: Stormchaser, Draco: Photographer
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Warnings/Content Notes: Flirtation and ust
Summary: Draco is just putting his life back together when Potter comes along and mucks it all up again.
Word Count: 3,168
Author's Notes: My prayers are with everyone who has been impacted by the recent spate of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. My thanks to groolover for the beta work.
Draco was finally putting the pieces of his life back together when Potter called in the life debt that was owed him. Ironically, the very activity that Draco had engaged in as part of his probation was what attracted Potter's attention.
Like most other children of Death Eaters, Draco was required to perform community payback to redeem himself, along with choosing a Muggle course of study to pursue. Draco had always been envious of Colin Creevey's camera; therefore, he'd chosen to take a course in Muggle photography and film making. Draco was surprised to find he enjoyed the class, and he'd gotten quite good at it. Photography made Draco happy...until Potter came along and ruined it.
"It's dangerous and foolish, and I won't do it."
"You have to do it, Malfoy," Potter countered. "I'm calling in your life debt."
"Why not just kill me now and be done with it?!" cried Draco.
"Stop being a whiny tit," snapped Potter. "You aren't going to die."
"People die in tornadoes every year!"
"Correction, Malfoy. Muggles die in tornadoes each year."
Draco side-eyed Potter. "Are you suggesting that Muggles are inferior?"
"What? No!" Potter protested. "What I'm saying is, since we're wizards, we have an edge. We can always Apparate to safety."
Draco's lips twitched.
Potter glared at him. "Stop baiting me, you berk, and pack your bags. You're coming with me to Tornado Alley."
Draco stepped away from Potter as soon as their Portkey deposited them...in a car park. He turned to glare at Potter. "I thought you said the Portkey would take us to our base of operations."
"It has," said Potter. "Come on, I already have the keys."
"Keys to what, pray tell?" Draco demanded, even as he trailed along in Potter's wake.
Potter led him to a large, black van that had a confusing array of antennae and dishes on the top. He fished a set of keys from his pocket and clicked the fob. The side door of the van slid open slowly, and Draco craned his neck to peer inside.
"No," he said. "Absolutely not."
Potter laughed before taunting him. "Scared, Malfoy?"
"Only an imbecile wouldn't be frightened of tornadoes, Potter."
"I have a healthy respect for them, certainly, but I was referring to the vehicle," said Potter. "It's been outfitted with the latest in Doppler radar and other methods of monitoring the weather. With this, we will be able to track a tornado and get some footage of it."
Draco's lips thinned, and he shook his head. Nevertheless, he could see there was no dissuading Potter from the suicide mission he was on. Draco climbed inside the van, re-sized and stowed his gear, then settled into the passenger seat.
Potter took up position in the driver's seat, inserted the key, and turned the engine over. He turned to grin at Draco.
"This is going to be epic, Malfoy."
"Make sure you let my family know I died epically."
"This is madness."
"It's just rain," said Potter, squinting to see in the deluge as he drove through the storm. "According to the radar, there is some rotation a few miles from here that may produce a tornado."
"Shouldn't we seek shelter if a tornado is possible?" asked Draco. He was nervous, and Potter's manic behavior wasn't helping.
"You're a storm chaser now, Malfoy," said Potter, sounding disgustingly cheerful. "We rush into the storm, not away from it."
Draco shook his head. "Barking mad," he muttered. He sighed and looked at the confusing array of instruments in the vehicle. "Why is this area of America so prone to tornadoes?" he asked.
"It's because warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cool, dry air from Canada over the central portion of the country," Potter replied.
Draco was reluctantly impressed. "Since when do you know so much about weather?"
Potter flashed him a quick grin before returning his attention to the road. "You're not the only one who had to perform community payback and take Muggle courses," he said. "I chose to study meteorology."
"I don't believe it."
"It was fascinating."
"Not that," said Draco. "I meant, I don't believe you were punished like I was."
Potter's expression turned grim. "I cast some Unforgivables during the War," he said. "Kingsley couldn't let me slide; it would have looked bad. I didn't mind my probation. At least I was alive to serve it."
