Warning: M for language and a teeny wittle bitty bit of violence/blood. it's very simple, light-hearted, romance focus and crime is just a side dish.
Working in Rosa Lee's Teabag for years now, Draco can say that he loves it there. It's probably the best decision–
Clang!
- he has ever made in his life when he first stepped into the shop looking for a job. Nothing beats applying his talent for potions-
Bang!
- to help create new recipes-
"Oh dear!"
- for making special drinks and food that reinvigorate and help the body, like what –
"Oh this…."
- he's doing now. Quietly stirring the cup of Relaxation coffee, carefully spraying minty Happiness cream on top, then peacefully sprinkling-
"I can't…! Draco!"
- Awakening flakes beautifully… It's the truth. He likes it here. It's just that, somehow whenever he reminiscence over something important-
"Draco dear, come here a moment!"
The blond boy looks heavenward in exasperation and heads for the kitchen at the back.
"What." He tries not to snap at his boss.
"This new Butterbeer recipe… I don't think the Cheerful potion works with the Reinvigorating one. I thought we managed to test it out yesterday and it worked fine?" Madam Rosa asks as she looks over the recipe they had finished the day before.
The whole floor and table are a spilt mess of scented Butterbeer.
"Did you add in milk powder before stirring everything?
"Yes"
"Chop the lilies?"
"Yes."
"Grind the rose petals?"
"Ye- oh. Oh! I must have skipped over that. I must be getting old."
Draco puffs his cheeks, looking deadpan over the kitchen mess, then decides to ignore it and makes his way to the counter where he left the drink.
"So?" His tanned, sexy co-worker looks at him, waiting for him to say something.
"What?" Draco asks, ignoring the creepy looking stare while he prepares another cup of ice vanilla latte for a customer.
"You know what."
The blond sprinkles a dash of Calming sugar inside, before adding fragrant cream on top. "You know what too."
"No I don't. Come on, elaborate."
Draco takes the cup and serves the customer at a far end table, deliberately walking slowly back behind the counter.
"You're horribly like Pansy sometimes."
"I'm much better." Astoria lifts her head in mock superiority.
Knowing that the much-too-detailed girl will never let it go from the creepy stare she's giving him, Draco pouts. "He said he only wanted me for my body. It's not like it never happened before."
A deep inhale. "At least it lasted only three days this time. I expect you got back at him?"
"Of course. Made him slip on the puddle of water. Luckily it was raining." He says dryly with a tiny smirk, earning him a laugh from the brunette. "Should have seen him. It's not as if he has a great body anyway. That two-standard pauper. Hope he cracked his head."
"They say the hundredth time's the charm." The world's most annoying voice pipes up.
"Potter. Seriously. Shut it." He motions to the bespectacled Auror sitting by the counter with the Daily Prophet open wide on the table. "And it's 'three time's the charm'. This is my tenth over time I got dumped. I'm not going to wait another ninety times before I get the right one."
"Considering your oh-so-great personality you've got here, no surprise." Harry replies, not looking up from the paper he's reading while munching on Buttery Soothing Biscuits.
"Yeh yeh, rub it in with the Weaslette you've got." The blond grumbled, cleaning the counter harder than necessary. "I'm going on a manhunting spree. I'll get someone with a great body who loves me." He nods to himself. That'll show Potter.
Harry closes the paper with a snap and folds it. Drinking the remaining of his coffee, he stands up and grabs his cloak before leaving for work, shouting, "thanks Madam Rosa!"
"You're welcome dear!" A reply is shouted back behind Draco.
"Thanks Draco, the one who actually made your drink." Draco mimics in a high voice, making Astoria roll her eyes as she continues serving the rest of the customers.
"Oh and Malfoy? Don't kill anyone during your manhunt. Them being traumatised by your face is enough punishment."
"Funny, Potter." Draco sneered. "I will!" He yells after the closing door.
"One day, I'm going to add itching powder into his drink instead of Refreshing milk." Draco tells his slim, beautiful boss as he helps her with the potion in the kitchen. "No idea why anyone likes him."
"Only because it's you, Draco." Madam Rosa tasks. "Your vendetta with him will be infamous throughout the wizarding world for centuries."
"Can't help being popular can I?" Draco straightens proudly. "Did I tell you the time when I spilt my drink on one of my ex's…"
At the counter, his fellow worker exhales loudly. His exes. Always. His exes. Every. Single. Time. Astoria can remember the times Draco complained about how he got dumped, which happens as frequently as chickens lay their eggs. Can remember every one of those times, unfortunately…
First ex thought he was a perfect robot:
"And he ran away! He freaking ran away because I burped. Burped! It's a natural occurrence of the body! EVERYONE burps!"
"Not when they're about to kiss.."
"He brought me to eat garlic pasta. And I wasn't expecting him to lean over to try to kiss me! I was already on the verge! I hexed him and made him burp every half hour with garlic breath for three days."
Ex wanted him for his body:
"He wanted to have sex five times a day! And each time, orgasm three times in a row! I know I'm sexy but I'm not a freaking sex toy!"
Ex wanted him for his body 2:
"He touches me all the time. Everywhere. During work, eating, walking, peeing. Always. Touching. And when I tell him to stop, he breaks up with me! I hexed him to itch everywhere. He wants to touch, go ahead and touch himself all he wants. Hope he gets caught scratching his balls."
Ex just wanted his money:
"Every dinner, I pay. Every time we go shopping, I pay. Even eating ice-cream, having a cup of tea, everything! And the one time I didn't bring my wallet, he makes a bloody fuss and breaks up with me? I cursed all his pockets to have holes in them. And took all the money."
