Muggle Music, task 11: Write about someone dressing up as Santa Claus.
Word Count: 771
"You," Dudley says, shaking his head, "have lost your fucking mind."
Piers raises his brows and folds his arms over his chest. He had expected Dudley to be hesitant, of course, but he's still disappointed. "Come on! It's Christmas," he insists.
For several moments, Dudley just stares at him, cheeks glowing a soft pink. Piers tries not to laugh. As scandalized as Dudley looks, you would think Piers has asked him to roll down a snowy hill naked on live television. He shakes his head again, pushing a hand through his tidy blond hair. "Santa," he says, bright eyes searching Piers' face, no doubt searching a punchline. "How the hell did you get roped into this?"
Piers shrugs, laughing softly. "Max."
It's enough of an answer. His cousin has always been a little too Stepford. Of course Max would be the one to rope them into this sort of Christmas shenanigans.
Dudley considers for a moment. Finally, he sighs. "If anyone else asked me to do this, I'd punch them in the mouth."
A broad grin tugs at Piers' lips. "Is that a yes?"
"Against my better judgement, yes." Dudley offers him an uncertain smile. "If I'm dressing as Santa, what are you?"
"An elf," Piers says proudly.
"An elf?" Dudley repeats. "A bloody elf?"
"What's wrong with that?"
At first, Dudley seems to be at a loss for words. All he can do is gesture at Piers with confusion in his eyes, as though it's enough of an answer. "You're too tall!"
"Have you ever seen an elf?" Piers demands with a huff. "Elves might be tall!"
…
Max has really outdone himself this time. Piers grins as he looks around his cousin's bakery. Everything is covered in glittery white tulle, making it look like the snow outside has made its way inside. Little gingerbread houses, adorned with brightly-colored icing and sweets, decorate the tables and form a cozy village of aromatic cuteness.
Piers pulls the green hat over his dark hair before shaking his head. The little bell on top jingles with the movement. Piers grins.
He's well aware that he looks ridiculous. The red-and-white striped tights make his slender legs look like candy canes, and the green apron appears to have been made from someone much shorter than Piers. Still, at least he's not the star of the show.
"You had better be glad I like you," Dudley grumbles as he steps out from the back office.
If not for his voice, Piers might not recognize his best friend at all. Dudley's face is hidden behind a white, curly beard that hangs a little loosely. The red suit he wears has been padded to restore some of his boyhood chubbiness. His cheeks are a deep red, though Piers suspects it has little to do with being so holly-jolly.
"Beautiful," Piers teases, adjusting the little elf ear covers.
"Shut it, you smug bast–"
"That's not very festive of you, Santa," Max calls, hurrying out of his office with Liam right behind him.
Liam brushes a hand over his close-cropped red hair before removing his glasses and adjusting them. "Everyone ready?" he asks, getting straight to the point as always. "It's nearly time." He pauses and leans down, pressing a quick kiss to Max's lips.
"Christ. Did I miss the mistletoe?" Piers chuckles.
Max and Liam pull away, both wearing matching crimson blushes. "Watch it," Max warns. "You may be grown, but I can still ground you."
Piers offers his cousin a mock salute before turning his attention back to Dudley. "Thanks for doing this, mate," he says.
Dudley nods and adjusts the fuzzy red-and-white hat on his head. "Anything for you," he says. "That's what friends are for."
"Places, everyone!" Liam calls.
As Max steps behind the counter, Dudley and Piers make their way to the little Santa village set aside for them. Piers grins at Dudley, gently nudging him with his shoulder. Dudley returns the grin.
It's the bakery's first holiday season, and the excitement is infectious. Once, Piers might have hated the idea of dressing up as an elf, and he's certain Dudley's teen self would never have agreed to being Santa. But here they are, together in the silliness, growing and changing into something beautiful.
As the first child enters the bakery and eagerly runs up to Dudley, telling him about how good she's been this year, Piers can't help but smile.
"And what do you want for Christmas, Mary Beth?" Dudley asks, his voice dramatically deeper than usual.
They've come a long way, and Piers can't wait to see how much they continue to grow.