The first time they meet, Draco has had a mere half an hour of sleep, slumped over his Shakespeare essay like the world's most overworked corpse. His hair was sticking up in a multitude of directions from the amount of times he'd run his fingers through it in frustration and he had ink words mirrored on his cheek from using his second draft as a pillow (he didn't notice the ink until the next day.) Draco had reached a point in his life where he would happily sacrifice his first born child and the entirety of his trust fund for just four more hours of sleep and a cup of anything with caffeine in it. Breathing in burning lungfuls of chilly autumn air, Draco trudged across the campus to the only coffee shop he knew would definitely be open at this hour. He was almost frozen solid when he arrived, wearing pyjama bottoms and a hoodie that he'd taken to keeping on a chair by the front door for occasions like these.
Draco doesn't usually frequent this coffee shop, not when there's a perfectly good Starbucks just outside his dorm which sells decent (if a bit overpriced) drinks. He's perfectly willing to pay the exorbitant prices so that he doesn't freeze his bits off just to get a cup of coffee. However, said Starbucks is closed and the last of his instant coffee had been used up four hours ago.
Draco's slow, slippered shuffle brought him to a tiny cafe. The light from the window hypnotically drew Draco closer like a moth to a candle flame. He sighed, relieved, and pushed the door open. It made a little ringing sound and the sweet, delicious scent of coffee wrapped itself around him.
"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron." The Barista said, eyes glued to the book in front of him. A lock of hair fell in front of his eyes and he blew it away while turning the page. "Our daily special is a white hot chocolate with raspberry flavouring and whipped cream. Please feel free to take as long as you want and let me know when you're ready."
Draco pulled off his hoodie and tried to smooth flat his hair as much as possible. "Can I have an extra-extra-extra-large of whatever has the most caffeine in it?"
The barista chuckled and closed his book. "We don't have anything that big. Would an extra-large be alright?" He looked up at Draco for the first time and his eyes widened. "Oh. Wow. Late night? We have an anti-hangover drink if you want that." Draco glared at him and the barista grinned. "Joking, joking. What's your name?"
"Draco. What for?"
"I have to write it on your cup. Our rules."
Draco raised an eyebrow and makes a show of looking around the empty cafe. "I'm the only person in here."
The barista spun the sharpie around his finger. "Rules are rules."
"Cool name, by the way. One extra-large heartstopper, coming right up for Draco. That'll be £3.25" the barista said with a smile.
Draco blinked. "That's not actually what it's called, right?" He said, handing over a fistful of change.
The barista raised his eyebrows at him and counted coins out. "We never joke about the powers of the heartstopper with sleep-deprived university kids."
The only thing Draco registered about the whole drink-making process was a *click* as the barista opened up an energy drink can and poured it into a cup. Something else happened involving pouring sounds and hissing noises from the large metal machine on the counter and, before Draco's sleep-addled brain fully registered it, the barista was holding a massive steaming cup out towards him.
"One extra-large heartstopper for Draco."
Draco took a sip and "oh my fucking god" was the first thing that popped into his head, followed by "holy shit" and ending with some sort of loud incoherent moan that Draco realised, belatedly, he was actually making out loud.
"What's in this thing?" Draco groaned, taking another sip. He felt himself finally waking up. The warmth from his drink pooled in his stomach and felt absolutely fantastic.
The barista shifted, looking distinctly uncomfortable. He adjusted his large, thick-framed glasses. "Can't tell ya. Trade secret and all."
Draco felt his cheeks warming. "It's really good." He mumbled, accidentally drinking too big of a mouthful and scalding his tongue.
The barista grinned. His cheeks were red. "Thanks! If you come here a lot, you'll get a discount for being a regular. The place is pretty popular with the uni students, just for that drink."
Draco nodded. He felt so incredibly awake at that moment and he suddenly knew just how he was going to structure his essay's conclusion. "Thanks so much!"