Ex just wanted to kiss:
"He's always trying to kiss me."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Like always. ALWAYS. I just want to eat my lunch peacefully. He just had to kiss my cheek and try to kiss my lips. While I'm eating! The worse thing is while I'm in the washroom. Trying to pee. He would grab my neck and pull me over so that we can kiss. Across urinals. Isn't that gross? I slammed his head away when he tried to kiss me after the fourth time and we broke up."
Ex was too… poetic:
"He tried to spout poetry."
"So? Isn't that sweet?"
"Key word: Try. 'You're as stocky as my Little Me and as sweet as my sweet spot. My attraction to you is like Little Me to thy mouth and fingers to thy nipples. Your hair is as shiny as pre-cum on my Little Me and saliva on yours. I wish to stick my tongue in you so won't you stick yours too?' I was so horrified I couldn't eat a thing in the diner. Splashed my cup of water at him, obliviated him and never saw him again."
Aaaaaaand… stop.
She shakes her head, hand ruffling and gripping her hair, almost tearing them out. Nope. Not remembering. She's not going to think of that horrendous Poetry of Hell ever again. Ever.
Mind wash in three… two… one.
Think pretty thoughts. Like sunshine, and flowers, and- Weasley?!
Astoria drops the cloth that she has been using to wipe the same spot on the table for two minutes, and hurries to the kitchen. Clearing her throat, she stands in a stance that she hopes looks casual. "Hey Draco, can you… help me at the front instead? There's this dirty spot on the table that… and I wish to learn from Madam Rosa in mixing drinks. New drinks." She emphasizes.
Shrugging, Draco looks at his boss who nods for him to go ahead. He steps out to the counter, grabs the table cloth and looks for that dirty spot.
"Malfoy." The second most annoying voice in the whole world drifts into his poor ears.
The blond looks up and… reflexively throws the cloth at the Dirty Spot that's in front of the counter settling down on a chair. Unfortunately, the cloth misses the Spot and lands on the table instead.
A brow on Dirty Spot lifts. "Why, not sacked yet Malfoy? Throwing cloths at customers now? Haven't you learned some manners by now?"
Draco huffs through his nose. "Why, Weasley," he mimics, "getting unoriginal now aren't you? Saying the same thing every month. Or have you gone senile?"
"Just hoping a certain Slytherin's doing his job proper. And I'll have the usual two. Takeaway."
He slams the Styrofoam cups as lightly as his hands enable him to on the table and pours two cups of mochas. "Alihotsy Draught with Garrotting," he whispers to himself grudgingly as he mixes cocoa and a bit of Wit-Sharpening powder together. "Shrinking cream", he sprays Calming cream on top, which melts into the drink. "Laxative powder", sprinkles some Refreshing flakes.
"Ooh, new evil concoction?" The Dirty Spot says, amusement evident in his voice.
"Yes." Draco places the cups on the counter. "It's evil. Now scram and I hope you get sick."
"Almost forgot Varity's. She wants whatever's new on the menu."
Draco huffs again in annoyance and starts brewing the new flavoured tea.
"Got dumped again, Malfoy?" Dirty Spot smirks, leaning against the counter comfortably. "What's the story this time?"
"None of your business!" Draco snaps at him. He reminds himself to brew a whole stack of Calming draught for his own personal use.
"You got dumped for… a more handsome bloke? He only likes… your fashion sense? Your hair? Your money?" Dirty Spot rambles on.
Ignore him, ignore him.
"Probably dumped you for a better personality. Or better looks. Or a better body most likely, seeing how you're a little on the scrawny-"
"My body's better than his! He's a two-face pauper who thinks he's so handsome when he looks like a peanut with skin rougher than a toad and a bloody showoff, trying to flaunt his flaccid fats he thinks they're muscles wherever he goes." Draco breathes, trying to contain his irritation as he puts down the cup of tea.
Then, the laughter begins.
Draco swears inwardly for his outburst. Again.
"Aww Malfoy, still getting dumped for ridiculous reasons after all these years. Everybody just wants your body since you're not good in other aspects after all." Weasley shakes his head, still chuckling as he stands up and gathers the drinks and finally, finally walks off.
Relief that Dirty Spot has left, Draco heads for the kitchen to rain vengeance upon a certain Slytherin girl.
Another day is a brand new day, with a brand new smile and a brand new boyfriend he met at the club a few days ago, with birds chirping at the windowsills and a shop infused with an aroma of drinks.
Draco smiles at his new boyfriend, watching him drink the mocha that he made. "How is it?"
"Delicious. But you'd taste better."
At that, Draco beams.
A belching sound is heard beside them. "That's just corny. And Malfoy's in his creepy mode again."
A vein pops dangerously in Draco's head, as he tries to calmly ignore the speaker.
"You're probably Malfoy's hundredth's boyfriend. I'm Fred." He gestures to the male beside him. "He gets quite creepy when his eyes start to go googly when you do something nice, so beware. And he does weird things like throw towels at your face or starts cursing into his customer's drinks. Probably cursed yours too. He's pretty dark inside." Fred looks at the guy earnestly, who just blinks at him like he has no idea what he's talking about.
Draco leaps forward and grabs his boyfriend's arm, pulling him out of the shop.
"You really love teasing him, don't you?" Astoria eyes Fred disapprovingly.
"It's fun. And everyone knows all his 'boyfriends' aren't going to last long, so what does it matter? He should just accept that he's going to stay a grumpy bachelor forever."
"There's a saying that teasing someone means liking them." Astoria eyes him critically. "Plus, you're not attached either."
Shrugging, Fred replies. "That saying doesn't apply to the smartest and most handsome man in Hogsmeade. Besides, I'm too busy with the joke shop and there doesn't seem to be anyone interesting anywhere."
Later that evening, Astoria finds out that Fred was right. Malfoy getting dumped should reach an all high record by now. Her ears though… she makes a mental note to learn the spell that sieves out annoying noises from her ears.