Draco pondered Potter's revelation in silence. He used the break in conversation to fiddle with the settings of his camera. Draco had brought along an expensive, Muggle SLR camera, along with a small, handheld camcorder. He found he preferred actual film over digital, and he hoped to take some interesting still shots while in America.
The steady splat of rain on their vehicle turned to the sharper pings of small hailstones striking the van.
Draco winced. "Maybe we should pull over."
"Not a chance," said Potter. "Hail is a sign a tornado may be forming."
Draco gulped as he strained to see out the window, certain a funnel cloud was about to drop from the sky and annihilate him.
Potter spared a glance at his monitors. He slowed the van and took the next left. Soon, they were bouncing down a rough, graveled road.
Draco scrambled for a handhold as the van bounced along. If the weather didn't kill them, surely Potter's dangerous driving would. The hail let up and the rain eased to a fine mist. Now that Draco could see out the windows again, he found himself riveted by the sight of dark, roiling clouds ahead.
Potter slowed the van and pulled over to the side of the road. He unsnapped his seatbelt and bailed out of the vehicle, clutching a pair of Muggle binoculars.
"Come on, Malfoy!" he called. "I want you to get some shots of that wall cloud."
Draco reluctantly undid his own seatbelt and exited the van. He joined Potter in front of the vehicle. Now that he was outside, he could feel and hear the wind. Draco raised his SLR and took some photos of the ominous cloud.
"See that rotation?" Potter asked, voice conveying his excitement. "Conditions are favorable for this system to develop a tornado."
Draco peered through the lens of his camera, noting the circulation that Potter had pointed out to him. "How dangerous is this, Potter?"
"There aren't any towns nearby," said Potter, not really answering Draco's immediate concern. "I see a few farmsteads in the area. Let's hope people have taken shelter in their cellars."
"If they're taking shelter, why are we standing out here like a pair of numpties?!"
"Because we're storm chasers!"
"No, we're not," Draco retorted. "We're a pair of British wizards who don't know the first thing about tornadoes, or twisters, or what have you."
"We're chasing this storm, that makes us storm chasers," Potter insisted. "Get your video camera out, in case something comes of this particular supercell."
Draco opened his mouth to ask what a super sell was, but he decided he didn't really want to know. He moved back to the passenger side of the van and opened the door. Draco set his SLR camera carefully on the seat and picked up the camcorder. He returned to the front of the van and divided his attention between watching the ominous cloud formation and watching Potter. Clearly, Potter was completely mental.
"Start filming, Malfoy! A funnel is forming!"
Draco snapped his head back to stare in horror at the gray, inverted cone that was dropping from the wall cloud. He raised his camera with trembling hands and began to record.
"Come on, come on," Potter chanted beside him.
"If I die, I'm going to kill you," Draco growled.
"We aren't going to die."
Draco wished he had Potter's confidence, but then anyone who could survive two killing curses probably had no fear of death. Sweat popped out on Draco's brow and was immediately chilled by the strong wind. He was seriously contemplating Apparating out of there, when the funnel abruptly drew back up into the cloud and vanished.
Potter groaned in disappointment.
Draco stopped recording and slumped back against the bonnet of the van. "I survived a tornado," he whispered. Draco didn't think Potter had heard him over the sound of the wind, but the madman immediately scoffed.
"That wasn't a tornado," Potter grumbled. "It was just a funnel cloud. It doesn't qualify as a tornado unless it touches the ground."
"It was still terrifying!" Draco yelled.
Potter laughed out loud at Draco's confession. "Toughen up, Malfoy," he said. "With any luck, we'll be right in the middle of an actual tornado before the day is through."
"Excuse me?!" cried Draco. "Did you just say right in the middle of one?!"
"Get in the van, Malfoy. We need to track the next supercell."
The next storm they tracked petered out without any tornadic activity. Potter was disappointed; Draco was elated. His stomach was empty.
"I'm hungry," Draco announced.
Potter stared at the monitoring equipment and sighed. "There's some activity farther north, but it may not amount to much," he said. "Yeah, let's stop and get something to eat."
He drove on, through a light rain, until they reached the outskirts of a small town. Potter located a diner and pulled the van into the car park.
