(Gardening Assignment for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)
"Ah fuck!" Blaise cursed, as the heavens opened up and released a torrent of icy water droplets. He shoved his folder under his jacket and prayed to Merlin that it wouldn't get wet- he doubted Professor Snape would accept yet another ruined homework assignment.
Practically running, his feet splashed into the forming puddles on the pavement as he raced towards the school. Water flooded his eyelashes, forcing him to keep brushing the droplets away with an equally wet hand in order to see.
"Fuck," he cursed again.
It was in one of his moments of jeopardized vision that he found himself crashing into something firm. He let out a cry as he fell backwards. A hand grabbed hold of his and with a jolt, he was saved from falling onto the hard concrete. Blaise blinked at his saviour, and incidentally the person he had collided with.
It was a boy. He was tall- taller than Blaise- and held a strong, lithe shape that suited the tailored school uniform he wore with an appetising fit. Auburn hair skirted cornflower blue eyes in soft tresses, filled with slight waves that Blaise couldn't help but want to reach out and touch. The boy's lips were pulled into a frown, and the Italian was overcome with the overwhelming urge to kiss the frown away. The boy was beautiful.
"Are you alright?" the boy asked.
Blaise flushed. "Er, yes. Thanks for catching me- I'm sorry I ran into you."
The boy smiled. "Quite alright….?"
It took an embarrassingly long moment for Blaise to realise the boy was asking for his name. "Blaise Zabini," he rushed out.
"Evan Redwood," the boy said. He paused. "Would you like to share my umbrella? Judging from your uniform we are going to the same place anyway."
Blaise glanced up at the navy umbrella that had been successfully keeping Evan dry.
"If you're sure," Blaise murmured, offering a smile to match Evan's.
"Of course, I am," Evan said, adjusting the umbrella's position to cover them both. "I wouldn't have asked otherwise."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
They began to walk again.
"So," began Evan, "tell me about yourself Blaise?"
Words began to spill out of Blaise's mouth, occasionally ceasing their fall to allow Evan to share some things about himself. Conversation, whilst at first slightly awkward, began to flow and envelop both of their attentions' so fully that it came as quite a shock when they arrived at the doors of the school. Disappointment bloomed inside Blaise's chest. He wanted to keep talking with Evan, not go and suffer Professor Snape's wrath over the state of his likely drenched homework.
"It was a pleasure meeting you Blaise," Evan smiled. "Perhaps you can share my umbrella again sometime."