"He starts talking about how his exes are good cooks, good at Quidditch or can fight well. And then he compares me to them as well as other people walking on the streets. He keeps… comparing me! And the worse is, he said Fred Weasley is handsome! Handsome! How can that be? He's blind, BLIND I say."
"Oh he certainly has a good eye. He knows I look better than you." Fred cheers with George as they gather around the counter with Harry and Ron, having a late night drink at Rosa Lee's teashop. "Bet all your dates cringe at how boring your conversations are, like hearing how high and mighty you are… So that's why he kept comparing you!" Fred beams, looking like he just had an epiphany.
"I don't talk like that." Draco snubs. "And at least it's not about some useless things like your joke shop."
"At least people are attracted to me. While they're only attracted to your money or body. But it doesn't last does it, because that's all you are."
"I'm going to create something that will make me drunk on tea." Draco murmurs, trying to ignore the sting in his heart. He slouches down on his seat, head leaning on his hand, the twin's cheers and hollers drowning out the night and giving him a headache.
A few shops away, a crinkled list of items and shop names lay on a dark wooden table, with three names ticked off. A dark figure twirls a quill pen and proceeds to tick off the next name. The pen then travels down the list, stops at the last name and circles it.
Dim light from a candle shimmers and reveals the name at the very bottom of the list:
Draco.
"Someone has been breaking into shops and stealing items. Especially that creepy old shop of dark mojo. It's been reported several times of theft and break-ins. Some items are missing, probably to create some sort of dark magic. Our investigations are going a tad slow though. I'm hoping to catch the culprit by next week. Or within this month at least."
"And you're here because…" Draco yawns, already tired of Potter's voice going on and on and-
"It's called a conversation, Malfoy. Where two or more people talk about things. Together. By opening their mouths and using their voice boxes."
"It's not conversation when you're talking to yourself."
"Cranky as always." Came a mutter.
"Annoying as usual." He muttered back.
"Hermione's helping out as much as she can and Ron is trying to gain more Intel on the situation in case it blows up. We hope that nothing big is going to happen to injure anyone. In which case if that happens, we'd have to-"
"Give me a break, Potter." Draco snubs, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. "It's still morning. I will pour acid in your drink if you don't stop talking. Then you will never hold another conversation again. Ever."
"Well." Potter sips his cup of latte. "I could be talking to my invisible friend over here. Next to me. Not the cranky oldie behind the counter."
Draco groans.
"Hi invisible friend."
How is this his life, Draco thinks. He groans even deeper when the Weasley twins step into the shop.
"And my department will be working even later into the night until this case is solved. Hey, Fred, George." Harry greets, receiving smiles and pats on the back in return.
"So how's the blue-haired guy you were gushing for a week?" George asks suddenly while Draco makes them their usual.
"He should be here soon." Draco replies smugly. "He's perfect. He's going to be the special one." Blue hair looks special and he just might be the one. Hopefully.
"Ooo, introduction to fellow mates?"
Recognising Fred's evil, mischievous look, Draco swallows. "We're not mates," he scowls. "All of you pests should scram. Now. Shoo."
"And miss the morning show? Nah, we'd rather stay, right Georgie?"
At that moment, the entrance bell jingles and blue hair peaks out from the door. Draco grins and waves him over.
"Go away!" Retaining his smile, he whispers intently to the three pieces of extra flesh sitting by the counter, who, not surprisingly, ignore him.
"Hey, my beloved." The blue haired cutie leans over the counter and kisses him on the cheek.
"Hey Max. Here. Try this Blue Mountain mint tea. It'll help you feel refresh." Draco hands him a freshly made cup of tea, while Astoria subtly observes the new guy.
"Hi Max. That's Fred." George sits nearer to Max.
"And that's George." Fred sits on the other side of Max.
"And we're regular customers and the shop's favourite." They say, both faces closing in on Draco's current conquest.
Max shifts, looking a tad uncomfortable as he nods in response.
Harry pushes up his spectacles and leans in, squinting at the blue-haired guy. "So what is so 'beloved' about Malfoy?"
"Can't be his personality, so is it the looks and the body?" George asks.
"Or the money and family estates?"
Draco pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, already apologetic to his new boyfriend.
The guy in the middle of the twins clears his throat and sits up straighter. "I do like Draco. He's smart, and a really nice guy. He's lovely and handsome of course." He smiles at Draco. "His smile makes me feel like the sun is always shining upon me. And he's helpful and really kind to me."
At this point, Draco is smiling brightly, unable to suppress the butterflies already fluttering in his heart. That's right. This is the one for sure. He must be. Everything's so perfect about him. Good natured, handsome, well mannered, and looking so very suave.
The three Gryffindors look at each other and gawk at the attractive young man.
"No way!" They wave their hands in denial.
"You must have gotten the wrong person."
"Were you bribed?"
"Your adjectives are all wrong."
"That's because Max knows me well the most." Draco defends immediately. He will not let any of them stand between them just because of a few words.
Max beams at him. "I will do anything for yo-"
"Draco." A stern voice abruptly cuts through the group.
Draco turns around and greets. "Father. Mother."
"And Lucius Malfoy appears out of nowhere!" George comments. "Together with his wife, Narcissa Malfoy."
Malfoy elder sniffs, eyes looking down at George. "We were here all along, sitting over there." He nods his head at where they had been sitting at a far corner.
"Apparently sitting at a very dark corner where the sun doesn't shine." Fred pipes up in addition to George's commentary.
"Let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Max." Draco smiles as he walks around the counter towards his parents.
The boyfriend shoots up to his feet, elbow almost knocking the counter in his rush. "H-hello Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. I-I'm Max." He holds out his hand to be shaken.