Draco disembarked, stifling the automatic sneer that threatened to twist his lips as he beheld the humble building ahead. Resigned to his fate, he plodded after Potter as they entered the diner. Draco ordered soup and a chicken salad sandwich, while Potter requested a burger and chips. They engaged in small talk, punctuated by frequent pauses as Potter turned his head this way and that to listen in on conversations around them that dealt with the weather.
When the food arrived, Draco took a tentative bite of the sandwich. It was surprisingly delicious, and he polished it off quickly. By the time he'd eaten the sandwich, his soup had cooled to a tolerable temperature. It was also quite delicious. Draco pushed his dishes aside, wishing he'd ordered more food.
The waitress came over and scooped up their dishes. "Would you guys care for some dessert?" she asked. "We have several pies."
Draco looked at Potter hopefully, only to see Potter grinning back at him. "Two slices of apple pie a la mode," he replied.
Draco waited until their waitress nodded and left to comment. "Perhaps I wanted to try another variety of pie."
"We're in America, and apple pie is an American staple," said Potter. "You'll like it, trust me."
He was as good as his word. Draco nearly moaned as he tried his first bite. The warm pie contrasted nicely with the cold ice cream atop it. The crust was flaky, and the apples were just tart enough. It was ambrosia.
Once Potter settled the check, they returned to the van. Potter spent some time studying the monitoring equipment before making his decision. "There's a promising system developing to the west," he said, maneuvering the van back onto the road.
The farther they traveled, the darker the sky became. Potter drove through intermittent rain, as well as another, minor hail storm. Eventually, he pulled over but left the van running.
Potter pointed to one of the screens. "Do you see that hook formation, Malfoy?" he asked. "That's a good indicator of a developing tornado. Get your camera ready, I think if we turn on this road here, we should be able to intercept that supercell in under fifteen minutes."
Draco swallowed heavily, hoping he wouldn't be dead in fifteen minutes.
Potter pulled over and bailed out of the van. "There's already a funnel cloud forming!" he cried, pointing ahead of them.
Draco followed reluctantly. If he was fortunate, this funnel would dissipate before it touched down, like the last one had. Wind whipped at his hair as he stepped around to the front of the van. Draco raised his handheld video camera, focused on the developing funnel, and began to record. Whereas the first funnel they sighted had remained stable in the air, this one seemed to be expanding.
"This one may turn into a tornado!" Potter exclaimed in excitement. A moment later, he whooped when the narrow end of the funnel touched down, churning up a cloud of dust and debris.
"We have a tornado!"
Draco watched it through his camera, where he had zoomed in on the whirling menace. "Is it...getting larger?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard.
"No, it's getting closer."
"What?!"
"I said, it's coming our way," said Potter. His grin was truly diabolical.
"Potter, we need to get out of here!"
"Let's get in the van," Potter said. "Keep filming, though."
Draco was happy to comply. He raced around the van, wrenched the door open, and jumped inside. He raised his camera and resumed recording the tornado bearing down on them.
Potter jumped into the driver's seat, his rabid attention switching between the tornado and his Muggle gadgets.
"What are you waiting for?!" Draco shouted. "Get us out of here!"
"Are you mad?!" Potter cried. "I've been waiting to intercept a tornado, and now's my chance. The van is reinforced with protective spells, and it can withstand up to an EF4 tornado."
"Are you mad?!" Draco echoed. "We'll be killed for sure!" He let his camera drop to the side as he fumbled for his wand, intent on Apparating to safety.
Potter laughed at him, the bastard. "Scared, Malfoy?"
"Yes, I'm scared!" Draco yelled.
"Relax, we'll be fine," said Potter. "Did I mention the van has an anti-Apparition ward on it, too?"
Draco froze just as his fingers closed on his wand. "You're lying," he accused in a feeble whisper.
"You can put your faith in my wards or Splinch yourself, the choice is yours."
Draco gulped and turned to look out the windshield at the oncoming tornado. Even with the doors and windows closed, he could hear the roar of the storm. The van began to rock slightly as it was buffeted by the wind.
"Film it, Malfoy!"
Draco raised his camera and turned it to the storm. Not everyone got to record their own demise; he supposed he should consider himself fortunate. Draco felt the blood drain from his face as he watched the tornado speeding towards them. Trees nearby whipped to and fro, and the van was pelted with debris.
