Author's Note: Written for...

Hogwarts Auction 2021 - Prompt: Charlie Weasley

Back to School - Prompt: Indigo

Would You Like Fries With That?

770 words

Charlie hated working the nightshift. There were hardly any customers, and he was always the only person on staff. It was so boring. He preferred the hectic lunch rushes that kept him so busy he could barely think. Alas, as the new manager, he had to do what was best for his staff. And if that meant taking the graveyard shift, then so be it.

He perked up the moment the door opened, and he put on his friendliest smile for the young man that came through.

He couldn't have been much older than Ron, Charlie guessed. His pale blond hair was slicked back and his clothes were sopping wet and clung to his small frame.

"Quite the storm, huh?" Charlie said conversationally, desperate to talk to someone. The boy seemed to startle at the sound of his voice, as if just noticing that someone was there. He hesitantly made his way closer to the counter. "Welcome to McDonald's. What can I get you?"

"Um…"

The boy stared up at the menu, glassy eyes skimming the words too quickly to take them in. His hands wandered into the pockets of his indigo jacket and suddenly he looked away.

"I-I don't think I'm going to get anything. Is it okay if I just stay here until the rain passes?"

Charlie frowned, taking in the boy's expensive clothes. He'd seen his share of homeless people in his lifetime. Sometimes on weekends he would drive around and hand out burgers. This kid didn't look homeless, but he did seem to be broke.

"Don't you have anywhere to go, mate?"

The boy looked down and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Charlie crossed his arms. "Nowhere to go, I'm guessing no money… runaway?"

The blond looked up, fear evident in his bloodshot eyes. "Please, I just wanted to get out of the rain…"

"Hey, it's okay," Charlie soothed. "Why don't you go take a seat and I'll get us something to eat."

"I can't pay-"

"It's alright. It's on me."

The boy seemed dubious but he did as Charlie asked, trudging his way to a booth in the back of the restaurant. Charlie joined him a few minutes later with a stack of cheeseburgers, containers of fries and shakes for them both.

"What's your name?" Charlie asked, picking up a cheeseburger and unwrapping it.

"Draco."

"Nice to meet you, Draco. I'm Charlie. How old are you?"

"Today is my eighteenth birthday."

Charlie looked up, about to ask why Draco was running away on his birthday, when he noticed the kid hadn't touched any of the food yet. He pushed a cheeseburger closer to him. "Eat."

Draco carefully unwrapped it, as if the burger might explode if he made the wrong move. "What is it?"

"It's a burger. Haven't you ever seen one before?" Draco shook his head. "It's just a sandwich, really. What about French fries? They're cut up potatoes."

"Potatoes?" Draco selected a small one and nibbled on it, his eyes lighting up at the taste. "It's good!"

Charlie chuckled. "Yeah. They're better with ketchup, hang on." He ran to the counter and fetched a dozen little packets, dumping them on the table. When his companion appeared just as confused about them as everything else, he elaborated. "Tomato sauce. It makes everything taste better."

Once they were both eating in earnest, Charlie felt comfortable enough to get some answers.

"How is it you've lived eighteen years now without knowing what a cheeseburger or a French fry is?"

Draco shrugged, leaning back in the booth and sipping from his shake. "I dunno. Father…" he stopped himself, frowning. "My father doesn't like going to a restaurant if it has less than five stars, and we had a private chef at home, and at school. Father would say that this kind of food isn't good enough for his son, but I like it."

"Is that why you ran away? Because you wanted to try new things?"

"No, I ran away because Father said I wasn't his son anymore. Running away seemed like a better option than being kicked out in the morning."

"Fair enough," Charlie admitted, thinking things over. "Well, Draco, it seems like you could use a place to stay for a bit, perhaps a job. It just so happens I have a spare room and I'm looking for help here. What do you say? Would you like to make burgers?"

Draco stared in disbelief. "You'd really give me a job without any experience?"

Charlie smiled. "I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I think you and I are going to get along really well."