"Elder Malfoy glares at the hand as if it is the most disgusting insect he has ever had to settle his eyes upon, while Narcissa just stares at the boy, scanning him from head to toe." George murmurs quietly.
"Blue Hair lowers his hand, looking… weirdly… frightened." Fred continues as he eyes the peculiar boy.
Draco coughs and places his hand on Max's shoulder. "These are my parents. Don't mind them. They might look fierce, but they've mellowed these few years."
"What are you working as, boy?" Lucius asks coldly.
"D-divinition. I'm a Divinition apprentice in t-training." Max answers, gulping, afraid to look right at elder Malfoy in the eyes.
"Divinition? That useless junk? What's your future aspiration and your future plans with Draco?"
"Father! Please! He's just-"
"Draco." Lucious interrupts his son. "This is important." The older man says without taking his eyes off the now trembling boy. "So? What's your answer?"
"I… I… I don't know… I haven't… I'm not sure yet abo-"
"Don't know?" Lucius bellows, making Max jump and catching the attention of both Madam Rosa and Astoria. "No future plans with Draco either?!"
"I'm s-sorry s-sir!" Max bows timidly.
"If you don't know your future plans, don't think about going out with my son!"
"I'm sorry sir! I'm sorry! I won't go out with your son!" Max continues bowing in fear.
"What? So now you think my son's not worth your attention?! That you would give him up so easily!" Lucius glowers, towering over the cowering boy.
"N-no sir! That's not what I mean sir!"
Lucius steps even nearer to the bowing boy and grabs his shirt, forcibly straightening him. He bends down and sneers, "don't ever see Draco again. If you even touch a hair on him," His voice lowers dangerously. "I will skin you alive and make you into boiling, blue soup, understand me?"
The poor boy lets out a terrified meep and bows again in apology, before shooting off from the teashop.
Draco stands there, gaping in horror. "Why did you do that for?" He exclaims.
His father shakes off invisible dust from his coat and answers coolly. "If my future son-in-law can't even deal with me, he's not worth it."
"Now you know that boy's true colours, Draco." His mother adds on with a reassuring smile.
Fred guffaws at Draco, unable to hold it in any longer. "Looking at your face is enough to send one running. Literally!"
"Mother! Father! You… you…" Draco looks at them, an unbelieving look on his face. "Banned! Banned from this shop!" With that, he lets out a frustrated cry and stomps to the back of the shop. "Banned!"
Harry hums. "Not so perfect after all."
For ages… probably months… maybe years, he has been trying his best to find someone who loves him like he does to them. He has always thought that he would meet the ultimate love of his life, where every day would be full of laughter and lovey-dovey sequences, with flowers blooming everywhere. There would be fights of course, but they'd make up after that. It would be sweet and sour, like this candy he's twirling around.
He gives a sigh. Perhaps he is still young, and the special person has not appeared yet. At least during this time when he goes shopping for Rosa's ingredients, he can pause and think through personal thoughts and be in his own world without being interru-
"Draco Malfoy! Hurry your butt up!"
… Or not.
Draco turns and scowls at the Weasley twins who are busy in their shop, one behind the counter collecting change, the other somewhere along the rows of magical items helping other customers. It's in their shop when he complains the reason for Madam Rosa purchasing several things from them, be it ingredients or decorations.
"Gosh, Fred really does have a nice butt." He hears girls whispering and giggling and gushing nearby.
"His back muscles make his shirt look really sexy."
"George's really cool too! And look at his arms!"
Draco creeps near the giggling girls and takes a look at Fred who's facing and talking to the customers. He notices for the first time the broad, muscled back and the strong arm muscles when the twin reaches up a shelf for a product. His eyes stray down and linger on the butt. He frowns, taking note of how those long, nicely shaped legs accentuate the contours of the butt. It's probably the pants that are nice, not the figure. Because the whole figure is… the figure is…
Draco tears his eyes away and stops himself from continuing that uneasy thought that might bring him some sort of revelation. He collects the things he needs and heads for the counter.
"Took you long enough." George says, scanning the things and placing them into paper bags.
Draco scans his chest, to his arms, to his shoulders, and up to his face. He notes the prominent nose, the slightly droopy eyes and the shape of his face. Similar to Fred's, but somewhat different as well. Maybe it's their personality that gives them a different feeling. Fred is more…
George takes a double look as he notices he's being stared at. "What?"
Draco blinks and looks into his eyes. Brown. "You're slow." He says as he pays, snatches the paper bags and walks out of the shop.
No one notices a dark figure hidden in a corner, eyes trailing calculatingly after the blond.
~.~
"The twins do look rather hot." Astoria says blatantly, the next time the twins are in their tea shop.
"What?" Draco's taken aback by the random subject. He looks up, observing the twins who are sitting nearby, seeming to be discussing something about their joke shop.
"Besides their good looks, they are very nicely muscled and have beautiful smiles."
"And nice butts too." He blurts out quietly as the twins stand up. He misses the amused look given to him by his co-worker. "How can he even have a nice butt? It's so unfair. And that back. Did you look at his back? It's so broad and muscled it's unbelievable. It's so unfair!"
Astoria blinks at his furrowed brows. "His twin has them too."
"It's different. Can't you see the difference? They look different! They do! He's more muscled. Definitely. Even by a bit." After observing both twins for some time, he's the one who knows the difference for sure.
"Draco… I think you've fallen sick. Must've breathed in too much fumes." Astoria laughs.
He scowls at her.
That night in a pub, Draco can't help comparing his new conquest's butt with an image of another butt that's been lingering at the back of his mind for awhile now.
Astoria knows it's that time of the month again. Or more accurately, almost every day is that time of the month for her dear ol' friend.
