Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used, the world of Harry Potter and everything involved with it belongs to JK Rowling.

Inktober Prompt - slippery

slipping into love

~Monday~

Draco struggled across the slippery ice coating the pavements as he made his way home. It had been a long night at the bar, and he was too exhausted to be dealing with the slick and dangerous concrete. Fumbling in his bag, Draco took his eyes off the icy path before him, searching for his phone in an attempt to silence the continuous buzzing from within. As his hand finally clasped the device, his foot made contact with a patch of unnoticeable ice, and he felt his whole body begin to fall as his ankle jarred from the contact.

"Here, I've got you," the words shocked Draco as much as the hand gripping his arm did. Without him noticing someone had managed to approach him, catching him mid fall and swiftly up-righting him. Draco couldn't believe that he had almost fallen in front of a stranger, and yet he couldn't be more thankful that they had stepped in to save him. There was no way he had the time to deal with an injury this week, especially with the busy schedule he had for both university and work, he needed all of his limbs to be fully functioning.

Glancing down at the tanned hand keeping him stable, Draco risked a glimpse up at the man who had saved him, blue eyes meeting emerald green, Draco felt a connection to the stranger that he had never felt before. "Thank you, for keeping me upright," he spoke softly, receiving little more than a nod from his mysterious stranger before heading off into the city, intent on hurrying home before anymore snow began to fall.

~Tuesday~

Draco stumbled out of the bar, phone in hand and a jacket draped over his head as he tried to protect the screen from the falling rain. He was supposed to be heading home, but had somehow been roped into taking over the closing down of the bar, including cleaning up the sticky mess left behind by that day's customers. Instead of bundling himself into the warmth of a taxi, he was calling to cancel the car he'd booked earlier that evening, praying that they would have a free slot to take him home later that evening. If they didn't he'd have to walk, and that was not something he was looking forward to as he gazed up at the cloudy sky.

As the rain continued to pour harder, soaking him through his thin shirt, and rendering his jacket useless in regards to protecting him, a figure seemed to appear out of nowhere. The man moved close enough that Draco could see it was the stranger who'd saved him the day before, the man with the emerald eyes, and in his hand was an open umbrella, shielding him from the downpour.

"Hey, thanks again for saving me last night, it would have sucked to fall on my arse in front of you," Draco spoke, seeming to think he should attempt to make some kind of conversation as the man didn't carry on walking. In fact, he shuffled closer to Draco, lifting the umbrella higher so they could both be shielded from the heavy rain. "Thanks, I wasn't expecting the rain to be so heavy tonight, the forecast didn't give much warning."

"It's alright, I don't mind sharing," his voice was deep and husky, but there was a warmth to it as he spoke to Draco, ensuring him that there was no bother in sharing the item. "I'm glad I could stop you from falling, I couldn't imagine it would be any fun landing on the ice."

"You've got that right, it definitely would have sucked!" Draco finished tapping away on his phone, thankful for the short reprieve from the rain coating his screen. With a sigh of relief he finished up booking a new taxi, happy there had been some free slots left, and prepared himself to head back inside the building.

"Anyway, thank you so much for both yesterday and today, I definitely appreciate the umbrella," Draco started, grabbing the sodden jacket he had draped over his shoulders and lifting it above his head. "I've got to head back in now, but thanks for stopping and giving me that shield, this rain is nasty!"

The man nodded his head, and parted his lips, Draco waited for him to speak, but seeing that he wasn't, quickly flashed him a smile before hurrying back through the rain and inside the bar. The mysterious stranger was back for a second night in a row, and Draco couldn't help but to think how cute he looked tonight, bundled up in a scarf and thick waterproof coat.

~Wednesday~

Draco strolled out of the bar door, phone in hand as he prepared for the ten minute wait on his taxi. The biting cold was unexpected, yet not completely unwelcome after the sweltering heat of the bar he'd been stuck inside for hours. He had finished a little earlier than usual, so the wait time was longer than he had anticipated, and with no coat or jacket, he found himself huddled against the wall to stay as warm as possible.

"Do you mind if I wait with you?" it was the same husky voice from the night before, and Draco knew that when he looked up, he would be greeted by the same vivid, emerald green eyes.

"Nah go ahead, it's a free country after all," there was a cheeky tone to his voice that did nothing to hide the deep curiosity regarding the mysterious stranger that seemed to continue popping up around his workplace. Draco didn't know whether he should feel nervous as to whether he was being stalked, or grateful that he seemed to save him in some way every time they met. "So, you frequent this part of the city often?"

"Not really, something seems to have caught my eye around here though," he murmured softly.

"Oh really?" He questioned, a wry smirk upon his face as he gazed at the man leaning against the wall next to him.

"Mhmm, you never gave me your name by the way," it came out of nowhere, the swift change in conversation that Draco had not been anticipating. "After saving you twice already, you'd have thought I'd have got your name by now.."

