In the middle of London there's an hidden pub that lead to Diagon Alley - a magical place for the city's youths. You can find everything in between the old-fashioned buildings and narrow streets, as long as you know what you're looking for. Although the alley seem to be almost falling apart, business is blossoming for the young adults that have made home there. Of course, Diagon Alley is far from heaven - the majority of the people that have taken solace there are graduates from Hogwarts, a school known for the rivality between its houses.
Draco Malfoy is proud over his belonging to Slytherin, a house best known for creating politicians and important businessmen. Unfortunately there's a big contrast between those professions and Draco's chosen occupation - a small flower shop located near the entrance to the infamous Knockturn Alley. The only reason that his father has agreed to sponsor his little shop is because the Malfoy lord have high expectations for his future in politics, and think that it's good with some working experience. Draco is reluctant to mention his uninterest in politics for his father, but is happy with the knowledge that his mother supports him. Politics are a dying occupation, and his flowers can bring beauty to the world.
His small flower shop has one more problem, and that's that it's underneath the Marauder's Tattoo Studio, which has been inherited from James Potter and Sirius Black by Harry Potter - his old school rival from the Gryffindor house. The situation had been manageable if it weren't for Draco's extreme awareness of Harry.
The dark-skinned former swim club captain always stopped in front of Draco's flower shop each morning to smile and wave at him. Draco always pretended as if he didn't see, and busied himself with going through orders or arranging new bouquets. Unfortunately, his forced uninterest had yet to make Harry stop; rather the opposite.
Which lead to the current situation.
"Good morning," Harry greeted with a warm smile that sent butterflies rushing through Draco's stomach. He could feel how the blood went to his cheeks against his will, and the blush only enhanced how pale he was in contrast with Harry.
"Can I help you?" Although he tried to sound unaffected, it was still obvious that he reacted at the close proximity. This had never been a problem in school - the cliff between their houses had been too big.
"The sunflowers. Could I buy a couple?"
Unable to deny a customer, Draco could do nothing but nod and choose some of his most beautiful sunflowers for Harry.
The next time that they saw each other, a new tattoo was sticking out from underneath Harry's shirt - Draco didn't know what to think when he recognised his sunflowers on Harry's skin.
It continued in the same way for a couple of weeks - Harry bought a small bouquet of flowers and then showed up with hints of a new tattoo underneath his shirt. Draco hand fantasized about what could be hidden under Harry's clothes many times - the glimpses he had gotten under the school's swimming competitions had never been enough - but he had never had this big need to know before. It was almost that he went forward to pull Harry's shirt of when they saw each other in the mornings.
Until one day when Harry came in to buy not only one kind of flower, but a big bouquet.
"Who is it for?" Draco couldn't stop himself from asking while entering the price in the cash-register.
"Someone I like."
Draco could feel his heart sink as he accepted the payment. He couldn't even appreciate that Harry always paid the exact amount.
"Here," Draco offered the wrapped bouquet to Harry, who didn't make any attempt at taking it.
"It's for you," Harry answered. "We should meet after work sometime."
Draco couldn't find the words to describe what he felt as he finally realised that Harry had been flirting with him for weeks.
"The tattoo, Potter?" was the only thing he managed to get out. Harry laughed, likely because Draco had gone back to using his surname in pure shock.
"An arrangement of flowers," Harry explained, and lifted his shirt so that Draco finally could see the toned body that was hidden underneath. Over Harry's left pectoral muscle, an arrangement of flowers stretched out from a point above Harry's heart.
"It's not at the same level as the arrangements you make, but it's something…"
"It's amazing," Draco answered. His cheeks had probably never been this red before; he could recognise every flower that Harry had bought from him, forever preserved on Harry's skin. It was probably not meant as a romantic gesture but it was still the most beautiful thing anyone had ever done for him.
Harry smiled and let the shirt fabric slide back down.
"Should I pick you up at seven?"
"Seven's fine."
Draco couldn't understand that he had ever thought that it was a problem to have Harry and the Marauder's Tattoo Studio so close.