Cups are stacked roughly with a loud clatter, tables cleaned harshly until the surfaces look overly sparkly, grumbling of all sorts can be heard, with "curse that air-head", "dump into ocean", "confundus him", "boogie hex", "Tie and bury alive" inserted throughout intervals, and other analogies that are too crude for Astoria to process, especially those that involve dung, swords and certain parts of the male anatomy.
"Three sickles, 15 knuts." He says grumpily to the customers. "You're short of a knut you knuckle-heads!" He growls at them, glaring so deeply that Astoria thinks something or someone is about to combust into flames.
The customers are creeped out and hastily hand him the remaining change, whispering to each other and glancing back at him whilst quickly making their way out of the shop.
Madam Rosa frowns. "They wouldn't be so scared of you or think we sell poison if you smile once in awhile. Why do you think we have Harry Potter coming to our shop? You don't think he comes just for a cuppa when he feels like it?"
"Why not? Unless you're not confident in how good your concoctions are." The grumbling boy shoots back.
"His fear for your tendency to go to the dark side overwhelms the awe inspiring amazement he feels for my concoctions."
"Yeh? Just wear your makeup like you did the other day, and he'd definitely know we're treading dark waters and arrest us the moment he steps in and look at the disaster that is your face."
She folds her arms. "And you're treading deep, dark waters right now young man."
He coughs and ducks his head, wiping the table top, muttering, "least I know how to swim. Ow!" He pouts, rubbing the back of his head that was hit by a wooden spoon. "If one day I'm hospitalized, everyone will know it's your fault. I've witnesses!"
"And everyone would be rejoicing when that day comes. Drinks will be on the house for everyone."
"You're evil. More evil than me! How can everyone not know that!"
"Learn how to disguise, Draco. Take it from a wiser and more experienced person like me."
"You're definitely Slytherin," he accuses.
"House of the eagle."
He squints his eyes at his boss.
"I am the first to create this kind of café." She puffs up proudly.
"I knew there was corruption in that House!" He points in exclamation and starts whining grumpily to himself again, the feeling of poisoning someone at the tips of his fingers.
That feeling increases tenfold when the most annoying person enters the shop per usual.
"Potter. Tea of Death or Chocolate of Destruction?" He grinds out when the annoying person settles on a chair at his usual spot in front of the counter.
"Wha?"
Draco rolls his eyes as he makes a cup of Harry's usual and sets it down on the table, making sure the angry face on the surface of the drink stares up at the auror. "Here's your Coffee of Doom. Set to grant you a path above the sky or below the earth in a matter of minutes. Take a sip and have a pleasant death."
"You… you're joking.. right?" Harry narrows his eyes at him, but still waves his wand around the cup just to make sure.
Draco sighs in exasperation. "Why does anyone pay taxes just for aurors like you who waste their time loitering and being useless in a small café? If this shop is meant to kill off the whole wizarding population, you would have been dead ages ago."
"That's reassuring." Harry huffs and starts drinking.
"And I would have used poison that's odourless and undetectable." The blond concludes, staring blatantly at Harry's cup, causing the wonderboy to chock and splutter. Draco gives a satisfied smirk, proceeding to fill another cup of beverage.
"But of course, that would be unthinkable wouldn't it? For a small café. With an innocent shopkeeper. And a remarkable, innocent and handsome male young helper."
"Not innocent at all. Remarkably evil more like it. Plain evil." Harry mutters, drying his cloak and table.
A hand cuffs the back of Draco's head, almost causing him to spill the drink with a yelp. "I told you to look more inviting and friendlier especially to aurors, not make you more suspicious like a death eater in training."
"Like that doesn't sound suspicious at all…" Draco grumbles.
"Hello Harry."
"Good day to you Madam Rosa."
"I promise if he starts getting into trouble, you'll be the first person to know." She says amiably.
"Hey! As my employer, you should be sticking up for me."
"Harry's a nice man."
"That's favoritism. And a lie!"
"Now, now Draco. Go get this list of items for me, won't you?"
"You're not my mother." He protests. "I hate you, Potter."
"Hate you too, Malfoy." Harry replies nonchalantly, too busy enjoying his nice cup of latte.
Draco looks up at the entrance of the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and mutters, "decoration, she says. Of all shops, must it be in this store? And why must it be me?" He will never admit to anyone, but after all these years, he's still jittery entering the twin's store. Must be the atmosphere. Or something.
He enters into the forebodingly cheerful jokes shop and starts looking for items. Halfway down a lane where he grabs the last item on the list, he feels something tugging his pants. He turns and spots a little girl looking up at him. He lifts a brow in question.
"Please, mister. Can you get that toy for me?" She asks sweetly.
"What?"
"The toy. Up there." She jumps excitedly and points. "The shiny box with the car in it."
He continues staring at the girl. "And why, should I get it for you?"
The girl blinks up at him with big eyes. "Because you're an adult. And tall. And big people should help small people. And people should help people. It's the good thing to do." She beams and clasps her hands. "Pleeeeease…"
He squints at her, not feeling the least bit generous that day, while she looks up at him with her big, big, watery eyes.
Her big, innocent eyes that are shiny… and pleading… glowing with anticipation… and wonder… as if all hope lies in him…
He blinks and looks away towards the toy. He finds his hand stretching involuntarily towards the box. Taking it off the shelf, he examines it. A magic controller car. A toy car that can fly with your magic activating it. How peculiar.
He hands the box over to the little girl. "And what must you say?"
The girl takes the box and smiles brightly, "thank you Mister Blondie!" And she bounces away before he can respond.
"Horrible little girls with their horribly huge, puppy eyes." While telling himself that it's not the girl, but the result of him being such a remarkable person that he helped her, he fiddles another box with a flying snitch toy.
"Hey Mister Blondie." A familiar voice greets.
He sighs. Fred Weasley.
