A/N: Once again I find myself wondering just what goes on in my brain to concoct stuff like this.
Word Count: 1630
dawn of the dead as the sun sets on loneliness.
There was a different crowd in the Room of Requirement on a Friday evening.
It was a favourite haunt of Harry and Hermione's, somewhere they liked to go to Uni. They'd gotten into the habit of meeting every Thursday - she didn't have any sort of clubs on a Thursday and Harry had afternoon lectures on Friday so they were able to catch up and chat for hours. It had become so ingrained in his routine that when Hermione had called the day before, upset that she was going to have to cancel because of sick housemate, Harry had felt somewhat at a loss.
He had spent the evening eating leftover takeaway but all of the next day had been craving chai latte. There were other cafes on campus but the Room of Requirement was special. Their motto was that they could get you 'whatever you needed' and prided themselves on not really having a menu but instead, the staff would bring you a drink and dessert based on what they thought you needed. Harry almost always got a chai latte handed to him, although twice had been an espresso whilst his deserts alternated between treacle tart, apple crumble or some ginger nut biscuits. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to get a different drink and dessert every time they came - something she'd at first been affronted by. Much to Harry's amusement, every mouthful or sip had been immediately followed by a happy sigh and smile. So far the Room of Requirement hadn't failed in its promise. It was by far Harry's favourite place to relax and hide from the world.
He hadn't even realised he was walking there before he was outside the door of the cosy cafe, with books, board games and old arcade games adorning the walls. There was a photo booth in the back, a ball pit in a side room - it was a treasure trove that was Hogwarts University's best-kept secret. Hidden away as it was, not many of the student body knew of its existence, another reason Harry and Hermione like to meet there.
Harry sank into a cushy blue chair. A quiet guy with sticky-out ears, who always seemed to wear woolly hats and bright odd socks brought him a steaming cup of some sort of herbal tea. Harry raised his eyebrows but the guy walked away before he could even ask.
Taking a tentative sip and deciding that it was either green or jasmine, Harry looked around at all the people milling about the room. It was busier than normal with an unusual range of people. Instead of the normal fare of hipsters and people looking for a nook to read in, there were older people, some in suits, a woman in a very low cut dress and another with a pink mohawk. He was only wearing jeans and an old t-shirt and Harry felt slightly self - conscious.
As he took another sip of tea, the door opened and two men came in who had the exact same shade of bright red hair that Harry knew on sight they must have been brothers. The tall one was gorgeous and Harry was tempted to reach for his phone to try and take a picture to text to Hermione. A bell rang and people started to move but Harry was frozen as he locked eyes with the tall ginger who then made a beeline for him.
Had he looked that obvious? Normally Harry prided himself on having a good poker face, particularly if he was attracted to someone.
'Well done Harry,' he thought to himself. 'Way to play it cool.'
"They say you and I only have five minutes, but I can tell we're going to need longer... My name's Ron."
Harry blinked.
"Harry, my name's Harry, but… five minutes until what, sorry?"
Ron sat himself down, apparently very comfortable sharing a table with a stranger and starting conversation.
"For the date? If that's what you call it? Our chat? Then after five minutes, we swap tables, don't we? To be honest, it's the first time I've done this. I was dragged here by my brother Percy who said he needed a wingman and I'm the only single one like you need a wingman for speed dating."
Harry choked on his tea.
"What?"
Looking around wildly, Harry registered the large poster on the wall - SPEED DATING FOR 20 - 30-YEAR-OLDS. FIVE MINUTES, REFRESHMENTS SUPPLIED.
"Oh God this is some sort of mistake. I only came in for a cup of tea, I've had a really long day."
Ron laughed and relaxed deeper into his chair.
"That makes me feel a bit better. Like I said, I promised Perce I'd give it a go but honestly, I have no clue what I'm doing."
"Your line was very smooth," Harry grinned. "If I was looking for another relationship that might have worked."
"Oh really?"
Time seemed to fade away. Harry was sure that it had been five hours rather than merely minutes when Ron went to stand, and he found himself reaching out and wrapping his hand around Ron's wrist.
"If you want, we could go grab something to eat?"
"I'd love that. I'm bloody starving."
Harry grinned, feeling his cheeks warm. He didn't trust people easily but there was something about Ron that just made him feel safe. They had talked about general things and as they were standing, Ron asked him what his favourite movie.
"To be honest, I haven't really seen many. I don't even have a TV."
"You don't own a TV? What's all your furniture pointed at?"
Harry laughed, Ron looked so perplexed.