"That's fair I suppose, but then you haven't been exactly forthcoming with your own details," Draco reminded him, receiving a shy smile in return for the teasing remark.

"It's all a part of the mysterious and intriguing persona I'm trying out, I don't want to give too much away," the smirk on his face was a change from his usual soft smile or slight frown, Draco found it endearing, cute even.

"Well, I don't want to disrupt your mystery then, but I would love to know who you are one day," his attempt at flirty clearly went amiss, as the stranger frowned slightly, closing up at the thought of Draco knowing just who he was in real life. It startled Draco to see such a swift change in emotions, and he couldn't help but to wonder if he was missing something important. Opening his mouth to probe further, he was interrupted by the loud beeping of a horn, his taxi had arrived.

"I guess this is goodbye then?"

"I'll be seeing you soon, don't worry about it," he nodded softly before turning to head off down the road, calling over his shoulder, "get home safely too!"

"Draco, by the way," he startled the man as he climbed into the taxi. "The name's Draco." As the taxi pulled away from the curb, he could see the man smile as he mouthed his name, all in all, Draco counted it as a small win for the evening.

~Thursday~

Once again, Draco was hurrying out of the bar, this time the snow was already falling in thick sheets, and he could barely feel his feet from the numbness that had started to spread throughout his body. His uniform did not provide the warmth that he desperately wished for, instead the thin material of his trousers and t-shirt welcomed the shill as he wrapped his thin cardigan around himself as tightly as possible.

"Fuck!" he muttered, gazing down at the bag he had been rifling through. He had forgotten that in his rush to get to work (he'd been running late after an impromptu meeting with his lecturer at university) he hadn't switched over the contents of his school bag into his work one. His wallet was missing, and it suddenly became apparent that Draco would be walking the mile and a half distance home in the thick snow. Sighing, he began to shuffle his way through the snow, ducking his head to avoid as much of the incoming snow as possible.

"Hey, are you Draco?" A voice called out, a voice that Draco definitely didn't recognise. Wary as to what could happen, he clenched his fist while approaching the man who had called out to him, a taxi driver parked outside of the bar he had just exited.

"Yeah I'm Draco, why?"

"Someone booked this taxi for you, prepaid it too."

"Who the hell would book a taxi for me?" He questioned.

"Mate, I don't know, but it's cold so hurry it up please," the man shrugged, popping the locks on the door and allowing Draco to bundle himself into the taxi. He knew it wasn't smart of him to get into a strange car, but he was cold, and honestly could not be arsed with walking the rest of the way home.

The journey was swift, taking only five minutes to reach the dingy flat Draco owned, deep in the sprawling streets of the city. Wrapping the cardigan tighter around himself, Draco prepared himself for the short run to his front door, key in hand and ready to run.

"Oh, I forgot, the man who paid told me he'd see you again tomorrow evening, said you'd know who he is," Draco hummed slightly, realising that the mysterious stranger who he'd seen every evening that week must have been the one behind the taxi. With a nod and a shouted thank you, he sprinted up to his front door, ready to sit down with a cup of tea and just sleep.

~Friday~

"Well hello there mysterious stranger, it's nice to see you again," he spoke softly, knowing the man would be able to hear him as he threw on the hoodie that he'd stuffed inside his bag earlier that day. It came as no surprise to Draco that once again, his saviour was waiting for him, although this time Draco didn't have the time to loiter and chat, he had to hurry home to work on an essay due the next day.

"I see I've become predictable in my actions then," he mused to himself, although he didn't sound upset, if anything he seemed rather happy that Draco expected him to be outside when he finished his shift in the evenings.

"Well, I wouldn't say predictable perhaps, but you have made a habit of being here every evening this week bar last night," leveling a stern look upon his face as he gazed at the man, Draco remembered the pre-booked and aid for taxi from the night before. "By the way, thank you for the taxi. I forgot my wallet and I'm sure you saw all of that snow, so I'm very thankful, but you didn't have to do that."

"It wasn't a problem, I thought it would be a nice thing to do, sorry if i offended you," he worried his lip with his teeth, an anxious tone to his voice as he spoke, clearly hoping that Draco hadn't taken offence to someone helping him out. Neither had realise that as they spoke, they had begun to talk their way through the city, clearly the stranger had been intent on making sure he got home safely once again.

"You didn't offend me, you did surprise me though, no one's ever done something like that for me, I wasn't expecting it," he sent the green eyed stranger a smile as they turned the corner, swerving slightly to avoid a thick section of slippery ice.

"You deserve to have someone look after you every so often, you work too hard," he spoke firmly, resolute in his decision.

"Yeah, well, you have to work to pay the bills and overwhelming textbook costs," he responded, a sarcastic grin on his face as he nuzzled his face into the thick collar of his hoodie.

"Textbooks? You study?" He asked Draco, intrigued.