Potter drew his wand. "Protego Maximus!" he cried, strengthening the spells on the van.
Draco hoped it would be enough. He knew a tornado could fling cars and lorries about like toys. The entire frame of his camera was filled with nothing but the onrushing tornado. Draco raised his eyes to the windshield and saw that it, too, was filled with his impending doom. Everything grew dark, and the van rocked violently on its wheels. The roar of the storm was deafening. Draco cowered in his seat, certain he was about to die.
Suddenly, it was over.
Draco opened one eye, and then the other. "What? Where did-?"
"That. Was. BRILLIANT!" Potter whooped. He lunged across the console, cupped a hand around the back of Draco's head, and dragged him into a torrid kiss.
Draco was caught utterly off-guard, but he soon got into the spirit of things. He'd almost died, and now his body was clamoring to reaffirm life in the most basic manner possible. Draco strained forward, cursing the absurd electronics that prevented him from crawling into Potter's lap.
Potter drew back, still grinning like a simpleton. "Fantastic," he breathed.
Draco didn't know if Potter meant the kiss or the tornado. "Don't wind me up and leave me hanging," he protested, glaring at Potter.
"While I agree that shagging right now would be brilliant, you'd hate me in the morning," Potter chided.
"I hate you now; what difference will a shag make?"
Potter's eyes darkened, and he licked his lips.
Draco's body responded with a sizzle of arousal.
Potter blinked. "I'm onto you, Malfoy."
"Sorry?"
"You're just trying to distract me," Potter insisted. "The day isn't over yet; we have more storms to chase!"
"But, we already caught one," Draco sputtered.
"Eh, that was just a puny EF2," said Potter. "The big ones are still out there."
The thought of being subjected to the fury of another tornado doused Draco's libido in a hurry. "My camera battery is dead," he prevaricated.
Potter tossed a black cable-like thing at him. "Here's a charger," he said, putting the van into gear. "Pull up your skirt, Sally. We have more storms to film!"
Two weeks later...
"That's fantastic footage, Malfoy. Good job."
Draco was pleased by Potter's praise. He was proud of himself, too. He'd braved the worst that nature and Potter could throw at him and emerged alive. Draco maintained that he was also proud of the fact that he had not fallen into bed with Potter. There had been a few harrowing moments, but nothing that made Draco fear for his life. They had not actually gone through another tornado. As far as Draco was concerned, one was one too many. He'd been relieved to return to the relative safety of England.
Draco waited until Potter had viewed all of the video and still shots he had taken. Once Potter was finished, Draco stood to exit the Leaky, where they had met up. Potter followed him outside into Diagon Alley.
"I'd like to say it was a pleasure working with you, Potter, but that would be a lie," said Draco. "Good luck with your future endeavors, and please keep me out of them."
"Not so fast, Malfoy," said Potter. "You agreed to be my photographer throughout the storm season."
Draco's spine stiffened. "You told me that tornado season is over."
"That's true," Potter agreed. "However, hurricane season starts in late summer, followed by some fantastic blizzards in the winter."
"But that...that's mental!" Draco exclaimed. "No one in his right mind would go haring off into weather like that. Oh, but it's you we're talking about, isn't it? You haven't been in your right mind since that second killing curse."
"You're a natural at weather cinematography, Malfoy. I'm counting on you."
Draco fixed his sternest glare on Potter, but all he got in return was a guileless smile and wide, innocent green eyes. A bloke could drown in those eyes...
Draco shook himself, and his scowl deepened. "I hate you," he growled.
"It will make the inevitable sex more interesting."
"I...sex...what?!"
Potter laughed and drew his wand. "I'll see you in a few months, Malfoy," he said, before Disapparating.
Draco was left to stare in bemused silence at the spot where Potter had stood. What had he done to deserve this? Draco muttered under his breath as he pulled his wand out of his sleeve.
"Hate sex, indeed. Hah! Who does he think he is?"
Draco adjusted his trousers and Apparated away.