"Never thought the proud Malfoy brat would ever help anyone." The red head says in mock surprise before noticing the toy that Draco's holding. "That is one of the best sellers. Just input some of your magic in it, and you can control it anyway you want. It's mighty fun and useful. You can play with it and even send messages. They come in forms of dragons, goblins, snitches and even muggle contraptions like planes and helicopters, and look," he shows the blond several other types, "all sorts of funky things you can ever imagine. Might get that for decorating Madam Rosa's shop."
"That's a pretty good idea!" Astoria pops up from behind them, trying to take the toy from Draco, who holds it away from her.
"Or, we can just buy whatever we need in the list and get out of here."
"But… but you do like it! I can see it in your eyes." Fred insists.
"And it'll lift the mood in your shop and prevents you from being angry all the time." George joins in.
"I'm not angry all the time." Draco frowns.
"Cranky, moody, angry, same old same old." George waves in dismissal.
Draco is about to say something, when he recognises someone walking nearer towards him. Instantly, he stiffens, lips stretch to a thin line. He turns his back on the person, but his name is already called out.
"Fancy seeing you here, Draco."
Draco slowly turns around and glares at the brunet who continues looking at him like he's beneath him.
"Haven't I told you not to stalk me?" The brunet sneers at him.
"I've better things to do than to stalk you." He retorts as he feels irritation rising to the brim.
"Ah, but I guess desperate people can't help but follow their exes around. Pathetic."
"You're not even worth following." Draco bites back, clenching his fists.
"Hey, hey, what's going on? No fights in the shop." George declares, standing between them.
"Not to worry, handsome." Brunet gives George a lascivious look before eyeing disgustedly at Draco. "Just making sure this… worthless thing doesn't come near me. Just because I pitied him and picked him off the streets, he thinks I'm interested in him. He's just a pretty trophy I kept by my side." He takes a step nearer towards Draco and lowers his voice, taunting him. "But I grew bored… and threw him away."
Draco lashes out his wand, attempting to curse him, but was held back by George instead.
"Back off!" Astoria brandishes her wand at the brunet, who takes a few steps back. He leaves the shop, but not before leering at Draco.
"First time I've met someone who's much more of an arrogant prat than you, Malfoy." George says, trying to comprehend what just happened.
"Wow. So it's true that only your body is worth something." Right after blurting that out, Fred doesn't expect hands to grab him tightly by the front of his shirt.
"I'm more than that." The blond glares up at him with an intensity that surprises Fred a little. He looks into shimmering grey eyes clouding with swirling emotions he never thought he would see, looking right at him.
"I'm not… I just want…" Draco's voice breaks off at the end, face tightly controlled, looking away. Clenching and releasing the fabric, he consciously pried his fingers away. "You're a jerk." He says dejectedly and goes to pay at the counter where Verity is.
"I think I actually agree with him on this one." George pats his brother's shoulder.
"You, are not my brother." Fred objects. It is unthinkable though, how Malfoy's broken voice made him feel a tad guilty.
"Look, I've heard stories of how he was in Hogwarts, but he's different now." Astoria says in defense. "He may be cranky, a little idiotic sometimes, blabs a lot too, but he's normally a good companion and serious in relationships. If he were interested in girls and I wasn't attached, I would date him. Girls would even be willing to marry him."
"Then you should go get a sex change. Or something."
She gives him a withering look. "Sometimes I think you're worse than him."
"You mean better. I'm better than him in a lot of things."
"Yeah. Better at being a jerk."
"Well I didn't mean it… I was just saying. I've said things about him all the time."
"He was in an exceptionally bad mood today and you just made it worse." She leans in and scrutinises him. "If you are whom I believe you are, you'd better make it up to him." She frowns and strides out of the shop.
Somehow, Fred couldn't shake away the weird feeling churning uncomfortably in his stomach for the rest of the day.
Until later that night, when he comes across the blond boy loitering on the streets that are lit up only by the street lamps and the moon shining above. He's about to call out to him, when upon closer look, he sees… is that blood?
He walks swiftly forward, almost running. "Malfoy?"
Draco, clutching an arm, looks up at him. Fred doesn't know if it's his presence or the fact that his head and arm is bleeding, that the boy groans upon sighting him.
"What happened? Let me take a look." Fred says, holding his arm and scanning him for any serious injuries. He holds Draco's head in both hands, finding the injured area located at the side of his forehead.
"I'm fine, Weasley. I just need to get back to Rosa's café." Draco insists, trying to pull away.
"Hold still. I can heal that." Gently brushing away Draco's fringe, he takes out his wand and utters a spell to clean away the blood dripping down the face.
"Don't do anything weird to my face." Draco says nervously, just as Fred waves his wand.
"If weird means healing up that wound, then yeh, your face has turned weird."
Draco touches his forehead, feeling for the wound that was once there. "That's… neat." He says, after finding out the wound has sealed up painlessly and was clear of any blood.
"My healing skills are not too bad. Anyway, what happened to you?" Fred asks while healing up the deep cut on the arm.
"One moment I was walking down the streets, the next, someone in a black hooded cloak bumped into me and I just got cut badly." Draco frowns as he recalls what transpired.
"Just like that?"
"Yeh. I think he was holding something under his cloak and it touched me. And I felt something sharp cut across my arm and my head. Then there was so much blood. I couldn't see his face."
"It wasn't a spell?"
"I… don't know. It could be a silent spell. Or an object of some sort."
"Huh." Fred contemplates telling Harry the incident the next morning, as he walks Draco back to where he stays above Madam Rosa's shop.
Reaching the shop, he stops and pulls out something from his pocket. "Before I forget." He places something round in Draco's hand.
Looking down at his hand, Draco is surprised to see the object. Lying beautifully on his palm is the toy snitch he had picked in the shop. The shiny green snitch even has his small golden red initials, D.M, emboldened on it.