"Yeah, full time at Goldsmiths," His voice took on a more passionate tone as he spoke of his studies. "Anthropology, with some Sociology modules mixed in for the hell of it."

"Wow," the stranger murmured. "I guess that keeps you pretty busy alongside working at the bar then?"

"Pretty much every evening I've got shifts, and then uni for most of the day. It's exhausting, but necessary, so I make it work," Draco explained. He thought nothing of his work schedule, it was pretty tiring to keep on top of everything, but Draco knew that he had no other options, so he made it work and he always put his studies first.

"I've always admired a strong work ethic," the stranger said as they approached the final turn before Draco's flat. He almost wished that the walk was longer so that they could keep talking and not have to leave the presence of the mysterious stranger.

Turning to face him, Draco stuffed his hands into his pockets as they gazed at one another. Draco felt as if they were locked within their own world, eyes latched upon one another as the rest of the world faded from around them. Slowly they lent towards one another, Draco's heart pounding as he knew what was going to happen next. Readying himself for the incoming kiss, Draco's heart almost leapt out of his throat as they were blinded by headlights. Jumping apart, they both flushed a bright pink, stuttering as they fumbled as to what to say in such a situation.

"Um, I should go!" Draco hurried out, rushing up the stairs and unlocking the door as he waved goodbye to the mysterious stranger one final time before heading inside. Leaning against the front door, Draco sighed as he realised what had almost happened, he had almost kissed a complete stranger, although he supposed they weren't truly strangers anymore.

~Saturday~

"Walking me home again are you?" Draco had expected the awaiting figure this time. Knowing that after five days of him being at his side, waiting outside of the bar, it was unlikely that he wouldn't show up.

"If that's okay with you," he murmured softly, shuffling his feet with nerves. "I'd really like to make sure you get home safely, but if not, I can get you a taxi instead?" Draco didn't know where his nerves had come from, but it was a far cry from the confident stranger he'd spent his time with for the past few evenings, it was pretty adorable he thought.

"Are you kidding me? This is all I've had to look forward to this evening! I'd be personally offended if you didn't walk me home," he teased back, a shy grin tugging at his lips. The pair walked primarily in silence, sometimes broken with the odd question and accompanying answer, but it seemed that they were both thinking deeply. Occasionally their hands brushed against one another, tingles shooting up their arms as the connection they shared became ever so apparent. Draco had never felt like it before, he had never been in such a situation before and wasn't sure how to deal with such an attraction.

As they reached the stoop, their hands brushed together one final time, before the stranger reached up to brush a stray strand of hair out of Draco's eyes. At that moment, there was no escaping the connection between them. As if they were a pair of magnets, they were drawn together, cheeks flushed from the biting cold and the heat between them. The need for privacy dissipated as their lips met in the softest kiss either had experienced. For Draco, it was the first kiss they would ever share together, the start of something new and exciting, forcing him to push forward ever so slightly.

As they parted, the air between them was thick with tension, neither knew what to do. With a gentle kiss to the hand, the stranger turned and left, a light in his eyes that Draco had never witnessed before. Draco hurried inside, ensuring total privacy before allowing the biggest grin to spread across his lips as he threw himself onto the threadbare sofa. It was everything he had wished for, and he couldn't wait until Monday to do it all over again.

~Sunday~

Sunday evening had finally arrived, and with it, came Draco's only day off from both university and work. He finally had the chance to curl up on his rickety old sofa, wrapped in a collection of blankets and catch up on his programs from the week that he'd missed because of work. A steaming mug of tea in one hand, and the remote controller in the other, he flicked his way through the channels.

Freezing at the sight before him, Draco turned up the volume, struggling to comprehend the sight before him. There he was, the mysterious stranger from outside the bar, the one who'd saved him on Monday, held an umbrella over his head on Tuesday, paid for a taxi to take him home on Thursday and kissed him just yesterday.

"Harry Potter is here with us talking about his latest blockbuster, filmed in our very own London, you stole our hearts onscreen and off screen," the host was speaking, Harry, his name was Harry, chuckled softly before grinning wickedly, lips parted and bright white teeth twinkling in the light.

"Everyone needs a hero love," he winked at the presenter before delving into the topic of his new film. Draco could hardly believe that this was the very man who had saved him from slipping over on Monday, the man he'd been thinking about all week. He had struggled with the mystery of the man's identity, he never shared his name, but always seemed to know when Draco would finish his shift, and he had grown used to the green eyed stranger waiting for him outside the bar doors. He supposed that wouldn't be happening for much longer as they discussed the promoting tour that was due to start on Tuesday.

Draco knew he shouldn't have gotten attached as easily as he had, it had only been a week after all. It was in that moment that Draco realised the first kiss they had shared together, would be their last. There would be no more kisses from his mysterious saviour, no one waiting for him to finish work or to walk home during the lonely cold nights. Draco knew it had been too good to be true, but he hadn't expected this.

"Well, at least I know his name now."

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