"Right, I'll quiz you on that later, let me just go and find my brother and tell him he's going to survive on his lonesome."
Ron looked around, peering over people's heads as Harry's phone buzzed furiously in his pocket. He thought it would be a text from Hermione but instead, it was three news updates from different apps.
First was the BBC: Breaking News: Contagious Infection Sweeping Through The UK.
Beneath it was the Guardian with London Mayor tells all to stay inside.
And finally the more sensationalist online news outlet The Prophet: People advised to arm themselves for self-defence.
"Perce, hey."
Ron's brother rushed up just as Harry lowered his phone, about to ask Ron if he knew what was going on.
"Ron we've got to go home, now!" There was some urgency to Percy's voice, who didn't even look in Harry's direction.
"Harry and I are going out for something to eat. If your date's gone up in flames you can do the walk of shame solo."
"No, it didn't go up in flames," Percy snapped, clearly flustered. "Well, it did when she tried to attack me and bite my face off!"
"What the hell?"
"She went out for a cigarette and I hadn't realised, I hadn't checked the news. Ron, we have to go!"
Ron twisted to look at Harry. That was when people started to scream. Percy grabbed Ron who pulled Harry with him as several people - except they weren't people, they were bleeding, with broken bones visible, clawing and screaming - threw themselves through the windows. Ron swore loudly as a woman was tackled to the floor, the pinball machine sprayed with blood as her neck was torn into.
"Holy fuck!"
Harry didn't give himself time to panic. He smashed a teacup over one zombie's head, then all three boys were armed with chairs when the young lad with the odd socks yelled at them to follow him into the back. They scrambled, only five of them left now and he slammed the door closed, Ron and Harry helping to barricade it.
"My name's Dobby," he said breathlessly.
Ron, Harry and Percy introduced themselves to the other two - Tonks with the pink mohawk and Blaise who somehow managed to look impeccable even as he wiped what looked like brain matter off his cheek.
"Are we honest to God in the beginning of an apocalypse?" Tonks asked with wide eyes and Harry couldn't help but snort. "That's fucking wicked. Although smashing those things head's in was a right work out."
"No, it's not! The one time I actually hit it off with a girl and she turns into a zombie!"
"Everyone calm down," Harry said firmly. "Dobby, do you know a way out of here? Okay, you lead the way then. Everyone grab something they can use a weapon and we'll move."
"Where exactly do you plan on going?" Blaise asked cooly.
"First to get my friend Hermione. Then somewhere I can keep my head down and wait for this all to blow over. I've got no wish to play hero," Harry said firmly.
They all glanced at each other and then Ron smashed a large champagne bottle against the wall, hefting up the jagged edges into the air and pretending to stab something.
"We might have to reschedule that date babe," he said, giving Harry a wink.
"As long as you stay with me, I'll be fine."
"Always mate."
"Can you stop declaring your true love so we can get on with it? Honestly, Ronald, you are ridiculous!"
Percy went behind Dobby who lead the way. Tonks slipped in between Ron and Percy and promptly tripped, nearly knocking him over. Blaise refused to be at the back of the line, muttering how it was always the people of colour who died last. Harry gestured to his own dark skin which meant that Ron was bringing up the rear. As they all tried to contact family, talking in hushed whispers, all Harry could think was that if they survived this, he and Ron weren't going to have sort of nerves around going on a first date.
A/N: Prompts and Challenges are as follows:
- Meet Cute Marathon: Day 10 - Although A normally goes to the cafe on Thursday evenings, A's sibling (or close friend) had called in tears, and s/he had been forced to miss it. So instead A goes the next evening, sitting down at a table with a fresh cup of tea, and then abruptly realised that Friday night was Speed Dating night as B slides into the chair opposite and says, "They say you and I only have five minutes, but I can tell we're going to need longer."
- Character Appreciation: (relationship) Brother
- Disney Challenge: A Whole New World - Write about a date that the characters don't want to end.
- Lyric Alley: Time fades
- Liza's Loves: Apocalypse Now - Write an Apocalypse AU - (5 bonus points)
- Jenny's Jovial Quotations: "You don't own a TV? What's all your furniture pointed at?" - Joey Tribbiani
- Play More Cards: Yugioh - write about fighting off a monster
- Paradise flying snake - (setting) The Room of Requirement
- Scavenger Hunt: Write about someone exercising
- The Forty Day Challenge: Use someone's name forty times in a fic. (Harry, exactly 40 times)
- The Insane House Challenge: Creature - Zombie
- The 365 Prompts Challenge: Apocolypse!AU