"I thought it would be cool to add your name on it." Fred shrugs. "You know, about what I said in the shop… I didn't mean it. I mean, I say it all the time, it's like a bad habit."
After a few seconds, Draco blinks back his surprise. "Well. Never expected you to stop with the jokes which are, by the way, not funny."
"Funny to me." Fred grins. "How often do we get to see anyone get dumped so many times every week?"
"As many times as I see Potter and your face." Draco grumbles.
Fred chuckles. "Then you're a lucky fellow. Anyway, truce? For today at least."
"Which is an hour before expiry." Draco says dryly, while Fred winks and starts walking away.
Feeling something overwhelming him, Draco blurts out after the retreating back. "Be car… be vigilant."
Fred turns around and looks at him for a moment, before he smiles, "I will."
"Purple lips, black tongue…" Ron closes the victim's mouth with his gloved hand. "Some kind of poison. Eyes entirely black; most likely from a curse or a cursed object. We need to confirm this."
"Several cuts on his arms and legs, scratches on his neck. Lots of blood." Harry observes, scanning the body with both his eyes and his wand. Dried blood on fingers and under the nails. Blood need to be identified.
Ron levitates a button that was partially hidden under the victim's cloak, into the evidence bag. "Velvety blue with some silver lining."
"Doesn't look very common."
"Actually, I think it can be found in one of those rare clothes shop Hermione told me about. And we can check out the one that custom makes all those stuff."
"Ok." Harry agrees as they finish investigating the whole area. "Do you think it's related to the theft case? With the dark magic and all."
"We don't have much evidence to pinpoint it. It might be. They steal dark items and use them to kill their victims."
"Which makes things more complicated. Why would anyone steal something just to kill someone? Unless it wasn't planned. Or the person's too strong to kill by normal means." Harry deduces. "Malfoy got attacked too, which could be by a dark object, but he wasn't killed. The attacker might also be the thief."
"Or they could all be a separate case, which makes more sense and makes things much easier for us." Ron hopes, but he knows nothing Harry investigates can be that simple.
"Hey that reminds me, wasn't there a different theft case two days ago? Someone stole a jar of Lavender purification powder, a box of yarrow and some kind of flower dust?"
"I guess so."
Harry blinks at his best friend. "Maybe-"
"Nope."
"I haven't said anything!"
"I can guess what you were about to say. It'll be along the lines of after killing the victim, the murderer or thief used special Lavender powder to purify the place. They wanted to lighten up the gloomy area so they wore a yarrow flower in their hair and vanished out of sight using the flower dust." Ron ends, looking knowingly at Harry who's staring at him.
"I… that wasn't… nooo…." Harry denies.
He sniffs a few moments before saying, "maybe. Alright, yes. But that's just a joke! Anyway, let's just check the evidence first before we make any conclusions."
"Right-o Harry."
Everyday would be a great day, Draco muses. Handsome guys would flock to him, while he would show off his perfect boyfriend hand in hand. There would be lots of kisses and loving glances, so loving that even Granger, no, Hermione Weasley, would be jealous. Potter and all the Weasleys in the world would be banned from Madam Rosa's teashop. They will absolutely. Not. Crowd here. Every. Single. Night.
But of course, that only happens in perfect alternate worlds.
"This is not a bar!" Draco yells for the umpteenth time, falling under deaf ears.
"This is probably the best cocoa ever invented!"
"That's what you always say when the new ones come up, Georgie." Fred grins as they clink their cups and lift them to their lips.
Draco wonders when had Madam Rosa allow these noisy brats to gather in the café after hours just to "chill and relax from all tension after work", as they call it. And she just leaves him and Astoria to mend the shop!
"Harry, is that Chamomile Breezy Mint Tea new?" Ron asks, squinting at the menu.
"Malfoy, is that Chamomile Breezy Mint Tea new?" Harry asks the irate blond.
"Yes. Created a week ago."
"Yes, they just created it a week ago." Harry replies Ron, who budges Harry to order for him.
"He's still grudging over the last time you put that hiccupping potion in his drink?" Astoria nudges Draco quietly as she prepares the tea.
"Apparently."
"Huh. He sure knows how to hold a grudge. It's been almost a month." She glances at the red-head who is staring at them, making sure a certain blond doesn't touch his drink.
Draco doesn't care. He doesn't care if Ron Weasley ignores him for weeks or months or forever. Right now, all that matters is that he just –
"And Malfoy got dumped again! Wohoo!" An obnoxious cheer sounded, followed by clinking of glass cups.
Draco tenses and looks up, glaring at the owner of the loud voice. "Shut up, Weasley."
"His boyfriend cheated on him." Fred explains, a little too cheerfully for Draco's taste. "Malfoy and I were getting some things from the grocery shop. We passed by the bar and saw him kissing other guys outside and hitting on them. We confronted him. Turns out he's been four-timing him and playing around. So I hexed him."
"You did?" George asks in unhidden surprise.
"Yeh. Guess which spell I hit him with?"
"The one we were experimenting with?" George's eyes widen in wonder, beginning to feel excited and wanting to know how the spell went.
Fred snaps his fingers. "Bingo! And guess what happened?"
"He got all hairy like a gorilla," George quips eagerly.
"Bloated up like a ball,"
"Glow green from the inside out,"
"And farted so loudly and putridly that everyone around him ran away!" Fred ends with several others laughing out loud with the twins. Even Draco's lips are lifting upwards.
George cheers, high-fiving Fred with both hands. "Success! I should have been there!"
"We can always use it on him again." Fred chuckles evilly, silently making a promise with his twin.
"Wow Fred. You're like, Draco's hero!" Astoria sighs dreamily. "The one he has always been waiting for."
"He's not!" The blond waiter interjects fervently.