Cross-posted to hd_fan_fair
Cross-posted to AO3
Author: enchanted_jae
Prompt: # 119 submitted by leontinabowie
Career: Harry: Stormchaser, Draco: Photographer
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Warnings/Content Notes: Flirtation and ust
Summary: Draco is just putting his life back together when Potter comes along and mucks it all up again.
Word Count: 3,168
Author's Notes: My prayers are with everyone who has been impacted by the recent spate of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. My thanks to groolover for the beta work.
Draco was finally putting the pieces of his life back together when Potter called in the life debt that was owed him. Ironically, the very activity that Draco had engaged in as part of his probation was what attracted Potter's attention.
Like most other children of Death Eaters, Draco was required to perform community payback to redeem himself, along with choosing a Muggle course of study to pursue. Draco had always been envious of Colin Creevey's camera; therefore, he'd chosen to take a course in Muggle photography and film making. Draco was surprised to find he enjoyed the class, and he'd gotten quite good at it. Photography made Draco happy...until Potter came along and ruined it.
"It's dangerous and foolish, and I won't do it."
"You have to do it, Malfoy," Potter countered. "I'm calling in your life debt."
"Why not just kill me now and be done with it?!" cried Draco.
"Stop being a whiny tit," snapped Potter. "You aren't going to die."
"People die in tornadoes every year!"
"Correction, Malfoy. Muggles die in tornadoes each year."
Draco side-eyed Potter. "Are you suggesting that Muggles are inferior?"
"What? No!" Potter protested. "What I'm saying is, since we're wizards, we have an edge. We can always Apparate to safety."
Draco's lips twitched.
Potter glared at him. "Stop baiting me, you berk, and pack your bags. You're coming with me to Tornado Alley."
Draco stepped away from Potter as soon as their Portkey deposited them...in a car park. He turned to glare at Potter. "I thought you said the Portkey would take us to our base of operations."
"It has," said Potter. "Come on, I already have the keys."
"Keys to what, pray tell?" Draco demanded, even as he trailed along in Potter's wake.
Potter led him to a large, black van that had a confusing array of antennae and dishes on the top. He fished a set of keys from his pocket and clicked the fob. The side door of the van slid open slowly, and Draco craned his neck to peer inside.
"No," he said. "Absolutely not."
Potter laughed before taunting him. "Scared, Malfoy?"
"Only an imbecile wouldn't be frightened of tornadoes, Potter."
"I have a healthy respect for them, certainly, but I was referring to the vehicle," said Potter. "It's been outfitted with the latest in Doppler radar and other methods of monitoring the weather. With this, we will be able to track a tornado and get some footage of it."
Draco's lips thinned, and he shook his head. Nevertheless, he could see there was no dissuading Potter from the suicide mission he was on. Draco climbed inside the van, re-sized and stowed his gear, then settled into the passenger seat.
Potter took up position in the driver's seat, inserted the key, and turned the engine over. He turned to grin at Draco.
"This is going to be epic, Malfoy."
"Make sure you let my family know I died epically."
"This is madness."
"It's just rain," said Potter, squinting to see in the deluge as he drove through the storm. "According to the radar, there is some rotation a few miles from here that may produce a tornado."
"Shouldn't we seek shelter if a tornado is possible?" asked Draco. He was nervous, and Potter's manic behavior wasn't helping.
"You're a storm chaser now, Malfoy," said Potter, sounding disgustingly cheerful. "We rush into the storm, not away from it."
Draco shook his head. "Barking mad," he muttered. He sighed and looked at the confusing array of instruments in the vehicle. "Why is this area of America so prone to tornadoes?" he asked.
"It's because warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cool, dry air from Canada over the central portion of the country," Potter replied.
Draco was reluctantly impressed. "Since when do you know so much about weather?"
Potter flashed him a quick grin before returning his attention to the road. "You're not the only one who had to perform community payback and take Muggle courses," he said. "I chose to study meteorology."
"I don't believe it."
"It was fascinating."
"Not that," said Draco. "I meant, I don't believe you were punished like I was."
Potter's expression turned grim. "I cast some Unforgivables during the War," he said. "Kingsley couldn't let me slide; it would have looked bad. I didn't mind my probation. At least I was alive to serve it."
