A/N: Written for February's Meet Cute Marathon. Other prompts & challenges are listed below.
Word Count: 1,324
Pastiche
[Definition: an artistic work consisting of a medley of pieces imitating various sources]
Harry looked up as the bell dinged above the door signalling a new customer entering the record shop. It was quite quiet, a typical mid-week morning. The man looked a little taken aback and Harry automatically felt himself slip into a customer - service worthy smile. It came easier than normal, given that the redhead was absolutely gorgeous, with sky blue eyes and a smattering of freckles. Even as Harry thought to himself that he'd climb the man like a tree he did his best 'hi, can I help you?' before faltering slightly.
"Um, I'm… I'm just looking."
Harry felt his lips twitch as he raised an eyebrow.
"Are you getting anything particular for a muggleborn? Perhaps I can help?"
"Wha - what?" he flushed from his ears and back of his neck as Harry glanced around them just to make sure they hadn't been overheard by Dave the other assistant who was in the back smoking a cigarette, wrapped up in a ridiculous woolly scarf considering it was nearly April.
"I've always been good at seeing through glamours. Don't worry, you're actually dressed properly which is a nice surprise. But I can see your wand and sense the magic," Harry shrugged. "I think it's because I'm not around magic that much, so I'm a bit more attuned to it."
"You nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought I'd blown the statute of security or something, my Mum would have killed me," he breathed a sigh of relief then looked at Harry curiously. "I don't think I recognise you, are you a Hogwarts student too?"
Harry shook his head.
"Nah. My name's Harry and my guardians didn't want me to go to Hogwarts so I've been tutored mainly. Once I finished my OWLs I was on my own. I've moved out and am working here to try and save up some money to move out of the crap house I'm renting a room in now."
"Ron. I'm here for my NEWTs actually, Muggle Studies. We've all been sent into the Muggle world and have to spend the day then write a few feet of parchment on our experiences. I have to buy some food that you can only find with muggles which I've done, get something from a shop and there are a few other things. My Dad works with muggles quite a bit so I thought I was going to do okay but you spotted me straight away. Then again, I'm not exactly the best at glamours. It took me ages to get this one right."
Harry felt a little bad. "I only knew because I was checking you out, and again with the magic sensitivity."
Ron's blushed deepened as Harry grinned. Now he was out of muggle school he'd come to be more and more overt with his sexuality since there was no one regularly threatening to beat the shit out of him at school or home anymore.
"I'll help you out," Harry said to break some of the awkwardness as Ron's face now looked close to the same colour as his hair. "Have you ever listened to any Muggle music before?"
Ron shook his head and so Harry led him through the aisles, giving him a brief explanation of the different genres. Ron took notes on a small notepad, clicking the biro rapidly with a childlike grin that Harry found immediately endearing. He read some of the lyrics out to Ron to scribble down, including some more ridiculous ones from ballads and country records. 'A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree' had them both laughing until their ribs were hurting.
"Do you have a favourite?"
Harry thought hard.
"To be honest, I like a myriad of different genres and music. I grew up cooking for my guardians with classical music on or golden oldies at my babysitter's house. Then my cousin got into death metal for a period and rock music. Pop's on the radio a lot… My taste in music reflects where I am in life, a lot of the time. I feel like a mismatch myself, growing up in the muggle world and learning magic as an extracurricular activity, growing up gay when everyone around me was homophobic, growing up with brown skin when my guardians were white…" Harry caught himself and ran a hand through his hair bashfully. "Sorry, rambling on. Come here and I'll show you how to play a record on a record player. They're old fashioned but are coming back in style because of people like being retro."
Ron reached out and touched Harry's shoulder lightly, taking a step back as Harry flinched.
"Sorry, old habit. Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say you don't have to apologise. I find this all fascinating and it makes a lot of sense. I'm just sorry that you had to go through all of that, not feeling like you belonged or whatever."
"Music helped," Harry shrugged, feeling a little exposed. He was supposed to be helping Ron, a wizard with no clue from a 50p and a £2 coin. Instead, blue eyes seemed to be seeing through all the facades and masks right through to him.
Ron loved the record player. Harry started him off with some Britney Spears, then Jimi Hendrix and after that left Ron listening to Coldplay as he went towards the 'Cheesy Classics' section. Flipping past Abba and S Club 7 he pulled out 'Disney's Greatest Hits'.
"Have you been taught about films?"
Ron nodded.
"Yeah, we watched one that's apparently famous. I thought it was really cool although we had a lot of questions the Professor couldn't answer. It was called… Die something?"
"Die Hard?" Harry guessed with a laugh. "What did you think?"
Ron shrugged, "Yeah, it was alright I guess."
"Okay well…" Harry quickly gave him a rundown of cartoons which thankfully Ron had heard of and children's movies often being musicals as he carefully slipped X and Y back into its sleeve and then placed the Disney record down, lifting the needle up and across.
Ron closed his eyes to listen with a solemn expression as the first bars of Mulan's 'I'll Make A Man Out Of You' started to play through the record shop. Harry found himself mouthing along, well aware that it was almost as much of an earworm as Hakuna Matata. It was worth it to see Ron's face light up as he swayed a little on the spot.
"That sounds badass!"
Harry lifted the needle before 'Under The Sea' began.
"You could always come over and watch it with me at some point. I've got a lot of films and can teach you plenty about… the muggle culture…" Harry left enough of a pause between his words to let them become suggestive.
"I'd like that," Ron said slowly. "You've really helped me and I'd like to learn more."
"About muggles?"
"About you."
Harry grinned. He ended up giving Ron the Disney record along with the last of their batch of Adele's 21 and wrote his address on the receipt.
"Owl me?"
Ron nodded and then taking a deep breath, asked in a rush of words if he could kiss Harry.
"Sorry babe, you'll have to take me out a date for that."
"Next weekend then?"
"That'd be wonderful."
"Great and then maybe after I'll make a man out of you."
Harry was still laughing as Ron left the store with a distinct spring in his step and apparated away. His heart felt lighter than it had in a while. He had kept to the fringe of wizarding society, just as he had with muggles, letting himself blend and absorb elements from both, always mimicking but never truly integrating himself in either. For the first time, he felt less of an oddity and more like someone who should be proud of what they'd become. He might be unique, but apparently gorgeous redheads liked that sort of thing.
A/N: Prompts and Challenges.
- Meet Cute Day 25: Character A visits a newly open record store in their area. Character B works there.
- Character Appreciation: Muggle Studies
- Lyric Alley: I'm a little bit slow
- Liza's Loves: Screwdriver - Write about someone using a muggle item
- Jenny's Jovial Quotations: "A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree." - Spike Milligan
- Play More Cards: Uno - write about someone getting the last of something
- The Serpent Day Challenge: Cascabel - (object) scarf
- The Insane House Challenge: Word - Pastiche - (An artwork combining materials from various sources)
- The 365 Prompts Challenge: 53. Class - Muggle Studies
- Fairytale Week: Mulan - Pretending to be someone/something you're not, Song: "I'll make a man out of you.", Falling in love.