"And you're tons better off without a player like your ex-boyfriend."
"But I liked him!" Draco sniffles. "He has that limited edition waterproof one week resilient hair gel and that sparkling smooth shoe polisher that costs ten times my salary!"
"Yeh… he's better off without you." Harry mutters.
"But he was nice to me. And… and gave me many things."
"Giving things doesn't always mean someone loves you."
"Plus he was hot." Draco licks his lips. "We had amazing sex everywhere multiple times in different pos-"
"TMI Malfoy! TMI! Too much info!" Yells are heard, but it doesn't break the blond's train of thought.
"His abs and his butt-"
"Malfoy!"
A string of rapid mutters can be heard from Potter's red-headed partner who's covering his ears. "Two bodies on Roseberry Hill, deep scratches on abdomen. Three bodies mangled by werewolf, one head dislocated, one beheaded, one amputated leg. Five hanged in abandoned dark shop, blood pouring from…"
"Really lickable."
"Eurggh!"
"Too bad he's a disloyal jerk." Draco gives a deep sigh and deflates, plopping onto his chair behind the counter. "Why are all of you always here when I break up anyway?"
"To celebrate your ex's freedom, duh." Fred cheers again and raises his cup.
"Better luck next time mate." George says.
"Just don't kill any of your boyfriends and they'd be lucky enough." The evil twin snickers. "Like an incubus, sapping all their life stream, energy and money out o-"
Draco throws a wet towel at his face.
"They're such good friends, aren't they! I'm glad he has such friends like you guys." Madam Rosa sighs contentedly as she watches Draco with Harry, Ron and the twins, squabbling over something. "Like a second family!"
"Do not bring those cupcakes from your joke shop, Weasley!"
"Tra la la, tra la la, Malfoy's talking gibberish again, George. We should bring our newly made Rapping Berries For The Sick next time."
"And the Puking Pies."
"Potter! You're not supposed to dip that cake into the finely brewed tea, you disgusting, ill-bred paup- Weasel! Give it back! Stop it. Stop it I say!"
"This is mine! I ordered it!"
"No! Stop, give it! It's not yours!"
"Uh huh. I'm sure they are." Hermione answers with a deadpan look all over her face. Occasionally coming into this shop just makes her feel as if she has been here as often as Harry does. Things never change no matter when she comes in with them, no matter how many years have passed. Harry, Ron and the twins would be having a spit fight with Draco, seeing who would first make the other snap. A free show for all.
"You'll get used to it." Astoria hands the cup of steaming cocoa to her. "And if you don't, we have spells. I'm learning one that sieves out unimportant things from the ears," she shares a smile with Hermione.
"Must be hard, especially with Malfoy around."
"You have no idea." She emphasises. "You should come more often, Hermione. At least I'd have another girl besides Verity to talk to every day and share agonies together. It's as if this and the Weasleys' shop are married or something. The things we have to deal with the noisy guys, and Madam Rosa encourages it!"
The girls are interrupted by Draco who starts whining to Astoria.
"Maybe they're right." He pouts, stirring his cocoa half-heartedly.
"About what?"
"About everything! I'll be left on the shelf when I'm forty and only get to plot homicide when little Weasley brood come running around like pests spreading germs around Hogsmead."
"I sincerely doubt that." Astoria says. "More likely to have twenty over husbands or two hundred boyfriends by then."
"Perhaps I should subject myself to lifelong celibacy." Draco thinks aloud.
Madam Rosa tasks at him. "If you smile more dear, people will like you more and you'd have more suitors lining up for you."
"I do. Smile." Draco scowls.
"That's an upside down smile, by the way." Hermione pipes in.
"Funny." He says dryly. "I'll stick to celibacy."
That declaration is hindered though, when he meets a customer who eyes him with much interest along with flirty, bedroom eyes.
"I'm on celibacy here." Draco says in a strained voice.
"Really? Well celibacy this." The guy swipes his hair back, flexing his muscles and pulls his shirt down a little, revealing a very well-toned chest.
Draco gulps, forcing his mouth close. "I-I can always… p-postpone it."
"… Your state of celibacy didn't even last a day." Astoria says worriedly, anticipating the break up that is bound to happen, as Draco gets swept away once again.
And she hits the mark right in the dot when the next day, along the streets near the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, Draco is seen quarrelling in the rain with the guy.
"Did you really think I would like you? It's just a prank. I had a bet to see how long I'd need to win you over." He mocks.
Disappointed and angry with himself for always falling for such a lousy trick, Draco points his wand at the guy, threatening him with shouts of anger over the pouring rain. Spells are exchanged as the fight got as heavy as the rain.
Inside the jokes shop, Verity eyes the fight with slight concern. "It looks like the fight might blow out of proportion if no one stops them."
Before she even finishes her sentence, Fred is already out of the shop's door.
Verity and George watches as Fred jogs towards the scene. He sweeps out his wand to cast a spell at the guy who's about to curse Draco. The wand flies violently out of the stunned guy's hand. He staggers while clumsily retrieving his wand and scampers away.
Draco places a hand over his forehead as he lowers his head in regret, looking downcast and dispirited while the rain continues pouring down on him. He swipes his fringe up and shakes his head at something Fred says. He says something before turning and walks away.
Before he can walk any further, Fred steps forward and takes hold of Draco's wrist, turning him around.
He stares at the blond for a bit.
Lifting up a hand, he wipes away what are either raindrops or tears from Draco's cheeks.
Then, he bends down and kisses him.
Back at the auror department with the pitter-patter of raindrops splashing against the windows panes, Harry looks at the results of the blood recognition charm.
"Ron..." He calls out to his partner without taking his eyes off the results. "We might have our murder suspect. Not quite what we expected…"
The results state the names:
Brunet Turner.
Draco Malfoy.