Draco pondered Potter's revelation in silence. He used the break in conversation to fiddle with the settings of his camera. Draco had brought along an expensive, Muggle SLR camera, along with a small, handheld camcorder. He found he preferred actual film over digital, and he hoped to take some interesting still shots while in America.
The steady splat of rain on their vehicle turned to the sharper pings of small hailstones striking the van.
Draco winced. "Maybe we should pull over."
"Not a chance," said Potter. "Hail is a sign a tornado may be forming."
Draco gulped as he strained to see out the window, certain a funnel cloud was about to drop from the sky and annihilate him.
Potter spared a glance at his monitors. He slowed the van and took the next left. Soon, they were bouncing down a rough, graveled road.
Draco scrambled for a handhold as the van bounced along. If the weather didn't kill them, surely Potter's dangerous driving would. The hail let up and the rain eased to a fine mist. Now that Draco could see out the windows again, he found himself riveted by the sight of dark, roiling clouds ahead.
Potter slowed the van and pulled over to the side of the road. He unsnapped his seatbelt and bailed out of the vehicle, clutching a pair of Muggle binoculars.
"Come on, Malfoy!" he called. "I want you to get some shots of that wall cloud."
Draco reluctantly undid his own seatbelt and exited the van. He joined Potter in front of the vehicle. Now that he was outside, he could feel and hear the wind. Draco raised his SLR and took some photos of the ominous cloud.
"See that rotation?" Potter asked, voice conveying his excitement. "Conditions are favorable for this system to develop a tornado."
Draco peered through the lens of his camera, noting the circulation that Potter had pointed out to him. "How dangerous is this, Potter?"
"There aren't any towns nearby," said Potter, not really answering Draco's immediate concern. "I see a few farmsteads in the area. Let's hope people have taken shelter in their cellars."
"If they're taking shelter, why are we standing out here like a pair of numpties?!"
"Because we're storm chasers!"
"No, we're not," Draco retorted. "We're a pair of British wizards who don't know the first thing about tornadoes, or twisters, or what have you."
"We're chasing this storm, that makes us storm chasers," Potter insisted. "Get your video camera out, in case something comes of this particular supercell."
Draco opened his mouth to ask what a super sell was, but he decided he didn't really want to know. He moved back to the passenger side of the van and opened the door. Draco set his SLR camera carefully on the seat and picked up the camcorder. He returned to the front of the van and divided his attention between watching the ominous cloud formation and watching Potter. Clearly, Potter was completely mental.
"Start filming, Malfoy! A funnel is forming!"
Draco snapped his head back to stare in horror at the gray, inverted cone that was dropping from the wall cloud. He raised his camera with trembling hands and began to record.
"Come on, come on," Potter chanted beside him.
"If I die, I'm going to kill you," Draco growled.
"We aren't going to die."
Draco wished he had Potter's confidence, but then anyone who could survive two killing curses probably had no fear of death. Sweat popped out on Draco's brow and was immediately chilled by the strong wind. He was seriously contemplating Apparating out of there, when the funnel abruptly drew back up into the cloud and vanished.
Potter groaned in disappointment.
Draco stopped recording and slumped back against the bonnet of the van. "I survived a tornado," he whispered. Draco didn't think Potter had heard him over the sound of the wind, but the madman immediately scoffed.
"That wasn't a tornado," Potter grumbled. "It was just a funnel cloud. It doesn't qualify as a tornado unless it touches the ground."
"It was still terrifying!" Draco yelled.
Potter laughed out loud at Draco's confession. "Toughen up, Malfoy," he said. "With any luck, we'll be right in the middle of an actual tornado before the day is through."
"Excuse me?!" cried Draco. "Did you just say right in the middle of one?!"
"Get in the van, Malfoy. We need to track the next supercell."
The next storm they tracked petered out without any tornadic activity. Potter was disappointed; Draco was elated. His stomach was empty.
"I'm hungry," Draco announced.
Potter stared at the monitoring equipment and sighed. "There's some activity farther north, but it may not amount to much," he said. "Yeah, let's stop and get something to eat."
He drove on, through a light rain, until they reached the outskirts of a small town. Potter located a diner and pulled the van into the car park.
