posted to tumblr in June 2017, prompted by anonymous
"Remember our first date? When you took me to Starbucks and it took me fifteen minutes just to choose a flavor of Frappuccino? I was never sure about anything, never. But I was so fucking sure about you!"
Draco glared over the top of Potter's head at the sappy couple sitting a few seats down the bar from them. Working doubles for the Ministry usually meant working with Potter, which also usually meant they went to breakfast at the diner down the road from the office for a mid-shift break. For the early hour, there were more people in the diner than they usually saw, a few unfamiliar faces mixed in with the regulars like them. Potter read the muggle newspaper and was blissfully unaware of the embarrassing moment they were privy to, and Draco would not stand to endure it alone.
"If we're not careful we may get sprayed with coffee very soon," he said, crossing his ankles on the bar stool below him.
Potter had a bit of steam on his glasses from the heat of his tea when he looked over at him. "What/"
Draco rolled his eyes and jerked his head ever-so-slightly over towards the women with their fingers intertwined. The exclamation by the one furthest from them had prompted the other to shush her and start speaking under her breath in a rushed tone.
"You're an Auror, Potter," Draco said. "I'm sure you can figure this one out."
It was Potter's turn to roll his eyes. "Leave them be, Malfoy. I've seen them here a few times before."
"Doesn't excuse the fact that she is likely to propose to that girl over a greasy spoon counter."
"Shove out of their business," Potter retorted sharply. Any ounce of his previous calm evaporated just as the line of steam left the bottom of his glasses. "I'm going up to pay and heading back to work."
Draco wasn't sure what he'd said that had incited Potter so much, so he let the Auror go up to pay as he neatly piled their utensils and mugs together for the waitress to collect. He rarely understood Potter and had learned to pick his battles.
Outside, the fog was dissipating slowly, grey smudges across grey cobblestones, and the pair walked in silence as it swirled around their feet. The sharp clicking of their bootheels and the soft slap of puddles underfoot filled the silence on the walk back to their headquarters. Potter scratched at the bit of beard wrapping around his face and cleared his throat, and Draco looked over at him at the sound. But, if he'd planned on saying anything, he'd decided against it.
They weighed their wands with the front desk witch then headed into the shared office in continued silence. The only break between shuffled papers and scratching quills was when Weasley and Granger walked by and called a good morning to the two of them.
"Who'd have pegged green as your color, Hermione?" Potter said with obvious affection, standing to hug his friend. The garish green lining of Granger's robes was shot through with streaks of silver and black, the additional colors marking her new ranking as a designated field Healer for the Auror department. Draco was thankful he wouldn't need to see her in robes dyed completely by the heinous excuse for green and he could tell she felt the same.
"Thanks, Harry," she said with a beaming smile. As soon as the door shut behind her, the vibrating energy she'd held back in the hallway translated to bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Draco nodded in greeting to Weasley, who stood at the door with a casual lean against the wall. "If only your robes complimented your complexion as well, Weasley."
Weasley huffed a laugh under his breath, his folded arms shaking against his broad chest. "Don't know what you're talking about, Malfoy. Red and Weasley go together like-"
"Blond and Malfoy?" Hermione offered.
"Curly hair and Granger?" Harry said.
"Finishing each other's' sentences, now? You three are doing nothing to help quell Skeeter's comments about an illicit relationship between you three."
"Jealous, Malfoy?"
Weasley, the one he'd expected to rise to his bait had surprised him and Draco did not care for that feeling. He tossed a quick rude gesture with his hand to cover the sensation of curdled milk in his stomach.
The two didn't stay in the office much longer, moving out to their posts in other parts of the department, the redhead asking Granger a question on what to get his sister for her birthday the next week. Draco swore he could hear Granger roll her eyes at his comments over new Quidditch gear, chiding him that her team would supply all the gear she would ever need, and honestly had he ever put more than a few minutes of thought into a gift for her?
"Knut for your thoughts?" Potter asked once the two were far enough away their friendly bickering couldn't be heard anymore.
"For a galleon, maybe," Draco volleyed back.
"Right," Potter grumbled into his paperwork. "Forget I asked."
"You know I loathe it when you pout, Potter," Draco said, standing to grab another report from the pile nearby. The clock on the wall told him only another few hours until he could go home to his flat and sleep the day away.
"And you drive me absolutely mad no matter what you do," Potter said, still grumbling at the paper and not looking in Draco's direction.
One eyebrow arched. "Pardon me?"
Potter sighed and set his quill down, folding his fingers together on top of his desk, still looking down. With his dark hair and long fingers placed just so, Draco got an unwelcome déjà vu feeling that harkened back to his Head of House. But when he spoke the imagery dissolved. "This morning, that couple at the diner? You cynically brushed them off and made them feel uncomfortable in their moment. You poke fun at how Hermione and Ron can get along now even though they've dated in the past, and you always try to pick a fight when they're here."
"Aurors should have a thicker skin," Draco started, but Potter cut him off.
"And I don't know how you expect anyone to approach you when you put on such a…when you act like such a fucking prick."
The squeak of leather on leather and the sound of magical energy crackled in the room as Potter stood and Draco clenched his fist.
"As much as I know you've changed, Malfoy, its ruddy difficult to keep my temper around you some days. Jesus, we're adults we should be able to work together without constantly grating on each other's nerves."
"That's just part of growing up, Potter," Draco said, enunciating each consonant of the man's name to keep himself from exploding. The exhaustion of a double-shift mixed with a lack of progress on the project they were assigned to between the Department of Mysteries and the DMLE pushed further into the cracks of his patience. The pure joy of the girls that morning, the comfortable exchanges between Potter and the others...cynicism was the only way he could reply and if Potter didn't like that then he could fuck off.