"I'm Harry." The barista smiled. "Hope we'll see you soon!"
Draco took another sip of his drink and felt shivers dance along his spine from just how good it tasted. He stroked his thumb absently across a messily scrawled Draco on the side of his cup. "You certainly will."
Draco received a big, beautiful A on his essay and it was almost worth it for the thirty or so hours that he'd spent on it which he would never ever get back. He decided to reward himself with a large cup of something delicious and sweet because life is short and he deserved it.
As Draco pushed open the door to the cafe, he was hit with a noseful of pumpkin and cinnamon scented air. He looked around the store and, to his surprise, it was decorated with cauldrons, large plastic spiders, stacks of books, and even battery-powered "floating" candles which dangled down on pieces of thin thread from the ceiling. A quick check of his phone while he was waiting in line confirmed it: it was Halloween. With all the work that he'd been doing, he hadn't really registered what day it was.
The barista, Harry, was wearing a red and yellow striped scarf and what looked like a wizard costume, complete with black robes and a pointed hat. A stuffed owl perched on his shoulder, held in place with a copious amount of safety pins. He greeted Draco with a cheerful "Hey, Draco! Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron! Today's special is pumpkin spice latte. We've also got seasonal biscuits!" He gestured to the display of colourful baked goods in front of Draco.
Draco made a "hmm" sound, scanning his eyes over the display. "Can I please have a cauldron cake and a drink that isn't too too sweet. Surprise me?"
Harry smiled. "Small, medium, large, or extra-large?"
"Medium, please." Draco said.
"Name?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You called me by name when I came in."
Harry waggled his sharpie at him. "Rules are rules."
The blond sighed, unable to tamp down a small smile. "Draco."
He paid and waited around until his name was called. Harry smiled at him whenever he caught Draco staring off into his general direction. A few minutes later, Draco– red-cheeked– claimed his drink and a piece of cake shaped like a cauldron, which was in a paper container shaped like a pumpkin. He took a sip of the warm frothy mixture and let out a low mmmmmmmmm.
"Harry!" Draco called. "What is this?"
Harry turned around from where he was fiddling with the coffee machine. "It's a secret Leaky Cauldron recipe. It's called butterbeer."
Draco nodded and took a bite of his cauldron cake. "Mmm." He groaned, pleasantly surprised at the richness. "This is pretty fantastic." Harry stared at him for a moment before he untied his apron and poked his head into a room behind the counter.
"Ron!" He shouted. "I'm taking an early lunch! Cover for me!" He dumped the apron onto the counter and chucked his pointed hat on top of it, revealing a messy bedhead. He vaulted over the counter, ducked under a spider web decoration, and weaved through the tables until he came to a stop next to Draco.
The blond took a small sip of his drink, impressed.
"Come with me." Harry commanded, weaving his way to a door on the side of the cafe which Draco hadn't noticed before. It was open, a sign above it proclaiming "this way to the bookstore– Flourish and Blotts" and another sign, fastened to the door, declaring "no food or drinks allowed inside." Harry ducked under a tree branch decoration fastened above the doorframe and Draco followed.
"So, my mate Hermione owns this place," Harry announced, a wave of his hand to indicate the bookshelves around them. "She's got everything from brand new, just released stuff to second hand things to antique books that actual collectors come in to look for. It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside."
"What're we doing here?" Draco wondered. "Also, aren't drinks not allowed within the store?"
Harry glanced at the cup in Draco's hand. "Nah. You'll be alright. She'll bite your head off normally, but I think you'll be ok since you're with me. Anyway, c'mon."
Harry led Draco around the bookshelves and customers until they reached the till at the front, which was manned by a girl with very big hair. She was reading a very thick book but looked up when they approached. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed Draco holding his butterbeer and she glared at him.
"Just this once, Mione?" Harry pleaded. Draco thought he saw him gulp when her glare switched over to him.
"What are you here for?" Hermione asked. Draco was almost sure Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Your lunch doesn't start for quite some time."