Draco disembarked, stifling the automatic sneer that threatened to twist his lips as he beheld the humble building ahead. Resigned to his fate, he plodded after Potter as they entered the diner. Draco ordered soup and a chicken salad sandwich, while Potter requested a burger and chips. They engaged in small talk, punctuated by frequent pauses as Potter turned his head this way and that to listen in on conversations around them that dealt with the weather.
When the food arrived, Draco took a tentative bite of the sandwich. It was surprisingly delicious, and he polished it off quickly. By the time he'd eaten the sandwich, his soup had cooled to a tolerable temperature. It was also quite delicious. Draco pushed his dishes aside, wishing he'd ordered more food.
The waitress came over and scooped up their dishes. "Would you guys care for some dessert?" she asked. "We have several pies."
Draco looked at Potter hopefully, only to see Potter grinning back at him. "Two slices of apple pie a la mode," he replied.
Draco waited until their waitress nodded and left to comment. "Perhaps I wanted to try another variety of pie."
"We're in America, and apple pie is an American staple," said Potter. "You'll like it, trust me."
He was as good as his word. Draco nearly moaned as he tried his first bite. The warm pie contrasted nicely with the cold ice cream atop it. The crust was flaky, and the apples were just tart enough. It was ambrosia.
Once Potter settled the check, they returned to the van. Potter spent some time studying the monitoring equipment before making his decision. "There's a promising system developing to the west," he said, maneuvering the van back onto the road.
The farther they traveled, the darker the sky became. Potter drove through intermittent rain, as well as another, minor hail storm. Eventually, he pulled over but left the van running.
Potter pointed to one of the screens. "Do you see that hook formation, Malfoy?" he asked. "That's a good indicator of a developing tornado. Get your camera ready, I think if we turn on this road here, we should be able to intercept that supercell in under fifteen minutes."
Draco swallowed heavily, hoping he wouldn't be dead in fifteen minutes.
Potter pulled over and bailed out of the van. "There's already a funnel cloud forming!" he cried, pointing ahead of them.
Draco followed reluctantly. If he was fortunate, this funnel would dissipate before it touched down, like the last one had. Wind whipped at his hair as he stepped around to the front of the van. Draco raised his handheld video camera, focused on the developing funnel, and began to record. Whereas the first funnel they sighted had remained stable in the air, this one seemed to be expanding.
"This one may turn into a tornado!" Potter exclaimed in excitement. A moment later, he whooped when the narrow end of the funnel touched down, churning up a cloud of dust and debris.
"We have a tornado!"
Draco watched it through his camera, where he had zoomed in on the whirling menace. "Is it...getting larger?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard.
"No, it's getting closer."
"What?!"
"I said, it's coming our way," said Potter. His grin was truly diabolical.
"Potter, we need to get out of here!"
"Let's get in the van," Potter said. "Keep filming, though."
Draco was happy to comply. He raced around the van, wrenched the door open, and jumped inside. He raised his camera and resumed recording the tornado bearing down on them.
Potter jumped into the driver's seat, his rabid attention switching between the tornado and his Muggle gadgets.
"What are you waiting for?!" Draco shouted. "Get us out of here!"
"Are you mad?!" Potter cried. "I've been waiting to intercept a tornado, and now's my chance. The van is reinforced with protective spells, and it can withstand up to an EF4 tornado."
"Are you mad?!" Draco echoed. "We'll be killed for sure!" He let his camera drop to the side as he fumbled for his wand, intent on Apparating to safety.
Potter laughed at him, the bastard. "Scared, Malfoy?"
"Yes, I'm scared!" Draco yelled.
"Relax, we'll be fine," said Potter. "Did I mention the van has an anti-Apparition ward on it, too?"
Draco froze just as his fingers closed on his wand. "You're lying," he accused in a feeble whisper.
"You can put your faith in my wards or Splinch yourself, the choice is yours."
Draco gulped and turned to look out the windshield at the oncoming tornado. Even with the doors and windows closed, he could hear the roar of the storm. The van began to rock slightly as it was buffeted by the wind.
"Film it, Malfoy!"
Draco raised his camera and turned it to the storm. Not everyone got to record their own demise; he supposed he should consider himself fortunate. Draco felt the blood drain from his face as he watched the tornado speeding towards them. Trees nearby whipped to and fro, and the van was pelted with debris.
Potter drew his wand. "Protego Maximus!" he cried, strengthening the spells on the van.
Draco hoped it would be enough. He knew a tornado could fling cars and lorries about like toys. The entire frame of his camera was filled with nothing but the onrushing tornado. Draco raised his eyes to the windshield and saw that it, too, was filled with his impending doom. Everything grew dark, and the van rocked violently on its wheels. The roar of the storm was deafening. Draco cowered in his seat, certain he was about to die.
Suddenly, it was over.
Draco opened one eye, and then the other. "What? Where did-?"
"That. Was. BRILLIANT!" Potter whooped. He lunged across the console, cupped a hand around the back of Draco's head, and dragged him into a torrid kiss.
Draco was caught utterly off-guard, but he soon got into the spirit of things. He'd almost died, and now his body was clamoring to reaffirm life in the most basic manner possible. Draco strained forward, cursing the absurd electronics that prevented him from crawling into Potter's lap.
Potter drew back, still grinning like a simpleton. "Fantastic," he breathed.
Draco didn't know if Potter meant the kiss or the tornado. "Don't wind me up and leave me hanging," he protested, glaring at Potter.
"While I agree that shagging right now would be brilliant, you'd hate me in the morning," Potter chided.
"I hate you now; what difference will a shag make?"
Potter's eyes darkened, and he licked his lips.
Draco's body responded with a sizzle of arousal.
Potter blinked. "I'm onto you, Malfoy."
"Sorry?"
"You're just trying to distract me," Potter insisted. "The day isn't over yet; we have more storms to chase!"
"But, we already caught one," Draco sputtered.
"Eh, that was just a puny EF2," said Potter. "The big ones are still out there."
The thought of being subjected to the fury of another tornado doused Draco's libido in a hurry. "My camera battery is dead," he prevaricated.
Potter tossed a black cable-like thing at him. "Here's a charger," he said, putting the van into gear. "Pull up your skirt, Sally. We have more storms to film!"
Two weeks later...
"That's fantastic footage, Malfoy. Good job."
Draco was pleased by Potter's praise. He was proud of himself, too. He'd braved the worst that nature and Potter could throw at him and emerged alive. Draco maintained that he was also proud of the fact that he had not fallen into bed with Potter. There had been a few harrowing moments, but nothing that made Draco fear for his life. They had not actually gone through another tornado. As far as Draco was concerned, one was one too many. He'd been relieved to return to the relative safety of England.
Draco waited until Potter had viewed all of the video and still shots he had taken. Once Potter was finished, Draco stood to exit the Leaky, where they had met up. Potter followed him outside into Diagon Alley.
"I'd like to say it was a pleasure working with you, Potter, but that would be a lie," said Draco. "Good luck with your future endeavors, and please keep me out of them."
"Not so fast, Malfoy," said Potter. "You agreed to be my photographer throughout the storm season."
Draco's spine stiffened. "You told me that tornado season is over."
"That's true," Potter agreed. "However, hurricane season starts in late summer, followed by some fantastic blizzards in the winter."
"But that...that's mental!" Draco exclaimed. "No one in his right mind would go haring off into weather like that. Oh, but it's you we're talking about, isn't it? You haven't been in your right mind since that second killing curse."
"You're a natural at weather cinematography, Malfoy. I'm counting on you."
Draco fixed his sternest glare on Potter, but all he got in return was a guileless smile and wide, innocent green eyes. A bloke could drown in those eyes...
Draco shook himself, and his scowl deepened. "I hate you," he growled.
"It will make the inevitable sex more interesting."
"I...sex...what?!"
Potter laughed and drew his wand. "I'll see you in a few months, Malfoy," he said, before Disapparating.
Draco was left to stare in bemused silence at the spot where Potter had stood. What had he done to deserve this? Draco muttered under his breath as he pulled his wand out of his sleeve.
"Hate sex, indeed. Hah! Who does he think he is?"
Draco adjusted his trousers and Apparated away.
Cross-posted to hd_fan_fair
Cross-posted to AO3