"Remember the chocoballs I gave you this morning? We sold out at the shop but I'd really like to introduce Draco to them. Can I have one of them back?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, sure thing. I'll get them." Hermione replied, placing a bookmark into her book before she turned and strode into a room behind her.
"Thank youuuu Mione!" Harry called after her. She returned with a pumpkin box, a bigger version of what Draco's cauldron cake came in. Harry opened it and took out a foil-wrapped ball.
"Here." Harry said. He placed the chocoball onto Draco's palm. "Try this, I think you'll like it."
Draco nodded and unwrapped the ball. Tentatively, he leaned forward and took a bite. The chocolate shell cracked when his teeth hit it and a rich filling of clotted cream and strawberry mousse spilled out of it and covered his taste buds. Draco let out a low groan. He closed his eyes as he let the whole mixture dissolve on his tongue before he swallowed and licked his lips. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Harry, his eyes wide and his hands stuffed into deep his pockets.
"I think I've found god." Draco told him. He popped the other half of the chocoball into his mouth. "Thish ish soo gooooooooooood." He mumbled around the dessert.
Here was a long pause which was broken by Hermione. "Woah. Harry. You weren't kidding, were you?" She said, raising an eyebrow at the barista which was quickly turning very red.
"Harry? Are you ok?" Draco asked, a little concerned.
"Oh, I'm sure he's fine. He might just be feeling a little... blue." Hermione giggled.
Draco didn't get it. It probably was an inside joke, given how Harry groaned and lightly punched her in the shoulder.
"Mione stoooooooooooooooop." He groaned, his cheeks as red as his scarf.
"I can see you're a tad... frustrated." Hermione laughed, eyes bright with mirth.
"I hate you so much." Harry mumbled into his scarf, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
Hermione giggled loudly.
"Just for that, I'm not giving you any more free food this week." Harry grumbled, his face and his ears red.
"You love me, really." Hermione teased. "Draco, would you like the rest of my chocoballs? I get food all the time because of best friend privileges, so I wouldn't mind at all." She pressed the pumpkin container towards him and Draco gladly took it. He unwrapped another chocoball and managed to stuff it all into his mouth at once. He moaned. Next to him, Harry groaned loudly again.
Hermione's peals of laughter rang through the store.
Draco kept going back to the little cafe. He didn't fully know why, not when there was a perfectly good Starbucks just outside his dorm that didn't require him to wear his entire winter ensemble to trek to, but he still did it anyway.
He'd taken to having his lunches there with Harry. They'd talk a lot, about anything and everything. Draco found out that Harry was a student at the same university as he was. However, the med school and law enforcement buildings were practically on opposite ends of the campus, which was why they'd never seen each other before.
Harry told Draco about how his parents had been killed in a burglary gone wrong, which was what led to him wanting to be a police officer. In turn, Draco talked about trying to distance himself from his overly controlling family by studying medicine at a university far away from his home. Draco learnt that Harry played on their university's Quidditch team and ended up getting roped into going to watch a game.
They had very nice uniforms. Very... Clingy.
Draco helped out during the holiday rush around Christmas and finally learnt the difference between a latte and a mocha. If some chocoballs mysteriously vanished during his shift, oh well.
Thanking every single god and goddess he could name for the Leaky Cauldron being open this late at night, Draco pushed the door open with his hip, his arms struggling to hold his massive pile of medical textbooks. As soon as he got in, he collapsed into the nearest table and let out a sigh of relief. He didn't even care that he almost sat on a pile of glittery plastic hearts in the process. Harry paused in the middle of hanging up a red, pink, and white string of paper cupids and walked over with a quizzical look on his face.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked.
Draco groaned loudly and let his head fall onto his stack of books with a thunk. "I have a test in five days and I'm nowhere near as prepared as I need to be. The professor is notorious for setting impossible questions."
"Five days!" Harry said in a cheery voice. "I believe in you! You can do it!"
Draco let out a pained whine. "I'm so tiiiiiirrrrrrreeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddd."
"Not getting enough sleep?" Harry queried, his voice tinged with concern.
"I've pulled like 3 all-nighters this week and I'm running on instant noodles and instant coffee." Draco complained, letting out a long and drawn out whine. "I don't remember the last time I saw sunlight."
"Alriiight." Harry nodded slowly, as if speaking to a child. "You've pulled three all-nighters this week. It's Thursday. Now, I'm not a med student but even I know that's not healthy." He paused. "So, I baked a batch of mini quiches at around dinnertime. So, I'm gonna get them for you, you're gonna eat at least four and you're going to take the rest home so that you won't die of some sort of nutrient deficiency before the end of the month, okay?"
Draco looked at him like how a starving person looks at a buffet. "I think I love you." He whispered, taking delight in how Harry's cheeks turned red. He really was adorable.
Harry disappeared into the room behind the counter, the kitchen, and returned with a box. He took a golden, absolutely gorgeous quiche out of said box and held it out to Draco. Instead of taking the quiche, which Harry probably expected, Draco leaned forward and took a bite. His teeth lightly scraped the tips of Harry's fingers as he did so. He drew back and made a low and drawn out moan as he chewed.
"Yew ar my faaaaavvvvvvvvvouuuuriiiitee pers'n in the worl' ri' noooowwwwwww." Draco mumbled around his mouthful of food.
Harry looked away, his cheeks shining red. He coughed.
"I luuuub you soooo much. Mmm."
"Um... Hey Draco?" Harry said in a rush. "Do you want to go see a movie sometime, after you've finished your test? Or, you could come over to my place and I'll show you how to bake stuff? Or, maybe we could just hang out sometime? Maybe? I mean, if you're not into guys, that's totally cool too. I can go now... if you want or... something... " He trailed off, making a valiant effort to hide his face with his fringe.
Draco swallowed his quiche so fast it nearly went down the wrong tube. "You're asking me out? On a date?" He flushed and looked down at his textbooks. He felt, rather than saw, Harry's nod in response.
Draco felt his cheeks grow redder.
Taking his silence as a refusal, Harry abruptly got up and started walking away.
"Wait!" Draco called. "Um. What about a study date? Before my test? Would that work?"
Harry's face lit up. "Of course it would!" He suddenly ran over to the counter and vaulted over it. "Hold on! One second!"
Draco heard the familiar hiss that the coffee maker made and, barely a minute later, Harry slid over the counter again and ran back to Draco's table. He had a cup in his hand.
"Here." Harry said, thrusting out the cup towards Draco.
Draco took it, a little confused. Then, he noticed a string of numbers written on the cup and grinned. "You are an absolute dork. Surely there are easier ways of giving me your phone number."
Harry blushed and looked a little sheepish. "I've always wanted to do that, okay?"
Draco rolled his eyes but his grin grew wider. He set the cup down on the table. Then, he grabbed the front of Harry's shirt with one hand and tugged him down before lightly kissing him on the corner of his mouth.
Harry looked a little dazed when Draco released him.
"You, Harry Potter, are a massive dork. My massive dork."
A/N: I knooooooow that I should probably be working on my actual multi-chapter fic that like 300 of you are deeply invested in but this idea jumped onto my desk and didn't want to leave so I ended up writing over 3k words. Whoops?
I don't usually go to coffee shops so I honestly don't know if this is even that accurate but eyyyy. Fiction, amirite? I sorta just guessed the drink prices. They're probably all wrong. If any of you actually know what the prices might be, please let me know! Same goes for pretty much anything; if I screwed up some facts about British culture, please correct me.
Hehe. An alternative ending I thought of was just:
*Draco walks into the cafe*
Harry: Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron! What can I get you?
Draco: *slams both hands on the counter* *leans in* your number.
Also, anyone interested in reading this from Harry's point of view?